Brighthand Reviews the palmOneTreo 650 -- Part III

Memory

Easily the most controversial feature of the Treo 650 is its very small amount of built-in Storage capacity.

When the Treo 650 hit the market, plenty of Treo 600 users bought one, and started migrating their files and software to the new device. They were dismayed to realize that the new device could hold much less than its predecessor.

This model has 32 MB of RAM, but only 23 MB of that is directly available to the user to store applications and files. That's far less than is available on other, similarly priced models, and even less than was in the Treo 600.

Even worse, it turns out that the Treo 650 doesn't allocate memory very efficiently. This means that an application can take up 30 percent more room on the Treo 650 than it does on the Treo 600.

And, to add insult to injury, if you cram all the software and files into the Treo 650 you can, it tends to become unstable and crash more often.

The only thing that saves this from being a total debacle is the Treo 650's SD card slot. This lets you store additional applications and files on a small removable memory card. This are getting pretty cheap, and as an apology for messing up the whole memory thing, palmOne is giving all Treo 650 users a 128 MB card.

Applications can be run directly from SD cards, but you can't organize them into groups in the Launcher the same way you can with apps that are stored in RAM. However, there's a solution for this. Get yourself a copy of TealPoint Software's TealAlias. This lets apps that are stored on memory cards act like they are in RAM. Then you can organize them to your heart's content.

There is one good thing about the Treo 650's memory. palmOne used a different kind of memory chip from other handhelds and smartphones. This holds information without a charge or power.

This means that you don't need to worry about losing your data if you accidentally let your batteries drain completely.

Still, all the data can be accidentally erased if the device undergoes an accidental hard reset, which is why a backup program is still necessary. Make sure you are using one that supports the Treo 650. This device handles memory differently from older Palm OS models, and backup programs have to be modified for it.

Personal Information Management

palmOne is aware that the main reason many people buy a PDA is so they can more easily carry around the personal information that is stored in Microsoft Outlook on their PC. Therefore, the contents of the Treo 650's primary Personal Information Management (PIM) apps -- Calendar, Contacts, Memos, and Tasks -- can be easily synchronized with their Outlook equivalents.

If you aren't an Outlook user, you can use the Palm Desktop to display your personal information on your computer. The Treo 650 comes with the Windows and Macintosh versions of this application.

This is an area where this device is light-years ahead of most "dumb" phones. While a typical phone can store peoples' phone numbers, the Treo 650 is a true personal organizer. You can easily carry all your address information with you, plus be automatically be reminded of appointments. It's like having a personal assistant you carry around in your pocket.

Microsoft Office

The Treo 650 comes with Documents To Go, which allows you to view and edit Microsoft Office files. These can either be transferred from your desktop or come to you through email.

However, you should be aware that Documents to Go might have some problems with documents you get by email. Files that arrive this way are in native format, which this application doesn't completely support, and therefore some types of formatting will be stripped out.

However, if your documents or spreadsheets are transferred from your PC via HotSync, all formatting in the original document will be preserved. You can make any changes you want, and these will be reflected in the files on your desktop.

Camera

The camera on the Treo 650 can take pictures as large as 640 by 480 pixels (VGA). This is a much higher resolution than what you get in less expensive cameraphones, but much lower than what you get in a regular digital camera.

There are those who wanted this device to have a higher resolution camera, but it isn't that big a deal to me. It's quite good enough for quick images of you and your friends or family out having fun. And when you want to email a picture over a cellular-wireless connection, a big file isn't what you want.

Picture quality is quite good. I've managed to take pictures in low-light situations that came out far better than I was expecting (see an example at left).

You have two options for sending pictures to people. They can be sent as attachment in VersaMail, or sent through Sprint's Picture Mail system. If you use Picture Mail, the person receives a thumbnail of the picture, and then can go to a Sprint web site with a full version if they want.

In addition to still images, the Treo 650 can also take video. The resolution is less than with still images. This feature isn't tremendously useful, but I made a couple of video calling cards and emailed them to people. You want to keep these very short, or else it will take you forever to send them.

This works the same way as sending a picture; the recipient gets a notice that a video is available on a Sprint web site, which they can then go and view.

Multimedia

The Treo 650 comes with RealPlayer, an application that allows you to play MP3 files on your handheld.

You can play songs through the built-in speaker, but this probably isn't something you're going to want to do very much. The same is true of listening to music through a headset.

The Treo 650 doesn't have a plug of the size needed for headphones. Instead, it has a slightly smaller (2.5mm) one for headsets. This makes a lot of sense, as you're more likely to be using this device as a phone than as an MP3 player, but it means you are going to have to buy a special stereo adapter if you want to use headphones.

You can play songs in the background while you are using other applications. Or you can turn the screen off and use the Treo 650 like a standalone MP3 player. Turning off the screen greatly increases the battery life.

There's one important thing you need to be aware of about the Treo 650: all your audio files must be stored on a removable memory card. They can't go into RAM. And if you plan on listening to lots of music, either get a really big card, or lots of little ones. Typical MP3 files take up about about 3 MB to 5 MB each, so a 64 MB card can hold only about one CD's worth of music.

Form Factor

The Treo 650 is 4.4 inches tall, 2.3 inches wide, and 0.9 inches thick (113 by 59 by 23 mm) and weighs 6.3 ounces (178 grams).

In some ways, this device feels small, but in other ways it doesn't. With its curved edges, it fits nicely in my palm, and the buttons are well placed to make using them easy.

But there's no doubt this is a thick device. It makes a noticeable bulge in whatever pocket I carry it in. And it's no lightweight.

Battery Life

I know it seems ridiculously obvious, but how long the Treo 650 lasts on a single charge depends heavily on how much you use it.

When I first got this device, I was busy on other projects, so I charged it up and put it on a shelf. It ran for an entire week in standby mode on a single charge.

Next, I went in the exact opposite direction. I set it up to check my email every fifteen minutes, and then did lots of web surfing and made lots of phone calls. The battery was dead in a day.

Finally, I set it up a lot more realistically. It checked for new email every hour, and I did occasional web surfing and made a couple of calls. With this setup, the battery lasts two or three days.

If this isn't enough for you, the Treo 650 has a swappable battery, so you can pop a new one in and keep going.

Accessories

I really wish palmOne had put some kind of built-in flipcover on this model. Every time I carry it around I'm afraid I'm going to scratch the screen, or even break it. And a flipcover would protect the screen from your skin oils when you're talking on the phone. That's why I strongly suggest you get a case of some kind if you decide to get a Treo 650.

This smartphone doesn't come with a cradle. Instead, you have to keep it charged and synchronized with your desktop with cables. This isn't as convenient as just popping the unit into its cradle, but its acceptable.

The cradle for this model isn't available yet. When it is, it will include a slot to recharge a spare battery.

Value

If there's is anything you can say with certainty about the Treo 650, it's that it isn't cheap. It cost $600, or $450 if you sign up for a two-year contract with Sprint.

What you're getting, though, is a top of the line smartphone. This is the model that all other smartphones are going to be compared to... and few of them are going to live up to. It has a few problems, but all in all this is one sweet device.

Upgrading

I know a lot of people reading this are Treo 600 users who are trying to decide if they should upgrade. I never used a Treo 600 very much, but Larry Becker did, so I asked him what his opinion is.

"I would recommend the upgrade to almost everyone," is what he said. "The flatter, larger keys make typing longer messages far more tolerable than a Treo 600. The web experience is far superior due to the new drawing order and higher res screen. The red and green phone buttons make PIM use while on a call far more usable and intuitive. The email experience is equally good but messaging is somewhat streamlined and improved."