Peek's $100 E-Mail-Only Handheld Could Catch Market By Surprise

Is there a market for a cheap, one-function email gadget -- today's equivalent of a two-way pager? Peek, a NY-based startup, is about to find out.

We'd been anxiously waiting for the last year to hear more information from the company, formerly known as Txtbl. But to our surprise, Peek has been quietly posting a few updates here and there for the last few weeks -- including the first photo of its $99.95 device, coming to Target stores nationwide on Sept. 14 (and earlier on the Web).

What is it? A thin gadget -- in cherry, aqua, and grey -- with a full QWERTY keyboard that sends and fetches email over T-Mobile's network for $19.95 a month, according to Amol Sarva, Peek's CEO. That's it. No mail-in rebate, no long-term contract, no phone calls, no Web browser, no digital camera, no App Store, no SMS, no MP3 player, no mobile TV -- just email, including Google's GMail, Yahoo mail, AOL, etc.

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Comments

[jairus]

This sounds like a great idea. It reminds me of Palm, right before they started getting into phones, simple devices, intuitive and easy to use.

[deluxebrand]

I don't get it. Why would I pay $100 and $20 a month just to send and receive email?

My phone already does this.....and makes phone calls.

Also, who wants to carry around a bunch of "one trick pony" gadgets in their pockets?

Doesn't do it for me.

[MrsGreebers]

Because maybe the target audience isn't people who are already plugged in. Maybe it's someone like my Mom who doesn't/cannot/won't get the hang of a computer. I would view it like those email-to-fax printers your grandparents can plug into a phone line and receive "emails" from you but on paper.

[Crowhaul]

Finally, a company that gets it.

Honestly, this is EXACTLY what I've been looking for....

[chronic5]

There's a market of older folks out there who just couldn't keep up with all the security updates and dangers using a computer on the internet. I'd buy this for my mother in a heartbeat if the buttons and type pad were larger. When will design engineers realize that smaller is not always best?

[onedb4u]

Do your mother a favor and set up a linux pc for her. It's super simple, can run on less powerful computers than any Windows product, and is more secure. Check out Ubuntu Linux. Google it.

This gadget is kind of scary. What if mother takes it someplace, sets it down and forgets it? That's a more serious security concern than any Windows virus.

1 db

[scooterliberal]

All these companies need to beef up their outer packages. I'm serious. None of them seems to get that sleek slick slippery devices are stupid. They need to think Hummer in their designs and make something that you could use to hammer in nails. I want a sports version of a Blackberry or Iphone. I want something tough and with grip dammit!

[SUNRAI]

This would be great for my 11 year old daughter who exchanges email with her friends, but she's getting one of those ASUS EEE PC for school and she can check her email on that......

[MaracaKabob]

That's a great idea. I have a few more, how about;
1. Just a cell phone
2. Just a digital camera
3. Just a pocket web browser
4. Just a portable video game player
5. Just a GPS navigation tool
6. Just a utility belt to hold all your single purpose devices

or you could get just an iPhone.

[sleek]

...except when your iPhone doesn't work you have NOTHING.

[thegreatgiginthesky]

Now now, it does act as a good paper weight.

[TerryWrist]

iphone looks bloody gay, the price for that thing and the package of functions you get is really awesome, but it looks way too gay. I'd like to pay a premium for a Palm tero even it doesn't have any advantage against iphone but it got the look-looks like a man.

[erathwomen]

How does something look gay? That makes no sense to me.

[negogato]

come to think of it, those postage stamps look gay.
and vitamins.
and the instrument panel on rental cars
the moon, definitely gay

[OddManOut]

Calm down fanboy

[Crowhaul]

loliPhone

[AllAmericanAmericanBoy]

Anyone who needs a navigation tool and a portable video game player with them at all times deserves all the monthly bills they can get.

[statseeker]

Consider the audience folks. Businesses who may not want their employees with a company cell/smart phone but still want them to be able to receive company messages while on the road. Older people who dont have any use for a really sophisticated computer or phone loaded with all these features they have no idea how to use. They just want to get their email and dont want to have to pay an arm and a leg for high speed internet they dont really utilize. People that may be on dial-up internet just to get their email may ditch the dial-up and pick up one of these babies so that they dont have to hassle with tying up a phone line with slow service anymore. Honestly, the people I would purchase this for would be my parents and or grandparents and their friends. This way, they get their email and I get my peace and quiet and dont have to listen to, "My computer has a virus because of something I found in my Email. Help me." No computer, no virus, no rescuing.

[Leonard]

We set my Mother up with receive only e-mail in her home and it has been wonderful for her. She can also get pictures, news and many other things that she wants. Also you have a friends list for it so it is the only people that can send.

Presto...is the name ...Given her hearing, and frustration by all via phone calls she fell in love with this the first day! Reasonable too.

[EdwardEdwards]

Very silly.

[cls105]

10 years ago that would be have been cool. this will be one of those "worst of" winners.

[helen]

They need to drop the price a LOT and then it would be attractive, both retail and monthly fees.

Sell it for under $40, no $30, and only charge at most $10/month for email access.

[geneven]

For $10 more than they charge for this email device, I get my Centro, which gives me Internet + 500 minute a month phone calls + the ability to connect my Nokia N800 to the internet via Bluetooth, and of course email, etc.

Right, this thing is worth maybe $10 a month to access email.

[EinChicago]

Wait so ity is $100 AND $20 per month.


Ummm. A low end blackberry is free and only $20 per month too. And it can be used as a phone. FAIL!

[EvilCartman]

I have VirginMobile prepaid... and *I* have email included in my 45$ a month phone. What is the
deal here??? 20$ a month for email only??? you could have a Virgin phone on a $19 unlimited text plan and have AOL/Yahoo Email and Chat, plus a phone number that can text and free voicemail. ummmm...how is this product really competing ???? I don't get it. Maybe this would have been revolutionary in 1995 or something.

[Crowhaul]

This will access your pop3 email accounts. Your VirginMobile simply can't do that....

[muggles5]

Virgin Mobile is hopeless as a way to do email. Cumbersome, slow, and hard to read. I think this thing will sell, because most people only need two things when they are not sitting at their pc's: to talk to people, and to check their email. All the multi-function devices cited by posters require contracts and other fees, and are also more complicated than necessary.
Plus, it's one more chunk of the market denied the loathsome, dishonest Steve Jobs.