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iPhone 5th anniversary: How I accidentally became an iPhone user
Five years ago I accidentally became an iPhone user. I had watched the iPhone announcement several months earlier, and thought it looked like an incredible phone. But I wasn't planning to get one because I was a Palm user, and had been a Palm user since my Palm IIIxe. I had a ton of software, and I was heavily into the whole Palm "experience." At the time I was carrying a Treo 650 (which has replaced my Treo 600, which had replaced my Treo 300) and I was fairly happy with it. Sure, it locked up a couple times a day and I had to remove the battery pack to reboot it, but so what? Yes, occasionally (and by "occasionally" I mean "regularly" as in "almost daily") I had to unscrew the top of my stylus to get to the little piece of plastic that I could use to press the reset button. Sure, I carried 2 extra batteries around with me because if it was a busy day I knew I'd need them. But the Treo had all that software... When the iPhone first came out, it had no third-party software. I couldn't imagine giving up all of my software. I had a lot of money invested in Palm software, how could I even consider throwing it all away? Then something unexpected happened: my Treo stopped working. Actually, I shouldn't say that it was unexpected. While it was frustrating, it certainly shouldn't have been unexpected. My Treo 300 had worn out because it wasn't made very well, which is why I bought the Treo 600. I think I went through 2 or 3 Treo 600s before I finally convinced Sprint to replace it with a 650. And now the 650 was starting to act up. The 'e' and the 'w' keys were starting not to respond unless they were pressed really hard, and the touchscreen had to be "recalibrated" every day, or else stylus taps were inaccurate. I finally got fed up and asked Sprint when my contract was going to expire. Answer: July 3rd. I was very excited, not because I could get an iPhone, but because I thought I would be able to get a good price on a new Treo 755p. Sprint was advertising it all over their website for "only" $280 with a 2 year contract. There was just one flaw in my plan: because I was existing customer, I couldn't get the Treo 755p for $280. I could get it for $429. I went around and around with them, trying to get them to see that it was insane to suggest that after 4 years of being a smartphone customer, I was worth less than a new customer. But they refused to budge. I decided to leave Sprint and switch to AT&T/Cingular, but I still wasn't planning to get the iPhone. I was planning to get a "free" Treo 680, but before I did that I did my homework and asked one question which ended up changing everything: Which is more expensive: a free Treo 680 or an iPhone? If it sounds like a trick question, that's because it is. The first trick was that the Treo was only free "after rebate." Still, "free after rebate" sounds a lot cheaper than cheapest iPhone, which sold for $500. But there's another trick: the contract. Both the Treo and the iPhone required a two-year contract. The Treo rebate stipulated that you had to sign up for a contract with unlimited data which cost $40/month for Treo users. However, due to what must have been some amazing negotiations between Apple and AT&T before the deal was announced, unlimited data for the iPhone was only $20/month (the Treo didn't do 3G either, so these were comparable plans). I don't remember that detail getting a lot of attention at the time, but I've always thought that the data plan was one of Apple's greatest accomplishments in bringing the iPhone to the market. It needed unlimited data so you weren't thinking about data usage. And $20 was literally half of what it cost if you were using a different smartphone on the same network (AT&T increased the cost to $30/month when 3G arrived a year later, and took away the 200 included text messages). Now armed with the facts for both the initial cost and the contract costs, it was easy to make a comparison between the iPhone and the Treo. AT&T's lowest voice plan was $40/month for 450 minutes, and that was the same for Treo or iPhone. Add another $40/month for data and the "free after rebate" Treo would have cost a total of $80 per month for 24 months = $1,920. A iPhone would cost $60 per month for 24 months = $1,440. Add $500 for the iPhone itself: $1,940. Not to mention that the iPhone had onboard storage (which, at the time, was really only useful for music, but still, you were also getting a great iPod as part of the iPhone), and the Treo had almost none, so you would need an SD card, which cost about $60 at the time. Over the course of two years, the 8 GB iPhone would cost about $2,040 versus about $2,000 for the Treo. For an extra $1.67 per month, I could get an 8GB iPhone. So I bought an iPhone. I actually bought the iPhone right after launch but then had to leave it in the box for about a week while I waited for my contract to expire with Sprint! Apple dropped the price of the iPhone shortly after launch and gave $100 Apple Store gift cards to early adopters, which made it an even better deal. A friend of mine sent me his $100 Apple Store gift card and said "I'm a Windows guy, I'll never shop at the Apple Store, so I thought you might be able to use this." So I paid $400 for my 8 GB iPhone. Sprint lost me as a customer due to their terrible customer retention policies, but Palm also lost me because my experience with the Treo hardware had also been terrible. They were poorly made of cheap plastic, and did not stand up to use over time. When Apple showed the iPhone without a hardware keyboard, my first reaction was "No keys to stop working!" but the real difference could be felt just by holding the two devices. The Treo felt like a fragile piece of electronics wrapped in plastic. The iPhone felt like something NASA would have built. How long did it take me to realize I had made the right decision? The first time I loaded a web page in "Mobile Safari" and saw how much better it was than the awful web browser on the Treo, I never looked back. Even with no third-party software and extremely limited multitasking, the iPhone was always on a different level than the Treo. Palm CEO Ed Colligan's infamous comment: "We've learned and struggled for a few years here figuring out how to make a decent phone," he said. "PC guys are not going to just figure this out. They're not going to just walk in." While Palm struggled to figure out how to make a "decent" phone, Apple had no interest in making anything less than a revolutionary phone. I'm guessing Apple could have released a decent iPhone in 2006, maybe even 2005. But a "decent" phone wasn't enough. So they kept working at it. While Palm released the "decent" Treo 300 and then annual "decent" upgrades, Apple kept working on making the iPhone better and better, until it was ready. Colligan was right, of course, when he said that Apple would not "just walk in." Apple didn't walk in. They stepped over.
Palm Foleo lands on eBay, can be yours for a relative song (update: sold!)
It's probably not the first Foleo to ever splash down on eBay, but this one might just be the most comprehensive of them all. Palm's companion laptop-that-never-was will almost definitely remain a tech mystery for eons to come, but today, the chance is yours to own the flop of the last decade for just $750. Better still, that Buy It Now price includes a smorgasbord of applications, so you won't have to go hunting in order to find programs that actually take advantage of the thing. The only downside is the lack of a VGA dongle and the original packaging, but there's only so much griping you can do about a Foleo that costs less than an Adamo. Update: And she's gone! But strangely, it looks as if the entire auction has been removed. We're guessing someone paid this fellow a couple million to end it early and take an under the table lump sum, Just a guess, though.
Snow Leopard takes a bite out of support for legacy Palm OS devices
Still rocking that Palm Zire with your new Intel-based Mac? Then you might just want to reconsider that upgrade to Snow Leopard, as Apple has apparently decided to ditch its support for legacy Palm OS devices in the latest incarnation of iSync. That, as you may be aware, had previously acted as a conduit for Palm's aging but still available Palm Desktop software, and let folks easily sync up their contacts and other data from their Centro, Treo, Zire, Tungsten, or even a venerable old PalmPilot. Of course, that doesn't quite rise to the same level of controversy as the whole Pre / iTunes situation, especially considering that Palm itself has mostly moved on from said devices, and there are still some third-party sync solutions available for folks that want to keep the Palm OS dream alive.
AT&T lays down the law, says Treo 680 users must update firmware
Once upon a time, Palm released a big firmware update for AT&T's branded version of the venerable Palm OS-powered Treo 680 (we know we just tossed a mind-boggling array of obsolete words and phrases at you, so feel free to take a couple minutes to catch your breath -- we'll wait). Okay, now fast forward to mid-2009. Treo 680s are still in the field -- and apparently, some of those haven't been updated to that 2007 vintage firmware. For some reason, AT&T has just now started really turning up the heat on these holdouts, apparently sending out text messages saying they're required to apply the update by the 15th of next month to continue using their phones on the network. We don't know if AT&T plans on doing an IMEI lockout or what here, but at any rate, it's a pretty big slap in the face of the "open network" concept these guys have been espousing for the past couple years. Then again, the update's seriously got a lot of good stuff in it, so it's totally unclear why anyone with a 680 wouldn't just bite the bullet and submit to AT&T's will this time around. [Via Palm Infocenter]
Attention Sprint Treo 600 owners: you're owed $27.50
Sure, Sprint and Palm are hoping the Pre turns the page on their relatively dark recent past, but karma's a bitch sometimes -- the other Palm news this week is that Sprint and Palm have settled a class-action lawsuit alleging the two companies misled customers into thinking there'd be WiFi and Bluetooth accessories for the Treo 600. Remember how crushed we all were when nothing ever hit the market? The pain was almost immeasurable -- unless you're a class-action settlement attorney, in which case you instinctively know anyone who bought a Sprint Treo 600 before October 27, 2004 is owed either a $20 Sprint service credit or a $27.50 credit to be used in Palm's online store. So, anyone still have their Treo 600 receipts from 2004? Yeah, we didn't think so.[Via TamsPalm]
Screen Grabs: Roman Nevikov makes final call on Palm Treo Pro
Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dt com. Well, what do you know? Yet again, the tech-savvy bunch producing NBC's Life has managed to incorporate a relatively fresh piece of technology into the storyline. For those still waiting to check the season finale on DVR, you may want to skip ahead, but for those who either a) already watched or b) don't ever care to watch, here's the skinny. Roman Nevikov, Charlie's arch enemy, appeared to be tracking his every move on Palm's Treo Pro (minus the branding). 'Course, he also considered using it as a weapon upside Reese's skull, but thankfully no LCDs or QWERTY keyboards were harmed during filming. So sad he'll never get to upgrade to a Pre, ya know?
Screen Grabs: Julianna Margulies and George Clooney in bed with the Palm Treo Pro
Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dt com. Seriously, can 'ER' get any better at this late date? What's that? You'd like to see Nurse Hathaway and Dr. Ross in bed together, with a cameo by the Palm Treo Pro? Done. Sure, Dr. Ross doesn't seem terribly impressed by the nurse's news that the heart and kidney are viable and ready for new homes, but whatever! That phone looks hot! One more shot of the blessed trio after the break.[Thanks, Yehuda]
Sprint Treo Pro now finally available, for real this time
After months of delays and at least one false start, the Sprint Treo Pro is finally on sale as promised -- and from what we can tell, Sprint reps are already confusing the Pre and the Pro. Ouch. Nevertheless, we're glad to see this thing make it out into the world -- anyone going to drop the $199?
Palm's Treo Pro hits Bell Mobility in Canada
We're still waiting on a solid bit of subsidized US availability on Sprint, but Canada's got things all figured out -- how typical. Palm's Treo Pro is doing the EV-DO Rev. A thing on Bell Mobility up there, going for $99.95 on a three-year contract -- 1 and 2-year contracts are $0 and off contract is only $49, so we'll likely be updating when things settle down. That sounds like a silly amount of time to be tied to Windows Mobile 6.1, but we're temporal pessimists like that. Bell Mobility customers can pick up the phone as of today.
Palm "Pro" shows up in March Best Buy Mobile ad for $249
The fate of the Sprint Treo Pro has been up in the air ever since the announcement of the Pre, with units sent to stores called back for testing and reports of endless delays, but it looks like we'll finally be getting the HTC-built handset next month, since it's in Best Buy Mobile's March circular as the "Palm Pro" for the expected $249 on contract. That's certainly better than the off-contract $699 price Big Blue posted last month, but what's up with calling it the Palm Pro? Considering the tips we've already gotten confusing the Treo Pro with the Pre, we'd say truncating it down to just "Pro" is a disaster waiting to happen -- might want to straighten this out, Palm.[Thanks, Mike]
TealOS hands-on video... with a Treo 650
So, we thought we'd fire up the old, old, old Treo 650 and see what TealOS looked like on it. The results are recorded above. The launcher actually hits a bunch of the basic webOS functionality pretty decently; swiping cards away, the wave launcher, reshuffling the deck, the transparent launcher. Of course, there's no deeper integration (like webOS's contact aggregation, etc.), and the animation is fairly jagged, but it still does an admirable job of copying the UI. The app is a nice effort from the Teal folks, one which might help you wait out the Pre launch a little, but ultimately it's window dressing more than anything else.
Sprint's Treo Pro gets glorious unboxing
Yeah, we've seen human hands grace the Sprint-branded Palm Treo Pro before, but we've never seen shots like this. Somehow, someway, the lucky souls over at WMExperts managed to grab hold of Palm's latest entry into Sprint stores, and rather than just gloating about it privately, they chose to host up a nice gallery of unboxing shots for all to enjoy. And really, they're super enjoyable. Head to the read link for more.
Sprint Treo Pro spotted in the wild, specs and all
Thanks, Best Buy -- we owe you one another. Yet again, we're getting our first real live look at a recently unveiled Sprint handset courtesy of the big box retailer, and this time it's the CDMA version of Palm's Treo Pro. We're also being blessed with a look at the specs sheet, which shows Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, 512MB of storage (300MB available to the user), a two megapixel camera (with a digital 8x zoom and video capture), removable 1,500mAh Li-ion battery good for five hours of talking, a microSDHC slot, microUSB 2.0 port, 3.5-millimeter headphone jack, WinMo 6.1 Professional, a 528MHz Qualcomm dual-core MSM7501A CPU, 320 x 320 touchscreen, EV-DO Rev. A support, 802.11b/g WiFi and built-in GPS (standalone and assisted). So, aside from the cell radio, it's pretty much the same Treo Pro we've grown to know and kinda-sorta love. No price was posted, but it's not like Sprint hasn't already told us -- have fun in the gallery below![Thanks, Roel]%Gallery-43074%
Palm's Treo Pro now on sale at Sprint for $249.99
We begged and pleaded for an official announcement back when we saw this beauty all boxed up, and comically enough, we're still waiting for that release. Nevertheless, Sprint has quietly hosted up the long awaited CDMA Treo Pro on its webstore, giving those with an unquenchable thirst for more Windows Mobile something to lust over. For whatever reason, this thing is being priced at $249.99 with a two-year contract ($549.99 free and clear), though we get the feeling that figure will be dropping mighty quickly. Let's just go ahead and call it the Pre effect.Update: Looks like Sprint's pulled the Treo Pro page from its site already, so they're either not quite ready to hawk it yet or we're looking at the quickest discontinuation in consumer electronics history.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]%Gallery-42889%
Sprint's Treo Pro in the wild, now with more box
Yo, Sprint, Palm, guys... seriously, give it up. We all know this thing's coming, so can we at least get an announcement or something? We've seen the CDMA-flavored Treo Pro in Sprint livery in the wild already, and now we're seeing the box, which -- no surprise -- bears a strong resemblance to its GSM bedfellow. As far as we can tell, this sucker is still on track for release before the end of the month, and with retail packaging floating around, it seems at least plausible -- so here's hoping, eh?[Thanks, anonymous tipster]%Gallery-42703%
Palm's Treo Pro spotted in Sprint attire?
Our handy dandy leak sheet was already proven correct once with the introduction of the pink Instinct, so we're beginning to feel good about a Sprint-branded Treo Pro making landfall sometime this month. A curious in the wild shot over at WMExperts shows off what clearly looks to be that very handset, though we'd never put it past a mischievous Photoshopper to spit something out in a cutesy grab for attention. Whatever the case, the exterior looks about as normal as ever, and seriously, is any Sprint customer in their right mind looking to pick this up over the forthcoming Pre? Signs point to "no."[Thanks, malatesta]
Sprint's Treo Pro coming in January along with a pink Instinct
Say, remember how there was supposed to be a Treo Pro coming to Sprint? Yeah, well, the time is drawing near for that to go down; odds are it could've happened sooner, but Sprint probably wanted to give its fairly fresh 800w a little breathing room before getting sunsetted in favor of the significantly more attractive Pro. The carrier is currently targeting January 25 for the model to be available in all channels for $549.99 -- which we're guessing (hoping) will come down to $249.99 or so after rebates, subsidies, and all that jazz. Also launching in January should be the Motorola i365IS -- an even more rugged model of the already beefy i365 -- and a pink version of the Instinct. If that's not a veritable potpourri of phones covering every corner of the market, we don't know what is.[Thanks, anonymous tipster]
Palm's Treo Pro gets its first update: Bluetooth improvements promised
Aw, isn't this cute? Palm's unlocked Treo Pro has just received its very first software update, and we're happy to bring along the obligatory balloons and party foods. As of today, users of the Treo Pro can download a Bluetooth Update which reportedly resolves an issue with multiple calls sometimes getting twisted and diverted to voicemail and / or an operator on Pluto. In other words, this update will eliminate those conversations you keep having with extraterrestrial beings, so it's probably worth installing. Got it? Good.[Via Palm InfoCenter]
Palm Treo Pro listed at Sprint Mobile Software site
Take a good, hard look at that picture above. We know what you're thinking, and you're thinking Sprint might have a CDMA version of the Palm Treo Pro lined up for action. If you'll recall, this isn't the first time (this month) that we've seen a rather believable hint that such an occurrence was on the way, and generally speaking, smokes tends to signal fire. We were always curious about Palm's choice to launch this directly at high-end business users without giving it to a carrier, and apparently, it's been curious as well. So, anyone got any outlandish guesses on a release date?[Thanks, Hugh]
Is the Palm Treo Pro coming to Sprint?
Back in late August, we heard whispers that a CDMA Treo Pro could be in the works. Since then, we haven't heard a peep on any progress.... until now, that is. The eagle-eyed mobile mavens over at WMExperts happened to notice a peculiar "Sprint Treo850e" sucking down 160kbps with .229s of latency on the spcsdns.net network while checking out mobile speed tests. No surprise that the Treo 850 is better known as the Treo Pro, but finding that one is sneaking around on Sprint somewhere is. C'mon Sprint, how's about a joint release with the Touch Pro?
