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I received a Sprint Treo 800w review unit from Palm today and wanted to post some unboxing pics. Stay tuned for 1st impressions.
Labels: palm, sprint, treo, unboxing, windows mobile
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 7/16/2008 03:57:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Earlier today, Palm has launched the Treo 800w smartphone for the Sprint wireless network with Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, 802.11g Wi-Fi, and GPS capabilities.
"Palm is adding a unique stamp to the Windows Mobile experience with the Treo 800w," said Stephane Maes, vice president, product marketing, Palm, Inc. "It's an easy-to-use feature-packed smartphone that will keep users happy, empowered and productive."
The complete list of Treo 800w product specs can be found on the Palm Treo 800w website. A downloadable PDF datasheet for the Treo 800w is also available.
The Treo 800w can be purchased for as little as $249.99 with a qualifying service plan and after instant and mail in rebates. Without a service agreement, the Treo 800w sells for $599.
You can purchase the Treo 800w from Palm's online store or Sprint's retail outlets and online store.
Labels: palm, sprint, treo, windows mobile
¶ posted by Alan Grassia, Staff Writer @ 7/14/2008 05:17:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Starting today, Sprint has begun selling the Palm Treo 800w smartphone. According to the Sprint website, the Treo 800w has the following product specifications:
- Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1
- Autonomous and simultaneous GPS using Sprint Navigation for turn by turn directions, and points of interest searches
- Stereo Bluetooth lets you listen to your music on the go
- Embedded Wi-Fi
- 2.0 Megapixel camera/camcorder
- MicroSD card support
- 320x320 TFT display capable of displaying 65K colors
- 256MB of user memory, 128MB of program memory
- Incoming call alerts when a data session is in progress, avoid sending callers directly to voicemail
- Phone as a modem support
Palm has yet to issue a press release officially announcing the Treo 800w. Additionally, the Palm website and online store have yet to be updated. I expect Palm's official launch of the Treo 800w to come on Monday morning.
Make sure you tune into this week's 1SRC.com Podcast for more details on the Treo 800w.
For more details, or to purchase the Treo 800w now, visit the Sprint website.
[Via FoleoFanatics...]
Labels: palm, sprint, treo, windows mobile
¶ posted by Alan Grassia, Staff Writer @ 7/13/2008 05:29:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
"This software update is a tune-up that improves the phone application, stability and device usability."
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 7/02/2008 12:27:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Engadget has gotten hold of the official Sprint Treo 800w spec sheet and training manual. Palm has added some of their "special sauce" adding a physical WiFi button (no need to dig through menus to turn on/off WiFi). The strangest thing according to the overview is that MMS is NOT supported. Are we moving backwards??? Expect to pay $249.99 on July 13th with a new 2 year contract.
Labels: palm, sprint, treo, windows mobile
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 6/30/2008 08:00:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
"We continue to invest in Palm's future and remain focused on building long-term value," said Ed Colligan, president and chief executive officer for Palm, Inc. "Centro is a tremendous hit, we are gaining market share, and we believe with this momentum, and the launch of new Windows Mobile products, we will turn the corner and return to revenue and margin growth."
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 6/26/2008 06:11:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
WMExperts is reporting that Sprint will launch the Treo 800w on July 13th based on a Sprint scanned inventory sheet. Expect to pay $249.99 for the Treo 800w when you sign a new 2 year contract, or $599.99 without.
Labels: palm, sprint, treo, windows mobile
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 6/23/2008 03:17:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Facebook® for Palm
Stay connected to your friends on Facebook right from your Centro™ & Treo smartphone. Respond to messages, upload photos and video, and receive status updates just like you’re on the Facebook website. You can browse your friends' profiles and send out new friend requests.1 Download the application directly to your smartphone by typing mobile.palm.com/facebook into your smartphones’ web browser.
Features
• Send and receive Facebook messages, and respond to friend requests.
• Capture video using your smartphone and post it to your Facebook profile.
• View and post photos right from your smartphone — or snap and send off new ones.
• Check out your friends’ photos and post a comment or two.
• Receive News feeds, change your status, and get friends’ status updates on the go.
• Browse friends' profiles, post messages to their wall, and send friend requests or search for old friends through Facebook.
• Open your Contacts and dial your friends with just one touch. It’s that simple.
Labels: centro, palm, palm os, treo
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 6/12/2008 06:28:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
WMExperts has a picture of the Sprint Treo 800w in the wild and offers up some new details.
Sprint will begin offering the Treo 800w July 13th.
Sprint will offer the Treo 800w for $249.99
Dedicated WiFi button, and the infamous "Ringer switch" on the top.
Head on over to WMExperts for more details.
Labels: palm, sprint, treo, windows mobile
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 6/06/2008 09:00:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
Palm's CEO, Ed Colligan has done an interview with APC and we're finally starting to hear what Palm has in store with their next generation operating system.
"So let’s talk about the future – and specifically the forthcoming all-new Palm OS, which is codenamed Nova and said to be built around Linux. Colligan calls it “Palm OS” and later “Palm 2.0”, both times his fingers drawing quotation marks in the air as he speaks. Palm 2.0, as in Web 2.0, although he makes it clear that “I’m not coming up with the branding right now – whether it’s Palm OS 2.0 or Next Generation, we’re not coming up with the branding right now. But this is something different to this” he says, pointing to the Centro.
Colligan speaks of this as being a “next-generation operating system with much more capabilities, driven around the Internet and Web-based applications”. It reminds us of a very modern take on the original OS, as well as a revisiting of the strategy which saw Palm create everything from the OS to the handhelds. It worked fine for Palm in the early days, and it’s working pretty well for Apple too.
“We’re focused on executing our own system, mostly because we really believe that to create the most compelling solution it should be an integrated package much like we started with the Palm OS and doing the original Palm Pilots: we did the operating system, we did the hardware and we did the whole synching architecture and the desktop tie-in, which is equivalent to the Web these days. One of the things we wanted to do is to make sure that we had an end-to-end solution we really controlled and could deliver the end-user experience we want to deliver. We think it’s going to be stunning and breakthrough in its execution, and we’re working on some very exciting new devices to go with it”.
And for at least the short term, that OS will continue to be offered in low-end devices typified by the Centro. “Centro is our consumer line of products, the start of a product line to hit that demographic and price point” Colligan says. “Centro will be strictly Palm OS”.
At the same time, Palm will continue to promote the Treo line of Windows Mobile smartphones to business customers. “Microsoft is the de facto standard in corporate email, and I think they should be the de facto standard in mobile email. If you have an Exchange server today you can already get mobile push email without installing a single other piece of third-party equipment, so it’s pretty easy to deploy. I don’t believe we could ever create a position in the business community that competes with Microsoft, it just wouldn’t make any sense.”
That ‘next generation’ Palm OS will slot in between the Centro and Treo lines under a new ‘prosumer’ brand that’s yet to be decided, Colligan explains. “We’re going to continue to look at those three line areas – consumer, prosumer and enterprise. Treo is today more of our mainstream prosumer product which is extended into the enterprise, but over time you’ll see some branding work done on the top two to make sure they’re really well delineated.”
Labels: centro, palm, palm os, treo, windows mobile
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 5/28/2008 12:08:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
WMExperts is reporting a possible release date of July 22nd for the Sprint Treo 800w. The Treo 800w is shaping up to be a very powerful device in terms of features. This will be Palm's first Windows Mobile Treo to feature a 320 x 320 resolution screen, WiFi, EvDO Rev. A, GPS, and 256MB of memory.
Labels: palm, sprint, treo, windows mobile
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 5/06/2008 11:07:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
Clarifying an earlier post today, Brighthand's Editor in Chief, Ed Hardy, has posted an update to the Sprint Treo 755p story.
It turns out that Sprint delisted the Treo 755p due to supply shortages and not because they are no longer selling the Palm OS Treo. A Sprint representative told Brighthand that:
"Sprint has not discontinued the Treo 755p from its smartphone portfolio, however, we are currently addressing temporary outage of inventory which is why the handset is not currently featured as part of our online store at www.sprint.com. Sprint plans to continue offering these handsets and investing in new Palm products throughout 2008."
Sprint Treo 755p customers, myself included, can breath a sigh of relief.
¶ posted by Alan Grassia, Staff Writer @ 4/10/2008 11:20:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Brighthand is reporting that Sprint is no longer listing the Treo 755p on its online store. No official reason has been given from Sprint or Palm, but it's clearly due to the success of the Centro.
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 4/10/2008 10:26:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
"Palm is adding new hands-free capabilities to its smartphones as a result of an agreement with Nuance Communications.
Palm will use VSuite applications from Nuance for to hands-free, one-step access to mobile applications and content. VSuite's speech-based user interface will be included on the Palm Centro from AT&T (NYSE: T), and on the Treo 755p from Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Wireless. VSuite is also supported on all Palm OS-based Treo smartphones, Nuance said Wednesday.
VSuite works with simple one-step commands that Nuance said requires no training. Sample voice commands include name dialing from any name on a phone's contact list; digit-dialing a phone number ("Call 7815550000"); or message addressing for text, picture, and video messages ("Send text to John Smith mobile"). Voice prompts can also be used to look up contacts as well as open any application or menu on the phone, Nuance said.
n addition, Nuance also offers Voice Control, a subscription-based service for Palm users to connect to the mobile Web with voice commands. The service also allows users to dictate and send e-mail or text messages, create calendar entries, or do Web searches." Via Information Week .
It's great to hear that Palm will be adding this feature, I use Nuance Vsuite on my Sprint Treo 755p and swear by it.
Labels: centro, palm, software, treo
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 3/26/2008 08:13:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Palm has created a great resource for owners of their smartphones. The Palm Self-Paced Learning Guides is a great place for any new Palm smartphone owner to learn how to do things with their smartphone. You'll get to know your smartphone, send email, tips & tricks, and a lot more.
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 2/23/2008 02:53:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
For the past month I have been road testing the new Treo 755p from Verizon Wireless for Gadgets On the Go. The following is my review of the newest Palm Treo smartphone to debut on the Verizon Wireless network.
Body Style
The single biggest improvement that the Treo 755p has to offer over the model it replaces, the Treo 700p, is its redesigned body. The 755p now has an internalized antenna bringing it in line with many of the other competing devices on the market today. For many customers, this will be a welcomed and long awaited change.
Palm has also worked to improve the way the Treo feels when you are holding it in your hand. To achieve these improvements, Palm used soft touch paint and changed the contours along the sides. Rather than a convex edge, the sides of the Treo 755p are concave. As a result, the Treo 755p is much easier to hold as you are rushing about your busy day. The Treo 755p is also slimmer and lighter than the 700p, though it is hard to notice the change even with the two devices sitting side-by-side.
Owners of previous Palm OS devices from the recent past will be happy to learn that the Treo 755p uses the same multi-connector data port as was used on the Treo 650, Treo 700p, and the Palm TX. Customers upgrading from those devices will be able to reuse many of their existing accessories. For example, I was able to use my Treo 650/700p HotSync Cradle kit, spare HotSync cables and chargers, hard and soft carry cases, and vehicle mount with the Treo 755p. Regrettably, some accessories won’t work on the Treo 755p. The Treo 755p includes a miniSD card slot. If you have used full high Secure Digital (SD) or Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) cards with earlier devices from Palm, they won’t work with the 755p. A change in card formats was necessary to accommodate the internalized antenna. The good news is that the miniSD card slot on the 755p does support the newer miniSDHC card formats.
Software Enhancements
The Treo 755p is noticeably more stable than the Treo 700p. During the entire month I was using the 755p, the device did not reset once on me. Google Maps is now bundled on the device and has been integrated with the Contacts application. To use the feature, look up an address in a Contacts records, and tap the Map button. You can now quickly obtain directions to locations that are in your contacts database. (If you plan on using this feature, or others that require a connection to the Internet, you will want to purchase a Verizon Wireless data plan in addition to the voice plan.)
For the most part, the software on the Treo 755p felt snappy and responsive. I was able to quickly jump between the preinstalled and third-party applications that I installed on the device. While over-all performance has been improved over the Treo 700p, the Blazer web browser still had a little bit of a lag starting up and closing down.
There are two changes in the factory default software package that I would liked to have seen Palm make. The first is the inclusion of VersaMail 4.0, rather than VeraMail 3.5.5 with the device. VersaMail is Palm’s email client. (Requires manual installation using the MyPalm application on the Treo.) VersaMail 3.5.5 is functional, however, it would have been nice if Palm had added VersaMail 4.0 to the 755p for it’s background synchronization feature. The Palm representative that I spoke with suggested that Palm was not planning on releasing an upgrade to VersaMail 4.0 for devices that did not ship with it. Disappointing. The second change that I would have made would have been to make the Voice Dial software the full version rather than a 14-day trial. Treo smartphones that are based on the Microsoft Windows Mobile operating system, like the Treo 750, come bundled with a voice dialing application and Palm OS Treo smartphone customers deserve no less. (If you wish to keep using the Voice Dial software after the initial 14-day trial, the cost is an additional $16 dollars.)
During my trial period, there where four applications that I either upgraded or installed to enhance my personal productivity. These items are subjective and will vary from user to user. I started off by installing Treoware’s LEDOff utility to over ride the constant blinking of the Verizon Treo’s LED since I prefer the LED to only blink when I need to be alerted to an event. I also installed Tyler Faux’s LudusP utility; which I used to remap the Menu button to the green send button. For me, it is a more natural movement to press the green send button to open a menu when my thumb is on the 5-way navigator than reaching down to the Menu button located in the lower right of the keyboard. Since I use my Treo for writing and note taking, I upgraded the bundled version of DataViz Documents To Go from version 9 Professional to version 10 Premium for Microsoft Office 2007 compatibility. And lastly, since I like to listen to music while I write, I upgraded Normsoft Pocket Tunes from version 3 to version 4.
In Conclusion
The Treo 755p is a solid device for both business and consumer oriented users alike. Unlike the Sprint edition, the Verizon Treo 755p is only available in an Azure Green. (It looks better in person than it does on the web.) Palm has made some positive changes in the areas of hardware and software. The refined body of the Treo 755p makes it easy to work with through out the day. The software improvements have added a welcome level of functionality and stability to the product.
To use the Treo 755p, you will need at least one free USB port on your computer and be running either Windows 2000 Professional SP4, Windows XP SP2, Windows Vista, or Mac OS X 10.2 or later. At this time, there is no support for 64-bit versions of Windows XP or Windows Vista, which is something I would like to see Palm address before the end of the year.
For more information, including details about how to by the Treo 755p, visit the Palm website.
Labels: palm, review, treo, verizon
¶ posted by Alan Grassia, Staff Writer @ 1/14/2008 12:57:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
Did Microsoft's Bill Gates "out" Palm's rumored Treo "Drucker"?
Over the weekend, Gadgets On the Go covered a leaked product roadmap from Vodafone that showed two slides of upcoming Windows Mobile-based Palm Treo smartphones. The high-end device, code named "Drucker" did not have an image. Did Bill Gates, accidentally give us a sneak-peek at the new device rumored to be due out by mid-year?
"Drucker", if the leaked information is to be believed, will include a built-in Wi-Fi radio (a first for Palm), Windows Mobile 6.1, a 320x320 display, Bluetooth 2.0, and a 2.0MP camera.
Photo Credit: Engadget.com
¶ posted by Alan Grassia, Staff Writer @ 1/07/2008 03:17:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Verizon earned a 69% score from users and won points for having a bit better coverage, less static and fewer dropped calls than fellow giants T-Mobile and AT&T.
Sprint came up worst, with a 59% score in New York.
The pricey iPhone, which works with AT&T service, was narrowly judged best phone by a panel of experts, edging out Treo and Blackjack models.
The results were part of a nationwide survey of more than 47,000 readers in 20 metro areas that appears in the magazine's upcoming issue.
Not surprisingly, cell phone users aren't very pleased with their service overall, with less than half saying they are completely or somewhat satisfied with their service.
The satisfaction rating is markedly less than similar figures for other services like cable and satellite TV or Internet service providers.
Cell phone companies also get poor marks for customer service, especially hard-to-understand policies about service contracts." Via NY Daily News .
Labels: att, cell phones, iphone, sprint, t mobile, treo, verizon
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 12/04/2007 09:19:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Labels: att, treo, windows mobile
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 11/20/2007 09:45:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
ASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Verizon Wireless is heading into the holidays with a roster of new personal digital assistants (PDAs) and smartphones that give customers exciting options for both business and personal connectivity. The first of the line-up, the SCH-i760 from Samsung, is available online October 19 and in stores November 2. Also joining the portfolio of robust wireless business tools built to handle the speed of Verizon Wireless' broadband network, are the Verizon Wireless XV6800, the Palm Treo 755p and the SMT5800 smartphone.
Labels: smartphone, treo, verizon, windows mobile
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 10/18/2007 06:34:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
PDA France has posted pictures of the upcoming Palm Centro. The picture above shows just how small it is when compared to the tiny BlackBerry Pearl. The picture also clearly shows the Treo branding on the smartphone, it was thought the Centro might drop the Treo name with the Centro. I'm glad Palm is still calling it a Treo, why mess with success?;)
You can also see from the above picture the Centro uses the same Phone application as the Treo 680. This version of the Centro will run on the GSM network as seen by the Orange carrier name. Palm is expected to announce the Centro on September 12th for European market. Palm recently announced that Sprint would be the exclusive carrier of the Palm Centro here in the U.S. running on Sprint's CDMA high-speed EV-DO network. It's great to see that Palm has developed both a GSM and CDMA version of the Centro, releasing them around the same time will help Palm's bottom line.
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 9/04/2007 08:20:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
It looks like AT&T will be releasing the "official" Windows Mobile 6 update for the Treo 750 very soon. If "very soon" is too long for you to wait for Windows Mobile 6 goodness, the XDA forums have got you covered. There is a leaked version that many Treo 750 owners have installed to their device, they are reporting nothing but great things about this upgrade. This is not an official upgrade, so proceed at your own risk.
Labels: treo, windows mobile
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 7/30/2007 12:00:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
An anonymous tipster has sent Engadget pictures of the Verizon Treo 755p. We all knew the 755p was coming to Verizon by September, but it looks like it could be coming sooner.
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 7/19/2007 10:08:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
"Walt Mossberg comparing the Treo and the Blackberry. "I am unfamiliar with the comparative features and function of BlackBerry and Treo. What would you suggest?". Click here to read more.
Labels: blackberry, treo
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 7/12/2007 09:29:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
"Now the product manager has left the company, and when I asked about this missing update I am told that an update for Windows Mobile 6 is coming, but there are no plans to enable HSDPA on this device anymore."
Labels: treo
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 7/05/2007 09:47:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
T-Mobile Dash and iPhone.
Sprint Treo 755p and iPhone.
Sprint Treo 755p, iPhone, and T-Mobile Dash.
T-Mobile Dash, iPhone, and Sprint Treo 755p.
I just wanted to post some comparison pictures of the iPhone and other smartphones. I don't have exact specifications, but these pictures should give you an idea on how the iPhone stacks up to other smartphones in terms of size. It's very thin;)
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 7/02/2007 02:35:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
"Palm Inc today reported that total revenue in its fourth quarter of fiscal year 2007, ended June 1, was $401.3 million. Smartphone sell-through for the quarter reached a company record high, totaling 750,000 units, up 43 percent year over year. Smartphone revenue was $344.2 million, up 14 percent from the year-ago period."
"Our record Treo sell-through reflects strong fundamentals in the core focus areas of our business," said Ed Colligan, Palm president and chief executive officer. "In fiscal year 2007, we expanded our international presence, improved our product pipeline and developed strategic platform technologies. I'm confident that in fiscal year 2008 more and more standard handset customers will demand the capabilities and ease of use of Palm smartphones, which aligns us well for future growth and profitability." Via PalmInfocenter .
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 6/28/2007 05:22:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
"I am under the process of upgrading my Treo 750 to Windows Mobile 6. It's clean and easy. Stay tuned as I will post pictures and my first impressions. It works fast from the very beginning."
Labels: treo, windows mobile
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 6/26/2007 04:02:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Opera has released Opera Mini 4 Beta web browser for cell phones. Features include:
• Overview mode empowers people to browse their favorite websites
• Zooms in and cleanly focuses on the content you want (as seen in Opera's Wii browser)
• Dynamically changes size of text and images, to read without a lot of scrolling
• A virtual mouse to make it easy to scroll in any direction
I installed it on my Treo 755p and am pretty impressed with the new features.
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 6/19/2007 09:54:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
For all those power users who just got a Treo 755p you'll be happy to know that Seidio has announced an extended battery for the Treo 755p. It's the same size as the standard battery ie. no hump back looking Treo :)
This OEM sized slim extended 2100mAh battery will not only replace your current battery, but will also provides approximately 25% increase of power than the battery that initially ships with the Treo 755P. With this battery, you're gaining a considerably longer device usability. For those on the go without access to an external charging alternative, this is the answer. This battery will keep your Treo going throughout the day, even with very heavy phone and data usage.
Since this battery is compatible with the original OEM door, thus no extra thickness will be added. Click here for more information on the Seidio 2100mAh extended battery for the Treo 755p
Labels: treo
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 6/07/2007 10:13:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Labels: palm, treo, verizon, windows mobile
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 6/06/2007 10:04:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Palm has temporarily removed the Sprint Treo 700p MR update. Paul Loeffler has posted this to the Palm Blog.
"We're sorry, but the Sprint Treo 700p maintenance release (MR) is temporarily unavailable. We have received isolated reports of an installation issue that causes the device to continuously reset when applying the software update, so we've removed the update from our site. We're investigating the issue and will make the Sprint Treo 700p update available again as soon as possible. We know this has been a frustrating process for customers and apologize for the inconvenience it may have caused.
If you have experienced difficulty with the maintenance release installation, please contact us so we can work with you to resolve the issue: 866-750-7256." Read more here .
Labels: palm, software, sprint, treo
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 6/05/2007 10:33:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
This is pure speculation on my part, and I have not been told or been given any hints that Palm will be releasing the Treo 680 for Sprint.
I saw something very interesting though. I saw this in the "Treo 700p.SPNT Folder". The file is listed as "Build18info.txt". Looking through this file that accompanies the Sprint Treo 700p MR update it says:
"official Treo680 SPNT SPT updater buildnumber=18 built on Mon 04/16/2007 at 15:52:38.78 "
Did someone slip up at Palm and put this file in as a mistake? Is this a sign of the low cost Treo 680 coming to Sprint? Is it just a typo? Stay tuned.
Labels: palm, rumors, sprint, treo
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 6/04/2007 10:28:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
As part of our continuous effort to give customers the best possible experience, Palm offers an update that features performance and reliability enhancements.
Product enhancements:
Performance improvements to phone application
System improvements to minimize skipping during music playback and eliminate audio delays experienced on some games
Performance improvement to minimize delays experienced when loading Blazer® browser
Support for new daylight savings time legislation, plus a simplified Date/Time preference panel
Increased expansion card support including 4GB SD cards and SDHC cards
Resolution of certain "wake up" issues that may occur with certain third party push email solutions
Improved handling of SMS messages to lessen stalling of messages.
For customers using Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 with SP 2 and above, an update to VersaMail® client now includes an update to Microsoft® Exchange ActiveSync® which adds Microsoft’s Direct Push Technology for push email, calendar and contacts. Also adding other EAS functionality such as remote wipe, policy support, and global address lookup
Bluetooth® wireless technology enhancements:
Increases list of supported/compatible Bluetooth wireless carkits, including BMW and Toyota/Lexus (Denso)
Improves overall user experience with supported Bluetooth wireless carkits and headsets (e.g. allow user to manually connect / disconnect to a Bluetooth device)
Additional Bluetooth wireless functionality (e.g. audio routing to Bluetooth headset even when wired headset is plugged in)
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 6/04/2007 01:40:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
I was just watching TV and saw a new commercial from Sprint. In the commercial a man asks a woman if she's on Cingular, she replies "no Sprint". A commentator then appears behind them saying, "they are both at the starting gate." They both begin to download an email attachment. The woman is using a Sprint Blue Treo 755p, while the man is using a Cingular Nokia E61. The commentator explains, "the race is on between Cingular's Edge network and Sprint's mobile broadband network." The commentator finishes with, " crossing the finish line and Sprint is 5 times faster". The the Treo 755p pops up on the screen and you're told you can get the new Sprint Treo 755 for $279.99 @ sprint.com./business .
It's great to see Sprint advertising the Treo 755p and how much more powerful it is compared to other "smartphones" :)
Labels: sightings, sprint, treo
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 5/28/2007 12:13:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
A co-worker is looking to upgrade his Treo 650 to a Windows Mobile Treo. I looked online to see what the best deals were, and came across this insane deal from Amazon. You can get a Treo 750 for $14.99 after rebates with a new line of service from AT&T. $14.99 for a Treo 750, can't beat that.Labels: treo, windows mobile
¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 5/25/2007 03:16:00 PM 0 comments links to this post
Palm has been on a role quietly releasing a number of important software patches and maintenance releases. Last week, Palm released a security update for the Treo 650, 680, and 700p. And Palm has committed to releasing a maintenance release ROM upgrade for the Treo 700p next week. Yesterday, Palm rolled out a maintenance ROM update for AT&T/Cingular branded Treo 680 smartphones.According to the Palm website, this latest update includes the following goodies:
- Improved power management for better battery life
- Camera software update (previously released)
- Helps correct distorted characters in the title bar of Phone application
- Helps fix device "freezing" under certain conditions
- Increased security in the System Lockout feature
- Daylight Savings Time rules updates (previously released)
- Improved support for unique wireless networks in the Caribbean, Latin America, and Asia
- Replaces "Cingular" branding with the new "AT&T" branding
The Treo 680 AT&T/Cingular update provides a fair amount of enhancements and updates to the Treo 680. The Palm website goes on to deal how to check to see if your Treo 680 needs the update and how to go about installing the update on your smart device if you do need it.
An interesting item of interest with this update is the ability to apply the maintenance release from a SD card as an alternative to installing the upgrade utility to the Treo via a HotSync operation. (miniSD and microSD cards are specifically mentioned as having reliability issues. A full sized SD card should be used for the update if you chose to utilize that installation method.)
¶ posted by Alan Grassia, Staff Writer @ 5/25/2007 07:43:00 AM 0 comments links to this post
Palm has already announced that they will be releasing a ROM update to address some of the issues plaguing the Treo 700p. I hardly use my Treo 700p because it has progressively gotten worse and has been replaced by Sprint twice. My Treo 700p has quite a few "issues". It has a lag/white screen when switching applications (as seen below) , skips while playing music, loses Bluetooth connection with my headset contsantly, and it spontaneously resets at least 5 times per day (as seen below). I know this isn't the kind of experience Palm intended, and hope the ROM update will help these issues. Keep your fingers crossed guys!!
The Treo 700p and Treo 755p are like night and day. The Treo 755p is completely stable, suffers no lag/white screen, plays skip-free music, stays connected to my Bluetooth headset, and has not spontaneously reset once while I've had it.
The Treo 700p and Treo 755p both come with 128MB of ROM and 62.8MB available to the user for installing applications.
Many people were expecting the Treo 755p would come with the Treo 680's Phone application (shown below), it doesn't.
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Palm decided to use the same Phone application on the Treo 755p that is used on the Treo 700p. Palm has stated that they used the Phone application from the Treo 700p on the Treo 755p instead of the Treo 680's because the Treo 755p is more geared to professional/business users, while the Treo 680 is more of a consumer phone. I find it to be much quicker to dial and look up contacts with the Phone application on the Treo 700p and Treo 755p than I did with the Treo 680. I found the Treo 680 to have too many tabs to cycle through to look up contacts and make calls, so I'm glad Palm stuck with the Treo 700p Phone application.
What I'm not happy about is how Palm changed the Treo 755p's Phone application. It's not exactly the same Phone application found on the Treo 700p. For some strange reason Palm decided to remove the email alert/notification that is used on the Treo 700p's Phone application. The Treo 755p no longer shows you an email alert like the Treo 700p does. I made sure both phones had a few emails in my inbox (shown below). As you can see the Treo 700p (right) has the notification, the Treo 755p (left) does not. Why remove such an important feature???
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The PIM's remain exactly the same, the only difference can be seen by opening the application, clicking the about tab, and seeing the difference in the numeric version. In case you wanted to see the versions here they are.
The Treo 755p ships with pretty much the same exact software that the Treo 700p ships with minus the new IM application, and Mobile Voice Control. The Mobile Voice Control application is very cool, it allows you to open emails, verify appointments, go to websites and more using your voice. My only gripe is the software is trial, Palm should have included a full copy of it like Microsoft does with their Voice Command software on all their mobile devices. The IM application is a basic IM application, nothing special.
The Treo 755p ships with a 1600mAh battery compared to the Treo 700p's 1800mAh battery. I haven't noticed any real difference between the two. I'm a heavy user and have made it through the day with both devices without needing to worry about charging. I'm glad Palm shipped a higher capacity battery with the Treo 755p compared to the 1200mAh battery on the Treo 680 and Treo 750. I can tell you battery life is not an issue with the Treo 755p, it is on par with my Treo 700p (maybe a few less minutes with the Treo 755p).
I love the design of the Treo 755p compared to my Treo 700p. The soft-touch paint and curvier body just feels better. The lack of antenna also makes the Treo 755p look more current, and the lack of antenna does not effect signal strength at all. While The Treo 755p isn't much slimmer it just feels better in the hand, and in my opinion it just looks better. I like my gadgets to perform well and look great. The Treo 755p meets those criteria. Here's some shots comparing the body of the Treo 755p and the Treo 700p.
Another improvement the Treo 755p has over the Treo 700p is audio. First of all Pocket Tunes plays skip free, even when switching applications. The Treo 700p skips a lot, this is one of the issues Palm has stated will be addressed in Treo 700p MR update.
The Treo 755p's audio sounds better because I'm sure Palm didn't want to repeat the issues of the Treo 700p. Another reason the sound is clearer and louder is due to the larger speaker grill on the Treo 755p compared to the Treo 700p (as seen below).
I find the keyboard on the Treo 700p to be a little better than the Treo 755p. It's very subtle, but the Treo 700p's keyboard is a little bigger than the Treo 755p. I find typing on the Treo 700p is better for me because the keys have a little more space between them. Don't get me wrong the Treo 755p still has one of the best keyboards on a smartphone, but since I'm comparing it the to Treo 700p I wanted to try and give you guys all the details. You can notice it in the picture below, the space bar on the Treo 700p is a little longer than the space bar on the Treo 755p.
Another one of the things I prefer about the Treo 700p compared to the Treo 755p is the solid metal stylus that comes with the Treo 700p. The Treo 755p ships with the cheap feeling plastic stylus found on the Treo 680 and Treo 750 (I know I'm knitpicking).
When it comes to Bluetooth the Treo 755p wins hands down. The Treo 755p stays connected to my Bluetooth headset, while my Treo 700p usually has to go through the "Hands-free Setup" to pair my Bluetooth headset whenever I want to use my Bluetooth headset. Again, Palm has stated the Treo 700p MR update should address this issue as well.
Conclusion
I've had the Treo 755p for over 2 weeks now and was wondering if I would upgrade and ditch my Treo 700p. I find that I really like the Treo 755p, it is everything the Treo 700p should have been. I really can't answer the question if I will upgrade until I see how the Treo 700p MR update shapes up (as I write this my Treo 700p just reset in its cradle (lol). What I will tell you is if you're happy with your Treo 700p I see no reason to upgrade. The Treo 755p is not enough of an update to justify the expense. If you have an earlier Treo and want to upgrade to what is hands down the best Palm Treo I highly recommend it. The Treo 755p is in my opinion the best Treo available, Palm OS or Windows Mobile.
In the coming weeks I'll be posting a look at the Treo 755p compared to the Treo 700p with the MR update. Will the Treo 700p MR up