My Pepper Pad 3 is back (and black)
The next time I planned to shine the spotlight on my Pepper Pad 3 (PP3) was in the first installment of an upcoming multipart review. This post, in fact, was supposed to be overflowing with all that is delightful about the device. Instead, all I have today is a bunch of pictures of what is now a black PP3 (it used to be white).
Spraypaint was not involved, but Amazon was. In a nutshell: my original PP3 caught a cold on its third day with me, never fully recovered, and was repackaged and on a plane a few days later. Its replacement arrived this afternoon. I chose black this time around because I thought the press shots, which have the device looking quite matte, were inaccurate. The white PP3 was actually quite glossy in person, so I naturally assumed the black one would be as well. It turns out I was wrong, but in a good way.
It’s perfectly normal that Pepper and HanBit would release their PP3 in different colors, but it’s quite unusual that different finishes would accompany these colors. Needless to say, the black PP3 housing is not made of the same glossy plastic found on the white device.
Also unlike the white one, the black PP3 doesn’t photograph very well in low-light conditions. Notice how much more shadow is created beneath the unit; it also doesn’t help matters that the rubber sides are black (the white PP3, as you may recall, has gray sides/trim).
The all-black trim gives the black PP3 a sleeker look than the white one, but I think the navigation pad stands out too much and makes the design a bit lopsided. The scroll wheel on the right, as you may or may not be able to see, is black and thus barely visible.
Here’s a closer look.
You can’t really tell from the pictures, but the finish/texture of the black PP3 is exquisite. It feels exactly like the Black Tie Treo 650: smooth and rubberized and very Batman-like. Even a close-up shot of the device can’t adequately capture the gorgeous finish.
And I thought I didn’t like matte black!
In addition to the obvious cosmetic differences, all that sets the black PP3 apart from the white one is the color of the included stylus.
Assuming that my new PP3 is in perfect health, the next time you see it will be in Part 1 of a multipart review. Stay tuned.
