Home  ›  Reviews  ›

Review: Palm Treo 800w

Form Basics Extras Wrap-Up Comments  3  

Music Camera Photos/Video Browse/Customize Extras  

Apps

Windows Mobile is, of course, compatible with all the pocket Microsoft Office applications. Word Mobile, Excel Mobile and PowerPoint Mobile are all included; OneNote Mobile can be added from the included CD.

But the 800w's most fun and useful application is the new A-GPS functionality, which can be used for free through Windows Mobile. Samsung Instinct only offers similar A-GPS functionality through the subscription-based Sprint Navigator. From the Windows Mobile home page, you can type in a generality such as "ATM" or "restaurant" or a more specific point of interest such as "FedEx" or "McDonald's" and, within 10 seconds, you get a list of locations in your immediate vicinity, complete with address, phone number and distance from your current location. Any one of the individual items on the list can be displayed on a zoomable street map or you can get directions. All aspects of this application load unbelievably fast, as fast as they do on the Samsung Instinct.

A number of other fun and useful applications are included such as Sprint TV, the Pocket Express suite of Web-based subscription information services, and the subscription-based Sprint Navigation, which offers turn-by-turn directions. I tried using the free section of Sprint TV, but the menu lists refused to load.

Bluetooth

Turning Bluetooth on and off was simple; it's one of the three connections listed under Wireless Manager in the right soft menu from the home screen.

Pairing the 800w with other Bluetooth devices, even with the often uncooperative Vista, was dead simple. Once synced, files moved quickly and easily into the appropriate folders (document, pictures, etc.) on the PC without my prompting or guidance.

Clock

The Clock settings app lets you choose both your local time zone and a visiting time zone as well as several alarm settings.

You can see the current time only on the home screen, however, and only on the top bar of the home screen, too small to casually check by simply glancing at it, even if you increase the font size. Once in the menus or applications, there's no time displayed on other screens unless you click the "Display the clock on the title bar in all programs" in the Clock settings panel. Again, why isn't this the default mode considering so many people use their phones as their watch?

Related

more news about:

Sprint
 

Subscribe to news & reviews with RSS Follow @phonescoop on Threads Follow @phonescoop on Mastodon Phone Scoop on Facebook Follow on Instagram

 

Playwire

All content Copyright 2001-2024 Phone Factor, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Content on this site may not be copied or republished without formal permission.