Blacker the Berry, Sweeter the Juice? Maybe NOT.
Written: Apr 19 '03 (Updated May 08 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: QWERTY keyboard, corporate e-mail access, speaker/mic, trackwheel
Cons: Dual band, monochrome display, limited memory, weak reception due to internal antenna, no touch screen.
The Bottom Line: A high quality wireless messaging device with standard PDA, and convenient mobile phone functions. It is a must own item for corporate e-mail users but average consumers should look elsewhere.
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| aashok's Full Review: RIM BlackBerry 6710 Smartphone |
Why did I buy it?
I purchased this a few weeks back for my sales assistant at my office. He needs to be able to constantly monitor time sensitive and mission critical messages and convey them to me immediately. One of the system support tech geeks in the office suggested I try the Blackberry. So I did. The closest comparable models to the 6710 are the Palm Tungsten W and the Handspring TREO 270.
RIM (Research in Motion) markets three similar models for different regions and networks. They are as follows:
Model 6710 operates on GSM 900/1900 mHz networks across North America and Asia Pacific.
Model 6720 operates on GSM 900/1800 mHz networks across Europe and Asia Pacific.
Model 6750 operates on CDMA 800/1900 mHz networks across US and Canada.
Many of the messaging and phone features are dependent on the service provider and may be optional for additional costs. So check with your wireless service provider before buying.
What’s HOT:
Seamless corporate e-mail integration.
Most corporate networks have secure servers running Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Notes or Lotus Domino to manage e-mails. Often it is critical for corporate users to be able to receive and send e-mail from their secure servers in the office or on the road. The 6710 constantly stays on and connected to the network and integrated to the company servers thru the Blackberry enterprise servers. Blackberry enterprise servers are currently being used by thousands of companies and government agencies, to enable their employees to access secure e-mail. What does this mean? All your incoming e-mails are forwarded from your office to the Blackberry. Any e-mails that are composed and sent from the Blackberry, appear as if they were sent from your office.
GSM phone with integrated speaker/mic.
RIM decided to add this feature to their remarkable line of connected PDAs, in order to stay competitive with the Palm Tungsten W and the Handspring TREO 270 products. I found it to be a great addition and a welcome convenience. While making / receiving calls, you can either use the included headset or hold up the unit to your ear like a conventional phone. Incoming call and e-mail notifications are done with an on screen alert along with a ring tone or vibrate. To make a call, you can select a name from your address book and click the trackwheel to place the call. The left half of the QWERTY keyboard, doubles up as a numeric keypad to dial numbers. It also has other phone functions such as conference calling, call forwarding, voicemail, call notes, call logs, call block and caller ID block. Phone calls can be made by direct dial, from the contact list or from the SIM card.
Multiple Messaging options.
A single integrated address book and inbox serve all email, voice and SMS applications.
SMS: Other than e-mail, you can send and receive messages by SMS. (Short Messaging Service) Most cellular networks support SMS, which is the standard short messaging service. It is reliable and fast enough for non-critical applications.
PIN messaging: Most Blackberries have a unique personal identification number. In a corporate environment where many coworkers are also using Blackberries, you can add their PIN numbers to your contact information and then be able to exchange messages directly with each person. This is also useful if you have a large close-knit family.
Wireless Web: The 6710 has a built-in browser that allows you to click on links and view wireless web optimized pages. This feature also allows you to access web based e-mail servers. It makes sense when you want to send personal messages but don’t want to use your company servers. The browser also allows you to set bookmarks to your favorite websites.
PC Synchronization of PDA Functions.
The charge/sync cradle makes it very easy to synchronize PIM data with your PC. When you place the 6710 in it’s cradle, it automatically synchronizes the contact list in the address book, tasks and appointments in the calendar and e-mail. It automatically reconciles messages that were read, deleted or moved to another folder. This means that you don’t have to re-read and reorganize your messages on the desktop computer when you get back to the office. The address book can hold up to 250 names and phone numbers and contact information.
What’s NOT:
The LCD Display and Trackwheel.
Usually the first things you notice when you power up the 6710 are, that it does not have a color screen and the display is not touch sensitive. In spite of this the display is quite clear and does not wash out on a bright day. The main display is a monochromatic backlit screen with 160x160 resolution. It can be user selectable to display 13, 16 or 20 lines at a time. All the main functions are displayed as 15 icons on the Home screen, and can be quickly accessed with the trackwheel. The trackwheel has multiple uses such as scrolling, selecting, dialing, etc. It is very responsive and a reasonable substitute for a stylus and a touch screen. However, it can become arduous when browsing the wireless web. I prefer the comfort and convenience of a touch screen / stylus on the Treo 270.
Memory.
The unit comes with 8MB of flash memory and 1MB SRAM. This is shared by the various PIM functions to store user data such as contact lists, appointments, tasks and SMS/email messages. This should be sufficient for most consumers, however some heavy users of corporate e-mail may find this insufficient and will need to constantly delete messages.
J2ME OS.
Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) is a powerful development platform that is optimized for wireless devices and provides an industry standard programming environment for custom and commercial application development and deployment. RIM (Research In Motion) claims there are millions of independent Java application developers. That may be true, but the number of available applications doesn’t even come close to the vast selection of after market applications created for the Palm and Pocket PC platforms.
Weak Reception.
The unit has an internal antenna which works fine in midtown Manhattan. But when driving around the tristate area, I found just too many blank spots which were not there while using the Sony Ericsson P800 or the Handspring TREO 270. The only inference I can draw is that the Blackberry 7610 has weaker reception.
Only Dual Band GSM.
I really like the added convenience of a mobile phone in the blackberry, especially with a conventional speaker/microphone setup. However I wished it was triband instead of only dual band. I do occasionally need the triband feature when I'm traveling overseas.
Other Specifications.
Dimensions: 4.75x3.00x0.70 inches,
Weight: 4.86 ozs,
Battery Charge: 3 hours talk time, 8 days standby time. This was about the same even under my grueling and punishing usage at work.
The Layout.
The headset jack and an LED indicator are located on the top of the unit. On the front top is the speaker and below that is the large LCD display. A QWERTY keyboard, microphone and the power/backlight keys are located below the screen. On the right side of the unit are the phone key, trackwheel and escape/cancel key. The layout is very user friendly and intuitive for all except left-handed people.
The Bottom Line.
This is a high quality wireless messaging device with standard PDA, and convenient mobile phone functions. It is a must own item for corporate e-mail users but average consumers will be better served by other consumer friendly devices like Nokia 3650, Sony Ericsson P800 or the Handspring TREO 270.
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Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 599.00
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