Ab Work Outs: Peek Mobile E-mail Device (Gray) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This device is a great concept that's poorly executed. I was looking to move away from BlackBerry to a separate phone and email device and this seemed like the perfect solution. I used it for a few months but the shortcomings were too much for me to justify the monthly service charge and initial investment.

Positive aspects
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- Email only device: just what I was looking for, an email only device that does not tie down my phone when I don't need email. This way I can throw it in my briefcase or coat when needed and leave it back at other times
- Keyboard: this device has the best keyboard of any mobile device I've used (which aren't too many). It's certainly better than the one on either the iPhone or BlackBerry. It's a full keyboard and you don't need to use the shift key for the most commonly used keys and numbers.
- Screen is bright and clear even outdoors. Font and layout is good as well. Much more soothing to the eyes than comparable devices.
- Can automatically download your address book from your online email service! (a first?)

Neutral aspects
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- Only allows you to download email from 3 email accounts (vs 10 for BlackBerry)
- Setting up a custom email server to download cannot be done automatically, you have to call customer service. I have not tried this, but bothered not to after finding out.

Negative aspects
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- Polling speed, 10 - 60 minutes: coming from a BlackBerry I was used to instantaneous email notification, if you haven't used one, it's true, the email may show up on the device even before it's in your email client on the PC! I was willing to compromise on the polling speed but the peek gets nowhere near this. Their official line is 'gmail is updated every 5 minutes and the rest every 15 min' - the best times I got was 10 min and worst ranged upto a few hours (combined with the next issue below).
- Unreliable signal: service for Peek is offered on the T-Mobile network, I would get unreliable signals on the device (i.e. the device could not connect to peek servers) even in areas where other T-Mobile devices worked just fine. At times the device would be offline for hours - especially after getting out of a NYC subway (which almost always required a reboot to get any sort of signal). This combined with the above issue meant not seeing your emails for hours in some cases. These first two issues were deal-breakers for me!
- Slow device: the processor (or OS) on this device is slower that most new cell phones. While checking, deleting email it would just become unresponsive. The processor is not the fastest, but it may also be a firmware issue with the device. Anyway, if I am paying the asking price for this device, I would like it to be responsive. When you buy a BlackBerry or iPhone you're getting you money's worth. With the Peek you're overpaying for a very underpowered piece of hardware.
- Service cost: Monthly service charge is too high for just 3 (unreliable) email accounts and no internet access
- Offline use: device does come with built in memory that should be enough to download and store 100's of emails, but this does not seem to be used optimally. If you happen to be off the network (eg: in a NYC subway) you won't be able to read long emails, only the first few screens a downloaded, the rest are accessed when to scroll to them. BlackBerry has a setting to download entire emails, also if you've already read an email, it will store the full content on our device. The peek has neither option. Particularly annoying is an email you've fully read will get truncated in the subway as there is no network. All of this with an email traffic of less than 50/day for all my accounts.

Recommendation
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For me, the negative aspects far outweigh the positive ones. I would not recommend this to anyone considering the long delays, unreliable network connectivity and sluggish device, not even to a casual user. If you must try the device, then buy from Amazon, Target or getpeek.com - they all have at least a 30 day refund policy so you only stand to lose the first month's service charge in case you are not satisfied.

Alternatives
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- Email only: considering everyone has a mobile phone these days, adding email is as simple as getting a blackberry from your service provider. T-Mobile (who also provides this service) will add BlackBerry email to your plan for half of what the peek will cost you on the monthly basis. If you want usable email this is the best option. The only downside is paying up a little more for a BlackBerry device. If you don't want to sign a contact, just buy a used BlackBerry on eBay or craigslist for not much more than this.
- Email+Web: there are too many options out there that don't cost much more than what you'll pay for Peek. iPhone, Google Android or full BlackBerry service come to mind. Any one of these would be a better option.

As of my review date, there are 26 reviews of this device for the 3 different colors it's available in, as you may notice all feedback before mine is 5-stars! This is very unusual especially considering my experience with the device and the fact that they are available used on eBay for half the list price here (my guess is from other unsatisfied users). It looks like many of these stellar '5-star' reviews are by employees of the firm itself; you can also confirm by looking them up at getpeek.com.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Peek Mobile E-mail Device (Gray)

Product Description:
Peek is a super thin and stylish device that lets you take your email with you and stay connected when and where you want it. Designed for and dedicated to your personal mobile email, Peek is packaged in a lightweight, slim design with a color display, full keypad and simple menus to make email on the go a breeze.

Get unlimited email and text messaging for a flat, low monthly rate of $19.95. Monthly service is billed to directly to your credit card, so no need to worry about bills, late fees or penalties. And best of all, there are NO CONTRACTS EVER.

Peek is compatible with most major email providers including Yahoo, Gmail, AOL, Hotmail, AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, Roadrunner, BellSouth, SBCGlobal, Earthlink, Cox, Charter, Cablevision, NetZero, Mac, Optonline and many others. Plus, it is super simple to set-up -- enter your email address and password and that's it. You'll start receiving emails in less than 2 minutes!

Peek works on a high-speed wireless data network with nationwide coverage so it will work almost anywhere.

Critics have been raving about Peek. The New York Times says Peek is "simple" and "elegant." The Wall Street Journal says its "stylish and simple" and Time and Wired magazines have named Peek the Best Gadget of 2008!

What's in the box: Peek mobile email device, AC charger, Rechargeable lithium ion battery, Quick start guide

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