Comments on: Palm Announces the Treo Pro
Palm Inc. today formally introduced the Treo Pro smartphone, its latest Treo running the Windows Mobile operating system. The Treo Pro features a streamlined design in a sleeker glossy black package coming in as the thinnest Treo released to date.
The official announcement matches up with most of the previously leaked information. The Treo Pro will be available from Vodafone and O2 in Europe(from free to EUR 399 with contract) and from Telstra in Australia (from free with contract), also will be available in an unlocked version in the United States, Europe and Asia Pacific. Palm says the unlocked version will be made available in the US this fall from its online store for $549. Additional Treo Pro availability is scheduled to follow worldwide.
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RE: Still might be too little, too late but at least it's a start...
RE: Still might be too little, too late but at least it's a start...
pilot 5000 >Palm V > m505 >Tungsten T >A bad win mo 5 pda >Clie Peg ux50 > Tungsten t3 >Treo 680 >Centro
RE: Still might be too little, too late but at least it's a start...
Palm, BTW in case you don't follow their business side like conference calls and SEC filings, has outright repeatedly said that Windows Mobile devices in particular are designed by ODMs (Original =Design= Manufacturers) from specifications that Palm gives them (that is, Palm comes up with thoughts on what they want (like front-facing QWERTY, touchscreen, etc) and gives those thoughts to the ODM who comes up with the device; there undoubtedly is considerable back-n-forth for decision-making).
There is nothing WRONG with doing that, of course - outsourcing often can be strong money savers for companies - with Windows Mobile, of course, fairly significant savings can result JUST from the labor costs not internal to one's own company.
RE: Still might be too little, too late but at least it's a start...
Here's verification of the Asus/500V link:
- http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/09/16/palm-treo-500v-hits-fcc-via-asus/
RE: Still might be too little, too late but at least it's a start...
I can't find official verification of this, just articles that note different HTC pieces of software (GPS, memory manager) that come in the Pro as well as articles outright stating it is an HTC phone, so insert "probably" up there - it could be an Inventec or Compal device (no, it's HIGHLY LIKELY an HTC device, IMHO, but absolute correctness of wording is something I strive for...how about you?). everything else posted in this thread remains unambiguously valid and verifiable.
RE: Still might be too little, too late but at least it's a start...
== "...Taiwan-based High Tech Computer (HTC) has been chosen to manufacture
== Palm's latest Windows Mobile-based smartphone, the Treo Pro, according
== to sources at handset vendors..."
- http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20080821PD208.html
Unfortunately, the web page "gets restricted" after a couple days so that's why I copy-n-pasted text from it.
RE: Still might be too little, too late but at least it's a start...
[no, maybe it's not a "Palm" design; it IS a "California" design", though]
RE: Still might be too little, too late but at least it's a start...
No US Carrier?
Good luck with that.
RE: No US Carrier? How many high-end phones does AT&T need?
I think we are getting our no-Treo-Pro-for-AT&T explanation...
I said 24 hrs yesterday
http://www.palminfocenter.com/comments/9650/#144811
Palm, my consluting [sic] bill will be in email. I take PayPal. But I want you to pay me in Euros.
This looks like nice hardware, FWIW.
I don't like the OS, of course, but at least the hardware end of things is coming around.
"All opinions posted are my own, and not those of my employers, who are appalled."
RE: This looks like nice hardware, FWIW.
RE: This looks like nice hardware, FWIW.
Palm's theoretical lineup going into spring '09 could look like this:
-Current Centro or possibly a Centro 2 running Garnet (CDMA & GSM)
-Treo 500 replacement "Wanda" w/ WM Standard (GSM, maybe still Europe-only)
-Treo 800w (CDMA)
-Treo Pro (GSM)
-Nova version of the Pro (likely CDMA, at least for starters).
That pretty much covers all sides of the market without having too much overlap. I also wouldn't rule out Palm eventually trying to dip a toe into the "world phone" market with a hybrid GSM/CDMA handset to compete with the BB 8830 World Edition.
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p
RE: This looks like nice hardware, FWIW.
It runs Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional Edition on a 400 MHz Qualcomm MSM7201 processor
I guess that means no POS version since this doesn't look like a standard ARM processor and might require some kernel work.
RE: This looks like nice hardware, FWIW.
RE: This looks like nice hardware, FWIW.
BINGO! You've got your new send-off device for Garnet that's clearly a step any other OS5 smartphones. I'd gladly pay $150-$200 for such a beast since it'd be a nice boost over the current Centro without being encumbered by any of FrankenGarnet's shortcomings.
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p
RE: This looks like nice hardware, FWIW.
Yep, I agree. It looks nice and good hardware, but I have zero interest in Windows Mobile. Hopefully by the time my iPhone contract ends, Palm will have a nice device with a new OS.
Agreed. At this rate, my next PDA will be an iPhone since Palm can't get its act together.
RE: This looks like nice hardware, FWIW.
Seriously, if Nova crashes and burns, and I have no tangible reason to believe that it are about as reliable as John Edwards on relationship issues. I would love to see Palm deliver, because I'm a fan. But, "even the most loyal spouse hasta go if they keep getting beat up enough". Hopefully my tired torn and tattered 680 can hold on that long.
Pat Horne
RE: This looks like nice hardware, FWIW.
RE: This looks like nice hardware, FWIW.
no surprise that you poo-poo it.
but 14+ million iphone buyers disagree with you.
RE: This looks like nice hardware, FWIW.
RE: This looks like nice hardware, FWIW.
Windows Mobile is not particularly productive, whether it's on Treo hardware or not.
Happy to be in the uk
pilot 5000 >Palm V > m505 >Tungsten T >A bad win mo 5 pda >Clie Peg ux50 > Tungsten t3 >Treo 680 >Centro
RE: Happy to be in the uk
RE: Happy to be in the uk
-
Really? AT&T already has a smartphone that blows away this latest "effort" by Palm. It's called the iPhone. You might have heard of it, it's been in a few of the papers.
I mean, come on. How is this Treo Pro really anything more than a warmed up version of the last Winmob machine from Palm? Wow, a whole 256MB of memory. Cool.
RE: Happy to be in the uk
You might be surprised, but more than a few folks like to open attached spreadsheets, edit them and send them back. And a host of other examples. The enterprise world does not rotate around the latest Hanna Montana soundtrack on iTunes and the latest Youtube vids.
Pat Horne
RE: Happy to be in the uk
> jumped on this given how antiquated the 750 is. Maybe they're
> afraid it'll compete too exactly with the Samsung Blackjack III
> coming out later this year: same feature set basically, albeit
> with a smaller battery...
I commented on this elsewhere here:
- http://www.palminfocenter.com/comments/9651/#144875
As the author of that link's link's post notes, maybe the Pro is more expensive for comparable features.
RE: Happy to be in the uk
personally, i'm happy to be in the US - with good food, hot chicks, and good teeth.
Why no Palm os sandbox?
RE: Why no Palm os sandbox?
RE: Why no Palm os sandbox?
RE: Why no Palm os sandbox?
You know Palm's record: Why do any work if they can lob it off on 3rd-party devs.
BTW, StyleTap doesn't offer reduced bulk discounts? Many devs do.
RE: Why no Palm os sandbox?
RE: Why no Palm os sandbox?
Of all the stupid purchases of redundant third-party applications that Palm has done over the years, exactly why didn't also they shell out money to buy the only company with a good EMULATOR of the only thing that is their competitive advantage - the OS?
Sure, it doesn't do network, syncing, or other necessary things yet - but if WinceMob had a decent emulator for PalmOS then it would make a transition worth considering if gun is placed to head. But by Palm *only* releasing WinceMob devices and just assuming that their PalmOS customers will just toss away thousands of dollars in software and hours building up preferences and databases... not for me, thanks.
Paying my annual PDA update tax to Palm since 1997.
RE: Why no Palm os sandbox?
In addition to Windows Mobile (and WinCE), their PalmOS apps will also soon run on the millions of Symbian OS devices out there.
Lew S
StyleTap Inc.
I have to say I'm reasonably impressed.
RE: I have to say I'm reasonably impressed.
Pat Horne
RE: I have to say I'm reasonably impressed.
According to THIS:
- http://discussion.treocentral.com/showpost.php?p=1486662&postcount=3
TreoCentral poster (*)), AT&T (may have) decided Palm's Windows devices weren't exciting enough to even bother with.
=============
(*) Reader Beware! Though this poster has a significantly long history of posts, I haven't followed him/her to come to any "veracity" conclusion
RE: I have to say I'm reasonably impressed.
It's just amazing they were able to figure out how to put WiFi *inside* a case instead of rebranding a card and selling it for $129.99. They're pretty close to catching up with 2004 now!!
Paying my annual PDA update tax to Palm since 1997.
RE: I have to say I'm reasonably impressed.
RE: Audrey II
Yet Another Disappointment
I'm a long time user (Handspring Visor Deluxe, Palm 90, Treo 600, 650 and now 680) but have been holding on for awhile now, always hoping that the next announcement will be THE ONE (Palm OS + GSM).
Like others, I may just jump ship to the iPhone or even see what the new T-Mo Dream will offer.
I wonder if Handspring would have done better had they not been bought out. They appeared to be the visionaries.
RE: Yet Another Disappointment
I forsee tham starting to focus more on hardware/engineering (or at least spend the $ to spec reasonably decent hardware from various ODMs) at the expense of "Palm OS whatever". It looks like they're basically going to try to have one foot in the mass-market, cu-rate price smartphone sector (Centro) and have the other foot in the high-margin, low-volume, "executive toy" premium handset category (Pro).
I personally don't really see Handspring doing much of anything that you can call "visionary", Treo 600 aside. Having USB Hotsync & one-handed lookup capabilities on the Visors was a very moderate evolutionary improvement, not a revolutionary advancement. The Springboard concept was an oversized, undersupported joke from the start and it was pretty obvious early on that the company wasn't committed to it over the long haul. Palm actually can (and should) be congratulated for being an early advocate for SD/MMC and sticking with it through the lean early years of the format.
Handspring was simply too cash-strapped from the get-go to really be much of a pioneer IMO.
You can forget about anything other than maybe a tweaked Centro running Garnet for GSM networks, simply because anything they release will be crippled by being EDGE only.
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p
RE: Yet Another Disappointment
I do understand that Handspring never had the finances to bring about earth-shattering changes, but I was just thinking that Palm, at that time, seemed a bit complacent about their product and only until Handspring came along and introduced those one or two small but useful features (with the exception of the Springboard concept, of course) did they start making changes on their own. But hey, I don't claim to be an expert, just a long-time end-user.
Thanks for the helpful info.
Latest Comments
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Still might be too little, too late but at least it's a start...
1. New packaging style from Palm beginning with the Pro. Funny how no one ever touted the old small square cardboard boxes (note that I consider expensive/fancy packaging materials ala Apple to usually be wasteful fluff. I'd rather see ALL available $ put into product R&D, quality control, and post-sale support (firmware updates etc).
2.Elegant & simplified? I guess that years of dealing with broken 2.5mm headset ports and kludgy 2.5mm to 3.5mm stereo headphone adapters was a wonderfully enlightening experience I somehow was unaware of?
3. While I'd rather see Palm leave the lame headphones out of the box, it's obvious they are trying to mimic Apple and include iconic white 'buds in the package.
I'm just SO thrilled (seriously) to see a decent capacity battery AND a 3.5mm jack standard on a Palm device-it's been almost THREE years since we last saw a Palm product (TX) with a "normak" stereo headphone jack. Wow!
4. On a semi-unrelated note: it's staggering to me how many people biotch & moan about their iPod/mp3 player sound quality yet refuse to upgrade past the lame earphones included with their devices.
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p