Peek Pronto with lifetime service: $299
By Laura June 
posted September 28th 2009 5:01PM
posted September 28th 2009 5:01PM
posted September 28th 2009 5:01PM
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With the new android and blur phones coming out, I think I'll pass.
Lifetime eh, but what if you are in prison? Secret or otherwise.
If I actually got more than 5 emails a day (aside from work), I'd like to get this.
5 email accounts per Peek Pronto device. Not 5 emails/day. That'd be a bit ridiculous of a hard limit.
My idea: make it work as a mini BT keyboard, for other phones and media center setups.
My mother needs this.
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All this thing needs is some sort of web browser and I'm there!
+1
the only thing this thing is missing is a web browser and instant messaging features (AIM, MSN, Google Talk, Yahoo). if it had a decent webkit web browser i'd actually consider buying one.... otherwise i can't really justify it.
my dad needs this
STOP! READ THIS! my peek was so slow that it was useless to me and i tried and tried to make it work, their customer service was customer friendly, lifetime service for $300 is a gamble but if it pays off that could save you some serious coin, i suspect that over time their technology will get better and faster, their churn rate is probably pretty high and they probably need a quick cash infusion, those people started out as a mom and pop deal and they are just trying to hang on
The Peek Pronto 1.09 software is considerably faster than the 1.00 or 1.04 device you probably tried last year.
This would make a great gift for those who don't want/need the the features/expense of smartphones, but would still like to check e-mail away form the desk. A Peek for $300 with lifetime service, or an iPhone for $6000 for 2 years of service? It's a no-brainer, really. I'm seriously contemplating getting one.
Sorry, I meant $2000 for the iphone.
It's even worse cause $2000 won't even get you text messages now.
Yes... but no one is spending $2000 for just for email on the iPhone... it's for everything the iPhone can do. Phone, web, email, apps, games... etc. Why does everyone use "money over time" to say something is expensive? Everything you pay monthly for is "expensive"
I pay $2000 over 2 years for my Blackberry. You know what? The Peek would not replace that.
Yea, I know, but for me, and I'm sure many others, the only practical reason I would get a Pre or Blackberry or iPhone would be for e-mail/web. For everything else, there's my 3 pound Thinkpad that I carry around everywhere. Granted this Peek device doesn't have a web browser, but I can live with that if it's over 10 times cheaper through the lifetime of the device. The keyboard on the Peek also looks bigger/more comfortable than those of the aforementioned phones.
you know, if I didnt have an awesome mobile plan (unlimited text, data, pic, email and 500 min) for $30 a month, old Sprint Sero plan, I might consider this. Plus when I add in my 25% discount and the reimbursement I get from work I think I might pay $5 a month for my phone each month.
I bought a couple of these thinking they would be hackable. Not. I even bought the special upgrade cable. Tmobile service here blows so it's basically useless.
Pros: It lights up and it's rechargeable, plus it has a qwerty keypad!!! This almost satisfies my gadget lust. When I use it people ask me wtf is that thing? so it's definitely an attention grabber. You can chuck it into oncoming traffic or skip it across a pond like a flat stone. That's also a plus.
What other excuse do you need to waste a few bucks at Target?
can you email to text with this?
Yes, it does text messaging.
http://www.faq.getpeek.com/?cat=8
Be careful..."The deal will cover any future device upgrade you might make, too." is not true.
From the Peek website: "Life Time service is for the life of your device only. If your suffers any damage not covered by the 1 year warranty and you must purchase a new Peek, service is not transferable. However, if your device stops working within the 1 year warranty, we will happily replace it and service will be retained."
http://boards.getpeek.com/discussion/1353/lifetime-service/#Item_0
My first reaction is, I don't understand the point of this device when we have smartphones that do it all.
Maybe this would be a good for people who have simple mobiles, want a little more, but don't desire to upgrade to full-featured smartphones that have it all.
Now to play devil's advocate, people say, "Hey, man, it's free lifetime email!". OK, but you do still have to slap down $300 first. And you can get the finest smartphones on the market for that price on a new or renewed contract. And I think more commonly these days, fewer and fewer people want to carry two and three devices. I think it's quite obvious that convergence is increasingly gaining in popularity and will continue to do so.
And who the heck is Peek? I know Engadget has talked about this company before, but Peek is largely unheard of and isn't long established so the value of "lifetime" can't be qualified yet. And not saying they *will*, but a company like this *could* go out of business in six months. Who knows? The same wouldn't be thought of about a well established carrier.
Important clarification (confirmed by Peek customer service):
Lifetime service is attached to the device you buy. Break it --- you're on your own.
Here's the info straight from the peek website...
Q:
What is the Peek for Life deal? Can existing Peeksters upgrade to Lifetime service?
A:
You can now get a Peek Pronto with lifetime service for only $299, exclusively at Amazon!
Existing Peeksters can get a Lifetime upgrade for $249, with a prorated refund on their current plan. Just call Customer Care at 1-877-677-PEEK to get the upgrade.
Please note: The service travels with the device only. However, service will still transfer if that device is 1) software-upgraded or 2) exchanged under the 1-Year Warranty. So you can transfer devices among people, but you can’t transfer the lifetime service to a new device.
http://www.faq.getpeek.com/?cat=16
Don't get me wrong, the lifetime deal is still a good deal, just not nearly as good a deal as the make it sound.
Here is the breakdown...
-1 Month: $19.95
-3 Months: $49.95 ($16.67/month, $10 savings)
-12 Months: $179.95 ($15.00/month, $60 savings)
-Lifetime: $249.95
You can get the device on Amazon for $50, so the break even point between lifetime and monthly is about one year, quarterly 15 months, and annually 17 months.
If you buy the device + a one year contract that's $230, so basically for an additional $70 you get to use the device as long as it lasts after that first year.
I go through a cell phone a year, so to me it doesn't look like a great deal. If it would cover upgrades, it would be a fantastic deal. I would suggest that they add a service charge to upgrade or transfer to a new device. If that service charge was in the $50 range, I'd be happy with the deal.