Satisfying my internet habit! (aka Treo 700p vs BlackBerry 8703e)

[KMG_365]

I'm finally out of my contract with Verizon and we're shopping for new cell phones. I've been reading over the (far too) many phone/plan options and am frying what's left of my already seriously addled brain. Basically, I'm trying to stay in touch with Les while at work and friends across the country via cell, all of you yokels here on the DB from home, work, and also on the road (including Nevada where you don't get free internet from hotel rooms ). We now live on our computers and I get over a hundred emails a day. I like to stay up with this place regularly and we travel a LOT (average a trip every month).

 

We've got our home phone and DSL through AT+T/Yahoo! and two cell phones through Verizon. Until they get the e911 fixed I'm not willing to give up my landline and any CHP LEO's or dispatchers here will tell you why! ( ) Coverage off of the interstates out west (where we ride the most) is VERY spotty, but Verizon (with it's large rural analog network) is the best. They are slowly replacing all of their analog sites with digital and this is supposed to be completed by 2008-9. We also travel with our two Macs on the bikes and usually hotel it or stay with friends on the road with some camping at the UnRally or other rallies where hotels are not an option (i.e. Top of the Rockies).

 

Verizon is offering some hefty incentives and rebates for upgrading since both of us are due and they offer the EVDO highspeed data plans for smartphones. They don't offer these special deals on every model (and they are in the hundreds of dollars! ), so of the current crop, I've narrowed it down to either a smartphone/Treo 700p or a BlackBerry 8703e. For a small charge ($15.00/month), we can use either one as a wireless modem for my PowerBook and then wirelessly network her Pismo to me via Airport for access on the road.

 

They also offer a PC card for laptop/broadband wireless access, but if my smartphone can do that (since I don't do a lot of huge files outside of emails and pics) it seems redundant as I still need a phone. Kyocera makes a home router (called the KR1 Mobile Router) that you can plug your PC card into that lets you use the wireless card at home and then send the signal wirelessly to your computer/laptops or over a four-port wired hub as well! The cellular carriers obviously hate it, but it might be a good solution for those in rural areas not served by broadband otherwise. This was pretty slick, but I didn't see it replacing our home DSL as it would be about a wash between an additional account for the card and the two phones--and then I would always need the laptop for wireless internet on even shorter trips (instead of being able to pop on quickly a few times a day via Treo/BlackBerry). The other concern is that I'm at work 60 hours a week and I would rather have a Treo with me at work since I can't leave Les without internet access at home. Adding the data plan to our two line phone plan is another $45.00/month but for as often as I/we would use it away from the house it's probably worth it.

 

The new iPhone looks VERY slick, but it won't be out until June, it will be AT+T/Cingular wireless only and in the west and especially in SoCal they have the worst coverage second only to Nextel (if I recall from others who've used them). I also hear that the demo models out in circulation have major bugs still to be worked out before they go into public circulation. I toyed with the idea of going with a bundled home phone/DSL Broadband/wireless plan/Dish Network TV (we don't have cable now) and thought it might add up to the same as we're paying now and it is close, but if the coverage sucks then it's not usable and not worth giving up on the hundreds of dollars Verizon is offering for me to re-up for another two years.

 

I think that's all the info you need: so what do you think? I've never used a smartphone or a crackberry before so I can't judge either based on any previous experience. They both are Mac compatible though the Treo has more multimedia capabilities. I've heard from a Verizon tech who used to do phone support and he was emphatic about getting the Treo ("You want the Treo--hands down. Trust me." ). I know Russell loves his CrackBerry and from all the reveiws I've been reading they are fairly close. The Treo has a camera as well and will do video and other multimedia apps that the CrackBerry will not do. The Treo also has an external SD Card slot which the BB lacks and longer battery life.

 

Plus it's Palm OS--NOT Windoze--which is probably the best thing it has going for it in my book!

[Bill_Walker]

My wife has a Treo 600 that she's been very happy with, but she only uses it as a phone and PDA, not for internet access in any form. She says the only problem she's had is that "it doesn't like being dropped on its head." The antenna stub breaks off when she drops it, and she's on her third phone as a result.

 

I don't know if they've gotten better, but Verizon has a very poor record in supporting internet access from Macs. That being said, I agree with everything you said about Verizon here vs. anybody else.

 

My personal preference would be for the Palm, but then I'm a long-time Palm user. I currently use a Kyocera 7135 Palm-based smartphone, and used various Palms before that. I know from personal experience that a Palm syncs well with a Mac. I don't know anything about how the Blackberry does with a Mac.

[Firefight911]

Had my Treo for 2 years.

 

Really have no complaints. Downloads/Uploads are slow, but only in comparison to my DSL lines.

 

I have used the internet function many a time for DB posts, finance checking, etc. and am very pleased with it.

 

Camera is pretty good for the fact that it is a phone type.

 

I have a 2 GB card in mine and that is WAY more than I need. Since it is also an MP3, there is lots of room for those road tunes if XM just isn't cutting it or if I want something in particular.

 

We have Cingular and the coverage is not great in the rural areas but that isn't the phone's problem.

 

HOT Jamie had a Blackberry at her previous job. IMO, not very user intuitive/friendly.

 

Go for the Treo.

 

As for the Palm OS, I love it! This was one of the draws for me as I am quite anal (now there's a new news story, NOT!!) about having my plans in there. Hot Syncing to your computer is one button touch and very fast. You can dial/email straight from the Palm as they are integrated to the entire phone system.

 

I'll let you play with our Treo when we see you next if you haven't already pulled the pin by then.

[Joel]

I'm still flogging the Treo 600 I've had for 4+ years, but I covet a 700p, mainly for the faster data, so I'll be

[Mike O]

Jamie,

 

Can't speak to the 700P but I'm sure you've been here snooping around already. Lots of good information.

 

I've used Palm O/S devices for years (early models and the current model TX). I had a Toshiba Windows model I used for a while as well, but the HW finally died. In the end, I like the simplicity of Palm. It does what it was designed to do and it does it well. I've entertained moving to a Treo except for one (albeit very important) feature that is absent. Wifi. But I think you have that covered by using Verizon data plan.

 

My vote would be the Palm 700P

 

Mike O

[AdventurePoser]

 

My next phone, though I'll prolly be too cheap to cough up the $$ for internet service...Awesome PDA and Palm OS.

 

Steve

[russell_bynum]

My preference for corporate environments is definitely Blackberry, and the 8700 is a pretty nice unit. People are all nuts over the new Blackberry Perl, but while I like the small form-factor, I want a qwerty keyboard because I do actually write a fair amount of email from my handheld.

 

I'm not really sure how Blackberry would work outside of the Corporate world. We've got a Blackberry server that talks to our Exchange servers, then talks out to the blackberry network via the internet. So...you get a message on the Exchange server, and Blackberry picks it up, and routes it to your handheld. I don't really know how it would work if you didn't have that server to manage the sync. Maybe there's a desktop component that has to be running all the time?

 

Currently, I'm using a Cingular 8125 (I believe it is actually made by HTC) which is a Windows Mobile 5.0 Device. I like it for the most part, but the OS isn't as robust as the Blackberry OS. You can do more with it, but it's not as stable. Windows mobile in general is lacking lots of the remote admin controls that we have with Blackberry. That isn't an issue for a home user, but it's a big deal in the corporate world where we're managing 1,000+ devices across the US and there's sensitive confidential data on them.

 

We have several of the Treo devices floating around at work, some Windows, some Palm. The users seem to like them fine, but I really haven't played with them enough to say anything intelligent about them.

 

One thing to consider, for internet access on your laptop where you don't have Wifi...lots of the new phones have Bluetooth and you can use them as a modem instead of buying one of those PC cards. If you don't have Bluetooth on your old laptop, you can probably buy a cheap USB Bluetooth adapter (about the size of a thumb drive) and that would get you going. That would save you from having to buy the PC Card, and pay for its service.

[KMG_365]

The Treo 700p does not have WiFi, but it does have Bluetooth and you use that to connect the Treo to the Mac for internet/data. Once I'm on, Leslie (or anyone else at the UnRally! ) can just connect to my PowerBook via Airport and we can all do email and surf the site. I guess the Treo will connect with a data cable to a non-Mac laptop, but so far it looks like I'm limited to BT for the Treo/Mac/data combo. I don't know if BT adds any slowdown in data transfer or not and I've never used any sort of BT device before so that's even more I've got to figure out.

 

Since I need a cell phone for work (and now email/calendar as well), I can write off my phone as a work expense. Verizon also gives public employees a 15% discount, so that cuts the price down a bit as well. Leslie isn't as addicted as I am and doesn't travel solo that often so she won't need to connect with her laptop without me as much. The cost of either the data card or the data plan/modem connect on the Treo is the same--but the data card is not a phone, so it doesn't really make sense to go with the card.

 

Mike, yes, treocentral is an awesome place! I found it a while ago when I was researching a Treo for our medics to use for patient info. I was thinking of getting one myself and we were all salivating over the fabled 650 soon to be released. Turns out we got HP iPaq's. ( ) Now the 750 is out (I think that's the one that Steve posted above without the external antenna) and Verizon is blowing out the 700p's. So . . . my long wait to enter the realm of true geekdom will be over!!

 

Maybe I'm going to have to give up on that whole "CoolJamie" thing and surrender to the "NerdyJamie" moniker after all.

[Firefight911]

Maybe I'm going to have to give up on that whole "CoolJamie" thing and surrender to the "NerdyJamie" moniker after all.

 

You shall be assimilated !!!

[russell_bynum]

The Treo 700p does not have WiFi, but it does have Bluetooth and you use that to connect the Treo to the Mac for internet/data. Once I'm on, Leslie (or anyone else at the UnRally! ) can just connect to my PowerBook via Airport and we can all do email and surf the site. I guess the Treo will connect with a data cable to a non-Mac laptop, but so far it looks like I'm limited to BT for the Treo/Mac/data combo. I don't know if BT adds any slowdown in data transfer or not and I've never used any sort of BT device before so that's even more I've got to figure out.

 

I don't know what sort of throughput you get with Bluetooth, but I'd be suprised if it was slower than the internet service you're likely to get through a cell carrier.

 

BTW, if you haven't experienced the download speeds that you get with via a cell phone, demo one before you buy. It is functional, but a bit painful. It is definitely better than nothing, but it isn't like plugging into an 802.11g Wifi connection hooked up to the internet via a DSL.

 

Though you might technically be able to share your connection with others via Wifi (airport), the bandwidth is such that you'd probably give up on that idea pretty quick.

 

Definitely demo this stuff if possible before you buy it.

[decorbin]

I have Cingular which provides the best coverage in the parts of the country where I spend most of my time. I got a Blackberry in September and it initailly worked okay with the Blackberry mail server. Basically, it would poll your e-mail accounts that you set up and let you know when there were messages in them. You can read them on the Blackberry and either delete them on the phone or the phone and the regular e-mail account. Recently, the Blackberry server seems to be screening mail and deleting it from my mail accounts when that server copies it. Not a good thing because reading attachments and web links in e-mails is difficult on the Blackberry. If you set up a google mail account, it works great on the phone. As of now, I am automatically transferring copies of e-mails from the other accounts to gmail and that is the only one I try to access on the phone. I cancelled the Blackberry account.

 

It is convenient when traveling. It is not a complete replacement for normal e-mail however.

[Mike O]

...They also offer a PC card for laptop/broadband wireless access, but if my smartphone can do that (since I don't do a lot of huge files outside of emails and pics) it seems redundant as I still need a phone....

 

Jamie,

 

You may find this thread interesting since the author used blue tooth on a Mac and a EVDO phone.

 

With respect to usage, a trial is the best, next to that, I would recommend you look at all the speeds 'along the path'. For example, while EVDO advertises Megabit speeds, in practicality, my reading suggests its average is far below that (typical marketing). As far as speeds along the path, also note that while your Mac maybe equipped with the new Blue Tooth 2.0 capability (up to 3Mbits/sec), the Palm Treo 700p is only equipped with the older Blue Tooth 1.2 (1MBit speeds). Guess where the bottle neck may be? Couple that with several folks trying to share that connection, while it might be OK for 1 or 2 users, 10 could drag this to it's knees.

 

You might also ask Verizon about the new USB 720 Modem as it also states it supports Mac.

 

As for Steve's picture above, be aware that this is a model 750 (not 700), has lower resolution screen and is currently available in Windows Mobile (which may or may not be suitable for folks).

 

Good luck...and let us know what you end up going with.

 

Mike O

[BeniciaRT_GT]

[slight hijack](However, my question is kind of on topic, so I didn't start another thread.)

 

My older Kyocera 6035:

 

 

I love this phone, but it is starting to have problems due to its abused life. (It can't tell when it is closed sometimes.)

 

So my question is: what about the Treo or Blackberry or any other new phone when hooked up to a headset? The 6135 was wonderful, it actually spoke: "Incoming call, Answer?" and you could say yes or no.

 

I use the phone extensively on the bike, and I know the Treo gave Phil problems in that it wouldn't ring in your headset(autocom)or autoanswer. My work phone that I'm giving back, at least autoanswered, even though you didn't know unless someone spoke.

 

I need to replace the phone, but wondered what smart phone options were out there that would work for use on the motorcycle?

[Firefight911]

[i know the Treo gave Phil problems in that it wouldn't ring in your headset(autocom)[b]or[/b] autoanswer.

 

That is a point that I forgot.

 

My Treo has no auto answer feature UNLESS you hook it up through a bluetooth headset. Once this is done you have 3 options for auto answer; 1 ring, 2 rings, immediately.

 

As for the ringing through the headset issue, I am reluctant to point my finger at my Treo as I know that I ended up doing a patch work quilt to get all the farkles hooked in as I under bought my communication system and was then forced to use a Mix-It2 Amp and some soldering irons .

[Bill_Walker]

BTW, if you haven't experienced the download speeds that you get with via a cell phone, demo one before you buy. It is functional, but a bit painful. It is definitely better than nothing, but it isn't like plugging into an 802.11g Wifi connection hooked up to the internet via a DSL.

 

In theory, at least, Verizon's EVDO is quite a bit faster than Cingular's EDGE. My sister-in-law has an EVDO card in her laptop, and reports that it "feels" nearly as fast as using the cable modem at home. I don't know if you'd get the same throughput using a phone as an external modem, though.

[steveknapp]

One thing to consider, for internet access on your laptop where you don't have Wifi...lots of the new phones have Bluetooth and you can use them as a modem instead of buying one of those PC cards.

 

I can't speak for all of them, but I use a USB cable for my Q to use it "phone as modem". Not only does it seem more straightforward from my PC (the BT on my work laptop never did work right) but it also keeps the phone somewhat charged and running. I've stayed connected for 8-9hrs straight.

 

The EVDO speed is quite good, RevA is coming but there are few compliant devices right now. The data rate of the phone and the data card will be identical. No worries there.

 

but Verizon (with it's large rural analog network) is the best

 

Only useful if you have an analog able phone. All the EVDO chipsets from qualcomm I've worked on have NOT had analog. I know the Q won't. The Treo didn't last I checked. Not sure about the 'berry.

 

Worth making sure if that's an important factor for you.

 

The other piece to be aware of is that the "$15 extra" for using it for your PC is on top of a data-plan cost. Looking locally they won't sell a Q or Treo with a voice only plan. And the cheapest is $80/mo plan gets you only 450min.

 

I had a Treo600, it was very good. I had a GSM version, so during the week I'd put the SIM in the Treo, on the weekends the SIM went in a RAZR.

 

I prefer the Q (not on your list) for the size. I just toss it in my pocket, something I could never do with the treo. The Q lacks the touchscreen, making it bad for editing documents and the like. But I was never happy with the Treo (or any other PDA for that matter) for these tasks anyways.

[steveknapp]

BTW, if you haven't experienced the download speeds that you get with via a cell phone, demo one before you buy. It is functional, but a bit painful. It is definitely better than nothing, but it isn't like plugging into an 802.11g Wifi connection hooked up to the internet via a DSL.

 

Who's data do you use Russell?

 

I've often dialed up via the Q when the WiFi was bad in my part of the conference room. There is more latency if you're doing things like telnet, but for things like outlook and web browsing it's pretty good.

 

I don't know if you'd get the same throughput using a phone as an external modem, though.

 

You should (I do).

[Woodie]

I love my Treo700P.

 

Only thing *I* don't like, is that the P model doesn't do regular wifi.

 

I just put a 4gig SD card in, and loaded a bunch more music. Keeps me entertained throughout my rides! FWIW, 1 gig (of MP3s) lasted pretty much all day long, and that's about how long my battery lasted. I haven't yet wired it onto the bike (for power) since I don't have (get?) to do that many all-day rides.

 

EVDO rocks!

[KMG_365]

Here's the Product Info

 

and Here's the Specs

 

The auto answer would be very nice to have should I use that down the road. I could see going wireless/BT on my next bike/intercom/helmet set up, but that could wait until two years from now, by which time Auto-Answer will be the standard. Richard, I know the Treo has BT and is supposed to work very well with a variety of headsets. Whether that adds auto answer functionality is a question I'd like answered as well. I'll let you know what I find out. Phil doesn't mention which model Treo he has (650 maybe?), but as it's two years old it would make sense that the 700p would have at least as much functionality.

 

Outside of the EV-DO areas (2 Mbps max down/400-700 Kbps typical down/60-80 Kpbs typical upload), you still have the slower "National Access" coverage (144 KBPS max down/60-80 Kbps typical down/60-80 Kbps typical upload) anywhere you have cell coverage.

 

Steve, the Treo is not analog, but Leslie's phone (which she'll get for free with the re-enlistment) will have to be. We travel together MOST of the time and Leslie doesn't use hers nearly as often as I use mine so I could take her phone along on a longer trip. I also still carry my original analog "brick" for emergency 911 calls. I haven't carried service on that phone for over four years (and it was 3-4 years old when I finally upgraded), but it gets signals almost EVERYWHERE--even in Torrey where Verizon cancelled their reciprocity with the local providers.

 

REMINDER FOR EVERYONE ELSE: 911 is still a free call from any pay phone and cell phone--even one without a service contract. So if you have that old analog brick sitting in a box in the garage, keep it charged up and take it with you on the road for emergencies only!

 

As far as data plans, if I bundle it with my Family Share Plan for Leslie's phone the data is only $45.00 for unlimited. So the data plan is the big chunk and I'll use that enough to make it worth it. The $15.00 a month is worth it for allowing me to connect with the laptop when it's convenient to do so and also for Les to connect when we're both on the road. There's no point in buying the limited 10 MB data plan only, as I'm not kidding myself. Once I start using it, I won't be able to stay under that threshold!

 

They offer a 30 day trial period so maybe I'll pick it up in the next week or so, as we've got a trip planned up the coast for our anniversary and that would be a good trial of the speed coverage in the best case scenario. I don't plan on using it as a substitute for email or surfing here, but for the times when it IS convenient to stay in touch away from work or home it will be very nice to have! Thanks again for all the good info!

[russell_bynum]

Who's data do you use Russell?

 

I've often dialed up via the Q when the WiFi was bad in my part of the conference room. There is more latency if you're doing things like telnet, but for things like outlook and web browsing it's pretty good.

 

Cingular.

[steveknapp]

Who's data do you use Russell?

 

I've often dialed up via the Q when the WiFi was bad in my part of the conference room. There is more latency if you're doing things like telnet, but for things like outlook and web browsing it's pretty good.

 

Cingular.

 

Ya, GSM may rule the world, but the data rates are a bit weak in comparsion to the CDMA carriers.

[russell_bynum]

Update: I just got a Blackberry Pearl to play with for a few days. I figured out how to turn off the obnoxious SureType thing (where it tries to guess what you're typing and "helps" you.) and that made a big difference.

 

Before, it was taking ages to compose messages because I'd have to go very slowly and deliberately, accepting it's guesses, or telling it that it was full of sh*t.

 

With SureType and all the other "Guess what I'm trying to type" stuff turned off, it isn't half bad.

 

It's still harder/more cumbersome to use than a device with a regular qwerty keyboard, but the form factor is tiny compared to the qwerty models like the 8700.

 

I'm going to keep it for a day or so and see what I think, but so far, so good. It definitely doesn't have the features that my Windows Mobile 5.0 device has, but it should be more stable, it's smaller, and since Blackberry is better from an IT management/security/policy compliance perspective, I might give it the nod.

[KMG_365]

Well, since I don't have the IT management/security/policy compliance issues to worry about that part is moot for me. Still, according to all the reviews I've read the Treo has the edge for average non-professional users overall (like me).

 

BTW, I got a letter just today from AT+T telling me they were upgrading my download speed to 6Mbps for free! Well, actually, it IS an increase in charge, but with a "temporary credit" so my bill will remain the same. I heard the recent advertizements advertizing three different download speeds for different prices and I was wondering when this would be arriving. The catch is they don't tell me how long this "temporary credit" is good for, nor how much my bill will go up when it expires--nor how/if I can go back to the $50.00/month for the previous download speed. What need have I for 6Mpbs downloads? Funnily enough, in this "disclosure letter" (needed only to satisfy the terms of the ten pages of "boilerplate" that I was supposed to have read when I signed up, no doubt ) they also do NOT give any way to contact them with my questions. Figures.

 

I guess I need to make a few phone calls tomorrow and see if I need to forgo the Smartphone in favor of the wireless PC card afterall. The purchase price of the hardware will be comparable, but if they're going to jack up my monthly rates for home DSL speeds I don't need, well I guess I should look into the cellular option again.

[russell_bynum]

OK, I played with the Blackberry Pearl yesterday and overnight, with the SureType stuff turned off. I really liked it, and I could see trading my Cingular 8125 (Windows Mobile 5.0) for it.

 

BUT....the new Blackberry 8800 is just over the horizon. It is only slightly larger than the Pearl, but has a full qwerty keyboard.

 

And one more thing to consider (Not so much for you because of your Microsoft Phobia, but for others who may be considering various devices): Windows Mobile 6.0 (Codename Crossbow) is rumored to go RTM mid-Feb and is supposed to be pretty cool.

 

Just more fun stuff to consider.

[Mike O]

RTM

 

That's a new one for my acronym dictionary. RTM?

 

Mike O

[russell_bynum]

RTM

 

That's a new one for my acronym dictionary. RTM?

 

Mike O

 

Sorry. That's Release to Manufacturing. That means it is out of Beta and the code is stable and has been released to the manufacturing/distribution process.

 

There's generally a gap or a month or so between when a product goes RTM and when it is actually released into the wild and you can go down to CompUSA and buy it.

[BeniciaRT_GT]

...and the code is stable ...

[russell_bynum]

...and the code is stable ...

 

I meant...it isn't undergoing constant change from day to day. Development is done. It has passed the beta process and been deemed ready for production. Any code changes from RTM on are patches, not new builds.

[sidetoside]

MUST post on this one. I live on my blackberry. It is about the most important tool in my practice. It is so heavily used, I'm wearing out the keyboard. It has been dropped on the ground from my motorcycle seat so many times I've lost count. It works. It is rock solid and incredibly easy to type on....fast. The Treo has crappy, rounded buttons that simply are not made for fingers. I can't understand why they didn't come out with something a little more ergonomic. The operating system for the Treo regularly gets canned/trashed by all those in my office that have one. Between the two, the Blackberry wins hands down as the ultimate text device. As a phone, it's fine but a bit like holding a brick to the side of your head (thus, the popularity fo the Pearl).

 

Up here, Cingular kicks Verizon's arse, but unfortunately I'm stuck (read, too cheap to pay the fee) with Verizon until next August. At that point in time, I'm jumping to Cingular...ooops, I mean AT&T Wireless. (what a dumb marketing move that is )

 

What phone to get? If it can work with my work, it will definitely be the iPhone. I'm sorry, but I just LOVE Apple stuff. Have to have it. Period. If it doesn't work for work, I'll still get one for Kristin but will get the Blackberry 8800 for me and work.

[KMG_365]

Well interesting. Apparently Sprint offers Data plans for $15.00/month (vs Verizon's data for $45.00/month! ) and they recently signed a contract allowing Sprint users to roam on Verizon's network. That's a significant difference per month--even though Verizon is offering HUGE incentives on the Treo 700p that brings it down to around $75.00 (and Leslie's phone would be free as both of our contracts are up this week). I guess the Sprint data is slower than Verizon's but I'm mostly interested in email and checking in here and don't plan on using it for big pics, video or ftp type stuff. Anyone using a Palm Treo on Sprint's data plan?

[Joel]

Anyone using a Palm Treo on Sprint's data plan?

 

I am, but my old 600 is too slow to take advantage of the newer high-speed network. Yes, data has been all-you-can-eat for $15/mo. Worst case, someone at a Sprint store should let you demo a 700p to see for yourself if the speed is adequate for your needs.

 

I wasn't aware of a roaming deal with Verizon. I've had Sprint service for ~10 years and like it fine in metro areas, but find the coverage lacking out in the great wide open. No signal at all in a lot of places, ~$1/minute to roam when you can get a signal, and there's no data while roaming.

[Woodie]

Yes, I used the 700p on Sprint.

 

Instant Messaging: AWESOME! That was really when in seminars away from the office, and I needed to get a msg back. No more phone ringing, or walking out into the hallway.

 

Internet: Not bad. The screen (even the bigger 700P vs. the 700W) is really to small to browse the web well. Still, it's *way* better than trying to use a phone!

 

email: Pretty good. You have to d/l some 3rd party (free) software, but I found it worked quite well w/ my pop3 account.

 

Coverage: Adequate. Verizon has the best network in this part of the country, but Sprint has been working for me.

 

Remember: YMMV!

[steveknapp]

I guess the Sprint data is slower than Verizon's

 

How so? Same technology. Both use EV-DO and both have RevA on the roadmap.

 

I don't have a Treo, but I do spend a LOT of time using Sprint's network for data access both on EVDO handsets a Smartphone. Can't complain.

[azkaisr]

Jamie you know how much I am on my crackberry. The email and the web access are good. I will say this ...the phone part sucks. And I am being generous. On my 2nd unit now and I am forced to use either the wired earplug or bluetooth to be heard at all. I am still dumbfounded that with all the friggen gadgets they market us, they forget to work on improving the actual phone part.

 

Kaisr

[ian408]

 

I've got a BB now and will be upgrading to a perl soon. As far as surfing goes,

it's not practical. Occasionally, it's alright--just don't think it wll be a

replacement for a laptop.

 

Newer BB's don't all have qwerty keyboards but don't worry. T9 predictive text

is a very good replacement for qwerty (really, once you get used to it, you'll

wonder how you got along without it.).

 

The BB I have now is a 71g and I'm really looking forward to a smaller device.

[KMG_365]

The problem with all these options is the high cost of Verizon's data plan. Leslie tells me that even I can't justify another $60.00 a month just for the convenience of checking email at my convenience and having an internet connection for the laptops anywhere on the road. Even though I can write off the cost of my cell phone and its service, $720.00 a year does seem like a rip-off on top of the $850 a year I'm already paying. Sprint only charges $15.00 ($20.00?) a month to add data, but their data is slow and their coverage sucks.

 

I guess I could still get the killer deal on the Treo and use an email client to be able to read and reply off-line only synching it to my Mac a few times a day and forgo extra internet access on the road. Oh well, I guess I'll keep working on it. Too bad all this info-tainment doesn't come cheap.

[ian408]

Yup. It aint cheap. But then if you're carrying a mac on the road, you just need

to learn where to bust it out for free internet.

[KMG_365]

Yup. It aint cheap. But then if you're carrying a mac on the road, you just need

to learn where to bust it out for free internet.

That's just the problem--we try to avoid Starbucks at all costs wherever we go!

[ian408]

Nobody says you have to buy anything...besides, there are a lot of other

places that offer free wifi

[Bill_Walker]

Hey, Jamie, I just got inspired and took a look, and it appears that there's currently no way to sync a Blackberry with a Mac. The folks at Mark/Space Software are supposed to be releasing a version of The Missing Sync for Blackberry in Q1 2007, though (or so they claim).

[KMG_365]

First, THANKS BIG TIME to everyone who contributed to my education in this thread as well as all the good info for others who were looking for something similar but different. I'm happy to say, I've got it figured out!

 

I know all of you smug Treo users are saying "What took you so long to pull your head out? I thought it was a no-brainer."

 

I had to balance quite a few different variables (and a limited budget) and my solution: the Treo 700P with Sprint and an unlimited data plan.

 

I ended up going with Sprint even though I was a longtime Verizon customer because VZW wanted $45.00/month for data vs. Sprint's $15.00/month. Sprint wanted to charge an extra $40.00.month for using the phone as a modem for the laptop, but a "patch" available from the web allows you to get that for free (just as the 650 users can do--don't know why they haven't offered it to the 700 users as well, but it's moot now ).

 

I can check email from the Treo and the contacts book is very easy compared to my old regular phone. Since I work an odd 24-hour shift schedule and the one "master calendar" is at home with Leslie I can't really use the calendaring function, but I hear from a few other guys at work who have them that it's pretty useful. If it's not a "green" day, I'm usually off, but if it's not on the "master calendar" at home it's not likely to happen!

 

I can take it to work and pair it to my PowerBook via Bluetooth and with a combination synch/charge cable, I only need my PowerBook's power adapter and one outlet and I'm good to go anywhere I have a signal. In some rural areas the data rate at the 1x speed is noticeably slower. The DB is sorta painful at those speeds but I can still do my Yahoo! web-based email fine. I don't (yet?) use the Versamail email client that comes with the Palm, but I hear it also works fine. Especially handy if you have to download emails from different accounts. I wish it had WiFi as more and more places are offering free HotSpots, but in most of those areas I've got the EVDO speed anyway. I'm sure there's an add-on coming soon and the next model will have to have it to stay competitive.

 

Thanks again for all the info! I miss Verizon's customer service (hint: just ask for "retention" and you'll get someone with quite a few more brain cells to help you! ), and their coverage (I've dropped quite a few more calls with Sprint). I'm also looking forward to seeing if I can use it in Torrey and they are supposed to be able to roam on all of VZW's and Alltell's networks. The problem in most areas is though, that if it can find even the lousiest Sprint signal it will take that even if there is a booming other carrier signal right over your head. I have to look into forcing it to roam if that's possible. I also don't know if the same Treo technology regardless of the carrier would be as good a phone as my old Motorola so it's not a fair critique of the Srint service since I've got different hardware. YMMV!

 

The phone would have been cheaper through VZW with all of my discounts (and they started with a lower "retail" price--which you only pay if you're in the middle of a contract, don't qualify for any discounts, don't have insurance, then drop your phone and it gets run over by a truck! ), but the difference in the cost of the data plans made up the difference in less than eight months (of a 24 month contract).

 

We'll see how it works out in the long run, but the preliminary reviews are awesome. Now all sorts of what would have been short "downtime" periods have become "clean out some of the hundreds of emails I get every day and keep up with my friends here on the DB" opportunities! And I've got more time for doing other stuff when I get big screen time!

 

 

I've also been able to satisfy my trivial knowledge addiction with Wikipedia right at my finger tips:

 

"I wonder why it's called a 'Pizza Parlo(u)r'?? What is a parlo(u)r, anyway and why would you be eating pizza in a funeral parlo(u)r??"

 

"Well let me tell you! [Zzzzzzzzzzzip!] Ta Da!!"

 

"So what IS that substance in the lead syringe that you're injecting my wife with? Oh, I see . . . 'Thallium' you say, eh? [Zzzzzzzzzzzzip!] Hmmmmmm . . . . WHAT????? . . . OMFG!!

 

Huh?? Oh, nothing, honey! Just doing a little research! Never mind, you just relax!!"

[russell_bynum]

Yep. I really like the way these handhelds can allow you to fill in otherwise dead time with productive (or at least fun) time.

[David]

We'll see how you like Sprint long-term. I switch to VZW because:

 

1) Sprint's coverage kinda sucks in big chunks of the country, and for me, I'd end up with phone bills in the hundreds and hudreds of dollars a month when I wasn't on Sprint's network.

 

2) Sprint's coverage when you do have it tends to drop more calls.

 

But I'm sure they've improved some things.

[KMG_365]

1) Sprint's coverage kinda sucks in big chunks of the country, and for me, I'd end up with phone bills in the hundreds and hudreds of dollars a month when I wasn't on Sprint's network.

True, but they've recently signed a contract with VZW and Alltell to be able to roam on any of their networks and my plan includes free unlimited roaming and unlimited long distance. So unless I go over the 550 minutes between our two phones, don't do too many text messages and/or pix messages we should be okay. I haven't tried data while roaming yet so I don't know if that works or not (I think not, but I'll let you know). I got the absolute best coverage with my old analog/digital Verizon "brick"--in fact I still carry that phone without a service plan JUST for calling 911 out in the boonies should I ever need it.

 

2) Sprint's coverage when you do have it tends to drop more calls.

Yeah, but you can hear a pin drop!!

 

Yes, I've noticed this already locally (and the sound quality is NO better either! ), but I haven't travelled with it much yet. I consistently drop a call going over the Coronado-San Diego Bay bridge going to or from work. I don't really use the phone all that much (i.e. not for business) so it won't likely be a deal breaker for me.

 

Funnily enough I heard VZW is suing Sprint for false advertizing since their recent advertizing claim of "fewest dropped calls" was based on a short test conducted on the third floor of ONE office building in San Francisco!

[TexasRT]

I don't know if it will be an issue with Sprint and the 700P as it was with Verizon and the 700W but watch it when you are traveling for the first time with it. With my 700W on Verizon's network it worked great. As soon as I was traveling and hit extended coverage, and especially if the extended coverage was on Alltel's network the phone just went into slow motion. It often would completely drain a fully charged battery in only 45 minutes when it did this. I do not know if it was Verizon's implementation or MS Windows mobile or what the problem was but it appeared to lose it's mind and went into an endless loop. Maybe one call in 15 incoming or outgoing would complete. Palm, Verizon and Microsoft techs all pointed the fingers at each other and to some degree all denied there was a problem. Long story short, after going through seven units while they fought amongst themselves over what the real problem was Verizon agreed to move me to a different unit and refund the difference in cost. I only point this out because the Treo was absolutely fantastic when I was on my home network but was absolutely worthless when I traveled to a location where I was roaming. One of the Palm techs told me that it was a carrier problem they had seen with both the 700W and 700P while a Verizon Treo tech told me it was a Palm hardware problem combined with some glitches in MS Mobile.

 

YMMV

[KMG_365]

Thanks for the head's up Mike. I've been pretty happy with the life so far, but as I said, I haven't roamed much if at all with it yet. I notice that pulling down web pages seems to drain the battery faster, but my old analog phone would die if I left it on in the tank bag while riding through "analog country" as it would go into "analog roam" and kill the battery in a day. I know this phone doesn't have analog, but I'm hoping that the lack of that little pesky "W" will keep me out of trouble.

 

In fact, I try to avoid most all "W's" as they seem to cause nothing but trouble and I like to think that the world might be a better place without them!

[Woodie]

So now that you've selected the *right* phone, you need a case!

And a charger for when you're on the bike

and a cable to connect it to your Autocom

and a new SD card, to hold your MP3's

and...

 

 

 

<happy Treo 700P user on Sprint>

[TexasRT]

I can't disagree about the "W" - that's why I'm typing this on a MacBook Pro

 

I will say that the W Mobile "smartphone" OS that I'm using now is great and has been bullet proof. When I gave up the Treo my priority was the phone function over everything else. The MotoQ has exceeded my expectations so far. Only real difference is I can only read documents - can't edit them. No big deal for me since I left the "corporate" world. Simple e-mails, basic interent access, occasional laptop tethering, address book (wirelessly synched with the laptop) and a phone that WORKS. Made me happy.

[KMG_365]

Oh THAT "W" . . . yeah, I don't like that one either!

 

 

 

Hey Woodie, I did get a "Cellet" flip-front case and threw an old 16MB card that came with my Canon camera in there to install the PAM hack. But I use http://www.kcdx.com/kcdx.asx

a lot for music as I like the variety! We'll talk about accessories next month!

[Bill_Walker]

...Since I work an odd 24-hour shift schedule and the one "master calendar" is at home with Leslie I can't really use the calendaring function, but I hear from a few other guys at work who have them that it's pretty useful. If it's not a "green" day, I'm usually off, but if it's not on the "master calendar" at home it's not likely to happen!

 

Get yourself a .Mac account and publish that Master calendar on .Mac. Then you can see it, and change it, from anywhere you can get internet access (including from your Treo). And you can sync it to your Treo.

 

I have a vague recollection (all my recollections these days are vague!) that I may have suggested this to you before, and you had good reasons why it wasn't practical. If that's true, sorry for bringing it up again!