Palm prepping big Treo 700p patch
By Chris Ziegler 
posted Dec 15th 2006 1:41PM
posted Dec 15th 2006 1:41PM
Good news, 700p users: your complaints have not gone (entirely) unheard. Steve Sinclair, Senior Product Manager for Palm's Palm OS Wireless Products group, has taken the time to cobble together a pretty comphrensive response to ongoing issues owners have been leveling against Palm's flagship Palm OS-based handheld since its release. In short, there is a big firmware update in the works that should clear up some of the most glaring deficiencies: Bluetooth headset and carkit troubles (though Mr. Sinclar is careful to note that they won't be able to test every model out there), stuttering during music playback, and "a number of other enhancements to system stability, reliability, and performance." Not scheduled to be fixed, however, is generally slowness some users have bellyached about when switching apps; Palm says there's not much they can do about it, and it has to do with the platform sharing between the 700p and its Windows Mobile sibling, the 700w / wx. Look for the update should drop some time in late Q1 of 2007. [Warning: PDF link][Via SmartPhoneToday]
What about the messaging freezing issue... seems that when too many (not that many) messages are in the messaging application, the phone will freeze for a while until you clear out the messages, then it works much faster... maybe it's only with the VZW version? Any tips? Is this something that needs fixing?
Palm has really pulled a doosy over on its loyal customers with the 700p. They should offer a flat trade option for a different model due to this lagging symptom. They wanted to cut corners using a winmo device with palm installed on it and the 700p is slower then the 650, what a crock palm, offer a trade or a recall, not a firmware update that won't even adress the #1 problem in which the phone freezes for 3-10seconds everytime you try to do something!
"Palm has really pulled a doosy over on its loyal customers with the 700p." Having been with the Treo line since the 180, I've seen people say this each time a new device is released. The fact is there will always be problems with every device.
"""some users have bellyached"""
If by some users you means hundreds of people from the treocentral forums who co-signed a letter to ed colligan then i guess some users are, just belly acheing over the fact that their $600 gadets are not working the way that they should.
Palm should be ashamed, I paid full price for this thing and it hangs up for 3-10 seconds, even as call come in. I can nota answer call when this thing can not decide what to do...I have hit the hang up button, but guess what? It did not hang up, leaving a 7 minute long message on my Pastor's phone, not really professinal. I now have to check to make sure the phone is hung up while negotiating contracts in case the other party may hear our negotiations........, Please, I will take a trade in, I beleive this is least Palm can do.
I hope the CEO will understand that some of us have been Palm users for 10 years with the availability of the 1Mb Palm Pilot Professional, and have since spent thousands of dollars on hardware and software supporting this great platform. Some of us, including this author, are increasingly drawn to more reliable devices like the BlackBerry. I would have to say that if poor phone, delay in processing, and general sluggishnes of my 700p is not resolved with a ROM upgrade or new model, I would be ending my 10-year relationship with Palm.