The Treo 670 is real and does run Windows Mobile
By Peter Rojas 
posted August 5th 2005 4:37PM
posted August 5th 2005 4:37PM
Dudes, we were skeptical, but now we're convinced: roc a fella himself just emailed us a video of a
Treo 670 running on Windows Mobile. Yeah, it's a little
blurry, but there's no mistaking that this is the real deal. Everything just got very interesting.
WATCH VIDEO 1
WATCH VIDEO 2
WATCH VIDEO 3 [Right-click
and download]
P.S. - Peep these earlier stories, it looks like it's this phone in the videos: New Treo 670 pics? & The Treo 670?
roc a fella, you say you "DO NOT work for PALM, Verizon Wireless or any company that has ANYTHING to do with either of them".
Do you work for MICROSOFT, or any company that has ANYTHING to do with them?
Do you work for any competitor of PALM or PALMSOURCE, or any company that has ANYTHING to do with PALM/PALMSOURCE competitors?
>GAHAHA... No crap. I can't believe it, a Treo running a non-Palm OS. WOW. My Treo 650 feels like a piece of junk now. :(
Lol! I agree! I feel the same way too!
stop saying "your dumb" or at least get an education before "trying" to call people stupid.
(it's you're, not your)
tool
Quicktime 6.5 does not recognize 3g2 files (at least in the Windows XP version). I'm getting the following message from Quicktime when I try to open one:
Couldn't open the file "engadget_windows_treo.3g2" because it is not a file that QuickTime understands.
Never mind my last post (#108) about Quicktime. The Quicktime 6.5 updater doesn't update Quicktime to version 6.5.2 which is stupid since 6.5.2 sounds like an update to version 6.5. Anyway, you need to download and reinstall QuickTime 6.5 from Apple's web site which will give you version 6.5.2.
I have a video of the new MacOS X based PDA from Apple... and of a Palm IIIc running Mac OS X too.
What's that? You never heard of a Mac OS X based PDA from Apple? No duh.
But it's a great video. They even click on things... and someone went to a lot of trouble building case that looks a lot like it was made by Apple...
A WinMobile Treo is entirely possible - just not terribly likely given that it's made by Palm - who has their own PDA OS.
Still, if one comes out, and if it's GSM, heck, I might get one.
"This is about the lamest reply I've ever read. "Syncs with your whole PC".. ooh.. Internet Explorer Favorites.. big deal. Most sites look like crap on a handheld.
Windows Media sucks. Palm has Pocket Tunes and several different video players which play more formats than Windows Media player.
Outlook sucks balls.. and you can view and edit Word and Excel docs on Palm just fine. There are several different programs that are actually superior to Pocket Word and Pocket Excel.
"Palm is only good for Mac users".. what? Windows Mobile has always been more cumbersome and less intuitive than Palm OS. Period. I should know, as the first PDA's I owned were a Philips Nino and a Palm V. I've also owned 2 different iPaq's, a Sharp Zaurus (which runs Linux), and two different Clie's.
You know which was the best of ALL of those? The Zaurus. It has a menu system that's a hybrid of Windows Mobile and Palm OS, is super easy to use, and has the best Word and Excel compatible editors. Period.
I stick with Palm because there are so many free and cheap apps. I've never liked Windows CE/Windows Mobile and probably never will. Outlook is among the most bloated applications ever written. People who use this app are like crack addicts, hopelessly addicted. Why people use this abomination of an operating system, let alone DEFEND it, is truely beyond me."
Re. Point 1: Websites look fine on a VGA screen. Wait, Palm doesn't have a 640?80 screen.
Re. Point 2: Windows Mobile also has several free media players you can download to play anything from mpeg, to divx, etc. etc. The generic player is also convenient because you can download windows media encoder (free) and re-encode quite a few formats to the PPC screen. It's quite easy to use, much moreso than virtualdub.
Re. Point 3: You're not being fair in your comparison. Of course docs-to-go is better than pocket word/excel. Docs-to-go are third party apps that happen to be bundled; pocket word/excel are not. For the WM side of things, there's always Softmaker's office suite, which does MORE than docs-to-go (I've used both). What WM does better than Palm is multitasking between office documents -- i.e. copying information from word and pasting into excel.
Re. Point 4: a GUI's intuitiveness depends on what the user is accustomed to. Frankly, I find that PalmOS is tad more cumbersome than the generic CE user interface, because the hierarchy of screens is just not intuitive for me. Furthermore, I don't like how palm has buttons for opening menus at both top and bottom of the screen, while for CE it tends to be more localized. As well, I don't like how the buttons are hidden until you press the top left corner, while for CE it's always labelled. Again -- the "cumbersome" argument is moot because it's highly personal.
Re. Point 5: As You say that Outlook (which is an application) is horrible, and then say that why people who use the abomination of "the" operating system is beyond you -- are you still talking about outlook or windows media?
It seems that your frustration is pointed more towards outlook than WM. Outlook's shortcoming are no more the fault of Windows Mobile than PalmOS. Seeing that both OS can synchronize to that program -- are you saying that PalmOS users are also crack addicts?
As for defending against WM. I think a lot of WM users who participate in the debate are more frustrated at the myths that palm zealots continue to perpetuate: battery life, ease of use, stability, etc. The fact is that both platforms have reached common ground on ALL these areas. For example, the T|T3 was reviewed by Brighthand to have ~3 hrs of usable battery life; quite a few people (but not all) have complained about stability issues on Treos and the newer LifeDrive. In regards to the individual that said their Treo froze only a few times in 2 months: my Ipaq hasn't frozen in once in half a year.
If the leaders at Palm continue to set their benchmark the same way as the zealots are for their criteria of comparison -- that is, with points that are long passe -- then as a company they are in trouble.
Finally back on topic: why does it seem that people are so dubious of the video's authenticity? As far as technology rumour news goes, videos are basically the "gold standard". I've never seen so much doubt with other videos of "up and coming" devices" before....
If true, this is a sad day.
PalmOS on my phone = great,
Linix on my phone = fantastic,
Windows on my phone = no way-I'll buy a Symbian OS phone.
This is fake. Look at the pictures of the HTC APACHE forthcoming for Sprint. Take specific notice of the OK/WINDOWS buttons on the Apache, then compare them to the same buttons on the Treo.
Uh, what do you see? I see the exact same buttons in blue instead of black. Now tell me - why would both of these products use the exact same button design?
This is a clear indictment against the WM Treo. In my eyes, it is a clear fake.
*drop kicks treo 650*
oops, now i need to get a new phone to hold me over...
*drop kicks treo 650*
oops, now i need to get a new phone to hold me over...
If this is true, it would seem to reduce potential competition in the phone OS market. A lack of competition tends to result in less innovation: existing players have low incentive to invent and/or respond to demand, and new players have larger barriers in creating market share.
In the long term, the monopolist/cartel will tend to set prices higher than a competitive arena would allow, for a technically worse product - all bad things for the consumer.
If 'roc a fella' doesn't work for the various companies involved, one has to wonder how he got hold of this new toy.
ummm... if it's running pocket pc, then why are all the buttons still associated with the palm OS? The button configs should all be different if it was running a different app (hope key, palm's menu keys... )
damn... now I'm short two cents.
>"This is fake. Look at the pictures of the HTC
>APACHE forthcoming for Sprint. Take specific
>notice of the OK/WINDOWS buttons on the
>Apache, then compare them to the same buttons
>on the Treo.
>Uh, what do you see? I see the exact same
>buttons in blue instead of black. Now tell me
>why would both of these products use the exact
>same button design?
>This is a clear indictment against the WM
>Treo. In my eyes, it is a clear fake."
Ummm....because the Treo is also made by the HTC....it's actually expected that they would use the same button design -- THEIR button design.
"ummm... if it's running pocket pc, then why
>are all the buttons still associated with the
>palm OS? The button configs should all be
>different if it was running a different app
>(hope key, palm's menu keys... )"
They are different....
http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000643053321/
Just wait til PalmOS comes out with their Linux version. Sending Bill Gates back to hell... Or Seattle...
I think it is hilarious that so many of you are ignorant enough to believe this is real rather than the videos are of a 650 playing a video itself. Also, all buttons can be reprogrammed INCLUDING the power button. None the less, reading all the gibberish has been elavating & a source of entertainment! Thanks folks!
I am a WM 5.0 device manufacturer/developer and this would be SO EASY to do it is unreal. It could actually be real in that all you need is to create a BSP for the hardware, which is also easy to determine and then do a build - Ta Da! Done.
This is no way means that this will end up in production. There are soooo many hoops to jump though with MS that it could actually take years - non-compete, linux contamination, etc.
Good luck.
I hope this new phone comes to Sprint Nextel! Every other carriers Smart Device plans suck! Sprint's is only $10 a month for unlimited. Cingular's and Verizon's are $45 a month!!!
But this could be a great phone if this is true.
Yeah
Sprint does offer a better Treo data plan. I do hope this phone is real.
does anyone really know if this phone is for real? would it be CDMA or GSM? if it is CDMA, then most likely sprint would get it first. i would ditch my sprint treo 650 in a heartbeat if this phone comes to market! i guess i can call sprint and palm to see if they know anything about this.
Did anyone read these before saying it's fake?
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20050811A5021.html
http://news.com.com/Making+the+case+for+Windows+on+Palm+devices/2100-1047_3-5829076.html
Ars says that DigiTimes "has been wrong before..." http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20050811-5200.html
Did anyone read these before saying it's fake?
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20050811A5021.html
http://news.com.com/Making+the+case+for+Windows+on+Palm+devices/2100-1047_3-5829076.html
Ars says that DigiTimes "has been wrong before..." http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20050811-5200.html
Well, all speculation has ended. I have spoken to a Verizon Wireless customer service agent who said "Since you asked, I can tell you that the treo 670 will run on windows" also she said "it should be for sale from VW in a few months" Sorry, I couldnt get any more details, when I started to ask for more info like if it had wifi et cetera, she said she didnt know. I assume she wasnt allowed to share details. I can't believe it, its real!
One of my friends is a sprint tech...and she has informed me that in about two to three months the treo 700 will becoming out and it will have ev-do. and she also said they have switched the color up a bit.
I have hear no comment about a new treo 6XX running palm. This is so sad. All I hear about is people who think the palm operating system sucks. have we forgotten the commentary like "what is the second most used button on a windows mobile device?"(the reset button) windows mobile is dog slow and buggy as heck. The only reason people like it is they can do things like run skype and use uncrippled wifi. You think you're going to be able to do that now? HAH. poor deluded fools. It's not the beautiful hardware, there is equivelent hardware available for ppc already. It's good hardware combined with functional software.
A treo that runs pocket pc will be just annother box among dozens, some of which do what they do better than they treo does. If cobalt wasn't such an apparent piece of useless garbage we wouldn't even be having this conversation.
I personally believe this nonsense. If they were to make a radical change like dumping Palm OS wholesale it would remove all need to buy a Treo since it would be YACWD (yet another crappy windows device. Why would users with an investment in Palm data and software move to this versus some other vendors product.
Windows sucks. M$ sucks. Nuff Said
My treo is the best cel i have ever had, and ive had quite a few. I also have a win ce pda and although it has those nice bells and whistles people associate with windows (which i cant exactly pinpoint), its also slow as hell. Also, ive tested a few windows cel phones that dont come close to my treo (note that its a treo 600, i wont even bother comparing a win cel to the 650), but they have wifi and some little quirks that i would appreciate on the treo.
The palm cel software is EXTREMELY functional, intuitive, doesnt have half the bugs windows have..well, to sum things up, it works great. And it doesnt need a 600mhz cpu to run decently.
I have been waiting for the next version of the treo, and i was hoping it would still have palm os, with all the things i love in it, but with wifi, bluetooth, etc, some things that i wish my 600 had.
Maybe, if its true, the windows treo 670 could be an interesting product, but i am a bit sceptical about it. Lets just wait and see, if its good, i will certainly consider getting it, windows or palm, i just need functionality.
my treo palm phone does all true I put 600 dollars in software but its more stable than my 3000 dol windows xp laptop windows is horrible and destroyed the true tech computer industry just as they will the phone ind. go with the masses and see what you lose go palm os go nothing to see here move on to view what software I have goto treobits list of must have apps
I can't believe TREO cannot get rid of that stupid antenna . . . and why is still so thick . . . what's the deal with that?
Mr. Roc, since you have played with this thing, does it have Wi-Fi?
If not, anyone have any reason why I should get this over the Moto Q? None that I can think of . . .
OMG! Isn't there anyone out there slightly nervous about this?
After all, I always thought WinCE was a train wreck of an OS. (?)
The palm platform could be headed to the OS graveyeard - isn't that a shame?
Anyone? Um, Hello? (Is this thing on)
That's real? I'd like to test this system. How can I do this?
Listem people.. Let's be real here. We all know that all we are really waiting for is to hear that that new treo has wifi, so that we can hack it and use it on our 650's and 600's without worrying about them not being able to send sms and having to be rebooted or worse off CRASHING. Otherwise the 650 is the best model. Personally i prefer os. Everyone uses windows. It will be that much harder for the loosers at work or whoevers think oooohhh aaahhhh to invade ur privacy when their being nosey and searching thru ur treo ex..(girlfriends and co-workers)
I was skeptical at first when I heard this myself. This was based mainly on the fact that there was no way Palm was going to abandon thier own intellectual property and pay license fees to someone else.
Then a few weeks ago, Palm announced that they sold the OS division. So now there is NOT motivation to use PalmOS (or whatever it will be called now).
In short I now believe that this device is legit.
any news on when this treo 670 with Windows Mobile will be available ?
when will this phone be available and how much ?
I just kissed off $500 to get rid of my WM phone. Can anyone tell me why it's preferred to have a more complicated OS that routinely crashes when you have incoming calls??? At least there's no BSOD on WM - it just freezes in place, how cute. I was suckered into the i730 by the EVDO and sweet ability to surf the net on it, but you know, I actually do need to be able to use it as a phone too.
There's nothing more frustrating than losing an important phone call when your OS crashes or having to dial a number multiple times (while driving down the road) because the OS isn't smart enough to turn off your data connection (or even turn the phone on) when you hit "send".