Editor’s Note – Blog Comments

A blog post on comments is probably not what some of you were expecting here, but I thought it would be a good thing to let you know that we are reading your comments on the Palm blog itself and in other places too (e.g. forums and posts on other blogs). Several people have brought up topics they would like us to talk about from ChatterEmail and WiFi to "What features/functionality would you like to see in the next Palm or WinMo OS?" They haven't fallen on deaf ears, and thank you for sharing them. We will do our best to talk about as many of the submissions as possible and we are responding with our thoughts too. Also, I thought everyone would like to know that we try to get your comments live within a few hours, but sometimes it does take longer than we would like (e.g. overnight and during the weekend or when I have a nasty cold).

Other comment related things:

-Some people have raised the issue that their comments have been attributed incorrectly to someone else: http://discussion.treocentral.com/showthread.php?t=141806. It's a simple misunderstanding - names of commenters are included at the bottom of the comment submitted, not at the top. Taking this into account, if you are still finding that your comments are attributed incorrectly to someone else, yikes...let me know and we will take care of it.

-Also, here is a link to the Palm blog comment policy: http://blog.palm.com/palm/2007/04/palm_blog_comme_1.html

Appreciate everyone taking the time to share your thoughts,

Paul Loeffler

Comments

[Trademark]

Paul, thank you so much for this response. I was beginning to wonder if anyone out there was listening. This type of communication is critical in letting the Palm faithful or not-so-faithful know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel (700p MR), and gives us, or at least me, a reason to hang on long enough to prove it was worth the wait. Palm has a long road ahead of them, and there certainly are some out there who seem to have already made up their minds to drop Palm, but the more open communication there is, the better chance you will have gaining some respect back. Keep it up.

[Roberto Andrich]

It´s good to know that palm is hearing us. One thing I am expecting since I have purchased my TX is a good future replacement for it. I am expecting that palm develop a TX with cell phone. It could have the same formfactor as the TX but with phone capabilities. I don´t want a Treo because the screen is too small. I don´t need a querty keyboard if I have a big screen where I can use big virtual keyboards like Mini-kbd. I want to be able to watch movies e read documents in native format with figures as I do on my TX. Please palm, give us a TX with cell phone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Steve Sinclair]

Just wanted to let everyone know that I've been reading the comments on the Treo 700p blog from April 17th: http://blog.palm.com/palm/2007/04/anatomy_of_a_so.html. I've updated my blog post with answers to some of the recurring questions that have been brought up

[SunGod]

Please give us a T|X "without" a cellphone.

It's great to see you are giving us this feed back and reeding our comments.

There are still plenty of people out there waiting for a new PDA.
A lot of T3 owners would upgrade if there was a big enough step up to the current model, but they don't see any benefit to them.
The Sony UX50 is generally considered (buy a large group of POS users) to be the best design still after all these years.

On the Treo side I'm sure you are doing it already buy you need to diversify.
I would love to see 4 Palm phones on the market'
I'd see them as:
Uno:
Like an iMate flip phone
Duo:
Like a O2 XDA Mini
Treo:
We all know and love
Quatro:
A T|X/iPhone device

This would cover most bases for most consumers.

P.S. Don't stop making PDA's

[AJ0230]

Kudos to you with this new open communication Palm!

In regards to the above post about a new TX, that reminds me...

No matter what new products come out from Palm can you guys PLEASE have a standard format for your periphials across ALL the Palm lines? (minus cases of course) I think this is a win/win situation. It helps your customers not have to worry about buying the right jack or keyboard etc for their units. It helps you guys in the long run (IMHO) becuase 1)you have a standard so manufacturing costs SHOULD go down, 2)you should see an increase in SALES because customers will probably buy more periphials if they are confidant in the fact that they will work for newer units!!!

This brings me to a point that you will probably find me harping on until you guys implement it...(LOL) can you PLEASE include a 3.5mm jack for your audio outs? Can you PLEASE put it somewhere other than on the bottom?

Thanks!

Back to the blog and open communication, thanks, so far at least, I hope it continues.

[CC3]

Don’t forget us from ASIA.
Comments from ASIA are important too. Hopefully got NEW products specially for ASIA.

[James Youngman]

First an apology; contrary to your blog comment policy, this comment does not relate to the post from which it depends. Sorry.

I'm currently using a Treo 650, though I started with a Palm Vx. I'm a Linux user. I have been for years. This is still a frustrating experience. There are lots of Linux users out there who struggle along with marginal integration between Linux and PalmOS (e.g. support for all the newer data features, birthdays for example). How is it that you guys don't engage more with the Linux community?

There are lots of ways to improve the user experience. We understand that there are many fewer users of Linux than Windows. The average Linux user though is, I'm sure, more technical than the average Windows user. I'll bet that a Linux user is at least fifty times more likely to contribute to the development of Palm/Treo software. IMO you need to angage more directly with your most energetic customers.

I mean how is it that I search for Linux and Palm on a web search engine, and _none_ of the hits are on your website? Not even pointers to other websites? Sheesh.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but it's almost as if you never read the Cluetrain Manifesto http://www.cluetrain.com/ .

[peter]

why do you always talk about treo? how about som info about tungsten hendhelds? will you stop it's development?

[TaQ]

I'm still using my Tungsten E and thinking about buying a TX. Here on Brazil everything is too much expensive, I could buy 2 TX on USA with the price I pay here on just one!
A model similar to TX with cellphone will be great. Better yet put some wifi on the smartphones. Palm will release Treo 680 here, but, oh, boy, no wifi there. I'm needing wifi, that's the reason I'm thinking about TX right now.

[BaDZeD]

Great to hear you guys are listening! I believe this kind of communication will go great lengths in encouraging the Palm community.

I also prefer the TX form factor over the Treo. It is much more useful to have a bigger screen when browsing the web or doing some eReading. A cell phone radio in the TX would be a welcome addition. Maybe a g level Wifi too (as I understand, 802.11g is much less power hungry than b). Cant wait to see the feature set of the upcoming PalmOS

[Leathernuts]

I agree with Roberto Andrich!!! I would by one with a larger screen in a heartbeat. You can only make something so small before it become more of a pain than a help. Its like trying to make a 1/2 ton pickup do what a 1 ton can. And if you notice they're already doing that as far as trucks go or at least trying.

Case in point, yesterday while sitting in the airport, I along with the 50 million others, pulled out my laptop. After about an hour, I put it away. Then a little later, I wanted to check my email again. It was 50x easier to pull out the treo to check my email. Of course there are the drawbacks, but if it had a bigger screen, then the basics of checking email and browsing would be more than enough. It even got me wondering why in the heck I would have to lug a laptop around, unless you're doing some hardcore apps/ work where a handheld just won't cut it. But lets face it, thats probaly only 10% (if that). The rest of us are just browsing and checking emails.

[Nathan Black]

Could a change be made in how the comments are displayed so that individual comments have alternating background colors? The incorrect attributions will just be an ongoing problem as new readers find your blog.

[Leo]

Another happy reader, and Palm Blogger this side... greetings from Cancun!!!!

BTW: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/121/365279786_339cd3dadf.jpg

[Christopher Malcomson]

I have been a long time supporter of Palm OS devices. I have also supported the Treo, the first was the Treo 600. I currently own the Sprint Treo 700p, and I'm anxiously awaiting the maintenance release. My Sprint contract is up July 2008, and I'll be moving to Cingular/AT&T for GSM because I travel. I'm hoping to buy a PalmLinux OS Treo. A couple of features that I would like to see are Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Stereo headset compatibility, a universal USB power/data connector instead of the proprietary Palm power/data connector, and the option for the memory card to be used as a mass storage device via USB without drivers or software. I would also like to see you partner up with sourceforge.net for developing free applications for PalmLinux. With these few and simple ideas, I think Palm can dominate the SmartPhone market.

[Edward Doan]

Nice to see that comments are taken seriously here! Do you folks at Palm read this blog on your Palms or Treos, and if so, what software/mobile-formatted website are you using?

[Eric Notar]

Give us a new TX with NO cell phone!
256 meg of Ram
A better cache management,more dbcache
Compatibility with 8 gb SD card
Biggest battery & longest battery life.
Microphone + alarm vibrating
Multitasking OS

Thats about it

For Christmas 2007 plz
Thank you very much

enotar

[Jim]

It's great to hear you are reading our post. To know we are being heard is sure to provide relief to an otherwise often frustrated Palm users group.

Sense I'm a PDA user, it would be nice to here about what you are planning on for the PDA's users, rather than just current Treo users.

Many of us PDA users NEED a large screen, the same screen that you got us all hooked on with the introduction of the 320 X 480 format back in the original Tungsten T era! Many of us have jobs that actually require us to view and edit spreadsheets, documents, databases, project mngtmnt software and/or other software while away from our desk while walking around our work environment (I'm a Project Mngr at a large ship and boat yard away from my desk at least 75% of the time). It's almost a necessity to have a large screen to do this type of work. This is aside from the convienence of viewing web pages, etc. in the large screen format!

I, like many others, are very comfortable with graffite and don't want or need a keyboard. It would be more of a hinderence than a help. But that does not mean we don't want a built in cellphone with all the advantages that it brings.

To be able to consolidate my PDA (T3) and BT cell phone would be a wonderful improvement in my daily life. I'm sure many other Palm PDA users feel the same. Many of us are asking for the same thing.

Would you please let us PDA users know your thoughts on this?

Keep up the great work on this Blog, it's obvious that it is well read and we all look forward to your next post.

Thank you,
Jim

[Jerry F. Giardina]

Hi Paul, thanks for posting my recent comments! I am proud of Palm for doing this. They are going to rebuild the confidence in their Palm OS powerful user base.

As soon as possible please give some facts on 755p.
What is "Mobile Voice Control"?
Will the 755p and the 700p upgradeable to the new linux OS?
At one time you said you might give us some tidbits. Release some information on the 755.

Thanks Jerry G.
Also sometimes when we post the letters are hard like the "i" form the one "1" or the "L". I guess that is part of security!

thanks again!

[Richard S]

I posted a few comments airing my frustrations with the lag on my 700p. It's amazing what a little feedback can do for moral. It's good to know that Palm is listening. Keep it up!! As I stated before, I would love to have a treo with a larger screen. I was so used to the screen size on the TC. If Palm puts a scrol wheel on the side of the treo and get rid of the navigation pad, and also put the phone, calender, home, and mail buttons on the side, this would be totally possible. I'm even willing to give up those buttons if it means a bigger screen. I was a bit apprehensive about purchasing the Data plan for the 700p, but after having it for 4 months I can't see myself functioning without it. All I need now is a larger screen. If palm provides a version of the treo with a larger screen I think alot of people would be willing to pay more for it. Palm please provide some feedback on the larger screen issue. I'll stop rambling now....Thanks.

[Paco Mtz]

Wifi for PalmOS Treos. That sums it all. You already sell the card, we just need the bloody drivers. How hard could it be? REALLY!?

[Eric Notar]

2 more things I forget to say:

1-We need a multitasking OS but NO Windows Mobile PLZ!
I just sell my Axim;I couldnt anymore with WM5!
Maybe Linux???????

2-I really think this device should be VGA (the only thing I like from the Dell Axim)big screen not 320X320 like the Treo.

Tkz a lot to listen to us

enotar

[Concerned Fan]

Okay, enough about WiFi for now.

Palm has never explained why the Treo does not have WiFi. But why has Palm not explained why it uses a 2.5mm audio jack instead of the standard 3.5mm?

Diehard fans will buy the Treo even if you use a 2.5mm jack but it is still annoying, and more importantly, it is no unlike Palm. The whole reason why Palm is so popular is because Palm takes good care of its customers. Palm always goes out of its way to make it products useful (e.g. the 5-way navigation allowing users to use one hand).

Why does the Treo use a 2.5mm jack?

[Rick]

This article by BrightHand sums up my biggest comment. Palm NEEDS to bring WiFi to the Treo!

http://www.brighthand.com/default.asp?newsID=12988

[H Friola]

Hi, yes I have a few questions.
I have an M125, I am looking into getting a replacement. One of the features that I really prefer is the battery type. It uses plain AAA batteries. I was wondering if you knew of any more recent or newer models that offer the use of this battery.

I realize that the advent of colored screens does not favor the use of alkaline batteries because it uses up battery life rather quickly. But perhaps their is an upgraded monochromatic model out their that you know of that uses AAA batteries.

I also really like the more durable/tough rugged design (as much as a PDA can be) as I am able to use it in most situations.

If you have any suggestions they would be much appreciated.

I would just as soon buy another M125. Then do you know of any reputable "stores" where I could purchase another M125?

Thank you for your help.

[Swain]

I can't get my (Verizon)Treo 650 to properly work with Bluetooth installed in my new 2007 Volvo. I'm told this is a big problem.
How can this be performed?
Thankyou.
Swain