01-08-2006, 12:00 AM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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PocketNow Reviews The Palm Treo 700w
http://pocketnow.com/index.php?a=portal_detail&t=reviews&id=758&p=1
PocketNow has put up their comprehensive review of the new Palm Treo 700w, which in typical PocketNow style is accompanied by tons of screen shots and a thorough going through of the devices features.
From left to right, the Samsung 700i, Dell Axim X50v, iMate PDA2K, iMate K-Jam and Treo 700w
The review also compares it to a number of other devices. It surprised me that the 700w is almost identical in thickness to the iMate K-Jam even though the latter has hardware to support a slide out keyboard.
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01-08-2006, 01:41 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 68
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Having owned mine and played with it extensively since Thursday morning, it's a fairly accurate review. Hard reset he mentions is undocumented but is in the Verizon docs: hold down power while doing a reset. Pretty straightforward.
I've had a lot of issues with sync that I'm still trying to work out with third party apps, foremost being eWallet but I'd like to think the issue is mine and not the device.
Jury is still out for me. I use my hx4700 extensively, and this device seems to be much more of a phone with PDA functions to enhance it than a true PDA device. If you're a hardcore PDA user I'd venture to say that this isn't the device for you.
Just my thoughts. Thanks for posting the link to the review, for those of you that haven't seen this device it is a good overview.
-Roger
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01-08-2006, 02:15 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 93
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I bought this device and have been using it for about 24 hours now. One thing that has bothered me about much of the blog and "press" coverage (including the pocketnow review) is the constant harping on the lack of memory.
I also own the HP hx4700. Now there is a real Pocket PC with memory problems! There is where I really would like an additional 32 to 64 MB of RAM. But in this case on page 2 of the article, Christopher Spera (like so many others) talks about what may happen due to the limited memory and not how he has actually been impacted! It is as if everyone has the same automatic kneejerk reaction to decry the need for more memory. It is much more helpful to readers if reviewers would somewhat more objectively review the device they have rather than the device they wish they had.
The same is true in the area of screen resolution. Here again, I am used to the hx4700 with a relatively high resolution. My first thoughts about the published screen resolution of 240 x 240 pixels (prior to owning the Palm Treo 700w) was, "how can I possibly go back to the stone age of a lower screen resolution??" Having actually used the device now for less than 24 hours, I believe the resolution is just fine.
I do agree with the author and several other reports I've read that the device appears to be sluggish (especially by comparison to the 4700). I'm wondering if all WM5 devices (Pocket PCs as well as Smartphones) will be slower given the move to a different storage architecture?
Undoubtedley, engineering tradeoffs in these areas were needed to maximize battery charge life. So far, I think the trades made are okay. I may change my mind as I try to load more software on the Treo.
One feature lacking that I hope changes in the next version of this device is a built-in Wi-Fi antenna. Although I can get to the Internet over the Verizon network, I would prefer to use that network (and the attendant costs) only when absolutely necessary. I do have the Wi-Fi SD card and it works well; the issues are that it doesn't fit in the case, I have to remember to carry it and it is easily lost.
Despite the sluggishness, this new Treo will work for me just fine. I don't intend to retire the HP 4700 anytime soon (unless, of course they come up with a WM5 replacement model! :roll: ).
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01-08-2006, 02:30 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 31
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Thanks for the link to this review PPCTs. I liked hearing from an established member of the WinMob community concerning the 700w.
I agree with the above poster in talking about the idea of wished for specs versus its actual performance. From the sounds of things, the "80+% of folks who use these and never install any 3rd party apps" wont have an issue with it. Some will, and that is a given, but most wont and so again (at least from PICs side of the conversation) most wont care.
Neat. Now waiting for the PPCTs review and then I shall have ample ammo with which to funnel people to treos WM and PalmOS at work 
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01-08-2006, 03:46 AM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Twain
But in this case on page 2 of the article, Christopher Spera (like so many others) talks about what may happen due to the limited memory and not how he has actually been impacted! It is as if everyone has the same automatic kneejerk reaction to decry the need for more memory. It is much more helpful to readers if reviewers would somewhat more objectively review the device they have rather than the device they wish they had.
The same is true in the area of screen resolution. Here again, I am used to the hx4700 with a relatively high resolution. My first thoughts about the published screen resolution of 240 x 240 pixels (prior to owning the Palm Treo 700w) was, "how can I possibly go back to the stone age of a lower screen resolution??" Having actually used the device now for less than 24 hours, I believe the resolution is just fine.
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amen. there is too much reviewing of paper specs rather than real world usage. i'd challenge someone to review a device without knowing the pixel resolution, the mhz speed, ram, rom, or any other paper spec and just use it and judge it, which, amasingly enough, is how the real world user will evaluate it.
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01-08-2006, 03:56 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 31
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Ed Hansberry
i'd challenge someone to review a device without knowing the pixel resolution, the mhz speed, ram, rom, or any other paper spec and just use it and judge it, which, amasingly enough, is how the real world user will evaluate it.
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The closest review to that one is the Times review. And if that is any indication, Palm will have a ton that will like it, and be horribly confused that Palm really does equal Windows now.
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01-08-2006, 04:53 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 718
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by globaloffice
foremost being eWallet but I'd like to think the issue is mine and not the device.
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There is a DLL called something like ewalletsync.dll or similar in the ewallet directory. Windows Mobile 5 devices need a different version of this to sync properly. If you contact Ilium support, they will probably email you the DLL. They supposedly plan on updating the app officially in the future.
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01-08-2006, 05:57 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 68
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by DaleReeck
Quote:
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Originally Posted by globaloffice
foremost being eWallet but I'd like to think the issue is mine and not the device.
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There is a DLL called something like ewalletsync.dll or similar in the ewallet directory. Windows Mobile 5 devices need a different version of this to sync properly. If you contact Ilium support, they will probably email you the DLL. They supposedly plan on updating the app officially in the future. |
Ahhh, sounds like it's not me then, just as I had certified myself nuts. :-) Thanks for the heads up. I had already dropped their tech support a note, here's crossing my fingers because I live by eWallet! ListPro works fine barring one bug in the register nag screen where the register button doesn't work. Continue with trial and go to the menu option to register and it works fine. This with the new version they released this week. This may be an overall WM5 buglet and not specific to the Treo tho. Certainly not a showstopper, the application runs and sync's fine.
TimeTrackerMX is another story entirely, no synch with a hard ADO crash and dialogs that are off screen but I can't find where it's claiming WM5 compatibility. I have a note into them, I'll update if I hear anything.
Thanks again!
-Roger
Update: TimetrackerMX is not WM2K5 compatible. That solves that one
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01-08-2006, 06:37 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,202
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It seems to me some here chose to only believe what they want to believe. It's funny how the many of the same folks complaining on reviewers reviewing specs, not the device, also haven't used the device. Read the forums at TreoCentral, or PDAPhoneHome. There are reports coming in of people recieving out of memory errors. If you further read the posts, these are not power users, some are new to WM.
One user has only Goodlink installed and runs out of memory just donwloading his email. Another is unable to open a 550k PDF file with the included Picsel viewer.
These are real world examples of issues related to memory. The device has been out 3 days now it is happening at a greater frequency than any other recent PE device. If you think a business executive that this is targeted at is going to stand for error messages every time their email is pushed to the device, I tend to disagree.
Don't forget that default WM settings aren't RAM friendly - mail, attachments and IE cache will be loaded into RAM when you run those programs. I think as soon as any user - power or not, starts to use the functions of included with this phone they are going to have the problems. And please explain to me why anyone would buy this and NOT use at least some of it's PDA functionality - email, contacts, calendar, internet, etc.
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01-08-2006, 08:25 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 450
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The problem of the device os that they tried to Palm-ize the WM5. Green button takes to the today screen (what the....). Limited memory (you did not need too much RAM on Palm where you can run only one application at once....). Everything is on the today screen, so if i want to use my own today plugins, i can either live with that ugly scrollbar or be screwed up. Stripped down Phone application. GUI tweaks and such. Sure, the point is to convert the Treo 600/650 users, but on the other hand, they'll lose lots of customers because of these problems -- WM ppl do want to multitask.
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