I'll pass on the Sprint PPC-6700

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Well, I came eXtremely close to ordering a PPC-6700 from Sprint, but decided to call around to see if any local Sprint stores had live units that I could inspect prior to making the plunge.

The hunch paid off and I found a Sprint PCS store at Park and Preston in Plano that had a demo unit that I could play with. After 10 minutes with a live PPC-6700 the verdict is ... Drum roll .... I will wait.

I really liked the EVDO, brilliant screen, and (reasonable) performance; but the plastic skin and small brick-like form factor just wasn't for me -- the screen size is smaller than I am accustomed to, the thickness was more than I can tolerate and (did I mention) the plastic case killed the deal.

With the exception of the small screen size, these are all stylistic preferences as the unit I inspected appeared to be well built. The screen is a matter of functionality for me as I am a die-hard Transcriber user (I can write way faster than I can type) and the small screen made writing more tedious than I am accustomed to.

But what about the often-touted keyboard you might say, surely, it negated the smaller screen to write on. Well, I was un-impressed. Sure, it was bigger than the PDA2K keyboard but the square, center-raised keys and tactile feedback felt cheap to me so I'll stick to Transcriber thank you.

I am sold on EVDO though so now I am on the lookout for an EVDO unit with WM5, a screen the size of my PDA2K and a metallic skin. I don't know of anything on the horizon that meets these specs, but I'm sure one is on the way.

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I upgraded to a PPC-6700 from
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 2005-11-09 20:22.

I upgraded to a PPC-6700 from a Treo 650 (more of a lateral move actually) and have been using this unit for about a week now. Your comment about the form factor is pretty right on, and dimension wise it's almost identical to the Treo 600 & 650. But the Treos have a nice beveled back that make it much more pocket friendly. There are a few nice touches on the 6700 like a small rubber strip on the back that keeps it from sliding around on slippery surfaces like table tops, dashboards, etc. Plus the BT 1.2 kicks butt over the T650.

I think had I not bought the thing (from Sprint Telesales) sight unseen and actually tried it in person, I might have been put off by it's look and feel. But now that I've been using it for a bit I think the functionality outweighs the lack of good looks. I admit that I still like the look and feel of the Treo better, but it's kinda like dating (or marrying) a girl with a couple of extra pounds because she's so good to you (sorry ladies).

Regarding the keyboard, I originally did not like the PPC-6700 much but it has grown on me and now I think it's great. My only gripe (and it's a big one) is that there is no indicator when you enter caps or symbol mode. This is especially problematic when typing passwords because you can't see and don't know if you're typing a "t" or a "5".

Anyway, EVDO rocks and is almost worth the price of admission alone. Looking for WIFI access points become a thing of the past, in fact I turned the WIFI off altogether to maximize battery life.

I am looking for a couple of reg hacks though, one to increase the screen brightness (there's about 25% more avaiable but for some reason it's toggled back) and the otehr to change the front soft button assignment. Any suggestions or help would be appreciated. Cheers.

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Thanks for the great summary
Submitted by xman on Sat, 2005-11-12 07:44.

Thanks for the great summary Anonymous! Your analogy is spot on -- hopefully the ladies will take it in stride. I think had I just ordered the PPC-6700 my experience would have paralleled yours.

Your comments on the 6700 in comparison to the Treo are very helpful. How are you adjusting to the differing (non-square, longer) screen size? I think my problem would be going from a larger PDA2K screen to a smaller one.

To remap the soft keys try this link. Follow the "remap left soft button" link to the thread on Howardsforum and you will find hacks for both soft keys.

I have not seen a hack for the backlight yet, but I will post it if I do.

By the way, please PM me (via reply to author link in any of my posts) if you would like an eXtremePPC blog to share your experience with the PPC-6700.

Cheers!

"How come everything I think I need always comes with batteries?" -- John Mayer

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