Initial Treo Pro Hands on Reports

Treo Pro Hands on PicturesYesterday's Treo Pro announcement is the first serious sign that Palm is serious about raising the bar for their Treo line under the guidance of Jon Rubinstein. While we have seen scores of leaked photos, specs, and general device information, very little in the way of hands-on reports have emerged regarding Palm's thinnest, highest-end smartphone to date.

Both Gizmodo and Engadget Mobile have published a gallery of hands on unboxing pics. Gizmodo's report in particular has some very nice high-resolution shots and initial usage comments. The Pro's back looks extraordinarily iPhone 3G-esque and the stylus, while metal, seems a bit nubby compared to past Palm styli that have been long and thin.

Additional details of particular interest to long-time Treo users:

  • The Treo Pro is "shiny". I personally think it looks a bit like my black Motorola V9m phone in black.
  • The Pro's keyboard is described as "Centro-style, except bigger and it feels good, but not great. The flush touchscreen is about as responsive as previous offerings and the 320x320 resolution looks bright and crisp."
  • GPS and related features are similar to those found on the recent CDMA Treo 800w but "…Palm's own chat-style SMS interface is missing this time around."
  • Gizmodo implies that the device being available only in a pricier unlocked version at this time is a choice on Palm's part, rather than disinterest on the part of AT&T.
  • Treo Pro BoxAs seen in one of the Gizmodo pictures, the stylus seems to have a strange tip on the end of the barrel. Perhaps this is intended to allow better accuracy on the smaller-than-previous-Treos 320x320 touchscreen?
  • Engadget Mobile's pictures show the stunning new Palm packaging. Very clean, modern, and minimalist, almost reminiscent of a designer boutique shoebox. The traditional Palm orange color is used to great effect to line the inside of the white cardboard box. The initial impression that comes to mind is something inspired by a combination of Apple and boutique luxury brands.
  • Engadget also shows the Pro's bundled AC charger. It appears to be a downsized, modernized version of the classic Palm "travel charger". It appears to have removable caps to permit different adapters to be installed to make the device a true global companion for the world traveler.
  • The bundled stereo earphones likely offer crummy sound quality, but they at least are stylish, black, and don't try to ape the iPod's iconic white design.

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This is odd

mikecane @ 8/21/2008 10:34:23 AM # Q
Why is PIC posting 2nd-hand reports? Palm didn't see fit to send one to Ryan?

RE: This is odd
Ryan @ 8/21/2008 10:41:33 AM # Q
Good Question!
RE: This is odd
SeldomVisitor @ 8/21/2008 11:05:22 AM # Q
Because PalmInfoCenter hasn't proactively changed their name yet.

RE: This is odd
joad @ 8/21/2008 10:16:44 PM # Q
how about "siteformerlyknownaspalminfocenterbutPalmincthreatenedtosueus.com" - is that taken?


Paying my annual PDA update tax to Palm since 1997.
RE: This is odd
atrizzah @ 8/22/2008 4:18:08 AM # Q
I was excited about the pro, but no longer. This blows it completely out of the water (particularly the Vario):

http://www.gsmarena.com/t_mobile_mda_compact_iv_mda_vario_iv-review-252.php

Peace Out
Alan

RE: This is odd
grubber @ 8/22/2008 7:10:41 AM # Q
Different market. The Touch Diamond Pro may have better specs, but is also thicker, heavier and probably less battery life (bigger screen, smaller battery).

The Diamond on the other hand looks sexy on paper until you notice that super tiny 900mAh battery...

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RE: This is odd

robitaille88 @ 8/21/2008 2:32:51 PM # Q
lmao
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Seriously?

ThePolack @ 8/21/2008 5:22:08 PM # Q
So... they want me to buy a Windows Mobile device for $550? Is Palm trying to lose market share now?

----------

In the immortal words of Socrates, who said, "I drank what?"

RE: Seriously?
TooMuch @ 8/21/2008 6:10:42 PM # Q
Actually market share just surpassed $8 today for the first time in approx. 10 months

RE: Seriously?
TooMuch @ 8/21/2008 6:12:50 PM # Q
(Last post was a pun)

RE: Seriously?
joad @ 8/21/2008 10:18:17 PM # Q
>>Is Palm trying to lose market share now?

You were expecting them to change from their ongoing pattern of the past 8 years..?


Paying my annual PDA update tax to Palm since 1997.

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No threaded SMS?

freakout @ 8/21/2008 10:55:17 PM # Q
That's very disappointing - it's still not a widespread feature on many phones and makes for a great point of difference. Why leave it out? If it was good enough for the much-worshipped Apple to copy...
RE: No threaded SMS?
stellaboy @ 8/22/2008 12:04:30 AM # Q
Windows mobile 6.1 comes with threaded sms anyways. Palm have decided to take their own threaded sms off there. So you will still get threaded sms.

pilot 5000 >Palm V > m505 >Tungsten T >A bad win mo 5 pda >Clie Peg ux50 > Tungsten t3 >Treo 680 >Centro
RE: No threaded SMS?
PacManFoo @ 8/22/2008 7:11:36 AM # Q
If it was good enough for the much-worshipped Apple to copy...

Says the Plam worshipper.

He who lives in glass houses should not throw stones.

The last known classic PDA user.
I've recently upgraded from a PLAM TX to a Newton MP2000!
http://newtonpda.googlepages.com

RE: No threaded SMS?
KultiVator @ 8/22/2008 8:50:00 AM # Q
Not been here for a while - you guys still holding out for the next Palm OS platform, twitching for a look at Android, or already plumping for iPhone or WinMob?

Still using my Palm TX. The WinMob Treos don't do it for me and not sure I can live without an SD-card slot on my digital companion (I want to take my own content and lots of it with me) - so have resisted the move to iPhone / iPod Touch.

Really hoping Android delivers, or it's a long and chancey road ahead and quite frankly, my Dell D620 + 3G card is with me Mon-Fri anyway, so mobile surfing is taken care of until something more flexible than an iPhone comes along (let's face it Apple are in the business of trying to sell you a new handset every year to 18 months - if things were less restrictive on the application and external memory front, the iPhone could make a good PDA replacement/upgrade and last longer).


KultiVator

Palm Pro > IIIc > Tungsten T > Tungsten T3 > TX


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Info Week Article

Kinch @ 8/22/2008 8:36:56 AM # Q
http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2008/08/early_thoughts.html

Information Week has an odd article on the Treo Pro summarizing information from CNet and Wired. They quote CNet's Adam Rcihardson as saying "just not good enough to move the needle on [Palm's] dwindling market share."

...

RE: Info Week Article
mikecane @ 8/22/2008 1:21:38 PM # Q
CNet: Palm Treo Pro: Not digging it
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13641_3-10021884-44.html?tag=blog.2

>>>In this video Palm talks about how the Windows interface is great because it mimics what people are used to on their desktops. Ironically, as Rob Haitani, the software architect for Palm back in the day, used to say: the whole philosophy of the original Palm OS was that you should not try to mimic a big-screen mouse/screen environment, because it was not optimized for small-screen direct touch interactions. Transferring desktop interaction patterns onto a handheld was just not efficient, and that's why the early versions of Windows Mobile were slow to use. Now that it has adopted the Windows platform exclusively, Palm has to sing the opposite song.

Ouch!

RE: Info Week Article
hkklife @ 8/22/2008 1:28:22 PM # Q
Not really an "odd" article IMO. This device will do well from a halo effect standpoint, as it finally gives Palm a "no excuses other than screen size/resolution" device.

But in the US I fear it's going to do disasterously. Most US customers are scared to buy anything that's not fully carrier-endorsed/supported. Buying unlocked, high-dollar GSM handsets is FAR from the norm in the States.

Palm would have been wise to try to stay in good terms with Verizon (if that's even possible at this stage) and get more CDMA devices cranked out ASAP. That's where the bread & butter business market is in the non-iPhone world here in the good ol' USA.

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: Info Week Article
hkklife @ 8/22/2008 1:30:11 PM # Q
"...adopted the Windows platform exclusively.."

WHAT'D I TELL YA!?!?!

After that Centro, that's IT! Palm has truly become JAWL (just another Windows licensee)

TVoR predicted that one a good, oh, 2 years ago IIRC.


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: Info Week Article
mikecane @ 8/22/2008 5:44:59 PM # Q
That "exclusively" has the wiggle room sloppy journalism often provides.

"Exclusively" could apply *only to the Treo* brand.

Thus, Plam can still dance like a dervish proclaiming Noav Iz CoMinG!!! for Cnetro.

Reply to this comment

Please explain... how is it different than HTC Touch Pro?

zuhmir @ 8/22/2008 2:41:31 PM # Q
Or maybe the OLD HTC TyTN II?
This "new" Treo comes with a set of features you can find in any 2 years old smart phones...

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