Treo 750 Windows Mobile 6 Update Next Week?

The iStartedSomething blog has posted an excerpt from an official Microsoft promotional e-mail possibly confirming release next week of the Treo 750’s Windows Mobile 6 upgrade. The e-mail was sent to the blog author by Microsoft Australia in promotion of the upcoming TechEd conference being held August 7th-10th in Gold Coast, Australia. Read on for the excerpt.

The actual text excerpted from the e-mail states:

Launch of the Palm Treo 750 Smartphone
Palm and Microsoft will be announcing the availability of Windows Mobile 6.0 on the Palm Treo 750 Smartphone at Tech.Ed. Check out the Palm booth, BP9 for a sneak preview!

The Treo 750 is Palm’s flagship Windows Mobile and GSM-based Treo. The 750 and its forthcoming WM6 upgrade have been in the news for quite some time between semi-official announcements of the update in February and March and last week’s leaked ROM for the AT&T version of the 750. Of interest to Australian 750 owners eagerly awaiting the TechEd conference is the fact that the leaked AT&T ROM update recognizes and configures itself for Australian GSM carriers as well as Vodafone’s European network.

The TechEd conference’s official website can be found here. Palm has not disclosed any plans to begin shipping new 750s pre-loaded with WM6 or the cost (if any) of the update. In February of this year, Microsoft announced that WM6 would be released for free to their various device manufacturers.

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Ahem...

SeldomVisitor @ 8/1/2007 5:44:36 PM # Q
> ...In February of this year, Microsoft announced
> that WM6 would be released for free to their various
> device manufacturers...

Is this correct? The comment section of the linked PIC article (that would have been under "announced" up there) had a link to here:

-- http://msmobiles.com/news.php/6110.html

saying it was totally false.

What's true?

RE: Cough, uh Ahem...
numlock @ 8/1/2007 6:48:56 PM # Q
yeah, like that site has a really reliable reputation...
RE: Ahem...
SeldomVisitor @ 8/1/2007 8:07:58 PM # Q
> yeah, like that site has a really reliable reputation...

Well, given the Infamous Treo vs iPhone "article" I'd say there are "reliable sites" and "reliable sites"...

In any case, the question remains unanswered. THIS time when I asked the question, however, I went over to Microsoft.com and vainly searched for such "freebie" words just about everywhere relevant.

No such animal.

So...where did the "Mobile 6 is free" idea come from, huh?

A link to anything Microsoft would do it, eh?

A link to a blog, though...nah...

RE: Ahem...
freakout @ 8/1/2007 8:28:46 PM # Q
Wow, that EDITORIAL really got your goat, didn't it SV? And yet, you have never actually disputed any of the opinions or facts that were put forth in it.

Keep sniping away at it - maybe sometime in the next billion years you'll actually hit a target. Or even decide on one.

RE: Ahem...
SeldomVisitor @ 8/1/2007 8:36:29 PM # Q
Pardon - I don't pay much attention but are YOU "Kris"!?

That might explain the TOTALLY unsupported crap about the free upgrade...

RE: Ahem...
freakout @ 8/1/2007 8:47:15 PM # Q
No, I'm Tim Carroll, and it amuses me how you keep insisting the iPhone EDITORIAL lacked credibility, despite the fact you've never actually disputed anything that was said in it. Or even read it, for that matter.

Kris' article was based on a posting at Download Squad, which in turn was based on a post in the forum at smartphonethoughts.com. Since they've upgraded their site, the post has vanished, so we can't see what the source was. But to call it "completely unsupported" is incorrect, especially when the post as msmobiles that disputes it not only has no sources of its own to quote, but is atrociously written as well.

RE: Ahem...
hkklife @ 8/1/2007 9:19:44 PM # Q
Hoooo boy...I step out to grab some dinner and return to a firestorm :-)

But seriously, Tim's got the history just about right. DownloadSquad/Engadget/other Weblogs Inc. sites are highly-trafficked, influential sites. I am certain that they would have retracted their story and/or someone would at least have posted a statement proving the contrary in the comments area.

And if it were any company OTHER than Microsoft (ie with less $ to burn in the corporate coffers) I'd raise serious doubts about the validity of that claim. But Microsoft has been known to be quite generous in times past to grab marketshare and/or do damage control (look at the recent Xbox 360 warranty extensions for a perfect example).

Until someone proves something in the way of a definitive statement on this topic, I'm gonna go with my gut feeling and go with the original DownloadSquad story. It's also possible that there is all kinds of behind-the-scenes hanky panky going on (MS giving away free WM6 licenses for a certain amount of time, inventives given to certain handset makers in cahoots with Microsoft who, say, promise to quickly EOL their WM5 models etc etc etc).



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

RE: Ahem...
SeldomVisitor @ 8/2/2007 7:11:19 AM # Q
Actually, since there is NO SOURCE for your words now, you should simply retract them!

Or give Microsoft and Palm a call and ask! THEN retract them!

Sheesh.

I really mean that.

Sheesh.

Unbelievable.

RE: Ahem...
freakout @ 8/2/2007 9:49:27 AM # Q
Sheesh.

I really mean that.

Sheesh.

Can't you read? Download Squad is the source. That is what the article links to. Download Squad have not issued a retraction. It's up to them to check their own sources. Take your whinging to them. If you're really so concerned, here's Microsoft's press contact:

General news media inquiries (U.S.-based)
Waggener Edstrom Worldwide Rapid Response Team
(503) 443-7070

And you can tell us all the results. In the meantime, the rest of us will be happy to repost information reported by a reputable site.

RE: Ahem...
SeldomVisitor @ 8/2/2007 10:13:51 AM # Q
You really need to sit on your hands.

One web site pointing to a blog on another web site pointing to a NONEXISTENT POST on a message board on another web site is not confirmation of anything.

You, the author of crap (*), apparently have no idea what constitutes valid writing for a valid journalistic site and what constitutes rumor appropriate for an opinionated web page based on nothing (i.e. "blog" - luv that name!).

I've always taken PIC as a site that stresses journalism-type robustness (as well as having a high-percent ratio of quality commentators on articles compared to other sites (whether or not I personally agree with them, they're relatively high quality!)); this summer, maybe due to vacations and all, PIC has slid down into a cesspool of crap and become very much less valuable as a reliable source of information. TreoCentral, to its unusual credit, hasn't reported anything w.r.t. freeness of WM6 (though, of course, unsubstantiated rumors abound on the forums there).

Is PALM going to give away a free upgrade to Windows Mobile 6 to existing Windows Mobile 5 users of PALM devices?

Maybe they are! We certainly know that T-Mobile is distributing the upgrade to its HTC-made Dash per HTC's stated free distribution so the precedent has been established from at least one ODM of PALM's. Then again, maybe T-Mobile just doesn't want the hassle of supporting two versions of WM on the same device they intend to sell for quite some time so maybe that is a red-herring. We certainly know that PALM has said they're out of the Windows Mobile business themselves AND we know that the "leaked" version of WM6 for the AT&T/Cingular 750 is less than ideal (e.g., power use, etc); maybe they threw their hands up entirely and said "That's it! No more WM development for us! Too expensive!"; there certainly is precedent for PALM changing their minds on WM in general, eh?

Will PALM supply Windows Mobile 6 "free" to buyers of FUTURE "PALM" Windows Mobile-using devices?

Of course! Windows Mobile 5 is EOL so of COURSE they're going to be shipping Windows Mobile 6 "free" with "their" new WM devices!

The article this post is made about is simply incorrect in what it says. It SHOULD say something like:

== "It has been rumored that the upgrade from WM5 to WM6 for the TREO 750 will
== be a free download, however neither Microsoft nor PALM will go on record
== about this."

That would be more than sufficient to correct that particular problem.

If you don't understand this w.r.t. how =articles= are supposed to be written, you really don't get it.

RE: Ahem...
fastlerner @ 8/2/2007 10:18:46 AM # Q
I've seen several articles stating that is was a free upgrade. However, they all seem to date back to the original announcement and it's been quiet ever since.

Did manage to scrounge this one up though...

http://mobilitytoday.com/news/007560/mobilitytoday_video_20

"Just announced yesterday at CTIA that Palm will be offering a free upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.0 with HSDPA."


And another here: http://www.betanews.com/article/Cingular_Users_to_Get_Windows_Mobile_6_Upgrade/1175012289

"At the CTIA Wireless tradeshow this week, Microsoft announced that AT&T (formerly Cingular) will be providing Windows Mobile 6 as a free upgrade to current customers using the Samsung Blackjack, HTC 8525, or Palm Treo 750. T-Mobile previously said it would offer a free upgrade as well."


The comment from Microsoft that disputed the free-ness of the upgrade was in reponse to a question about WM6 being a free upgrade in general. If I remember right, their reponse was "That's not exactly true."

So while Microsoft may not be handing out WM6 for free to everyone, it SOUNDS like the above mentioned carriers and models WOULD get a free upgrade.

The free offer is most likely up to the carrier you bought the device from. Wouldn't surprise me at all if Palm charged for a general non-carrier specific upgrade.


RE: Ahem...
cervezas @ 8/2/2007 10:19:14 AM # Q
Just wanted to say: Sheesh.

And I really mean that. No kidding, no retractions. It's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Sheesh.

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

RE: Ahem...
SeldomVisitor @ 8/2/2007 10:24:04 AM # Q
Fastlerner has it right.

An an anecdotal datapoint which, IMHO, throws even more question into a WM6 upgrade at ALL - while typing in the prior post PALM released a PR-fluff about Yet Another Carrier with TREO 750s containing:

== "...The Treo 750 offers the world-class Palm experience on Microsoft's
== Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system..."

How strange to begin distribution of WM5 750s SO CLOSE to WM6 750s being available!


RE: Ahem...
SeldomVisitor @ 8/2/2007 10:25:05 AM # Q
So, cervesas. Do YOU think the wording is correct in the article or are you simply down there in the cesspool throwing around ad hominem attacks?

RE: Ahem...
cervezas @ 8/2/2007 10:33:35 AM # Q
FWIW, a ten second web search reveals that Brighthand was directly informed by Palm representatives at CTIA that the update would be free. http://www.brighthand.com/default.asp?newsID=12911

Until we hear otherwise from some source with the same level of authority it seems reasonable to me to suppose that this is still the plan. YMMV, of course.

Can we at least end all the silly 'ahems' and 'sheeshes' now?

Sheesh!

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

RE: Ahem...
cervezas @ 8/2/2007 10:43:50 AM # Q
SeldomVisitor wrote:
are you simply down there in the cesspool throwing around ad hominem attacks?

Oh, most definitely! Is there another reason I should be posting comments on PIC news items that I wasn't informed of?

Either way, glad to know that "sheesh" is an ad hominem attack now! I'll have to use it more often here. How many points do you get for a sheesh, btw? Is it as good as a "biotchslap"?

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

RE: Ahem...
SeldomVisitor @ 8/2/2007 10:47:00 AM # Q
A post the point of which is simply made to denigrate another poster is an ad hominem attack, like it or not.

Sheesh, indeed.

RE: Ahem...
hkklife @ 8/2/2007 11:05:30 AM # Q
I'm going to avoid any mudslinging at the moment and clarify one point that SV had issues with:

When I meant in regards to your reference of "future Pam WM devices" was not, say, a Treo 800w to be released later this year. Of course that'll ship with WM6! What I was referrng to was Palm's past history of quietly changing the OS version on shipping devices without any hoopla or change to the packaging or branding. Since you've such little hands-on experience with POS it's easy to miss these sorts of subtle updates.

For example, waaaay back in late '99, Palm shipped the intial shipments of the Palm Vx with OS 3.3, then quickly upped it to 3.5 in 2000, then went to 3.5.3 a few months later. In '01 Palm cleared the last of their Vx stock out after the arrival of the m500/505 with a last batch of Vx's running OS 4.1 out of the box.

Now I do recall seeing a sticker affixed to some of the final Vx's I saw in retail stores saying something "Now with OS 4.1!" or some such.

Now, this ancient history doesn't tie directly into the Treo 750's saga other than the fact that I could easily see Palm "refreshing" the 750 mid-life with WM6 for certain carriers/regions (if not all). Unlocked versions, say, might still ship with WM5 and have a pay-to-download WM6 upgrade offered.

Or Palm could easily call it a 760 or something and consider the OS upgrade enough for an entirely new model, allowing them to milk their final "in house" WM model a bit longer.



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

RE: Ahem...
cervezas @ 8/2/2007 11:13:26 AM # Q
Well consider yourself ATTACKED then!

:-p

Take THAT! (Oooh, I bet that smarted, didn't it?)

(Of course, no apology from you for the fact that you could have spared us all your pompous throat-clearing and huffing with a quick Google search: http://tinyurl.com/2gqr9m)

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

RE: Ahem...
SeldomVisitor @ 8/2/2007 11:16:15 AM # Q
Way up there in the first comment, and also in a comment in the prior article on "free WM6", is a question on whether or not Microsoft really said "free WM6 coming!".

Some guy (I'm saying that literally that way for effect) on Brighthand says PALM and/or MSFT ==officially== says "free WM6 coming!" yet there are no, for example, PR-fluffs on either corporate site saying anything even approaching that. So where the heck is "official"? Some babe in a bikini at a trade show booth gushing "Oh for SURE. Free free free! Giggle!"?

Though there are, as not uncommon, a whole lot of posts now in this particular thread making it seem that there is more to the question than that, the fact is that IS the only question being asked.

To pointedly note, only fastlerner has appropriately tried to address that question though, even with his/her appropriate response, the evidence is not sufficient, IMHO, to support the article's words:

== "...In February of this year, Microsoft announced that WM6
== would be released for free to their various device manufacturers..."

RE: Ahem...
SeldomVisitor @ 8/2/2007 11:22:16 AM # Q
> ...a quick Google search...

Ahem...way up above please note the words about searching in vain.

BTW - did you check out the results of YOUR search and find any real evidence? No, you didn't, otherwise you would have cited it.

Giggle.

RE: Ahem...
cervezas @ 8/2/2007 12:14:23 PM # Q
I so admire your selfless devotion to the highest standards of evidence, SV. You are of course absolutely right that the "Palm representatives" that spoke with Brighthand could very well have been clueless "babes in bikinis" at CTIA whose "representative" status was based solely on the orange logo covering their nipples. You just never know about Brighthand:
Palm has officially confirmed a statement made earlier by one of its executives: a Windows Mobile 6 upgrade will be released for the Treo 750. In addition, company representatives [NB: quite possibly wearing bikinis!] at the CTIA Wireless show in Orlando told Brighthand that this operating system upgrade will be available for free.

http://www.brighthand.com/default.asp?newsID=12911 (again)

Be CAREFUL out there, folks! As SeldomVisitor has been SO vigilant in telling us, you can NEVER be too careful!

(Unless it's a negative rumor about Palm, of course, which is sufficient justification for all manner of fact-free innuendo and "sheeshing".)

One last fact for consideration: whether or not Microsoft will be charging ODMs for the update is a separate question from whether Palm or the carriers would consider making such an update available for free, hmmm? So even if msmobiles.com is right that Microsoft is not giving anything away, this doesn't necessarily dispute what the bikini-clad Palm representatives at CTIA stated was Palm's plan.

I think it's time to run along and find some other innuendo to dribble out here, SV.

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

RE: Ahem...
SeldomVisitor @ 8/2/2007 12:23:15 PM # Q
> ...In February of this year, Microsoft announced
> that WM6 would be released for free to their various
> device manufacturers...

Is this correct? The comment section of the linked PIC article (that would have been under "announced" up there) had a link to here:

-- http://msmobiles.com/news.php/6110.html

saying it was totally false.

What's true?


RE: Ahem...
cervezas @ 8/2/2007 12:27:03 PM # Q
Oh, by the way. That quote was from the second item in the Google search I posted. Look for yourself. The fact that you didn't bother to check is pretty revealing. I would have thought you'd suffered enough embarrassment lately that you'd at least take a peak.

Oh, I'm sorry. Was that another ad hominem attack, SV? Does it count as "ad hominem" when I'm just pointing out something factual that's obvious to everyone else reading this thread but you?

Gee, I hope so! :-)

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

RE: Ahem...
SeldomVisitor @ 8/2/2007 12:36:14 PM # Q
BTW - did you check out the results of YOUR search and find any REAL evidence? No, you didn't, otherwise you would have cited it.

Giggle.

[bet ya spent quite awhile looking, though! HA HA HA!]

RE: Ahem...
cervezas @ 8/2/2007 12:42:10 PM # Q
I wrote:
I think it's time to run along and find some other innuendo to dribble out here, SV.

SeldomVisitor replied:

The comment section of the linked PIC article (that would have been under "announced" up there) had a link to here:

-- http://msmobiles.com/news.php/6110.html

saying it was totally false.


No no. I said find some other innuendo, not "please repost the one that started off this thread." Mere repetition doesn't work as well as you might think! Mostly it just insults your readers' intelligence.

David Beers
Pikesoft Mobile Computing
www.pikesoft.com/blog
RE: Ahem...
SeldomVisitor @ 8/2/2007 12:49:28 PM # Q
Something has bit you.

I think I know what it is.

=============

Stop Loss stops - good stuff.

For ANY type of position - long, short, longterm "investment", shortterm trade - decide on a Maximum Acceptable Loss when taking the position and, if that loss point unfortunately is hit, DUMP the position mechanically and unemotionally.

Never EVER say:

== "It's gotta go back! It's gotta!"

because it ain't gotta.

RE: Ahem...
cervezas @ 8/2/2007 1:12:28 PM # Q
Oh for Pete's sake. You're still not reading?! I've given you the direct link twice now, in addition to the search query link that shows that page second from the top, and I posted the text from the article.

Now if you don't believe it that's fine with me (I don't believe much of anything I read on the Internet until I can see it for myself). But it's directly from Palm (not Microsoft) which is in a position to offer the update free regardless of Microsoft's policy, and it post-dates the msmobiles article by a month. At least try to read it if you want to pretend like you're having some kind of reasoned discussion about this.

As for the stock stuff, that's your game, Day Trader Boy, not mine. I buy mutual funds and look at my portfolio at most once a year. And unlike you I will go on record saying I have *never* held any position in PALM shares, long, short, or upside down and backwards. Or any other common stock for that matter.

You're rattled or otherwise insensible. I'm bored. Enough of this stupid thread.

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

RE: Ahem...
freakout @ 8/2/2007 5:23:05 PM # Q
Lol.

cervezas:
Oh for Pete's sake. You're still not reading?!

No, he isn't. What's more, even when provided with a phone number where he could get the answer to his burning questions straight away, he still chose to waste time making posts on the internet instead of just going straight to the source.

I need to sit on my hands, SV? Don't make me laugh. Oh wait... you already did!

Giggle.


Tim
I apologise for any and all emoticons that appear in my posts. You may shoot them on sight.
Treo 270 ---> Treo 650 ---> Crimson Treo 680

Reply to this comment

Only $45 for the expo, but that's a loooong drive....

freakout @ 8/1/2007 7:10:43 PM # Q
I'd pay a visit and do some real-life "journalism" - I think that's the term - 'cept for the fact that the Gold Coast is a loooooooooooong 12 hr drive (http://tinyurl.com/2o6ao4). Nice place to visit though. I have fond memories from schoolies...
RE: Only $45 for the expo, but that's a loooong drive....
hkklife @ 8/1/2007 10:20:17 PM # Q
What is Gold Coast known for, Tim?

Business/trade/expo/convention center? Tourism? Natural splendor?

Next week's gonna be a big 'un! LinuxWorld in SFO (Ryan unfortunately won't be able to attend) AND the TechEd Expo down under!

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

RE: Only $45 for the expo, but that's a loooong drive....
freakout @ 8/1/2007 10:53:58 PM # Q
Tourist trap, mainly. It's an absolutely gorgeous section of Queensland, with some of the nicest, sunniest beaches in the world - even in winter - and tons of stuff to do. Every December thru February, it's descended on by legions of school-leavers for Schoolies Week - probably the equivalent of Spring Break, I guess. I had an excellent, very drunken time there in '01. :D

It'd be great to go check out the Palm booth, just as an excuse to visit. Return airfare is only $69... actually, that not so bad....

Tim
I apologise for any and all emoticons that appear in my posts. You may shoot them on sight.
Treo 270 ---> Treo 650 ---> Crimson Treo 680

Reply to this comment

Just for freak-whatever-the-ID-is

SeldomVisitor @ 8/8/2007 8:47:53 AM # Q
== "...“Building upon the successful launch of the Treo 750 in
== Australia earlier this year, Palm is pleased to introduce the
== new Windows Mobile 6 update to the Treo 750 smartphone,” said
== Olivier Rozay, Palm’s country manager for Australia and New
== Zealand. “The hallmark Palm experience combined with the Windows
== Mobile 6 Professional Edition on the award-winning Treo 750
== delivers a compelling mobile experience to customers.”..."

I don't have a direct link to Palm itself for this; here's an indirect one:

-- http://www.istartedsomething.com/20070808/palm-treo-wm6-release/

Yep, 'out' is a hard word to remember...
freakout @ 8/8/2007 5:21:23 PM # Q
And just for you, SV, I've been trading emails with Microsoft regarding the cost of the upgrade. Chris Witkowski has told me that all upgrade prices are determined by the manufacturer, and suggested I ask Palm if they're going to charge for it or not. I was going to give Paul Loeffler a call on the weekend, but from the sounds of this announcement, they won't be. [charging for it]

Tim
I apologise for any and all emoticons that appear in my posts. You may shoot them on sight.
Treo 270 ---> Treo 650 ---> Crimson Treo 680
RE: Just for freak-whatever-the-ID-is
SeldomVisitor @ 8/8/2007 5:27:57 PM # Q
Yup.

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