1. Introduction, What is in the box 2. Design 3. Keyboard 4. Parameters 5. Palm Treo 750v as a cell phone 6. Palm Treo 750v as a digital camera, Expandability 7. Pre-installed and bonus applications, Pricing, Final evaluation, Art… 8. Related articles, Reader comments (0 comments)

Introduction

Palm Treo 750v is the second Palm with a Microsoft operating system. The first one was Treo 700w, which was targeted at users in the United States and was unusable in other geographies because of a specific cell phone module. The new Treo 750v exists also in a European version. The aim of this review is to answer the question whether it was worth waiting for its arrival.

The Treo 750v is not officially distributed in the Czech Republic as yet. Some online shops offered a limited number of devices intended for British Vodafone. Unfortunately, they were sold out before I could order one. Luckily, I came across Mr. Radek Parthon, a happy owner of a Treo 750v, who was kind enough to lend me his new treosure :) for two weeks, just enough to write this review. Thank you once again!

NB: The tested device had an English ROM version TREO750-1.15-VFE (ROM) / 1.12.0a.00 (radio). All parameters, benchmarks, applications, and screenshots herein pertain to that version of the system and may vary from other versions or configurations.

What is in the box

A small red-and-white box contains the device and a humble set of accessories, including the following:

• Palm Treo 750v
• Battery
• Stylus
• Headset
• Synchronisation USB cable
• AC adapter with replaceable plugs (4 different systems)
• CD-ROM with bonus applications
• User manual
• Quick-start guide
• Protective display film

Even though the device looks really enticing, we shall leave its inspection for later and examine the accessories first. The bundled stylus is 97 millimetres long and 3.5 millimetres thick, made of a combination of plastic (the tip and the larger upper part) and some light shiny metal (lower part where the fingers snap it). It holds comfortably, I was only a little nervous about flexibility of the upper plastic part. It proved sturdy enough, though, and survived the testing.

The bundled headset is quite ordinary, featuring a small jack (2.5 mm), ordinary in-ear earphones, a remote control on the cable, and a removable collar clip. There was also a plastic bag with a pair of plastic-foam cushions for greater comfort. However, we shall deal with the headset in more detail in the chapter on audio capabilities.

The synchronisation cable is a proprietary one, contrary to the latest trend in Windows Mobile devices to use a miniUSB connector. Another difference is a button to start/abort synchronisation. It is a rather unusual solution but may come handy – instead of plugging the cable out and in to initiate synchronisation, you just press the button. The synchronisation and power cables are separate, with the power cable connecting to a dedicated connector. The AC adapter is quite sizeable and ships with four replaceable plugs for different mains systems.

The package contains also one CD-ROM with applications from Microsoft as well as third-party bonus applications, a user manual, and transparent film that you can attach to the display to protect it against scratches.

1. Introduction, What is in the box 2. Design 3. Keyboard 4. Parameters 5. Palm Treo 750v as a cell phone 6. Palm Treo 750v as a digital camera, Expandability 7. Pre-installed and bonus applications, Pricing, Final evaluation, Art… 8. Related articles, Reader comments (0 comments)