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Palm Treo 755p

Palm OS Treo on Sprint with Microsoft Push Technology and Google maps

edited by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer

Incrementally improved member of the Treo family

On May 9, 2007, Palm introduced the Treo 755p smart device (what's wrong with the term "smartphone" all of a sudden?), a new Palm OS Treo for use with the Sprint network. The Dual-band CDMA2000/EvDO-based Treo 755p is the first Treo to offer built-in Microsoft Direct Push Technology email support, Google Maps for mobile, a mini-SD slot, and, of course, the integrated antenna and new and slimmer Treo form factor first seen on last year's Treo 680. Sprint is the first carrier selling the Treo 755p, which is available for as low as $279.99 with a two-year service agreement and a $100 mail-in rebate. It comes in midnight blue or burgundy.

Designed for professionals

The Palm Treo 755p is an evolutionary product of the Treo line. It's designed to keep mobile professionals connected, productive and, ahem..., entertained. The Treo 755p provides quick, wireless access to the web, email, business, multimedia applications and instant messaging. As for now, the 755p runs on the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network, so make sure you peruse the Sprint text and Vision charges applicable to operate the device. Sprint claims to have the nation's largest mobile broadband network, reaching over 200 million people across the country in more than 11,000 cities and a thousand airports.

Danny Bowman, vice president of customer equipment for Sprint said "The Treo 755p is a stylish and powerful device ideal for business professionals looking for the power to do more while on the go. Building upon the success of the Treo 700p, we've added enhancements such as Mobile Voice Control, a new IM application and Sprint TVSM in the ROM for mobile entertainment and news."

The newest member of the Treo family runs Palm OS version 5.4.9, has an integrated and backlit thumbtype keyboard and the common phone/PDA button arrangement with both PDA application buttons and phone answer and hang-up buttons flanking a central 5-way navigation disc. According to Palm, there are almost 30,000 Palm OS applications commercially available, from healthcare and sales force automation to games and travel. But what differentiates the 755p from others in the Treo line?

It's the first Palm-based Treo that uses Microsoft Direct Push for email

The Treo 755p offers VersaMail 3.5.4 with built-in Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync support for Microsoft's Direct Push Technology. Direct Push delivers automatic updates to Outlook email. That means companies who use the Microsoft Exchange server won't need third party software for their 755P-equipped staffers to get automatic wireless updates of email, calendar and contact information, all with the added IT security and remote manageability a corporate backend server brings to the table.

First Treo integrating Google Maps for Mobile

Another new thing new for Treos is the 755p's integration of Google Maps service for mobile. The app is built into the ROM and enables users to get directions, do local searches for restaurants and such, and view moveable and scalable maps, satellite imagery, and even traffic updates to avoid jams and slow areas. You can also get instant maps for addresses in the Contacts list. Yes, it's all falling into place.

Nifty 755p features and benefits

  • You can watch mobile video directly on the Treo 755p with Sprint TV, which features more than 50 channels of live and on-demand content, including CNN, FOX, ESPN, The Weather Channel, MTV, E! and The Cartoon Network

  • You can use dial-up networking via USB or Bluetooth on the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network by using the Treo 755p as a modem for a notebook computer

  • The 755p offers excellent phone functionality, including one-touch speakerphone and conference calling, the ability to ignore a call with text messaging, and the option to use the touch-screen dial pad

  • There is support for EvDO which speeds up streaming mobile content, such as live TV, movie clips and audio, as well as training videos or company communications

  • The 755p has 128MB memory (60MB user available) and support for Mini-SD memory cards up to 4GB

  • There is a nice voice-memo application that can be used to create custom ring tones and add voice annotations to photos or to record a quick memo

  • SMS/MMS messages can be threaded in a single chat view and the 755p supports for Yahoo!, AOL, and Gmail

  • You can use a built-in 1.3-megapixel digital camera and video recorder with 2X digital zoom. An app organizes and shares photos

  • For web browsing you use the competent Access browser;

  • There is full PDF support via DataViz Documents To Go 8.0 that supports native Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents

  • A removable 1600mAhr battery provides up to 4.2 hours of talk time and uyp to 10 days of standby.

The 755p is powered by a 312MHz Xscale PXA270 processor, has a 320 x 320 pixel color TVT display, and measures 4.4 x 2.3 x 0.84 inches. The Palm site indicates its weight as 160 grams, which translates into 5.65 ounces for the metrically challenged (and who in the US isn't?). The Treo 755p will be available beginning mid-May 2007 from Palm stores and online at www.palm.com. It also will be available at Sprint stores and at www.sprint.com.

-- Conrad Blickenstorfer