08-11-2006, 03:00 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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Sprint to Release Treo 700wx, "Fixing" Memory?
"A few days ago we posted a rumour that the Sprint Windows Mobile Treo was coming soon. Now we have confirmation that the device at least exists. Posters on the TreoCentral Treo community site has noticed that the device has shown up in the latest copy of Sprint PCS Connection Manager for using your phone as a Modem/USB...there were rumors that Sprint demanded some changes before carrying it. It is now believed that the Sprint Windows Mobile Treo will have 64MB RAM, instead of the 32 Mb which crippled the Verizon model...The device is expected to be released for business customers from 27 August, and for the rest of us by the 3rd September."
Surur speculates that Verizon Palm users won't be the "happiest bunnies in the world". As a bunny in question, my response: it's galling enough that we have to deal with a subpar memory configuration, but the continued lack of tethering support on Verizon's part is what is really irritating me. The suggestion that Sprint will allow tethering out of the box makes me almost ready to ditch Verizon and offload the device. :evil:
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08-11-2006, 04:10 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 62
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I hate Verizon. They are THE worst cell phone carrier. I hate their crippled devices and overpriced plans.
I must say though, when I was in New Hampshire Maine, I got service when all my friends with Sprint didn't. In fact, I got better service in NH than I did at home in Boston. :?
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08-11-2006, 04:41 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by njl2016
I hate Verizon. They are THE worst cell phone carrier.
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Nah, one wishes they were the worst. Their service is actually darn good. 
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I must say though, when I was in New Hampshire Maine, I got service when all my friends with Sprint didn't. In fact, I got better service in NH than I did at home in Boston. :?
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Yup, that's exactly why I've stuck with Verizon. It works everywhere in the Northeast.
--janak
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08-11-2006, 04:44 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 718
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I'm on a family plan with VZW and a single user plan with Sprint. The same services costing $100 on VZW costs $70 on Sprint. Also, in my area, VZW is still dorking around with getting EVDO working. Sprint has had it for over a year.
Different services work better in different parts of the country, so an individual's milage may very. But in general, I've found Sprint to have good coverage and better services than VZW - overall just a better value. Sprint is very underated IMO.
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08-11-2006, 04:50 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by DaleReeck
Different services work better in different parts of the country, so an individual's milage may very.
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Well, this is the key, isn't it?  If and when I move in the near future (after finishing my PhD), I'll be sure to reevaluate all the carriers. I'd be very happy to be back in GSM-land...
--janak
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08-11-2006, 05:19 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 740
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Re: Sprint to Release Treo 700wx, "Fixing" Memory?
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Originally Posted by Janak Parekh
Surur speculates that Verizon Palm users won't be the "happiest bunnies in the world". As a bunny in question, my response: it's galling enough that we have to deal with a subpar memory configuration, but the continued lack of tethering support on Verizon's part is what is really irritating me. The suggestion that Sprint will allow tethering out of the box makes me almost ready to ditch Verizon and offload the device. :evil:
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What really burns my butt is that Palm KNEW this to be an issue. When I reviewed the device on pocketnow.com earlier this year, I really roasted Palm for releasing the device with this memory configuration. When I asked them about this in their media exclusive conference call (and their response is why I felt so strongly about this...), I was told, in no uncertain terms, that their research indicated that 32MB was the sweet spot. I'm still shaking my head over that one.
IMHO, the bare minimum for a decent functioning device is 64MB (as I'm certain everyone will agree). The sweet spot for a WM2003SE device is 128MB (the HTC Blue Angel is great with its native 128MB of RAM). Given WM5's new memory architecture, I think the sweet spot for it would be between 96MB and 128MB of RAM. On board flash storage in WM5 devices is a bonus. My K-JAM can run things just as well from the Mini-SD card I have, as it can from its internal storage.
The thing that would bother me the most about this, is that I don't think Palm or VzW will offer any 700w owners an upgrade path. I think you're going to be stuck with the limping 700w you've got (old and busted), while Sprint customers get the benefit of your complaints (new hotness). I think VzW will eventually stock and sell this one; but they aren't going to help anyone move to it from the original 700w, which is too bad...
__________________
Kind Regards,
Christopher Spera
Gear Diary Review Team
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08-11-2006, 05:52 PM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 498
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by DaleReeck
Different services work better in different parts of the country, so an individual's milage may very. But in general, I've found Sprint to have good coverage and better services than VZW - overall just a better value. Sprint is very underated IMO.
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I have Verizon now. I had Sprint for a year, but as it turned out there was a hole in their coverage area right around my office. Couldn't have been more than a mile wide at most (just outside of the downtown area, too). But it was a black hole as far as reception went. So I went back to Verizon, and it mostly suits my needs, at least for the moment... 8O
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08-11-2006, 06:08 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 148
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Re: Sprint to Release Treo 700wx, "Fixing" Memory?
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Originally Posted by Janak Parekh
the continued lack of tethering support on Verizon's part is what is really irritating me.
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Have you tried out PdaNet?
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08-11-2006, 06:51 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 718
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by applejosh
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Originally Posted by DaleReeck
Different services work better in different parts of the country, so an individual's milage may very. But in general, I've found Sprint to have good coverage and better services than VZW - overall just a better value. Sprint is very underated IMO.
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I have Verizon now. I had Sprint for a year, but as it turned out there was a hole in their coverage area right around my office. Couldn't have been more than a mile wide at most (just outside of the downtown area, too). But it was a black hole as far as reception went. So I went back to Verizon, and it mostly suits my needs, at least for the moment... 8O |
Even though I don't live in a huge city (Buffalo NY), we really don't have any real holes in the coverage of all the major carriers. From the city center to a 25 mile radius to the suburbs, coverage is pretty complete. Even the boonies seem to always have a signal - at least roaming. I've personally never seen a hole anywhere in my local travels.
In fact, most of the eastern US is pretty solid. Lookng at the maps, it seems that in the west and especially parts of the midwest, coverage isn't as overlapping.
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08-11-2006, 07:02 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 718
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Re: Sprint to Release Treo 700wx, "Fixing" Memory?
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Originally Posted by Chris Spera
I was told, in no uncertain terms, that their research indicated that 32MB was the sweet spot. I'm still shaking my head over that one.
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Honestly, I think they are outright lying. We all know that there is absolutely no way that any person who used a 32MB device, even a novice, would find 32MB acceptable. Not unless "acceptable" means rebooting it three times a day to recover memory.
Not to be conspiracy guy here, but I think they were hoping people would be so in love with the idea of a Treo running Windows Mobile, that they could save a few dollars by shortchanging the memory - that people wouldn't mind a few reboots a day. Or maybe it was easier and cheaper to take the basic Palm 32MB model 650, slam Windows Mobile on it and call it a 700, with little hardware modification necessary. Because, other than that, there is no research that can be done that would indicate 32MB being the "sweet spot".
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