More Treo Pro details emerge

The dam has been breached, and now there seems to be no stopping the internet at large as every little nook and cranny of the Treo Pro is exposed and explored. TreoCentral member scottymomo has fleshed out a few more details on the device, and dug up that Comm Manager shot up above. Details include:

• HTC task manager.
• Comm Manager's Airplane Mode and other assorted easily switched options.
• MicroSD (up to 32GB supported) isn't under the battery, but you do have to take off the battery cover to access.
• 1500mh battery.
• Other stuff.

It's all very exciting, we assure you, but you can explore the shots for yourself if you're really feeling hard up for Treo Pro infos. Oh, while we're thinking about it: sexiest Treo yet, or disastrous usage of phone face real estate? Both?

[Via Palm Infocenter]

[Phoenix @ Aug 16th 2008 1:59PM]

It looks pretty damn nice. And it's good to see other companies licensing good software

[nDee @ Aug 17th 2008 1:12PM]

The only problem is always the same:
Where the bloody hell is Palm os 6?

Answer:
When you see Duke Nukem Forever on shelf.

[Joe H @ Aug 16th 2008 2:02PM]

If this was for Sprint, I'd want it right away, but I just can't justify the increased monthly cost to switch to AT&T.

[John M @ Aug 16th 2008 2:12PM]

So what exactly is Palm's hand in this? Branding? Marketing?

HTC designed the hardware, supplied major parts of the software and Microsoft provided the OS?

If I were HTC right now I'd be looking to pick up Palm at a bargain basement price while the brand still has some value left in it.

[Al @ Aug 16th 2008 3:17PM]

Actually MS supplied the OS and like usual Palm tweaked(in this case they are using a HTC app also) it to work more efficiently. At least that how it was for my 700w. And I think this also use the Palm threaded SMS not the MS one.

[XenoX101 @ Aug 16th 2008 5:38PM]

Palm.

Hand.

I see what you did there..

[andy @ Aug 16th 2008 2:36PM]

still rockin the treo 600 yea!

[Tim @ Aug 16th 2008 2:22PM]

Other stuff?
That's great! Its exactly what my phone was missing.

[Ayman @ Aug 16th 2008 2:56PM]

My guess is Wifi, GPS, Camera, Bluetooth, IR, touchscreen, world domination kit.... Other Stuff
Also dug up some info
* 400Mhz CPU
* 256MB ROM, 128MB RAM!
* 320 x 320 pixel screen
* Built-in GPS
* Quad-band GSM, tri-band HSDPA
* 2 Megapixel camera
* 1500mAh battery
http://www.gsmarena.com/windows_mobilebased_palm_treo_pro_surfaces_online_looks_cool-news-569.php

[Rob @ Aug 16th 2008 3:50PM]

Except for the built-in GPS and HSPDA, those specs could have come from 2003.

[Adam @ Aug 16th 2008 6:56PM]

If I buy this and there's no World Domination Kit included, I'm gonna have to yell at some poor customer service agent!

[Harry Wagstaff @ Aug 17th 2008 12:19PM]

@Adam

They might just send you a copy of Evil Genius for the PC.

[Baz @ Aug 16th 2008 2:30PM]

All very well and good (once one gets over the fact that there appears there will never be a 'new' PalmOS) except that photos seem to suggest the Pro's size living somewhere between a Treo and a Centro (http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/palms-treo-pro-in-the-wild-probably-not-fake-2/) - so that means a dinky screen (when other smartphones are increasing the size of theirs) and a thumb board built for the fingers of tweens. This will end up being less of a useful 'Pro' device and more like another desperate effort by Palm to create a device for a market that doesn't exist and to people who long ago gave up on Palm.

Piano black is the only thing that suggests this a 'Pro' device.

[gareth @ Aug 16th 2008 2:43PM]

Psst..... Palm.....,


Ram is cheap now, you can give it more than 100mb of storage.

[Zorque @ Aug 16th 2008 3:54PM]

Especially since (as long as the Windows Mobile devices work the same as the PalmOS ones) Palm's NVFS uses RAM both as storage and as memory, so if you fill it up too much it'll perform more poorly.

[Phoenix @ Aug 16th 2008 5:52PM]

WinMo has persistent storage, that's what the 256mb ROM is for

[Drew Green @ Aug 16th 2008 2:50PM]

When the hell is VZW going to release the WM 6 update for Treo 700wx owners?

[Leindurstit @ Aug 16th 2008 4:07PM]

They'll do that as soon as it's no longer profitable to have people upgrade to newer devices.

[telepheedian @ Aug 17th 2008 7:40PM]

You have to remember, this is verizon you're dealing with. The worse the software on the phone, the better.

[hiteknut @ Aug 16th 2008 2:53PM]

This would have been OK in 2002, but these days I am very un-impressed.. What with the puny screen taking up mere 40% of the phone surface? I don't need 7 buttons in addition to hard QWERTY keyboard, but I will take large high resolution touch screen any day. Get with the program Palm, this is lame stuff.

[OziD @ Aug 16th 2008 3:22PM]

Palm has never offered a large screen on any of their phones, why would you expect them to?

And this wasn't too small of a touchscreen before, why is it too small now? It's not like they are using an OS that demands a large screen. Its WinMo.

[hiteknut @ Aug 16th 2008 3:46PM]

@OziD
> Palm has never offered a large screen on any of their phones, why would you expect them to?

I don't expect anything from Palm. In fact I expect them to keep releasing the same crap they've been releasing for the last 8 years with slight tweaks, rather than introduce innovation. Could that be a reason the company has been posting losses and has been on virtual life support for years now.. ya think?

[Al @ Aug 16th 2008 4:03PM]

except the Centro has been doing very well for them. The Treo 500v has been doing solid over in Europe and I think the 800w is gaining popularity on Sprint slowly. So there are people starting to buy their products again.

[OziD @ Aug 16th 2008 10:33PM]

im pretty sure they've been in the green since this year started and the centro started picking up speed.

[Ian @ Aug 16th 2008 2:53PM]

The screen is miniscule, and far too small for touch. The keypad is too small. I fail to see what the point of this thing is, and how Palm was even involved with their own product. It doesn't sound like they did anything.

[Bassir @ Aug 16th 2008 2:55PM]

Release date?

[dcoaster @ Aug 16th 2008 3:16PM]

@ hiteknut:

If the keyboard is already there, there isn't much need for a larger screen. The reason the iPhone and other touch devices have the larger screen is for the keyboard thats already impossible to use for long periods of time.

[dagwud @ Aug 16th 2008 3:24PM]

Keyboards aren't the only method of data entry. Large screens are useful for many other reasons besides digital keyboards. Personally, I find my fingers to be too long to use a thumbboard comfortably. Graffiti (version 1, not 2) was great, on the other hand.

[hiteknut @ Aug 16th 2008 3:34PM]

Uhmm.. no. The reason for larger screen is to display more information at once, watching movies and videos at decent resolution, displaying complex web pages without constant horizontal/vertical scrolling, and all the other things most of us want to do on a smartphone. TreoPro completely fails at all of the above, and so do you.

[Tony @ Aug 16th 2008 5:05PM]

@ hiteknut

Funny thing is, my 800w displays web pages as well as my iPod Touch. I guess it's not that funny. I didn't buy a Treo so I could watch movies, I use it as an organizer and it's easy to use thanks to the fantastic keyboard. If I wanted to watch movies I would have bought (you guessed it) an iPod Touch.

Like most tech enthusiasts, I prefer function over form. This new "Treo Pro" doesn't provide form over function, it looks like a Fisherprice toy. From the looks of it, you have never even handled an 800w or the 850. You should keep your mouth shut.

[WhiteyxPimp @ Aug 16th 2008 3:28PM]

Ugh... another Palm.

[telepheedian @ Aug 16th 2008 3:43PM]

We don't care, your comment still sucked.

[Alareth @ Aug 16th 2008 3:55PM]

Keyboardless full touchscreen with Graffiti please.

[sdgmcdon @ Aug 16th 2008 4:18PM]

Also Not Known As a Treo

[El Taco @ Aug 16th 2008 4:39PM]

see:iphone

[XenoX101 @ Aug 16th 2008 5:36PM]

Thats like expecting an apple tree to grow lemons.Not going to happen.

[Phoenix @ Aug 17th 2008 8:37AM]

@el taco

Yes, because I REALLY want to try writing with my fingers...

[Kizorblade @ Aug 16th 2008 4:05PM]

You still suck.

[DBrim @ Aug 16th 2008 4:08PM]

Sure I can.

*Reports comment*

[dcoaster @ Aug 16th 2008 4:30PM]

@ hikeknut:

Sorry about that. Didn't think about the Graffiti idea. But next time, you should think before criticizing someone elses comments.

[AlphaTeam @ Aug 16th 2008 5:43PM]

Mmm. I'm ready to buy one of these!

[siv_art @ Aug 16th 2008 5:55PM]

I need something that's Mac compatible yet enough of an advance from the Treo 700p I currently use if I'm going to justify not switching to at&t (ugh) for an iPhone...

Treo Pro with a Palm OS??

[Napilopez @ Aug 16th 2008 6:01PM]

I use a palm centro as my phone device and honestly, I don't see strength of many of the complaints that some are giving here. Personally, I would rather have a small screen with 320 x 320 than a large screen with 320 x 240 as most windows smartphones have today. I prefer sharpness over size, but that may be because I have good eyesight(not meant as an insult to anyone). I think most centro users will tell you that they get used t the keyboard pretty soon, and it actually becomes enjoyable typing on it. I personally love the centro keyboard because I feel its keys have the best texture and give of any phone qwerty keyboard I've used. I also like that its small enough so that I can actually type one handed if I need too. Also, judging from pix, it seems that the keys on this treo are further spaced than n the centro, although I do beleive they could have made much more use of the available space for the keyboard. The specs on this phone are definately nice, plus it has the appeal of being a small windows mobile phone, its just barely bigger than the centro, not to mention much better looking.

Not revolutionary, but definately a step in the right direction

[ByteRat @ Aug 21st 2008 12:57PM]

Everyone's needs and desires are different. It's silly to see people arguing for the superiority of an IPhone or other device over the Treo Pro. I've been shopping for a business oriented smart phone that can replace and combine my HP IPAQ and my Sony Ericcson mobile. I've been looking and hunting for the right unit, but ALL of the units had at least one thing missing or something I didn't want until the Treo Pro. The IPhone has an unacceptable on-screen keyboard, requires a creepy contract, and can't be tethererd to a computer to use as a modem. I should just not THINK about these things and buy the IPhone because YOU think it's DA BOMB? Hunh? An IPhone can be used overseas, but only as an expensive roamer, unless you hack it and use a local sim card. Then Calvin and Jobs will unhack it, maybe brick it for you with their next update. No thanks. I don't want a media phone. I want a business phone, one that I can port to quickly and painlessly. And, believe it or not, I actually LIKE Windows Mobile. So sue me.

[The Dude @ Aug 16th 2008 7:41PM]

YES, BUT DO YOU LIKE FUR PIE?

[giuliop @ Aug 16th 2008 8:25PM]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7PoS2A9-8Y

[B.A. @ Aug 17th 2008 10:29AM]

whatcha twalking 'bout willis?

[ecobore @ Aug 17th 2008 1:56PM]

There is NOTHING nice about windoze mobile - mobile horror!

[Scott @ Aug 20th 2008 11:02AM]

Palm went from a major player to a niche player as soon as they dumped their own mobile OS and starting using Windows bloatware. Now, the functioning of their product is going to be tied to a bloated, clunky OS controlled by another company. They can paste whatever they want on the phone, but every other mobile phone maker using a flavor of windows mobile is going to be a direct competitor, eating their market share. Palm can only make money per handset after paying their outsourced hardware design company, their outsourced software company (Microsoft), and the outsourced hardware manufacturing company. Which means they have to charge a premium on each handset to make a profit. They would have been better off hiring somone to write their own version of the Palm OS to compete with Windows and the iPhone OS--and then, they could customize for hardware, and control the feature set. No offense but the Palm Treo Pro looks like a pile of crap next to an iPhone. If they are selling it for $150 (FREE with a 2 year contract) then MAYBE they will sell some. Blackberry and iPhones are too compelling to consider a Microsoft Mobile based phone for those who can afford to drop big coin on a mobile device.

[erik @ Sep 11th 2008 2:11PM]

i like the treo pro because it can replace my laptop- as i need to view and edit office documents frequently. i can play music on it in the car thorugh a simple line-in, nice since i travel a lot in the car. i like one-handed operation. i can use it as a nav unit with telenav.

this phone is finally what i want in a device... i almost bought one except i needed to think about the price tag... i can get a samsung blackjack 2 for like 100 bucks... or go back to a tilt ( but i dont get one-hand with that and i dont really like the big key board)... that 3.5mm is a really attractive feature...

and....

I HAVE AN IPHONE AND ITS NOT THE GREATEST THING EVER AND I AM LOOKING TO DITCH IT AND I WILL PROBABLY GET A TREO PRO OR SAVE THE $$$ AND GO FOR A LOWLY BLACKJACK!!! WHOOOO!!!

really, iphones are a waste of time... i got mine free so i dont have all that emotion in it over wasting my money on one...