Palm Vehicle Power Charger for Treo 755p, Centro, Treo 750, Treo 700p, Treo 700w, Treo 700wx, Treo 680, TX, LifeDrive, Tungsten E2, Tungsten T5, and Treo 650

by Palm

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 5 x 8 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0007RIXX2
• Item model number: 92458PLMIN
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,081 in Cell Phones & Accessories (See Top 100 in Cell Phones & Accessories)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Palm Vehicle Power Charger for Treo 650, 700

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Here's My Solution To The Connector Issue, June 18, 2006

By 

J H Murphy "Hank Murphy" (Agoura, California USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Palm Vehicle Power Charger for Treo 755p, Centro, Treo 750, Treo 700p, Treo 700w, Treo 700wx, Treo 680, TX, LifeDrive, Tungsten E2, Tungsten T5, and Treo 650 (Wireless Phone Accessory)

I won't reiterate the other reviews, but I found the plusses to be:
1. Rapid charging - seems to get the Treo up to 99% quickly.
2. Really reasonably price.
The disadvantages are:
1. The cord is not very flexible in terms of stretching - it tends to coil tightly on cold mornings, which exacerbates disadvantage 2.
2. The power connector to the Treo is not up to the job.
I experienced the same problems reported by many of the other reviewers and decided to look at the connector more closely. The problem is that the connector is not durable enough for repeated insertions and removals. (Imagine that you are a Treo charger connector. Put your arms on your waist. Now have someone push you through a manhole. Your arms have to come in to your body to fit through. Eventually one wrist breaks. The Treo connector works the same way.)

You can do a couple of things to resolve this. It's possible to pull out the broken arm of the connector with a sturdy safety pin or awl. You have to do this periodically. The other approach is to use needle nose pliers to pull the connector out further, as it tends to sink into the handle (the part which does not go into the Treo) with use. Close inspection may also show that the handle halves are separating slightly as you insert the connector - sometimes just firmly gripping the handle part will keep the whole unit together enough to make a good connection.

So...I love my Treo. I think this power adapter is a good buy as long as the connector stays in good shape. But the connector is definitely the Achille's heel of this unit.

Note to Palm, if you ever read this: Replace the connector with one similar to the USB signal and power connector -- that is a much more stable design. And offer an upgrade for those of us who are suffering with this one!

SEPTEMBER 2006 UPDATE: I was travelling and needed to get a charger, so I bought an official Palm charger at a higher price than this one. I've found the connector on the original Palm to be superior to this unit. Other differences include a more flexible cable with a nicely designed integral clip, and a green backlit panel to indicate that it is on rather than the basic red LED in this unit. Even with the price savings, I can no longer recommend this unit - the official Palm product is worth the price difference.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Does not stay plugged into Treo 650, December 30, 2005

By 

Isaac S. Kohane "zakthehack" (Newton, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Palm Vehicle Power Charger for Treo 755p, Centro, Treo 750, Treo 700p, Treo 700w, Treo 700wx, Treo 680, TX, LifeDrive, Tungsten E2, Tungsten T5, and Treo 650 (Wireless Phone Accessory)

I've had the same experience as posted previously by others: the plug does not stay connected to the Treo so after a few seconds it stops charging until I reposition it. And the cycle continues everytime the power adapter is jostled in the slightest.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not original Palm equipment - Poor quality, August 10, 2006

By 

D. Mease (Cleveland Heights, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Palm Vehicle Power Charger for Treo 755p, Centro, Treo 750, Treo 700p, Treo 700w, Treo 700wx, Treo 680, TX, LifeDrive, Tungsten E2, Tungsten T5, and Treo 650 (Wireless Phone Accessory)

Very disappointed in this item. Returned it for refund. As stated above, this is not an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) item. It is a poor quality knockoff that arrives in a cheap plastic bag, not in the usual Palm official packaging. When I inserted the adapter's plug into the Treos jack, the adapter would not stay connected. Buyer beware!