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Review: I've had this Palm Treo 650 smartphone for a week now. It replaced an ageing Sony Clié SJ20 and a very basic Nokia 2100. I was able to synchronise all my data from my Apple Powerbook (via USB cable included or bluetooth) and also retrieve contacts information from both my computer and my sim card. As a phone, the Treo 650 gives clear calls. I have not used the included earpiece nor the speakerphone though. Calling is easy from the Contacts application. I also liked the Call Log listed in the Phone software. Texting is very easy with the QWERTY thumb keyboard - a lot more enjoyable to use than a regular phone. I do have one stubborn 'T key' that has to be pressed harder than the others, but it is such a minor problem on an otherwise perfect unit. As a Palm OS device, the Treo is even more useful. Aside from Contacts (addressbook), it also synchronises Memos and Calendar (so all appointments can be entered or edited on the Treo). Documents-to-Go is also bundled with it -- so I can view and edit Microsoft Office documents with on. It also comes with VersaMail (for email management) and Blazer (for websurfing). Other software I use a lot (can be purchased at palmgear.com or handango.com, some are freeware) - dictionaries (english and other languagees), thesaurus, scientific calculator, measurement converter, London tube and street map. They come in handy at different times and vary in size from <100kb to 30MB. For those interested in multimedia (not really my thing so I can't review this part), it also has a built-in camera, comes with RealPlayer software, and there are other software available to play mp3's and movies. The Treo comes with a 320x320 bright colour display which is a pleasure to view and work on. Available memory is only 23MB, but there is an SD slot that reads cards at good speed (so most applications launched from the card are still fast). I use a 256MB card on mine, but have read that 1GB cards are readable. I recommend this smartphone to people who are already using or are interested in Palm OS, because you would have to invest in software to maximise the features of this very capable phone. |