The 81-day experiment

Day #18 of the 81-day experiment, the Treo 700w last day

Just drove by the big transmission tower in San Francisco today, and the Treo 700w being handy, I decided to take a picture, and the Treo 700w being handy, I also thought why not “google” the transmission tower (you think I had a little bit of time on my hand--actually I didn’t, but curiosity took over).

From the Start menu on the Treo 700w, I selected Internet Explorer, the then typed “antenna twin peaks san francisco” in the Google search field.

You see the search results on the right (first few of 108,000 results). I probably should have known this already, but I learned that the transmission tower (also called Sutro Tower) is almost the geographical center of San Francisco, and sits on the twin peaks which happen to be at an elevation of 992 feet (the second highest point in San Francisco providing sweeping 360 degree views of the city). Thanks to the Treo 700w!

Back to the problem of not being able to get e-mail from the Exchange server to the Treo 700w, this ended up being a technical support call which did not end successfully. It seems that we need to do more work in this area. I think we will get it working, but I think the moral of the story here is that when you want to retrieve e-mail to the Treo 700w from multiple e-mail accounts, and some are POP, and some are Exchange server based, and whatever else, things do get more involved, and expect some extra challenges, which hopefully will all get resolved.

The Treo 700w in summary

Today is the last day for the Treo 700w. I have been using the Treo 700w for 9 days now, so tomorrow the Treo 700w will retire, and a new device will join us on the 81-day experiment. If I was to summarize the last 9 days with the Treo 700w, without much filtering and analyzing, here is what I might come up with.

It took me some time to get used to the Treo 700w, which is contrary to my expectation, knowing that it is Windows Mobile device and I have been using Windows for a while. After 9 days of using Windows Mobile extensively, including running through some of our smartphone workshops scenarios, I still need to think for a couple of seconds to determine how to perform certain actions. It also seems to take a couple of extra clicks to do things. I assume that if I was to use the device for a longer period, these “symptoms” would go away and navigation becomes second nature. But the point here is that don’t take it for granted that “Windows Mobile = Windows”, and that your skills in Windows are immediately transferable. You still need to “do” some time with Windows Mobile.

Having said that, the Windows Mobile interface (for Windows users) does makes sense from a logical perspective (once you get over the initial differences and extra clicks). This could be because we have been brainwashed with Windows for a while, and are now comfortable having a Start menu, a Programs menu, a File Explorer, and the like.

You may not feel the same way if you are a Mac user. So if you are a Mac user, and interested in the Treo, you probably will be looking at the Treo 700p instead (see day #1 to day #9 where I used the Treo 700p from Verizon). 

Back to the Treo 700w, from a functionality perspective, the device is pretty much a full feature devices just like the 700p (from phone and contacts, to e-mail, to getting organized with the calendar and tasks, to multi-media capabilities, it does it all). In terms of the “behind the scene” factors as we call them in our workshops, it also ranks pretty high, but again only if you are a Windows user and if Verizon is your network and you don’t have the need to use your phone internationally. It may not rank as high if you are a Mac user, if you are not a Verizon user, and if you need to use your phone/e-mail internationally.

How about Sprint?

Okay, I stopped by the Sprint store today to see what is it that we are missing if anything. First of all, I was told that the Treo 700w will be available from Sprint in September 2006. So for Sprint users, this may be good news.

Having reviewed the Treo 700p from Version in day #1 to day #9 of the experiment, I was also curious if the Treo 700p from Sprint is pretty much the same as the Treo 700p from Verizon. What I found out is that it is pretty much the same device and has very similar applications on it. Sprint offers some additional applications such as the Sprint TV, Picture Mail, and Video Mail. I also saw that VersaMail, Documents To Go, and Voice Memos are included (these applications are also provided by Verizon), but I didn’t see the equivalent of the version Wireless Sync application (which as I mentioned on day #3 is capable of “push” e-mail). So if this is an area that is important to you, you may want to explore it further.

How about Cingular and the GSM/GPRS/EDGE Network?

For those Cingular users, or users who really want the Treo but want to use it internationally, Cingular has the Treo 650 available on its GSM/GPRS/EDGE network. The upside is that you get your Treo and you can use it internationally, and the downside is that it is a Treo 650 and not 700p. This means you don’t get the 700p refinements and additional applications, and you don’t get the EVDO high-speed access (EDGE is fast, maybe 2 to 4 times GPRS speed, but not nearly as fast as EVDO, EVDO is the network used by Verizon and Sprint). So if your goal is to do images, audio, and video from the Web, and a lot of web browsing, the Treo 650 from Cingular may not be your best buy, but if you are happy with e-mail and occasional browsing, and local multi-media, it will do the job just fine.

How about Treo 700w that uses GSM/GPRS?

Well, I find out that this is available (even though when I went to the order page to learn more, it was indicated that it was not shipping yet, and it wasn’t indicated who the service provider was). I also heard some news reports about a Treo 750w that uses GSM/GPRS which will be released in the U.K in September. I haven’t yet pursed this research further. If you pursue this route, feel free to share your findings.

Finally the big question: Treo 700w or Treo 700p?

In terms of features, they are very comparable. In terms of software, my first impression is that the Treo 700p came with some extras (such as the voice memos, and the video camera). But the main difference is the interface. If you are a “Palm” addict, or have used Palm devices before and are comfortable with them, you will probably be more satisfied with the Treo 700p. If you are a Mac user, you are much more likely to be in the Treo 700p camp for many reasons.

If you are new to the world of handheld devices, and you are a Windows user, you will have to experiment a bit with both devices, navigate through the menus and screens, and see what the interfaces does to you. Selecting a handheld device is a “personal” thing and there is some “chemistry” involved.

Overall, I found the Treo 700p interface more suitable for a handheld device, it is more streamlined—you can do more with less. The Treo 700w and Windows Mobile interface seemed like a PC interface adapted to a handheld device rather than a native handheld interface. Not such a bad thing, but it just feels that a couple of extra clicks are in the way sometimes.

The Treo is just the beginning

In the next few weeks, the stories of many more devices will unfold as the 81-day experiment continues to evolve. Join us tomorrow to witness the beginning of a new story!

Day #17 of the 81-day experiment, the Treo 700w Exchange Server, more usability

  You no longer have to go after the hotspots when you have the Treo 700w, PdaNet, and the Verizon broadband network, and therefore you can enjoy the authentic/organic/tasty decaf-vanilla-soy latte at the local coffee shops. You may not even need your computer if all you want is e-mail, calendar, contacts, and maybe some light browsing. 

Today, I ended up making a good use of the Treo 700w Calendar when I wanted to schedule my next haircut appointment. The hair dresser pulled out his Palm device, and I pulled out the Treo 700w. He was much faster entering the appointment, partly because he has been using that Palm device for many years it seemed like (much longer than my almost 8 days with the Treo 700w), and I suspect that partly because of the Windows Mobile interface being a little more involved (it seems to take a couple of extra clicks or selections to get to places).

Retrieving e-mail from the Exchange server

I am already receiving e-mail from my POP account (my main e-mail account) and today’s goal was to setup the Treo 700w to retrieve e-mail from a new Exchange Server account that I created recently. This process seems to have gone well “on paper”, or in this case “on electronics” but doesn’t seem to be retrieving any e-mails from the server.

Following the instructions and setting up the e-mail account on the Treo 700w is a straight forward process. The process starts with selecting Programs from the Start menu, and then ActiveSync, and then from the ActiveSync menu, selecting Add Server Source, and then following the steps--providing the Server address, and the username and password. Easy but unfortunately it doesn’t seem to be retrieving e-mails from the Exchange server. So it sounds that a technical support call is on the horizon (probably tomorrow!)

The “underscore” and the screen keyboard

Typing an “underscore” on the Treo 700w today took me by surprise. First I couldn’t find it on the keyboard, and then when I invoked the screen keyboard, I still couldn’t find it (the screen keyboard is the picture of the keyboard on the touch screen, which allows you to tap on the letters instead of typing them on the actual Treo 700w keyboard. Then it dawned on me—I remembered it from our existing Treo class. The way to type an underscore in the Treo consists of typing a hyphen, and then pressing the Alt key, which displays then the special characters that are associated with the hyphen, and the underscore is one of them.

How about grafiti?

If you are one of the original Palm users, you may have fallen in love with the device because of the grafiti writing a few years ago. Well, the Treo 700w, in addition to the screen keyboard described above, gives you another mechanism that is called the “Block Recognizer” which is basically grafiti-reborn. So anytime you are typing, you can invoke the Block Recognizer (the little icon on the bottom of the touch screen) and then get the stylus out and do your grafiti.

The Cancel Button showed up

Something I noticed and reported on in the first few days of the Treo 700w is that in some situations, it seemed that it wasn’t easy to back off (as if some kind of a close or cancel button is needed but missing). The Ok button on the Treo 700w plays the role of close/cancel button, but it saves any changes you’ve made. So I was still searching for this close/cancel option.

Well, I noticed that in some screens, that a “cancel” option is available. The cancel option appears on the touch screen, on the bottom left, above the left action button. You can either tap on it on the touch screen, or press the left action button.

Phone conferencing

Just so you know, when you answer a second incoming call on the Treo 700w, you cannot conference the two calls for some unknown reason. However when one of the calls is outgoing, then you can. Just an interesting detail I stumbled upon when reading some more about conference calling, in case you are planning on doing a lot of it.

Today’s screen

The Today screen (shortcut to get to Today’s screen is to press the phone key) is again proving to be quite useful. Another tip from today about the Today’s screen, and also useful in the contacts application, is that when searching for a contact, you can type their initials (separated by a space) and this will find them quickly and easily. Or to be even more specific in your search, you can type the first few letters of their first name, then a space, and then a few letters of their last name, and this will find them just as well. By the way, you can do this in Outlook as well (on your desktop), when searching for contacts.

Tomorrow is the last day for the Treo 700w

Tomorrow is the last day for the Treo 700w before the experiment moves on and I get a new handheld device. In addition to tomorrow’s final adventures with the Treo 700w, I will also summarize the overall findings and impressions, and will also try to compare them with the Treo 700p findings, and provide some information about other Treo models available through other providers and networks, such as Sprint, and Cingular, and potentially some European providers.

Day #16 of the 81-day experiment, the Treo 700w speed dial, Internet, more usability

Today started with the Treo 700w being silent for a while. After turning the ringer switch off during a morning meeting, I forget it in the off position (the switch is conveniently located on top for easy access when you need it unexpectedly). After wondering why I haven’t received any calls for a while, I checked the phone, and saw the notification that I had 6 voice mail messages waiting for me. Oh well!

Today included a few minor accomplishments but still significant on the practicality/efficiency scale. First I got the Bluetooth headset setup. Setting options on the Treo 700w is mostly accomplished by selecting the Start menu (your typical starting point, just like Windows) and then selecting Settings. The Settings screen (left picture) includes 3 tabs: Personal, System, and Connections. The Bluetooth setup is in the Connections tab. During the first few days of setting up and configuring the device, you are likely to find yourself in the Settings screen quite often.

  Then I setup a few speed dials. In addition to some easy ones (just a phone number), I also entered one that included a calling card number, a PIN number, and an international phone number, with automatic pauses in between—left picture (similar to the one I entered in the Treo 700p on day #7). I did get the opportunity to use this international speed dial today, so I think I already saved as much time as I used setting it up. Tomorrow the positive return on investment will start accumulating.

One more observation relating to dialing phone numbers is that when you are in an e-mail message for instance, and you see a phone number, you can scroll down to it and then dial it (using the 5-way navigation key, or you can click on it with the stylus if you’re using the stylus). This is also possible when you’re browsing a Web page.

Can you “google” on the little device?

Today, I had the opportunity to do some Web-searching on the Treo 700w, and more browsing. The speed and navigation were quite reasonable. When I got to a large web page, the first part was displayed, and at the bottom of the page, a “Next Page” link was created, allowing me to view the next part of the page. It seems that the page was broken down into 3 pages, and I could navigate from one to the next.

  Filling out a survey form, which I did with the Treo 700p on day #4, was also possible with the Treo 700w, even though the navigation seemed a little more challenging than what I remember from the Treo 700p. I had to resort to the stylus to make my way through. Then when I was close to the end of the survey, I accidentally pressed a button, which took me out of the survey and out of Internet Explorer (when I came back to it, it seems that I got a new fresh browser screen, and no way to go back to my data). Oh well again! And again it is a user error!

With the Verizon boradband access on the Treo 700w (download speeds being 400 to 700Kbps, and up to 1.8Mbps, and upload speeds up to 156Kbps), and the improved browser interfaces, browsing and potentially taking care of some Web transactions, seems to be feasible (something I would not have done with the the GPRS device I was using before the experiment). It is still probably not what your first choice would be (if you have access to a computer), but when stranded in the metro (which happened to me on day #4) or at the airport, or waiting in the lobby, or in the conference room for other to show up, this ability to browse at high-speed using the Treo can be a savior.

The latest report on using the stylus

Well, with using Excel yesterday (day #15) and Web browsing today, the stylus proved to be almost necessary (however, that is not a problem, knowing that you wouldn’t expect to use these applications single-handed). Otherwise (outside the use of Excel and Web browsing), I am still able to make my way through without much use of the stylus. So if you are not a stylus fan, you will do fine without it when using the Treo 700w (and pretty much the same is true for the Treo 700p). Of course, if you are a stylus fan, then you are in stylus heaven!

Stay tuned for more advanced Treo 700w actions tomorrow!

Tomorrow, in addition to continuing to report on usability issues, I am hoping to tackle some more advanced e-mail issues, such as setting up the Treo to retrieve e-mail from an Exchange account.

Day #15 of the 81-day experiment, the Treo 700w PdaNet, attachments, usability

  PdaNet for Windows Mobile is definitely one of the highlights of today. I remembered PdaNet from the Treo 600 and Treo 650 days, when PdaNet enabled Treo users to connect the laptop to the Internet using the Treo as a modem. As I was still struggling a bit with the fact that the Treo 700w won’t be able to connect my laptop to the Internet, and my mind searching for solutions, it occurred to me that “what if PdaNet has a solution”. What do you do in such a situation? Your “google” it.

A few minutes later, I had PdaNet for Windows Mobile running and connecting my laptop to the Internet using the Treo 700w. The connection speed was pretty good, maybe slightly slower but comparable to what you would get at a hotspot. PdaNet for Windows

Mobile

costs $34 or so, but you get some discount if you already have a previous version, and you can get a trial version if you want to try it first.

Working with attachments

   Working with Excel attachments was straight forward. The attachment was not downloaded to the device by default (good thing in order to preserve the precious storage space on the tiny device). So I had to scroll down to the bottom of the e-mail message, and click on the attachment to download it. Once the Excel attachment was downloaded, I could see its icon and the document name (just like an attachment in Outlook--picture on the left) and open it, edit it, and save it to the device. I also had the option of e-mailing it (by selecting the Menu first, then File, and then the Send Via E-mail item).

Once I saved the modified Excel attachment on the device, the next time I synchronized with my laptop, it was copied to the laptop and placed in a folder in the My Documents folder, together with all the other folders and files from the Treo 700w. So for instance, the pictures that I have taken using the Treo 700w, were also copied to the My Pictures subfolder in the My Documents folder on the laptop. So in other words, the files that are on the device, are mirrored on the laptop when you synchronize, which makes them easily accessible in either places.

The good news is that if you make changes to these files on the laptop, and then you synchronize, the changes are copied to the Treo 700w device. So this is a two way synchronization.

More on usability

Zooming in Excel was extremely helpful as you can imagine, and provided a zoom range from 50% to 150%. In addition, I could choose the “custom zoom” option and indicate the desired percentage (but it had to be between 50% to 200%).

When I chose the “custom zoom” option, I was prompted to enter the percentage. I started to enter a percentage, but had a typo, and then I decided to just exit that screen without saving my changes. Pressing the Ok button was the only option available to exit. But it kept prompting me to correct my typo and enter a valid percentage. So there was no way for me to exit that screen without entering a valid percentage. This is exactly what I described yesterday (Day #14) when I mentioned that it seems that there is a close or cancel button that is missing in this device. Maybe I will discover it in the next few days.

Installing PdaNet was easy and similar to installing programs on the Treo 700p. Basically once you install them on the laptop or desktop, the next time you synchronize with the Treo 700w, they are transferred over.

Another similarity with the Treo 700p and a nice usability feature is the fact that you can change the button assignment. In other words, you can change which button will invoke which application. You do so from the Start menu, by selecting Settings, and then Buttons.

I found myself using the Ok button (pressing it and holding it down for a couple of seconds) to get a list of all the open applications, and in some cases, closing some of them, or switching to the desired one. It seems to play the role of the Alt+Tab on Windows.

However, I also noticed later that in the Start menu, right below the “Start” menu item, you can see the open applications icons shown on the first row, and you can scroll through them using the arrow right and arrow left keys of the 5-way navigation button. This seems to be yet another shortcut to navigate through the open applications.

Having the File Explorer on the Treo 700w seems to be quite convenient. It makes it easier to view and manage the files stored on the device, whether they are pictures or documents or whatever else. It makes the device more tangible, and makes synchronization make more sense (because this same file structure is mirrored on your laptop or desktop as mentioned earlier).

Day #14 of the 81-day experiment, the Treo 700w in use

The Verizon network (CDMA) is working quite well in San Francisco. As I mentioned in Day #7, it did pass the San Francisco test already, and performed well in spots where my previous GSM smartphone failed consistently. So now after my workout at the local gym, not only I can quickly check my e-mail and get updated on things, but I can also reply and make phone calls while I have my coffee at the local coffee shop.

The more I use the Treo 700w, the more I am getting used to the interface (the Windows Mobile interface), and even though it is taking longer than expected, it seems that the pieces of the puzzle are falling into place.

Today was a light-use day, but I still managed to receive and send some e-mails, and schedule some reminders on my calendar, and here are some of my observations relating to usability.

More about the Ok button

The ok button (which is the button next to the power/end button) seems to be quite helpful in allowing me to close windows and return to the previous screen. It seems to play the traditional role of an okay button in a window (something we are used to on our computers) and also the role of the close or cancel button.

Ideally, I would have liked to have a different close or cancel button so that if I open a new screen and I decide to back off (i.e. close it without saving any changes or taking any actions), I can press the close or cancel button, and be sure that no information is changed and no other actions are taken.

The Stylus

I am continuing to minimize the use of the stylus. If you use the stylus, the interface is much easier (it would be similar to using the mouse on your computer). However, the stylus means using both hands, and it also means having an extra “object” that you need to manage—either by being disciplined about putting it back into its slot as soon as you finish using it, or remembering where you put it on your desk or wherever you are when you finished using it.

Either way, the idea here is to see if the Treo 700w can be used as a single-handed device, and so far, it seems to be doing well in this regard.

Some shortcuts with the 5-way navigation key

Continuing the theme of no stylus, how do you scroll through a long list of e-mail messages efficiently without the stylus. Well you could use your thumb to tap the arrow keys on the scroll bar or to drag the scroll bar. However, the 5-way navigation button offers yet another set of shortcuts.

Pressing the option key, and keeping it pressed, while pressing the Arrow Up or Arrow Down keys on the 5-way navigation button, function like page-up and page-down. And pressing the option key, and keeping it pressed, while pressing the Arrow Right and Arrow Left keys on the 5-way navigation button, function like the Home and End keys (taking you to the bottom of the list and top of the list respectively).

Windows versus Windows

Windows Mobile on the Treo 700w and the Windows you are used to on your computer (if you are a Windows user) do have the same “soul” but at the same time have many differences when it comes to the nuances of the navigation and other user interface elements--just something to be aware of if you are headed towards Windows Mobile.

Windows versus Macintosh

Just in case you missed Linda’s observation from Day #1 when I was asking about the differences between the Treo 700p and 700w, here is a recap of what she said. The Treo 700p would be recommended for someone who is familiar with the Palm OS, and it works well with both Windows computers and Macs. She then pointed out that the Treo 700w would be recommended for Windows users who want to have their office applications and their documents on the go, but not ideal for Macs users.

The lesson here is that before you go too far in exploring a handheld device, it is recommended that you start with the issue of hardware and software compatibility. Does it work with your computer? And will it synchronize well with the applications that you currently use?

CDMA versus GSM

Back to the network, and along the line of exploring the key issues before you go too far and potentially “fall in love” with the “wrong” device, it is important to determine whether you will need to use the device overseas and where exactly. Providers who use the CDMA network are not likely to support your international needs. Better to find that out sooner than later.

A small and final tip from the Verizon technical support team

It seems to be recommended to press *22899 every so often—every month or so, to update coverage, roaming, and programs on the device.

Day #13 of the 81-day experiment, the Treo 700w e-mail, outlook data, all ready

Today started with a technical support call (not the typical Saturday morning). It seems that the upgrade from software version 1.02 to 1.1 (which I started yesterday and let run) left the Treo 700w frozen, and not responsive to any keys and not even a soft reset.

It seems that a “hard” reset was needed (taking the battery out, pressing the power button and keeping it pressed, while inserting the battery again, and then releasing the power button, and then confirming that I want to erase all the data on the device). After we went through this process, the device came back to life, and after going through the Wireless Sync and ActiveSync synchronization again, the device became fully functional.

The last couple of days

Even though in the last couple of days, when I was installing and configuring the Treo 700w, I ran into some interesting distractions (having to exchange it for a new device because the first device refused to go through a “hard” reset, and then setting up the new device, and then upgrading to the new software version from 1.02 to 1.1, and of course having to re-configure and synchronize several times), I continued to use the Treo 700w as my only device.

I continued to use the Treo 700w as my only device (without resorting to some kind of a backup plan, like dusting off the device that I was using before I started the experiment and slipping it in my briefcase) because I want the 81-day experiment to take me through exactly what a user “might” go through if they were to acquire a new handheld device.

This is not to imply that every user will encounter the same issues—probably not. The goal here is to let these issues and challenges take their course (instead of avoiding them and trying to bypass them) and work at solving them in order to gain some valuable insights about the devices, the technologies used, the services and quality of services provided.

In the last couple of days, I was still able to use the Treo 700w phone. Obviously I didn’t have access to my contacts, so at some point, I had to open my laptop in order to get a contact’s phone number (you do what you have to do!). I also experienced having no-e-mail while on the go (something I haven’t experienced for a while). This was a combination of a feeling of relief (little vacation from e-mail) and at the same time a slight feeling of anxiety (not knowing, and inability to handle urgencies in time). But in the bigger picture, and even though I may want to believe that not having e-mail is a big deal, it is not--and it was all okay.

An important milestone has been reached today

An important milestone in the life of a device (in the 81-day experiment) has been reached today. This is referring to the point in time when the device is fully functional, and able to receive e-mail, and has the Outlook data on it, and therefore ready to be fully utilized as a mobile device with phone and data connectivity-- and a whole suite of helpful applications.

The experiment continues, 4 days down and 5 days to go for the Treo 700w, so stay tuned!

Day #12 of the 81-day experiment, the Treo 700w out of the box again

Back to San Francisco, and back to Verizon’s store, and back with a new Treo 700w, and back to the Internet (the new Treo 700w connected to the Internet without a problem).

Now here is the setup that I would like to have on the Treo 700w. I would like my e-mail to be retrieved from a POP e-mail account, while my contacts, calendar, tasks, and notes synchronized from Outlook on my laptop.

First, in order to get my e-mail on the Treo 700w, Wireless Sync needed to be setup. This has been already done during one of the previous technical support calls-- this is done on the Verizon Wireless website.  But then I needed to change the setup on the device to disable the wireless synchronization of contacts, calendar, tasks, and notes—because as I mentioned above, I want these synchronized with Outlook on my laptop. By the way, Wireless Sync (as I described in day #3 in the experiment) is capable of “pushing” e-mail to the device instead of waiting for the device to retrieve e-mail every so often. So I enabled the “push” e-mail feature.

Second, in order to synchronize my Treo 700w contacts, calendar, tasks, and notes with my Outlook via the USB cable, I needed to have ActiveSync installed and configured on my laptop. ActiveSync comes on the installation CD with the Treo 700w and I already installed it yesterday before I had to exchange the previous Treo 700w with a new Treo 700w (see Day #11 below). Luckily I didn’t have to re-install ActiveSync to work with the new device, it just worked, and it did the synchronization smoothly.

More about Wireless Sync

You may be wondering why would I disable the wireless synchronization of contacts, calendar, tasks, and notes, knowing that Wireless Sync is capable of doing so. That is mainly because my Outlook is not connected to an Exchange Server, and my Outlook is not running all the time (it is on my laptop, and it is only running when my laptop is on). Therefore, the data that is on my Outlook on my laptop is not always available to the Wireless Sync server. Therefore, I chose to synchronize the Outlook data via cable. If you have a different configuration, you may be able to use Wireless Sync to synchronize all your data and therefore eliminate the need for via-the-cable synchronization.

Upgrading the software on the Treo 700w

If you go to the Start menu, and select Settings, and then the System tab, and then the About icon, and then the Phone tab, you will see the software version installed on your Treo 700w. In my case it was version 1.02.

Apparently, version 1.1 is now out, and it includes some key improvements to the way the device handles the connection with the server, and memory management, among other things, according to the Verizon technical support rep.

So I downloaded version 1.1 from the Web and started the installation process. Knowing that this was going to take some time, I left it running, and took off. So tomorrow, I will start with version 1.1 and hope that the installation and setup phase of the Treo 700w will be over, and the real work would start.

Day #11 of the 81-day experiment, the Treo 700w out-of-the-box

Today was my speaking engagement in Los Angeles and day #11 of the 81-day experiment—a great way to put the Treo 700w really in action while on the go. I knew I was in Los Angeles when the temperature got 15 degrees warmer than San Francisco, the guy in the car next to me was driving a convertible while wearing a bathing suit, the highways “downtown” were 3 to 6 lanes wide.

However, it was good getting some sun while I drove a convertible that Hertz gave me for only $20 more than the car I originally reserved--a major departure from the hybrid I drive in San Francisco, but this is LA. Unfortunately, there won’t be pictures from LA posted here because as you will see below, while things started well today for the Treo 700w, they didn’t end as smoothly.

The first thing I did today with the Treo 700w was installing the CD that came with the device and synchronizing my Outlook data. This process ended up successfully but it wasn’t as smooth as you would expect knowing that it is Windows talking to Windows, and it took quite a bit of time. However, when all was done, I could see my Outlook data, even the e-mail messages in the inbox, all having been successfully transferred to the Treo 700w.

Treo 700w user interface first impressions

What used to be the top 2 application buttons in the Treo 700p are here the action keys (the right action key and the left action key). You use them to take the action that is described on the touch screen right about them. This can be different from application to application.

The 5- way navigation key does a good job in helping you navigate menus and fields easily, and the center key in allowing you to make selections. This is pretty intuitive and also very useful for operating the device with one hand. I am going to see how far I can use the device without the need to pull the stylus out. Of course the ability to tap on the touch screen with the thumbs or fingers is also helpful in eliminating the need to use the stylus. Nothing against the stylus, just trying to experiment. Also, I am trying to minimize having loose components laying around, and the need to have both hands involved if they don’t need to.

When you open a new screen (either when you select a new application from the Start menu, or when you select a new option within an application), you can close this new screen either using the Ok button, or tapping the Ok on the top right corner of the screen. This will save/accept any changes you made as applicable. Even though the quick reference guide referred to an “X” that you can tap to close the screen without saving (similar to what a Cancel button would do), I haven’t seen the X on most screen, and there is no such a thing as a Cancel button. So there are situations where I felt that I needed to just cancel, and couldn’t find a way to do so. It could be that I haven’t discovered this easy cancel mechanism yet, or that I need to undergo a paradigm shift.

Similarities to Windows on the desktop

To open an application, you do so from the Start menu (sounds familiar?). In general, you don’t really close an application when you are done with it, you just switch to another one by pressing the Start menu again, and selecting the desired application.

The Treo 700w automatically manages the open applications and closes the ones that are not being used if it needs more memory for instance. However, you can also press and hold the Ok button, and see the list of open applications, and manually close a certain application, or close all application (sounds familiar too?).

The Today screen is one of the options in the Start menu, and the default screen that shows up when you turn the device on. The Today screen is quite useful. It gives you a quick search capability that allows you to start typing and at the same time it start matching contacts from your contacts list. It also shows you the highlights of your calendar, the number of e-mails in your inbox, gives you a shortcut to listening to your voice mail, to connecting to the Web, among other things. I am already finding it quite useful (also familiar?)

Nice voicemail interface

Voicemail also comes with a nice visual interface, where you can play messages, and save them, and move forward, and background, through a set of icons that are easy to understand. It is tempting to use the stylus here to tap on these little icons, but I am still experimenting with this no-stylus approach for now, so I was able to easily work with these voicemail icons using the 5-way navigation.

Accidentally disconnecting a call

It seems that when the screen shuts itself off (to preserve power), there are some side effects to that, which surprisingly I didn’t notice in the Treo 700p (the Palm OS version of the Treo 700 which I reviewed in the first 9 days of the experiment). One time I ended up disconnecting my call when I tried to bring the screen back to life, by pressing the power key. The technical support rep suggested that when I am on a call, I should bring the screen back on by tapping on it instead of pressing the power button. I will try that next time.

The unfortunate trouble

I mentioned yesterday that when I tried to connect to the Internet, I got an error. So today, I called technical support to resolve that error. After about one hour with the technical support rep who was very helpful and knowledgeable today, it seems that the device kept refusing to accept the new Internet connection settings, and refused to perform a “hard reset”. So the conclusion was that I needed to get it exchanged with a new device, which could be tomorrow’s task.

Day #10 of the 81-day experiment, the Treo 700w purchase

Don’t let appearances fool you. They look the same, but below the skin, one is from Mars and the other from Venus. Today’s I got the Treo 700w also from Verizon (the Windows Mobile version of the Treo), and while it looks very similar to the Treo 700p (the Palm version that I used for the last 9 days—see day #1 to day #9 below for details), once you take a closer look and put your hands on it, there is no resemblance.

The first surprise was that with the Treo 700w, it is NOT possible to connect it and use it as a modem for my laptop. Do you remember that excitement last week about the fact that I didn’t need to search for these hotspots anymore (with the Treo 700p), well this is no longer possible with the Treo 700w. I am glad I didn’t discontinue my hotspot account.

The Treo 700w retail price is around $620 not including tax. Knowing that I already have a plan with Verizon now, I no longer get the discount for getting a plan. If I didn’t have a plan, the price of the Treo 700w would have been equivalent to that of the Treo 700p as detailed on day #1 of the experiment (for more details about the Treo 700p price, plan, and accessories from Verizon, you can refer to day #1 below).

The phone in the Treo 700w is already functional, but my Outlook data is not there yet--because I haven’t installed the synchronization software, and my e-mail is not yet configured. These are tomorrow’s tasks before I head to a speaking engagement in Los Angeles. I am hoping to have these functional for the trip. You will get the report tomorrow, and maybe I will be able to post the picture I took tonight using the Treo 700w camera--of the busy kitchen at the restaurant where I ended up having dinner.

Stay tuned!