ZDNet's David Berlind writes that because the BlackBerry 8700 has keys that are "larger and closer together" then the BlackBerry 7200, operating the newer device is a bit more awkward.
To illustrate his point, he lines up the two devices side by side, as you see at the top of this post.
"The older, more rural (I guess he means more widely spaced-Russ) thumbboard design on the 7200 was definitely more natural for me to use," David writes. "The 8700's thumbboard was not nearly as natural to type on. At least for me."
So what would David do if he got a call from Waterloo?
"If I could build the perfect BlackBerry, I'd take the brilliant display and the newer applications found in the 8700 and put them into the 7200," he writes. "Then, I'd find a way to give the 7200 some decent sized SEND and END keys. Perhaps these can be put on the edge where some of the other buttons are.
"Or how about on top?," David adds. I'm sure the folks at RIM can figure this out."
1. I agree wholeheartedly about the keyboard--the VERY WORST ever made by RIM. I love everything else about the 8700, but I will never type as fast on it as every older model (including the 7100).
Posted at 9:40PM on Mar 8th 2006 by MarvinK