[Mogul, XV6800 General] devinc:
What's funny is that the 6800 seems to have the least appeal to two sets of users. IMO there are four broad categories of users:

1. Casuals

2. Intermediates

3. advanced

4. Pushers

Casuals are people like my mom. You know them. They want a phone but don't know the first thing about how to do anything with them. Believe it or not, the 6800 is just fine for them. You can use the standard WM 6 interface right out of the box and it serves as a very nice pcoket computer and cell phone. You see, casual users don't need a bunch of fancy tricks and special apps. They are happy to simply get a cell phone, camera, qwerty key board, and push email and pim. Nevertheless, casual users are apt to enjoy the neat interface of the iphone or storm.

Intermediates are very likely not to enjoy the 6800. Why? Because they know just enough to be dangerous. Just enough to flash a ROM improperly or load up their phone with a hundred apps and then complain when their phone becomes unstable. They get frustrated and do things like throw their phones in the air when they have no one but themselves to blame.

Advanced users, I think, like the 6800 because of its work-horse reputation, functionality, and its modability. Advanced users know how to keep their phones trim and fit and in good shape so that it doesn't crash all the time. They know how to mange their ROM and use the phone with as great efficiency as possible.

Pushers like to push the boundaries of the phone world. They are not happy unless they have the latest and greatest of everything. Latest features....latest hardware....latest software. Pushers will hate the 6800, just as they will, frankly, end up hating anything that was released more than 3 months ago. Why? Because vy then the next latest and greatest gadget is released and, by God, they have to have it!

I LOVE my 6800. It does almost everything I could ask of it. The only thing it really lacks, IMO, is a g-sensor, and so far other than the cute use as a bubble level for handyman work, all of the g-sensor stuff seems to fit in the amusing pout pointless category.

People are constantly amazed at what my 6800 can do. I have had iphone users, even after the app store opened, literally downtrodden after everything they showed me they could do I could do and then I went on and did about a dozen things they could not do.

I have complete voice navigation and gps. I have finger friendly and flick friendly apps up the ying-yang. I get the full web experience and can view streaming videos and flash and you tube on the net.

I have voice activation. I have weather. I have swappable memory (try that iphone freaks) and have every single song and most of my movie library on my phone. I recently took a 12 hour flight by myself in a jet that had a power outlet at every seat and I needed nothing with me but my phone to keep me not only out of boredom but actually entertained.

My 6800 is my office...anywhere I go. I can access my desktop at work remotely. I can not only view but create and edit Word and Excel docs. Need a quick deal memo during an important business meeting at lunch? I can take notes with my stylus BY HAND, then type them up into a Word Doc deal memo and email it to an office to have it printed. I can then run some figures in Pocket Excel to project the proceeds from the deal. All in the restaurant over lunch.

And I have yet to see ANY software keyboard come close to the hardware keyboard of the 6800. The iphone keyboard sucks. So does the diamond and the storm. They all suck...by definition. My hardware keyboard is large, usable with my big thumbs, and doesn't take up an inch of screen real estate. Can you say that of the iphone? The storm? The Touch?

I fully understand the RAM issue, but holy crud...just how many toys do you need running at the same time on your phone? I do plenty on the 6800 and I don't mind the RAM. Yeah, I suppose it could load in 2 seconds instead of 4. But who except a PUSHER would care?

Devin