Palm and Microsoft Announce New Treo Smartphone

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Ending months of speculation, Microsoft & Palm today announced the Windows Mobile 5 powered Treo Smartphone.

Palm has licensed Windows Mobile technologies to use on the latest and future Treo Smartphones. The New Treo Smartphone takes full advantage of the latest version of Windows Mobile, 5.0. The Treo offers Outlook Mobile, Office Mobile and Internet Explorer Mobile built into the Smartphone, as well as direct access to Exchange Server 2003 for ActiveSync Syncronisation. In addition, the new Treo will operate with Verizon Wireless’ BroadbandAccess service, the largest high-speed wireless broadband network in the United States.

A shocking combination but one that Microsoft's Chairman, Bill Gates, hyped up on stage. Gates admitted he received the device this morning and will be using it as his main smartphone (yea, right!). Interestingly the device seems to be running Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PC Edition and yet the phone is marketed as a Smartphone. The Treo 700w contains Word, Excel and Powerpoint to allow customers to access most office data whilst on the move.

The device is expected to be launched on the Verizon network in early 2006.

Video: Treo Smartphone Press Conference (300K) | 100K | 56K

View: Palm Inc

View: Microsoft Windows Mobile

View: Palm To Announce Windows Mobile Treo

Following is a list of issues that were fixed (only major listed):

'Allow/Block Once' commands logic was changed. All data from specified local ports to specified remote ports and addresses is allowed/blocked during a single communication.
Subnet mask and wildcards ('*') can be correctly used in editing dialogs for IP address lists.
Rules creation for FTP DATA is fixed. If your computer was set up as an
Internet Connection Sharing gateway, access to FTP servers could have been blocked if using FTP active mode.

Please also review the Outpost 3.0 - What to expect thread for upgrade/install recommendations and other known issues.

(1 reply) #1 KTamas on 26 Sep 2005 - 16:44

Watching the webcast now, i still have mixed feelings of this device.

#1.1 sphbecker on 26 Sep 2005 - 19:05

My biggest issue is with the keyboard. I am currently using a Blackberry and think it has a better keyboard then the Trio. I do a lot of typing, so that is a big deal to me. It also seems like the Blackberry is a better one-handed unit (you know, so you can email and drive at the same time

)

I really like the PocketPC/Windows Mobile because it can do a lot more then Blackberry, but for the things the Blackberry does it does them really well and I'm not sure if this device will measure up.

#2 KTamas on 26 Sep 2005 - 16:45

It is still a revolution, though.

(1 reply) #3 Spartan_X on 26 Sep 2005 - 17:01

I love this image...

#3.1 mad_onion on 26 Sep 2005 - 20:33

omg lol thats really funny i cant believe they put that on their front page

#4 Express on 26 Sep 2005 - 17:05

I am in the market for a smart mobile phone.
Looks like this came in at the right time.

#5 kitchenutensils on 26 Sep 2005 - 17:10

errr... me thinks so if i was getting that it wuld be a nokia communicator or a T910i

#6 kirk26 on 26 Sep 2005 - 17:17

Ahh, the news title is misleading. It says they released it already. LOL, I can't find it anywhere. Damn you Neowin!!!

#7 threedaysdwn on 26 Sep 2005 - 17:18

Interesting. I'm sure Sprint will have it soon enough as well.

I think I'm still going to get the PPC-6700, though.

(1 reply) #8 Syphonic on 26 Sep 2005 - 17:53

Just a question:
With devices such as these, and things like blackberry's, how much does it cost to check your e-mail, and what email can you check? Any POP3?

#8.1 sphbecker on 26 Sep 2005 - 19:14

Well; the Blackberry costs much more then other data devices because it doesn't use TCP/IP; it uses its own protocol which requires network support. I pay $39.99 for my Blackberry (data, I pay another $49.99 for voice) and it connects to my companies Exchange Server via the Blackberry Enterprise Server.

This device will be cheaper; expect to pay $15-30 a month for data; and there is no need for a BES server because it can tap right into Exchange.

The Blackberry handles POP3 and IMAP with a server based account (which they provide you). You basically setup your email information on their web page, they check your mailbox every 5 minutes and then push new messages to you. The nice thing about that is that your device doesn't need to use bandwidth or battery to check every 5 minutes.

The Trio allows you to check POP3, but I think it is the device its self which is checking; so it uses more power and bandwidth.

Sorry or rabbling; I don't have time to reorganize my thoughts in this post.

(1 reply) #9 nic on 27 Sep 2005 - 00:49

So is this the death of PalmOS? Well, so much for innovation in the hand held market. With no real competitors to Windows Mobile, expect the technology to become stagnant (like IE6 did).

#9.1 Hastin on 27 Sep 2005 - 08:26

I really hate to say it, but the actual Pocket PC/WM OS has not changed much since it's 2000 incarnation. MS adds new icons, and literally a feature at a time. WM, IMHO, has already been stagnant. All the great features of WM (voice notes, handwriting recognition) have been in there since day one. While PPC2002 was a good upgrade, it was all fluff. People are only noticing WM, because now it's competitively priced, versus a few years ago. It's just now taking off.

#10 lbmouse on 27 Sep 2005 - 13:17

This thing is running a MS OS and Billy boy now has one? Can't wait to see his personal info posted on the net. If Paris Hilton got hacked on T-Mobile, this should take about two seconds.

#11 Joshie on 27 Sep 2005 - 15:00

Is it just me or does Gates look to be in pretty bad shape these days? I'd almost use the word sickly.

#12 redmosquito on 27 Sep 2005 - 19:58

well... maybe this is a dumb question, but whats gonna happen to palmOS?

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