The InformationWeek -- Blogs
Over The Air

Topics:   Mobile

  • Email this page E-mail this page
  • Print this page Print this page
  • Bookmark and Share
  • icon

Palm Intros New Treo Hardware


Posted by Eric Zeman, Sep 12, 2007 12:39 PM

At long last. It may not look all that svelte, but the Treo 500v, announced today for Vodafone in Europe, is a small first step for Palm in resurrecting itself.


For the first time in a long time, the Treo 500v is a Treo that doesn't support a touch screen. Instead, it uses the Windows Mobile 6 Standard edition, which is for smartphones without touch screens (I guess Palm forgot that touch screens are in vogue right now).

The hardware is the first real refresh we've seen from Palm in about four years. While the Treo 600 and 700 series smartphones have received incremental updates, none of them has made the aging design any more appealing (read: they are too fat!). This new form factor, dubbed "Gandolf" or the "Centro", has been spotted here and there on the web for several months now. It ain't super pretty, but it is a lot thinner than previous Treos. In fact, Engadget recently derided its appearance in the open letter it wrote to Palm. Since this version is WinMo-based, it sidesteps the Palm OS user experience issue...for now. Palm will have to eventually get its next-generation OS out the door and on some hardware to really start winning back its good name.

Lack of sex appeal aside, the 500v offers some niceties as well. It includes a 2-megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, and supports European 3G networks. Unfortunately for U.S. residents, it does not initially support networks here. It is not out of the realm of possibility that Palm will get wise and make a version compatible with U.S. networks in the future.

« Will NTP Sue Every Wireless Company? | Main | AT&T Mobile Phone Service In New York City Appears To Be Down »



Sign Up Now
For InformationWeek News Alerts




This is a public forum. United Business Media and its affiliates are not responsible for and do not control what is posted herein. United Business Media makes no warranties or guarantees concerning any advice dispensed by its staff members or readers.

Community standards in this comment area do not permit hate language, excessive profanity, or other patently offensive language. Please be aware that all information posted to this comment area becomes the property of United Business Media LLC and may be edited and republished in print or electronic format as outlined in United Business Media's Terms of Service.

Important Note: This comment area is NOT intended for commercial messages or solicitations of business.




 
Mobile Video


Sign Up For The Over The Air Newsletter
Every Friday, our experts and analysts explore the business, strategy, and management issues most important to mobile and wireless technology.

Sign up for our free, weekly newsletter today!

Newsletter Archives


 

  1. Sequential Programming: Like Eating Peas with a Straw.
  2. Biomolecular device using self-assembled DNA nanostructures?
  3. Coreinfo v2.0: A Simple Utility to Understand the Manycore Complexity in Windows


Join The InformationWeek Group On LinkedIn


                           


  1. More Reasons Why Linux Misses The Desktop
  2. Too Much Netbook For Too Litl?
  3. Motorola Explains Why Droid Doesn't Have Multi-Touch
  4. Sprint And T-Mobile Headed The Wrong Direction


  1. Global CIO: Cloud Computing's New Name: Who Will Win $100 Million?
  2. Google Computes News Quality
  3. Internet Use Increases Social Connectivity
  4. Review: Motorola Cliq Smartphone
  5. Florida Hospital Dials Up iPhones For Nurses
  6. Full Nelson: A Web Presence Needs Sizzle, My Nizzle

 

  Ars Technica
Boing Boing
Channel 9 Forums
CRN Blogs
Dr.Dobb's Portal: Blogs
Engadget
Gizmodo
GrokLaw
  Lifehacker
Schneier on Security
Slashdot
TechCrunch
Techdirt
Techmeme
Valleywag

  DECEMBER 2008
NOVEMBER 2008
OCTOBER 2008
SEPTEMBER 2008
AUGUST 2008
JULY 2008
JUNE 2008
MAY 2008
  APRIL 2008
MARCH 2008
FEBRUARY 2008
JANUARY 2008
DECEMBER 2007
NOVEMBER 2007
OCTOBER 2007
SEPTEMBER 2007