It was a hardship, but I sacrificed all year and stuck with the old-school Treo 600, refusing to get a 650 because I knew Palm’s Treo 700w was on its way. The wait is over.
I bought a Treo Smartphone in late 2004 or early 2005 after I found myself staring at a former day-job colleague’s gadget while sitting in another mind-numbingly boring and waste-of-time staff meeting. The Palm-based Treo had a smaller screen and stylus than my company-issued, Windows-based iPAQ (I hadn’t used Palm OS since my really old-school baby Palm Pilot days.), but it was a cell phone, organizer, and web browser in one device.
With one of those, I thought while listening to a colleague repeat the same thing over and over again for the past 15 minutes, I could ditch my cell phone and PDA, and do all I needed to do with just one gadget. Tantalizing.
It’s difficult to blog on my tiny Treo, but I can easily check and approve comments on the blog and monitor what’s going on around here when I’m away from the desktop or laptop.
A few weeks after I bought the Treo 600, quite satisfied with it, the 650 came out at the same price I paid for the 600. Figures. The camera lens and keyboard had been improved, I read. Nice improvements, but not enough to upgrade, so I hung on to the 600. Then the battery died. Well, I discovered that I’d have to buy an external battery because you couldn’t open the 600 to replace the battery. Long story short, my cool little Treo 600 now has a bulky black appendage that makes it look like a hunchback. Still, it wasn’t hideous enough to justify buying a 650.
When I learned that Palm was coming out with a new, Windows-based Treo Smartphone, I decided to wait patiently for it, and now it’s here!
No politics today. Sorry.
Reviews, reviews! What is your PDA of choice, why do you like it, and what can you do with it?
Update (1/6): I need a PDA version of this site. It doesn’t load properly on a tiny screen because there’s too much stuff on this blog. Is there a simple way to create a PDA version? WordPress plugin, perhaps?
I have a handspring visor from 2000 that I surely need to update. I use to software called TinyBytes to track my customers, and it was great. It was a customizable database. They aren’t around anymore, but I would like something to replace it. I’m considering a Treo or a Sidekick. I need something with Word and Excel that i could use to put customers into, and have their info pop up when they call me so I can update it quickly.
Congrats on your new purchase!
Comment by BeeJiggity — 01.05.06 @ 10:44 am
I eyed the Treo 600 for a long time, but held out for the 650. I’m not much regretting now that the 700w is out (apparently, they are also working on a 700p).
I have two big beefs with the Treo 650.
1) The radio on the GSM version could use a good kick in the pants. It certainly is not as good as the Nokia products. (And while we are at it, Cingular could use a good kick in the pants too).
2) Palm OS sucks. I’m sure it was all that 8 years ago when Pilots were the thing, but there is absolutely no reason why Palm OS should be as crash-happy as it is these days. I usually try to avoid Microsoft products, but the big thing I believe the 700w has over the 650 is the OS.
Comment by Grumpy — 01.05.06 @ 11:33 am
My PDA is in a forgotten drawer.
When they make one usable with tri-focals and mild hand tremors (I am an aged coot progressively getting older) and maybe the size of a notebook, I will try again!
Comment by Heliotrope — 01.05.06 @ 11:35 am
While I dig tech as much as anybody, dad taught me early on to avoid putting all my eggs into one basket. While I am an omlette lover, the mess is gross when they break.
Even if I hadn’t been taught this, I know too many people who’ve been severely inconvenienced by losing their gadget or having it fail.
Sorry to get away from your question La Shawn, but pen and pencil are still the cornerstones of my information empire!
Comment by Mark La Roi — 01.05.06 @ 11:54 am
How is the Treo as a phone?
We had a Sidekick when they first came out several years ago and really liked sending IM with it, but as a phone it was goofy…like holding a bar of soap to your ear. Coupled with the fact that service in our area was terrible at the time, the little gadget turned out to be pretty lame. I would hope that the Sidekick 2 is vastly improved so #1 BeeJiggity please don’t be put off by my bad experience with the previous model.
Comment by FL Mom — 01.05.06 @ 12:13 pm
Mark - Get out of the Stone Ages, man.
The data is synched from the Treo to Outlook (hard drive), and vice versa, so if you lose one, you’ll still have the other. Outlook is very useful. I’m a note taker, so whenever I need to call customer service for this or that (broadband or telephone issues, for example), I’ll make notes of the conversation in Outlook (under Tasks). Then I’ll sync to the Treo. When/if I have to call again, I have notes from the previous call. This works well in business and personal calls, too.
When I’m traveling or otherwise away from the computer, I have all the info I need: frequent flyer info, contacts, tasks, memos - my PDA helps me stay on top of things.
Every now and then, I’ll back up the info and store it in a third location, in the unlikely event that both the Treo and Outlook crash.
FL Mom - The phone is great, although I don’t use it often. There is always room for improvement, but I have no complaints.
Comment by La Shawn — 01.05.06 @ 12:35 pm
Treo 700w Release
The new Treo 700w has been released by Palm and Verizon Wireless. A story by PC Magazine has some pretty good coverage on the subject even though there is a difference between what the article states and what Verizon’s site shows for basic spec…
Trackback by The Land of Ozz — 01.05.06 @ 1:03 pm
Not long ago, I acquired a Fossil Abacus WristPDA…from its looks, it’s an overgrown wristwatch in stainless steel, but under the hood, it’s a Palm. Admittedly, it’s a rather outdated Palm by modern standards (it uses a Dragonball processor and PalmOS 4.1.2), but it’s still a Palm, and can run standard PalmOS software.
I keep appointments and contact information on it, as with every Palm, but I also use it for keeping track of my car expenses and gas mileage, for storing passwords (in an encrypted database), and a few games. I also have some E-books on there; I’ve been reading Huxley’s Brave New World on my watch most recently.
I intend, at some point, to do some coding work for the thing, particularly to adapt one or two programs I use (and that I have source for) better to the watch environment.
Comment by Erbo — 01.05.06 @ 1:24 pm
I’m with you Mark…..I’m suffering from gadget overload.
I always think I’m so hip because I have my Gameboy, but that’s more of an addiction that I’m trying to wean myself off of, at this point.
I don’t like being tethered to all these little devices. They take your time, and it’s just one more thing to break and get stolen.
I already have enough to worry about and keep track of. I don’t want to be on any more of a leash, than is absolutely necessary.
I would like to get an IPod, someday, though.
Maybe I’ll turn Amish.
Comment by Glamchild — 01.05.06 @ 1:47 pm
Finally Palm is getting away from PALM software. As an IT professional I hate it. It always is a pain to get working well in an enterprise environment where Windows, and Blackberry devices are a snap.
Comment by Mr Bob — 01.05.06 @ 1:58 pm
I had a Treo 600. It broke. I went to a t-mobile store to buy a new one. They said they don’t carry Treos anymore, something about t-mobile and handspring bickering. I need a phone today, I said. What you got? Then the young salesman whipped a gadget out of his pocket, flicked open the screen, and said, “What about this?” It was a SideKick II. It’s got a bigger keyboard than a Treo. My fat fingers can type easily on it. I can make blog posts, and surf the web with great screen resolution, something the Treo 600 didn’t have. The camera is average. I can’t transfer contacts between my Powerbook and the SideKick. But it’s a keeper. And IMHO, preferable to a Treo. I’ve got one now.
Comment by Rudy — 01.05.06 @ 3:09 pm
I used to be ahead of the curve with regard to these things, but now I feel like I’m falling farther and farther behind.
So much innovation… so little time…
Comment by Aakash — 01.05.06 @ 6:28 pm
I use my Treo 600 very heavily. T-Mobile service. Phone quality is pretty good. I use the Hblogger software for blogging with it and it works pretty well. I can embed images in the posting and upload them from the built-in camera, or photos taken with my digicam and transferred to the Treo on an SD card. I also have an infrared external keyboard I can use. I’ve used it several times for liveblogging an event.
Comment by 74 — 01.05.06 @ 7:48 pm
At least I’ve given up my abacus! A big concern for me is my carelessness/theft. With all access at one point, I envision one industrious thief getting it all in one swoop. I know that sounds paranoid, but I’ll bet that people it has actually happened to thought it would be paranoid too. I don’t do bill paying online and my PDA (actually it would probably be considered a predecessor) stays in my- well, stays in a safe place.
I watch people with their tech stuff and it just seems that the more you have, the more has you. I used to upgrade my studio equipment the moment anything new came out just to be sure I was keeping current, then I realized that I didn’t need to because until something new came out, I was just basically tweaking what I already had.
It’s like a conversation I had last with with an audio engineer. No matter how far we’ve come with recording, there is absolutely nothing that reproduces sound as richly and truly as a properly set reel-to-reel recorder. CD, minidisc and so on are far easier to use and offer a very adequate sound, but reel to reel sounds better. (I just have a hard time putting a reel to reel in my pocket!)
Really, I’m not against this stuff to the point of dissuading (or attempting to) others, I just don’t see myself using them. (There are about a dozen things my cell phone can do that I haven’t accessed so laziness could be a roadblock too.)
Amish RULE, man…
Comment by Mark La Roi — 01.05.06 @ 8:39 pm
I’ve been digging my Samsung Sch-i730 PocketPC Phone Edition. I can surf the Web, get my work e-mail over the air, take phone calls AND control my Sony DVD and television.
The lame thing about it, though, is that you can’t surf the Web and take phone calls at the same time.
Comment by Stephen Oliver — 01.05.06 @ 8:56 pm
I have the Treo 650 and love it. I tried working with the Windows Mobile based Smart Phones. However, despite being an avid user of outlook, I found the program way too clunky and not friendly enough without the stylus. So, I stuck with the 650 and Palm OS, which is so simply elegant. It’s stable and does what I want efficiently. I’m a one woman business, so I don’t suffer the usual enterprise difficulties.
I have cool programs added to my Palm - some for functionality, and some for fun. First off, I discovered Beyond Contacts last year and adore the program. It syncs more data with Outlook and takes the role of Palm’s Contact, Calendar, etc.
Second, I use a program called Silverscreen. It’s basically my favorite launcher that is stable and works wonderfully for me.
Lastly, I use a program called PDANet. It allows me to use my phone as my modem (I’m on an unlimited data plan) anyplace I have my laptop but no wi-fi. The speeds are somewhere between DSL and Dial-up and there’s no additional charge to me. It works like a charm.
There - my long winded Treo diatribe will now conclude.
Comment by Lisa M — 01.05.06 @ 11:34 pm
La Shawn: Could you tell us about the setup you use to manage/edit/etc. your blog from your Treo? I’m thinking of setting up something like this and would like to hear what works (and what doesn’t…)
I finally bought a Treo 650 a couple of months ago (my trusty and previously bulletproof Kyocera 6135 didn’t survive a 2-story fall), and I love the new capabilities, although in some ways the Treo is more awkwardly integrated than the Kyocera, and I miss its week-long battery life.
The Treos are really a great deal if you add up what you’d spend to buy even a mediocre phone, PDA, tiny “everywhere-camera”, mp3 player, game platform (you would *love* PopCap’s BookWorm) and, (with a little bit of software) a voice recorder.
My big complaint isn’t so much with the Palm software environment, which is really pretty nice - I prefer it to Microsoft, especially as a longtime Palm user unwilling to give up some killer apps, and except that Palm still declines to make Palm Desktop a powertool app with standard interfaces and hooks into other programs - why they didn’t do serious Mozilla/Firefox/TBird integration years ago is beyond me. The biggest problem is the fact that like all of its competitors today, it’s only a marginally useful network device - it takes too long to connect (why even “connect” in today’s bitstream world - if you’ve got bars, send bits!), the email is fairly limited, and the browser is a sad joke. Even so, I find that having even a bad web browser in my pocket is pretty handy.
All I really want is a good network (low latency is way more important than bandwidth), and a pocket-sized IP device with a VOIP phone app and a real browser. (A decent camera and audio hardware is nice, too.) Like many people now, I do most of my work through a browser anyway, so why don’t these mobilie device guys “get with it” and build something that really works with the only infrastructure that matters anymore - the web and IP? If I can get to real webmail, I don’t even need a half-crippled PDA mail program anyway…
To manage the blog, I just log in to it from the admin screen just like I do on a larger computer. I had to get used to the small screen, though. - Admin
Comment by Dub Dublin — 01.06.06 @ 12:34 am
I have a Palm Vx — I use it as paperweight for my index cards. In the past it served me well as my organizer and addressbook. I ran one app on it by Olivetree called BibleReader using the NAS w/ strong’s numbers. That was my killer app at the time.
Comment by Patrick Lacson — 01.06.06 @ 3:51 am
Good luck with your Treo 700W La Shawn! I have no idea what the thing is of course. To me cell phones are at best a necessary evil, and at at worst just plain evil. Pen and datebook is my PDA.
Comment by Mwalimu Daudi — 01.06.06 @ 1:44 pm
WP Plugin: http://www.alexking.org/blog/2004/08/02/wp-mobile-16/
Comment by Ian — 01.06.06 @ 4:10 pm
I don’t have any use for a PDA. My new cell phone has a lot of functions that I use. It has my calling numbers and such. As a private music teacher, a PDA just isn’t very useful. Plus, my new camera makes videos and records sound if I ever want to do that.
Hmm… if you are just looking to make a blog that is smaller, you could always just use tables. Maybe take out the side columns and then use tables to make it a certain width, that sort of thing. Sounds too easy.
However, I am happy for you La Shawn! New expensive gadgets are the best.
Comment by RepJ — 01.06.06 @ 5:37 pm
I have an old Handspring Visor that runs Palm OS 3.1H3. While I love new gadgets, I also tend not to replace things that are still useful and meet my needs. (Heck, I’m still using my Win98 ‘puter with Outlook 98!) DD#1 uses her cell phone (Samsung clamshell model) as a PDA.
My PDA is for personal use, however. I would probably upgrade if I used it for business. But for keeping lists of phone numbers and calendar dates for the family–and synchronizing those dates on Hubs’ Outlook, my Outlook at work, and my Outlook at home–my old Handspring works just fine!
Comment by March Hare — 01.09.06 @ 3:52 pm
La Shawn: Apparently the Treo 700W has more than a few warts, most of them just MS dain bramage: The NY Times review of the Treo 700W is fairly scathing. I’ve been a Palm user for enough years to know that some of these shortcomings would drive anyone batty. Palm generally does a pretty decent job with the handheld side of their software - it’s the Palm Desktop app that really needs some help, especially with devices like the Treo. (Why, oh, why, in 2006, can’t I just drag an MP3 file onto the Palm Desktop and have it figure out where to copy it at the next HotSync so that RealPlayer can find it? That’s NOT hard!)
Comment by Dub Dublin — 01.10.06 @ 1:53 pm
Wow, no Blackberry users? For shame! lol.
I am a proud 7290 owner, but the 8700c is here! Just waiting for a little more price slippage.
Comment by Stephen H. Johnson — 01.11.06 @ 3:41 pm