By Chris Guella
As soon as the Handspring Web site would allow orders for the much-anticipated Treo 180, I ordered one as fast as my hands could type. Upon receiving the Treo 180 (Internet version), I mothballed my Blackberry 957 (Exchange version) and have used the Treo every day since then. At this point, it may be useful to evaluate the general pluses and minuses of the Treo 180, pictured in Figure A, and contrast those points with the Blackberry 957 in a few key areas.
FIGURE A
The Treo 180 replaced my Blackberry 957. (click for larger image)
Overall
Generally speaking the Treo 180 is a terrific device that allows for the easy use of phone and Palm OS applications. With the availability of thousands of add on applications for the Palm OS, I can easily add additional programs to meet my needs. For example, I added MSN Messenger because I have a need to use it to communicate with co-workers. I'll talk more about communication later in this article.
The phone function on the Treo is more competent than any cell phone I have ever owned, and I've owned six. This is especially true since I have instant access to the 1,300 contacts in my Outlook address book and can dial one of multiple numbers under each contact with "one push" ease. This is something my other cell phones were never able to accomplish.
To compare, I would liken the Treo vs. Blackberry debate to the age-old Windows vs. Macintosh argument. The Treo has both the flexibility and limitations of the Palm OS (like Windows). Blackberry has a well-designed, multi-threaded, and stable proprietary OS with a limited number of application add-ons (like Macintosh). To be fair, the Palm OS is generally more stable than Windows has ever been.
I found the Blackberry to be more stable. It simply performed better over time with a slightly better display. Battery life was also superior on the Blackberry, although Handspring has modified the battery technology in newer models to improve battery life by 30%, though 300% would have been more useful.
This comparison is unfair to begin with, because the Blackberry 957 I used to use is not phone capable. However, generally speaking, the Blackberry ran for at least a week on a single charge. I plan on only one day of life for the Treo, and that's with a full charge. When I travel overnight, I take an AC adapter. I get anywhere from 45 minutes to 90 minutes of talk time during that time. Usually, in the middle of a longer conversation, it will shut down because of a low battery condition. However, it will start up again with enough power for Palm OS functions and maybe even an additional phone call.
There are many PDAs on the market. What distinguishes the Treo from the rest of the PDAs is the combination of its ability to communicate, Outlook integration, its reasonable size, and its ease of use. Handspring stated that they were moving to a strategy focused on PDA communications and integrated devices. Some of the benefits of that new direction can be seen in the Treo line of Personal Digital Assistants. In the next few months, Sprint will be launching a CDMA version of the Treo designed to work on their 3G wireless data network supporting communication speeds on average from 50-70 Kbps. The Treo 180 has a slower 14.4 Kbps wireless modem built in.
