THE phone to have and keep
Written: Dec 22 '03 (Updated Dec 22 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: you won't want another phone
Cons: some software/features not included
The Bottom Line: I absolutely recommend this device for tech savvy power users. For the features you get in such a small package, it is well worth it. Very impressive.
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| dg1201's Full Review: Handspring Treo 600 Handheld |
When I bought this device, I knew it would be THE ONE, meaning, it would put my cell phone craze to rest. It hasn't let me down. It's been over 2 months. And the honeymoon continues...
I bought the Treo 600 to replace the Samsung i500 I had, namely because I wanted a keyboard and an expansion slot. The i500 was an excellent device but the added features of the Treo made me want to switch. So allow me give you a quick summary of why I did...
The form factor of the Treo is great--it's not too big or small. Believe me, I had a Kyocera 6035 and THAT was BIG. I also had a Treo 300 and I wasn't too crazy about that design either. Those devices were more like PDAs than phones. I am however very impressed at the overall design of the Treo. It is very sleek and compact and fits in the palm well due to the rounded shape of the back of the phone. Sure it's not a Nokia 8890 but I'd take the added size of the Treo with a variety of powerful features over a mini cell phone with limited functionality any day. I don't envision myself ever going back to a "regular" cell phone in the future.
The main bonus I love about the Treo is indeed the QWERTY keyboard or "thumboard." I am a heavy SMS/email user and the thumboard is excellent. Though its newer (post Treo 300) design is a bit more cramped, the domed keys make up for it. I can type messages in a breeze now, versus composing them via stylus and Graffiti which took much longer (i500).
Speaking of SMS, the Treo has a built-in SMS program but Sprint still has yet to launch that feature; supposedly it's coming in a few weeks. However, as a work around, I purchased Treo600SMS from PDAapps.com for $20. It works very well and eliminates the hassle of composing messages through the web browser. I like how the messages sent/received are threaded in an AIM-like fashion so you can keep track of your conversations. I look forward to trying out the built-in SMS feature soon.
The 5-way navigation pad is great and is integrated with many of the apps, reducing the need to pull out the stylus or touch the screen.
The default web browser works well, though I find it a bit slower than the i500's. Not too shabby, provided that you disable image loading. Sometimes Blazer corrupts web cookies/cache, causing the phone to reboot. I use FileZ (freeware) to delete the cookies and all seems well after that. As a backup browser, I use a modified version of WebPro and though it is faster than Blazer, the 5-way pad doesn't work with it. I also use the browser from AvantGo and that is actually very quick. Overall, the browsing experience is good.
The built in ringtones sound nice and it's great how you can instantly download ringers over the air (using some free download sites). I prefer normal ringers though since they are louder and at the same time, more discreet than having the newest Britney Spears song blaring from the speaker. Subtlety is a good thing.
The color screen is VERY bright. I have mine set at the dimmest setting. And though the resolution is not as sharp as some PDAs, it's not that big of a deal. Picture Caller ID is a nice feature.
An added plus over the i500 is the Hotsync. I really hated having to power off the phone before doing so. At least that problem is solved with the Treo. Additionally, the Hotsync speed is very fast.
Battery life is INCREDIBLE with this phone. I can go for about 2 days without having to recharge. That's saying a lot, given the amount of usage I put in. It's nice to know I can go away for the weekend and leave the charger behind without having to worry about running out of juice.
Reception is very good. I don't have very many dropped calls and the Treo is very consistent with pulling in a steady signal.
Call quality is a bit muddy. I have had some people complain that I wasn't coming through clearly and likewise, some calls sounded distorted on my end. A bit disappointing, but I use my headset to compensate. The speakerphone is a nice bonus, however. The placement of the mic is not ideal (towards the back of the phone). Sometimes I unknowingly find myself covering it up with my hand. Then I wonder why people can't hear me...
The built-in camera on the Treo leaves much to be desired. Picture quality is dependent on the amount of ambient lighting. A blue haze can be seen on images shot in low lighting but snapping the photo before this occurs also helps. I didn't buy this device for the camera though. It's a nice extra to have but if I really wanted a camera phone, I'd have stuck with my Samsung a600. Uploading photos to my PictureMail account from the Treo is quick. Sharing them is also easy but I didn't care much for all the Sprint gibberish that came with photos that were sent through PictureMail, which also scales down the image. I share my photos with the Treo's email program.
What email program? Oh ya, Handspring forgot to include one on the Treo. That's disappointing, given this IS a PDA. The answer? Install an email app yourself. Some apps are not free, such as SnapperMail, but you can get Eudora Internet Suite (http://www.eudora.com/internetsuite) or TreoMail (the link escapes me) for free. I chose the latter and it works nicely. It can also be configured to automatically fetch email at a certain time.
Another feature that I had to additionally install is the mp3 player, pTunes. Upon registering the Treo at Handspring, I was emailed a link to download it. pTunes has its pros and cons. The cons: you need to buy a stereo headset adapter to use it with headphones, else the sound comes from the speaker. You also need to buy an SD memory card since you can't transfer mp3's to the onboard memory (32MB). The pros: wonderful sound! I was very pleased at the sound quality of my mp3's. It's no iPod but still, I was pleasantly surprised. Upgrading pTunes to the deluxe version also adds the Shoutcast feature, meaning you can listen to internet radio streams from shoutcast.com! Caveat: you may want to watch usage on this. There have been reports of Sprint taking away people's Vision plans because of "over usage." Still, what an awesome capability.
I'm not too upset at Handspring/Sprint for leaving out a few features though. The fact that this device can do a plethora of things still leaves me a happy camper. I can chat with my AIM buddies using Chatter (http://www.imchatter.com/). I can get phone numbers/directions when I need them (http://home.triad.rr.com/rlwhitt/palm/#da). I can photo blog (http://www.textamerica.com). I can AvantGo (a web clipping app featuring news articles, etc., http://www.avantgo.com). I can use it as a modem with my laptop. I can use the speakerphone when I get lazy holding it to my ear. I can browse the web and some java enabled sites. I can SMS, email, listen to mp3's and streaming radio, take pictures. It's like "everything but the kitchen sink" with this device. And it still amazes me everyday how tightly integrated everything is. The Treo 600 is by far the best combo device I've ever had. I'm keeping it for a while. And I think the people at the Sprint store miss me.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 500
Recommended for: Gadget Lovers - Trendy and Hip
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Epinions.com ID:
dg1201
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Location: CA
Reviews written: 21
Trusted by: 16 members
About Me:
karaoke queen.
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