Laptop Mag reviews Peek e-mail only PDA (Verdict: A Kindle for email)
When the Peek pocket email device was first announced, some of you were skeptical. But Laptop Magazine likes it quite a bit, and spells out the Peek's charm in one captivating analogy: the Kindle is for books, and the Peek is for email.
We did notice that the Peek took a bit longer than a BlackBerry to bring up a new message window and to load the menu options. However, the user interface is dead simple, and sending new messages should be a breeze for the tech-incompetent. We loved the spacious, rubberized keyboard and its tactile feedback. You should have no problem slipping the Peek into a pocket since it is, according to Peek CEO Amol Sarva, “30 percent thinner than the iPhone.
A lot of us are going to wonder about the purpose of the Peek, but like I said when I originally posted about it, I admire the elegance of devices that do one thing and perform that primary function incredibly well. It'll be interesting to see if there really is a market for a $100 portable email device wedged underneath the Smartphone and Blackberry segments.
A Sneak Peek at the E-Mail-Only Peek [Laptop Mag]
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It seems hopelessly limited, almost dumb, but there's something about it that I really like.
If you don't have or want a smartphone, but use email to organize your life, why not? I think it comes down to price, for me: $20 is about twice as much as I'd like to pay for it.
I think I'm going to give it a whirl, though, as there's no contract!
I can just imagine the same people that sued RIM, and won big-time, licking their chops.
This device further reinforces my desire to carry one device that displays both email and ebooks. Maybe I could make phone calls and play a few games on it as well. While we're at it, I probably should be able to browse ALL of the web.
I just don't think there's a market for this thing. The Grandma/Grandpa/Ma/Pop set isn't going to use it because for them sitting down to a computer to check their email is how it's done. If you're open to reading and responding to email on the go, you probably already have a smartphone. I don't think price really impacts this decision.
Peek, Kindle...
So ends of the age of convergence and thus begins of a new age of divergence! Down with versatility! All hail monotility!
Just think of the possibilities if this thing is hackable.
OK fine. The Nokia is $375, not $300 (though $300 would buy you a Nokia N800 AND a bluetooth folding keyboard), and I'm out the brazillion dollar bet on the data network they're using.
But there are SO few handheld devices that have come even CLOSE to doing a good job with email that I'm going to hold on to my negativity.
Maybe the peek will have the kind of user experience that made the ipod wildly successful. Good for them if so - but the customer base will be folks who don't want to spend the money for a blackberry, folks who've felt the pain of MotoQ and other pain in the ass email smartphones and likely a lot of teens.
NOT grandparents.
W000t, convergence only works if the user interface is good. Which is almost never is.
We'll be getting one in within a week, I hope.