Peek email-only handheld now available for pre-order, in stores Monday
By Nilay Patel 
posted Sep 11th 2008 12:27PM
posted Sep 11th 2008 12:27PM
[Via Silicon Alley Insider]
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Why not just carry a blackberry?
Looks like an interesting device.
No I will not be picking one up, my iPhone works fine for personal use but Im sure this thing is better for business/all day use.
It's cute in that "I want to help you with your math homework" kind of way.
The idea is good. Stick pdf and doc file functionality and this would just about be able to replace 50% of the buisness use laptops with 3G cards.
Posting again so first post will go up.
You're doing it wrong >
$100 is reasonable, but $20 a month for e-mail access?
no thanks, they know this is 2008 right??
That's why it's mobile but the concept is similar to the Amstrad E-m@iler. (Including the price they think can be charged.)
I think it will enjoy a similar amount of success.
$20 for a monthly data plan, on its own, isn't terrible. That's cheaper than almost everyone (excepting Sprint).
The issue is more of the limited capabilities of the device. If it had more PIM functions and a reasonable browser, it'd be unbeatable. But, as it is, I already have a smartphone, and it's just as capable as this thing.
If only it also had a web browser and wifi. Oh yeah and maybe a phone too.
"two of the three colors are already backordered a week." -- Maybe their VP of Marketing used to work for Nintendo.
I think they're sold out because they didn't have any to begin with! Maybe I'm out of the loop, but this is the first mention of other colors I've heard.
Peek-achu?
Seriously engadget this whole new comments idea does not impress. It looks like the ink on your engadget printer is starting to run out.
I like it actually and its very effective on Joystiq. All the ranting fanboy comments get blotted out so its near impossible to read crappy comments. It encourages good posting because if you're just going to post "ZOMG APPEL" in every news post, its good that it gets blanked out so no one can read it.
I'm hoping soon that if a post gets enough low ranked, it just trashes the post.
I agree with what your saying about if a post is ranked low enough it should be removed. But if anything, now all it does is make it stand out even more! Its not like the highly ranked ones stand out now or are more obvious. All its doing to my eyes is highlighting the shitty comments.
While we're hijacking the thread to talk about the comment system, how about keep "returning" as the default, since by definition, the "New Readers" should only be used by somebody once?
I like the new system, but I wish the 'Neutral' posts would be full black and the 'Highly' and 'Highest' ranked would be even bolder or highlighted in some other way. The Neutral comments are a little hard to read. I also would like to see the 'Remember me' option actually work. I always have to choose 'Returning' and always have to enter my email and pass.
... And now back to our regularly scheduled discussion about this crappy email device.
deduct everything from your wireless bill that is required to get email on a blackberry, or iphone, and tell me this is not a bargain at 20.00 a month. Depending on how well this will handle attachments, it could be quite good. Also one could just have a plain ol cellphone and leave the email at home, or at the office. I bet they sell a ton of them.
Actually, $20 is exactly what I pay for data on my iPhone, and I get a heck of a lot more than e-mail with that.
The iPhone data premium, call it what you want, is actually $30. You must have some special deal Scorch07 to be paying only $10 less than everyone else.
@Jeremy
It's $20 if you have 1st Gen iPhone since it runs on EDGE and not 3G.
T-Mo's unlimited EDGE data plan is $19.99 a month, and it can be tethered to a lappy for more than just email
There's one problem. It doesn't display attachments, except for jpegs.
On the other hand, this could be great for companies who want to give their employees email access, but don't want to provide mobile phones.
They don't have to pay for the voice service, text messages, and other headaches employees bring on with their mobile service. And they don't have to pay $300 for a Blackberry or Treo.
That's why it's mobile but the concept is similar to the Amstrad E-m@iler. (Including the price they think can be charged.)
I think it will enjoy a similar amount of success.
"Memory - 8MB of user memory (which is a lot of email!) "
hmmmmmm
Well, it is a lot for emails... but pitiful for attachments.
"Man, the Peek email-only handheld must really be, uh, piquing people's interest "
Gezeus - it wasn't clever the first time...
Gezeus Aetch Kryest
$20/month to have 24/7 access to email - I'd be more likely to spend $20/month to get away from my email for a couple of hours a day.
P.S. if you're going to make 80% of your revenue on these data plans, why not sell the device for $20 instead of $100 - a much higher percentage of more people would be more likely to purchase a $20 device than a $100 device - especially on impulse.
I cannot imagine this service/device lasting 6 months.
Email should be $10/mo. max. Everybody knows this.
"Backorder" please... Those colors were probably never made in the first place! I prefer the new ipod touch.
8 mb is nothing when you have attachments.
Anyone remember the amazing I-Opener? I had 3 of them all hacked to some degree. Wonder if this thing can be hacked?
Oh yes... the beloved i-Opener. They failed on so many levels with that.
I broke mine by messing with QNX's configs on startup, never hacked the BIOS or even replaced the OS on mine.
Gooooooood times.
If they really never intend to take this thing beyond basic email, they should have given it a black and white screen and sold it for $30 with first month's service included.
I still don't see why i would possibly prefer to carry both a phone and email client, as opposed to just one, especially when it looks like my phone is better at handling email anyways. (i could be confused, but don't most smartphones have more storage capacity and functionality when it comes to attachments?)
I would buy it instantly if it featured:
- more email accounts
- wider range of attachment viewing
- higher resolution display
but given current limitations, I have to pass.
And, last but not least: the cost should be $9.95/month
I would stand in line for one if it was $99 and used WiFi to access my email (ie, no recurring fee).
At $20/month this has fail, fail, fail written all over it.
Emails on phones/mobile devices, just beepers for me to get to a computer...
What good is email if you can't open and edit attachments properly? I recently switched from a Blackberry to a Windows Mobile device because of this.
Does it play Doom?
It's perfect for those who just refuse to answer call and let them to go to VM. Don't ya just hate those people when calling a landline office phone?
checked at Peek's website today...The device doesn't support exchange mail servers. So much for the 75% of the target market that might be interested in a device like this. Peek says they support most POP3/IMAP providers, but why pay 20/month to read my gmail on the go when I just download google's gmail mail client for my phone. This device won't be around for long without exchange support and different subscription options.
Whoever thought this was a good idea to produce oughta be taken out back and shot execution style.
How can (presumed) smart people start a business on these premises? For 5 bucks and a better device this could pick up... but US$20.00 a month... and no attachments/browser capabilities.... come on...
yeah. Seriously, email only with no exchange sucks. who is their target audience again? Business people? No exchange servers? Mainstream? No Web browser or wifi (or anything else)?
this will fail. especially at $20/month. this is why we have ipod touches and blackberries.
It reminds me my OGO, except it doesn't do IM.
might work for the grandparent or great grandparent group that would use it to keep in touch by email but get confused with all the options on a cellphone or computer. mother in law used the old email only machine and she couldn't even get jpg's on it. also - people that can't talk - mute or voice box removed - and don't want to learn computer or cellphone. Agree that $10/mo and $29.99 for the device would still be a better bet even for these groups