Palm Treo/Blackberry/WM/smartphones: discuss

[Crispy]

Anybody noticed this new machine from Sony Ericsson?

http://www.mobilegazette.com/sony-ericsson-m600i-0602x06.htm

No camera, no wifi

Sexy looks, Qwerty keys (2-way rocking motion), jog dial, 3G

 

[editor]

Anybody noticed this new machine from Sony Ericsson?

Try a Treo out first and see which you think is the most usable. I'd wager it would be the Palm.

o2 have just announced that they're going to stock the Treo 650 too!

(Eme liked my phone so much she got her own Treo with two days - and Eme is not one usually impressed with my techie gadgets!)

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Anybody noticed this new machine from Sony Ericsson?

http://www.mobilegazette.com/sony-ericsson-m600i-0602x06.htm


No camera, no wifi

Sexy looks, Qwerty keys (2-way rocking motion), jog dial, 3G

Yeah saw that a little while ago...not really that impressed tbh.

Personally if I was to go for a Sony smartphone I'd go for the P990:

More info

 

[Kid_Eternity]

o2 have just announced that they're going to stock the Treo 650 too!

They have!? Linky!?

 

[Radar]

They have!? Linky!?

Take your pick

Here's the Reg article

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Take your pick

Here's the Reg article

Koff koff yeah the excitement kinda got the better of me...

 

[editor]

With T-Mobiles unlimited* data Web'n'Walk deal, the lack of wi-fi isn't such a problem for the Treo now either.

As soon as I get my Treo, I'll be switching!
http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/Dispatcher?menuid=phones_im_wnw_what#

 

[Crispy]

Hallejuah! Rejoice! Unlimited data tarrif! Huzzah!

Small print says : Don't use it for anything but browsing.
I don't care

 

[Kid_Eternity]

With T-Mobiles unlimited* data Web'n'Walk deal, the lack of wi-fi isn't such a problem for the Treo now either.

As soon as I get my Treo, I'll be switching!
http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/Dispatcher?menuid=phones_im_wnw_what#

Damn, I can't change until December 23rd...

 

[scott_forester]

They rolled out teros at work - I didn't take one because the idea of getting work email on the go is horrid. Until the recent firmware upgrade I've not heard a good word said about them. Maybe a cheap batch?

 

[Radar]

Hallejuah! Rejoice! Unlimited data tarrif! Huzzah!

Small print says : Don't use it for anything but browsing.
I don't care

Yep I saw that. If they kicked you off W&W for overuse, I wonder would that nullify your voice contract at the same time ?? Otherwise you could find yourself with no data access and still bound to what's left of your 12 month contract.

I think there's a 40Mb monthly limit in some versions of the T & Cs as well.

I couldn't tell how it's provided either, I'm assuming GPRS. Lowest contract bundle including W&W on t-mobile looks like Relax20, £ 20.63 pm on a 12 monther.

Now if T-Mobile ever gets around to subsidising the 650 too, I'll be in there like a rat up a drainpipe, but if I have to buy it myself I'll wait for a cobalt treo (In other words, never !!)

 

[Kid_Eternity]

They really got get rid of that fecking ariel (shocking in this day and age!) though. A two megapixel camera would be nice too.

 

[editor]

Interesting article comparing the Treo to new Windows machines:
http://ptech.wsj.com/solution.html

I tend to agree with the author's findings: the Treo is far, far more usable compared to Windows machines (if you're on the move).

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Interesting article although a bit anal, this bit is just plain picky:

For instance, you can delete an email on the Palm-based Treo with just one keystroke. But, in Windows Mobile, you have to open a menu, and hit "Delete" -- two keystrokes.

I can do this with one digit in under a second. It really aint the big deal they make it out to be...

 

[editor]

I can do this with one digit in under a second. It really aint the big deal they make it out to be...

After using both systems, I can say that it is an absolute delight to not have to keep pulling out the bloody stylus to do a simple function or trying to aim my finger on the tiny screen to do something.

Have you ever used a Treo?

I really wanted to like my imate JAM - I'm a gadget freak after all and love to have the latest stuff - but for email, messaging and PIM applications the Palm OS is immeasurably better.

For example - turning off the sound on the imate involved:

1. Turn on phone
2. Type in password on soft keys (which often took a few goes)
3. Pull out stylus
4. Click on speaker icon
5. Select mute option
6. Put stylus back in holder
7. Turn off phone

...and on the Palm...

1. Turn speaker switch off.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

After using both systems, I can say that it is an absolute delight to not have to keep pulling out the bloody stylus to do a simple function or trying to aim my finger on the tiny screen to do something.

Have you ever used a Treo?

I really wanted to like my imate JAM - I'm a gadget freak after all and love to have the latest stuff - but for email, messaging and PIM applications the Palm OS is immeasurably better.

For example - turning off the sound on the imate involved:

1. Turn on phone
2. Type in password on soft keys (which often took a few goes)
3. Pull out stylus
4. Click on speaker icon
5. Select mute option
6. Put stylus back in holder
7. Turn off phone

...and on the Palm...

1. Turn speaker switch off.

Hmmm well I don't have one of them, I have the Mini S/K jam and it has a slide button; up for raise volume, down for vibrate or mute. No fuss.

Never owned a Treo but have tinkered with one in a shop and yeah it was a little easier but not as superior as that article made out or the treonauts types make out (admitingly my views could be very different if I'd owned one for a few months and compared).

Also comparing standard GPRS web access to EVDO (which is 3G if I'm not mistaken) seems a bit odd; I wouldn't compare dial up to broadband. The keyboard on the Mini S is easier to use for someone like me (the Treo was unconformatable pretty fast) and it's a real joy to use, almost like typing. So far my only real gripe with the phone is it is a bit slow, it hangs sometimes. Oh yeah and a 2 megapixel camera would be nice!

 

[Xanadu]

Just noticed the I-mate SP5 has wi-fi built in:

http://www.imate.com/t-DETAILS_SP5.aspx

 

[DJ Bigga]

Well I'm still grossly undecided Have now swayed a bit towards the Treo side of things. Is this the only 'smartphone' to work on the palm OS? I have just made the switch to Ubuntu Linux and would love to have a phone of similar flavour. Or better yet a phone I could install this on!

Thoughts?

 

[editor]

Have now swayed a bit towards the Treo side of things. Is this the only 'smartphone' to work on the palm OS?

Yep.

Here's some links that may, or may not, help:

http://www.consumersearch.com/www/computers/smartphones/fullstory.html#intro
http://reviews.cnet.com/Palm_Treo_650_Cingular_GSM_GPRS/4505-6452_7-31138486.html
http://www.mobiletechreview.com/
http://www.cnet.com/Top_10_cell_phones/4520-6022_1-102337-11.html

 

[DJ Bigga]

Yep.

Here's some links that may, or may not, help:

http://www.consumersearch.com/www/computers/smartphones/fullstory.html#intro
http://reviews.cnet.com/Palm_Treo_650_Cingular_GSM_GPRS/4505-6452_7-31138486.html
http://www.mobiletechreview.com/
http://www.cnet.com/Top_10_cell_phones/4520-6022_1-102337-11.html

I'll let you know if I purchase, that way you can claim your commision!

 

[editor]

I'll let you know if I purchase, that way you can claim your commision!

I wish I was getting some commission!

But it is a good phone.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Looks like someone in Treoland is listening to me...

Enough with that sketchwardo, sparkle blue, antenna-free Treo we've been seeing around, these new pics seem to be more like the real "Hollywood" deal. Just as rumored, the phone is slimmer than the 700 and 650, and antenna free as well. The profile actually looks a bit BlackBerry-esque, but the front is all Treo. Palm OS loyalists among us won't so excited to see Windows Mobile 5.0 running on this thing, but just keep in mind Ed Colligan's word that Palm OS isn't going anywhere, we're sure a Palm OS version of this unit will follow soon. There's no carrier branding on this unit, but the tipster reported 67KB/s speeds on Cingular's UMTS 1900 network, along with a 300MHz processor, 1.3 megapixel camera, and that fairly tried 240 x 240 display. Of course, these pics are a bit blurry, and we shouldn't expect the gospel truth on this device until Palm trots it out at a press conference (if then), but it's looking good so far.

Link

 

[Crispy]

fairly tried 240 x 240 display.

That should be 320x320 shouldn't it?

 

[Kid_Eternity]

That should be 320x320 shouldn't it?

Probably not, the windows version of the Treo has a slightly smaller screen.

 

[Wolfie]

I agree with editor wholeheartedly on this - I "upgraded" from a treo 600 to an iPaq thingy and Windows mobile is like being back using Win 95 - it keeps re-booting for no apparent reason and it just isn't so easy to use as Palm - I'm switching back as soon as I can ....

 

[Kid_Eternity]

I agree with editor wholeheartedly on this - I "upgraded" from a treo 600 to an iPaq thingy and Windows mobile is like being back using Win 95 - it keeps re-booting for no apparent reason and it just isn't so easy to use as Palm - I'm switching back as soon as I can ....

Heh, I must be the only fool lucky enough to not have these shitty experiences with Windows mobile as a constant.

 

[editor]

Probably not, the windows version of the Treo has a slightly smaller screen.

'Slightly'?

There's a world of difference between a 240 x 240 screen and the Treo's 320 x 320! I even found the imate's 320 x 240 screen cramped in comparison.

 

[editor]

I agree with editor wholeheartedly on this - I "upgraded" from a treo 600 to an iPaq thingy and Windows mobile is like being back using Win 95 - it keeps re-booting for no apparent reason and it just isn't so easy to use as Palm - I'm switching back as soon as I can ....

Yep. When it comes it usability, the Palm is way, way better than any Windows version I've tried/seen.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

'Slightly'?

There's a world of difference between a 240 x 240 screen and the Treo's 320 x 320! I even found the imate's 320 x 240 screen cramped in comparison.

Really? I manage just fine on my phone with it's 240x320 screen...

 

[editor]

Really? I manage just fine on my phone with it's 240x320 screen...

Glad to hear it. But you might be pleasantly surprised by the big difference those extra pixels make.

Those pixels may not sound much, but it equates to nearly a third more extra screen space!