The Official Palm Blog

The Treo Pro: Sleek, solid and definitely hot

The Treo Pro, which made its debut on the Sprint and Alltel networks earlier this month, has been hailed for its "sleek design," "solid business features" and for being, well, "definitely HOT." (How hot? Eagle-eyed TV viewers also spotted the Treo Pro in a recent episode of the venerable, Emmy-award winning ER.)

With Wi-Fi, GPS, a full keyboard and touch screen, all for under $200 (after the requisite rebates and agreements), the Treo Pro is the ideal phone for any busy professional. Here are a few highlights from what the reviewers have had to say about the Treo Pro:

Mike Heck, InfoWorld

• "If you're shopping for a Windows Mobile-based handset, the Palm Treo Pro is one of the best."

Bonnie Cha, CNET

• "The Palm Treo Pro features a sleek design that combines a full QWERTY keyboard and touch screen. The smartphone ships with Internet Explorer 6 and offers full connectivity options, including EV-DO Rev. A support and GPS."

Ginny Mies, PC World

• "Finally available at a carrier-subsidized price, the Palm Treo Pro smart phone delivers solid business features and a sophisticated design."

Andrew Carton, Treonauts

• "Additionally, it is worthwhile noting just how overwhelmingly positive the overall attitude has been towards the Treo Pro. As you can see from our original poll below, it very clearly and very loudly conveys a unanimous rating: the Treo Pro is definitely HOT."

Ramon Llamas, IDC

• "The Treo Pro reaffirms Palm's commitment to enterprise users looking for a Windows Mobile experience and a sleek form factor, and it should be a welcome change for those who have been waiting to upgrade from their Treo 700w."

Alex H.
Edelman for Palm

Memo to marketing: Read at your own risk

Maybe it was the recent profile of one of Palm's marketing mavens that sparked it, but it seems like suddenly everybody's getting in on the marketing act. The comments here on the Palm blog and over on Facebook and Twitter have been bursting with ideas and feedback from an army of armchair marketeers.

The Pre's appearance on Jimmy Fallon's late-night show prompted some fans to plot how to coax Stephen Colbert to invite the Pre onto his show (e.g., re-name the Pre "The Colbert Phone" -- not sure the marketing department will go for that). Suggestions for ads featuring Palm execs cutting loose caught our attention. And another fan -- inspired by the Pre's Touchstone inductive charger -- offered some...unique...insight on new market opportunities: "Can I charge my toothbrush with the Touchstone? Can I charge the Pre with my toothbrush charger? If so, this would finally make it worthwhile to install a sink next to my desk."

If you haven't been following palm_inc on Twitter, you've missed out on the great "what is the correct plural for Pre?" debate. Suggested answers included Pres, Pries, Prius, Preese, Pre and the ever-popular collective noun "an advance of Pre." (The correct answer is that the correct singular is "Palm Pre phone" so the correct plural is "Pre phones." Whatevs.) Shouts-out to RichardR, LilTmac2003, Tim M., Samuel K., vswish and BriZimm.

As always, we welcome your two cents here, there and everywhere.

Zeenat S.
Edelman for Palm

Staying sane in the midst of March Madness

Keeping up with March Madness shouldn't make you go bonkers. A few simple tricks on your smartphone will help you stay ahead of the pack. (Hey, NBA players like Milwaukee Bucks' Charlie Villaneuva -- who sent a tweet in the middle of a game! -- are using mobile tech to stay on top of their game, and now fantasy players like you can, too.)

Here are a few ideas to help you out as you root for your team to take the title (and maybe for your wallet to take the moolah):

• At BookMaker.com, you can enter the site's bracket contest, check betting odds and betting lines and bet when the tournament reaches 16, 8 and 4 final teams.
• Sports networks like ESPN, FOX, NBC and CBS are sending the latest straight to your phone. All you need to do is send them a text, and they'll take care of the rest.
• Access Sprint Exclusive Entertainment to watch games, coach interviews and get bracket tips on your phone via Sprint TV.

Looking to squeeze even more March Madness juice? Check out SC ACC Hoops, where blogger Jon Pence is using a Sprint Treo Pro to update you with live scores and stats of all the games.

Karen C.
Edelman For Palm

Answers to a few FTQs (frequently tweeted questions)

We get a number of questions via Twitter (follow palm_inc) that are a little tough to respond to in 140 characters. This blog post is a collection of answers to some of the most frequently tweeted questions. If you were sent here in response to your question on Twitter, look for the acronym below that you received as part of your response.

FHo2009: The Palm Pre will be available on the Sprint network sometime in the first half of 2009. Pre will be available outside the US, but no release date has yet been announced.

SNDAY: Sorry, no details available yet (on pricing, specific applications, third-party products, functionality details, etc.). You can get updates as they become available by following palm_inc on Twitter, reading this blog, or becoming a fan at www.facebook.com/palm.

PIJTB: Pre is just the beginning! The webOS operating system was designed to drive the next decade of innovative mobile products. Over the coming years, you can expect to see a wide range of devices with different features for all kinds of customers on various carriers.

YTSOLNWJFWRC: Yes, that segment on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon was really cool! We were  thrilled to work with Jimmy and Engadget editor-in-chief Josh Topolsky to give the late-night TV audience a special sneak peek at Pre. As someone commented to me, “the Palm Pre is one of the few things that could turn men’s heads away from two beautiful movie stars three feet away.”

GQFTPDN: Great question -- for the Palm Developer Network. Please check out http://developer.palm.com. They will understand your question or your idea for a cool new application a whole lot better than I will….

GQFPS: Great question -- for Palm support. Please check out http://www.palm.com/us/support. If there’s an answer to your question or a solution to your issue, they’re the folks who can help you out!

EWTBKA: Enough with the Bluetooth keyboards already! We get the point.

ATRJTKOYTSNRNRNR: Awwwwww, that’s really just too kind of you to say. No, really. No, really. No. Really.

Jon Zilber

Late Night with the Palm Pre (and Jimmy and Josh and ?uestlove)

If you were Jimmy Fallon putting together your wish list of must-have first guests for your new late-night TV show, who'd be at the top of your list? You'd probably want your fellow SNL-alum Tiny Fey, maybe Robert De Niro, perhaps a Drew Barrymore -- but if you really wanted to rock the Twittersphere, you'd want to snag the elusive Palm Pre as one of your first guests.

OK, we were thrilled when Jimmy did a video bit about the Pre with Engadget editor-in-chief Joshua Topolsky at CES in January. And we were even more delighted to help Josh and Jimmy showcase the Pre to the late-night TV audience last night.

Not only was the Pre a hit in its late-night talk show debut -- with drummer ?uestlove of The Roots, the house band for the show, adding his thumbs up -- but the Touchstone charger also got in on the love-fest. And once the Pre hit the airwaves, the Twitter action went through the roof, with Palm, @jimmyfallon, and #joshtops outpacing even the "octomom." Engadget has the same segment here, along with an exclusive backstage photo and discussion about the pros and cons of high-fiving in the Topolsky household.

Jon Zilber

Palm fans say the darndest things

The Palm blog isn't just for news about us -- on our blog (and on other blogs), the comments are a great place to find out what's on the minds of Palm customers and fans (and occasional detractors). The Pre inspired one fan to pen a short sci-fi story. Another offered their concise review of Mobile World Congress ("Palm Pre was a show stopper"), while others have told about how their Centros and Treos have literally been lifesavers. Other fans have praised the Pre for including features (such as MMS, camera with flash, Flash support, etc.) that are missing from other phones. Shout-outs to Evgeny, Travis N., Nanette J., Jim F., tcr071 and Cary C. for joining in on the conversation -- and we hope to see your two cents here as well.

Zeenat S.
Edelman for Palm

Treo Pro joins the Alltel "circle"

 

Alltel Wireless is the latest carrier to announce the availability of the Treo Pro, now available for $199.99 (after the requisite rebates and agreements) at Alltel Wireless retail stores and online at alltel.com.

Running on Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1, the Treo Pro is the ideal device for any busy professional, offering robust features while keeping corporate IT departments happy. Users will benefit from all of Treo Pro's features and functionalities, including Wi-Fi, GPS, Internet Explorer Mobile 6 and more.

For more information, visit alltel.com.

Sprint Treo Pro available March 15

 

The Treo Pro will make its debut on Sprint's Mobile Broadband Network on March 15. The Treo Pro -- running on Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 -- is a proven and reliable tool for mobile enterprise customers. And the Sprint Treo Pro adds some new elements that make it even more powerful.

The Sprint Treo Pro is the first Palm phone available with Internet Explorer Mobile 6, providing users with a more robust mobile browser. With Wi-Fi, GPS, a full keyboard and touch screen, all available for $199 (after the requisite rebates and agreements), the Treo Pro packs about as much bang for its buck as you can fit into a sleek form factor. Perhaps that's why Tom Swift, EVP at Primerica, a financial services company, encourages his over 100,000 agents to adopt the Treo Pro:

"Our agents rely heavily on their phones since they're a truly mobile workforce, and Treo Pro is really convenient for checking business email, connecting to fast Wi-Fi and running our custom TurboApps application. With TurboApps, agents can submit insurance applications, get quotes and complete the application process -- all from their Treo Pro. The Palm innovations added to the Windows platform make accessing the most used functions even easier, so staying productive and efficient is a breeze."

More details about the Sprint Treo Pro can be found here.

Alex H.
Edelman for Palm

Innovation in a changing world

Imagine a world without TV remotes, digital music players or microwave ovens. These products are mainstays of our everyday lives and the result of an explosion in innovation since the 1950s.

Successful innovation in a rapidly changing world is also key to Palm's business. And yet the work of innovators like Palm is increasingly hampered by a patent system that hasn't seen significant modernization since 1952, when only one in three homes had a television -- a system that has come to reward litigation over invention. In these difficult economic times, an effort in Congress to reform the patent system is taking on even greater importance to our collective economic well-being.

Working with the Coalition for Patent Fairness, Palm is supporting a modest set of reforms to bring more predictability and balance to the patent system. Our hope is that, with the legislation introduced today in both houses of Congress, worthy inventions will be patented expeditiously and compensated fairly while at the same time pioneering innovators will have the freedom to invest in new products without the threat of opportunistic litigation and disproportionate damages awards.

We thank Senators Leahy and Hatch, Representatives Conyers and Smith and the many co-sponsors of the Patent Reform Act of 2009 for their continued leadership on these issues, and look forward to a reformed patent system that promotes innovation and holds promise for a revitalized economy.

Mary E. Doyle, Senior Vice President and General Counsel

Colleen Bullington: I can’t believe this is my job!

Me, You and Palm: Profiles of Palm People
	Role: I champion great creative advertising and ideas from initial spark to realization on the pages of magazines, your TV set, billboards and online -- hopefully in ways that are entertaining, engaging and informative At Palm since: We launched our first Windows Mobile product, TomKat entered the scene and a Star Wars movie was tops at the box office. Can you guess the year?
I started performing in community theater productions at the age of 10, and I never lost my passion for being around highly creative people. At Palm, I get to work with world-class advertising and marketing agencies that are chock full of creative talent, and I love the challenge of tackling business problems with creative solutions.   You are always on my mind every time I evaluate an ad, a headline, an approach. Thinking about what will be most relevant and appealing to our customers is probably the most important aspect of my role.   Palm is a place that appreciates and fosters strong creative ideas in its marketing efforts. There is a tolerance for taking risks and not being afraid to be the first to try something new or do something different, which is extremely liberating and inspiring as a marketer.

  

Recently I was on one of the most interesting and unusual commercial shoots I’ve ever done. As part of our “Claus” holiday advertising campaign for Palm Centro, we arranged to have a live reindeer in the commercial we were filming on location a few yards from the beaches of Santa Monica. As the sun was setting over the ocean and the reindeer trainer was coaching the reindeer to face the camera in just the right way for the shot, I remember thinking, “I can’t believe this is my job!” If you’re not familiar with Palm’s “Claus” advertising campaign, you can see the commercials on YouTube (including the reindeer). I have never lost my fascination for watching TV and film production from “behind the scenes” and seeing how the pros make movie magic happen. I love to watch these little stories come to life and play a role in successfully marketing and selling our products.

Join Colleen on a Facebook discussion board this week and see if you guessed the mystery year. She may even tell you her tips for finding reindeer in L.A.