Palm Treo 700p

I upgraded to a Treo because I was due for something new, and because this Treo syncs with goodlink allowing me to access my work email.

I really like having this phone. I was worried that it would be too bulky to carry around, but the size hasn't been a problem at all. I would probably prefer a newer model without the antenna, but they weren't available when I got this phone. That being said, the physical design of the phone is pretty nice. There are multiple buttons on the front and side of the phone for one-touch access to whatever applications you choose. There is also a keyguard which doesn't require you jumping through hoops to deactivate - just one button to push.

I also like the ability to have an internet browser with me at all times. The browser on this phone, Blazer, seems to be a suitable alternative to Explorer. No complaints here.

Two minor annoyances I've noticed are (1) that going to an internet page you have previously viewed may not bring up the most current page. I often have to refresh when checking scores, weather, etc. (2) It may be because my phone is connected to the goodlink network and receiving updates, but once in a while the phone will freeze for 5-10 seconds and I can't do anything momentarily. The phone has not crashed on me, and these 2 issues might be able to be avoided in simple ways... I'm not the most technologically advanced person.

The biggest issue - PALM or WINDOWS?? I did a decent amount of research when deciding on whether to get the Palm software or Windows software. I found quite a bit of discussion comparing the two. (I'll try to supplement with the links I reviewed later...) There are also many people in my office with experience with both. Ultimately I chose the Palm software because it seemed to be more stable and suitable for my needs. I also realized that while it is helpful for me to have my work email with me, I will rarely need to dive into word, excel, or adobe documents from my phone. If you need a more in-depth work station with you, Windows might be better. However, for the user who like to check email and have a more stable, simpler, user-friendly phone, Palm is probably better for you.

Also - note that I paid $200.00 for this phone with help from rebates from Verizon. I think the retail was $600.00, but who actually pays retail for a phone these days?

I've used the Treo 700p for about two years now, and while it is a good, solid phone, but today's standards (2008), it is pretty outdated and slow.

It uses the Palm OS, which is known for its simplicity and ease of use, and it lives up to its name on that front. There is a huge base of software out there that you can install, which means you can make this phone do just about anything you want.

However, Palm hasn't updated their OS in nearly two years, and so it doesn't support many modern functions, including the ability to multi-task well. The Treo 700p is also prone to crashing; Palm has (reportedly) fixed some of these issues in later versions of the Treo line (such as the Treo Centro).

All told, I wouldn't recommend the Treo 700p (or even any Treo) to someone looking for a phone today. There are better, more modern options.