Handspring Treo 600

[JoeKool]

Saw that the Treo 600 was being launched by Orange. Anyone overseas gets it..please let us know about it :)

[Michael]

We're trying to get out hands on one from the US guys. We have a few emails and phone calls in with them, but I am sure they are being flooded with requests.

Not that I didn't start bugging them for one weeks ago, mind you....

[The Roo]

From the two versions I've read about, the CDMA (Sprint- US) can handle net and email downloads 30% faster than the GSM (Orange- Europe) but is more bulkier. The quad-band GSM Treo has 30-40% better battery life and slimmer... whilst also losing half the RAM. I've read reports that they will ship with 16MB RAM, rather than the earlier announced 32MB.

But the nice surprise was that it has a touchscreen & stylus, although they have made the UI so that you can use the handest one-handed without ever pulling out the stylus. Also, there are plans to have a Bluetooth SD card launched soon (before Xmas?) with headset/handsfree compatibility.

Haven't had the pleasure of using the Treo yet, but I plan to...

[JoeKool]

thanks Roo..the reports I had about it never mentioned a stylus nor the involvement of a bluetooth card coming out soon. I also didnt know about the ram/gsm issues..should be interesting.

Sprint sucks in the states, so I really hope it will be available unlocked at some stores so I can put Verizon or T-Mobile on it!

[The Roo]

This one (http://www.treocentral.com/content/Stories/236-1.htm) mentions the Bluetooth SD card they have in the pipe-line.

This review (http://ptech.wsj.com/archive/print-ptech-20030918.html) mentions the stylus as well as mentioning a T-Mobile handset that'll be released soon after the Sprint. Though no doubt you'll be able to buy an unlocked handset from somewhere.

I can't for the life of me find that article that said the GSM was shipping with 16MB of RAM. It was from a guy that worked in an Orange retail store who read it from their new new-models brochure. This (http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=1419) is the closest I can find relating to it. Anyway, everyone else states it's 32MB so I'll go with the majority on that one.

Demo (http://www.orange.com/English/forwardthinking/treo600.asp)

[Michael]

One of the Handspring reps just emailed me this photo from Germany. He was using a Treo 600.

http://www.mobileburn.com/media/handspring/Picture019_20Sep03.jpg

[The Roo]

...

That's a lovely bath-tub. Fuscia if I'm not mistaken.

Well, pink 'sports cup'-shaped bath's aside, there seems to be a lot of light in that room. I doubt the VGA camera fair's any better than say the P800 in moderate to low light conditions. Very nice for what it is though.

[Michael]

I am writing the GX-20 review today.

Best camera ever in a GSM phone. Video is great, too. And what a display...oh, the display.....

[ross]

i've seen one today and yes ok i am a confirmed p800 lover and i was looking at the orange version today and i have a few problems with it.

1) you can not turn it off and so if the battery drains fully all data is lost

2) the keyboard is small and i kept pushing five buttons at once

3)the navigation system is so straight forward it makes the stylus completly point less

however

1) it will be preconfigured for most mobile email providers

2) it does feel nice and sturdy the metalic finish is nice

3)it is palm so there are loads of programs

4) it does run gprs20 which is 4 down 2 up

thats just my thougths anyway

[Michael]

The stylus was an afterthought. It was not even included in the initial design.

I see it as a plus that you don't need it. They only included it to help out with some older 3rd party apps.

I didn't have that much of a problem with the keypad. Not great, for sure, but no worse than most any other I have used.

[wldfire]

Hi Ross,

Noticed your comments on the Treo, i have had a play with one as well and agree to a point, however:

The back up battery will retain information for 3 days after the main one has drained, this should be enough time for the user to be able to recharge :)

[The Roo]

Nice one, good to hear. Otherwise that could of been a potential deal-breaker in many peoples eyes...

[New Beetle]

Why on earth did they put such a crappy low res screen on such a hi-tech product?

I was going to get one but for games and video etc, the screen just lets it down!

[Michael]

Originally posted by New Beetle
Why on earth did they put such a crappy low res screen on such a hi-tech product?

Oh, I don't know. Cost, maybe? Power consumption?

Have you noticed that the new high-res Palm devices like the Tungsten T3 only can run for about 4 hours?

[New Beetle]

Yeah. but the Xplore G18 Palm/Phone has a much better screen adoes ok with battery. I gues it is just a money decision.

[omar]

Yeah. but the Xplore G18 Palm/Phone has a much better screen adoes ok with battery. I gues it is just a money decision.

The Treo's battery life is far better than the Xplore. The reason the Xplore manages a hi res display is because it skimps on processing power; it runs a 33mhz Dragonball processor under Palm 4.1

Handspring decided to go with a low res display because it would have compromised battery life. ;)

I don't know what their excuse is for the terrible camera though!

[Michael]

Well, the Xplore also has an old 33Mhz Dragonball processor like all of the old Palm devices, whereas the Treo has a 200Mhz Arm processor.

[omar]

What was wrong with my explanation?! ;)

[Edward Green]

I am really pleased with my Treo 600.

I have always been a phone+device person up til now, but with the Treo 600 costing less than PDA's and running the OS I know well and have even developed for picking it wasn't a tough choice.

Nothing I don't like about it really.

[The Roo]

Even though I haven't used it yet, I have been really impressed with the Treo 600... to the point of it's negatives (not the highest screen quality, not the best camera quality, etc) not being an issue for me.

It'd be nice if more people used this phone and got the recognition it deserves.

If it weren't for my strong desire to own the SE P900 I probably would have bought this phone.

[Edward Green]

If anyone has any questions about PalmOS and how to get the most out of the Treo 600 don't hesitate to ask.

[bklieger]

ok. how do i get a gsm version asap?

[The Roo]

Wish upon a falling star...

Failing that:
Jump on a plane to the UK, arrange a 'marraige of convenience' so you can have UK citizenship, get a job at the local KFC, scrounge together about £250 and head for your nearest Orange dealer, buy the phone with contract and BOOM! Bob's your mother's brother.

Contingency plan:
Link to GSM Handspring Treo 600 (handset only) (http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=105948)

[DaninChina]

That easy?

Wow, that's totally worth it!!!!!!!!

:D :D :D

[bklieger]

you forgot to add, then wait 30 days, if your lucky.

[The Roo]

best wait on that star to fall then...

[Edward Green]

Er, I could report it stolen, get a replacement on my insurance, send you the old one, which you then have to get unlocked somehow.

Meanwhile I get done for insurance fraud and wasting police time and get a hefty fine. Which you pay.

[The Roo]

Well, since you don't mind getting done for insurance fraud, lets do it! I don't mind paying your fine. 1st time offender? £150-200? And for that I get me a new Treo 600 off-contract!

Oh, you weren't serious?
tch, I got all excited for nothin'. :(

[Edward Green]

Problem is I am training to be a Priest in the Church of England, and Fraud is something of a disqualification for handling a Parish and its funds ....

[The Roo]

and here I thought it was just frowned upon.

oh well, the legit life it is then.

[Edward Green]

Whilst you are waiting for the Mobileburn review I have spent some time with the Treo, and posted a review. I will be writing a guide for folks new to PalmOS soon:

Review (http://www.treospace.co.uk/review.htm)

[Michael]

Marcelo should be receiving a Treo 600 in a day or two, so I imagine we will have the review ready to post within two weeks or so on the outside.

[cali0028]

nice review !!! now it to make up mind about what to get 6600 or the treo 600....

--ms

[marcelol]

The review is up...check it out...

Marcelo...

[bklieger]

very thorough review. i am still not sold on the device for many of the same reasons discussed in the review, screen resolution and lack of bluetooth. yes, the bluetooth issue can be resolved, but then you do not have an expansion option. the screen bugs me. i need to get up close to one to truly decide. option b is my t610 with t/t 3. at least then i can take notes, check calendar, contacts and still be on phone with a headset.

[page3]

Sold my P800 (which I have been VERY disappointed with) and got a Treo 600. Here are my initial impressions:

Negatives first:
- No Bluetooth yet
- No WAV/MP3 ringtones
- No SMS delivery reports
- Camera is poor (as per P800)
- Headphone socket it at the bottom which is a pain when in your pocket

Positives:
+ Better build quality than the P800
+ Far better OS
+ faster
+ proper expansion slot
+ wonderful keyboard
+ great built-in applications (compared to the pathetic P800 ones, a PROPER diary at last!)
+ So many 3rd-party applications to choose from
+ good quality speaker
+ wonderful screen. It might be 'only' 160x160 but is so much brighter and clearer than the P800.
+ better size - thinner, much nicer to carry.
+ better sync (much faster, proper Mac support)
+ Elite, Lemmings and Spyhunter ;-)

Its a wonderful device. The P800 is already long forgotten.

[bklieger]

but did you compare the p900 with the t600?

[page3]

Originally posted by bklieger
but did you compare the p900 with the t600?

No, because I've not owned a P900, only a P800 and I was giving my personal thoughts.

I looked briefly at the P900 and decided it didn't do anything extra from my P800 that I actually wanted. It should be called the P800b. :rolleyes: