BIOS: Technology Means Business

A radical departure from the company's previous clamshell PDA/phone hybrids, the Treo 600 is one of the best phone and PDA combinations that we've seen. It performs well as a phone and PDA, but shines when it comes to picking up POP3 e-mail, and sending SMS and MMS messages. The first device of its type to ship with Palm OS 5.2.1, the Treo is perfect for those wanting a combined PDA and a phone, as well as an easy-to-use communication device for personal or business use.

Pros: Great design; easy to use; good battery life
Cons: Low-resolution screen; Blazer doesn't support Flash sites

The carbon-coloured Treo 600 is a Palm-based PDA that combines an integrated QWERTY keyboard and a quad-band (850/900/1,800/1,900MHz) mobile phone. It's also one of few devices that actually successfully combines a phone and data functions in a single, easy-to-use device. Besides the excellent engineering feat from those at Handspring, which is now part of Palm One, the major reason the Treo 600 is a breeze to use is thanks to its use of Palm OS 5.2.1 rather than the clunky Windows Mobile 2003 operating system. Thanks to Palm OS's speed and easy navigation, the Treo makes it easy to manage your data files, create and send photo messages and e-mail, and browse the Internet.

The 11.2x6.0x2.2cm, 168g, Treo 600 has shrunk by around 15 per cent in size compared to previous Handspring models, and also offers improved hardware and software. The wireless device is available initially from Orange in Europe and Sprint in North America, with availability in other countries to follow later this year, according to Handspring.

The phone-shaped device features a 144MHz Texas Instruments ARM-based OMAP processor, 32MB of memory (24MB available) and a 2.5in., 160x160-pixel (3,375 colours) passive-matrix LCD screen. It runs Palm's latest operating system, OS 5.2.1, and also supports 16-channel MIDI polyphonic ringtones. Its five-way navigation dial, which is located just under the screen, integrates with the built-in software and can be used to move within and between applications using one hand quite easily.

Other hardware features include two volume buttons on the left side of the device, a switch on top of the device that turns all sounds on and off (mobile goes into vibrate mode), a power switch, an SD/MMC expansion slot (supports SDIO) for adding memory or accessories such as a Wi-Fi adapter, a SIM card slot and an infrared port. There's a non-standard mini-headphone jack on the bottom of the Treo, as well as a VGA camera lens and mono speaker on the underside of the device. There's no cradle supplied, so you have to recharge the device using the supplied charger and synchronise with your PC using the included USB cable. Handspring also supplies a 32MB Lexar MMC card for additional storage.

The diminutive backlit QWERTY keyboard is tied more closely to the built-in software than previous models, so phone numbers, applications and even specific application functions (such as looking up a specific Web page or addressing an e-mail) can be assigned to any of the 26 keys for one-touch execution. The Treo 600's rechargeable, non-removable 1,800mAh Lithium-ion battery offers up to around 5 hours' talktime about 4 days' standby time. Similar to a mobile phone, there's no cover supplied for the screen, but you do get a black carry pouch.

The device's domed-shapes key make 'typing' relatively easy, but those with large fingers will likely struggle compared to using a device such as Palm's Tungsten C, for example, which feels huge by comparison. The letters and numbers have also been enlarged compared to previous Handspring devices for better readability, and the number keys are now silver to stand out.

Built-in software includes typical PDA applications, including Contacts, Calendar, To-do list, Memo pad, Calculator and CityTime world clock. The Treo 600 adds a SMS/MMS utility, Blazer Web 3.0 browser (can re-format Web pages to a single column), camera software and a photo viewer. Similar to other PDAs, the Treo 600 can be synchronised with your PC or Mac using Palm Desktop 4.1 software to make sure important data is with you at all times. A POP3 e-mail client is also included, allowing you to access you POP3 e-mail on the move.

Links:
Treo 600 Web site