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Handspring Treo 270 Leaked

Posted by timothy on from the leaked-whatever dept.

Brian writes "Details of Treo 270 codenamed Atlanta, handspring's next communicator which incorporates a color display is leaked. PDA LIVE.com has the scoop and the photos!" I think this one's uglier than its predecessor, but it's got color and claims similar battery life, so if you're looking for a very wide phone, this could be it.

56 of 134 comments (clear)

  1. Missing Feature? by vspazv · · Score: 2, Funny

    It has multiple colors, extended battery life and a nice wide formfactor...

    Now the only question left is does it vibrate?

    1. Re:Missing Feature? by disappear · · Score: 2
      Now the only question left is does it vibrate?

      Not only does it vibrate, but it has a physical switch to change between vibrate and ring modes, so you don't have to fiddle with the interface for five minutes just to change this. (OK, my current Sanyo phone is particularly noxious in this regard, but still...

  2. Leaked? by dr_dank · · Score: 3, Funny

    Handspring Treo 270 Leaked
    Maybe someone should have taken it to the restroom beforehand.

    --
    Where does the school board find them and why do they keep sending them to ME?
  3. When will the promise be fulfilled? by ghoul · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Companies have been promising a all-in-one product for a long time but we still see people carrying an organizer, a laptop, a cellphone , a MP3 player and a pager !

    Sometimes it makes me think the EM radiation combined from all the devices must be going over the safe threshold!

    Also ever notice how the all in one product is never the first on the market? Just look at portable Music players. First they sold us cdmans; then they sold us MP3 players ; now they are trying to sell us the combined product and for cheaper than both the original products?

    --
    **Life is too short to be serious**
    1. Re:When will the promise be fulfilled? by mirko · · Score: 3, Interesting
      now they are trying to sell us the combined product and for cheaper than both the original products?

      Exactly : they make more money forcing all their consummers tobuy the same product than developping fewer specific product with less features...
      But in the final you not only get something too much featured compared to what you primarily shopped for but also you pay a lot:

      a phone with subscription with an organizer with mp3 playing abilities is more expensive than only one of the above...

      let's take the nokia 9xx0 : it costs 1500CHF here.
      the previous treo was also 1000CHF expensive!

      if you supposedly want 2 of these features only, you can buy a 300CHF palm (or a psion revo) + a 300CHF philips mp3 expanium.

      you may even add a cheapphone to this equipment while keeping the costs lower than this all-in-one.

      why would you ask ?

      because you don't want your organizer to require a daily battery load.

      my palm can work 2 months on batteries.

      my mp3 disman can play non stop during 12 hours.

      my phone, well... it will support a one hour conversation.

      so, no way, buying too much will first reduce your mobility, especially on the battery-life point of view.
      --
      Trolling using another account since 2005.
  4. Its on Handspring's site by zerofoo · · Score: 4, Informative

    http://www.handspring.com/products/communicators/i ndex.jhtml?prod_cat_name=Communicators

    -ted

    1. Re:Its on Handspring's site by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      link is mistyped, the correct one is: http://www.handspring.com/products/communicators/i ndex.jhtml?prod_cat_name=Communicators

    2. Re:Its on Handspring's site by edrugtrader · · Score: 2

      yes, but the illegal deep linked URL was just leaked to make /.er's feel special.

      --
      MARIJUANA, SHROOMS, X: ONLINE?! - E
    3. Re:Its on Handspring's site by 56ker · · Score: 2

      Since when was deep linking illegal?

      --


      Video Game cheats, hints a
    4. Re:Its on Handspring's site by 56ker · · Score: 2

      I meant it sarcastically not literally.

      --


      Video Game cheats, hints a
  5. Why a PDA? by MikeOttawa · · Score: 4, Interesting
    I think the days for these kind of limited handhelds are numbered. With Sony pumping out full-fledged computers that weigh something like 1kg who would want something a limited as a PDA. I would rather carry around a mini-cell phone and a lite-laptop that lets me browse the web in something like 640x480 instead of like 240xwhatever, and then be able to leave it in the car and just carry my cellphone with me.

    Sony should come out with a laptop with a pop-out cell phone that allows web access on the laptop, and a regular cell phone that you can carry with you. Heck - you could even sync the information with the phone when you re-dock it, or place video calls with the laptop (since Sony seems to like putting digital cameras on their laptops).

    1. Re:Why a PDA? by GMontag · · Score: 2

      Sounds like you are wishing for a slight variation on what I already do.

      My home "workstation" is a docked Panasonic CF-01. I sync my Visor and VisorPhone through the IR port whenever I am home. No physical connection needed either, just the IR ports of both devices.

      Considered a Treo, but a lightning bolt hit when I realized the Panasonic is a "big giant" palm device when I want to carry it (home-rolled case is a small Meade folder, daytimer size, with rings removed, fits fine, has places to store pcmcia cards too). I love the Visor Pro too, can still access everything while on the phone using hands free adapter.

      Check my journal for my VisorPro/Phone experience ;-)

      --
      Eve Fairbanks says I drive a hybrid!LOL
  6. VisorCentral has it too by Matias · · Score: 5, Interesting

    VisorCentral has also picked up the story (complete with pictures):

    http://visorcentral.com/content/Stories/1448-1.htm

    FCC also has info including the users manual

  7. Samsung I300 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative
    I bought a Samsung I300 about 6 months ago and wouldn't trade it in for one of these things if my life depended on it. Here are a few reasons why:

    • The I300 has awesome color (yeah the new Treo does too ...)
    • The I300 looks/feels like a PDA, secondary it's a phone
    • The I300 looks professional, not like a toy
    • The I300 is smoothly integrated with the PalmOS, from playing with the Treo I can see they have a LOT of work to do in this area
    • The I300 has a speaker phone! This is an AWESOME feature, just tap the speaker icon while on a phone call and switch over to other Palm apps to take down phone numbers, dates, etc.
    • The I300 isn't wide at all - it's actuall skinnier (width wise) than these Treo's. It's kinda long, but is actually skinnier THICKNESS wise than my old Samsung


    I'd highly recommend checking out the I300 before purchasing a Treo.
    1. Re:Samsung I300 by Brento · · Score: 4, Informative

      The I300 has a speaker phone!

      Yep, so does the Treo. How's the email on that I300? That was my problem with it, the inability to sync to my company's Exchange server without hooking up the cables. TreoMail will sync over the airwaves. Plus, there's the fact that the I300 doesn't have a keyboard, that was a problem for me.

      --
      What's your damage, Heather?
    2. Re:Samsung I300 by SerpentMage · · Score: 3, Informative

      Well I do not know if that is a good recommendation. The Treo and Samsung are two different products. The Treo is a WORLD phone and the Samsung is a local phone that only works on CDMA networks.

      Therefore if you are looking at the Treo you are looking at GSM and hence the Samsung would not even be worth the look.

      --

      "You can't make a race horse of a pig"
      "No," said Samuel, "but you can make very fast pig"
    3. Re:Samsung I300 by disappear · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I can see that you've actually never played with the Treo, despite your comments. Walk into any CompUSA and try it...

      * The I300 has a speaker phone!

      So does Treo.

      * The I300 looks professional, not like a toy

      This is a matter of taste. To me, the Samsung (while a wonderful device that many of my friends own) looks like a big ugly block, and the Treo looks more professional.

      * The I300 isn't wide at all - it's actuall skinnier (width wise) than these Treo's.

      Go to CompUSA or wherever and hold them up against each other. I think you're wrong on this.

      * The I300 looks/feels like a PDA, secondary it's a phone

      And the Treo looks and feels something like both, but not 'primarily' like either one. For those of us who use cell phones for more than ten minutes a week, and who use PDAs primarily as organizers rather than portable computers, this is a better trade-off.

    4. Re:Samsung I300 by arindar · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I also have an i300 and spent some time comparing with a freinds treo. The treo is wider but not as long as the i300 and they weigh about the same. I think the treo is nicer for talking since it elongates when you flip it open. Additionally the holster for the treo is a bit nicer than anything I have seen for the Samsung.

      In favor of the samsung though is that the battery is removable and this is a big plus. With the treo you cannot swap out the battery when it gets low you need to plug it in. The talk time for both units seemed to be about the same for a full charge.

      Since I normally use my phone most in the car and with a headset I am fine not have the flip up earpiece and the holster I am getting used to but hope someone will come up with a better one soon.

      To address one of the other concerns brought up. Sprint does have a solution for getting your exchange mail but it is a bit clunky. Additionally I thought the mail synching feature of the treo was not available yet? at least it was not when the phone first came out.

      --
      -- This Space Intentionally Left Blank --
    5. Re:Samsung I300 by dmccarty · · Score: 2
      I've had a chance to use the Samsung I300, and while it's a very nice phone/PDA combination, one thing in particular stuck out in my mind: no buttons. Now some people might see this as a blessing, but on a cell phone I think being able to press a tactile button is a wonderful thing.

      A lot of devices that go with the buttonless approach--remotes, cell phones, readers, etc.--run into this problem. Flat-touch surfaces provide no user feedback and are error-prone for data entry. Touchscreens are extremely adaptable and nice to develop for, but as a user interface they're not very nice for the user. Not only do the lack of buttons make finding the button harder (physical buttons on a remote or cell phone are easily memorized), but pressing the screen leaves a visible fingerprint from oils and dirt that accumulate on our skin. So people find themselves trying to tap the screen with the back of their fingernail, which is a really contorted way to try to touch something. (What they don't show on Star Trek is the ensigns whipping out their handy Windex spritzers after every command.)

      Perhaps someone will develop a membrane-like screen with good clarity and the ability to morph itself into different buttons that can be depressed. But until then, I'll do just fine with a smaller screen and my handy buttons.

      --
      Have fun: Join D.N.A. (National Dyslexics Association)
    6. Re:Samsung I300 by RedX · · Score: 2
      The Treo is a WORLD phone and the Samsung is a local phone that only works on CDMA networks

      You must be in marketing. Not only is your statement untrue, but the facts that you did include are misleading. The SPH-I300 is a dual-band phone that supports analog roaming, which means you can use it pretty much anywhere in the US, although you'll be paying roaming charges when not on the SprintPCS CDMA network. The Treo is strictly a GSM phone, which while it could be called a "World" phone, means that it will only work in major cities in the US and in very few places between. There is a CDMA Treo planned for release sometime this year, no idea if it will support analog roaming or not.

    7. Re:Samsung I300 by SerpentMage · · Score: 2

      I must be in marketing? Huh...

      I only stated the facts of what the phone does. Is GSM only useful in large cities? Not so since I use GSM in the US and Canada it is not just useful in major cities. GSM has spread to the point where you can easily go into the burbs and beyond. Does it allow you to phone from a farm somewhere? Not really, but then again I have problems with analog as well. You see I have a dual band GSM as well and I have found that the little area that the analog gives me is not worth the effort of clunking around a large phone.

      But it still does not address the fact that the phone is usable only in one country. While the US is large plunking down that much and then realizing it will only work in one place is not that much fun. With the TREO you are not limited like that.

      --

      "You can't make a race horse of a pig"
      "No," said Samuel, "but you can make very fast pig"
  8. Re:all-in-one by HitchHik · · Score: 2, Interesting

    In 1990 we did a poll at our local BBS in Croatia - on how BBS-ing will look in the year 2000. One user suggested the same as you did. Glasses that would integrate wireless communication. It hasn't been relized yet - and we are 2 years overdue. Let's see how long it takes.

    --
    -- &&
  9. FCC has more info by dmccarty · · Score: 3, Informative

    There is a PDF on the FCC's website with lots of pretty pictures.

    --
    Have fun: Join D.N.A. (National Dyslexics Association)
  10. Leaked... Question by WetCat · · Score: 3, Funny

    Is it water-proof? How much is the coldest operating temperature?
    There is some need for handhelds that can work under -30 Celsius
    (normal temperature in some parts in Russia in winter) and be waterproof.
    What can you suggest?

  11. Re:all-in-one by tps12 · · Score: 2
    In 1990 we did a poll at our local BBS in Croatia - on how BBS-ing will look in the year 2000.

    In retrospect, BBS-ing looks like...1990.

    --

    Karma: Good (despite my invention of the Karma: sig)
  12. A bundle of paradoxes... by supercytro · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It's too ugly to be left out in the open and too big to fit in your pocket...
    Too expensive to be a PDA and too limited to be a laptop replacement...

    I think in the short-medium term, it will still be multiple devices that take off i.e. having PDA, ,mobiles, laptops, protable music-players rather than all-in-one units. However, there will be more connectivity between devices.
    Bluetooth seemed to be a part of the solution but problems (i.e. cost, compatibility, power consumption,availability) have limited its impact.

  13. Also at VisorCentral & FCC's websites by dreadpiratemark · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Here, read the actual things submitted to the FCC here including internal photos, a manual for the 270, etc., etc. Or you can just go to Visorcentral (www.visorcentral.com) and read their writeup on it. But the FCC's page is more informative, IMO.

    Mark

    1. Re:Also at VisorCentral & FCC's websites by dreadpiratemark · · Score: 2, Funny

      And now, because I'm a damn slow typer, this is going to be modded (-1, Redundant). I really hate typing out a message, checking links and submitting only to discover that faster typers submitted before me. Oh well, it's only Karma!

      Cheers.
      Mark

  14. I always wondered... by keep_it_simple_stupi · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Does anybody other than me have semi-oily skin? When I use my cell phone for an extended period of time, that oil gets onto the screen of the cell phone since it rests against my face. Now what happens when you use one of these PDA phones? Are they designed for this not to happen? I would hate to have to wipe the touchscreen after using the phone... "No! I don't want to call China!"

    Anyway, if anyone has experience with these phones please clue me in. Thanks.

  15. Re:all-in-one by mblase · · Score: 2

    In a decade these all-in-one devices are going to be laughable.

    So? We still want something to use between now and then. It's not like anyone will be able to use this gizmo after ten years of steady use, anyhow.

  16. Why a PDA? Because it's a short-life peripheral by eschasi · · Score: 4, Interesting
    I think the days for these kind of limited handhelds are numbered. . . I would rather carry around a mini-cell phone and a lite-laptop . . .

    I submit that you're a minority. Ultimately I think we'll have voice-recognition technologies in our handhelds and some sort of on-demand backwards connection to our `laptops'. Both laptop and PDA/phone/etc will be `mere' peripherals to whatever our central processing and storgage system is. Yes, laptops will get smaller and smaller, but they're forever going to be constrained by screen size and (to a lesser extent) power. I don't think we'll ever see a laptop with a 17" screen that fits in your pocket. Unless you've got hellacious pockets, of course.

    Peripherals, unlike central systems, map well to to specialized uses. My PP just died, and I'm seriously considering the Treo. It means that I'd carry one peripheral rather than three (pager, phone, PDA). For me (and many others) that's a big win.

    With any luck, the Treo will last three years, which is all I expect from a computer anyway. Even if you happen to be right and fully integrated laptops take over, it isn't gonna happen in the next three years. Thus again, the Treo is the right answer even for the mid-term.

    In the short term, it means better integration between phone lists, email, notes, etc. And to me, that's more than worth the three year cost per year. At the end of three years . . . well, we'll see what's out there.

    Step back, boys, eschasi's goin' shopping!

    1. Re:Why a PDA? Because it's a short-life peripheral by tswinzig · · Score: 2

      Yes, laptops will get smaller and smaller, but they're forever going to be constrained by screen size and (to a lesser extent) power. I don't think we'll ever see a laptop with a 17" screen that fits in your pocket.

      Yes, portable computers with physical screens are constrained by screen size. That's why there will be a shift to virtual screens that are projected onto your retinas (or viewable through projection glasses), for ultimate portability. It's only a matter of time before this technology is perfected.

      --

      "And like that ... he's gone."
  17. Re:I will not get one... by stripes · · Score: 2
    I still can not lookup agenda while talking on the phone...

    Um, I thought you could use a hands free ear piece and and switch to any app you want. Are you sure you can't?

  18. weak pun by dmanny · · Score: 2, Funny

    If a handspring is leaked, would we say handsprung?

    --
    All my previous sigs now look like this one, I wish they were permanetly recorded when used. :-(
  19. no syncML, no bluetooth, no cam, its HUGE + Mcore by johnjones · · Score: 2

    it suck's

    I cant sync it with my linux box
    it uses old mcore like cpu (non arm/mips)
    and it looks silly

    get a

    Nokia 7650

    or take alook at how GUI should be done (looks nice like java swing done right)
    symbian interface

    and see it on a small phone

    look for p800 photo's

    regards

    john jones

  20. Re:I will not get one... by Peyna · · Score: 2

    I've been using grafitti for a few years now, and it's still not 2nd nature to me. Sure I can write with it, but it's too slow for me. I've tried various software that will let you write on any part of the screen, still didn't help. I've seen some thumb keyboards for iPaqs that look slightly more promising, if you've got skinny thumbs maybe. Probably would hurt after awhile of use. I think data entry on a small device is difficult, I use mine mostly for data retrieval, and do the data entry on my pc.

    --
    What?
  21. Re:When will PDA makers get it? by SerpentMage · · Score: 2

    The PDA makers do get. The problem is the technology. With these devices getting the maximum battery life is essential. Put all of your features into one device and the battery life goes down the tubes...

    So yes good idea, but not yet realizable...

    --

    "You can't make a race horse of a pig"
    "No," said Samuel, "but you can make very fast pig"
  22. Kyocera QCP6035 rocks my world by justin_w_hall · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I picked up a Kyocera QCP6035 phone for CHEAP ($100 at Best Buy) a month ago. They're discontinued now, I think, but CompUSA still has em for $150, and they're practically free with a new account with all the rebates they throw at you. It's an 8MB PalmOS 3.5 PDA and SprintPCS phone combo, and it's BEAUTIFUL. Great battery life (for now), great reception over my older Samsung and Sanyo Sprint phones, and the best part: the built in net connection.

    The phone comes with Sprint's dialup service built in, and doesn't cost any more than normal airtime. For a poor college kid like me the cost is silly low and I can do AIM, SSH, VNC, web/email, IRC, and never have to go into the office ever again :)

    The IRsync capability as well as being able to use it as a modem is nice. Biggest downside is the serial cradle it comes with, but I think they have a USB one you can buy now.

    --

    ---
    "how can the same street intersect with itself? i must be at the nexus of the universe!" - cosmo kramer
  23. Re:no syncML, no bluetooth, no cam, its HUGE + Mco by disappear · · Score: 2

    I cant sync it with my linux box


    Yes you can: use jpilot. KDE's PIM supposedly syncs with Palm devices, too, though I haven't tried it out yet.




    it uses old mcore like cpu (non arm/mips)



    And it still feels faster than comparable units running other OSes and faster chips. Amazing what quality programming can do, huh?



    Sure, it won't play my MP3s. That bums me out. And I wish it had the resolution of Sony's units. But the cost difference between implementing those features is substantial enough, and the Treo is already expensive enough, that I'll be happy to forego those advantages when the CDMA version of the Treo ships.

  24. Re:Does it all.... by dcigary · · Score: 2

    A CDMA version of it that will support Sprint will also be released later...

    --
    ...my Karma ran over your Dogma...
  25. Overpriced by hellfire · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The visor Prism is $299. The visor pro is $229. The current Treo is $399, or $299 with a trade up.

    Both have rechargable batteries, 16 MB memory, and an expansion slot. And the prism has color when the current Treo 180 does not.

    Guess what the expansion slot fits? A Visorphone which is free with activation.

    So basically I'm paying $170 or an old PDA for a keyboard on my new PDA. I used to think this thing was cool, but when I got a visorphone for my existing Visor Deluxe (ohhhhh its coming soon!) I got over that real quick.

    --

    "All great wisdom is contained in .signature files"

  26. Snarky comments galore by hojo · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Jesus, what a bunch of mean comments. Ugly--too big--not as capable as a VAIO--too limited in too many ways--

    Well, I disagree. I'm a happy user of a Handspring Visor for the last year or so, and it's been a wonderful tool as an organizer, news reader (via Avantgo daily updates), entertainment package (with a nice Freecell version and Mille Bournes clone), and document reader (I keep the NCI Cancernet PDQ database on it, and I've also read a few novels on it using iSilo).

    These are great little devices but I've been waiting for internet connectivity before getting a new one. I would have gotten a Treo 180 but I figure that if I'm going to have to recharge anyhow (for any wireless device) I might as well wait for color. This new model fits the bill perfectly.

    Additionally, I really like the enhanced calculator that Handspring has in their devices as well as the Citytime application for resetting times when traveling. I am among the few people out here who still don't have a cell phone, and this will even let me join the 1990s with a handy device.

    Size? My Visor Platinum is significantly larger than the 270 and it is invisible and unnoticed in my pocket when I carry it. I don't go to work without it.

    Capability? The 270 should be able to satisfy every use I have found for the Visor, but it has twice the memory and a nicer display. Those card games and documents will be easier to see on a good display.

    You want to edit Word documents, write up your departmental expenditures with Excel, watch videos, listen to MP3s--forget it with a device like this. But I challenge anyone to produce any device with a form factor as friendly as my Visor or a Pocket PC that won't drive you nuts while doing those things. You want those capabilities--you must get a laptop. No pocket device form factor will make such jobs possible, without something crazy like accurate speech recognition or a virtual keyboard interface.

    For guys like me, this Treo 270 is exactly what we want. The only real gripe I have is that I would like a nice telnet/ssh client built-in so that I could do my remote administration.

    1. Re:Snarky comments galore by Kirruth · · Score: 2

      I've got a Treo 180 and I have to say, I love it. It's loaded up with e-mail, AIM, a web browser, SMS and works well as a regular phone, with good reception and battery life. I find the keyboard and screen just the right size, its just as thin as a regular phone, and weighs no more than a regular PDA. I've added some favourite Palm apps with no compatability problems at all.

      It has brought net connectivity to traffic jams, walks in the park, waiting for friends in bars...fish it out, press a button and you are good to go.

      If I ever find my life resembling a bad Hollywood paranoia movie, I'm pretty confident I can hack the bad guys system with this thing and save the day in time for the closing credits.

      --
      "Well, put a stake in my heart and drag me into sunlight."
  27. Me too! by DG · · Score: 2

    I just got my Kyocera last week. It was like $150 at Amazon, but there was a $100 mail-in rebate, and I had an Amazon gift certificate, so it wound up being free.

    Same phone goes for $600CAN at the local mall.

    Anyway, the thing is a PalmPilot that makes phonecalls and has net access. The integration of the addressbook to the phone is near-perfect, and it has real buttons on the front for dialing numbers not in the address book.

    Using handsfree on the phone while taking notes on it just rocks. And all the Palm software I've tried on it works just perfect.

    The only things that would make it better would be a standard Palm access port on the bottom (for connecting to pyrometers, etc) and an integral GPS.

    Highly, highly recommended.

    BTW, you have any links to good SmartPhone user sites?

    DG

    --
    Want to learn about race cars? Read my Book
  28. Ugly, Pointless and old... by MosesJones · · Score: 2


    This is competition for SonyEricsson's P800 ? I think not. Compare the two operating systems, the operator support, the vendor support on that OS.

    The standalone PDA is dead, long live the Smart Phone.

    --
    An Eye for an Eye will make the whole world blind - Gandhi
  29. They're calling it Atlanta by colmore · · Score: 5, Funny

    They're calling it Atlanta.

    So I'm guessing it will be big, slow, and poorly designed. It will contain few notable features, and will be generally unaesthetic. While the device will be able to withstand blistering heat, the moment the tempeture gets a degree below freezing, the whole thing will shut down until help can arrive from a more northern device. While it will be connected to the information superhighway, it will be unable to handle traffic of any volume, and will utterly lack alternative methods of connectivity. While it will claim to have a better display, most users will still find that it choses to view things in black and white.

    --
    In Capitalist America, bank robs you!
  30. They should be better constructed... by Big+Sean+O · · Score: 2

    I read the article and it didn't say what leaked, the LCD? the battery?

    I've had a palm for years and I've looked inside, there's no reservoir for any liquid inside...

    So it's a Cellphone, Pager, PDA, e-mail client, AND a canteen?

    :-)

    ==========

    --
    My father is a blogger.
  31. Be aware of 3G networks coming soon by Krelnik · · Score: 3, Informative
    I had been shopping for a PDA/phone a few months ago, and looked at the Samsung I300 and Kyocera QCP-6035, both of which are nice phones available for CDMA networks (I'm on Sprint and don't really see a new handset as a compelling reason to switch).

    However I decided to wait for now for two reasons. One is that Handspring recently announced that they will be supporting CDMA (logical considering Qualcomm just invested $10 Million in them). Thus I expect a CDMA Treo will come out some time this year.

    The other reason I am waiting is that Sprint PCS is about to roll out their new 3G Network this summer. Among other things, this will offer data speeds up to 10 times faster than the current network can. In fact, Wired is running a story today on the demo roadshow that Sprint is running right now to show off applications of their new network.

    Sprint isn't showing any new handsets for it yet, but one will presume they are forthcoming. In fact, I'm guessing thats why the price on the QCP-6035 has dropped so preciptously (from like $300 to $100 or so) in the last couple of months---I'm guessing Kyocera has a successor model waiting in the wings.

    Hence I wait.

  32. Re:all-in-one by GMontag · · Score: 2

    Just like in the future-mentory "The President's Analyst"?

    --
    Eve Fairbanks says I drive a hybrid!LOL
  33. Re:Does it all.... by Lumpy · · Score: 2

    no it doesnt.
    I carried the palm+cellphone hybrid that was available 3 years ago from qualcomm.

    It's battery life sucked and by looking at the size of these unit's batteries they will too. The companies are making ass-brained assumptions that it will sit in it's cradle EVERY time you enter the office so it can recharge rapidly (10 minute recharge! it was fast!) and they assume that you will not want to access any of the information on the device during a phone call unless you have eyes in your cheek... yes I could wear a headset, but then you look like a dweeb... looking like a dweeb to customers is BAD.

    Oh and the qualcomm device I could lock up hard with different palm apps.. they are not 100% palm compatable... the new ones might be, but I doubt it.

    you dont want one, it's a type of purchase you make that 3 days later you regret it. and you WILL regret it.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  34. Not enough Juice yet by Oxide · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The idea of carrying only one device instead of two (PDA+Phone) is appealing. But the the Treo is just about the only modern PDA out there that doesnt have an expansion card. Also, it is still running Palm OS v3.5 when all the new ones are on v4.1.
    The keyboard is too small that I find using the graffiti is faster for me

    To convince me from diching my Palm Vx, the new device must have:
    1) OS 4.1 or better
    2) Color
    3) Phone
    4) Expansion card
    5) Useable keyboard

    the treo is close, but no cigar. Sony's NR70 is right there, now if only they add the phone.

  35. Re:Darn modern technology by Junta · · Score: 3, Funny

    So what you are syaing is, that 64kb ought to be enough for anyone?

    --
    XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
  36. Re:Does it all.... by Moofie · · Score: 2

    OK, maybe I need some help here.

    Who decided that one "looks like a dweeb" when one is talking on a phone with a headset? I won't buy a phone without a provision for a headset at home, so why wouldn't I use one on the road? I don't understand why standing there talking into a piece of plastic is any more or less dweeby than using a headset.

    I mean come on, it's not like people haven't seen them before...geez!

    --
    Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
  37. Re:Does it all.... by glitch_ · · Score: 2

    Actually, in the Chicagoland area I don't see many people using them. Maybe people in thier car use them, but I don't make a habit out of staring at people while I drive.

  38. Re:Does it all.... by glitch_ · · Score: 2

    I guess it's more of a self consicous (sp?) thing, than a stigma. IF i notice somebody walking down the street wearing one of those headphone/microphone/hands-free gizmo's, I actually think why I don't use mine more often. One problem may be that people don't realize who you are talking to. It's easier for people to notice when you have your hand up to your head, then when you have a small cord running into your pocket.

  39. Re:Does it all.... by glitch_ · · Score: 2

    I seem to handle things the same way. Like I said, I always seem to forget about that damn handsfree kit. Also, I guess I never have conversations long enough to require the use of one.