Customer Reviews

Palm Treo 650 (Verizon Wireless)

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

My workplace wanted me to get a cell phone so that they could contact me when in transit between meetings. I had been fascinated by the idea of Blackberrys and Treos for quite awhile. One of my coworkers was upgrading to a Blackberry and was willing to let me use his Treo 650.

I learned about Palm by using a Zire 72s (see my review). The Treo's applications were just enough different that it took me a few weeks to feel comfortable with it. However, I have come to enjoy the Treo and really like the capabilities.

The real power of the Treo is that it allows you to combine your PDA and cell phone into one combined package. If you don't mind lugging around multiple gadgets, then the Treo may not appeal much to you.

In no particular order, some of the issues that I have had are:
* The price is just too high. If my work place hadn't "lent" me one, I never would have paid this much for a cell phone/PDA combo. The Treo must get its base price below $300 before I would consider buying one with my own money. Indeed, if the prices don't go down (or my workplace won't sell me the current phone at a discount when I leave); I will probably buy something like a TX and try to make "Skype" VOIP calls!
* You really need to buy a screen protector especially if you have oily skin or wear lots of make-up.
* As another reviewer has noted, the "Dint" sound every time there is a change in network status is really annoying. If you turn the sound off, then the vibrating mode is too weak for you feel it if the phone is in a coat pocket.
* The amount of memory with this phone is a joke. You really need an SD card. The bigger the better. I plan on buying a 2 GHz SD card. I would buy a 4 GHz card if they made them yet. While this could have been alleviated if Palm had added a life drive, it may be that SD technology is growing at a faster rate than one would care to replace hard drives.
* Data is just too pricey for now. Moreover, the times that I've played around with it, it is very slow like a 28.8 (or less) modem. On Palm's web page, you can buy a WiFi "Sled" - whatever that is - for between $129 - $149 dollars depending on sales and rebates. I'm not sure yet, but that might be something worth pursuing if you like data connectivity but don't want to use the pricey cell phone data plans.
* There has been a lot of discussion about 2.5MM port for the headset. Apparently, 2.5MM is the standard for cell phones while 3.5MM is the standard for virtually every other portable device. In my case, this is not an issue. I'm not an "audiophile" so I simply use my cell phone ear piece to listen to MP3's. If that is an issue for you, you may consider getting a 2.5MM to 3.5MM conversion jack - they are sold at most Radio Shacks.

Having used a Zire 72S and now a Treo 650, I find that I'm developing an opinion on what the ideal personal electronic device might look like in terms of capability. My completely subjective opinion of what the ideal personal electronic device would look like and some comments about how that compares to the Treo 650 are:
* Ability to download and read books on-line: The Treo provides this via adobe acrobat reader. I find that I'm able to read a lot of material while riding the bus/subway or during other odd times just by keeping research materials on the Treo.
* Ability to connect with printers, PDAs, cellphones, and computers wirelessly.
o WiFi: Lack of WiFi is a real weakness of the Treo. I don't want to be locked into paying for an overpriced data network via the cell company. Even if I was willing to spend that much money for convenience sake, as a consumer, I should be able to switch to the faster WiFi networks when I happen to be in a hotspot.
o Blue tooth: The Treo has this. I use this mostly to send files to between my Zire 72S. However, it is clear that if you give a little thought, one could cheaply use Bluetooth to build a wireless network in the home to tie cell phone, printer, and computer all into one tool. Moreover, some of the cars these days are coming out with blue tooth navigation systems that make this an intriguing option.
o VOIP: Currently VOIP is growing in popularity because it is cheap. Again, as a consumer, I would like to be able to use WiFi hotspots to make free phone calls when possible. It may be possible to do this now with the right software, but I don't know how.
* Personal scheduling information that can be shared with Outlook and other PIM programs: Palm has this down cold, the Treo is no exception.
* Camera and Video Camera capability with a reasonable resolution. Treo has a 1 Mega pixel resolution camera. No flash. It is an interesting toy. I use it to take pictures of my luggage when I fly - "It looks like this, see." To take pictures of where I park and anytime I want to take an impromptu picture of something.
* Contact information that can be shared with Outlook and other PIM programs. Again, Palm, including the Treo, has this down cold.
* Ability to create, edit, modify, and view MS Word, Excel, and Powerpoint files. Documents to go on the Treo does this. If you are upgrading from older versions of Documents to go, you might accidently corrupt the files. This results in documents to go restarting your Treo every time you try to open a file.
* Ability to synchronize all data files with work and home computers. The Treo does this well. However, I'm considering the efficacy of an external SD card reader for home or for work. Just seems that it takes most of the time hot synching to move adobe and word files.
* Cell Phone: This is the real plus of having the Treo.
* Ability to download audio and video clips and then listen/watch while on the go. I have yet to get a video file to work on the version of Realplayer on the Treo. Not sure what I'm doing wrong. I will continue to try and see what happens. There is some decent freeware for the videos and some third-party software, but will try that at some later point. In terms of audio files, I use itunes to download CSPAN, NPR, and PBS shows that I like. Once they are on the desktop, I use Realplayer to move the files to the Treo's SD card. Note: This is not intuitive, but strangely enough there are directions if you hit the help button on Realplayer on the Treo.
* Capability to make long (eight hours or more) of digital voice recordings for seminars meetings or just to capture your bosses latest guidance on a project. This really bothers me. If the Treo could do this, I would be down to one and only one electronic device.

Bottom line: I really like the Treo. I have learned how to do most, but not all the things that I need it to do. However, until it gets below $300, I do not think it is a good buy.

As a PDA, the Treo 650 is a step down from other Palm products because it lacks GRAFFITI (handwriting recognition), thus forcing you to use the "twerpy" keyboard. As a phone, it's a bit archaic and cumbersome, and makes one-handed operation a challenge, at best. Finally, as a Bluetooth device, its promotional description and advertising is misleading, if not deliberately calculated to deceive. Specifically, beware the de facto fine-print definition of "hands-free" and "wireless". This phone is NOT fully compatible with wireless Bluetooth headsets: that is, you cannot use a BT headset to voice-dial "wirelessly." To use the limited voice-recognition capacity of this model, you (a) must buy a WIRED headset, and (b) you must download specialized software (available at the Treo site for nearly $20). In short, the Treo 650 charges top-dollar for a so-so phone/so-so PDA that has pretty severe limitations. Finally, a few points: 1) the ear-bud wired device that comes with the phone is hands-down, flat-out, nodoubtabouddit the WORST bud I've ever used; 2) do not count on Verizon or Palm customer service or tech to accurately answer any questions regarding the previously mentioned deficiencies (after a month of ownership, 5 separate trips to the Verizon store, countless calls to tech support and customer service for both Verizon and PalmOne, lots of research on-line, and having bought 3 different headsets - - on the recommendations of the aforementioned service/support folks - - I can safely say that I know more about this phone's capabilities than any one, single person I have ever spoken with abouth these problems at either company. And, I'm not a tech wizard, by a long shot. So, if you don't mind using a wired headset and simply MUST have all your electronic geegaws in one device, buy the PalmOne Treo 650. Otherwise, buy a Palm Zire 31 PDA and a Samsung or Motorola phone with fully functional, true hands-free capability, and be happier in the long run. Oh, yes - - on a positive note: this device does an adequate job of sync-ing with my i-Book (Mac).

Well, I've had my Treo 650 for almost a year now, and the good news is that it's the coolest all-in-one device out there (keeping in mind that I've been a big fan of the Palm OS for years). The things I do on a daily basis with Treo include:

-Phone calls (of course)
-Check email
-Web Browsing
-Manage calendar/appointments/contacts
-Listen to MP3's & my favorite podcasts
-Watch converted DVD movies
-Watch my favorite TV shows
-Listen to Internet radio
-Read ebooks
-Work on Microsoft Word/Excel documents
-GPS mapping
...and more.

The bad news is that the Treo 650 doesn't do any of the above particularly well out of the box, and you'll need to spend a small fortune on third-party software to get it to that point. For example: Pocket Tunes Deluxe for MP3's & internet radio (the included Realplayer is lousy), Missing Sync if you're using a Mac or want to sync iTunes playlists, Kinoma Producer & Player EX to convert/watch videos, etc. You even need to spend $30 for a seperate program to set an MP3 as your ringtone (something that even the cheap "freebie" phones at the cellular stores are capable of nowadays) and another program to tweak settings such as volume to a usable level. Thankfully Verizon includes Documents To Go and VersaMail in their bundle, but they make up for it by crippling the Bluetooth functionality of the phone (no using this phone as a Bluetooth modem - you are stuck with Verizon's data service, which is slower & WAY more expensive than all the other carriers).

The other bad news is that the Treo 650 isn't a particularly good phone - I was always a Nokia devotee before, and I think I experienced a total of 2 dropped calls over a period of seven years. People were usually really surprised that I wasn't on a land line when I was talking on my Nokias. With the Treo, probably 30% of my calls get dropped or have horrible reception. (This is my second Treo 650, so it isn't a bad unit). If possible, I would carry another phone exclusively for calls and the Treo just for the data plan, but Verizon no longer allows you to have two handsets with one number, and I'm not paying for two seperate phone contracts every month (they won't allow you to get the Treo without phone service). To be fair, reception & data speed are MUCH better when I'm travelling west of the Mississippi. But personally, the phone functionality is probably the LEAST important thing for me - I just don't talk on the phone that much (and yes, the Treo is my only phone.)

I realize I've highlighted a lot of negatives above, but the fact is if you want one device to replace your phone, Palm, MP3 player, GPS, media player, laptop, etc., the Treo 650 is your best bet. If you're a gadget freak like me who wouldn't stop buying new software and tweaking your Palm or cell phone anyway, it's great. If you're just looking for a basic phone with some simple calendar/datebook apps, this isn't for you...

The Treo 650 is a great device. It combines cellular phone, PDA, and wireless functionality, allowing you to check e-mail, surf the web, make phone calls, and keep your contacts and calendar.

Be sure to buy an aftermarket USB cable, which will allow you to charge and sync your treo 650 at the same time and a headset adaptor.

By downloading a few aftermarket applications (do a search on google), you can make it play internet radio, play MP3's from a 1GB SD card, play some great games, and even use it to access the internet from your laptop while on the road. Here's what I use:

1. Directory Assistant (by Rick Whitt)- This program allows you to easily look up and dial busines and residential telephone numbers and get driving directions and maps, without waiting as various web pages load. I know it sounds like a silly app, and I thought so too, but I now use it all the time to avoid dialing 411 and paying $1.25 per call. Best of all, its free (but you can and should make a donation).

2. Atom Smash by Red Mercury Software- a great arkanoid style game.

3. BackupBuddy VFS by Blue Nomad - back up the apps on your Treo.

4. Blocks by Electron Hut - free Tetris Clone

5. ChitChat Lite - a free MSN Messenger client

6. Froggy by Tim Smith - Frogger clone.

7. Galax by Tim Smith - Galaxian clone.

8, PacMan by Horaco Ho - Duh.

9. Pocket Tunes by NormSoft - great MP3 and internet radio player. Much better control over the audio than the included real player (which only plays MP3s, not internet radio).

10. PDANet by June Fabrics - Allows you to connect your laptop to your Treo and use the internet. Works great.

11. FileZ by Nosleep software - your basic file manager for the Palm OS.

12. Voice Dial - download - dial calls using the sound of your voice. Free to say numbers, but must buy to dial by name.

13. Pocket DVD Studio - allows you to compress DVD movies so that they can fit on a SD Card, making your Treo a movie player.

I've owned my Treo 650 for over a year now and can honestly say that it is the best PDA/Cellphone on the market -- so long as you get a hardware/software combination that fixes its most glaring weakness -- the extremely limited onboard memory of the unit.

A good 1 or 2 GB SD card is a must if you want to see this machine used to its fullest capabilities. Also, the TealAlias program is able to automatically page-in programs and data from the SD card, solving the memory problem. Believe me, this problem with the Treo 650 is a *BIG* one, and the combination of the SD Card and TealAlias solves it so well that you can store a huge collection of programs and data files on this tiny machine.

Secondly, the machine's Bluetooth is crippled, but can be fixed by downloading a program called "PDANet". (Just Google for it.)

I've been a PDA user/programmer since the late 1970's (my first being the world's first alphanumeric calculator, the HP-41C) and have owned and operated about 50 of them since that time. The Treo 650 is the best ever (so long as you fix the problems I list above) so much so that I can do all that I need to do with this machine to stay connected, organized, and entertained. I use this machine to...

1. Listen to MP3 files.(5 complete albums of favorite songs.)
2. Read books. (25 books downloaded and stored from project Gutenberg.)
3. Record voice notes. (multi-GB SD cards can store a *LOT* of voice notes.)
4. Schedule, plan, calculate, communicate, etc.

I can't finish this review without making an important comment about the Palm Operating System. Palm's O.S. is hands-down the finest handheld O.S. and the competition isn't even close. Just one feature is more than adequate to demonstrate this: engage the Search function and have it search for something. The Palm will faithfully search across *ALL* data files of *ALL* programs and list *ALL* instances. You only need to click the one you desire to have the appropriate application pop up the record in the appropriate context. Although the Palm has many other superior features, this one alone makes it the best PDA O.S.

Oh, did I tell you? My old HP-41C software is alive and well and running on the Treo 650 better and faster than the original HP-41C could ever run it.

The Treo 650 is simply the best, hands down.

The Treo 650 is almost a great phone. I would have liked to see more built-in memory and built-in Wi-Fi capability. It's just wrong to disallow use of the Palm Wi-Fi card so that phone companies can rake in money with their additional "data plans". Hot syncing takes a LONG time over Bluetooth, at least for Mac OS X Tiger, so you're still better off using the sync cable when you can.

The software that comes with the phone is adequate, but they should package a program that allows you to use MP3 ringtones, not just MIDI. The web browser is very usable, though slow (it's not 3G). The user interface of the phone application could use some work.

The built-in camera/videocamera is not really that useful, but it's a "wow" feature you can show people. The speakerphone is pretty loud, but the sound quality is not great. The keyboard is smallish, but very usable for people with smaller or average fingers. Do yourself a favor and get screen protectors so that your face is not oiling up the screen whenever you receive a call.

It is solidly built, and can withstand being dropped. I do get lots of comments on how big my phone is, but I don't mind carrying the extra bulk on my belt. The battery life is great, I've never had it run out of charge unless I was going in and out of cell phone range, a which drains the batteries quickly.

At this point, I'd hold out for the next Treo to come out. I've heard that it may come in both Palm and Pocket PC, and the Palm version is set to sell at around $250.

This is the great gadget I've been waiting for. It is a cell phone, PDA (making it a calendar, contact database and capable of running countless programs,) MP3 player, web surfer and email manager.

MP3 calls for an extra accessory for stereo listening - either an adapter or headphones for the smaller jack. Once equipped, the sound quality is excellent.

For web surfing, there is an extra monthly service charge. In my opinion, the charge is excessive ($40/month was the offering to me.) I have a wireless laptop from my company, PCs at home, and no dire need to connect elsewhere. I can still connect "a-la-carte" at around 1.5¢/kilobyte, which can run into a lot of money if you're not very careful.

The keys are pretty solid after around 3 months of use - only the letter 'P' is a little soft now but still works. I use a case that protects the screen and keyboard.

Unexpected missing features: voice dialing (fixable by a PDA program,) MP3 ringtones (fixable by a PDA program that did not work properly for me) and the import of MIDI ringers must be done by BlueTooth or web download, not via hotsync.

Overall, I am very happy with this device and highly recommend it.

I needed a replacement cellphone for the one that died on me. I am also a fan of keeping my appointments, addresses, notes, and everything possible in electronic format: no paper please. I have a Palm Tungsten T5 as well. The choice for the Treo 650 could not have been a better choice. Following the instructions for the installation now allows me to use both my T5 and the Treo 650 with hotsyncs to the same PC (just use a different device ID for each). Both now have identical notes, email, contacts.
Pluses:
non-MS OS;
fast;
excellent display;
ok camera;
plays well with the T5;
compact;

Cons (none of which made me unhappy):
Memory? Come on. The T5 has tons... so why not the Treo? The upside is that cards work just fine for storing any large files, images, MP3s, and the like.
Yet another cradle to purchase, if you need cradles. They are nice, since they charge while they allow a PC connection.
No WiFi, and it will not use the Palm One Wi-Fi card. There is Blue Tooth, however.

What can I say. This is the gadget that I've been wanting to get for years !!!!!

Just look at all the things I have on my belt now and can use at a moments notice. Some of these functions are not available even on my Windows XP (media center edition) desktop PC or my laptop XP.

1. Compact, roughly the size of my old calculator, fits in wide choice of belt carrying cases
2. Digital camera, shares same SD card with my Kodak and my new PC
3. Camcorder too
4. MP3 player
5. eReader to read books, comes on CD with 2 books
6. Edit native word, excel, powerpoint documents; Also there is a PDF reader on the CD too !
7. Unlimited storage using the SD card slot, specially with the 1GB cards going on sale now. Kind of like floppy disks used to be; 10 times smaller and 1000 times more capacity than the old floppies.

8. Organizer (Calendar, Contacts, Memo, Tasks)
9. Handy calculator, world clock
10. Games came on cd: Solitaire, Zap 2016
11. Beam: when my friend has an interesting article to share with me, we can put the 2 units on the desk and beam the documents by IR transfer

12. Cellphone with picture caller ID, speakerphone, and bluetooth headphone capability; Can also connect to computer by bluetooth for printing (although I've not tried that yet)

13. Wireless modem: when I'm traveling, I can stop at a rest area, and dial up AOL from my laptop using TREO for phone connection
14. Quick Instant messaging with keyboard, so I don't have to learn how to type on phone keypad

15. Real web access, personal email, and corporate email
16. Daily selected content updates: With Avantgo installed, it gives me quick news, stock quotes, whenever I sync with my PC
17. I'm buying pocket-DVD studio software (which I've not installed yet), I can put a movie on my SD card and watch it on the bus/train ride, waiting at the airport, or long trips. Becomes a portable DVD player for me.
18. Tap into the vast amount of software for Palm

I've had it for a week, and I'm thrilled to have all of these things packed into my one unit.

Unlike some of other reviewers, I haven't run into any problems. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Here's some tips to avoid reboot problems:

1. Get a 500MB card (they are $25-$30 now) and a USB/SD reader, if needed (as low as $9.99), and load as much as possible on it, keeping the internal memory mostly free for running applications.

2. Do not sync up any data files (like word documents, pdf files etc). This will take too long for sync and it may hang. It did for me. Instead simply copy the documents to the \Documents directory on the SD card. They will show up when you open the Documents application.

Hope this was helpful. Enjoy !

As the title states, The Treo 650 is everything I thought it would be, and more then I could have hoped. I will try and express my feelings towards this product, so that you can make an informed decision and perhaps purchase it.

PROS
1) The Phone sounds great: The Speaker phone is clear, and convenient.
2) The Screen is top notch: When I was buying my Treo 650, I happened to look at the Treo 600 and could not believe the difference in the screens between the two models. It is night and day. The Treo 600 is so low quality, it looks resembles a pointalism painting. The Treo 650s screen is so high quality, it just looks amazing! No big giant pixels, everything looks smooth and detailed. I LOVE the screen!
3) Keyboard: Basically, I think Palm gave up on that whole writing recognition thing, with that stupid alphabet you had to learn. That was good in theory, but this is MUCH more efficient.
4) Included applications: Great included apps. I mean, when I bought this thing I had NO idea I could read/edit Microsoft Word, Excell, and Powerpoint on this thing! I am a student, and we are given all of our class lecture powerpoints, and now I have a portable device for quick studying. Once again, the high quality screen makes looking at Powerpoint presentations a pleasure. Loading larger files is a bit slow, but still faster then opening my laptop, turning it on, starting powerpoints, etc.
5) This thing plays VIDEO: Thats right. I downloaded the fee application TCPMP: Core Video Player, and now I watch movies, music videos, Tivo Recordings, even DVDs on this thing. It can play MPEG-4, MPEG-1, DIVX/AVI, .3P2, VOB, etc.
6) Audio: Listen to MP3s with real audio. Pretty standard. You can listen through the phones speaker while you are editting documents or checking email. Turn off the screen to save power, and the audio will still play.
7) Palm OS 5.4: For some reason, people are saying "death to Palm OS" "Microsoft Mobile is the future." Presonally I am NOT a fan of Microsoft, and I dont want that on ANY of my products. I think Palm OS is nice looking, innovative, and fun to use. Very customizable, and there are tons of applications out there to install. If Palm OS dies one day, and Microsoft takes over the phone OS market, that would be a shame.
8) Build quality: This thing is SOLID. It feels great in your hand, not like it is going to fall apart. It looks sleek and attractive. Really nice stuff.
9) Everything else: There is more, but these are my favorite highlights. There are underground message boards and communities of people who LOVE their Treo 650, so tips are plentiful on the internet.

CONS
1) No Wifi: to surf the web, you have to pay for a Data plan. I refuse to spend an extra $30 per month to be able to check my email, and surf the web on a 2 inch screen. But I am always near a computer with internet acess, so this doesn't matter to me.
2) Video/Camera: In short, this thing takes awful quality pics. But I couldn't care less! The only time I use these features is to take a picture of my parking space, so I wont forget where I parked, or stupid little things like that. A better quality camera would be a plus, but this is not a reason NOT to get the treo 650.
3) No Included case: Luckily there are lots of god ones out there, I bought an aluminum case for $18
4) No included SD card or Hard drive: So everyone is saying mini hard drives are the future. The Palm Lifedrive has an included 4GB hard drive, and when I saw that product I drooled! But here more I did research, the more I realized that there are SD cards out there with 1GB and 2GB capacity, with 4GB cards down the pike. Anyone who knows ANYTHING about technology would know that a 4GB SD card would be better to have then a 4GB Hard drive. I'm goin to shell out $160 to buy a 2GB SD disc, and I'll have more space then I'll ever need for my files, and even full sized movies!

Summary: Loves the Treo 650!
(UPDATE: 2 years later, I now have the iPhone. Palm has not updated their operating System once in two years! I've had enough of palm, and the treo, death to palm)