My cell-phone contract expires in 4 months, so Im shopping around for a new phone.

Im currently looking at the Treo 650. Its the only phone available in the US that passes my qualifications:

1) Be a true smart phone; run a real OS, not something LG hobbled together over a weekend.
2) *NOT* run Windows. I cant stress this enough.
3) Have a built-in camera. Quality is not relevant.
4) Mp3 ring tones. I dont care about stock ring tones, Ill install my own, it just needs to be able to use mp3s.
5) Send and receive email.
6) Browse the web.

The Treo 650 has the advantage that it runs the Palm OS, which means I can use all my old Palm apps.

I stopped by a local Verizon store today and played around with the floor model, and I like it. The keypad is usable, the screen is great, and its not too small.

However, Im sure some of you will have an opinion, one way or the other, and Id like to hear it.

one of my teachers here at uni. has one and they're freaking awesome. from what i've seen of it i have no complaints and neither does my teacher... he uses it quite frequently (he's a bible professor so he uses it to lecture from. it's kind of funny to see a teacher lecturing from a phone ;))

I am also looking for a 650..my contract is up I just refuse to pay the ridiculous price.l I can get one at new contract price on ebay without having to resign.

If you are on verizon...why not just get the 700?

I know you're all anti-Microsoft and all, but why don't you want one that runs Windows? PalmOS is dead.

Well if you're against Windows Mobile, then I guess I can't make a reccomendation. But if not, check out the T-Mobile SDA and MDA.

Because it runs Windows. The 700 is not an option.

I hope some steals your PC, puts a password on your BIOS and installs Windows ME

Yeah, gbk, you're anti-Windows bias is really reaching now. Seriously, nothing really beats Windows Mobile if you want a REAL OS on a mobile phone. It's not the greatest, but it's way better than PalmOS.

It's too bad you're so dumb about this GBK...

http://www.mobile-review.com/pda/review/asus-p505-en.shtml == sex in a phone

What advantages does Windows CE have over Palm in this case? Or, rather, what relevant advantages?

Ive tried the 700w. I found it to be quite clumbsy and usable. Even if I didnt have such a distaste for Microsoft products, I still wouldnt consider it.

I know why you said that, but that's just cruel..

Ubuu, do you know where GBK lives? I'll get a copy of WinME.

They don't offer a cheaper renewal price?

I know at T-Mobile after 11 months or 22 months (depending on your contract) you become eligible for a cheaper price for the phones. Usually lower than the "new with activation price"

Take one of the aforementioned phones, delete Windows Mobile from the memory, install a mobile Linux version. I'm pretty sure there is a man page out there on wiping phone memory and installing Linux. You'll probably have to Google search for a couple of hours. Some tools probably required. Oh and I would keep a few extra just incase you butcher up the phone beyond repair and piss away about $400-500. But at least you will have a Windows-less phone which you can proudly hold up and proclaim "THIS PHONE IS 100% MICROSOFT FREE!"

Oh, Christ almighty

Microsoft has the best handwriting recognition, for one. PocketPCs are better for internet access, they have a built-in web browser and a built-in video and audio player. PalmOS is also rapidly approaching the unsupported state, because - frankly - it sucks and is going to be replaced by Linux. PocketPC devices are overwhelmingly faster and more powerful, acting as general-purpose handheld computers and multimedia devices, while Palms are generally only useful for PIM-type applications. PocketPCs also have higher-resolution screens with higher bitdepths, so games and video look better. And, as mentioned, many PocketPC devices can be reflashed to run Linux (and many of them are even fast enough to run an X Server).

Among other things.

ouch, i felt the burn off of that one

Treo 650 = awesome. I myself just bought a new pocket pc phone. Bought the Qtek 9100 (T-Mobile MDA) with Windows 5.0 SP2 (aku2) and it's awesome. I love being able to modify it to my content. Buut yeah. Being that we all know gbk = anti-windows it's best to stick to the Treo 650 Great device.

Treo's lack handwriting recognition, due to the qwerty keyboard.


If Linux-based smartphones were available in the US I would be ecstatic. Unfortunately they are not. The only OSs available are Palm, Symbian, and Windows CE. I dont know anything about Symbian (but Ive heard more than a few bad things), and I sure as hell aint using Windows, so that just leaves Palm.


1) The clock speeds on the Treo 640 and 700 are identical, IIRC.
2) Its a frickin' phone, I dont need to watch video on it!


1) The screen on the Treo 700 is actually smaller than the 640.
2) Its a phone, I dont need to play games on it.


True, and I have seen many reports of propeller-heads getting Linux to boot on the Treo, but not without loosing the device's primary function - telephony.

I would not argue that Windows CE is more powerful in general than the Palm OS - that would just be silly - I am merely stating that, in this case CE has no relevant advantages.


Im surprised at you, Jon`C. I thought that out of anyone at Massassi, you would understand. If it boiled down to it, and the only smartphones available in the US ran Windows, I would not get one. But, as it stands, I do have a choice, and thank God for it.

So... wait, I'm confused.

Why do you need/want a smartphone again? I get the impression that you aren't one of those people who need to juggle social events or a massive contact list.

I can't quote on the other phone OS's as I've never used them but I've been using Symbian OS 7.0 for the past year and its a very configurable OS and the phone has only ever crashed on me once in that whole time and that could have been due to a low battery, I'm not sure.

The phone I'm using it on is the nokia 7610 so isn't a smartphone on the same scale as the treo's so I can't honestly say how the OS would hold up under those conditions.

I have seen Symbian in use on some of the 9000's series of nokia's and it appeared to work quite well but I didn't personally get to have a go so I can't honestly say.

and although you hate windows CE I've used it quite a bit setting up my dad's phone and I've personally got no qualms about recommending it to people, its quick, responsive, configurable (for what my dad needed) but as you've kinda ruled out CE your left with Symbian or Palm...

what you've probably got to ask is how long are you going to keep the new phone as PalmOS will die a slow death over the coming year or so and there is unlikely to be many new apps that come out.

If you only plan on keeping the phone a year and upgrading again you'll probably have the option of a linux-based OS by that time and from the sounds of it you already have all the programs you'll need to get good usage out of the 650 which will act as more of a stop-gap.

Or he could just give up this anti-microsoft bull for 2 seconds and get a device that's got more functionality vs. OMG NO WINDOWZ...

Yecti took the words right out of my mouth.

Honestly. There are limits to anti-Microsoft stubborness (or should be).

Does anybody remember when people did this thing where they dialed what we call 'numbers' and then 'talked' into their phone?

Because I also carry around a Clie sj33, which is an ancient POS, and I need to upgrade it too. Having a smartphone would negate the need to carry a seperate PDA. Some people use PDAs and smartphones for more than just games.

[QUOTE=James Bond]...If you only plan on keeping the phone a year and upgrading again you'll probably have the option of a linux-based OS by that time and from the sounds of it you already have all the programs you'll need to get good usage out of the 650 which will act as more of a stop-gap.[/QUOTE]
I doubt any Linux smartphones would appear in the US within the next year, or even the next 2. In 5 years, perhaps. Ive heard rumors that Palm will release a Palm OS-based version of the Treo 700 in a few months, which is good news.

What is this "talking" you speak of?

Haha, I have the same phone as James Bond. How cool does that sound?

(Oh, and it's ****ing great - it just does enough to be clever, but not so much as to have loads of useless features)