Handspring Releases Treo Update

Posted By: Ed Wednesday, May 1, 2002 8:37:26 AM

Many early adopters of the Handspring Treo have complained that their smartphones had significantly shorter standby times than Treo models sold just a couple of months later. Fortunately, this turns out to not have been a hardware problem but a software one. Handspring has released the Treo 180 Series Updater 1.0 which will increase the standby battery life to approximately 100 hours from about 60 hours.

Not all Treo users need this update because Handspring started including the improvements on shipping models a while back. Handspring's support page has instructions for figuring out whether any Treo can make use of the update.

The Updater does more than just increase standby battery life. It also adds an advanced dialog for call forwarding and an improved dialog for ringer preferences. It adds a language picker, though your Palm Desktop and synchronization software must be in the same language as your handheld. The Updater also makes other small improvements, like typo corrections.

Thanks to Larry for the tip. -Ed

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Woohoo

quake97 @ 5/1/2002 10:14:21 AM #
I just installed the Update it went through flawlessly. I really hope it increases the battery life like they say. That was really the absolute worst thing about the Treo. Now, they just need to get the GPRS update to us. :)

Joe

RE: Woohoo
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2002 11:13:40 AM #
Yes, when will GPRS be available on Treo and what's taking so long?!
RE: Woohoo
fkclo @ 5/1/2002 1:33:29 PM #
Looks like this is the first Handspring device with flashable ROM. Any one has an idea how much space can we squeeze out from that, or if flashing program like JackFlash can be run to capture that space ?

Flashing
Palm_Otaku @ 5/1/2002 5:03:49 PM #
This is quite interesting: the Developer docs for the Treo are quite clear on the specs: 16MB SDRAM 4MB Masked ROM and 2MB flashROM on the (Wavecom Wizmo 3C) radio module.

Seeing as how the mask ROM is not flashable (by definition), how are they doing this? Is it tied to the radio's flash???

Any *knowledgeable* replies are welcome. -)

RE: Woohoo
Ed @ 5/1/2002 6:04:38 PM #
As I understand it, Handspring is making use of the flash ROM on the radio module. Pretty clever if you ask me. Or even if you don't ask me.

---
News Editor
RE: Woohoo
fkclo @ 5/1/2002 9:54:39 PM #
The upgrading process is VERY similar to my previous experience with Palm OS upgrade - it looks like a ROM re-flashing process, with even all the "snowing" on the screen during the upgrade.

The "ROM file package" in the upgrade pack looks like a big chunk of over 4 MB, and I just wonder how this can be done over the masked ROM ?

Typo Ed?

popko @ 5/1/2002 12:42:14 PM #
"It adds adds a language picker ..."

RE: Typo Ed?
Roberto @ 5/1/2002 12:56:04 PM #
Good grief...give the man a break!

RE: Typo Ed?
popko @ 5/1/2002 12:56:21 PM #
Oh yeah, looks like Ed loves double words. I just read the Clie first look article and there his got a "turn turn" problem. :)

RE: Typo Ed?
Ed @ 5/1/2002 2:33:25 PM #
Apparently I've picked up a digital stutter. The article also used to say "This turns out to not not have been a hardware problem but a software one." I find it kind of interesting. Any psychologists want to do a study on me?

BTW, thanks for catching one of the typos.

---
News Editor

Typo typo
Palm_Otaku @ 5/1/2002 5:11:11 PM #
Don't worry worry about it Ed -)

RE: Typo Ed?
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2002 9:20:56 PM #
The funny thing is that I had to read that typo through about 5 times before I realised what it was...

gprs

I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2002 1:07:09 PM #
gprs wont make an appearnce till 2003. so till then just cool your heels.

the longer battery time does work and is quite lovely

RE: gprs
fkclo @ 5/1/2002 1:12:57 PM #
But according to Handspring during their initial launch of Treo, GPRS software should be ready for release in a "couple of months" time, and that was said in February !

I guess it is coming pretty soon. Let's hope for June.

Service?
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2002 1:38:18 PM #

Is there GPRS service in place already? Is it charged per kb? Expensive?
RE: gprs
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2002 1:40:20 PM #
Wrong. The Handspring site says: "In the second half of the year, Handspring plans to offer a software upgrade that enables Treo to work on GPRS networks."

http://makeashorterlink.com/?G3C912AC

Of course, "second half of the year" could mean July, or it could mean December.

RE: gprs
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2002 1:52:20 PM #
I believe Handspring has said third quarter. The 1x (CDMA) upgrade is expected this quarter however.
RE: gprs
Romanov @ 5/1/2002 2:52:18 PM #
Not 2003 but today.

Not all of us live it the US.

Nic Hughes

RE: gprs
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2002 3:00:07 PM #
"The 1x (CDMA) upgrade is expected this quarter however."

Says who? I thought Handspring had said it'd be "this summer." Do you know something different or more precise than that?

RE: gprs
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2002 3:09:35 PM #
Handspring announced that it would ready for the launch of Sprint's high speed network. It was reiterated on the conference call. The tone on the call sounded like that product will be ready before the launch.
RE: gprs
Ed @ 5/1/2002 3:14:53 PM #
It's actually better than that. During that conference call, Donna and Co. flat out said the CDMA Treo would be out before the end of Handspring's current financial quarter, which the end of June. I spoke with the head of PR at Handspring after the call and he confirmed this.

---
News Editor
RE: gprs
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2002 3:26:55 PM #
....yep. And the color model will be a tenth of an inch longer, it will be wider, and at its thickest, it will be 1 inch thick.

No thanks.

Checked out a B & W Treo this weekend, and I'm not positive I could tolerate that thing on my hip (even though it *is* in fact the smallest Palm device, barring thickness).

No way the color version is coming anywhere near my belt anytime soon.

Maybe if they come out with a chest holster for it....

RE: GPRS
quake97 @ 5/1/2002 3:50:02 PM #
Honestly, without GPRS Handspring can take Treo Mail and shove right up their (you know what). GPRS is widely available on the entire Voicestream network. Maybe they are waiting for something from them to handle it, I dunno. According to Voicestream's website, they only support WinCE. Oh well, I'll keep waiting and hoping.

Joe

RE: gprs
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2002 7:06:29 PM #
i think i just clearly told you 2003.

that is a big scoop.

oh well. some people believe all the marketing hype.

RE: gprs
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/1/2002 8:14:17 PM #
The GPRS upgrade SUCKS!
Directly from the Handspring website:

"Q. What version of GPRS is the Treo communicator going to use?
A. The Treo communicator will support GPRS Class 2, which will provide two channels down and one channel up (otherwise know as "2+1")."

That will only yield 28.8k NOT 56k.

Voicestream is capable of 4 channels down which gives you the 56k service.

RE: gprs
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/2/2002 12:17:16 AM #
And why would you need 56K or even 100K on a PDA? I could understand if you have straming etc..but PDAs ain't there yet.
RE: gprs
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/3/2002 11:11:02 AM #
> Voicestream is capable of 4 channels down which gives you the 56k service.

Does it? You can't actually get near that speed, either because of the enviromental conditions, other people using your base station, bandwidth etc.

We do have GPRS here in Turkey :)

It is totally -free- for Aria.
'Telsim' wants a modest price every month (with the exchange rate of today, ~4$) for unlimited access.
Turkcell, on the other hand, has a pricing based on data transfer.

The average speed for all of these operators is 3kbps. People here are rushing to buy cheap GPRS phones (ie Motorola T260) to connect to the internet from their PC, for free :-)

Who says GPRS is expensive now? Even in a country like Turkey (where there is 60% tax on mobile phone tariffs) the prices are very reasonable.

Just had a battery low warning on a PalmV

I.M. Anonymous @ 5/2/2002 7:43:04 AM #
How long will the palm run after this with normal use (no backlight)?
Please let me know, I donna wanna loose everything as I cannot charge yet.
RE: Just had a battery low warning on a PalmV
skoty @ 5/3/2002 11:43:55 AM #
As far as I know, this updater only works on the Treo 180. And even then, it should only be used on the earlier models. The later ones already have that fix.

In other news... I was thinking of updating my Visor Platinum to OS 4.1 using Palm's updater. Has this worked for anyone else? -)

--------------
If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.

RE: Just had a battery low warning on a PalmV
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/4/2002 4:11:52 AM #
did it have flash rom?

Treo Recall?

I.M. Anonymous @ 5/4/2002 3:47:14 AM #
I'm not quite sure what all the fuss is about with the Treo. So far, in the last 10 days, I've had three (3) of them and not one of them worked properly. The symptom? On the phone side, the Treos have a HARDWARE issue which prevents the phone from reacquiring (re-registering) with the service provider once a signal is lost (going into buildings, etc., the usual digital phone crap). The only way to reacquire is to power-cycle the phone (turn it off and back on again). I was contacted by a senior Handspring official today who advised me this situation is known as an "emerging issue" which could result in a total recall of the Treo units.

Apparently, not all Treos manifest this problem immediately, however it does appear that the newer ones experience the problem right off the bat. Much to Handspring's embarrasment, my third replacement came right from the factory and it was not tested prior to shipment. Upon arrival to me, this phone experienced the same problem. . . From there on my war with Handspring commenced, and in fact, I'm seriously considering suing as a result of the many financial shortfalls I'll experience just from buying this lemmon (the cancellation of the Voicestream service will cost $200.00 alone for early termination of contract).

As far as I'm concerned the Treo is a classic example of a consumer electronic device that was not adequately tested prior to delivery to the open market and clearly demonstrates Handspring's woefully inadequate quality control and assurance and their willingness to let money come before quality and reliability. The unit's a bust and I feel bad for those who've either already experienced the problem -- or are about to. . .

Brian S. Faile

RE: Treo Recall?
skoty @ 5/6/2002 1:05:49 AM #
Wow, those are strong words... I wonder why we haven't heard about this from anyone else.

--------------
If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
RE: Treo Recall?
bfaile2323 @ 5/6/2002 1:38:42 AM #
Hi Skoty,

Probably because it was just this past Thursday a high-level Handspring executive, on my promise of suit, decided to make the issue public, as it were, to me in response to the plethora of e-mails and phone calls he had received from a number of recent Treo purchasers. Hopefully, for their sake, the problem will be isolated to a single production run as opposed to all of them. He didn't, however, sound terribly enthusiastic. What really thrilled me was the fact in his e-mail to me subsequent to his phone call, he indicated that there might, just might, be a fix by June 30th. Wow! With respect to skydiving, I'm happy to report I have 497 successful jumps without incident.

Kindest Regards,

Brian S. Faile

RE: Treo Recall?
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/11/2002 2:39:56 PM #
bfaile,
Did the Handspring person give any subsequent indication of a recall or other remedy? My Treo 180 has numerous problems, including design flaws, hardware shortcomings, and the dreaded and fatal
"DataMgr.c Line:8589, Index Out of Range Error".

Any suggestion on how to approach Handspring? I want to ditch the phone and get my money back.
--Spiderhaven

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