Comments on: Rumor: Treo 700w Coming to Sprint Soon?

Spin, spin, spin. The 700p was never expected this early so why is it "now mythical"? Sprint is still selling the 650 and astonishingly it's only $50 off the brand new Treo, so where do you get that they "don't want POS anymore."

Stick to the facts, Windoze Fanboy.

David Beers
Pikesoft Mobile Computing
Software Everywhere blog
www.pikesoft.com/blog

Nah. That date was revised back in early November and I've never heard otherwise since. March-April is the release. Sorry if Surer was just confused, but I reported it here so I assumed everyone knew.

David Beers
Pikesoft Mobile Computing
Software Everywhere blog
www.pikesoft.com/blog

David Beers
Pikesoft Mobile Computing
Software Everywhere blog
www.pikesoft.com/blog

so no news is good news?

Surur

They said I only argued for the sake of arguing, but after an hour I convinced them they were wrong...

There is *some* truth to that. But getting antsy doesn't mean we're about to switch to MS in droves. Most people's 650s are barely more than a year old. I realise that when you're talking phones, that's a long time - but even so, the 650 is still a *very* capable and robust device. Why ditch something you shelled out a fair bit of money for when the upgrade really isn't that compelling? (and despite the 700w's nice features like real multitasking, it isn't that compelling)

In short: I'll gladly wait another six months, especially if it means the 700p will be released bug-free and stable. (Stop laughing, Palm Cynics!)

Longer than that... then we can talk again. ;)

Cervezas:
"I love you, too, man."

Lol.

Tim Carroll
Your friendly customer service robot
(and big Treo fan)

Heh, I guess I missed that one. Thankfully. [shaking head]

Technically, PalmSource did add a dozen or so licensees in Dec 04 when they acquired CMS. Last I checked a few months ago there were 30 or so phones on the market using one or another of CMS's software platforms. All in Asia, of course. Now it looks like there are over 40: http://www.mobilesoft.com.cn/product/phone_show.htm

David Beers
Pikesoft Mobile Computing
Software Everywhere blog
www.pikesoft.com/blog

For now....

Foo;
EVEN a warmed-over 650 would suffice for many POS users! Some of those initial 650 users are getting AWFULLY impatient right about now. I would've bought an "upgraded" (even if it was just EVDO & 64mb RAM & OS 5.5) POS Treo last week but ended up going with a RAZR + TX combo instead. Palm's headed towards the cliffs with no one at the helm. Right now the BEST possible thing short of an actual product announcement & release would be some high-res leaked stills/specs. Remember what that Russian mobile site got last year--the early & mostly accurate info on the Z22, TX & LD Showtime bundle/price drop? That sort of thing needs to happen again PRONTO!

Everyone else;
I've had more than one higher-up (store managers & beyond) at Verizon tell me that they have no love for POS and offered it only on the Kyocera & Treos b/c those were the only reasonable smartphones available at the time. The 700w arrival basically signals the end of POS at Verizon & Sprint...GSM seems like Palm's last (only?) bastion of hope unless Verizon 700w sales suddenly catch fire. I've heard that there's a lot of interest , curiosity, and traffic in Verizon stores but little actual purchasing going on due to the exorbitant pricing (many of the curious fondlers are in fact current 650 owners mired in the midst of a 2-year contract who refuse to pay $700 full retail for the 700w).

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

But bringing it out and delivering to the customer may be 2 different things. What if no major US network decides to carry a POS Treo, when the same company is offering them a competing OS? At the moment Cingular has 5 WM phones, Verizon 5, Sprint 4 and T-mobile 2. Why would they complicate their lived further by adding another OS? If the 4 networks refuse a new POS Treo, would Palm even complete development on it?

PS: I actually believe a POS Treo is on its way, due to the huge market of loyal POS users demanding it. But I must say things are looking quite bleak for them, with no leaks of the device at all, and the Treo 650 already 16 months old. The Treo 700w leaked 6 months before it was even announced. There has been no pictures of the 700p at all. And now even the old steadfast Sprint is getting a 700w before a 700p.

Surur

They said I only argued for the sake of arguing, but after an hour I convinced them they were wrong...

Just a guess... maybe because the Palm OS Treo 650 they already support has outsold all those WM phones by a wide margin?

David Beers
Pikesoft Mobile Computing
Software Everywhere blog
www.pikesoft.com/blog

1) Its superior screen.
2) Its better user interface.
3) The right features in the right place.

Techy people shouldn't fixate on the value of 'true' multi-tasking (if that's how you describe what WinMob delivers) for ordinary (non-technical) folks. Few even notice technology, until it gets in their way. Like when they open one app too many on WinMob - not realising how many tasks are crawling along in the background.

Face it - Palm OS5 is actually pretty good, even after all this time. How many people REALLY need simlutaneous Bluetooth and WiFi at this moment in time - and the massive associated battery drain that would result.

I'm all for calling a turkey and turkey (e.g. the LifeDrive) but the TX and Treo 650 are a different kettle altogether.

KultiVator

So its certainly not unthinkable that the carriers may prefer WM to POS. On the other hand I've heard Verizon is having ActiveSync nightmares ;)

Surur

They said I only argued for the sake of arguing, but after an hour I convinced them they were wrong...

Someone at Sprint also told me they were not planning to field any more PalmOS devices, but I thought that was pure B.S. Sprint's refusal of that amazing PalmOS Samsung smartphone last year makes me wonder though. Is PalmOS 5 considered too "hackable" for Sprint's tastes?

TVoR

------------------------
Sony CLIE UX100: 128 MB real RAM, OLED screen. All the PDA anyone really ever wanted.
------------------------

The Palm eCONomy = Communism™

The Great Palm Swindle: http://www.palminfocenter.com/comment_view.asp?ID=7864#108038

NetFrontLinux - the next major cellphone OS?: http://www.palminfocenter.com/comment_view.asp?ID=8060#111823

Ha ha ha! Serves them right! :-)

David Beers
Pikesoft Mobile Computing
Software Everywhere blog
www.pikesoft.com/blog

I've read somewhere that Verizon was having so many Activesync support calls that that Sprint was reconsidering the Treo 700w. That was a few weeks ago however. It appears it did not scare them off after all.

Surur

They said I only argued for the sake of arguing, but after an hour I convinced them they were wrong...

Treo 800p Confirmation - March 15

As many of you know, I am a Treo 650 owner who has been very unhappy with Verizon's need to shove it to their customers with slower data capabilities and charging us $50 (with taxes) for the same Internet data plan as EVDO sans the speed. In the past I've had to argue with Verizon about wrongful charges, the phone not working properly with the Internet and other connectivity issues, not to leave out the months of insanity where Verizon reps couldn't understand that our "pay as you go" charges could not have been because the Treo automatically connects to the Internet every night at midnight so you have to buy an unlimited data plan or else you risk this problem.

Since I am also a decisionmaker in my company regarding mobile phones, I have a close connection with representatives on all levels of the organization. Yesterday I was at at a technology conference where Palm happened to be an exhibitor, showing off their latest to impress. Blackberry was there too. From a discussion with someone I know and have a relationship with, knowing full well that I am ready to yank our phones off out of Palm's realm, it was confirmed that the next Palm Treo will be the 800p and it will come out on March 15 for reasons he wouldn't disclose but that I could surmise. Another carrier rep whom I know confirmed the same.

The reasoning I was told behind skipping the 700 number series altogether is severalfold --

1) With the 700w gaining such popularity and the enthusiasm for the Palm OS and the old 650 which time has passed by, Palm felt that there needed to be more of an "upgrade" in the minds of consumers than a "later" release of another 700 model.

2) Current features in the 800p will include 128MB RAM, a WiFi option, SD card, BT 2, EVDO of course, enhanced 320x320 screen, slimmer form factor and antenna, will use the same accessories as the 650, 3.2 MP camera.

I was told that if I was curious, I should come down to the lobby bar and meet him and a select few other large firm representatives. You better believe I did. He was **extremely** hands off and wouldn't let us handle the phone but we did see a brief demo!!!! It IS thinner and slightly smaller than the current 650. It has these neat, illuminating ticky-tack keys which didn't seem to be a problem typing. Case is VERY slick and Palm seems to have adopted the Motorola Q type approach of a little more "sleek and cool" rather than just functional. I did NOT see any mention of "800p" anywhere on the phone but that's what we were told. He connected to a wireless WiFi connection effortlessly and also to EVDO. Saying it was fast is an understatement. I'm not sure if Blazer was improved since what he was using seemed to render the pages he showed us with not only more speed but also elegance.

He was a real Shakespeare buff too, this guy. I'm not sure what reader he was using (built in) but he showed us "Julius Caesar" and it looked great and rendering just beautiful. Screen incredibly bright. Sharper and less awkward 5 way button and not everything crammed in like the 650. I asked him about the RAM issue and he said that this additional amount was implemented since they were able to significantly enhance battery life with this model. It had been years since the Tungsten C. Also with other Windows Media devices coming with "128" based devices the Treo 800p would have stacked up very poorly with a "64" for storage. Estimated price will definitely be under $600 which is very exciting. He wouldn't give us any more information regarding carriers but said to be aware of March 15 as a key date.

I am SO glad that we can finally put these sightings and rumors to rest. This is VERY exciting news indeed.

http://discussion.treocentral.com/showthread.php?t=106038&page=1&pp=20

Surur

They said I only argued for the sake of arguing, but after an hour I convinced them they were wrong...

Julius Caesar, indeed. "Beware the ides of March," Emperor Gates!

David Beers
Pikesoft Mobile Computing
Software Everywhere blog
www.pikesoft.com/blog

http://brighthand.com/article/First_Glimpse_of_the_Treo_800p

Surur

They said I only argued for the sake of arguing, but after an hour I convinced them they were wrong...

Well come on, Ryan, if we only listened to credible rumors, what would we do the other ten months of the year? ;) Seriously, I too haven't heard anything credible about the 700p, with the exception of some buzz from the guy who originally provided the evidence for the 700w. Hasn't stopped people from reporting all sorts of things, but hey.

Kultivator wrote

How many people REALLY need simlutaneous Bluetooth and WiFi at this moment in time - and the massive associated battery drain that would result.

Well, apparently Palm feels that it's users do, since it offers this on the TX and LD. And it's not really that power draining if the unit is battery efficient. But isn't that argument just the new flavor of "how many people really need color screens"?

I agree that the 800p is bunk. That's the problem with any and all Palm Treo rumors at this moment: too high a signal to noise ratio. Everybody and their dog is speculating, and there is as yet nothing solid to differentiate reality from "The Sprint salesdrone told me this." People just need to be patient. We'll know more in a couple of months.

Larger 320*320 screen is good, the rounded styling is nifty, and the larger keys are always appreciated as is the smaller nub antenna.

The 650 is what the 600 shoulda been. The sloppy Photoshop job you linked to is (appearnce & specs) what the 650 shoulda been.

Don't be mean to Ryan! ;-)

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

2.1 REAL megapixels, REAL digicam quality and a REAL flash. Also a REAL brick but that's beside the point ;-)

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

Surur, thanks for pointing out that PPC smartphone. Yes! That's what I want! I'm talking about the camera/firmware, not the phone. I don't think I could leave the world of a thumbboard-equipped smartphone, but those photos are sweet.

http://Tapland.com
- Tapwave Zodiac News, Reviews, & Discussion -

I just saw your "calldown" of Slinky over at TC. Good going! It's about time one of the "flock" over there stand up to him instead of endlessly rejoicing over a (indeed, it IS a well-written & clearly stated summary) of some clandestine hotel bar show'n tell. When a "scoop" is devoid of ANY solid details I get very suspicious. It's like the perpetually grainy, blurry, and out of focus sneaked/leaked pics we commonly see that end up being hoaxes. To date my favorite leak was the T|T aka "Oslo".

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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear fellow Treo Enthusiasts:

First of all, I’m glad to say that my articles on the Palm Treo 650/Sprint/GoodLink connectivity solution have been submitted and the first of which should appear this weekend at TheLaw.com - interested parties, most especially litigation and practice support managers, can read up on this Treo-Legal solution.

Second, I did not hear back from Palm regarding my inquiries. Not unexpected. When I called Palm on Thursday morning and told them that I represented a group interested in buying roughly 2,500 Treos, I was told to leave my name and number and that someone would call me back… “probably some time next week.” Calling back yielded a similar response. The Sprint people are scrambling but I was told that there has been no training for any Palm based device, nor on Verizon either. People tell me this means usually a month lead time until any potential release. The only people who MIGHT be able to obtain SOME good information are managers with large corporate accounts who have authorized account managers. Unless this has been one very well kept secret, we may not see a Palm-based Treo for a while, especially not on Verizon which reportedly puts its phones through testing for far longer than any other carrier.

Third, regarding my original post concerning the Treo 800p, let us start right from the beginning:

After spending a day at LegalTech and hearing Palm/Sprint pump the Treo 650 (can you also say no WiFi and 1XRTT data access, almost $50/mo. on Verizon?) I was nauseous. I can’t begin to tell you how many 650 owners saw my Treo in its zcover and kept asking me whether it was the “new palm phone.” I'll confess, after a while I had a little fun and using the rumored, idiotic 700p specifications I read about here and thus, the "new" Palm phone had made it to the market! On Wednesday morning I logged into Treocentral with fresh memories of JackNaylor’s literary masterpiece that ridiculously fooled some and the latest rumors of the 700p - now absurdly upgraded to the 750p - and decided to comment. My ensuing post was not, is not and never has been a “hoax” - n – (h ks) - “An act intended to deceive or trick.”

Soon after my initial post I noticed that my three fellow treophiles laughed this off and made the obvious connections. I left TreoCentral to start my day, figuring this post would run its course, never suspecting that anyone would take the news with any significant degree of seriousness, especially after reading the last paragraph – which most of you (including the news reporters) didn’t even bother to read. Virtually all eyes glazed over in feverish glee after reading the same absurd “specifications” lusted after here dozens of times before in the “Silly Season Section” aka “Future Treos” with the exception of the 3.2 MP camera (I thought that clearly went too far.) Now after reading my post again in its entirety, for the love of G-d and remedial math, what are the chances that any of the following would actually occur in reality?

(a) Palm, which released the same 32MB of RAM in its devices for the past 3 Treos for the past 3 YEARS and one less than a month ago, would release a device with (i) quadruple the RAM, (ii) all those high end features, and (iii) for under $600? Palm’s well known long time mantra is “last year’s technology at next year’s prices”;
(b) A Palm enthusiast with the hottest and most anticipated new gadget would have his entire showcase performance consist of a bare connection to WiFi, EVDO and the grand finale… a Shakespeare e-book???? Could this even get more lame??? Doubtful;
(c) Of all the non sequitirs to awkwardly force into the final paragraph, Joe Cool Palm felt a compelling need to inform us that he’s a Shakespeare buff (???), that he’d happen to actually whip out a copy of “Julius Caesar” for, well, no reason at all, (???) and to boot, he’d also provide a release date of March 15 (???);
(d) As ricochet pointed out, in a room full of rabid, foaming at the mouth mobile phone enthusiasts, would this joker be left alive after showing us what really amounts to…. well… practically nothing? Not a scintilla about the all important Palm OS? The applications on the phone? How about the appearance? All you got were “ticky tack keys”, “smaller and thinner” and “Motorola slick” adjectives and an “enhanced” 320x320 screen that rendered text beautifully.

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME??? This isn’t a hoax, it’s a FARCE - n - (färs) - “A light dramatic work in which highly improbable plot situations, exaggerated characters, and often slapstick elements are used for humorous effect” see also “A ludicrous, empty show; a mockery.” But hey, let’s kick in a few more subtleties for effect. For everyone not familiar with TOEFL, does the Palm rep’s release revelation sound “naturally smooth” or “awkwardly stilted?” “Be aware of March 15.” Does anyone talk that way? I asked 2 friends and my brother if they could name any line from Caesar and they both came up with “Et Tu Brute” and the infamous line “Beware the Ides of March.” Better yet, how about the glorious e-book that was “rendering just beautifully” - are you drooling Treophiles viewing mere e-book text or cinematography by Pixar? What about the absurd comparison of Treo RAM for Palm OS and WM devices that has obviously never been an issue in any way??

Well, I logged in a few hours later to discover that not only had most people neglected to read the whole post, but that multitudes of wild speculation and comparisons led to “reputable web sites” reporting the possible confirmation of the Treo 800p. Some sites even publicized the “Ides of March” reference but didn’t bother to mention that my original post contained an absurd, out of place and direct reference to Will and Julius. Originally I was debating adding “Turbo” to the 800p, perhaps only that razor thin subtlety that would have instantly made this tale jump from teetering on the absurd to being far too preposterous to be believed.

I was about to take measures to ensure that the madness didn’t go any further… and then it dawned on me. Actually, it was more of a vision that came in the form of Obi-Wan-Kenobi (the old geyser, not the young, wanna-be-hip and kid friendly eunuch) who said that I should "use the force for good and not evil.” He spoke unto thee: “Shake the tree of life hard enough and fruit might fall.” In fact, a number of you expressed the same sagacious wisdom. So thus, my fellow treophiles, in my best impression of Bill Murray in an Oscar Winning Performance, I did practically nothing with my conductor’s baton but let the world around me fervently shake that Treo Tree like King Kong. Tens of thousands of page views in record time here alone (I’m hoping that TC will award me with a store discount, lol. ) plus all over the globe. It did yield some useful information, including an alleged confirmation by a Sprint customer support rep of testing for the Treo 800p (How many sales reps does it take to screw in a light bulb?) and who knows what people may have been able to extract from their corporate reps, putting a little squeeze on them, implying that they might not buy WM phones due to the imminent release of the 800p as reported everywhere…

Personally, I've learned a great deal from all of this including the fact that my MBA studies never covered this phenomenon of consumer behavior. I've begun to believe that throwing out fairy dust with some aggressive specifications of a new phone are enough to make people lose their mind and believe their dreams are coming true. Read the hordes of people trying to interpret Colligan's every word to the public as if he was intent on sending out subliminal messages and not at all distracted with his real problem when he was speaking, that being finding the nearest mens room because he really had to pee (as in 800p.) Remember what happened in the late 90s. This kind of manic and nonsensical optimism is rampant on ebay, with hordes of people somehow believing that for some reason there is a person is willing to just give away a $20 bill for a tenner. Anyone up for just a MODICUM of substance?

So in conclusion, I’d like to thank the Academy, the smart people here who had a blast, my fellow Treophiles near and far for shaking the trees in the avaricious corporate forest, my parents and extended family, my bail bondsman, and all the girls I’ve loved before. Reading this thread and the places it has traversed has probably provided us with a lot of good laughs -- so everyone, let us all laugh together. May this ultimate farce put some perspective on “silly season” and let us usher in a new era of peace, love, understanding and the joys of WiFi to all Treokind. In fact, this thread seems to have prompted the sighting of an actual 700p!!! RUN!!!!! Pictures to come shortly after Photoshop!!!

Peace and love to you all.

They said I only argued for the sake of arguing, but after an hour I convinced them they were wrong...

and look what fell from the sky (Sprint) as a result of the 800p joke? a 700p!!!!! they should have given that slinky guy a medal.

If nothing else, I'd like to see *COUGH VERIZON COUGH* certain major carrier sit up and pay attention that there are STILL users who'd prefer to "fumble" with two devices. We need <$20 unlimited 1x data plans for tethered PDAs & laptops via BT. Verizon's recent permission of DUN for a cool $60/month via CABLE reeks of the kind of thinking that plowed AT&T, IBM etc. into the ground.

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

The Register has also fallen for it:
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/02/02/palm_treo_800p_rumour/

From a marketing standpoint I could see the 800 series being Palm OS rather than create confusion with the "w" and "p" designations. Of course, why do the "w" to begin with

The timing is good for a March rollout since the 700w appears to be selling well and is not likely to be stalled by a Palm centric device rumor since IMHO its for a different market.

OTOH, I have read the Treonaunt posts in question and I had a real hard time reconciling the assertiojn the poster had the clout to get invited to the after hours event described with the followup post about having to get stories posted to some websites.

Well, we shall see.

"Many men stumble across the truth, but most manage to pick themselves up
and continue as if nothing had happened."
- Winston Churchill

Yeah, and my TX is going to polish my shoes starting next week...

Really, those poor sould over at Treocentral are impossibly desperate for news So desperate, in fact, that their silliness is just going on and on in multiple threads in the "Future Treos" forum.

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Surur

They said I only argued for the sake of arguing, but after an hour I convinced them they were wrong...

Not neccessarily. I don't know for sure about PIC, but unless they have a wildly different deal from others, there wouldn't be any NDA. Nobody that I know of gets converged devices before they're officially released, and there's usually no prerelease information conveyed by the manufacturer, so no NDAs are required. That's why sites like PIC weren't locked ****ed and ready to rock with a 700w review the first day.

Interesting to see you appearng & posting here on PIC. While I think that the hoax went a bit "too far" (after all, NEARLY all of us reading these sites on a daily basis are starved for info on SOMETHING NEW & PALM-POWERED to a certain degree) I also think that there was some overreacting on the part of the TC crowd.

Really, though, what irks me the MOST is the amount of senseless prattle going on @ TreoCentral. Also, have you ever seen such a collection of annoying & stupid-looking avatars? It's like 1/2 of the "regulars" there just post ad infinitum to bump up their own post count with 2-3 word posts multiple times daily.

Do you realize how much FLOTSAM, JETSAM & SILLINESS I had to slog through just to get the few concrete bits of info about the "real" 700p? Sorry, but that's just too much to have to read. TreoCentral & HowardForums have about as much clutter as any mobile tech site I read/post to on even a semi-regular basis. PIC is just sooo much easier to read at length (Thanks, Ryan!).

So when will we read the "real" story on the 700P? I still doubt it was a Palm planted pic/unit/story. I also don't lend any credence to the Craiglist story either. Someone at HTC/Sprint/Palm turned a preproduction unit loose early, plain and simple.

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