Windows Mobile Sync Troubleshooting

I went to sync my Palm Treo 750 with my Dell Optiplex 755 running Microsoft Windows Vista Business SP1 this evening and ran into trouble. (Imagine that!)

When I placed the Treo in the cradle, the Windows Mobile Device Center didn't recognize that there was a device connected to the system. Sure, I heard that familiar "plink-plunk" when you connect a USB device to Windows, but the Treo and the PC just wouldn't talk to each other.

Windows Mobile Synchronization Troubleshooting Steps

Here is a short list of the troubleshooting steps that I took to resolve the issue.

1. Soft reset the Treo. (Just pull the batter, wait 20 seconds, and put it back in.)
2. Reboot the PC. (Stopping and restarting the Windows Mobile services didn't seem to work.)
3. Use the Windows Mobile Device Center to delete and recreate the partnership.
4. Resync the Treo with the Vista PC.

Upon initial resync wtih Windows and Microsoft Office, there was a sync error, however, performing a second data sync immediately after the first seemed to have cleared that error up.

Using the Treo to view the last sync status

You can check what the status was of the last data synchronization with your Treo was by using the ActiveSync application on your device. To view the last sync status:

1. Press the Start button (Windows flag key)
2. Select Programs from the Start menu (or press the "P" key)
3. Tap the ActiveSync icon
4. Use the right button (or tap the screen) to select the software Menu button
5. Select Status (or press "T") to view the sync log

Jeff Kirvin on the Treo 800w

Now batting for the Palm lineup - Jeff Kirvin!

"The Kirv" has picked up a new Windows Mobile Treo 800w. Jeff writes:

"I picked up a Treo 800w over the weekend and man, I have to give Palm their props. This is a wonderful refinement of the venerable Treo form factor. It’s comfortable, light and elegant. But what really make the difference is software, Palm’s “special sauce”."

Read Jeff's full post on JeffKirvin.net...

Palm Officially Launches the Treo 800w

Earlier today, Palm has launched the Treo 800w smartphone for the Sprint wireless network with Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, 802.11g Wi-Fi, and GPS capabilities.

"Palm is adding a unique stamp to the Windows Mobile experience with the Treo 800w," said Stephane Maes, vice president, product marketing, Palm, Inc. "It's an easy-to-use feature-packed smartphone that will keep users happy, empowered and productive."

The complete list of Treo 800w product specs can be found on the Palm Treo 800w website.
A downloadable PDF datasheet for the Treo 800w is also available.

The Treo 800w can be purchased for as little as $249.99 with a qualifying service plan and after instant and mail in rebates. Without a service agreement, the Treo 800w sells for $599.

You can purchase the Treo 800w from Palm's online store or Sprint's retail outlets and online store.

Weekend Wrap Up

This weekend, Palm made three important moves, not that anyone noticed with iPhonemania 2.0 in full swing.

Electric Blue Centro, Temporary Price Cut

On Friday, Palm introduced a new electric blue Centro on the AT&T wireless network. If you are following along on your scorecards, AT&T now has three colors to choose from: obsidian black, glacier white, and now electric blue. To entice even more people to chose Centro, AT&T has lowered the price to $69.99 when you sign up for a qualifying two-year service agreement. That is great news for anyone looking to jump on the smartphone bandwagon!

You can purchase an AT&T Centro either online from the Palm or AT&T website, or from any AT&T retail outlet. For more details, visit the Palm Centro website.


Sprint Begins Selling the Palm Treo 800w

At long last the new Palm Treo 800w is available! It has a great looking case and offers several new built-in features previously unavailable on any previous Palm smartphone.

Just some of the new features include Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1; a 320x320 touch screen display, a 2.0MP camera, and built-in Wi-Fi and GPS radios. The new Treo retails for $599, however, when you sign up for a qualifying service plan, after instant and mail-in rebates, the 800w sells for $249.99. A handsome price for what could be a very nice phone.

On Sunday night, Palm has yet to issue a press release or update their website and online store. Look for more details come Monday morning.


Oh Palm, sigh…

Working with AT&T to bring out a new Centro, if only in color, and putting a price cut in place was the right thing to do. And launching the much-anticipated Treo 800w on Sprint was another positive step forward.

Yet, once again, Palm’s marketing department show how inept they are. Launching two new phones and introducing a price cut during the same weekend that Apple was rolling out their new iPhone 3G and iPhone 2.0 software was just poor planning.

John Paczkowski from the D: All Things Digital website, has the perfect quote from Charlie Wolf who is an analyst at Needham & Company. The quote reads:

“They took the wrong day to do it,” said Charlie Wolf, a wireless analyst at Needham & Co. “It’s going to be drowned out by the hoopla around the iPhone.”

I truly hope that Palm learns from this mistake, and doesn’t start talking publicly about their Palm OS II/Nova plans and/or devices during the same week that Apple is rolling out new products at MacWorld Expo in San Francisco come January 2009. Palm needs to get out in front of Apple, or get behind them. Just don’t go toe-to-toe with them.

Palm Launches the Treo 800w on Sprint

Starting today, Sprint has begun selling the Palm Treo 800w smartphone. According to the Sprint website, the Treo 800w has the following product specifications:

• Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1
• Autonomous and simultaneous GPS using Sprint Navigation for turn by turn directions, and points of interest searches
• Stereo Bluetooth lets you listen to your music on the go
• Embedded Wi-Fi
• 2.0 Megapixel camera/camcorder
• MicroSD card support
• 320x320 TFT display capable of displaying 65K colors
• 256MB of user memory, 128MB of program memory
• Incoming call alerts when a data session is in progress, avoid sending callers directly to voicemail
• Phone as a modem support

The Treo 800w sells for $599 without a service plan and can be had for as little as $249.99 when purchased with a monthly $25 or more data plan (in addition to a voice plan) or the Sprint Simply Everything plan ($250 instant savings, $100 mail-in rebate).

Palm has yet to issue a press release officially announcing the Treo 800w. Additionally, the Palm website and online store have yet to be updated. I expect Palm's official launch of the Treo 800w to come on Monday morning.

Make sure you tune into this week's 1SRC.com Podcast for more details on the Treo 800w.

For more details, or to purchase the Treo 800w now, visit the Sprint website.

Palm Post Verizon Treo 755p Update

Palm has posted a minor maintenance release for the Verizon Treo 755p. The new software brings the ROM version number up to Treo755p-1.08-VZW.

Similar to the Sprint Treo 755p update that was released on January 30 of this year, the Verizon update only states that "[t]his software update is a tune-up that improves the phone application, stability and device usability."

Having applied the Sprint update to my Treo 755p, I did not notice any changes in my device after the upgrade. The Treo was working well before the update and it is still working well six months later.

Download and update directions can be found on the Palm website.

Windows Mobile Journal: Adding Wi-Fi to the Treo 750

Now that I have a Windows Mobile device and I put a pre-paid AT&T Go Phone voice plan on my Treo 750, I wanted to add a data service without having to subscribe to another monthly cellular plan. To use data services, such as e-mail, web browsing, and other Internet applications, I added a Spectec miniSD 802.11b Wi-Fi card to my Treo.

The first thing you need to do is obtain your Treo 750 (United States) or Treo 750v (Europe). Then you need to purchase the Spectec card. I ordered mine from the TreoCentral online store. Once it arrives, it is time to set it up. One thing that wasn't clear from reading articles and reviews of the Spectec WLAN card I found online was whether or not the card works with Windows Mobile 6.0. All the reviews and spec sheets I saw talked about Windows Mobile 5.0, the version of Windows Mobile that originally shipped on the Treo 750 series. I can tell you that the Spectec card does work with Windows Mobile 6.0 - you just need to download the Windows Mobile 6 driver first.

Note: I'm not going to repeat the process for setting up the Wi-Fi card under Windows Mobile 5.0. There are already directions for doing that online.

Download the Windows Mobile 6 WLAN card driver from the Spectec website. Then copy the driver, wlan11b_wm60.CAB, down to your Treo 750. Once you have copied the file to the Treo, use Windows Explorer to browse to the file and execute it. The driver will install on your Treo. You may need to soft reset your device.

Now that the driver it is almost time to turn it on. If you are using an AT&T Treo 750, before you can establish a data connection to anything other than AT&T's data network, you will need to disable the forced AT&T proxy server setting. In the Programs folder (Start > Programs), launch the Proxy Manager application and uncheck the Force AT&T Proxy checkbox. When you do, you will receive a notice that the proxy server has been disabled. Press the OK button to clear the warning.














Now, turn off the cell phone radio, insert the card, and then open the Wireless Manager application (Start > Settings > Connections > Wireless Manager). You will now see a Wi-Fi section.














Press the menu button to access the Wi-Fi Settings screen. From there you can setup the connection properties for the Wi-Fi hot spots that are in range.


























At this point, you can launch an Internet application like Pocket Internet Explorer or Pocket Outlook and surf the web or check you email.

Rumor: Palm Treo 800w Specs

Earlier today EngadgetMobile spilled the beans on the specs for Palm's upcoming and often rumored Treo 800w for the Verizon Wireless network. The specs for the CDMA Treo 800w are:

• 1xEvDO Rev A
• 256MB Flash, 128MB RAM
• Windows Mobile 6 Professional (likely 6.1)
• 802.11b/g Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 2.0 with BBAC Bluetooth and cable support
• micro-SD card slot
• 1.3MP digital camera
• Stereo Bluetooth support (A2DP)

These specs are very similar to those of the Treo 850 that also leaked our recently. No pricing information was listed, however, the Verizon Wireless slide had a launch date of "3Q 2008."

Full details at EngadgetMobile.com...

Rumor: Palm Treo 850 Specs

Tam over at TamsPPC has posted the supposed product specifications for the unannounced Treo 850 smartphone. Tam claims to have received the specs for the upcoming Treo from a source at Palm.

In the article posted on TamsPPC, the source writes:

"This is not the PalmOS version of the Centro.

It can be regarded as the evolution of the 750 line of devices. The unit is a little wider, but much slimmer than the Centro, it’s 175 MB for user), 32 MB SDRAM and Windows Mobile Pro 6.1.

The Codename for this unit was 'Skywriter' "

Tam goes on to list the specs for the Palm Treo 850 as the following:

14 mm in thickness, width 60 mm and length 113 mm

GSM, EDGE and UMTS HSDPA 3.6

assisted-GPS receiver

Wi-FI b/g

320*320 screen, touch panel

micro-SD slot under the battery

2 MP camera

1500 mAh battery

a micro-USB connector for both power and sync

bluetooth 2.0 EDR + A2DP, 256 MB NAND-Flash (> 175 MB for user), 32 MB SDRAM

Windows Mobile Pro 6.1

Love 'em or hate 'em, there are some changes from the current Treo smartphone line up. First is the inclusion of Wi-Fi 802.11b and 802.11g as a built-in feature. Also, the addition of a 320x320 display in a Windows Mobile device is also new. Most power users will be happy with the 2.0MP camera and will probably bemoan the fact that there is no built-in flash. (Come on people, must you have everything?!) However, before you rush out and purchase that new Treo, just keep in mind that the Athena sync port is being replaced with a micro-USB cable, which means that you may need to purchase some extra cables if you sync or charge your Palm at multiple locations.

All-in-all, this looks like it is going to be a solid device that will make many of Palm's customers happily fork over the cash to upgrade from older Treo products.

Photo from The Boy Genius Report.

Rumor: PIC has a Treo 800w pic

PalmInfoCenter.com (PIC) has posted what they believe to be a picture of the device rumored to be Palm's new Windows Mobile device, the Treo 800w.

Check out PalmInfoCenter.com for details...

Treo 755p Is Still A Go for Sprint

Clarifying an earlier post today, Brighthand's Editor in Chief, Ed Hardy, has posted an update to the Sprint Treo 755p story.

It turns out that Sprint delisted the Treo 755p due to supply shortages and not because they are no longer selling the Palm OS Treo. A Sprint representative told Brighthand that:

"Sprint has not discontinued the Treo 755p from its smartphone portfolio, however, we are currently addressing temporary outage of inventory which is why the handset is not currently featured as part of our online store at www.sprint.com. Sprint plans to continue offering these handsets and investing in new Palm products throughout 2008."

Sprint Treo 755p customers, myself included, can breath a sigh of relief.

Rumor: A New Palm Smartphone Before Year's End?

We know that Palm is working on a new Linux-based operating system, often referred to as "Palm OS II" or "Palm OS Nova." We also know that Palm is working on new hardware form factors for their Treo smartphone line. It has also become generally accepted that we will have to wait until this time next year before we will be able to get our hands on Palm's new products running the new operating system until 2009. Or will we?

While reading an article on AppleInsider about the impact to both Research In Motion and Palm, there is a short statement from an industry analyst that may hint at a new device from Palm, possibly a new Treo, before the end of 2008. Ya, I said before the end of 2008. The following is a quote from the AppleInsider article:

"Palm's new Centro smartphone is also characterized as a stopgap measure to tide users over until a real, Linux-based Treo replacement is available near the end of 2008. It sells for as little as $99 but isn't seen as capable of holding its own against either the iPhone or other rivals for the next few quarters. Most customers are attracted to the Centro for its price rather than its feature set, a situation the Needham researcher says is likely to change once prices drop."

This is the second time in as many months that I've seen mention of a new Palm product becoming available before the end of the year that is not one of the rumored devices I've been following.

It is important that we not get ahead of ourselves here. Before smartphones can go on sale in the US, the wireless carrier needs to certify each device before they will allow it to be connected to their network. It is also widely expected that Palm will need to deliver new smartphones to the networks up to six months in advance of it going on sale. Could this analyst simply be confused by what will happen by year's end? Did he really mean that the carriers will get new Palm devices for testing, or did he really mean that new devices running the new OS be on sale by the end of 2008? It is hard to tell, but it would sure be some welcomed news for the Palm OS user community if a new device and operating system became available in time for the holidays. And I'm sure Palm wouldn't mind a little sales boost in December either.

Fact or fiction? I'll leave that for you to decide.

Palm Rumor Round Up

The first quarter of 2008 has come and gone, so I figured it is time that I review the current status of all of the Palm rumors floating around on the Internet.

Treo 800w

I expect this device to show up in July 2008 on the Sprint network if the leaked slide on WMEXperts.com is real. The Treo 800w will replace the Treo 700wx in the carrier's network. The latest rumors seem to indicate that this new Windows Mobile Treo will ship with Windows Mobile 6.1 and not 6.0 as indicated on the slide. (I should also point out that Sprint never carried the 700w, but rather the 700wx. The slide may not 100% accurate.)

I'm looking forward to seeing this Treo ship with EVDO Rev A, a built in Wi-Fi radio, and an operating system accessable GPS receiver that can work with third-party GPS applications from Garmin and TomTom.

Adding to the validity of this information, some websites that posted the slide are being asked to remove the slide and comments in a recent Palm conference call appear to be in alignment with the rumors. I'll put this rumor at 90% likely to be true.

Verizon Centro

Rumors around the Verzion Centro are still a little bit spotty on the actual timing with rumored launch dates confined to the second quarter of 2008. Over the weekend, a leaked rebate form showed up on TreoCentral.com that clearly shows the Centro as being offered with a $70 mail-in rebate. Also clearly visible on the rebate form are the dates 3/30/08 - 6/15/08, the dates the rebate offer runs from and to.

As far as I am aware, this is the best evidence to date that the Palm Centro is coming to Verizon. EngadgetMobile recently posted that the device was coming to Verizon, but had the release dates later in the year (May-June).

The Centro is the best thing going for the Palm OS platform this year, so I'm expecting that Palm will continue to rollout the Centro is as many markets on as many carriers as they can. With Palm OS II/Nova still months away, the Centro is the only new device Palm will ship all year running the Palm OS 5.4 (Garnet) platform. I expect the Centro to be the last device from Palm to run Palm OS 5.x; next stop will be Palm OS II/Nova. My best guess will be a late April launch of the Centro on Verizon. I'm not sure what colors the Verzion Centro will be available in, but my guess is it will be the midnight blue version recently rolled out in Mexico.

I'm putting the validity for a Verizon Centro at 100%.

"Drucker"
Back in January, a leaked Vodafone slide showed a device called "Drucker" from Palm arriving in July 2008. I have not read any new information on this rumored device. After reviewing the device stats listed on a slided posted on Gizmodo, the Drucker looks to be the GSM version of the Treo 800w due out on Sprint here in the United States as it is expected to replace the Treo 750 in the Vodaphone smartphone line up. This of course, opens the door to a launch later in the year on AT&T and/or an unlocked version becoming available directly from Palm's online store.

At this point, I am going out on limb and saying that this rumor is probably 80% true. The lack of any new details on Drucker could be a sign that things have changed since January.

"Wanda"
January also brought us news of another European device, "Wanda". Based on the information posted in another leaked Vodafone slide over on Engadget, Wanda appears to be a GSM Windows Mobile version of the EVDO Palm OS Centro. (Palm did admit in a recent conference call that the Treo 500v wasn't selling as well as they had initially hoped.)

Of the specs on the slide, this device will also be a Windows Mobile 6.1 device (just like the Treo 800w and Drucker are rumored to be) and will include a 2.0MP camera.

Wanda is suppose to be launched in September of this year, which is still quite a bit away at this point. While I'm sure that Palm will be looking to capture more marketshare in Europe, the Treo 500v may not be the vehicle Palm wanted it to be. Wanda may be just what the doctor ordered. I'll put this rumor at 60% of being accurate.

"What Else?"
The big question on the minds of fans of the Palm OS is whether or not Palm will be able to make good on their promise to release a successor to the Palm OS 5 platform. The current version of Palm OS 5 is functional, however, it is clearly holding Palm back from delivering the innovative products that they were known for in the late 1990s. I believe, as do the managers at Palm, it is essential to complete Palm OS II/Nova no later than the end of 2008.

To that end, one has to wonder if Palm is under promising and surprise us by over delivering. Many people still remember the disaster the pre-announcment of the m500-series devices had on sales of the Palm Vx and Palm's bottom line. (We won't talk about the gold suit.) More recently, Palm took an embarrassing hit after having pre-announced the Palm Foleo and then later failing to deliver the product.

If Palm has any chance of delivering either a Centro or Treo smartphone, or even a refreshed Palm TX handheld for that matter, before the start of calendar year 2009, I'd expect that those details are on a "need to know" basis only. So what how about it? Do you think that Palm can pull a rabbit out of their hat in December to the wild cheers of the Palm OS user community? I expect any delivery of any device from Palm running Palm OS II/Nova before March of 2009 a long shot at best, I'll say that there is, at best, a 25% chance of this happening.

Rumor: Treo 800w and Verizon Centro (Updated)

After this week's 1SRC editorial, I really wasn't expecting to hear about two new Palm rumors. Never the less, two new rumors have appeared.

Treo 800w Coming to Sprint

A member of the SprintUser's website forums has posted what appears to be a leaked slide from a Sprint product roadmap cor PDA Device Launches. The last device on the slide shows that Palm's Treo 800w will be launching this July.

The image of the device that appears on the slide is very much like the one that was seen in January during CES. Adding further validation to a new Windows Mobile device launching this summer are recent comments from Palm CEO Ed Colligan during the Q3FY08 conference call held earlier this month.

Read more at WMExperts...

Centro Coming to Verizon

A member of the Palm Community Help Forums (Note: Alan is a moderator on that discussion forum) has posted the following information in regards to the as yet announced Verizon Centro:

"hi i work for a verizon agent and we just got the new rebate form for 03/30/08 to 06/15/08 and there is a $50 rebate on the new Verizon Centro so we will be seeing it in the next 3 months."

While far from solid evidence, it is widely expected that Verizon will carry the Centro along with Sprint, and AT&T. Previously on the Palm Self-Paced Learning site, a midnight blue Centro was displayed, and after the picture started making the rounds on the Internet, Palm's site was quickly changed. I wonder if the midnight blue Centro is coming to Verizon. If the rebate data is correct, I'd start looking for the Verizon Centro to start showing up anytime between now and Tuesday. If the rumor is true.

Update:

Engadget has run an article on Verizon indicating that they have received word about upcoming device launches.

"Centro fans will be happy to hear that the diminutive Garnet phone will finally hit Verizon following Sprint and AT&T launches in the tail end of May or the beginning of June, followed shortly by the Nokia 6205, which apparently isn't either the 2505 or 7205 unless one of those flips have been renumbered."

If Engadget's information is correct, Verizon customers are still in for a bit of a wait for the Centro to arrive on their wireless network.

Read the entire Engadget article...

Seidio 755p OEM Sized Extended Life Battery

I have really come to rely on my Treo to make it through the day. I use my Treo 755p from the time I get up in the morning until the time I go to bed at night. I use my Treo for everything. From email to scheduling my day, from contacts to web browsing, for news and information, and even an occasional game from Astraware.

The only draw back about my Treo 755p that I don't like (having come from a Treo 700p) is that I just can't get a full day's use out of the 755p. To help feed my mobile computing appetite, I've just purchased the OEM-sized extended life battery from Seidio. The Seidio battery provides 2200mAh of battery power to the Treo, which is an additional 600mAh over the stock 1600mAh battery.

The thing that I like about this particular battery over others is that it is an extended life battery with the same footprint as the stock Palm battery. I really dislike extended life batteries that are double the stock battery size and require you to use a new back plate and that add heft to the device. It is also a nice touch that Seidio also includes a replacement battery cover for the off chance that the replacement battery turns out to be a really tight fit for the stock Treo back plate.

The 22oomAh OEM sized extended life battery for use with the Palm Treo 755p sells for $60 at the Seidio Online store.

I Can't Wait For My Treo 755p

Foleo Fanatics readers who also listen to my weekly 1SRC.com Palm Powered podcast know that I've purchased a blue Treo 755p. And I can't wait for it to get here.

Just today, my Treo 700p (with the 1.10 MR applied) has crashed on me 5 times. Once while surfing the web with Blazer. Again when I was checking the weather. A third time while reading my corporate email. The 700p took break this afternoon while it was sitting idle on my desk. And a fifth time just a few minutes ago when I placed it in my Palm Treo cradle.

Did I mention blue is my favorite color?

Palm Treo 755p from Verizon Review

For the past month I have been road testing the new Treo 755p from Verizon Wireless for Gadgets On the Go. The following is my review of the newest Palm Treo smartphone to debut on the Verizon Wireless network.

Body Style

The single biggest improvement that the Treo 755p has to offer over the model it replaces, the Treo 700p, is it’s redesigned body. The 755p now has an internalized antenna bringing it in line with many of the other competing devices on the market today. For many customers, this will be a welcomed and long awaited change.

Palm has also worked to improve the way the Treo feels when you are holding it in your hand. To achieve these improvements, Palm used soft touch paint and changed the contours along the sides. Rather than a convex edge, the sides of the Treo 755p are concave. As a result, the Treo 755p is much easier to hold as you are rushing about your busy day. The Treo 755p is also slimmer and lighter than the 700p, though it is hard to notice the change even with the two devices sitting side-by-side.

Software Enhancements

The Treo 755p is noticeably more stable than the Treo 700p. During the entire month I was using the 755p, the device did not reset once on me. Google Maps is now bundled on the device and has been integrated with the Contacts application. To use the feature, look up an address in a Contacts records, and tap the Map button. You can now quickly obtain directions to locations that are in your contacts database. (If you plan on using this feature, or others that require a connection to the Internet, you will want to purchase a Verizon Wireless data plan in addition to the voice plan.)

For the most part, the software on the Treo 755p felt snappy and responsive. I was able to quickly jump between the preinstalled and third-party applications that I installed on the device. While over-all performance has been improved over the Treo 700p, the Blazer web browser still had a little bit of a lag starting up and closing down.

During my trial period, there where four applications that I either upgraded or installed to enhance my personal productivity. These items are subjective and will vary from user to user. I started off by installing Treoware’s LEDOff utility to over ride the constant blinking of the Verizon Treo’s LED since I prefer the LED to only blink when I need to be alerted to an event. I also installed Tyler Faux’s LudusP utility; which I used to remap the Menu button to the green send button. For me, it is a more natural movement to press the green send button to open a menu when my thumb is on the 5-way navigator than reaching down to the Menu button located in the lower right of the keyboard. Since I use my Treo for writing and note taking, I upgraded the bundled version of DataViz Documents To Go from version 9 Professional to version 10 Premium for Microsoft Office 2007 compatibility. And lastly, since I like to listen to music while I write, I upgraded Normsoft Pocket Tunes from version 3 to version 4.

Read the full review on GadgetsOnTheGo.net...

[Via GadgetsOnTheGo.net]

Is this Drucker?

Did Microsoft's Bill Gates "out" Palm's rumored Treo "Drucker"?

Over the weekend, Gadgets On the Go covered a leaked product roadmap from Vodafone that showed two slides of upcoming Windows Mobile-based Palm Treo smartphones. The high-end device, code named "Drucker" did not have an image. Did Bill Gates, accidentally give us a sneak-peek at the new device rumored to be due out by mid-year?

"Drucker", if the leaked information is to be believed, will include a built-in Wi-Fi radio (a first for Palm), Windows Mobile 6.1, a 320x320 display, Bluetooth 2.0, and a 2.0MP camera.

Photo Credit: Engadget.com

Treo 755p Reviewer's Notes: Stop the Blinking!

So I've had the new Verizon Treo 755p for a few days and things have been going well. I've moved all of my applications, games, and data over to the 755p and I'm using it as my everyday production device.

But there is one thing that is driving me absolutely crazy: The nonstop LED blinking while the cell radio is turned on.

That is where Treoware's LEDOff comes in. With LEDOff, you can control what alarms and events trigger the LED to pulse. I just turned off Signal blinking for In coverage and now the Treo 755p on Verizon works my Treo 700p on Sprint.

LEDOff is "donationware" and can be downloaded from the Treoware website.

Treo 755p First Impressions

Earlier this week Palm and Verizon launched the Treo 755p on the Verizon Wireless EVDO network and today I received Gadgets On The Go's review unit. Like a kid on, well, Christmas Morning, I tore into the shipping carton to unbox the new Treo.

Let me start off by saying that new azure green is much better in person than it looks on the computer screen. Sitting on my desk, the new Treo looks like a dark grey or black. Early next year when the company I work for starts deploying them, I will have no hesitation deploying them to the executive team.

Today is the first time I've had a chance to play with the 755p. I really like the the new Treo 755p soft touch paint. The 755p's new contours along the side along with the soft touch paint make the Treo fit comfortably in your hand. When holding the Treo 700p and 755p, one in each hand, the difference is like night and day.

I plan on using the Treo 755p as my primary device for the next few weeks and concluding my test drive with a review here on Gadgets on the Go.

For more information about the Treo 755p, check out Palm's website.

[Via GadgetsOnTheGo.net...]

Palm Treo 755p Available on Verizon Wireless

Earlier today, Palm launched the Treo 755p smartphone on the Verizon Wireless network.

Compared to the Treo 700p which it replaces in the Verizon smartphone line up, the Treo 755p offers a sleeker body design that has previously only been available to Sprint and AT&T customers. Like other recent Treo smartphones, the Verizon Treo 755p features an internal antenna and the soft-touch paint. This version of the Treo 755p comes in azure green (a deep blue-green color if you are Pantone color chart challenged like me). Sprint offers the the 755p in burgundy and midnight blue while Alltel offers the smartphone in black.

The Treo 755p, like the 700p, features a full suite of software for both business and personal time. Documents To Go, Pocket Tunes, and VersaMail lead off a full feature list. Also included in this Treo is Verizon's Wireless Sync software that allows customers to wireless synchronize email, contacts, calendar, and tasks from a home or business Windows PC.

The Treo 755p will sell for $400 with a new two-year service agreement and after a $50 mail in rebate. Customers who also purchase a qualified voice plan are also eligible for an additional $100 rebate. The Treo 755p will sell for $580 for customers who do not wish to extended there service plans with Verizon.

Full details on all versions of the Treo 755p can be found on the Palm website.

Treo 750 Update 2.25 Recovery Tool

I don't know how many people have seen this or not, so I wanted to mention it here. I'm a Palm OS user, and I carry a Treo 700p. That said, I try to keep up on what is going on over on the Windows Mobile side of the Palm house.

While researching the Treo 750 Updater 2.25 (the one that adds Windows Mobile 6.0) for a customer over on the Palm Community Help Forums, where I'm a moderator, I ran across the directions for using the Updater 2.25 Recover Tool.

I'm actually excited to see that Palm has packaged this tool into the upgrade kit. While I don't have a Windows Mobile device to test this on, the tool appears to give customers a second chance to recover from a Treo that was "bricked" by a failed upgrade.

AT&T and Cingular Wireless customers can download the 2.25 Updater here. The directions for using the recovery tool can be found here.

Rumor: Treo 800w on Sprint in February

A Palm Community Help Forum member claiming to be an employee of Sprint has posted that the Treo 800w will be coming to Sprint in late February 2008 to replace the Treo 700wx.

Rumors of a Treo 800w, a new Treo running the Windows Mobile operating system, have been circulating on the Internet for months now with little bits of information popping up every few months.

Are these rumors of the Treo 800w real? I'll leave that for you to decide.

Related Articles

Rumor: Treo 800w Reference Image...
Rumor: Treo 800w Coming to Verizon...

Push To Talk Comes to the AT&T Treo 680

Earlier today Palm and AT&T Wireless released the Treo 680 Update 2.11 for AT&T and Cingular branded smartphones.

According to the Palm website, the update includes the following features:

• Push to Talk
• Microsoft Direct Push Technology for instant email, calendaring updates
• IM application for access to AIM, Windows Live Messenger, and Yahoo!
• TeleNav GPS service
• Power saving enhancements
• Support for Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) cards
• Enhanced ringtone support: MP3, AAC, AAC+, MIDI, WAV, and AMR
  
• Cingular graphics will be updated with the AT&T graphics
• Update roll ups: Camera update, Daylight Savings Time update, and Update 1.09

This update is intended for AT&T or Cingular branded Treo 680 smartphones only. Mac OS X and Vista customers will need a blank SD card with which to perform the update with. BlackBerry Connect customers are being told to not upgrade at this time as this update is not compatible with that software. Lastly, customers who update will be eligible for a free copy of Astraware Sudoku.

Download the AT&T Treo 680 Update 2.11...

[Thanks to my anonymous tipster for sending this in.]

Windows Mobile 6 Treo 750 Now Available in the US

Earlier today Palm issued two press releases indicating that US customers can now use Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6 Professional operating system on their smartphones. This will be welcomed news for AT&T customers who have been waiting a long time (but not as long as Treo 700p customers) for their operating system upgrades.

Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional for AT&T Wireless Customers

The first press release was to announce that the Treo 750 Updater 2.25 for AT&T customers. This update brings Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional to AT&T and Cingular branded Treo 750 smartphones.

There are a number of enhancements in this upgrade, including:

• HSDPA support for faster data network connections
• Improved support for the Calendar application
• Enhanced support for HTML based email messages
• Microsoft Windows Vista compatibility
• Internet connection sharing
• Better security and IT policies support
• USB cable charging

It is important that you read and understand the upgrade directions before attempting this upgrade. The one download limit is also being enforced (you will need your Treo 750's serial number handy) with the US version of the upgrade as has been the case with previously released international releases. It is a good idea to backup your Windows Mobile 6 upgrade installer before attempting the upgrade.

The complete features list, upgrade documentation, and downloads can be found on the Palm website.

Download the Treo 750 Updater 2.25...


Unlocked Treo 750 Now Available in the US

The second press release from Palm was to announce that an unlocked Treo 750 is now available for purchase from directly from the Palm website or retail locations.

Today's press release reads, in part:

"The Treo 750 offers the hallmark Palm experience in a multifunction phone with access to email, Palm's exclusive threaded text messaging, web browsing and organization software all in a compact design. Added features such as Windows Live increases communication capabilities by letting users send voice recordings via Live Messenger and integrating Outlook and Live Contacts to show who is online directly from the Contacts screen. The device is compatible with HSDPA, allowing faster data-download speeds on 3G/UMTS/HSDPA networks."

The unlocked Treo 750 retails for $549USD.

Read the complete press release...

For more details about the new unlocked Palm Treo 750, visit the Palm website.

Verizon Treo 755p "Coming Soon"

It looks like the Palm Treo 755p is coming to Verizon and will be green, as previously rumored here on FoleoFanatics.

Verizon has posted a "Coming Soon" label for the Treo 755p on their business-to-business PDA smartphone page. Customers who wish to be notified when the Treo 755p has become available can visit the Treo 755p details page and sign up to be notified via email.

There is no word on when this device will begin shipping to business customers or when it will be generally available to non-corporate customers.


Related Posts:
Rumor: Will the Verizon Treo 755p be Green?

Windows Mobile 6 Treo 750 Coming Soon

Palm has posted a new article on their company blog called "In the Queue - Windows Mobile 6 for AT&T Treo 750 Smartphones".

In the blog post, Palm indicated that the inside sales team has started taking orders from corporate customers who want the 750 running Windows Mobile 6 Professional and that an update for current AT&T/Cingular Treo 750 customers "is just around the corner."

Read the full article...

4-Day Sale Palm Treo 680 Unlocked GSM

Palm is running a 4-day sale on the unlocked GSM Treo 680 from now until Sunday, November 25, 2007. The graphite Treo 680 can be purchased directly from the Palm online webstore for $379. (The Treo 680 without a service plan is typically $449.)

The unlocked Treo 680 can operate on any GSM wireless carrier that offers voice and or data services. (You will need an existing SIM card or obtain one when you sign up for service.)

For more information, including the technical specifications for the Treo 680, please visit the Palm website.

Treo 500v First Thoughts Review

My fellow Brighthand moderator, Holvoetn, has received a Treo 500v review unit and has written up his first impressions of the latest Treo smartphone.

"Palm's latest device is the Treo 500v, a Windows Mobile smartphone that is being launched on the Vodafone network all over Europe and some other places in the world, too.

After a small logistical hiccup that lasted 4 weeks, this device arrived in my hands a couple days ago. I received the white version (the 500v also comes in black).

A New OS

As a die-hard Palm OS übergeek, I was very interested to see how I would handle a Windows Mobile 6 Standard device. Let me tell you I am very pleased, even impressed.

For the very first time I was able to experience 100% keyboard and/or 5-way nav navigation. Sure enough, some settings are not in the places I expect them to be, but that's because I haven't played around enough yet."

Keep reading...

Unlocked Treo 750 English Update Available

Palm has released a generic English update for unlocked Treo 750 smartphones. Owners of unlocked English Treo 750s will be able to upgrade the pre-installed version of Windows Mobile from version 5 to version 6. This upgrade can not be undone, nor should it be applied on AT&T/Cingular branded Treo 750 devices.

For more information about the Windows Mobile 6 Professional upgrade for the Treo 750, see our August 30th article.

Treo 750 owners can download their updates directly from the Palm website. Please note that this update can only be downloaded once. Please be sure that you are downloading the correct version for your phone. Once the updater has been downloaded, I strongly encourage you to burn a copy of the installer to CD or otherwise it up.

More information...

Rumor: Treo 800w Reference Image

The folks over at TreoCentral.com are running an story about a possible design image of the Treo 800w that was leaked on the Internet.

Since this is a still a rumor all the information needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Not much is known about the Treo 800w at this point. Some are claiming that there will be a new data port on the device that is different from the Athena Multiconnector currently being used on many of Palm's Treo and handheld PDA products. Some are saying that the new data port will be a mini-USB port. Others are talking built-in Wi-Fi. Of all the rumored specifications, we can probably safely bet on a 320x320 display and Windows Mobile 6 Professional. Anything beyond that is speculation.

Looks like Treo 800w Silly Season is in full swing.

Related articles
Rumor: Treo 800w Coming to Verizon...

Via TreoCentral.com...

Rumor: Treo 800w Coming to Verizon

Those of you who have been following along with my weekly "Palm Powered" podcast over on 1SRC.com know that I've been wondering out loud about Verizon and their Palm Treo line up.

Until recently, the Treo 700p and 700w|wx maintenance releases where unavailable, the new Centro will be a Sprint exclusive until the new year, and the 755p, which has been available on Sprint for months how is nowhere in sight on the Verizon radar. Will Verizon go a holiday season without a new device from Palm? Until recently, it looked like the answer might be "Yes". Starting today, I'm officially calling for the start of "Treo 800w Silly Season."

Silly Seasons are the months leading up to a new Palm product launch where Palm fan sites, like Foleo Fanatics, and discussion boards are a buzz with rumors and wild speculation about the next rumored device. In this case, it is the rumored successor to the Treo 700w|wx, the Treo 800w.

I'm not even going to start making predictions about what this device will have on board or even what form factor it will have; except to say that I expect the Treo 800w, if it is real, to be running the Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional operating system. (And I'm not even going to go near any rumors of a Treo 800p running Palm OS II. It is way too soon for anything like that to be even close to ready.)

For those who want to get a head start on the Treo 800w Silly Season, check out TreoCentral member howicam's post from this past weekend. If that doesn't jump start rumors, I don't know what will. Just keep in mind that this is only a rumor at this point, and I have not confirmed any of the information in the post.

Do you think we'll see a new Windows Mobile Treo on Verizon before the Christmas holiday? Let us know by clicking the Comments link below and sharing your thoughts.