Palm Treo Pro: Not digging it

(Credit: Palm)

Underwhelming--that's the word that comes to mind when I look at the new Palm Treo Pro.

Yes, nicer looking for sure, with a strong influence from the lower-cost Centro model (and looking rather like the upcoming BlackBerry Bold). It also has 3G and Wi-Fi, which is great, the newest version of Windows Mobile, and GPS, though these can also be found on existing competitors. So it's got a decent package of features, but what's so compelling about it that isn't offered elsewhere?

In this day and age, offering a screen that takes up less than 50 percent of the device, especially with as big borders around it as the Pro has, just doesn't cut it. I'm not suggesting touchscreen only here, as I definitely prefer typing on a physical keyboard to tapping on a virtual one, but really, even a business-oriented device like this one is going to be used to show off photos, look at Web pages, etc., which all benefit from a large screen. The 320x320 screen has been the Palm standard for years now. Heck, even the Palm Tungsten T3 I had four years ago had a 50 percent bigger screen, albeit without a physical keyboard. The Pro's screen already looks small, and will look even more diminutive over its product lifecycle given how slowly Palm brings out new models.

Size-wise the Pro is almost identical to a BlackBerry, though longer. It's fatter than the iPhone. So there's no real advantage in pocketability or bragging rights there.

The talk time and battery life are good, but the 2-megapixel camera is ho-hum.

In this video Palm talks about how the Windows interface is great because it mimics what people are used to on their desktops. Ironically, as Rob Haitani, the software architect for Palm back in the day, used to say: the whole philosophy of the original Palm OS was that you should not try to mimic a big-screen mouse/screen environment, because it was not optimized for small-screen direct touch interactions. Transferring desktop interaction patterns onto a handheld was just not efficient, and that's why the early versions of Windows Mobile were slow to use. Now that it has adopted the Windows platform exclusively, Palm has to sing the opposite song.

Palm got a lot right in its earliest models, but it has struggled to stay innovative and focused in the last few years.

In the video, Palm also talks about how it wanted to take care of all the little details. It looks like the company has done that. But by focusing on the small things Palm's come up with a device that treads water in the market. There are no big things that really push the boat out further compared with other smartphones. There are no marquee features that really stand out in an increasingly large and diverse crowd. With the current state of the smartphone market, that's just not good enough to move the needle on Palm's dwindling market share and attract new customers to the Palm brand.

[Kreuzer33]

It's a great time to be a mobile consumer. The question is: which product will end up being the choice of the consumer? iPhone? Android? Treo Pro? At least we have options.

http://kreuzer33.wordpress.com/2008/08/21/palm-releases-its-treo-pro/

[BigPalmFan]

There is one thing Palm has going for it that isn't often mentioned. There are professionals like myself who have used Palm Desktop for many years now to create large databases of information they refer to daily for their careers. I have a lot of aviation data and programs on my Palm devices and Palm desktop. As yet, I have seen no decent program that can easily transfer all that data in its appropriate categories to another platform. Outlook doesn't cut it for me nor does the notes feature on the iPhone. And I don't need entertainment, I need a useful tool. My dream: A Treo with a Palm OS, a 5 megapixel camera, a bright, high resolution screen, a Treo 650 keyboard, a speaker that is loud and doesn't malfunction, and a long-life replacable battery. Make it and I'll buy it. I'll take mine in black.

[weeksgroove]

gotta Disagree with ya on this one,

The beautry of the Treo is that you can operate with 1 hand, unlike any other smart phone. As a Network Engineer, i would take a Treo over any other phone on the market.
In Fact, I have had my 700wx for over 2 years now and would still choose it over any other Smartphone on the market. (besides the new Treo)
The addition of WiFI, Mobile 6 and the new Layout really make the Palm the top player in the market for me.

I guess its all about what you need in a phone. If you want something to surf the web and show off pictures, a smart phone probably isn't for you in the ifrst place. Howerver, if you need to run a Wirless Router for Internet Access, Surf The web, Remotely connect to your environments, run applications easily, sync with Office Email, you cannot beat this phone. I can't tell you how important the form factor is here, 1 hand operation is a must for me. The small screen is still easily viewable and not so annoyingly large that everyone around you can see what you are working on.

[Arbra]

For years I've been suggesting to Palm that they needed to add cell phone capabilities to the T5 / TX form factor. It has the right screen size, thickness, good weight, great touchscreen. Not everyone wants / needs a QWERTY keyboard! Since then, Apple has shown they way it should be done WITHOUT a keyboard. What a HUGE wasted opportunity Palm squandered. For their loyal Palm OS user base with too many Palm applications they don't want to give up, it seems as if Palm has given up on them by catering mostly to the Windows Mobile crowd. All because their CEO was convinced users wanted a damned keyboard and thinking that new users were too stupid to learn the simpler and more reliable Palm interface.

[kgfife]

I think the only hope for Palm is as a PLATFORM, not a device. I would suspect that Palm the device company will not be able to compete against the Samsungs and Nokia's of the world as a 'me too' Windows Mobile device maker.

RIM has a software platform, iPhone has a platform, Microsoft has a Platform, Palm has an antiquated platform. I believe these major platforms are going to battle on some level for developers and software now that every man, woman and child is carrying a smart device. The reason I've held on so long with the palm platform is the simple reason that palm is what my software runs on. Sure I could switch to a new platform, but the process would be slow and painful, and may not be able to do what I want in the end. It's the same reason I?ve stuck with Microsoft on the desktop so far. IF IN THE FUTURE all of the good software is written for iPhone, which platform would the rational person choose as their next device?

What I would give for a fast, crash-free Wi-Fi enabled, PalmOS device with a REAL multi-threaded browser, 3G wireless, and a Wi-SIP client and NOT have to move to a new platform! Palm's rumored at their "next generation software in early 09" but Palm has announced 'next generation' platforms on several occasions in the past, and they have always remained a few months off until they were cancelled. May Cobalt rest in peace. May ALP rest in peace.

Hopefully there will not be another false start in 09. If they screw up again, I'm going to go platform shopping.

-KF

[brettamole]

Offer this with Palm OS instead of Windows Mobile and it might be worth a try. I'll walk miles out of my way to avoid any Windows based OS and offering this with Windows exclusively makes my extreme desire to de-Windowfy my life impossible. Android, here I come...

[gman5541]

Well, if you got an iPhone or iPhone 3G, then this phone looks like crap to you. Am I right on this or wrong?

[ddraper650]

I agree with brettamole that the Window OS does not cut it for a business user. Microsoft has yet to my amazement been unable to build a mobile email client that works. I tried the Palm 700w and it would take up to 20-30 seconds to delete a single email. As someone who receives lots of notification emails from various sources need to quickly delete most of them quickly and conveniently.

The unit would quickly consume memory was way to sluggish. With Palm leaving their OS behind for Windows (and I am Microsoft fan for the most part), guess I will stick with Palm 700p or look at the iPhone in the future.

[thirdpipe]

IF it was an Apple product, you'd be singing it's praises.

[ballmerisanape]

thirdpipe... put down the punch man..

People pick apart Apple products down to the smallest details. If this was an Apple product people would be lined up ready to declare the end of Apple and there mobile platform.

The iPhone isn't perfect, but the fact that Apple can in one year create a better mobile interface than what other companies have been developing for 10-15 years speaks volumes. Palm was the only bright spot on the smart phone OS front.. and now they have given up and went with Windows Mobile.. which is a complete joke.

[jcantwell]

"Now that it has adopted the Windows platform exclusively, Palm has to sing the opposite song." That is not correct. Palm has stated many times that it is in the midst of a major overhaul of the Palm OS for a 2009 release. In addition, the popular Centro is only available with the existing Palm OS. Palm is not married to Windows as you claim.

[tg22]

Am I to think that the Treo Pro will be available with a new Palm Platform in 2009? Or am I going to have to stick with my 755p for a long time. I'm a mac fan - don't get me wrong - but I reeaally like my Treo and reallly like what I see in the Treo Pro - so I'll wait for the Palm OS.

[JamesXFree]

If Palm is indeed readying a new Palm OS release for 2009, it only showcases the company's weakness in glaring detail. It's been over 5 years since the Palm OS has been overhauled and in today's technology market, that's an admission that you simply can't keep up with innovation. They have prettied up the external face but truly, what is inside that sets it apart from any other Windows smartphone. I gave up my Treo 700p last month for my first iPhone 3g and the functionality and ease of use, including with Office documents and email, have made it one of the smartest tech purchases I've made. There is nothing about my Treo that I miss.

[MaxLaw]

Well, I hope you iPhone is not one of those that kept hanging up on calls, or that had the battery fire problems. Your Treo 700p, I would think, never had that kind of a problem. For a simple OS to be easily used (and thus intuitive, as my wife calls it) does not make it some groaning antique. By the way, there have been multiple versions of the Palm OS in the last 5 years, but it did not go, for example, from XP to Vista like Windows did to the sound of crashing souls, sounds, dollars and credibility. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Palm OS is stable---it may lock up on occasion because I have so many programs on it, but from what I hear Windows Mobile is infinitely worse.

[OfTheDamned]

Wow, I guess people don't bother to actually look anything up or read about the products they are discussing anymore. It is really sad that no one bothers to check their facts before posting/printing something these days.

Palm is pretty much damned if they do and damned if they don't with all the tech bloggers out there.

People complain that the Treo form factor is to bulky and bland. So Palm creates the Centro which has been one of the hottest selling smartphones in history and people talk about the OS being outdated, the screen and keyboard are too small, they are only popular because of the price, etc. Palm redesigns the Treo and makes it more stylish, slimmer and smoother smart phone. So people complain that it isn't innovative enough, it won't revolutionize anything and it didn't change the world. People complain about the OS on the Treos and Centros. Palm starts using Windows Mobile and developing a brand new Linux based platform (You would probably know this already if you bothered to read anything on a palm, Treo, Centro or smartphone blog out there).

Get over it! It isn't an iPhone or a Blackberry and it never will be. Nobody needs to reinvent the wheel every time a new phone comes out (Palm already did it once when the first Treo came out anyway). They aren't married to Windows either, this is just a Windows based model like the 700w was. I think it is cool that they can actually have the same basic phone running 2 different OSs anyway, how many companies are doing that? Nokia, Apple, Blackberry, HTC, anyone? Not that I can remember.

If you bother to actually look at the market it is more or less ruled by Blackberry, Palm and Windows mobile based devices. Blackberry and Windows Mobile devices are the larger portion of the market obviously. Maybe Palm, knowing that they didn't have their new OS ready and not being able to us the Blackberry OS, made a business decision and released a well designed phone that runs one of the most popular OSs around. Obviously Palm knew what they were doing when they designed the Centro and even though many a tech blogger bashed it, they still sold like hot cakes.

Also, just to be clear, I am not some Palm fanboy on this. I have owned quite a few Palm devices in the past, but I actually use a Blackberry right now. However, when Palms new devices come out and if they have the new Linux OS that may not be the case.

[ekesqueaky]

Excellent post!

[MaxLaw]

Excellently said, and with a tinge of anger! My kind of response.

Now if you would quit using that Blackberry like my wife did, changing to a Treo 755p, you would be perfect....just like her....

[dude7895]

Well said.

[MaxLaw]

It is so very true that Palm has not discarded its in-house OS, but will be retaining it and utilizing it in the future. There is talk of late this year or early next year that the so-called "Palm 2 OS" will be released. Windows underwrites some production costs no doubt and wants its mitts in the mobile world like it has on the desk top computer. But, I will wait for Palm OS to be on the Treo Pro. Until then, my Treo 680 is working just fine with its supposedly ancient Palm OS that nonetheless is sturdy, stable and intuitive. Windows Mobile cannot make those claims, in my opinion.

The Treo Pro has so many fine specifications that I will quit thinking about getting the unlocked GSM Centro (for use on Suncom here in the Southeast) and instead wait for this very worthy smartphone

[cheezr]

the challenge for palm is how to market the pro.
it seems that at&t decided not to pick it up so it is going to be sold unlocked only at a price that palm may have commanded 5 years ago but today i am not so sure.
since i am still not able to sync my treo 750 with vista (palm blames ms, ms ignores me)...
i really dont care!
but if palm offered me an intelligent trade up (not $25) i might be interested. otherwise i dont see this being much of a player.

czr

[cheezr]

to MaxLaw,
i believe that palm decided to retool their retooled linux os post the iphone but in any case they recently announced a "mid" 2009 date. AFAIK, "mid" falls somewhere around December 31st...
Lets hope not as competition really keeps the other players on their feet!

CZR

[gworden]

Windows on a Palm device. It's such a shame. Palm has fallen so far and has no end in sight. They seem to have no design talent left and no vision for the future. They are less than also rans. I want them to come out with another one or two ho-hum devices. Where's the Folio? Then I can step in with a private equity play.

[stigmattaman]

You haven't even touched it.

[richardsona]

It would have been more precise for me to say that the Pro is exclusively Windows, rather than Palm overall. The Centro uses the now very old Palm OS, which has not been updated in a major way in years that I know of. Palm has been talking about a new OS for ages, and has apparently gone through several iterations. I like the Palm OS (though not as much as Psion's old OS, pre-Symbian) so would love to see a thorough modernizing of it. But until it is actually released then it is an intellectual exercise, since you can't buy and use it.

@OfTheDamned... If Palm is in a damned-if-they-do, damned-if-they-don't situation, unfortunately they put themselves in it. The Centro is a solid product, and the Pro looks solid too, however "solid" is not really enough to kick-start Palm again. They need more than that, and that's not what I see in the Pro. It's not a bad product by any stretch, actually it looks quite good, I just don't think that is good enough for the health of Palm. Believe me, I'd love to see Palm have a resurgence, and they may still pull it off, but they need better than parity products to achieve it. You say they don't have to reinvent the wheel - I think the problem is they haven't reinvented it enough. Apple did and look what it got them.

@Thirdpipe: If it was an Apple product I would call it like I see it. I was quite critical of some of the design choices on the iPhone when it first came out, and most of those critiques still stand *for me*. The 3G has fixed some of them, but has introduced other issues...

[clicclic99]

Amazing how emotional us readers are - to this day - about Palm products. What does it suggest? Possibly that the Palm OS and Palm form factor had some powerful impact on all of us.

I'm a long-time Palm lover, but currently am using Nokia phones. Why? Because their cameras are great. Their s60 OS is a pain in the ass to work with hru OSX (you can't) which is absurd. Sure, bluetooth back and forth, but that's just not easy as the Palm system.

Palm is doing great stuff - my wife loves her new little Centro (a 650 graduate). If they'd just keep the same Palm OS and subtly add in multitasking and background features, I think we'd all be thrilled. There's just something great about that simple OS...

[punk9585]

Has anyone looked at the Plam 800w? Wi-fi, EVDO Rev. A, GPS, and Windows 6.1. it has the same keyboard as on the 650, 700, and 755 but is .25 inches thinner then any of those as well as lighter and smaller. It has been out for 3 weeks now and i dont see why the Treo Pro is any better. It also has the bad keyboard that came on the centro...

[gizmoguy2]

I had a Treo 800W for three weeks. Battery lasted about half a day. I see the Treo Pro has a much bigger battery and will be coming out on CDMA soon.