Palm Treo 500 gets dressed for September 12 announcement
By Chris Ziegler 
posted Sep 10th 2007 5:36PM
posted Sep 10th 2007 5:36PM
[Via Boy Genius Report]
posted Sep 10th 2007 5:36PM
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I would definitely NOT choose this over the various HTC devices available to the GSM crowd.
Well HTC the ODM of this device so they are "caking dat moola $$" anyway ;)
Thanks for the link. Just got some updated specs from another tipster - UMTS will indeed be on there. Updated the linked post. http://www.wmexperts.com/articles/rumors/palm_treo_500_emerges.html
May be time for a Palm deathwatch?
So long Palm, Your loyal fan once upon a time
As a current owner of a Palm Treo 700wx... and a BIG fan of Palm products in general, let me say that the "500v" is perfectly named. As the name implies... it's a giant leap BACKWARDS for Palm. Palm PDA models (that include phone capabilites) started with the 600 (I believe). Then, Palm hit a home run with the 650. Then came the 680, 700, 750, 755, etc. - pushing the PDA phone to the "most desired toys" list. Well, big shock - but I WON'T be standing in line at the Sprint store for THIS toy. No full-screen. No touch-screen. No flash-memory storage (like non-phone PDAs). Still no support for SDHC cards. Congrats, Palm. Your "Thank You" fruit basket from Apple is on the way.
They had to go back, they realized they were getting closer to 1000, and the typesetter they use can't do 4 digits.
Seriously, what the heck were they thinking?!
As far as PDAs go, I started with a Palm m105, then moved to a Sony Clie SJ-33 (still miss it, why did it have to die ;_;), a Dell Axim x50v I still have, and my current Palm Treo 700wx. I love this device - the cell phone makes all the difference - but I can't help but imagine what they could have done to it in the upgrade path to make it better (480x480 screen, thinner, etc.) Now we're stuck with this? For their sake, I hope it is very low cost ... the only advantage this thing has is it's 240x320 screen, and even that is nothing nowadays ...
Also, FYI, the Handspring Treo line started with the 90 (non-cell phone) and 180/180g (greyscale phone, one had kbd, the other a standard Graffiti area), then moved to the 270/300. At this point, Palm picked up Handspring and started the 600, etc etc etc.
I like how they're bucking the trend and making the screen smaller, and smaller. Ideally they'll eventually revert to LED and black and green screens about the size of a calculator screen.
Well, at least not "so 90's" like the Folio, more like "so 2003", so I guess we can call this progress in Palm's language.
so if this is the treo 500, what is the centro? or are they just dropping the centro name all together?
I think this is the GSM Centro.
From my understanding: Centro is actually a new line with a different focus. Centro seems like it's aiming the Sidekick market from what I've read.
I WIN!
I was really looking forward to the 680 then found it sucked big time. it crashes all the time, hopefully this treo will be better
Speak for yourself sir. My 680 is pretty stable. Might crash about once a month if that. Infact, I can't remember when was the last time it crashed. I believe the crashes are atleast partially due to bad coding by application developers. Once I was set on the applications I have installed, it's been smooth sailing.
My suggestion would be to cut the fat and just keep essential applications from reliable developers.
Admittedly though: the OS should be more robust to handle developers' oopsies. HOPEFULLY that will be top priority in the development of their new OS.
Cya palm!!! I personally said the next crap product that comes out I'm Gone...
Waves goodbye...Oh Hi HTC, VERY nice to meet you!!
Faslane.... out and DONE!
I love this site!
Centro is the Palm OS version I believe. I wish garnet was prettier, it's so bland and boring.
iPhone ftw
is it called the "treo 500" because it's a downgrade from the touch-screen treos of yesteryear? =O
I kind of like it, I wouldn't replace my 700wx with it however. It would probably be a good smartphone for my wife, but if it were fully loaded (ie everything my 700 has, and of course more) I wouldn't say no to a phone that looked like that.... Well as long as its thinner.
Quite Hideous, So long Palm.
come on
Am I the only one excited that this isn't just Treo 650 Revision 9 and finally a departure from the same old form factor?
Although this is not what I am looking for, there is a market for WinMo standard out there (not sure about the numbers but judging by the number of peoples I see in the streets with a Dash, that device did pretty well for TMo). This along with the Foleo cancellation is a promising step in my eyes.
If navigation control is done well, perhaps I might stop demanding touchscreen on my smartphone device. BUT it certainly won't be to a WinMo device. Maybe in Palm's new OS? I seem to use my stylus less and less often nowadays. Eh, we'll see.
Regardless: I for one give kudos to Palm for FINALLY trying a new form factor---now work on a device for MY market :-).
no touch screen is a deal breaker....my god they dont get it do they...cmon palm get it together quit wasting ur time on efforts on this junk...sorry to be harsh but i cant stand it ... give us something we want i know u have seen the post & comments we leave all over the www....hope to see something great coming out for us in th U.S.A. thanks
hello
Motorola: "Q!"
HTC: "Excalibur!"
Samsung: "Blackjack!"
Palm: "Me too!"
"No not this time..." Says my memo in reply to 25 employees requesting an upgrade to the new Treo .. "I cn no longer trust that Palm knows what they are doing." I add. "Maybe a Blackberry or an HTC". Atleast I do not have to worry about my sales crew looking soooo yesterday or have their WM machine crash after every transaction.
Shame on you PALM. If nothing is confirmed about a NEW upgraded GSM PALM OS Treo in the next 4 weeks, then do not bother emailing me any of your "offers and promotions" anymore.
Hook it up!
palm can you please release a treo 800 with some wi-fi and at least a gig of storage, if not for consumers sake, do it for your own
no touch screen? doesn't that just make it a Blackberry? No thanks.
All dressed up and nowhere to go. Not my opinion. I've been reading articles that said the Treo line is dead in the water and they should just give up. I don't know if it's true or not.
no WiFi = bomb
What do people think about Palm's stock prospects? Is it bargain time while they're down or wheezing death throe time? Seems like it's dependent on the details of that Elevation Partners partial buyout and on the product pipeline.
I can't figure out from the language of the deal whether selling that 25% stake of convertible preferred stock to Elevation dilutes the value of the existing common stock (seems like it has to), and if so, if that $9/share payment or whatever that is, makes up for it, assuming that goes to existing shareholders. Also, $400m-450m of new debt can't look good on ye olde balance sheet. I don't even know what recapitalization is supposed to do, really. Is that debt a poison pill maneuver? Were they a takeover target? I wasn't paying attention.
Ditching the Fooleo was nice move #1, and this Treo 500 is sort of a neutral move, seemingly. It's still not quite slim, and if the Palm OS equivalent runs garnet, it's a nail-in-the-coffin kind of move. New OS already, goddammit! Seems like they shouldn't bother with more models until the new OS comes out because, like, who cares?
I heard a good quote about the doom of Fooleo, "It answered a question nobody was asking." I wonder what question this 500 is answering, and whether anyone was asking it?
mgvncghb
Hate it or love it, it's here.
After the treo 780 it looked pretty good. I might pick it up. Now we have a new palm coming and this is how it looked liked? Looked like a backward for styling.
Oooh, could this be an upgrade for my Dash?!?
[A reliable source informed us that Palm is to announce the new Treo 500v very soon. It will run Windows Mobile 6, will come with a 240×320 screen, has 150MB of memory and communication will be possible using UMTS. The expansion slot will be Micro-SD, just like the Treo 750. The dimensions are slightly less than the Treo 750: 61×110x16mm, and also the camera (2.0MP) and Bluetooth (v2.0) are slightly better. The device will be available in grey and white.]
Wait a minute...thicker than the Dash?...no Wifi??...never mind...
No touch screen? Smaller screen? No wifi? Horrible keypad like the Treo? No flash memory? What is the point of this product?? Maybe we should have a funeral for Palm now. As others have said, no touch screen, that is a dealbreaker.
As a loyal Palm user who remembers the very first Palm Pilot introduced and all of its great PDA when it was actually paying attention, I am fed up with Palm because it has failed to stay faithful to is core users. No TX2, no updates for PDA users (and no useful phones). Dumbed down Me-too phones don't cut it.
I think I am going to buy one of those annoying IPhones. At least it has a touch screen. Frankly I think HTC has the best products out - if only one could get them aroud here.
Not sure what to do with my Palm Startrek ebooks though. Suggestions anyone?
Just 2 words " PALM SUCKS". I just sold my Treo 700p and got an iPhone. Im much happier now. Been loyal to palm for years. They are trippin so I have moved on to an actual good phone. Palm will be dead very soon. First the foleo, and now this sh*t. Bunch of idiots over there. Get an iPhone, and forget about Palm.
You can see a reflection on the photo - looks like it was captured from a monitor.
I'm holding my judgement of it until I hear the official specs.
Reminds me a little of Helio's design.
I want full Flash and Java support (an Apple-killer feature, by the way), an upgraded OS that still runs the OS 5 apps I depend on, cellular-based AND wi-fi Internet, a standard-format storage/card slot, and a large, touch-sensitive screen (at least 640 pixels wide). How about it Palm? Release something (r)evolutionary!
Enjoy your iBrick, just remember: Everything for it is gonna cost $$$money (the damn iPod is why earbuds cost $99 instead of $15 nowadays); the proprietary software will be perfect if you want to do what they think you want to do, otherwise forget it; when the battery dies you'll need to pony up the big bucks 'cause it is hermetically sealed inside, typing on a touch screen sux big time (remember, the speed texting record was set on a Treo 650!) and all that free stuff (like those Star Trek eBooks) won't work anymore, so you can just go ahead and buy them all over again.
How worse can this get?? I was SO eager for a new and fresh palmOS device to replace my beloved 650... I just loved that phone! Great OS, seamless communication with other palm devices, AWESOME battery power, just plain sweet... It now seems that I will be forced to switch to another company since these guys just refuse to do something right.. So disappointed! sucky Windows Mobile again, no touchscreen, toy design!! Some people learn no lessons from Apple.. Farewell Palm, it was a good run
No wifi, no wifi, no wifi.... so what???? it's a low end smartphone, for gods sake! For Palm is enough to succeed with new Treo if paparazzi catch Paris Hilton sending sms from it. Wait to see a price of an unlocked model and compare it with price of unlocked Dash or other wifi capable device. Problem with Palm is that its high end flagship models do not have high end capabilities. Palm aims to be WORLDWIDE smartphone player and needs to spread model offering to match big boys like Nokia and SonyEricsson. If Palm wants to redefine their phone lineup, starting from low end is not bad move. Bad move would be to rush out some high end model with lame performance (like SE's P990i-good on paper, sucks in life). Palm made pretty pile of models with promising looks and disappointing specs in near past. This one - Treo 500 looks at least different, have 3g and can steal some of Nokia's and SE's customers, alongside with some of Sidekick users.
Palm's biggest problem is OS. PalmOS is dead. Cobalt vanished from light of day, and with it also vanished multitasking and parallel transfer of voice and data in Palm's own software. On the other heand, there is lots of people hating Windows. So, I'm certain that new os is the main focus of Palm, and that new os can be potential key of success or complete deathtrap.