[chris]

I spend most of my time in the US, which is why I am leaning towards the CDMA model for its coverage and speed. But I am looking to travel outside of the US for a week at least once a year, so I don't know what the best Treo is. I was wondering if it's possible to use the CDMA model in countries like Spain, Europe, the Caribbean, and maybe South America. Sprint told me that I would be able to use the phone in Spain roaming without a problem, but I don't know if this was a sales bull** line. I have read in other threads that countries like Japan have started to serve CDMA networks, which indicated that other countries would be upgrading as well. Is this true?

I'd say that GSM coverage in the US is just as good as CDMA. With Cingular taking over AT&T, that's one helluva big network. If you get an unlocked GSM, you can purchase a SIM card from the country you're in and then use their network. This is much more cost effective than roaming charges... Now, if you buy from Cingular, the phone will not be unlocked. However, many folks have had success calling them and pleading their case, "I'm travelling...don't want to pay high roaming charges...love Cingular...loyal customer...can you help unlock my phone..etc..etc".

Additionally, I use my personal PowerBook G4 (Mac) for school and other things, and I use a Windows PC at work.

Okay, you're 1 for 2.

Does the Treo 650 have a flash to use when taking pictures? If it does not what do you recommend?

The Treo 650 does not have a flash -- and the camera isn't the best. Cellphone (and smartphone) cameras are to me..nothing more than an added method of communication. It adds to your ability to capture a moment where you wouldn't be carrying your digital camera. I have an Olympus E-1 -- takes fabulous pictures...but my Treo is always with me and I capture moments where I would never be carrying my E-1. If you visit my SplashBlog (link at the bottom in sig), then you'll see a sample of Treo photography.

Is it true that it does not support Bluetooth 2? Does it perform poorly when transferring via Bluetooth for sync?

Correct. However, it works fine for syncing...however I use the Seido cradle.. why use Bluetooth when sitting at home? Some have had issue getting it to work. I experienced no problems with setting up Bluetooth Syncing on my Powerbook.

Is it true that it does not have voice dial? What are the other methods or options?

It does not come with Voice Dial. There are two software applications that will enable this...however, you'll only have voice dial through the Treo and not through the headset.

What is the length of videos that can be recorded? What size of an SD chip do you recommed MB/Price/Sites? Does the SD chip stick out preventing a skin or cover to close?

It's all based on the size of your SD card. Shop around and you can find a good deal on a 1GB - we also offer it in our Treo Store. No, it does not stick out. When you get your Treo, there is a piece of plastic in the slot. The SD card just replaces it.

I have read negative things about the earpiece and headset adapter, saying that it's crap, doesn't work stereo, etc. Is this true, what would you recommend?

You need an adapter for stereo.. If you're a Powerbook owner, I'm thinking you MUST own an iPod.:p

Also, that the speakerphone is an embarrassment, unless you want to only listen. That the sound is hollow, it is not full duplex, and if you don't talk into it after some time, it stops responding. Is this true, has it been fixed with the upgrades?

I'm not sure how to answer this... I've never experienced it not working...I rarely use the speakerphone. Not sure if it's full duplex or not.

What is the reset button for? If used do you loose everything like on a PDA? Some owners have indicated that they have reset it at least once a week to fix freezing issues with the GSM models, why is this?

That's just not true. There are different methods of reseting.. a hard reset will erase your data. The last time I did a hard reset, it was because I was upgrading the firmware. Reseting is a way to cure to spotty issues. However, there could a plethora of reasons why one persons Treo is problematic. The Treo runs a full OS - the Palm OS. Think of your friends and their computer experiences -- different computers, different software, different usage -- they can all contribute to an unstable PC or a Treo. Poorly written 3rd party software can also cause issues.

Will the Treo 650 sync with Apple Mail or Microst Entourage?

I don't sync my mail -- if you use a .mac account, then you can get SnapperMail which supports IMAP. Then, you're email is always sync'ed.

Lastly, I would like to say thank you in advance for all that help me out and contribute to this thread. I am hoping that the Treo 650 would be the device for me, or at least I would like to know if there is something else out there like it. I just would like to ask the current owners for their insight before I make this $500 dollar investment.

Glad to help out. Feel free to ask any questions you might have.. Sorry for the delay in responding. New.. BIG...changes going on with the site and that's been occupying my time.

Good luck.
Chris