Treo's Big Come Back? (3/3)

Palm Treo 800w with Windows Mobile Professional 6.1

By: Adam Z Lein | Date: 14-Jul-08 | Comments

BENCHMARKS

Spb Benchmark from Spb Software House was used to compare benchmark speeds on the Treo 800w to other Windows Mobile devices. See the below graphs to see how it compares.

Oddly the Treo 800 does not fair too well in the benchmark tests. In real life, the Treo 800w is much faster.

BATTERY
Since the Treo 800w was only just released, we haven't had time for an extensive battery test, and the Spb Benchmark battery test doesn't want to work on this device. It is rated at about 4 hours worth of talk time, and in the couple days that we've been using it, the battery life seems to be quite acceptable.

HELP SUPPORT

The Treo 800w comes with a manual on the CD and a Quick Start Guide. There's also a "Quick Tour" application in the Treo's Programs folder, which is good for getting to know some of the features without having to browse through a CD. But the really nice part about owning a Treo is that you get 90 days of free technical support for learning how to do anything you want with the Treo.

BUGS AND WISHES

I've only had a few days with the Treo 800w, but there are definitely a few wishes.

I wish it was thinner, but wider in order to accommodate a larger keyboard.
I wish Microsoft Voice Command could interface with the GPS Navigation software instead of having to use a separate voice recognition engine in order to enter addresses.
I wish the GPS software and traffic information could integrate with the Calendar appointments.
I wish Option + Letter keyboard combinations could be assigned to launching programs, calling contacts, etc.
I wish there was a rest button or an easier way to power off completely.
The keyboard could be more comfortable (like the Motorola Q9).

In terms of bugs, we've got:

Speakerphone quality is loud but muffled and difficult to understand.
One dead pixel on the bottom of my screen (probably an early production model problem).
Sometimes when choosing Find/Map (address) from context sensitive menus, the map does not appear. This could be due to the fact that the device is not officially released yet.
Sprint's Navigation software maps seem to be incomplete (missing streets). Could this be because I'm using the 3 day trial version?
Windows Mobile's predictive text typing has been shut off.

PURCHASING

The Sprint Treo 800w will be available through Sprint retailers and the Sprint website on July 14th for $249.99 with all the rebates under a 2 year agreement. It will cost $599.99 if you don't want to sign a new contract.

Customers can choose from Everything plans for individuals ranging from $69.99 per month for 450 voice minutes and unlimited data or the Talk/Message/Data Share plans for families starting at $129.99 per month for 1,500 voice minutes (shared between two lines) and unlimited data. Sprint also offers its signature Simply Everything plan offering both unlimited nationwide voice and data services for just $99.99 per month. Customers may also choose one of Sprint’s Individual Talk Plans and add on the $30 per month Pro Pack to take advantage of data capabilities.

PROS

Nicely integrated GPS Navigation software
Windows Mobile Palm Customizations
Enhanced usability & performance
High speed EVDO Rev A.
Very fast position acquisition time
Soft touch non-slip body
10 customizable program launching keyboard shortcut combinations
Dedicated Wi-Fi on/off button
Clear 190 PPI screen
No animations; GUI responds instantly

CONS

Sprint's GPS Navigation software costs $10/month
Voice Command does not integrate with the GPS navigation software
Keyboard can be difficult to use with big hands
No way to power off completely
Cheap plastic stylus
Flat hardware buttons are more difficult to feel for

Value
Ease of Use
Features
Overall

What do these ratings mean?

OVERALL IMPRESSION

At first I thought the speed of the Treo 800w was just my imagination since I had been using the animation-heavy Touch Diamond previously. But then I compared it to the TyTN II running Windows Mobile 6.1. The Treo 800w is actually very fast, efficient, and powerful. It's Blackberry fast! Combine that with some added keyboard shortcut combinations, and you've got a great business phone.

I love what Palm has done with the Windows Mobile operating system as well as the GPS ease-of-use integration enhancements. Microsoft should have started integrating GPS navigation features like this into Windows Mobile a long time ago. It's wonderful to be able to set a navigation destination just as easily as calling some one or sending an email! Combine this with the amazingly fast GPS time-to-fix, and I was very impressed by this little Treo. It's far easier to use this as your navigation device than any in-car computer (and most other GPS enabled smart phones.)

In a world that has become obsessed with finger-friendly multi-touch-screen flick-scrolly animated entertainment phones, it's nice to see some one still knows how to make an efficient mobile communications/business tool.

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