2008 July « Mickey Papillon

Archive for July, 2008|Monthly archive page

Gps accuracy ok the iPhone.

Posted July 30, 2008
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Gps accuracy ok the iPhone.

Originally uploaded by gt2697

So when it works it is very accurate. This is mere feet off from the
spot I’m sitting at while waiting for this light.

Tonights beer of choice

Posted July 28, 2008
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Tonights beer of choice

Originally uploaded by gt2697

Trappistes rochefort

End of the day, end of battery life

Posted July 28, 2008
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End of the day, end of battery life

Originally uploaded by gt2697

As you can see, both the iPhone and the Treo 800w are about out of
battery life as I finish my day here in the office. Seems that many 3G
devices are getting about the same battery life now…one day.

Palm Treo 800w Review

Posted July 28, 2008
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Palm Treo 800w

The Treo 800w from Sprint is the latest handset manufactured by Palm. Coming off of its successful 700/750 series of devices and the recent launch of the Centro, the 800w combines some of the best of each and adds Wi-Fi and GPS, firsts in any Palm device. Subtle but necessary improvements from its predecessors make this a very solid Windows Mobile contender in the Smartphone market.

In the Box

· Palm Treo 800w handset

· 1 Standard 1150 mAH Lithium Ion Battery

· MicroUSB AC charger

· Stylus (in slot on phone)

· MicroUSB Stereo Headphones

· MicroUSB Charging Cable

· Various guides and CDs

Specs

This 850/1900 MHZ CDMA phone has EVDO Rev. A for top of it’s class data speeds, something just starting to find it’s way into handsets. The dimensions measure 4.4” by 2.3” by .7” and has a weight of 5 oz. The battery is the same as the one found in the Palm Centro, 1150 mAH. Down a little from the 1200 mAH one in the Treo 750, it still seems to hold its own. As with every Windows Mobile device, this one may or may not last you through an entire day, depending on your use. One tip that has been pointed out for the 800w is that if you go into the location services (tapping on the crosshairs at the top of the today screen) you can choose 911 only instead of location on to eek out some additional juice. I found with about an hour of phone calls per day, hundreds of SMS messages (Twitter of course) and moderate internet use, I was able to make it 14 hours before it was dead. A 2MP camera takes shots that I don’t find much better than old 1.3MP one in the Treo 750, something I was hoping would be improved. The phone is available for $249 from Sprint after rebates and new 2 year agreement.

From left to right/bottom to top: Treo 700wx, Treo 750, Treo 800w, Centro

Phone

As a phone, the quality is fantastic for the smartphone market. Palm has integrated the microphone into the keyboard which picks up the voice of the user better, while canceling out extraneous noises more efficiently. Signal strength registers on par with other sprint phones, and allows for roaming over EVDO on Alltel here in Arizona when needed.

Data/Internet

The built in Activesync application in all Windows Mobile phones allows for easy and seamless integration with an Exchange server for email. All mail, contacts, calendar and tasks are pushed over to the device behind the scenes, giving the business user a pleasant experience. For internet access, Internet Explorer is the built in program. Users should note that not much has changed in this version of IE. Access to the majority of sites is OK, but not nearly as fluid as other full featured browsers. Sprint TV is also included on the phone, allowing for great access to certain live and pre-recorded television over the phones data connection.

Hardware

The 800w takes its cues from a mix of the prior Treo models and the newer Centro. While the phone itself is a bit dated in design, the screen ups the prior 240 by 240 resolution to 320 by 320. This higher resolution looks good, but compared to VGA devices such as the HTC Touch Diamond, it has me wanting more. The bezel around the screen makes it difficult to use your finger to manipulate the screen around the edges; something I wished would have been addressed from prior models. However, a simple option allowing for a screen saver on the screen is something I had never seen before. It shows the time, date and any missed calls/voicemails/SMS messages without having to turn on the display. A great thing for those chronic phone checkers among us.

Also on the front, you’ll find a 34 key QWERTY keyboard that is a dream to type on. I found the 750 comfortable, but it often missed key presses. Not so with the 800w, this phone rivals many other front facing keyboard devices with its responsiveness and great tactile feedback. While not perfect, the size is decent, and those that find the Centro just a bit too small will like this one. Finally, dedicated Send and End keys bookend a Start, OK, Calendar and Email buttons that surround a 5 way navigation pad. 2 soft keys are flush with the surface of the front just at the bottom of the screen, making me wonder why even bother with them. I find them difficult to press and often just touch the screen instead.

The backside of the phone has the soft finish like many phones are getting these days, making it very comfortable to hold. A raised area on the top 1/3^rd of the phone houses the decent speaker, 2.0mp camera and self portrait mirror. Also, a rubber cap hides access to insert an external antenna port, something only few people will appreciate.

On the top, the typical ringer/vibrate switch found on all Treo smartphones, as well as a dedicated button to access the Wi-Fi of the phone. Palm has engineered this as a button instead of a switch to allow for multi-function control. Press it once, Wi-Fi is activated, press it again, wireless settings pop up. Hold it down for a second, the Wi-Fi is shut off. It takes a minute to figure out, but well thought out in design. Finally, the stylus is flush mounted and pulled out from the top of the phone.

A comment about the stylus; it’s bad. I mean, really bad. I find it to be the worst I have used in any mobile device to date. It’s made from plastic, and is so flimsy I find it unusable. When pressing down on the screen, it bends in your hand causing errant screen taps and frustration. I recommend looking for a 3^rd party stylus if you plan on using the touch screen often.

On the left side, a volume rocker button and user definable button which I set to open the camera. On the right, an IR port, and access to the MicroSD card slot, hidden by a cover. The bottom houses simply a MicroUSB port. I happy that Palm decided to change the design of the bottom, the older Treo was uncomfortable to hold at the bottom due to the ridges around the connection points. It also simplifies things hopefully as most vendors are supposedly going to this connector.

Software/Features

The Treo 800w is running Windows Mobile 6.1 professional. Readers that have used Windows Mobile in the past take note, all of your favorite features are still accessible (including the popular Internet Sharing). WM 6.1 steps it up a notch with the stability of the software, as well as the speed. The phone has 256MB of Storage Memory (170MB user available) and 128MB of Program Memory. This means your Treo can handle lots of installed applications without the need to put them on memory cards, and allows you to have many open at the same time without fear of the dreaded “out of memory” message. Through the time I tested this device, I’ve had only one issue that caused me to reset (Slingbox doesn’t install properly on this device). This is a first for me on WM phones.

As mentioned, Wi-Fi b/g and GPS are built in, bringing the Treo up to the specs that HTC has integrated for a few years now. The GPS seems to get a fix on the satellites relatively quickly, allowing for the user to happily find their location without waiting. Current Treo owners know that Palm adds some tweaks to its windows devices, and this one is no different. The home screen has a maps plugin that allows you to type in a search term and it will find the closest match to your exact location. This proves useful when looking for a business in your area and either want to travel to them, or call them. I like to call it Visual 411.

Overall

The bottom line on the Palm Treo 800w from Sprint is very positive. I have found a new leader in the front facing keyboard line of phones. With increased memory, EVDO Rev. A speeds, Wi-Fi, GPS and more, this Treo is a worthy upgrade from the 700/750 line.

Gps position

Posted July 27, 2008
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So now look at this. I reset the iPhone and am inside the house now and am getting a gps signal lock. Very strange. The great thing is how accurate it is. It shows me within about 10 feet of my location.

Gps on the iphone

Posted July 27, 2008
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Anyone else notice that the gps on the iPhone isn’t all they bill it to be? I have been trying tonight to get the gps to lock on while standing in my backyard using google maps.

10 minutes later and I’ve given up. I have had it work before, but it doesn’t seem to be reliable like other devices with gpsi that I have used recently.

Is it just me?

The Cell Phone Junkie Show #113

Posted July 27, 2008
Filed under: The Cell Phone Junkie |

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The Cell Phone Junkie Show #113 1:22:00
Show Notes
We’ve got our hands on the Treo 800w, the winner of
our Zune 4GB giveaway and an Interview with Alltel.

Mickey on Mobile Computing Authority

News
iPhone
iPhone reception issues
iPhone 3G selling 2x as fast as original
Should AT&T advertise 3G where they don’t have coverage?
All AT&T stock diverted to Direct Fulfillment
3rd quarter Apple results
Apple opening early and rainchecking customers
iPhone software 2.1 coming?
Tether your iPhone
Verizon to divest to get Alltel
Verizon adds 1.5 million in Q2
AT&T revenue growth
Aircell to go LTE
Leaking MMS messages
LG becomes 3rd largest handset manufacturer
T-Mobile adds restrictions for canceling w/o ETF
Mobile network builder looks to IKEA
Slydial
Nokia and Qualcomm deal
Sprint sells cell towers
Nextwave spectrum sale