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The Official Launch of the Treo 650

A whole slew of people sent us in links regarding the Treo 650. There's the official release from palmOne, with a new entry on their website. TreoCentral also has launch coverage, including a sample video and first impressions. Engadget also has coverage of the launch as well. Details are that the Treo 650 is an evolutionary upgrade to the Treo 600. palmOne made few external changes, but redid much of the internals. As with the 600 there will be a dualband CDMA 1xRTT and a quadband GSM/GPRS/EDGE version. The most notable new features are an improved 312 Mhz Intel PXA270 processor, a new 320x320 High resolution TFT screen, built in Bluetooth, non-volatile flash memory, a removable battery, and a new connector. Carriers, pricing, and availability are to be announced soon. Another reader notes that this ups the bar for mobile internet - and the last wonders if RIM has any good responses

154 comments

  1. Sprint Treo has crippled bluetooth by jaaron · · Score: 5, Informative

    However, the Sprint Treo has crippled bluetooth:

    TreoCentral is reporting that the Sprint version of the Treo 650 doesn't allow you to use Bluetooth for dial-up networking through your computer. Apparently other carriers will, but not Sprint.

    --
    Who said Freedom was Fair?
    1. Re:Sprint Treo has crippled bluetooth by prtsoft · · Score: 1, Funny

      Looks like sprint has been taking Monopoly classes from our friends Microsoft.

    2. Re:Sprint Treo has crippled bluetooth by kaleco · · Score: 1

      Believe me, it's much better to use a data service such as GPRS to connect to the internet with your phone. It has completely displaced any interest in corporate wifi hotspots in my experience.

      --
      Prosperity is only an instrument to be used, not a deity to be worshipped. Calvin Coolidge
    3. Re:Sprint Treo has crippled bluetooth by Eric_Cartman_South_P · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      I just posted about what's missing in the 650, but come early next year (I'll wait for hardware revision B... always do) I will pick one up regardless of the extreme pricing. But I will be leaving sprint for one reason: the crippled bluetooth, and choosing FIRST on a privider who does NOT cripple bluetooth. I'm guessing that means no Sprint and no Verizon here in NY.

      Any experiecnes with bluetooth with prividers that was good or bad anyone?

      P.S. Offtopic: that ashlee simpson SNL thing was too funny. What a dumb bitch.

    4. Re:Sprint Treo has crippled bluetooth by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You must have somebody paying for your data connection, or live outside the US or have a nice carrier. Checking Cingular, I have to pay $80/mo for unlimited data transmission - going to places
      which offer WiFi are a whole lot cheaper than that...

    5. Re:Sprint Treo has crippled bluetooth by Milican · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Thanks for the info. I am a long time Sprint customer, but this "no bluetooth" policy is ridiculous. Like a good customer though I sent an e-mail to customer service using an online form. Its pretty easy to do. If you are a customer just login, click on "contact us" link, and then click "email us". If enough people send an e-mail maybe they will reverse their decision. Text of e-mail is below.

      JOhn

      ---D-A-M-N--L-A-M-E--F-I-L-T-E-R---------------

      I was very excited to see PalmOne release their new Treo 650. However, when I found out you guys are crippling the bluetooth option on the phone I was very disappointed. I have a laptop with bluetooth and it would be very nice to be able to sync my treo without using the bulky cradle (especially when travelling). In addition, I have been waiting patiently for a bluetooth phone so I can buy a bluetooth headset.

      I'm really hoping you guys will reverse your "no bluetooth" option before my contract ends. If not I may end up going to a bluetooth friendly carrier. Good day.

      JOhn

    6. Re:Sprint Treo has crippled bluetooth by miradu2000 · · Score: 4, Informative

      Syncing will work (It supports the serial profile AFAIK). PalmOne even made a wizard to make it easier to set that up. And headsets work, it's simply that it appears that the bluetooth dial-up-networking profile can be selectively turned on and off.

    7. Re:Sprint Treo has crippled bluetooth by dextroz · · Score: 0

      In NYC - tmobile works beautifully...

      --
      Where's my free iPod!? Until then, I'll settle for a kiss...
    8. Re:Sprint Treo has crippled bluetooth by saha · · Score: 1

      As a Treo 180 user I user my university ISP dial up. Its very useful and best of all its free for me. I really do need a better Treo to get higher rez and color maps from Mapquest or connect it to my Powerbook via bluetooth as a wireless modem and I don't want to pay extra carrier fees.

    9. Re:Sprint Treo has crippled bluetooth by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wow, awful carrier. Both AT&T and T-Mobile have unlimited GPRS for $19.95 a month (in the U.S.). You may consider switching.

    10. Re:Sprint Treo has crippled bluetooth by PierceLabs · · Score: 1

      Well since the AT&T/Cingular merger went through perhaps only TMobile will have $19.95 GPRS in the future or the Cingular folks are about to get it at $19.95. In any case the AT&C future is somewhat cloudy on pricing/features.

    11. Re:Sprint Treo has crippled bluetooth by phoxix · · Score: 1

      Does IR still work ?

      Its not as easy as blue tooth. But when push comes to shove, IR still kicks it.

      Sunny Dubey

    12. Re:Sprint Treo has crippled bluetooth by IIskooterII · · Score: 1

      I am sure that as more web enabled phones come out for more providers they will get the hint and do the same thing Sprint is doing, protecting their investments. I have a feeling if not this product line then in the next version they will.

    13. Re:Sprint Treo has crippled bluetooth by ergie · · Score: 1

      Here is a good work around.

      Get this http://web.palmone.com/products/Product.jhtml?id=4 10001&cat=310004 very nice cable about $24 and it will charge your phone from USB port power. Then get this http://www.junefabrics.com/palmnet/index.php it's a proxy software for the treo. ~$50 later you have a solution that lets you connect your laptop via the treo to the internet. Great for the roadwarriors, I use it all the time and it's fast. I used the Sprint card too and I say this is faster then the card.

    14. Re:Sprint Treo has crippled bluetooth by Buran · · Score: 1

      How about iSyncing?

    15. Re:Sprint Treo has crippled bluetooth by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No facts to back this up, but I would assume so. iSyncing to a Palm actually calls the Palm conduits up in the background of iSync and feeds them the data from the iSynced apps. So instead of the Palm conduits reading/writing data from Palm Desktop, they read/write it from the iSync link software, which in turn interfaces to the iApps (Address Book, iCal).

      If I'm right about that, if it will Palm Desktop sync via BT, it will iSync via BT.

    16. Re:Sprint Treo has crippled bluetooth by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I just sent an email . . .

  2. It's about time! by lavar78 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Finally, a smartphone I can take seriously! Too bad it won't be affordable for another three years...

    --
    "Dave, I stand still--the conclusions jump to me!" - Bill McNeal, NewsRadio
    1. Re:It's about time! by pixelpusher220 · · Score: 1

      a smartphone I can take seriously

      Lets hope it's a better 'phone' than its predecessor.

      When using a headset, the Treo 600 doesn't ring in your earpiece? Um hello, do these people not drive with a window open?

      Vibrate Mode, I've had it on my belt and I still can't feel it well enough to ensure I'll get the call.

      Built in Voice Memo recording - how is this not built into the phone by default.

      Voice Activated dialing *and* phone answering, Treo 600 requires you to push a button to answer.

      And *all* of these features were handled by the Kyocera 6035 almost 4 *years* ago. The Kyocera would actually ask "Incoming call, would you like to answer" and you could say "Yes" or "No". That's what I call hands free operation.

      I own a Treo600 because it's a good fit size wise and it's a better combo unit than most others, but as a phone it leaves a LOT to be desired.


      --
      People in cars cause accidents....accidents in cars cause people :-D
  3. Higher resolution please.. by jaf · · Score: 3, Interesting

    If we're to surf the web properly with these things, won't we need more than 320x240?

    I'm looking at one of these:

    HP iPAQ 4700

    Look at the nice third photo. It lacks the phone of course, os it's not good enough.

    Anyone know if running SkypeOut with one of these is a good idea?

    --
    -- jaf
    1. Re:Higher resolution please.. by Jaruzel · · Score: 0

      I've lost the URL, but The Register had a feature a few weeks back on the new PocketPC XDA replacements, all had hi-res screens, windows Mobile 2003,camera, and a pop out hard kayboard.

      A bit larger than the treo granted, but a damn sight more useful.

      --
      Together, We Can Make Slashdot Better. I Do NOT Mod ACs. - Check Me Out
    2. Re:Higher resolution please.. by Jaruzel · · Score: 0

      Ah here we go...

      http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/09/10/vodafone _v pa_iii/

      --
      Together, We Can Make Slashdot Better. I Do NOT Mod ACs. - Check Me Out
    3. Re:Higher resolution please.. by PDA_Boy · · Score: 1

      Haven't tried SkypeOut, but PocketSkype itself works perfectly with this machine. Microphone / speaker placement on the LOOX 720 is better, if you are planning on using VOIP a lot, however. Skype works well through a BT headset linked to either machine, too, so the shape of the LOOX might not be an advantage, if you do not mind having an earpiece in when you want to talk. The HP4700 is reviewed on WindowsMobile247, and there will be a review of the LOOX 720 posted soon.

    4. Re:Higher resolution please.. by PDA_Boy · · Score: 1
    5. Re:Higher resolution please.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      WTF? Yes, an HP iPaq 4700 has a full VGA screen. But, you seem to have missed out on an important point: the Treo 650 is a cell phone. It's not the latest and greatest Palm device in general; it's the latest Palm device optimized to be a telephone. It doesn't have a giant screen on it because it SHOULD NOT have a giant screen, because then it would itself be giant and way too big to use as a telephone!

      Also, a minor factual correction: the Tree 650 has a 320x320 screen, not at 320x240 screen.

  4. What is still wrong. by Eric_Cartman_South_P · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I have to say I think for $550+ the Treo 650 is way overpriced. As a Palm fanboy, I feel sick with mistreatment. For that price, it is currently missing:

    - 128 mb ram (at least!)
    - voice recorder
    - 802.11b

    IMO... disgusting at that price. I have and love and setup TONS of Treo 600's, but seriosuly the price is nuts without the above. And to nitpick, IMO the Treo 650 should also have:

    - not just bluetooth, but Class 1 (or is it class A) bluetooth with 100m range
    - all 128 mb as non-volotile
    - voice recorder to record the phone calls too
    - easy setup to use device as a laptop modem for windows/mac with open spec to let Linux dudes knock up their own sw
    - Camera Flash (even the lame ultra-bright led's actually can save the day with a photo in a very dark room, much better than nothing)
    - Software to have web access auto-switch from carrier service to 802.11 when 802.11 becomes availbe, and back again when wifi disappears. Latest Pocket PC devices to this automatically.

    Oh, and to REALLY bitch, but to make this thing perfect, add:

    - Blackberry e-mail client

    1. Re:What is still wrong. by RedX · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I have to agree with you on most of your points. I carried a Treo 600 since it was released, until last week when I purchased the newest Pocket PC phone, the iMate PDA2k (aka XDA III) with the slide-out keyboard. The addition of higher-res screen, WiFi, and 128MB RAM gives it a big advantage over the Treo line in my book. Adjusting to the Windows Mobile platform from Palm is an adjustment as apps aren't quite as snappy. GPRS is also a bit slower than CDMA data, but having the ability to connect via WiFi automatically when it is available makes this moot for most of my day. This doesn't address your concern of expense however as this thing was even more expensive than the Treo. One of my biggest concerns was form factor, and it took about a day of carrying the slightly-larger (than Treo) PDA2k before it felt comfortable in my pocket.

    2. Re:What is still wrong. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It doesn't have Blackberry software, but it can run Goodlink which is better. You should have your IT department checkout Goodlink, you will love it.

    3. Re:What is still wrong. by bofkentucky · · Score: 2, Informative

      - voice recorder to record the phone calls too
      Most jurisdiction's wiretap laws will not allow this, unless it emits an audible tone that the other party can hear to know they are being recorded.

      --
      09f911029d74e35bd84156c5635688c0
    4. Re:What is still wrong. by saha · · Score: 1
      * 128 MB

      I agree. At that price why not?
      * Push email client

      Goodlink
      *Voice recorder

      El'cheapo solution for me I use on my Treo 180. Call myself on my work voicemail and leave a message. Comes in handy when I'm driving and need to record a memo for myself.

    5. Re:What is still wrong. by mpmansell · · Score: 4, Informative

      My guess is that by the time it reaches my side of the pond, the '$' will have changed to '£', so I'd guess we'll still be spluttering too much with horror to give you too much sympathy :D

      I agree with much of what you say, but must say that for the most part these design decisions are dictated by power levels. Even non-volatile ram will take more power though little, admitedly. 802.11 really is a no-no. Unlike the Palm based PDAs, a phone has constant variable power drains while it natters away with its network. That already causes a not inconsiderable drain. Adding WiFi will slup juice away so fast that the device would end up a useless expensive brick far more regularly than is useful.

      The same for a camera flash. They kill even dedicated cameras. What would be of more practical use would be better light sensitivity and balance control. 640x480 is more than adequate for quick snaps if the quality is improved. You wouldn't have to torture me to accept better resolution, though :)

      My company specialises in WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity products via telephones and this has taught me a lot about the two. That class 2 BT is used isn't such a bad thing. in fact, in many cases the low power/range class2 is better than class 1 because it reduces interference - this is seriously valuable where gazillions of sad buggers congregate with their phones - being one of those sad sods has taught me why low power is sometimes good!

    6. Re:What is still wrong. by dnoyeb · · Score: 1

      RAM and non-volatile memory, bka ROM serve 2 different purposes. They are not interchangeable.

      First RAM is WAY faster than ROM. Second, ROM has a limited number of writes. If you use it like RAM its gonna die quickly. That is why Flash drives have a limited lifetime.

    7. Re:What is still wrong. by DikSeaCup · · Score: 2, Interesting
      I was going to get this, but it's missing the one feature I was really waiting for:

      Playing an MP3 as a ringtone.

      From the details on the website, this appears to play mp3s, but still has the lame ringtone thing. Perhaps this is an issue with the memory not being on board. But it sucks - I'd like to create an MP3 of a buddy of mine saying "PICK UP THE PHONE!" and set it as the ringtone for his number.

    8. Re:What is still wrong. by isaac · · Score: 1
      802.11b

      Sweet merciful crap, who cares about wifi in a *PHONE*? What application are you running on your phone that requires more bandwidth than GPRS/3G?

      Is your goal to use VoIP over 802.11? Why? What real benefit does that provide over your regular freaking voice service?

      -Isaac

      --
      I am not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice. For Entertainment Purposes Only.
    9. Re:What is still wrong. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Please! Stop! Its wierd people like you that make the carriers think that worthless features like Mp3 ringtones are a big selling point!

    10. Re:What is still wrong. by edge_crumbler · · Score: 1

      On the camera sensitivity front, look for cameraphones with CCD sensors instead of (cheaper) CMOS, e.g. Sharp GX or TM series.

    11. Re:What is still wrong. by crazyhorse44 · · Score: 1

      all jurisdictions allow you to do so with the permission of both parties which is most likely purpose of such a feature. directions, appointments, birthdays, et al.

      --
      . SLASHDOT: Home of the vicious nerd.
    12. Re:What is still wrong. by jpostel · · Score: 1

      It is a phone, but it is also a PDA. Would you agree that 802.11b is cool in a PDA? I regularly run pssh from my TREO 600 http://www.sealiesoftware.com/pssh/. Is that an app that might qualify as needing 802.11b? I find it slow on the 600 but I wonder if the processor has something to do with that. Either way, a faster network is always something to take advantage of.

      BTW, I will buy the 650 the minute Sprint offers them. My wife is itching to get my 600 and I want a shiny new gadget.

      --
      Ummm, Jon, aren't you supposed to be dead...? - Otter(3800)
    13. Re:What is still wrong. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Are we forgetting that palm makes JUNK? Have we forgotten so soon about the Zire fiasco?

      "You dont have it close to a cell phone, right? Cause that will make it do a hard reset..."

      Heck, they do a hard reset if you even look at the Zire funny. Palm should have been named in a class action suit.

      What part of 'portable' didnt the engineers understand? Damnit Palm, I want my money back!

    14. Re:What is still wrong. by Grandpa+Steve · · Score: 1

      With 802.11b I can connect to the Internet for free at home and work and many other places.

  5. Memory by dncsky1530 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    memory: 23MB user-available stored non-volatile memory (22MB multi-lingual)

    the new Tungsten has over 150 megs of memory while the new treo only has 23? for all the web surifng, emailing, and pictures that people will take, 23 megs doesn't sounds like nearly enough for internal memory that is. Still a really cool product.

    1. Re:Memory by ceeam · · Score: 1

      That's what flash cards are for. Quiz: how much internal memory do Nokia smartphones have? (Hint: It's a single digit number).

    2. Re:Memory by pipetoawk · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Agreed. I currently have a $100 1GB SD card in my Treo 600. I have no problem saving and using photos or mp3's on it, and I can even run applications off of it. Why pay extra for a big chunk of built-in memory when flash cards get cheaper all the time?

    3. Re:Memory by aminorex · · Score: 1

      22MB is incredibly pathetic. And the lack of 802.11b makes this device a non-starter. Looks like I'm stuck with a tungsten and a cellphone for another year or two.

      --
      -I like my women like I like my tea: green-
  6. A work of art. by echocharlie · · Score: 1
    Looks pretty sweet! According to this page there's a removable battery, and a speakerphone. I've been holding off on buying a PDA phone, but this might be the model that makes it worthwhile for me to jump in.

  7. RFI by ceeam · · Score: 1

    IMHO, that may well be the future for Palms. So, the question now: in a magazine I've seen a shot of some new Samsung phone displaying... PalmOS launcher! Is it just a photo-editor's deed or Samsung really makes Palm-based phones too? Thanks.

    1. Re:RFI by mj01nir · · Score: 1

      Samsung has made Palmphones for several years. I carry an i300, which is a generation or two old.

      --
      the no .sig .sig
    2. Re:RFI by pdawerks · · Score: 2, Informative

      Samsung has made Palm OS phones for years. They are getting ready to release a new one. You can find out about it here http://www.pdalive.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&th readid=6913&highlight=samsung

      --
      Justin Nolan PDALive www.pdalive.com
    3. Re:RFI by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nothing there. That's the name of the phone. I've had the i300 and now have the i500 and would love to see what they are coming out with next.

    4. Re:RFI by Seekerofknowledge · · Score: 1

      Basically he means the i550. It's an upgrade to the i500, but it has a few big changes (some better some worse).

      As far as the link not working, Slashdot has a weird way of inserting spaces into the message when it's posted. Remove them from the URL that the grandparent posted and it will work.

    5. Re:RFI by harikiri · · Score: 1
      But they've only recently announced a model with bluetooth support.. and that's only for the european market.

      Samsung have such beautifully designed phones, I can't believe it's taken till late 2004 for them to add bluetooth connectivity.

      You can look at their new bluetooth model here: D500

      --
      Man watching 6 MSCE's around a sun box, looks alot like the opening scene's of 2001:space odyssey...
  8. Acronyms by Pan+T.+Hose · · Score: 5, Informative

    "As with the 600 there will be a dualband CDMA 1xRTT and a quadband GSM/GPRS/EDGE version."

    For anyone who doesn't understand the technical jargon, here's a handy explanation:

    CDMA -- Code Division Multiple Access, any use of any form of spread spectrum by multiple transmitters to send to the same receiver on the same frequency channel at the same time without harmful interference.
    GSM -- Global System for Mobile Communications, the most popular standard for mobile phones in the world.
    GPRS -- General Packet Radio Service, a digital mobile phone technology. It is considered as 2.5G, between the second and third generation. It provides moderate speed data transfer, by using unused TDMA channels GSM network.
    EDGE -- Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution, a digital mobile phone technology technology which acts as a bolt-on enhancement to 2G and 2.5G (a.k.a.GPRS) networks. This technology is compatible with TDMA and GSM networks. EDGE uses the same spectrum allocated for GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800 and GSM1900 operation.

    Click the links for more info.

    To editors: please provide at least some links to explain the terms you use in the story next time. Thanks.

    --
    Sincerely,
    Pan Tarhei Hosé, PhD.
    "Homo sum et cogito ergo odi profanum vulgus et libido."
    1. Re:Acronyms by mpmansell · · Score: 1

      This is supposed to be "News for Nerds"! /. started off for a technically minded userbase.

      These acronyms are common enough that real nerds really ought to know what they mean.

      The editors really don't need to dumb things down for people who aren't the target audience :)

    2. Re:Acronyms by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      Yet somehow at least four people who currently have moderator points from this self-selecting, masturbatory high IQ litterati of the internet world felt this comment was informative to them.

    3. Re:Acronyms by mpmansell · · Score: 1

      Yet, somehow, you feel the need to post as a Coward

    4. Re:Acronyms by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As a matter of fact, yes I do!

    5. Re:Acronyms by macmouse · · Score: 2, Informative

      Or in practical terms (for those who are in the US).

      CDMA = Verizon and Sprint
      GSM/GPRS = T-mobile, Cingular, ATT Wireless
      EDGE = ATT/Cingular in few markets (so far).

    6. Re:Acronyms by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I was told looong ago that it stands for Posthole Digger.

      I guess that was wrong.

  9. WOHO! by hitmark · · Score: 0, Redundant

    me wants, me wants!

    if this isnt the future of phones then i dont know what is!

    --
    comment first, facts later. http://chem.tufts.edu/AnswersInScience/RelativityofWrong.htm
  10. Obligatory by simgod · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Does it run Linux?

  11. tomtom by xabi · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I'll buy it if tomtom runs on it! Any news about this?

    --
    Check populicio.us
  12. Much needed by ministry92 · · Score: 1

    Weather or not it is priced right, because it simply fixes many problems with the 600, the market will tolerate it. With HP's 6300 entry into the market, surly one will stand out much more than the other.

  13. Macintosh system requirement: Windows by Chriscypher · · Score: 2, Interesting

    "System Requirements
    Macintosh
    Windows 2000 or XP (later versions may also be supported) with USB port (USB HotSync® cable included)"

    From the spec page:
    http://www.palmone.com/us/products/smartpho nes/tre o650/details.epl

    Sure it's a typo, but it's not comforting to see how little attention to detail they pay to cross-platform compatibility.

    .

    --
    "You have liberated me from thought."
    1. Re:Macintosh system requirement: Windows by pkhuong · · Score: 1

      IIRC, Mac support is completely in Apple's hands :(

      --
      Try Corewar @ www.koth.org - rec.games.corewar
    2. Re:Macintosh system requirement: Windows by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      If you look at the whitepaper, it says that Mac OS 10.2-10.3 is supported.

  14. Dead Horses by prakslash · · Score: 2, Insightful
    PDAs are dead.

    Sadly, all these efforts to revive them are futile.

    Cell phone are small and becoming more advanced. Lap-tops are powerful and becoming smaller.

    PDAs are stuck in the middle. If they try to evolve in either direction, they end up becoming a cell phone or a lap-top. At $650 a pop, even a TREO 650 is too expensive for what it offers.

    Most people who are serious about mobile computing and internetr-on-the-go will just buy a slim albeit expensive laptop.

    Others who purchase cheaper, less powerful PDAs soon realize how cumbersome it is to use a PDA to just store some phone numbers and appointments when they can use their cell-phone to do the same. So, they end up leaving their PDAs in drawers at home collecting dust.

    Like I said.. dead horses.

    1. Re:Dead Horses by Turing+Machine · · Score: 2, Insightful

      At least for me, the PDA wins on two counts:

      1) Bigger screen than a phone. I read novels on my PDA while waiting in line, on a plane, etc. I don't think I could do that on a phone with any degree of comfort, especially not since (as you say) they're getting smaller all the time.

      2) My laptop won't fit in my pocket.

      I agree that $650 is way too expensive for a PDA, though.

    2. Re:Dead Horses by bullitB · · Score: 2, Insightful

      ...which is probably why this is being marketed as a smartphone, not a PDA with phone abilities.

      Seriously, on the Treo 600, they replace all references in the software to "PDA" with "Phone." Compared to other expensive phones (P900, for example), it's actually somewhat price competitive, and has feature like a keyboard and a real SD slot which makes it really useful for stuff like text messaging (T9 sucks) and MP3 playing.

    3. Re:Dead Horses by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      PDA do offer something that phones and laptops currently don't, which is power & convenience.

      I use my Palm T2 to hold word document that I need to reference quickly, powerpoint slides that I want to be able to go through with a cup of coffee before the presentation. A whole load of pdf documents that are easy to read on a train. AvantGO is superb for a free newspaper. I have read a fair few e-books on it, it even plays MP3s which means I leave my iPod at home.

      The screen is big enough to be easy , and yet the PDA small enough that it doesn't feel like humping a brick round. The PDA switches on instantly, power consumption is good. Bluetooth connection to my phone means I can download my e-mail pretty easily if I want to, and a slim fold out keyboard is great for taking notes at meetings, (I use the excellent mindmanager software for note, which syncs back with my laptop when I get back to the office). My T2 even syncs with the corporate LotusNotes, so I have all my meetings, to do lists, and work email on it - saving me from carrying my laptop to & from the office everyday.

      My friend's iPaq even has WiFi which is great for checking news & emails over a coffee.

      The Treo will bomb however - $650 way too expensive!! Twice the price of a pretty good phone & a pretty good PDA. If the price was nearer $200 dollars I would get one tomorrow - but until then I will stick with my trusty T2.

    4. Re:Dead Horses by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I believe the song is entitled, "Wild Horses." And those are definitely not the lyrics.

  15. Awwjeah.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I must say, after several months of fighting with the square-shaped screen on the 600, and the inability to carry around spare batteries, this new version is going to be my new best friend. I'm wondering what the two new buttons on the layout are, though. I'm assuming they're Bluetooth related.

    The next question, however, is... can Blazer play flash files yet? Can I get StrongBad on my phone?

  16. Ouch by xnot · · Score: 1

    News at 11: "All Palm websites slashdotted! Entire Palm internet goes down! New record!"

  17. Petition For Verizon To Get It Soon! by datastalker · · Score: 3, Informative

    Since it took almost two years to get the Treo 600 on Verizon, and I've already spoken with my account rep who says Verizon has no plans for this phone, I've created a petition to have Verizon get this phone in a timely fashion. Please sign below:

    Verizon Treo 650 Petition
    Thanks!

    1. Re:Petition For Verizon To Get It Soon! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dude, if your carrier doesn't give you what you want, then switch! Besides, I have fantasies about running throught that Verizon guy with a chainsaw while screaming "Can you hear me now?!??" Ok, I'll go back to playing Doom 2 in my parent's basement...

  18. Ignoring Europe? by MemRaven · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I used to live in the US, and got very used to my Palms (I've been using them for years, starting with a Handspring Visor through a Sony Clie), and I was just looking to upgrade my phone, and I ended up getting something that Wasn't The Treo. Why? Because even though I waited until the "official" announcement, and thus knew everything about it, I still don't have any idea when it'll be available here in the UK.

    This is pretty lame. Here in Europe (at least in the UK) Palm Pilots and other PDAs don't have nearly as high penetration as in the US, because everybody's got their mobile with them at all times and doesn't want to carry around two devices. However, given past performance, the GSM Treo (which is a worldphone, so you can just buy it in the US and bring it on a plane here and it'll work perfectly with your local coverage) won't be available for several months at best, unlike in the US. Even now, although the Treo 650 is all over the US PalmOne site, it's nowhere to be found on the UK site.

    This makes very little sense, given that the biggest competition for the Treo (namely the blackberry and the Sony Ericsson P910i) are available here as soon as the US, if not sooner. Moreover, the SIM-free (i.e. not tied to a particular provider) version of the Treo 600 is GBP525 ($966 at today's exchange rate) from PalmOne UK, while it's $349 from PalmOne US. This whole state of affairs leads me to believe that PalmOne just doesn't get it when it comes to Europe and the attractiveness of something like the Treo. Give it to us now!

    1. Re:Ignoring Europe? by Raptor+CK · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I was under the impression that Orange was one of the first carriers in the world to get the Treo 600. Wouldn't that satisfy your UK requirement?

      --
      Raptor
      "Procrastination is great. It gives me a lot more time to do things that I'm never going to do."
    2. Re:Ignoring Europe? by MemRaven · · Score: 2, Interesting

      It was was of the first to get the 600. However, that was still IIRC substantially after the first two carriers in the US (one CDMA, Sprint, the other one of the GSM providers) had theirs. Given the fact that even today you can basically only get the Treo 600 through Orange anyway, I would expect that you'd be able to get it through orange pretty quickly, but I still expect a couple of month lag between first customer ship in the US and first customer ship in the UK. Even today, it doesn't show up on the Orange web site (again, much like it doesn't show up on the PalmOne web site for the UK either).

      My point is that the phone is basically almost ready, but given how much stuff happens over the next couple of months here, we'll get the phone so late as to miss the entire holiday season, which matters quite a bit. In other words, I have no doubt that we'll get it pretty early, but even a couple of month delay basically shows where the priorities lie.

      Besides, Orange blows. I actually specifically moved away from them when I made my recent purchase and really don't want to go back to them.

    3. Re:Ignoring Europe? by *Pres* · · Score: 1

      Soon you'll be able to order them online and have them sent to your country. And if official resellers wouldn't want to do it, there's always eBay. :-)

    4. Re:Ignoring Europe? by Raptor+CK · · Score: 1

      Hrm. I thought Orange beat out Sprint, even.

      As for avoiding a provider because they blow, I know how you feel. The whole 650 Bluetooth fiasco has me prepared to ditch Sprint.

      --
      Raptor
      "Procrastination is great. It gives me a lot more time to do things that I'm never going to do."
  19. SE mobile phone by kennycoder · · Score: 1

    It seem that Sony-Ericsson's hybrid phone-pda (P900 / P910) is more powerfull than Treo 650. I don't know about SE's CPU capabilities but _AS_ hybrid-phone it's much more usefull because of touchscreen and pretty imporoved Symbian OS. You can compare by yourself..
    SE P910
    Treo 650

    --
    Fucking a fat girl is like riding a scooter... it's fun 'til someone sees you.
  20. awaiting for announce, device, support by apla · · Score: 1

    good smartphone. must be. but i'm sceptic and not waiting soon this device. in russia/moscow. previous generation treo 600 avail in moscow in this september at $800. now it at least $750. cheaper price, huh. very good deal ;-)

    now wating for support this device from apple, but also some scepticism: motorola GSM phones normally supported sync only from cable, but GPRS dial is available over bluetooth. what a good joke! my fujifilm s5000 camera supported only as usb-storage, but not a camera.

    what about localization? see that english-only keyboard. most of devices/programs are developed without localization, and late this available via patches, hacks, some ugly stuff. good deal to one-language, english-speaking people.

  21. Can you provide a link to a definition of PhD? by thumper · · Score: 2, Funny

    Thanks.

    1. Re:Can you provide a link to a definition of PhD? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Philosophiae Doctor

    2. Re:Can you provide a link to a definition of PhD? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


      > Can you provide a link to a definition of PhD?

      It means Doctor of Philosophy, from Latin Philosophiae Doctor.

      See http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=PhD

    3. Re:Can you provide a link to a definition of PhD? by green+pizza · · Score: 2, Funny

      Philosophiae Doctor (PhD)
      (n.) A reclusive being possessing distinguished academic achievement and mental superiority; Generally found with an abundance of long gray facial hair and overall poor hygiene; To be highly skilled in one field, while totally inept at trivial common tasks.

    4. Re:Can you provide a link to a definition of PhD? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      he! BOOM! you got him alright! lol man! i hate those intelectuals too!

    5. Re:Can you provide a link to a definition of PhD? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      PHD == Piled Higher and Deeper

      PHD == Post-Hole Digger

  22. O2? by cuteseal · · Score: 0
    Wonder where the O2 sits with all this?

    Ooops, just re-opened the Palm vs PocketPC debate did I? My bad... :)

  23. No you're missing the point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If you have web access as part of your cell plan then these phone/PDA combos are perfect. Have you ever tried to use the web on a regular cell?? Damn near impossible! I've been looking forward to finally getting a combo unit. Hopefully the prices on the Treo 600 will come down with the release of the 650

  24. No WiFi? by Alexander · · Score: 3, Informative

    Engadget's reporting no WiFi via the SDIO slot. Frankly, for me, this is a deal breaker. The last thing in the world I want to do is move to a WinCE platform, but hotspots are becoming so ubiquitous that I can't help but require it.

    I hate to be one to poo-poo new hardware releases, but they had since the 600 to get it right (in fact, early 600 boxes had "support for WiFi via 3rd party solutions written on them)..

    I wonder if Palm has recruited Sun/Cobalt product management?

    --
    "oohhh... I didn't know Schopenhauer was a philosopher!" ..."uhhh yeah, he's the one that begins with
  25. I like my 600 by xrayspx · · Score: 2, Interesting

    A lot of people have been saying how expensive these are, but they're good for corporate IT. With an SSL + password protected site, I can see which of my servers are alive, pull webservers out, initiate restarts of the webserver, etc. They work pretty well actually. At least when you're not spending your own money :-)

    I'd love to see Wifi portability, which some people have been rumoring.

    Anyone know if you can use TuSSH to set up a tunnel? I'd like to SSH tunnel and then run the Terminal Services client over it. Yes I'm that masochistic. I've only had the 600 a couple weeks and haven't gotten around to bothering yet, but that would be another big plus.

    1. Re:I like my 600 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've been researching this also, and there are IPSec implementations available for the PalmOS 5.x platform. However, I do agree that SSH w/ Port forwarding would be a huge plus. Other people have mentioned that you can only run one app at a time; this was true with the older versions of PalmOS (I played around with the SDK) but may no longer be true. They are going to a thread / process-driven model in PalmOS v6 (traditionally you can only run the version of PalmOS that came with your device; upgrades aren't possible). In any case, if you can make an IPSec client, you should be able to implement and SSH port forwarder.

      I've heard rumors that WiFi won't ever happen on the 650, but that should probably be taken with a large grain of salt.

  26. What kind of "memory"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    23MB user-available stored non-volatile memory
    What kind of memory? Battery-backed RAM? Flash? There are many types of NV memory.

    It sounds like plenty to me, provided there's a slot for a flash memory card. 9 years ago I was doing image analysis and surfing the web on a Sun SPARCstation 10 with 16 MB of RAM. I have a hunch that the Treo's kernel is lighter weight than SunOS.

  27. Impressions of the RIM 7100t from a Palm user by invisik · · Score: 4, Informative

    The RIM 7100t is a more fair comparison, IMHO. For $199 (after $100 rebate from T-Mobile) you get just about everything the Treo 650 does. I decided I couldn't wait for the 650 to come out so I got the 7100t (Actually, I could still return it if I wanted to). I'm a long time Palm user, and have used the Treo 600 before.

    Some notes on my experience of the BB over the Palm:

    -No camera. Business device people.
    -Can do dial-up networking over USB and Bluetooth.
    -Full one-handed operation. Somewhat clumsy at times, but you can get-r-done.
    -Push e-mail. (isn't the 650 supposed to have this?) You don't have to buy the BB Enterprise Server software for just syncing e-mail, there's a "desktop" version.
    -Software is made for syncing with corporate e-mail, no middle Palm Desktop stuff to break on you
    -The new keyboard is not that bad after you use it for a week.
    -Push e-mail can be delayed 10 or 15 minutes at times.
    -I miss the Calendar Palm app, was much faster to enter an appt and pick the start and stop times.
    -Form factor of the BB is pretty slim, fits easily in front pants pocket (older ones were way too big)
    -Charges over USB cable, no extra power adapters needed (major plus)
    -I miss the 4 dedicated PIM keys on the Palm. Alawys so much drilling in and out of the menus. BB has two blank spots where they could have had two user-assignable keys, that would have rocked. They have a dedicated Browser key and a dedicated Telephone key.
    -Soud quality is good to excellent on headset and to the ear to both parties
    -No bluetooth to PC sync. Can't imagine why.

    All in all, as a business workhorse handset, I think the Blackberry 7100t at $199 is an excellent choice. It's not perfect, by any stretch, but is getting there. I suggest you test drive any of the units (including the SideKick II) at your local T-Mobile (or Cingular I suppose) store....

    Questions?

    -m

    --
    http://www.invisik.com
    1. Re:Impressions of the RIM 7100t from a Palm user by mulhall · · Score: 1

      A few points (I'm a treo 600 user)
      -No camera. Business device people.
      This is not a benefit, merely a lack of functionality.

      -The new keyboard is not that bad after you use it for a week.
      The keyboard is fine on the Treo

      -Charges over USB cable, no extra power adapters needed (major plus)
      I use the L'il Sync USB chrge/sync cable (~£5)

      As mentioned in another thread the priority is: Treo gives applications, and email
      BB gives email, plus applications.

    2. Re:Impressions of the RIM 7100t from a Palm user by chainsaw1 · · Score: 1

      There are places where devices are confiscated on-site if they have a camera. Lacking of functionality is better than lacking the entire device

      --
      - Sig
    3. Re:Impressions of the RIM 7100t from a Palm user by invisik · · Score: 1

      -No camera. Business device people.
      This is not a benefit, merely a lack of functionality.

      I supposed it depends on your point of view. Either way, I'm glad it doesn't have a camera. In a business device, I would rather space, weight, functionality and storage be used up by something more worthwhile then a camera or MP3 player.

      -The new keyboard is not that bad after you use it for a week.
      The keyboard is fine on the Treo

      I agree. I tried it briefly at the T-Mobile store. The 7100t has a new predictive input system that has everyone scared of it. I ultimately prefer the calculator-style BlackBerry keyboard the most.

      -Charges over USB cable, no extra power adapters needed (major plus)
      I use the L'il Sync USB chrge/sync cable (~£5)

      Ahh that is cool then. Sad it's not included with the unit but as an extra item to purchase. But at least it's available....

      -m

      --
      http://www.invisik.com
    4. Re:Impressions of the RIM 7100t from a Palm user by gabe · · Score: 1

      I want a cell phone that I can use with a data service. T-Mobile and at least one other carrier have reasonable unlimited data plans for about $40/mo. I want to be able to view server status web pages and SSH in if there are problems.

      I know I can SSH within Palm OS via free software (VNC also), so what about SSH with this RIM device?

      My dream phone would let me use bluetooth to use the data service via my PowerBook also. I'm guess I'll have a hard time trying to find a phone where that works...

      --
      Gabriel Ricard
    5. Re:Impressions of the RIM 7100t from a Palm user by invisik · · Score: 1

      Hey,

      Word is the 7100t can provide GPRS internet service via Bluetooth, although not officially supported. I believe I saw a post on pdastreet.com about it in the RIM forum.

      The 7100t does not come with a SSH client, but you can add one for a monthly fee (the ssh service provider has to proxy you, thus the fee).

      The SideKick has a ssh client in it already, no extra charge, I believe.

      I think the speed of the connection will keep you away from it most of the time. But if you have to get something done, it does work.

      -m

      --
      http://www.invisik.com
  28. Treo vs. BlackBerry by Eric+Giguere · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Although it's always dangerous to generalize, I like to explain the differences between the Treo and the BlackBerry this way:

    BlackBerry: email with applications
    Treo: applications with email

    You can build applications for both platforms, but the BlackBerry is still seen (and being used) primarily as a mobile email device. You can send and read email with the Treo, but you can run many more useful apps on it than on the BB. Which one is better? As usual, it depends on what you need...

    Eric
    BlackBerry development info
  29. RIM? by LookSharp · · Score: 1

    At work, we just started buying executives these:

    http://www.blackberry.com/products/blackberry710 0/ blackberry7100r.shtml

    They seem pretty cool...

  30. RIM by abureuben · · Score: 1

    Check the following for information about, at least a potential, response from RIM: http://mytreo.net/news/archives/000159.php#more Essentially, it looks like Sprint, Palm, and RIM have plans to allow RIM to run on a Sprint/PalmOS device.

  31. RIM's got a pretty good response already. by Doktor+Memory · · Score: 0

    It's called: total market dominance.

    I kinda doubt they're quaking in their boots over this.

    --

    News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters? Like hell.

  32. I paid $800 for the 600 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I am not a US citisen and phone companies around aren't offering it.

  33. PXA255? by ccvqc · · Score: 1

    The Intel processor is "ARM Architecture v.5TE compliant" and also "include[s] Intel® Wireless MMX(TM) technology". I thought MMX was an IA-32 instruction set feature. And I thought Intel dropped their licensing agreement with ARM. Anybody got simple explanations?

  34. Treo 650 STILL doesn't have roaming/dual band. by shadowlight1 · · Score: 1

    I wanted to get a Treo 600 back in the day, and it was not dual band. Then I wanted to get a Treo 650 (through Sprint) and that was also not dual band. What this means is that it does not have analog roaming, so once you are out of the core Sprint network you have NO phone service. This is a problem because I travel a lot and sometimes am in remote locations in rural Wisconsin.

    Samsung, apparently, has a Palm-based Treo 650-ish phone coming out in December that has dual band capability. I've been told to watch www.phonescoop.com for it. In the mean time, be sure to ask your provider if your Treo/other phone supports roaming before you make the investment!

    CJF

    1. Re:Treo 650 STILL doesn't have roaming/dual band. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This would be a problem, but it isn't true. The Treo 600 has digital roaming outside of Sprint's network on any digital CDMA network. Verizon has a HUGE digital CDMA network. My Treo gets great phone service pretty much anywhere I've been. It is, however, annoying that 1xRTT data only works within Sprint coverage areas so there's no data while roaming.

      --Matt

    2. Re:Treo 650 STILL doesn't have roaming/dual band. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Obviously you didn't read the post you replied to. He was talking about ANALOG roaming. There are lots of "dead spots" where the only connection you can get is analog. Having a phone that can roam on to analog towers comes mighty handy in an emergency when you are out in the middle of nowhere.

  35. MOD PARENT UP! :-) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    LOL!!!!! You made me laugh because I happen to work on a PhD thesis right now and you described me with one exception: *black* facial hair instead of gray facial hair which is probably going to change when I finally have my degree, though. MOD PARENT UP!!! +5 FUNNY!!!! My God, this was a good one!!!

  36. No tunneling by cdrguru · · Score: 1
    Palm runs one app at a time, so any SSH client is going to be running when you are using it and switching away stops the SSH client.

    You would have to have a completely new animal, sort of a TSR kind of thing that would add a new networking layer. Since none of the SSH clients support this and most say it can't be done, I suspect it would be really, really hard. Hard enough that nobody thinks it is worthwhile.

    1. Re:No tunneling by xrayspx · · Score: 1

      That's kind of what I thought, so I never tried. Oh well. It's still a good platform for my needs, I was just curious to see how painful trying to Term Serv to a machine from a phone with a teeny display over 1XRTT speeds would be. I guess speedwise it would be the same as our cellular laptop card, but at least with that you can see the whole remote display.

  37. No Wifi by mac123 · · Score: 1

    All that, and no built in wifi, no SD card wifi drivers in sight (and none under development)?

    I'll pass.

  38. Goodlink by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative
    I actually use Goodlink at my workplace. Good is like RIM's Blackberry software, only comprehensible, updated more than once every two years, and doesn't require a 'cradle dance' just to provision the thing. Plug it in once, provision, walk away forever.

    I frankly couldn't care less if RIM has a response to the Treo 650. Its software side is about a year behind Goodlink anyway. Blackberry wants me to believe that support for Outlook and Exchange 2003, and being able to actually use your Outlook calendar remotely is an 'amazing new feature' rather than 'expected behaviour'.

    http://www.good.com/ for those interested.

    1. Re:Goodlink by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We are just rolling out support the the Treo 600 internally and the recent release of the BB 7100t/v has absolutely killed the Treo sales. Almost everyone who'd previously told us they want a 600/650 is now telling get them the BB instead.

      As far as setup and the BB goes:

      1) Setup for Goodlink is about 100% worse for the Treo 600 than the BlackBerry. It DOES require a desktop software install and it's very user-failure prone. It's flat out ugly and much much worse than the BB.

      2) BB has been able to wireless sync calendar for YEARS. What it hasn't been able to do Over the Air (OTA) is contacts, tasks, and notes. Which I'll agree is annoying, but not a showstopper especially if you're configured to use the corporate directory on the back end. Now, a newer (unreleased) version of Goodlink is going to fix A LOT of this installation nightmare, so I guess we'll keep our fingers crossed.

    2. Re:Goodlink by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Goodlink is absolutely amazing, we run hit here with Treo 600's - bang instant & to the minute MS Exchange synchronization - contacts...tasks, emails - amazing.

  39. What about Graffiti? by lilmouse · · Score: 2, Funny

    Does it still support Graffiti? I haven't seen any comments about this anywhere.

    --LWM

    1. Re:What about Graffiti? by Chrontius · · Score: 1

      Actually, it does -- with a piece of third-party freeware called Graffiti Anywhere which I use on my Treo 90 when I don't feel like using the keyboard.

  40. LOL!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Mod parent up: Score:5, Funny. hehhee!LOL!! :)

  41. Bluetooth? by cdrguru · · Score: 0
    OK, so the vendors are turning off Bluetooth. Why? Because they are mean? I don't believe so. Verizon has un-enabled their current Bluetooth phone from doing anything except using a headset or car kit. Why? Security.

    Bluetooth hijacking was all over a while back. So now that is fixed, right? We have a new "Secure Bluetooth" that prevents all of those problems? I don't think so.

    While Bluetooth might be handy for some things, having it full-on enabled in phones and PDAs is an open invite to hijackers and other folks to just come on by and steal. With a phone they might get just your phone book and call log. With a PDA unless you lock everything up they are going to get your life. And nobody I know locks everything up.

    I think Bluetooth is an interesting idea, but it was designed in a security vacuum. Verizon does not want the customer support headaches from having it as a new gateway to problems.

    1. Re:Bluetooth? by mac123 · · Score: 3, Informative

      It has very little to do with security.

      It has everything to do with making money from forcing the users to use the Verizon network to send their pictures.

    2. Re:Bluetooth? by drrjv · · Score: 1

      Verizon is disabling BT only to support their GIN vendors. It has nothing to do with security!

  42. A hint, model in same price range has more! by JollyFinn · · Score: 1

    Uhh. All I need to ask Which model!
    When something has 8MB of SDRAM & 32MB of flash its not a signle digit number overall ;)
    [Communicator]
    20-25MB for 7700 Which is other which I'd consider similar...
    30MB for 7600

    Single digit number is for elcheapo consumer products, which are in different price category.
    The Treo costs here /Finland. MORE than any of preciosly mentioned products. For which SOME of them has 64MB memory card INCLUDED in package ;)

    --
    Emacs is good operating system, but it has one flaw: Its text editor could be better.
  43. imap/s? by asv108 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Can anyone tell me if this will come with an imap/s client? I would have purchased the 600 when it came out but I refuse to pay $60 for an e-mail client on my palm. When I buy a $500+ phone I expect to be able to check my e-mail securely.

    1. Re:imap/s? by Tal0n · · Score: 1

      RTFA Stay connected with wireless email using VersaMail.(1) VersaMail makes it easy to access and manage email on the go.(4) With the Treo 650's support for popular POP and IMAP email clients, users can download mail wirelessly or by synchronizing with their desktops.(5) And for users whose organizations use Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, the Treo 650's built-in Microsoft Exchange Server ActiveSync(R) support will enable direct corporate email and calendar synchronization(6) (see palmOne announcement dated Oct. 5). With VersaMail, users can view photos, HTML, and even native Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint attachments.(7)

    2. Re:imap/s? by icedivr · · Score: 2, Informative

      VersaMail is the default client that comes bundled with the new Treo. It supports IMAP but I couldn't tell if it supports SSL. But no matter, there is a program called ChatterMail (www.imchatter.com) which supports IMAP/S. Best of all, it supports running in the background in conjunction with the IDLE command. If your server supports it, delivery to the Treo is instant. It was well worth the $25.

    3. Re:imap/s? by pauljlucas · · Score: 1

      The 's' in "imap/s" stands for SSL. The blurb you copied/pasted says nothing about that. RTFQ.

      --
      If you reply, do so only to what I explicitly wrote. If I didn't write it, don't assume or infer it.
    4. Re:imap/s? by ozonator · · Score: 3, Informative

      The version of VersaMail that came with my T3 -- 2.6.1 -- can be used with IMAP/s. In the account setup screens, it's in the 'additional options' section, underneath the port number settings: "Use secure connection (SSL)". Having accessed a couple of accounts that way, I can report that it's worked fine for me.

      The new Treo seems to come with version 3.0 of VersaMail. I assume it has at least the same capabilities as the version I have, though the page about the Treo's version says only that it can "get and send mail from SSL mail providers like Comcast." Not the first time Palm's specs have been short on detail, unfortunately.

    5. Re:imap/s? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, bundled Versamail does support IMAP/SSL out of the box.

    6. Re:imap/s? by Tal0n · · Score: 1

      Oops sorry about that, didn't know the /s was ssl.

      But inside versamail there is a "use secure socket connection (ssl)" setting when setting up IMAP accounts.

  44. Camera resolution by Anonymous+Cowdog · · Score: 1

    For me the deal breaker with this one is the fact that they did not up the camera resolution. It will have better light gathering ability, which is sorely needed, but these days there's just no excuse to have the camera be only 0.3 megapixels. They should have added a 1+ megapixel camera, one, because this is a key feature most of us were looking forward to, and two, because it's a feature that the carriers have no great incentive to turn off.

  45. Treo vs Sidekick/SideKick II by daviddennis · · Score: 1

    Not a direct reply to your message, but I thought this might interest you and people who liked your post.

    My Colour Sidekick's scroll wheel broke, and since I'm having problems with the carrier, I decided to look at the Treo versus the Sidekick. Of course the phone I saw was the 600, not the 650, but a lot of things don't seem to have changed much.

    Overall, the Sidekick seems to have by far the better ergonomic design. The keyboard's big enough to type on decently, while the Treo 600's was way too small for my biggish fingers. They apparently changed this a bit with the 650, but frankly it doesn't appear from the pictures like it would make much difference.

    The old Sidekick had clear build quality problems, culminating in the broken scroll wheel that forced me to contemplate a replacement. The new Sidekick is much better made, by a far higher quality manufacturer. But the Treo, with its metal chassis, had an almost jewel-like feel that easily carried the day.

    The Treo 600's screen was truly awful, the worst thing about the device. This is one place where the new model is an obvious massive improvement. On the screen alone, I would definitely wait for the new model. That being said, with the small form factor and the keyboard being part of the raw size (instead of a foldout like the SideKick), the screen's still going to be tiny and that's still going to make web sites very difficult to read.

    The camera on the Sidekick II was a bit confusing to use - I had to have the guy at the store tell me the secret - but seemed to take a decent picture in the light available at the store. The Treo's camera didn't work nearly as well, although none of them are going to be serious competition for my Canon EOS D30. The Treo 650's camera looked to be higher resolution but still pretty bad, I think worse than the Sidekick II's.

    The Colour Sidekick II costs $299 to buy or $199 to upgrade from the old model. The Treo costs $450 with a Verizon signup but apparently the phone carrier will reduce that to around $350 if you scream and yell enough.

    In the end, I had to side with the Sidekick II as by far the better device. Unfortunately, Verizon had by far the best phone service, so I may consider buying the Treo 650 at a later date.

    So what did I do about my scroll wheel-impaired SideKick? I called up T-Mobile and they are sending me a free warranty replacement. I wanted to get a SideKick II if they'd given me a half-decent price on it, but the deal they offered was actually worse than the $199 upgrade deal I would have gotten at the T-Mobile store. This was interesting considering that the T-Mobile guy was positively embarassed he couldn't do better for me than the $199. I think it's a pity T-Mobile ignored an excellent opportunity to upgrade my machine and still make a few bucks instead of sending out one of their old models.

    So for the time being, I'm back in the T-Mobile court. I'd be happy there if only the Sidekick's reception wasn't lousy ...

    D

    1. Re:Treo vs Sidekick/SideKick II by invisik · · Score: 1

      Hey there,

      Is this David Dennis of Amazing.com Silicon Graphics and diesel Mercedes fame?! It's Matt at Invisik.com! Remember me?

      Yes, I heard the SKII was better built, but the salespeople at the T-Mobile store say it's still not very sturdy. I still like the SKII and am always tempted to return my 7100t for it.

      I imagine the data entry in the SideKick must be very very fast. I mean no tapping the screen or scrolling the thumbwheel. What's your impression there?

      I hear the SKII has better reception and sound quality then the original. Maybe you should upgrade anyway......?

      -m

      --
      http://www.invisik.com
    2. Re:Treo vs Sidekick/SideKick II by daviddennis · · Score: 1

      Now moved on to the Mac and a 420SEL, but yes, same person :-).

      Data entry in the Sidekick is very good. It's much slower than a real keyboard, of course, but it's many times faster than trying to peck letters out on a phone keyboard.

      I belong to a political group that does street theater-style protests, and I've typed a few after-action reports on it successfully. It handles web forms exceptionally well.

      One thing I didn't say in the above review (because I forgot, more than anything) was that I tried web forms with the Treo and it worked horribly. It just was not designed with that in mind at all.

      What do you hear about the Sidekick camera? Have you seen decent pictures off it? I could almost convince myself to upgrade if I could get decent quality photos off the thing and use it as a "always there" camera.

      What's the 7100T? Is that a Blackberry?

      D

  46. What about Verizon? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    After what Verizon did to the V710, I would imagine they will whack Bluetooth also. Tethering (as using your BT phone as an internet connection is called) is problematic for wireless providers. You can use a lot more bandwidth that way than just by punching buttons on the face of the device. So they would typically have to charge for it as a separate service. But killing it completely? Inexcuseable.

    It's funny, I went from Verizon to Sprint to get Bluetooth (S-E T608), now I would have to switch away to keep it? Anway, all this crippling is for the birds. Last January I worked extra hard to try to get Bluetooth without going to GSM, and now I'm going to GSM. I'm tired of the carriers deciding what features should be turned off on my phone. GSM fixes that for me. The bad GSM service (not to mention technical obsolescence) I'll guess I'll have to live with in order to get what I need.

  47. Verizon and others too? by jkheit · · Score: 1

    Apparently Verizon crippled its first Bluetooth phone (Motorola v710). See here:

    http://www.nuclearelephant.com/papers/v710.html

    The shady thing is that not all of Verizon's customer service agents are above board with this. When you call them and ask has Bluetooth been disabled and does it fully work, they say "no," which is technically true (there is minimal support for a headset, which "fully" works), but the customer gets a rude surprise when they order the phone and they cannot do a simple address book synch.

    Apparently these carriers want to make more money selling you software to sync your address or make you pay for ringtones instead of using your MP3s--you know, things that Bluetooth was designed to help you do.

    There is no doubt I will not buy the 650 if they cripple its Bluetooth on Verizon/Sprint or any other network (which is sad as Verizon seems to have the best coverage in the NY area). Although the techies will know, you have to think that the carriers basically can work in an oligopoly like manner and not care and just "coincidentally" all adopt a similar stance. Heck, I'm wishing for too much in them getting their act together on this issue when we still are generations behind Europe and Japan and can't get a simple flat-rate plan like we can for land-lines. The entire thing seems to run like the used-car industry.

  48. Not ready for prime time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I've used a Treo 600 for about 9 months now. It's a decent cell phone, but its data connection is so poor that it's useless. I wouldn't buy another.

    I've been told that Sprint places the lowest possible priority on data cell connections, which I believe. Connecting to the web *always* takes at least 30 seconds. Typing in a URL takes another 20 seconds, connecting to the site another 20 seconds, and downloading even a simple site often takes up to FIVE minutes. The data feed is so often paused by its low priority, that 53 Kb/s is almost always reduced to less than 5 Kb/s.

    For PDA phones to make sense, two things must change:

    1) Data connections must lower their latency tremendously, like by a factor of 10. Bandwidth must rise by a comparable amount too, to enable the full 53 Kb/s. It appears this can be done by simply lifting downlink priority rather than having to improve the technology. As it is, wireless data is unusable. (I've used it in both Houston and Michigan, where it's equally bad).

    2) Support for 802.11b is absolutely necessary. Right now, my treo is useless around the office except as a cell phone or unwired PDA. Whoopee.

    Why pay an extra $400 for features you can't use?

    Randy

  49. Palm vs. Nokia by jedipapi · · Score: 1

    I already know that Nokia is dropping the ball in terms of strategy and you can read more about that here:
    http://jmarinez.blogspot.com/

    But what I really would like to know is how people receive the new Treo 650 when compared to Nokia's 7610? Both companies have a substantial developer community, but the user interface and experience is different on these two devices. Is the world tested T9 text input system better or worst than the QWERTY keyboard on the Treos? Is a megapixel camera adequate for today's carrier networks (GPRS/EDGE or 1XRTT) or is a VGA camera the way to go?

    Thanks.

  50. Palm OS -- booo by Gunark · · Score: 1

    I had a Treo 600 for about two weeks, but the low resolution display drove me nuts and I ended up returning it. I paid almost $1000 (CAN) for it, so this new price doesn't seem unreasonable. Carriers will offer it for less with a contract.

    Now if they could just do away with the aging and fantastically craptastic PalmOS, I'd have something to get excited about.

  51. Hello, arbitrage! by nosferatu-man · · Score: 1

    Moreover, the SIM-free (i.e. not tied to a particular provider) version of the Treo 600 is GBP525 ($966 at today's exchange rate) from PalmOne UK, while it's $349 from PalmOne US

    If only I were better capitalized ...

    --
    To spur "enterprise Linux," Big Bang, the distributed two-phase commit.
  52. Dueling Verizon Clues by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Since it took almost two years to get the Treo 600 on Verizon, and I've already spoken with my account rep who says Verizon has no plans for this phone, I've created a petition to have Verizon get this phone in a timely fashion. Please sign below:


    The guy at the Verizon store here says they'll have 'em for Christmas buying.

    You'd think the 1xRTT model is for Verizon, but, well, let me know if you ever get a straight and reasoned answer out of Verzion.

    --
    My God, it's Full of Source!
    OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
  53. obligatory "what I want in a handheld" list by CAIMLAS · · Score: 0

    - no built-in keyboard, unless it's a full 10-finger typeable keyboard, so as to save practical space
    - IrDA, PCMCIA, CF, and SD.
    - built-in WiFi
    - Linux supported (including support for xserver and/or opie)
    - given current hardware, Xscale 400, 64M RAM, and 64M of internal storage.
    - built-in omnidirectional microphone, similar to those on cell phones, which can pick up conversation across the room (provided nobody is talking nearby)
    - small speaker for alarms, etc.
    - at least 5 hours of "on" battery life without any peripherals
    - preferably a greyscale LCD, so as to save battery life, or a color LCD that uses low amounts of power and works well without the use of the backlight. 640x480 would be nice, but by no means required
    - sturdy, low-weight metal case
    - the face size of the device would be no larger than the LCD, and any 'space requirements' in the device would be made up by making it thicker (up to, say, 3/4" to 1")

    Now, I realize having PCMCIA, CF, and SD all in the same device is a bit much, so I'd settle just for CF and SD, given it's a handheld. PCMCIA is mostly just a "wouldn't that be nice" feautre, due to the plethora of pcmcia devices that work in linux.

    --
    ~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
    1. Re:obligatory "what I want in a handheld" list by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What you want is a Sharp Zaurus C-7xx or C-8xx model.

    2. Re:obligatory "what I want in a handheld" list by CAIMLAS · · Score: 1

      I have a Zaurus; it's not what I want.

      I explicitly said I wanted something without the waste that is those goddamn thumbads.

      --
      ~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
    3. Re:obligatory "what I want in a handheld" list by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "no built-in keyboard, unless it's a full 10-finger typeable keyboard" -- CAIMLAS

      "PDAs are stuck in the middle [between cell phones and lap-tops]. If they try to evolve in either direction, they end up becoming a cell phone or a lap-top." -- prakslash

      So true.
      For a PalmOS device, the Dana has a huge screen and a wonderful 10-finger typeable keyboard. http://alphasmart.com/
      But it seems to have become a lap-top. One with a tiny, black-and-white screen, and insufficient memory. (What did you expect for $379 brand new ? OK, $429 if you include Wi-Fi.).

      Still, what other laptop, at any price, has an on-time even a quarter of Dana's 25 hours of on-time?

      What other PalmOS device, at any price, has a built-in 10-finger typeable keyboard ?

  54. Worldwide with a catch by Media+Girl · · Score: 1
    The Treo 600 and 650 are worldwide compatible phones. But you have to buy an unlocked phone to be able to do this. Fairly easy hacks to unlock the 600 were out there pretty quickly, but one can assume the 650 will be a tougher nut to crack.

    The GSM carriers here (T-Mobile, AT&T, for starters; I belive Verizon carries the Treo only with the CDMA system) sell phones with software locks that prevent you from being able to use the phones on any other system, even if you change the SIM. To buy the unlocked phone, you have to pay $100 or more extra.

    However, deals can be had. A year ago a T-Mobile vendor in a mall was ready to sell me an unlocked Treo 600 for $300 (still contingent on a T-Mobile contract, but I wasn't even haggling because I wanted to wait for the next model). I bet a deal will be hard to find at first, but a little patience and shopping around could lead to a decent deal.

  55. Mod parent up! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Please mod parent up as +5 Funny, thank you.

  56. Use SoundRec for Voice Recording - by phandel · · Score: 1

    Use this mature & free Voice Recording software, from Ryan Rife:

    SoundRec


    Thanks,
    Peter

  57. Same article, now available with contrast by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
  58. Is it Designed for Windows XP Yet? by gfecyk · · Score: 1

    If their software package requires Win2K or XP to run, does it run with Limited User support? And without any goofy preinstall-for-each-user nonsense? Does the Hotsync manager work with fast user switching? Last I checked, their software kit wouldn't work with either.

    --
    Use Evolution instead of Outlook? Bewa
  59. OMFG!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    PHD == Piled Higher and Deeper
    PHD == Post-Hole Digger


    This is great! It proves that people with Philosophiae Doctor degrees are dumber that those without any education, like yourself!

  60. Sony Ericsson P900 by Nicolay77 · · Score: 1

    I do read novels on the phone.

    Already read:
    I robot
    Ender's Game
    Foundation Trilogy
    Foundation's Edge

    Right now it's being used as an MP3 portable player.

    Donwside: It's expensive.

    --
    We are Turing O-Machines. The Oracle is out there.