It it a good idea to announce a new Treo while the 750v is storming Europe? Considering how many PalmOS-addicted users still clutch to their 650s, and that this is a much cheaper model, apparently Palm thinks so.
The Treo 680 , just announced in the US, is an enhanced 650. Essentially, it is a Palm PDA plus a quadriband cellphone. The operatin system is still Palm OS Garnet, as in the 650, but slightly improved to make it easier to navigate with one hand. Gone is the ugly, fat antenna. It is lighter and it comes in several colours, including crimson.
Best of all is the price, that will be US$199 according to the Wall Street Journal, and will be sold direct via Palm’s website, in unbundled mode, that is, free from any carrier constraints. Given Palm’s custom in the past, we expect it to sell around 250 Euros in Spain. Even so, that will be a bargain for a carrier-free smartphone.
Unlike the 750v, the new Treo 680 is not a 3G device, and it does not have WiFi, either. Then again, the 750v is also WiFi-less, and it is being heavily critizised for this reason. However, the 750v is based on the Windows Mobile 5 operating system, a move required by PalmOS being unable to handle 3G-connections.
The 680′s screen has still a 320×320-pixel resolution, and it contains 64 MB of RAM, twice than the 650. In order to attract new users, on top of its low price, the Treo 680 includes links to Yahoo! Music, Google Maps and TypePad Mobile, a software for blogging anywhere.
The US launch offering includes a 30-day subscription to Yahoo! Music, stereo headphones, a 1-GB card (for the regular-size SD slot) and the PocketTunes Deluxe music player. Just in case you had not noticed they are trying that you leave your iPod at home.
What does not sound so logical is to leave the PalmOS operating system alone, given its huge user- and software base, and a user-friendliness that leaves far behind Windows Mobile, even considering its age. Palm OS Garnet has been for years in need of a replacement. It’s about time.
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