[mugwump]

very interesting indeed...
TreoMB.com

-I dig the keyboard
-no cradle to carry around
-doesn't look like a huge cell phone...

Anyhow, I've always wondered why you can't talk into PDA's...

[ 12-19-2001: Message edited by: mugwump ]

bump

[Woggle]

There it is. Yes, I want one of these with the keyboard, so long as Grafiti is possible. Mind you, I'd prefer a Fitaly(www.fitaly.com) keyboard, in theory it certainly sounds better than a minutarised Qwerty when you consider that the Qwerty was designed to slow fast typists down. If Grafiti can be used, I seem to remember a share ware program for turning the whole screen into a Grafiti area, thereby giving you the bost of best worlds, add in cell phone and data capabilities, and what more could you want... well, and expanion slot, but it seems you still can't have everything.

Wait a minute, GSM, the only GSM we have here is unbelievably crappy VoiceStream service as it would appear that we're an afterthought(nearest tower is 23 miles away, some cellphones won't even work).


[ 10-11-2001: Message edited by: Woggle ]

[GORDYmac]

I am probably the only person I know without a mobile phone. But if Handspring manufactures the Treo k180, I'm buying it. This is the most compelling handheld device I've seen since I bought my Palm III back in '98.

[ 10-11-2001: Message edited by: GORDYmac ]

Which is better, graffiti or a keyboard? I have little experience with pda's...


(I would like to be able to register w/ this Opera browser)

[Indigo Boy]

GordyMac, start saving your pennies.

Handspring Treo was announced today on Handspring's site. But it looks like it won't actually be available until next calendar year.... A color screen model is also on the way. :-)

[ 10-15-2001: Message edited by: Indigo Boy ]

[C.J. Moof]

No Springboard slot! That's a deal-breaker for me.

The Treo is a slick looking Swiss army knife of a digital gadget, but I really love geocaching with my Visor/Magellan GPS springboard module combo. I wouldn't carry a stand-alone GPS with me everywhere, but I will carry the module with my Visor.

Admittedly, the GPS unit would look REALLY awkward sticking out of the Treo, but being expansion-less is a bummer, IMHO.

[Indigo Boy]

For me, I haven't yet bought or used any Springboards. In fact, the only one I have seriously considered is a modem for e-mailing and web-surfing. So the Treo would already take care of that for me. And I would love to combine my phone and handheld into one.

My only concern is that I'd have to change wireless providers--my wireless company doesn't support GSM, as far as I know. :-( The same is true with the Samsung and Kyocera smart phones (not because of GSM but because my company doesn't offer them).

Handspring states that the Visor phone will continue to be offered, so you could continue to do a lot of the same things with your Visor that you do now. Add a little attachable keyboard (there are several available), and you'll have an expandable Treo.

[Amorya]

I wish that someone would make a PDA/phone on the 1800mhz band - I'm on a network that only runs on that band, and all American phones think that 900=Europe and 1900=USA. But in the UK, 2 out of 4 networks ONLY run on 1800!

Amorya

[chicken_tastes_good]

amorya

Handspring states that they are making two dual band treos. One is 900 & 1900 MHz and the other is 900 & 1800 Mhz. The latter is the european version I believe.

On the other hand it is only GSM, and 9600 is a pretty poor baudrate (worse than CDPD). The upgrade to GPRS might be a long way away (and then you only move up to 28.8 kbps).

CDMA2000 (aka 1xRTT) at ~115 kbps is the only way to go. What do you want to bet that the CDMA version of the Treo is only IS-95 (14.4 kpbs?)?

[cpatubo]

Originally posted by <mugwump1>:
<STRONG>Which is better, graffiti or a keyboard? I have little experience with pda's...</STRONG>

I started a new topic Here on this subject. Join me!

cp

[vmarks]

Originally posted by Indigo Boy:
[QB]For me, I haven't yet bought or used any Springboards. In fact, the only one I have seriously considered is a modem for e-mailing and web-surfing. So the Treo would already take care of that for me. And I would love to combine my phone and handheld into one.

QB]

Two words: backup module.

This little springboard has saved me more times than I care to know.
Change batteries and I'm lazy about the time? backup module.
want to make sure something is backed up in case I need to reset before I get to sync? backup module.

Sure, I've used my thinmodem module once or twice, and I've thought about getting an 802.11b card for it (work just installed airport throughout the building.. but I'd have to get our networking guys to allow my MAC address on the network, and they likely aren't interested..)

but between the visorphone and the backup module, backup module is amazing.

I have a friend who uses the memplug smartmedia adapter with his, and I have a med student friend, that I bought all the medical ebook modules for.

losing modules would be a tragedy for me.

[Indigo Boy]

Hello, vmarks!

Thanks for your suggestion. I'm aware of the Thinmodem/8MB storage combo and have thought about getting it. (The storage is not a backup module per se, but can it be used that way?)

Recently after installing a bad piece of software, I had to hard reset my Visor, but when I synced up again, everything was there (including a few things I had deleted from my Visor). So I am a bit curious: I back up my Visor to my iMac several times a week. What, besides mobility (and I am not a frequent traveler, much as I might enjoy it if I had more money!), is the advantage of a backup Springboard over simply being faithful in backing up to my iMac frequently?

I welcome further enlightenment. The Treo doesn't use Springboards; so I would guess its only means of backup would be the computer, right?

[bender]

Originally posted by Indigo Boy:
<STRONG>Hello, vmarks!

Thanks for your suggestion. I'm aware of the Thinmodem/8MB storage combo and have thought about getting it. (The storage is not a backup module per se, but can it be used that way?)

Recently after installing a bad piece of software, I had to hard reset my Visor, but when I synced up again, everything was there (including a few things I had deleted from my Visor). So I am a bit curious: I back up my Visor to my iMac several times a week. What, besides mobility (and I am not a frequent traveler, much as I might enjoy it if I had more money!), is the advantage of a backup Springboard over simply being faithful in backing up to my iMac frequently?

I welcome further enlightenment. The Treo doesn't use Springboards; so I would guess its only means of backup would be the computer, right?</STRONG>

I think the main advantage is for people who travel. If you're away, especially on business, the last thing you want is to lose all your contacts, etc. And for people like me who also use a visorphone it'd be even more traumatic.

If Handspring is really thinking, they'll come out with a secure web site where Treo owners will have storage space to sync remotely, something like iDisk I guess. AvantGo already has the ability to sync wirelessly to your PDA.

[cpatubo]

Originally posted by vmarks:
<STRONG>
Two words: backup module.
</STRONG>

Heartily agreed. I am another happy owner of a 8MB Flash Module. I love the FileMover app, it's so easy to use. Plug and play, as they say! I had a really bad crash a few months ago (datebook error) and the module saved my life (or at least the life that was on the Visor, heh).

The Treo is a good concept, but it is clearly not a Visor because of the lack of springboard slot.. which was/is its defining feature. It's just a new breed of PDA.

[WTWolfe]

I guess you haven't heard of the MemPlug! It is an awesome Springboard module! It is available in Smart media and Compact flash. I am using a Prism and CF MemPlug with a 64mb CF card installed. I have 72mb of ram! Wah hoo!

[Bockie]

Nothing intelligent to add to the conversation, but VoiceStream is the only provider with Visor-compatibility. Any suggestions on a wireless company. I've got Cingular, but my plan ends after the new year and I am looking to get a PDA.

For a laugh, look at the wireless email being sent on the Treo: http://handspring.com/products/treo/..._cat_name=Treo

[Petter]

Have you looked at Motorola Accompli 008 - Sweeeet!

Though it does not cover all three bands, it do support 900/1800 MHz and it's a really cool pda/phone with javasupport (J2ME), POP, IMAP, SMTP, GPRS, WAP!
It does handwriting recognision as well, letter by letter only but it does it fast and very accurate!

I've just been trying it out today and I hope to get one from Motorola around x-mas!
I have to stick to my V.50 and V.66 right now...

[mugwump]

bump


[ 02-11-2002: Message edited by: mugwump ]

[Mastrap]

Originally posted by mugwump:
<STRONG>very interesting indeed...
http://www.visorcentral.com/page/0-2-1107-2.htm

-I dig the keyboard
-no cradle to carry around
-doesn't look like a huge cell phone...

Anyhow, I've always wondered why you can't talk into PDA's...</STRONG>

One reason not to have your connectivity and your data on the same device: GPRS

GPRS is becoming available soon, I think in Germany it's already online. (I was there last week and had a quick look into a shopwindow and I think I saw it advertised - but not 100% sure)


So as soon as you've got the faster connection, and 28.8 is a *lot* better than GSM, your beautiful and no doubt expensive phone/pda becomes obsolete. I gonna keep my Vx for a while, it syncs with my Nokia, I've got email, web access, WAP ans SMS on it and soon it will do all these things a lot faster. All I am going to do is upgrade my phone.

if I'm not mistaken, the "beautiful and expensive" Treo will offer this GPRS as an firmware/software upgrade. Cingular is paying out $4 billion to develop GSM/GPRS in the US, and Treo will be able to take advantage of it.

mugwump
--film editor

[mikithecrackhead]

After witnessing the price drops in PDA's the past couple of months, ie. Palm V for $199, Visor Deluxe refurbished for $99, Palm III color for $199, Sony's price drop on all their PDA's, Palm m100 for $79 - $100, Now Visor Edge for $270. ( almost all bundled with some type of useful software).Would anyone in their right mind pay $400 for a Treo? I think the Treo is overpriced, I think the concept is good but $400? If there price is still at $400 in june while sales slow down in June, I predict Handspring to file for chapter 11 bankrupcy.

[fisherKing]

i like the idea/design of the treo.
but here's my problem(s):
someone calls me on my cell, they need a number for someone.
i look it up in my palm vx...or i hang up, check the treo, then call back.

i go out to a bar, get a bit tipsy, lose my treo. thank god i'm backed up at home...
or i lose my cell phone. buy another. my palm's at home (why do i need my appointments & notes when i'm out socially anyway?)

my phone plan is expiring in a month, and there's a beautiful new nokia phone available for free when i sign up for another year.

or i continue to use my treo, now worth maybe $199. (& the new treo blows mine away...)

not buying it!

Originally posted by mikithecrackhead:
<STRONG>Would anyone in their right mind pay $400 for a Treo?... I predict Handspring to file for chapter 11 bankrupcy.</STRONG>

Well it's not exactly 400 dollars, it's 600 dollars without plan. Which makes it one super ultra overpriced Mono PDA Phone.

will Handspring file for chapter 11, I really don't wanna get framed by Handspring supporters, but looks like Treo is not going to make them profitable.

Um, about the profitability of Handspring: According to recent announcements from the company regarding both the Treo and various cash investments, for the first time in it's history most analyst agree that the company should be in the black near the middle of the year. Just do a search for Handspring from last week and there's a number of news items about it. Plus, the stock is up over 120% since the Treo announcement (the market is optimistic) although the stock price is still around $6.

As for buying a Treo then losing it at a bar, of course that would suck, but so would a lot of possible scenarios in life. I'm sure glad my laptop is fine after years using it 'round town...

Oh, one more thing. Is there anything more silly in life that most people spend $35 a month just to carry around a little phone? At least this device will serve some more of a purpose, such as organizing contacts, managing your daily schedules, AND it works as the greatest phone yet designed in terms of instant number search from your contact list, instant messaging and internet, ETC.

I mean, most of us are near a phone for 95% of the day without even owning a cellular.

Hehehahahayukyuk, I always imagine a movie back from the 50's with some dude carrying around a phone with him at all times.

[scadboy]

I bought a Handspring Visor Edge (the nice silver one) back in september to replace my Palm m100, and, at the time, considered forking over the extra $99 for the visor Phone thingy, but held off. Two weeks ago, I saw handspring was giving away the Visor Phone expansion when you order it with a service plan, so I did it. $11.50 (express shipping) and two days later, I hooked it up for the first time.

I was put off at first by the size of the overall package, the edge is handspring's smallest visor, and the phone itself is quite small, but you need a special adapter to use springboard modules, such as the Visor Phone, with the Edge. This essentially triples the depth of the Edge with the phone installed, and makes it impossible to use a protective screen cover. All of this adds up to a less than elegant package, however, I am very impressed with how it all works together.

The Edge remains fully functional while you're taking a call, so you can switch between applications, to, say, retrieve a phone number or look at your date book, while you're talking (assuming you use the included earpiece, otherwise you'll have to ask the party on the other line to hold on for a second while you fiddle ;-), and I can call anyone in my address book with just two taps of my stylus. You can also copy phone numbers from documents in any other application and paste them directly into the dial pad, if, say you scribbled some cutie's phone number in your memo pad, but didn't bother to carve out a space for him in your address book, or if you have a phone number in your to-do list.

The combination of the two devices also keeps you from having to reenter all your friends' numbers into your cell phone, which I've found to be a pretty tedious process on just about every other cell phone,

"so, wait, I press the '6' key once if I want the 'm', twice if I want the 'n' and three times if I want the 'o,' and, I have to press the star key first if I want it capitalized?"

not to mention the limited screen space on most cell phones, which has led to some ingenious abreviations on the speed dials on my friends' cell phones.

I can also take full advantage of SMS messaging. how long do you think it takes to tap out a 140 character message using a standard cell phone keypad.... well, about ten times as long as it takes me to scribble one in grafiti. Which is perfect when my b/f needs to send me a little note to remind me to get eggs, milk, bread, and ben & jerry's on the way home from work, or when I know he's online (and thus not answering the phone) and I need to email him to let him know that I'll be home late and that the store was out of ben & jerry's.

So, despite it's bulk, I love my visor phone, and plan on upgrading to a Treo when the come out. My Voice Stream rep tell me they'll be $499 without activation, so I can just swap out my sim card, and sell the edge and its clunky phone attachment. The price is quite competitive with the other "smart phones" on the market, and I think the Treo's form factor has them all beat.

So what if it's only greyscale, what real function does color serve in a handheld right now, anyway? It's kind of cool to be able to carry around color photos and video clips on your palm, but until there's a solid advantage to having color, it's just an extra liability. Color screens cost about three times the greyscale models to replace if you break them, and the only decent quality color screen on the market is on the already overpriced Clie, which is way too thick for my taste, and it doesn't have cell phone functionality.

I think handspring is doing alot more to innovate in the handheld industry right now than Palm, Sony, or Microsoft. And if anyone's interested, the very first one is up for bid at eBay right now... http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/cescharity2002

I hope this mean it's going on sale soon!

[ 12-10-2001: Message edited by: scadboy ]

[mikithecrackhead]

Holy sh****** it's up to $1,100 wow

[Apple Pro Underwear]

Originally posted by mikithecrackhead:
<STRONG>Holy sh****** it's up to $1,100 wow </STRONG>

i know. but it's soo cool. i love my neo but this thing is too awesome.

[seanyepez]

I think they should keep good handwriting recognition if they are going to have such a sad keyboard. I have tried that keyboard type on the Motorola wireless devices, and personally, I would rather use handwriting recognition rather than its keyboard.

[Apple Pro Underwear]

Originally posted by seanyepez:
<STRONG>I think they should keep good handwriting recognition if they are going to have such a sad keyboard. I have tried that keyboard type on the Motorola wireless devices, and personally, I would rather use handwriting recognition rather than its keyboard.</STRONG>

i know, i though graffit was gonna be a little hard getting used to....


but except for the K....i learned it instantly. practice made perfect though.

[Hi I'm Ben]

I read about the Treo, to me it looked like junk. It will be a GSM phone only, so all you guys talking about getting it better either A. Move to Europe or Use Voice Stream or Alltech services, i think it's called Alltech i'm not sure.. I havn't read enough about yet, I'd be interested to know if it were able to use overseas anyway, many GSM phones sold in America are not able to go over seas even with the proper SIM cards.

anyway
Other then the keyboard I havn't seen anything that blows my mind away about the handspring treo that isn't already in a PDA cell phone as of this date. It's a little bit BIGGER, if that's an advantage.

Best PDA phone i've seen so far has been the Samsun i300. It has no ugly flip screen like the Kyocera and the Treo, the only thing it has that is a downside is the serial connection.

oh yeah, it's not mac compatible =).

I guess that's a downside for most of you.

Either way, customer base for PDA phones is really small, in the end no one really wants them extremly bad, they're big, ugly and lack some functionalities other devices might have, such as expanding and installing modules and such to them.

[mikithecrackhead]

The Treo is now available for only just over $3,000, get yours now!treo on ebay

[mugwump]

Well, at 2am early on Monday morning, let the ordering begin! More info HERE

[Jansar]

That thing looks nice, but $3,000? I'd rather get a G4 tower.

[mugwump]

now for sale at the Handspring web site!

[mikithecrackhead]

Nice little machine but still overpriced. With Nokia, Palm, Kyocera, Samsung, RIM, Motorola, Blackberry,and Sharp already in the US picture expect the end of Handspring to come, they are going to get eaten alive. Handspring waited too long. Thanks for the concept Handspring, good bye....

[Woggle]

Originally posted by mikithecrackhead:
<STRONG>Nice little machine but still overpriced. With Nokia, Palm, Kyocera, Samsung, RIM, Motorola, Blackberry,and Sharp already in the US picture expect the end of Handspring to come, they are going to get eaten alive. Handspring waited too long. Thanks for the concept Handspring, good bye.... </STRONG>

Mmm, I wouldn't count them out yet, reviews have called it the best combo of a PDA and phone, not surprising considering who's behind it. I will admit, they have an uphill fight, and the price is a bit steep, but like Kyocera's unit, the price will come down in time, once they get used to making it and iron out any rough edges.

I rather think that this'll be an interesting year, with Nokia being the only other real competition for this market... so far.