In article ,
KE5LDO wrote:

My opinion would be, will you be QRP all the time? If not the 703 would
be your best bet. If it is, the 817. Check out the eham.net site for
information,as wellas bth Yahoo newsgroups. Hope this helps. KE5LDO

Per your suggestion, I read some of the reviews on each at eham.com. My
impression is that most people like whichever one they have. None of
the reviews I read said anything about how the keyers work.

Comments from people that have had both, lean towards the IC-703.
Comments were made about the 703 having a very good built-in tuner, and
the 817 being too tiny.

Dale, W4OP, suggested that I consider the Elecraft K2 with its
outstanding receiver and low current drain. Eham reviews are mostly
positive, but my eyesight may not permit me to built one from the kit.

A quick check of E-Bay finds several 817s for sale, but no 703s or
Elecrafts.

73,
Fred
K4DII