Review: Palm's Windows Powered Treo 700w

Palm Treo 700w

Palm Treo 700w

Palm Treo 700w

While Research In Motion's line of BlackBerry messaging devices might have first made the mobile device with a built-in QWERTY keyboard something commonly seen on the street, it was certainly Handspring's Treo devices that earned the form factor wide-scale acceptance for use in mobile phones. Now part of Palm, the latest Treo offering adds a few more evolutionary refinements to the physical design and one major change in terms of software.

This newest Treo, the 700w, is the first device put out by Palm that runs an operating system other than Palm OS. The new Treo 700w runs the latest version of Microsoft's Windows Mobile OS, v5.0. Palm is hoping that this switch will help it get Treos into corporate IT departments that rely on Microsoft software for their back end. Regular users should just be happy for the choice they now have. Long have Pocket PC users lusted over the svelte Treo design, and now, they can get both the design they want as well as the software they want.

Physical Aspects

If you didn't notice the subtle changes in the d-pad and keypad designs, the new Treo 700w could very easily be mistaken for the popular Treo 650 model. The 700w's buttons and controls are, in general, more square in shape. The are the same number of keys on the 700w as on the older model, but their functions have been changed a bit to accommodate the Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system. More on that later, though.

In terms of usability, the keypad feels much the same. I still think that the QWERTY keys would handle more nicely if they were a bit softer and grippier, but in general they work pretty well. The d-pad handles well and is accurate, but I do find that the center select button has a poor feel. It is hard to describe, but it sometimes hard to tell if you have pressed it properly. It isn't a major issue at all, but I've used much better in the past.

Palm Treo 700w

Palm Treo 700w

Palm Treo 700w

One of my favorite aspects of the 700w has to be its hardware mute button. This slider switch is located on the top of the device, next to the SD card slot and IR port, and allows you to quickly disable all sound output from the device. On the back of the 700w you will find the camera lens and self-portrait mirror above the speaker port. The cover for the removeable battery is also out back. The left side of the device is where you will find the up and down volume buttons and the Windows Media Player button, which can be reconfigured to activate pretty much any app of your choice. The bottom of the 700w is where you will find the power port, headset jack, microphone, and data cable port. Sadly, the data port doesn't make use of the standard miniUSB connector, but Palm does include a USB cable in the package - as well as a headset.

In terms of overall weight and size, you'd be hard pressed to notice the difference between the 700w and the older models. Our 700w weighed in at 177g (6.2oz), which is nearly exactly the same as the older 650 model. That weight includes a very solid feeling metal stylus and the protective faux SD card that fits into the SD card slot. The 700w's measurements, at 113mm x 60mm x 22mm (4.4" x 2.4" x .9"), are also pretty much the same as those of the 650. This is a good thing, since the Treo line has long been pocketable and solidly constructed.

 

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