Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

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.

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.

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!

I didn't and I got burned like everyone else posting here. The Treo 650 power charger is junk, pure and simple. The plug of the charger doesn't fit the phone and always pulls out. It's hard to actually "charge" the phone if it can stay plugged in. They should remove this from Amazon -- it's a disgrace that this garbage can be sold.

Device is literally falling apart as I use it. The device will not stay plugged into my Treo unless I position the treo and charger propped up against something in the car. The part where the charger connects to the phone easily comes apart and needs to be snapped back together and even where it connects to the accessory power outlet it wants to split apart at the seams.

Since this was bought from a 3rd party seller I'm wondering if I was given a knock-off brand since I did not see Palm anywhere on the packaging. I figured that the picture was outdated and now think I DID just get a cheap charger made by a cheap competitor.

This unit broke apart the first time I inserted it into the car's lighter plug. It is still barely operating, but who knows for how long? Also, the cord is too short and taut to use the phone while it is plugged in, and as other reviewers have said, the cord frequently falls out of the phone. I strongly recommend avoiding this prouct and buying one of the many alternatives that exist.

if you simply need a charger, this works fine. I used it with two different 650's without a problem. The issue for me is that the coils of the cord are so tightly wound, that it's virtually impossible to use the phone without unplugging it. It's advertised to stretch from 2 feet to 6 feet; you'll be lucky to get it to 3 feet.

This item serves my needs for charging my Treo 650 in my car. But I am a little leary of storing in any area that it may be subject to the weight of another item. The case is very light weight, even fragile.

The vehicle charger is terrific

It is very tough, and plugs into the Treo easily ------ also, unlike older Treo chargers, it never disconnets easily from the Treo, once placed

it also charges quickly

and the price is cheap - you can't go wrong on this one

Happy buying!!!

Note that this is NOT an official Palm product. Perhaps other people received original Palm packaging, but I got a third-party knock off. Given that the product was advertised as "by Palm," this is incorrect.