A year ago, it would be impossible to even conceive of the idea that Palm would proudly market a device running on the
Windows Mobile OS. However, the successor of the Treo 650 is strangely, of all things, a Pocket PC device.
CD and ActiveSync Software
Exterior
The Treo 750V currently comes in Dark Blue only. It is neither Palmˇ¦s lightest nor heaviest model, and its 154 grams makes it
heavier than the Nokia E61, Sony Ericsson M600i and the Samsung I320.
The external antenna has vanished and a much-improved keyboard sits proudly below the screen, and the layout of said keyboard
is one of the best in its simplicity. The bottom of the device sports the connection for the headset and the data port.
However, there is no USB connector here.
The camera and its self-portrait mirror are on the back of the device, and the stylus also plugs in here although we found
that the materials used were rather inferior and were damaged in as little as a week of use.
Buttons/Screen
The TFT Touchscreen on the Treo 750v is not the 3.5 inch one found on most Pocket PCs. Instead, the smaller device uses a 240
x 240 pixel screen, just like what is found in the iPAQ 6515 and 6915. 240 x 240 is not very good, because most PPC programs
are written for the 320 x 240 screen, so you will face some difficulty in getting the correct version. The screen is a simple
65K type and the screen looks dated and is not as clear as that of the I320.
Software/Messaging
The entire desktop here can be customised. All the menu items can be moved or eliminated. The presence of two soft keys which
log down the most recently used programs allows one to go straight to a program without going through the menu.
Messaging here consists of SMS, MMS and IMAP4/POP3 email. Pocket MSN Messenger has been removed, but the keyboard on this
device is very well though out. The full keyboard has many secondary functions that make it easy to use this device without
tapping very much on the screen.
PIM/Memory
The telephone directory in the Palm 750v is similar to the one found in other PPC phones, and it integrates with the contacts
list in your Microsoft Outlook. It is nothing to shout about, and Outlook is such an annoying email client, especially when
your computer and PPC use slightly different versions of the program.
The device has 64MB of RAM and comes with a Mini-SD memory card slot, which accepts cards up to 2GB in size.
Camera/Video
An outdated 1.3 megapixel camera comes with the device. There are the five camera resolutions available - 1280 x 1024, 640 x
480, 320 x 240, 240 x 280, 160 x 120 pixels. You can choose between High, Normal and Low quality modes, and set the shooting
to Normal, Burst or Timer. Finally, one can choose from two edge positions, namely 1x or 2x.
The videocamera only supports two resolutions, namely 352 x 288 and 176 x 144 pixels. Other than the resolution, the user can
choose from a recording limit (No limit, 15 seconds or 30 seconds). All of the imaging products are stored in a folder marked
ˇ§Images and Videosˇ¨.
The quality of the camera is nothing to shout about, and neither is the videocamera doing well either. The camera of the I320
or the Nokia E50 is many times better. Also the video of the I320 is better, and there is no flash for the camera of the
Palm 750v.
Multimedia/Voice
There appears to be a problem with the reception of this phone. The removal of the external antenna may have something to do
with this, as we noticed that the signal strength is very weak, especially when the device is indoors.
The Treo supports the use of themes and of 40-tone polyphonics. There is even a Palm-themed ringtone which also appears on
the 650. In addition to this the Treo750v also supports MIDI, MP3 and WMA ringtones.
Connectivity
The Treo 750v has built-in Bluetooth and infrared capabilities, but WiFi is not included in the package. There is an option
for data transfer, which offers the user the possibility of using HSDPA or UMTS for downloading. As more and more of these
networks spring up around the world, having the option in the device would be a plus point in the future.
| Editor's Opinion |
This is the first Palm running the Windows Mobile operating system. The device is rather disappointing, as the reception
strength is weak and the battery life is rather short. WiFi has been left out, and the camera is a joke compared to what is
already out there in the market.
However, the keyboard is very well laid-out, and we will even go so far as to say that this is the best messaging apparatus
that is available on the market.
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