Treo

Why is this Stuff so Hard?

/ Cole Camplese / 7 Comments

Of all the devices I own, my cell phone is probably my most necessary and frustrating of them all. I keep saying that Cingular has pushed out the iPhone Update to my Treo 650 — two weeks ago, as soon as I signed up to be notified of the release of the iPhone, my Treo just stopped doing the things I carry it for. I hate that damn phone, but it is the only thing I can keep my calendar on that works in the PSU environment. I could probably ask people to run an Exchange server and jump to the Blackberry, but that isn’t going to happen just for my mail and calendar stuff. I find the Treo to have sub-standard voice quality, has sort of lame applications, and it is huge — really huge. But at the end of the day it is what I have been stuck with. As a matter of fact, this past weekend I pulled my SIM card out of the Treo and dropped into my first generation Moto Razor. Why is it that this stuff is so hard?

Funny thing is the device I own that I love the most is my iPod. It gives me hope for the iPhone. Problem is still the whole calendar/mail universe that I need so badly. Right now, there isn’t any evidence that the iPhone will play nicely in our eco-system. From what I understand, it works in an Exchange environment but we aren’t in that world. I am anxious to not have a paper calendar, a crippled phone, and a massive level of frustration over the lack of sophistication in this space. The other side to this is that I really don’t intend to use the iPhone as an iPod. I just want something to work and work well.

Treo 650 … I am Already Behind

/ Cole Camplese / 6 Comments

It finally happened … I did what I said I wouldn’t do — I got a Palm-based Treo 650.  I have had it about a week and I actually do like the device for a lot of reasons.  I am already hating it for one BIG reason — size.  The thing is actually almost as much of a pain to carry around as my Newton 2100 (that still works and has 802.11 wireless access).  With that said, I can now wirelessly sync with my Oracle Calendar, IM people anytime, get on the web and make sure stuff is running, and get email.  The last item there, email, is still giving me problems.  I can easily get my .Mac and Gmail but have had a real problem with PSU email.  When I get that worked out I will be set.

Having this much access has actually been a stress reducer.  I get this bad feeling when I am disconnected for any serious period of time.  Not on weekends, or during dinner, or times with the family, but times I should be working but I happen to be traveling or in a meeting … I just feel better knowing that I can do a quick check of stuff.  Having access to mobile information is a good thing.

I am a little pissed at Cingular however that I couldn’t get the newer Treo 700 or my first choice, the Moto Q.  But at the end of the day the 650 is a good device.  So far I have noticed that the voice quality is no where near my Razor and the battery is a mess.  Other than that, Bluetooth works perfectly for syncing with my MacBook — Missing Sync rocks — and for the wireless headset I use with it.  The apps I am using to drive this little guy are:

  • Toccer for AIM — works great, is free, and lets me continue to get messages even when I am not in the app.
  • VersaMail — hmm, can’t get PSU mail to work and that is killing me.  Other than that it works well.
  • The Missing Sync — if you are going to get a Treo and you have a Mac, just buy this.  Everything works so easily, but read the directions on the first install and sync — you’ll thank me.  I can move specific playlists, photo albums, and contact lists to my phone with idiot-proof ease.

Are there other apps out there for this device  Ishould be trying?  I am now wondering how to integrate it into my larger (and ever growing) need for personal content management.  I spend a great deal of time trying to get things organziaed and done — with the amount of information that streams in, I know I could be using this device just a little bit better.  Who else is in the 650 boat and really working this device?