Thx… AJ

http://www.Treo-Pro.net

And you are correct that the majority of business people (over 70%) do use Exchange for email, but the majority of total email users, do not. That’s why I think it’s important to also test agains non-Exchange-type services and not ignore standard Syncing.

I’m not sure (at least in the U.S.) how many businesses vs. non-business type users will purchase this, especially since it has no carrier backing here. That means it may see very little business acceptance – at least here in the U.S. and tha majority of purchasers here might be consumers who would otherwise consider the Diamond or Touch Pro.

I downloaded a universal remote application but it just crashes on the Treo so I have no way to test the IR, but I can’t see anywhere that it says it’s Consumer IR. I’ve scoured the manual to no avail.

It is a bit wider, and the keyboard may be slightly wider, but the difference would be negligible, and in the end it isn’t enough: it’s too cramped. Keys are quite hard, not spongy, but they have almost no feel when pressed, very disappointing. The Treo 750 keyboard was considerably better.

In regards to syncing, I have to disagree with you there. Since this device is really marketed at business people, I think the majority of users would be linking up to Exchange servers or some other form of wireless syncing. I will be giving it a go at local syncing though, for those who still like that antiquated way of backing up their info

WiFi works well on the Treo, but I haven’t really used WiFi on a device in over a year. HSDPA all the way!! Still, WiFi just has to be part of a business-class device like this, especially for those who travel and want to use WiFi hotspots as opposed to pricey international data rates!

Drew: I’m not impressed by the keyboard at all. It is very small and has almost no feel when you press the keys. I was making mistakes constantly, something I never experience on the E71.

Size is fine, not much thicker than the E71, they did get this bit right!!

I’m going to try and get hold of a Palm Centro for comparison, since people may have tried it out before.

Also – pdadb.net is reporting that the IRDA is SIR/CIR which means it should be strong enough to control devices (assuming you have the prropriate remote control software). SIR only won’t work with controlling consumer devices, but CIR will.

This device actually looks bigger/wider than the Centro so I suspect the keyboard isn’t exactly the same. Mitchell – is it the rubber keys (like the Centro) or is it harder plastic like the Treo 750? The layout is clearly not the same as the Treo 700.750, though.

I think more info about syncing will be good since the majority of people in the world using email are NOT using MS Exchange.

WiFi functionality is going to continue to be more important especially now that mobile Safari and Opera 9.5 have raised the bar. Stats are already showing a dramatic increase in the use of mobile devices for web browsing (via clipping, streaming, or full browsing is unclear), but Internet access is up and the need for speed is up! It’s very nice to finally see WiFi on a Treo.

And yes, this is pretty much a GSM 800w, with a (speculatively) poorer keyboard. It is much better looking though.

Keyboard feels like tatty plastic. Hardly any feel, completely flat and just awkward to use.

aamp: Yeah it’s a shame it didn’t get TV-out, would be very handy for making presentations straight from the Treo.

I don’t think it was so much an OS limitation as it was laziness from the manufacturers. I mean Toshiba had VGA inplemented on the E805 back on WM2003, so surely Palm could have stuck a 320×320 display in. Nevermind, it took them a while but it’s finally here!

Nokia Maps is S60 only, going to be using Google Maps to test out the GPS functionality. Been loving it on the E71, I hope the GPS is as good in the Treo!

Doubt the IrDA would be powerful enough to control devices. It is a very cool feature though, I had it way back on my iPAQ 2210 and it was quite a good joke to control TVs in shops and waiting rooms

Absolutely, the ringer switch is an awesome idea, and one of the few things I missed from my Treo 750 on the device I used afterwards.

mchinsky: I believe it’s a little larger than the Centro, but not much.

Is this the size of a 755 or the tiny centro?

The Pro has promise, I hope it is a good device. Time (well, a week for me ) will tell!

I have no money atm, so I’ve been using Google Maps on the E71 and I have to say it is brilliant!! Sure it doesn’t have turn by turn but you can have a route mapped out, then follow the dot showing where you are. Has worked brilliantly the times I have used it over the last few weeks.

Speaking of WiFi on the E71, Mitchell, what maps are you using? Are you paying extra for the Nokia maps, or just using as is?