Peek-a-Boo

This past month, I've been able to check out and play with Peek. What's Peek, you ask? Well, let me tell you. It looks kinda like a phone. But it isn't. It's this nifty new device that lets you email and text. The cool thing about Peek is there is no contract to sign. You don't have to commit to a 2 year (or any length!) contract. With Peek, you get unlimited email and texting for only $20 a month! And the device itself sells for $50.

When I first considered trying out Peek, I couldn't figure out who it would appeal to. I mean, the people who can't go a few hours without checking their email or texting friends probably already carry a Blackberry or iPhone or some similarly equipped phone, right? So what other people would like to be able to email and text without the telephone option? Then I looked at my daughter who was texting me from 5 feet away. Bingo!

Plus, I think this is a great option for those who don't want to commit to a contract where they're locked in for any length of time. Peek is really user friendly; it's very simple to figure out, which would appeal to anyone who doesn't want to mess around with a complicated smart phone. It may even work well for those who do have a phone (prepaid perhaps) and don't want to upgrade to a smart phone, but would like the option of checking email. For $20 a month, you can have unlimited email and texting in addition to any phone plan you may already have.

So, how does it work? Well, when you're out and about, you can read and respond to email. When you get back home and log on, your mail will still be in your inbox. I happen to like this because I can go through my mail and double-check that I'm not missing anything. I talked to some friends who really didn't like that, however. They said they didn't want to return to their computer only to see a full box of mail. They'd like mail that's been opened with Peek, to disappear from their inbox. I will admit that I use AOL and I'm not certain it works this way with every browser, but it's something to think about.

I personally think that Peek is a little slow. It takes time for messages to show up after you click on them and it only goes out for mail every 5 minutes or so. I'm used to my Blackberry which is super-fast, so the slowness of Peek irritated me. Today, however, Peek is coming out with an upgraded version called Peek Pronto and as the name suggests, it's supposed to be a faster version of Peek with more options and capabilities.

Because I'm used to a different device, it was strange typing on the Peek, however it does have a full qwerty keyboard and the keys are raised and spaced nicely so I think most people would have no problems. It features a jog-dial on the right side which makes navigating through your email easy. The display is also nice. It's large, well-lit, and the text is easy to read. The unit itself reminded me of a very slim calculator. It's roughly the size of my Blackberry, but it's thinner. I wasn't overly impressed with the battery though. I had to charge it almost every day (more often than my phone).

Overall, I think Peek is a nifty gadget that works well, but it isn't for everyone. If you want to simply email and text, and you don't want any contracts, then check out Peek. It's an ideal solution for you. If you're going to be going on vacation and don't have a laptop (or don't want to drag one with you), Peek would be a great device to have in order to keep up with your mail while you're away. When you return from vacation, you can just stop using it and, more importantly, paying for it, if you want. If you want phone capabilities, Peek is probably not for you. If you want to be able to check your Facebook, surf the web, and blog, then Peek is not the device for you.

Want a chance to try out a Peek? I have 2 cherry red Peeks to give away to 2 readers! Leave me a comment here and tell me how you think Peek would fit into your life and I'll choose 2 random winners on Friday!