Wednesday

Palm's Plan for Treo
-
The Palm Treo is a proven performer in the SmartPhone category, having evolved over the years to the current (11/2005) version - the Treo 650. But as mentioned on this site before, the available SmartPhones lack some requested features, and the Treo 650 is no exception.
--
A recent memo released by one of Palm's major investors suggested that several models would be released during CY2006. The Treo 700W has already received some advance publicity, pairing the Treo with the Windows Mobile operating system. But the memo also disclosed three other upcoming models, code-named as the 700P, Lowrider, and Hollywood.
--
As a Treo 650 user, I would prefer that the handset not reboot in the middle of a voice call, as it does on occasion. The Bluetooth headset also drops the call sometimes (usually when I am on hold with tech support), and reverts back to the handset. More importantly, however, are some of the features missing from the 650 which may be addressed either through firmware upgrades, or in the next model.
--
The new Palm TX and LifeDrive models offer portrait and landscape viewing, and this should be offered on the Treo. Also, the onboard memory should be increased to a minimum of 128mb. Leave the SD card slot alone...don't opt for the mini-SD. Bluetooth should be updated to version 1.2, and WiFi should be included. Reposition the audio jack to the top of the Treo, or devise a better adapter for standard stereo headsets. Lastly, if a camera version is to be continued, a megapixel camera should be incorporated into the design, along with a LED flash.