Why didn't Victorinox think of this?
Written: Oct 20 '03 (Updated Oct 20 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: E-Mail access all in one place; Great battery life; No headset needed
Cons: Backlight inadequate; Call drops significant
The Bottom Line: It brings your e-mail to you, a first only discovered by RIM.
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| CellKnowledge's Full Review: RIM BlackBerry 7230 |
The Swiss Army Knife for the Techno-Savvy
The Blackberry 7200 series is the new handheld introduced by RIM about a couple months back, and I finally got my hands on one. It is a great model, and to sum it up in a blurb, it is a great improvement over the previous Blackberry models.
It's the first Blackberry to incorporate a color screen and high-resolution graphics.
It's also the first one that can also be called a 'blueberry', since it doesn't come in black.
Features:
- It has E-Mail push technology (no need to login to your mail servers)
- Incorporate all your existing e-mail accounts onto one place, the Web Client, or your workplace Enterprise.
- Use full-fledged web browsing, in color! Also features crisp image-showing.
My personal experience:
I decided to purchase one because I have many e-mail accounts and decided to consolidate them all into one place, so I don't have to login back and forth on my computer. It simply makes it easier to access e-mails from one device, without logging in all the time, hoping that you would get a message. It's like having your own personal mailman who drops all your mail off to you.
I didn't want to primarily use this as a phone, but if you have it, why not? It is great to use as a phone, but awkward when you have to speak into a headset. I also tried the alternative on holding the unit up to my ear, but that ultimately loses call signal quality and drops calls. I found it to be true when I received my bill and received 30 minutes of dropped call credit. But, this also depends on the area in which you use the device. I live in a suburbian area, so there may or may not be many GSM cell towers here.
You get an array of apps to use with the Blackberry, most of them convenient. A memopad to jot down quick thoughts, contact lists that handle the capacity to hold more than just a phone number, and a messaging program that seems to never get full when you have alot of messages. There's also an alarm wake-up app, and the old classic, Arkanoid (renamed brickbreaker). You can download additional apps for the Blackberry via blackberry.net. There's not many apps though, as the 7200 is fairly new.
The web browser is also capable of accessing full HTML content (no frames, though or Jscript), regardless of what people may say. It requires a bit of neckwork, though. But after jumping loop-de-loops to turn the feature on your device, it is well worth it. I was even able to get to the foxsports.com page with it. The alignment of the pages may be mismatched, but the quality of the images are crisp and clear. You don't need enterprise access as well. If you have a GPRS blackberry access plan with T-Mobile or AT&T, you can get the web. It is convenient, though to get the enterprise access, if you like to access the net from within the company you may or may not work for.
The one thing i did not like about the Blackberry 7200 is that it utilizes the same backlight as its previous models. You would think if they were using a color screen they would use a white backlight, for improved viewing? Apparently not for their first model. But, it is rumored they are releasing an update model to this one.
All in all, this little berry proved to be nifty and was able to keep me away from my office and my computer. My job required me to be on call via e-mail, and the blacberry is like a micro-assistant. Now I can agree with the others who could never let go of their Blackberries.
This productive little device would run you about $449 from the carrier stores, but if you look long enough and go to independent retailers, expect to buy this for as low as $339 (or course, with mail-in rebates). Service is available with T-mobile and AT&T Wireless.
Bottom line: If you can afford it, and want to unify messaging as a whole, invest in this. With rave reviews from even the nastiest of corporations, you can't go wrong. It's also mich better than the other Blackberries in terms of screen resolution and quality.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 449
Recommended for: Business Executives - Powerful and Professional
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Epinions.com ID:
CellKnowledge
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Location: Harrisburg, PA, US
Reviews written: 12
Trusted by: 1 member
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