The Official HP Palm Blog

Treo 800w software update

Treo 800w users, if you've been experiencing any issues connecting USB devices or with charging your battery, you'll want to install the new software update that is available on Palm's Support site. Click here for details.

Paul Loeffler

We're feelin' the love (cue Barry White)

 

"Best Treo yet." Oh, go on.

"Most feature-complete smartphone." Shucks.

"A huge leap in performance and mobile experience." *Blush*

"Shrewdly updated?" Awww, you shouldn't have...

But we're glad you did. Here's a sampling of some of the rave reviews of the Palm Treo Pro smartphone:

"The Treo Pro, the first product designed since former Apple hardware guru Jon Rubinstein took charge as Palm's executive chairman, is the most attractive phone Palm has offered in several years." – BusinessWeek

"If you're looking for a Windows Mobile phone, I'd strongly consider the Treo Pro, as it has a good balance of design, features and performance for the user." – Gizmodo

"...the only smartphone we can think of that successfully combines a full QWERTY keyboard and touch screen into one sleek device." – CrunchGear

"Enterprise users would do well to take a good look at this shrewdly updated, professional Treo. It's easily my favorite Palm handset release in the past two years." – PC Magazine

"With the Palm Treo Pro, we can say for the first time in a couple of years that we wouldn't mind being seen carrying a Treo." – Laptop Magazine

"The Treo Pro is easily Palm's best Treo yet. It finally hits all of the feature checkmarks that users have been clamoring for and does it in a way that's well integrated with the hardware." – TreoCentral

"The Treo Pro enters the fray as this company's most feature-complete smartphone yet, with 3G support, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and a GPS receiver." – Brighthand

"The Treo Pro is one of Palm's most attractive Treos to date." – CNET

"The Pro hits that sweet spot in size between the Centro and the Treo, two popular Palm handsets." – US News and World Report

"The great thing about the Treo Pro is that you can use it like a non-touch screen device yet get all the power and functionality of a touch screen device when you need it." – ZDNet

"I can already tell you that it's going to be nearly impossible for me not to switch to the Treo Pro as it offers such a huge leap in performance and mobile experience...The Treo Pro smartphone highlights the single most important milestone yet in Palm's ongoing corporate transformation and opens a completely new door to a much brighter future." – Treonauts

Jon Zilber

The Treo Pro in the spotlight

Love at first sight? Could be. There's certainly some pretty powerful infatuation going on with the Treo Pro, with everybody from The New York Times to the Huffington Post and BoingBoing taking note. One Engadget reader called it "a nicely formed smartphone packed with necessary features for the business folk. And with Windows Mobile on it one can count on it likely having the best compatibility with the business's email." (Another Engadget reader declared "I'd go back to a Palm device for this.")

On TreoCentral, they're weighing both the price and the size, and wind up with a thumbs up: "Wow, I'm pumped. $549 is a great unlocked device price. The size is also great - almost identical to the iPhone 3G, but slightly narrower and slightly thicker." At GQ's Material Interest blog, the headline duly notes "Oh, that's so much better than the Palm Amateur," admiring the Treo Pro's "elegant...and slimmer form factor."

CNET's Crave calls it "enticing," while over at Gizmodo, one reader said "I think it is finally what I have been searching for. I've tried both the HP Ipaq 910c and I currently own a Tilt. I want the functionality of the Tilt, with a smartphone form factor, with a big enough touchscreen." And over on Brighthand, they've sized up the Treo Pro this way: "I tell ya, I compared the dimensions against the Curve, the Bold, and my current Treo 755p, and the size is great!"

If you've fallen for the Treo Pro and want to get one for free, here are a couple of suggestions: Head over to CrunchGear ASAP where they're offering one as a part of the gala finale to their anniversary celebration. Or you could always try the rather...unorthodox...approach described over at wmpower.com.

Jon Zilber

Meet the Treo Pro Smartphone

 

The new Treo Pro, announced today, packs a host of features like Wi-Fi and GPS into a sleek and elegant smartphone. (Wi-Fi and GPS fees depend on your coverage and data plan - click here for details.) Running Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, this world phone aims to keep the IT department and end users equally happy and productive.

Get a closer look in this video featuring three of the Treo Pro's very proud parents -- Stephane Maes (VP of product marketing), Peter Skillman (VP of design), and John Moses (VP of customer relations) - discussing the Treo Pro's thoughtful balance of powerful business-friendly features and surprisingly simple design.

Mike A. - Senior Product Manager

Left, right, and Centro

 

Who's this summer's biggest comic book superhero? You're probably thinking Iron Man or The Dark Knight, but soon you'll be able to catch biographies of John McCain and Barack Obama in graphic novel form. In a first for comics in the U.S., the "Presidential Material" series from IDW will be released simultaneously in print and mobile phone editions.

The Obama campaign is also planning to announce the candidate's running mate selection via text message. And as we've mentioned before, you can find downloadable ringtones for both candidates at Slate.

Jon Zilber

Google Mobile Maps goes public (public transportation, that is)

For WinMo Treo users, Google Mobile Maps (GMM) has added some new features that can help you go a little greener. In addition to its existing maps, turn-by-turn directions, and listings for local businesses, GMM now helps you be more carbon-friendly by offering you public transportation directions in all of the 50+ cities available on the web version of Google Maps.

And if your goal is to stay out on the town as long as possible, GMM also lets you search for the last transit trip of the day. Need a recommendation on where to go in the first place? You'll also find ratings that show you what other people have to say about nearby businesses and attractions.

Check out the Google Mobile Blog for details and download instructions.

Paul Loeffler

Betcha Alexander Graham Bell never saw all this coming…

Are you a smartphone newcomer, or a mobile lifestyle trailblazer? Here are a couple of factoids to help you peg just where you fall in the power-user spectrum:

• Smile and text “cheese”: Almost two-thirds of cellphone users aged 18-30 years old take snapshots on their device at least once a week, according to a study by Wirefly.

• Maybe multitasking has gone too far: Apparently 53% of e-mail users admit to checking in from the bathroom.

• Handy trivia to casually toss off while watching the Olympics this weekend: A ringtone based on a song about South Korea’s claim of jurisdiction over the Dokdo islands, a remote but hotly disputed cluster of rocks midway across the sea to Japan, has become the latest way to display your patriotism in that country.

Jon Zilber

Sprint Web: A smarter way to start

Sprint recently launched Sprint Web, a new approach to mobile browsing that works with all Palm OS phones on the Sprint network (including the Centro, and the 755p and 700p Treos). Sprint Web is adaptive and learns from what you are doing most on the web.

For example, if you frequently search for Ducati motorcycles, Sprint Web will automatically prompt you with links to motorcycles and Ducati when you launch the browser. The idea is to quickly get you to relevant information based on whatever you use most often. Google search is now also on the Sprint Web homepage.

For more information, see Sprint’s announcement here.

Kimberly S. – Product Manager, smartphones

Takes a licking, keeps on clicking

Built-in QWERTY keyboard: check.

One-hand navigation: check.

Instant ringer-off switch: check.

Ability to survive a fall from a super-duper roller coaster ride followed by a drenching in the pouring rain: check?

It wasn't exactly in the product spec, but one Palm Centro user in Ohio shared this story about how his Centro survived all that and still works as good as new:

I own a Palm Centro through Sprint and wanted to tell you how amazingly well it's made. On Friday, I was at our local amusement park, King's Island. While on a roller coaster, my Palm Centro fell out of my pocket, flew through the air, and landed on the roof of a building.

When I got off the ride, I told the workers about it and they said they would get it after the park closed. A half-hour after I lost my Palm Centro, a torrential thunderstorm swept in and soaked my unprotected phone. I knew it was ruined.

On Monday afternoon, I drove back to King's Island and checked in the Lost & Found to see if they had recovered my phone. They had! I took it home, charged it up, and believe it or not, it's as good as new.

You should be really proud of your product. I'm so glad I chose the Palm Centro for my phone.

-Stephen H.

To share your own death-defying Centro moment, click here. Just remember to keep your arms and legs (and smartphone) inside the vehicle at all times.

Jon Zilber