Palm's Treo Pro gets official
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted Aug 20th 2008 9:25AM
posted Aug 20th 2008 9:25AM
posted Aug 20th 2008 9:25AM
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
So is this like the GSM version of the CDMA Treo 800w, except it looks a lot more appealing?
--James
thats what i was figuring as well. both phones seem very similar in base specs except the Pro has a better processor apparently. other than that, the Pro is packing like 100% more badassitude.
I wish it ran Palm OS.
but why?
but why?
Palm OS is really too outdated by now. It has quite a plethora of apps, but forget about multitasking; not to mention any efficient means of playing multimedia. Windows Mobile is decent in these respects, and not only that, but Palm really needs to ditch Palm OS if they even want to think about Palm OS 2.0 - which they appear to be considering.
A Centro-in-Pro's-Clothing is something to be excited or concerned about? Far too late to insult the market's intelligence so severely, Palm. Given the $Millions$ Palm has to pay to license back their intellectual property from ACCESS, and yet they're selling Centro's by the bucket (but at a loss), one has to wonder why the WinMo version of the same toy is going to be priced at a few hundred bucks. Just more of Palm's genius 'logic'?
Palm bought the rights to the Palm OS, up to Garnett anyway, a couple years ago.
They do not have to pay licensing fees anymore.
I just hope this Treo Pro works out for Palm to gain greater mid share out there.
I just wish that would release a new Lifedrive with the Nova OS some time next year.
cuz this one has 3g and wifi and wm
Centro's CDMA-version is 3G and, of course, PalmOS. OS is a simple matter of user-preference, leaving the 'Pro' with b/g-WiFi. BFD!
After reading the specs of this device compared to the centro, your post doesn't make sense. In fact, it seems to have a fairly unique feature set: large battery, improved resolution, wifi, gps, multitasking, expandable memory, front-facing keyboard and a 3.5" jack. It's also got a very fast processor. The 800w is already being lauded for it's speed, and this is spec'd much higher.
And "The market" appears to be responding quite well to this. People were pissed at palm for an outdated os in an outdated design. Fair enough. This has a modern OS, modern features, and a modern design.
so: What's your problem?
Maybe you just don't get how the market works, but when you list "features" such as: "large battery, improved resolution, wifi, gps, multitasking, expandable memory, front-facing keyboard and a 3.5" jack", you simply insult every reader's intelligence. Crippled aGPS is the only Non-OS-based 'feature' you list, genius. OS is a simple matter of user-preference where Palm is concerned. All other "features" are simple matters of hardware design in order for Palm to play catch-up with the big-boys. A 3.5mm jack and large(er) battery are features which Palm should be lauded for when competitors have dictated those specs for 2-3 years? Instead of asking "what's your problem", I should be asking you "what are you inhaling"?
They are selling it unlocked in the US; does that mean that AT&T is not picking it up?? How much is it going to cost without a carrier subsidy?
It better be dirt cheap or Palm will have finally driven me to HTC.
I wonder what selling it unlocked says about who they see as the target customer for this device? I wonder if they don't think it will sell all that well even if subsidized by a carrier and so will make a limited production run with not a lot of visible marketing. Seems like people who want to buy unlocked are usually a small minority - not on this site, but out in the general US public because of the subsidy issue. I'm just guessing though. Anybody else have any non-troll guesses about this?
My guess is that they are still haggling with AT&T (good). Or, Apple is keeping them from picking it up (very bad!)
I really don't see an alt I want to go to.
Palm, get on your knees; do whatever to get AT&T to pick up the Pro!!
I'm glad it doesn't have the Palm OS really (as others said, it's really outdated and clunky) - hopefully there will be an Android version sometime in the future. This doesn't exactly un-alienate all of those old Palm users (me included) that have been looking to the iPhone and future release of Android as possible alternatives - but it helps put everyone on notice that Palm is actually trying to address their concerns and move toward making cool and useful phones rather than selling the same damn thing every "new release". Although, I'm sure realistically Apple and perhaps even the huge looming threat of Google forced them to re-evaluate what they've been doing. It really could have come at a better time (years ago) but it's either now or never - at least they're doing the right thing.
@ John
I think palm is selling it directly from their website, unlocked for 550 in sept for starters. At least that is what i read on a couple of sites.
well hell. i was waiting on the 800w CDMA to drop on Verizon (8 months into a 2 year agreement) but now i want this one. and knowing the current trends, by the time this one arrives in a CDMA version (and on Verizon) they will have a new and better GSM version out. im thinking about switching to a GSM carrier. AT&T seems to be the best bet where i live.