Palm Treo Pro (GSM)
Average Ratings
Palm TreoPro Hits A Home Run
The Palm TreoPro is the latest release of a high end phone from the company that started the PDA mania. Palm hit a home run with this one! Despite the choice of a Windows Based operating system, this device is cleverly designed, well-engineered, and clearly a superior device. Both screen and telephone audio quality are excellent and the "feel" of the device is very "Palm-like"! Speed of Internet connections on the ATT 3G network is remarkably fast and very reliable--it rarely drops a connection. I have used the phone for 10 days in Southern California and the Northeast corridor, and connection reliability and reception is excellent in these areas. As a user of the Treo 650 for 3 years, which I loved despite a few "peculiarities", I was gratified to find that Palm has not only regained former quality but added considerable new thought to the PalmPro. Compared to the Treo 750 which I have used for 18 months, and which is a bit of a clunker, this new device is faster, lighter, has a great WiFi function. It's much more intuitive to use--i.e--it has Palm-OS-like features making it easier to use than many Windows devices. Setting up the PalmPro out of the box was fast, intuitive, and within minutes I was comfortable using it. It quickly synced with my XP operating system, and it charges from the USB port, a great idea for travelers who can never find more than one electrical outlet. The PalmPro easily downloaded several of my programs which I had previously used on the 650 or 750 and has had no trouble running them--no lock ups yet! Battery life may be an issue for some; my average day is 2-3 hours of talk time and 30 minutes of SMS/Internet usage, and the power is usually below 40% at the end of the day, a level which I never approached using the 650 or 750. This device has restored my faith that Palm is back on a leadership path. If they can develop a similar Palm-OS based 3G phone, it will be a grand-slam home run!
One of the BEST Windows Mobile Phones Going
I have to say the Treo Pro is the BEST Windows Mobile device I have ever used or even played with! Being a Treo fan for a long time, the past few years have been disappointing, with lots of new smart phones on the market and no real innovation from Palm in continuing the Treo legacy. When decommissioning my Treo 700wx, I opted for the Verizon XV6800 (HTC Mogul) which was a complete disaster in terms of form factor, battery life, and usability as a business device (with the exception of having a nice big QWERTY keyboard).
The form factor of the Pro is great â itâs small and very thin but has a sturdy feel to it. The flush touch screen is very responsive. The Windows Mobile 6.1 UI and Palm applications are all well thought out and they included a few apps like the enhanced task manager from HTC. Itâs pretty solid already, but SPB Software House apps make it that much better (Mobile Shell, Phone Suite, etc.). Battery life is awesome, with some heavy use in the first 4 days including using the Bluetooth integration in my car and ActiveSync with Exchange and Hotmail constantly. So far, the only downside is that the glossy finish of the device is a little slick and is totally a fingerprint magnet. The keyboard buttons are a little small so I have to type on fingertips, but IMHO thatâs a reasonable tradeoff for having a full QWERTY on the face of a device this small â I can work faster without having to slide out a keyboard all the time.
I wonât go into all the details, so hereâs a very thorough review of the device: http://www.wmexperts.com/reviews/smartphones/review_palm_treo_pro.html
Right now, itâs a bit of a splash to buy the unlocked device from Palm at $549, but rumor has it that AT&T is going to carry it later this year if you want to wait.
Finally!
Now, if Palm had put the same effort into the prior models as they did with the 850 or Treo Pro, they would still be leading the PDA market. Having said that, here's my assessment of this unit: In sum, this is an excellent unit.
Form factor is sleek and sexy and works great in your hand. Even though the unit has a high black metallic finish, the unit stays put in your hand. Does not slip and slide like the 700s. The keys although have the glossy finish the Centro does, this phone is nothing, nothing like the Centro. The keys are further apart and the unit exudes quality.
The flush screen is long overdue. But the keys, the screen and entire design of this unit is first class. Screen is better than the sprint 800w. But the best part is that Pakm has improved in the 6.1 media software. You do not have to do anything to play youtube other than select what media piece you want to playback. Software is win mo familiar, but the new UI is very sleek and the phone reception clear crisp and awesome.
Battery life is very good. I downloaded slingbox and had CNN on for three hours. I still had 40 percent of my battery life to go. Let's not forget the much faster 400mhz processor that comes on this unit contrary to the slower 333mhz processor that come with the 800w.
You know, people are always critical of a bad device or a device which as shortcomings. This will be hard to do with this unit.
I have never given a unit a five, but since I am using the bold and touch diamond pro, all at the same time, and now have been using the treo pro, all I have to say is that this unit is finally an awesome effort by Treo, and just a quality PDA.
