Treo 680 Camera Update Released

Responding faster than usual to problems with newly-released devices, Palm has just released an update for the new Treo 680 smartphone. The 680's disappointing battery life is the #1 complaint from most users so this patch's expedited release is welcome news indeed.

Palm says they have identified that the Treo 680 can experience reduced battery life when the camera is used. The camera may continue to draw power from the battery when the device is in standby mode. The Treo 680 Camera Update addresses this issue.

The download is a single 88kb PRC file and is intended only for the Treo 680. This update is applicable for all carriers and colors of the Treo 680.

Thanks to Mike Hemmes for the tip.

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Great news for 680 owners but very depressing for 700p victims

hkklife @ 1/18/2007 10:02:46 PM # Q
While I APPLAUD Palm for getting this one banged out so quickly, my frustration as a 700p user is about to boil over.

We're at, oh, 8+ months (and counting) since the 700's launch. And we're seen NOTHING other than a small IR fix, a PTunes update, and updated Palm IR keyboard drivers. I gave up on the 700p as a phone. If anything running Palm OS and with a 320x480 screen comes out this year then I'll give up on the 700p as a PDA/e-mail device as well.

Palm has essentially hung the 700p and its users out to dry, much like some other ignored handhelds in its past....the Tungsten W, the i705, the T|T and the LifeDrive.

At best we can say that Cingular/at&t was riding Palm HARD to get a fix out the door ASAP. At worst we can say that the 680 is an inherently superior product in every way over the buggy, laggy, and essentially unfixable 700p.

Pilot 1000-->Pilot 5000-->PalmPilot Pro-->IIIe-->Vx-->m505-->T|T-->T|T2-->T|C-->T|T3-->T|T5-->TX-->Treo 700P

RE: Great news for 680 owners but very depressing for 700p victims
Gekko @ 1/18/2007 10:16:00 PM # Q

i think an "open letter to ed colligan" from hkk posted on PIC is in order.



RE: Great news for 680 owners but very depressing for 700p victims
hkklife @ 1/18/2007 10:17:58 PM # Q
If the letter were that "open" it'd be unprintable on this particular website.

No, I'd just rather steer other prospective 700p purchasers away from it and hit Palm where it hurts.

Remember, Gek, I convinced THREE people (boss/colleague/friend) to buy 700ps. 2 of the 3 don't even use it as a phone, just as an e-mail device and PDAs. The one who uses it as a phone laments daily for swapping his V3c for a Treo.

The LifeDrive version 1.0 was still the worst Palm experience I've ever had, however. The 700p is a distant 2nd and the original T|T is the runner-up.



Pilot 1000-->Pilot 5000-->PalmPilot Pro-->IIIe-->Vx-->m505-->T|T-->T|T2-->T|C-->T|T3-->T|T5-->TX-->Treo 700P

RE: Great news for 680 owners but very depressing for 700p victims
Gekko @ 1/18/2007 10:58:06 PM # Q

iphones for everyone!


RE: Great news for 680 owners but very depressing for 700p victim
LiveFaith @ 1/18/2007 11:25:56 PM # Q
Sad. It really is.

That being said, one of the things I noticed right off about the 680 was seamless functionality, better stability, and Palm's greater attention to tech support avoidance. It comes with several little simple progs on the Palm and the install to help hold one's hands and explain things. The instrux for loading desktop over the 650s was near flawless.

I am shocked Palm is even in biz today after 3 years of tech support hell. T-Mobile won't touch them, and I'm sure CNG simply laid down the law on future devices. So far they seem to have went from horribly unnacceptable to soso as a phone maker.

My 680 still gets a NVFS key-pressin' nightmare lag about once a day. It lags badly for the first 5-10 seconds as the phone searches for a network. Otherwise the 680 has really been acceptable so far.

Hopefully, the pain may be ending.

Pat Horne

RE: Great news for 680 owners but very depressing for 700p victim
SeldomVisitor @ 1/19/2007 7:56:40 AM # Q
Re the 700p's lack oif update:

-- http://www.palminfocenter.com/comments/9188/#129373

RE: Great news for 680 owners but very depressing for 700p victims
hkklife @ 1/19/2007 10:12:42 AM # Q
SV;

What makes you think Palm's EOLing such a huge chunk of their lineup?

LD was a dead man walking from day #1 but the 700p, 700w, and 700wx too?

Unless.....


The 700p, 700w, and 700wx are ALL the same device (LCD aside) sourced from two different OEMs. And there's something inherently wrong with the RAM chips used and/or the memory architecture of FrankenGarnet as it relates to the RAM used in those models.

This would also give fruther credence to the theory that the 700w and the 700wx are the SAME exact device and Palm just conveniently just "unlocked" the extra RAM on the wx via software.

Of course I could see Palm mildly updating the Z22 and E2 and making those their only conventional handheld models. Then a TX2 with 2-4gb of flash storage could be the replacement for both the LD and the TX. I

THEN, I still wouldn't rule out a quick rerelease of both the 700p and 700wx in the 680's formfactor come June.

Maybe the Palm "sherlock" is the WinMob of said Treo and the "Holmes" is the POS version? Palm can then introduce either SDHC full-size SD card support to both models at this time or go with the 750's FF and try to push miniSD (I prefer "big" SD personally). Threaded SMS could then make an appearance for WinMob and the revamped contacts/phone app can show up in a CDMA POS model as well.

Pilot 1000-->Pilot 5000-->PalmPilot Pro-->IIIe-->Vx-->m505-->T|T-->T|T2-->T|C-->T|T3-->T|T5-->TX-->Treo 700P

RE: Great news for 680 owners but very depressing for 700p victim
SeldomVisitor @ 1/19/2007 11:56:29 AM # Q
I think they were "old" as soon as they were released because of the proverbial Damn Competition (Q, Blackjack, etc).

Frankly, if I were the Sprints, Verizons, or whomever of the The World I'd look askance at PALM's 700-etc offerings and say to them "Yeah, right. SURE we're gonna order more of those dinosaurs...uh huh...yepper...uh huh".

So I think they're past tense already - we'll see if they continue to sell-IN those guys to the carriers.

I think the 700w, for example, died VERY rapidly - ONE (major) order from Verizon, that's it.

-------

All of the above, of COURSE, is the purest of speculation based on zero overt proof at the time of this post.

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Awesome

LiveFaith @ 1/18/2007 10:08:39 PM # Q
Got it! Good job Palm. I'm getting 14 hours of talk time while playing MP3s in the background, full brightness, BT on and discoverable, Beam on and overclocked at 711mhz. Worthwhile.

Just kidding. Will try today. Nice to see Palm jump in with both feet on this.

Pat Horne

RE: Awesome
hkklife @ 1/18/2007 10:16:03 PM # Q
Pat;

Easy for you to say since you're in the greener pastures of 680 land. I'm still suffering along with this lousy 700p, protruding antenna, lag, pitiful voice quality and all.

Palm jumped in with both feet on fixing the 680, yes...but they were holding tight to the YOU-KNOW-WHATs of us 700p owners when they jumped...

Pilot 1000-->Pilot 5000-->PalmPilot Pro-->IIIe-->Vx-->m505-->T|T-->T|T2-->T|C-->T|T3-->T|T5-->TX-->Treo 700P

RE: Awesome
freakout @ 1/18/2007 10:20:00 PM # Q
Installed. Here's hoping for a noticeable difference...
RE: Awesome
LiveFaith @ 1/18/2007 11:18:27 PM # Q
HKK,

I totally feel your pain. Cingular gave up on reissuing me 650s after the third one and just sent the 680. It's like night and day.

Slogging along with the 650s nagging shortcomings finally just pushed me over the edge. I'm a really easy to please consumer, but after 6 months of using this thing as a mission critical biz tool, the last soft reset during a call was the proverbial straw. Not to mention not being able to hear 1/2 my callers unless in a recording studio. For $500 I just refused to accept junk. Basically, that's what it was at that price.

Maybe Sherlock is coming your way on VZW to save the day?

Pat Horne

Seems to work
freakout @ 1/19/2007 6:32:48 PM # Q
This does seem to make a small difference to standby power, but I'm still hanging out for the extended battery.
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Camera Off = More Battery Life + More Speed

jfme @ 1/18/2007 11:15:39 PM # Q
Not having the camera running in the background makes a huge difference.

This is a whole new Treo 680. The extra DB cache is finaly kicking in. Also, It finaly seems I will be getting 300 hours standby time. Only lost 0.33%/hour as opposed to ~2%/hour prior to the patch.

Now, this is what I am talking about.

Kudos to Palm!!!

RE: Camera Off = More Battery Life + More Speed
SeldomVisitor @ 1/20/2007 7:51:53 AM # Q
> ...Kudos to Palm!!!

Giggle.

I always find it more than a little humorous when fanboys praise the cessation of a company kicking them in the stomach.

RE: Camera Off = More Battery Life + More Speed
jfme @ 1/21/2007 12:48:40 PM # Q
If you read all my comments, you will discover that I am anything but a fanboy.
;)

Reply to this comment

It actually works!

achitnis @ 1/19/2007 11:31:53 AM # Q
I installed the patch this morning on a fully charged phone. I then proceeded to GPRS/EDGE and voice all day (one of those days - don't ask) and at 10pm, I am still at half battery!

It's a miracle! The Load be praised! :)


Atul Chitnis
http://atulchitnis.net

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live tv on my treo

rachelle @ 1/19/2007 2:54:31 PM # Q
i just got the treo 680 and saw an offer to try mobitv free for 30 days (www.mobitvexperience.com). Thoughts about what this will do to my battery life? Even a ballpark would help. Thanks.

rachelle
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