A Treo 700p Must Read

[Acer288]

Executive Summary: Purchased a Treo 700p from SprintPCS at full price on the first day of release in New London, CT (6/1/06). Several problems observed with each of the 3 units trialed. Notably issues with Bluetooth functionality, power, and software crashes. I finally gave up on the Treo 700p in favor of a Pocket PC PPC-6700. My motivation for writing this article is not to stop buyers from purchasing the new Treo, but rather to point out what to look for during the first 14 days of ownership such that you may exchange or return the unit without hassle per the Sprint “no hassle” 14 day period.

Treo issues: As with any new technology on the market there are bound to be problems. Even the most nerdy of gadgetgeeks, of which I count myself, might shy away from the latest and greatest of devices as they are presented to the market. This is especially true when they stray from the norm with “breakout” technologies such as the Treo 650 offered a few years ago. However the 700p is a different type of advance, with nearly identical form factor, and the majority of the key features similar if not spot on with previous version.

The Upside: Kudos to the Treo team for realizing that they have a good physical form factor and functionality with the one handed QWERTY keyboard and large display screen. Nice job integrating the EVO high-speed network and the cool, however useless TV functionality. Nice software package including the document viewer and easy to use sync contact list.

The Downside: As stated in the Exec Summary above I purchased a TREO on the first day of release from Sprint. From the outset the unit looked spectacular. And I spared no expense as I purchased not only the unit, but the top of the line Jabra 500 Bluetooth headset and separate carrying case. UNIT 1. Once home I charged the Jabra and sync’d it to the Treo. The device sync’d effortlessly and accepted the codes. Once sync’d I made call to my voicemail to check out the functionality. The connection was raspy and unstable and ultimately disconnected. I reattempted this several times to verify the poor quality and found that even the ability to connect up during the start of the call was tenuous at best. I will note that the icon for the headset was on and off as though the two units were connecting and disconnecting. 1 day later I bought the top of the line Motorola headset from Best Buy and the same problem occurred. Finally I tried a few coworkers headsets that work with their 650s and the problem persisted.

UNIT 2. From the Sprint store I received my completely new Treo 700p. This unit had immediate connectivity with the Bluetooth headset and very good Bluetooth functionality. However I did receive complaints from callers as to the sound quality. Note that at this point I had the $89 Jabra with the vibrate function (very nice by the way). That night I connected the unit to the charger and went to sleep. I had set the alarm to go off to casually remind me that it was time to leave for work the next morning. No alarm the next morning. Curious, I opened the case to find that the unit had completely shut down. The only way to reactivate the unit was to remove the battery and reinstall it. This happened two more times before I went back to the store to return it. One time it was on my belt and I was expecting an EXTREMELY important phone call that was missed due to the mysterious blackout.

UNIT 3. The third unit suffered from a software glitch. Bluetooth and power stability seemed okay, but the unit would promptly reboot each and every time that I tried to access the internet. Compounding this obvious glitch, was the fact that it would reboot with the Phone Off and I was therefore compelled to reactivate the phone manually.

Today I have the PPC-6700 as my communication device / PDA. I have owned it for exactly 2 days as of 10 minutes ago and it is still going strong. The 6700 has all the same functionality as the 700p with the added bonus that it is Windows based and has true 802.11 wireless capability. As you can imagine there is not a single feature on the phone that I have not tested. As for Bluetooth there is just no comparison. With the same Vibrating Jabra as above, the call is as clear as a land line.

Note: The staff at the New London SprintPCS office was stellar throughout my entire ordeal so I do not fault them for a single bit of what I went through with the Treo 700p device. Special thanks to Rick and Rebecca for coordinating the returns with their well practiced courtesy and efficiency.

[bigDee]

Originally Posted by Acer288

[size=3]Today I have the PPC-6700 as my communication device / PDA. I have owned it for exactly 2 days as of 10 minutes ago and it is still going strong. The 6700 has all the same functionality as the 700p with the added bonus that it is Windows based and has true 802.11 wireless capability.

I can only wonder, if the 6700 is so much better than the treo 700p then why are you the first person I've heard this from? I don't have a treo yet but I've done my research. I've browsed through almost every major treo forum and looked at all the hot topics. I've never heard of this. All I've been hearing is that there is no wi-fi and that even though some people have problems, its the best phone out right now.

Of course thats not a good argument though, to follow the masses. Maybe the masses are just blind

[kdallen]

Originally Posted by Acer288

The staff at the New London SprintPCS office was stellar throughout my entire ordeal so I do not fault them for a single bit of what I went through with the Treo 700p device.

Quite an ordeal. I agree, it seems your local Sprint people were very helpful. I'd guess a bad lot of Treos made it to your store. Many people were caught in the same "loop" and tried a different store with positive results. Glad you're happy, though.

[FlaBat]

Interesting story.

Well I only have one Treo 700p. I got it yesterday afternoon at a Sprint Store. I did a lot of research before buying a Treo and even though I thought about the 6700 and other MultiMedia Phones I kept coming back to a Treo as the best device of its type. I also considered a 700w, but Windows being the memory hog it is vs. Palm OS I decided the 700p was the way to go.

I’m enough of a techogeek to figure things out without the manual and while I figured most of it out there is still more I need to learn. My Treo has not reset like I read about on 650’s. Nor has it failed me loading Web Pages on EvDO.

In fact my boss has a Treo 650 with Sprint and we compared web surfing. I smoked him and I loaded some graphic intensive web pages on the slow normal setting with ease. Web surfing is a breeze with Blazer, but I do miss the “Favorites” button on IE when saving web sites.

Sprint TV works fine, but some of the channels ask for more money. While some may think it a waste, I can see a busy traveler using in it airports and cabs during their travels. The only advantage the 6700 has is Windows and SlingMedia’s SlingPlayer will let you control your own TV at home from anywhere in the world. Sprint TV offers TV similar to what you see at home, but no local channels and no exact same nightly news broadcasts as the TV counterparts.

I don’t have a Bluetooth headset yet, so I don’t know if it works. I also don’t have an SD card yet, but I used a co-workers and looked at his pictures on it. I can’t get e-mail from the phone to work because I don’t know the Password needed to set it up, (Sprint Tech Support did not know it either) but everything else I’ve tried on the 700p has worked. I downloaded some Ring Tones and the game Monopoly and so far everything’s fine.

I’m sorry you had issues and find it odd that you had 3 bad units.

[Acer288]

To bigDee’s good points. I don’t particularly believe that the 6700 is better than the 700p per se. It just works for me. In fact I actually liked the feel of the Treo so much that I was insistent in trading until I got a good one. My Unit 3 from above was actually from the second shipment to the New London store and I went home with enthusiasm to test it out. To my dismay I was back 24 hours later. One failed unit is a fluke. Two is a coincidence. Three signifies a design flaw.

My interest in posting was to give people some heads up as what to expect when buying this new unit and to assist them in catching it early. Catching it early was key because it permitted the “no hassle” exchanges. Also if you are looking for good news on the 700p then do a search on this forum for “700p review” however if you are looking for peoples painful realities then search “700p problem”. There are some good ones out there. I find some twisted humor in the fact that I was subject to each of the major flaws that people are experiencing with the 700p. Of course if it was not for the great group at the PCS store, I would have found little humor at all. – Tonight when I went back into the store to return the last of the Treo accessories, I saw the three associates behind the counter hold their breaths. When I just dropped some cables on the counter and said, “I’m good” I think I actually heard some muted applause.

FlaBat – just one thing. I had trouble with the password on the Treo also…. Go to the sprint web page via the phone internet and then select “my account”. There is an email section or perhaps just a password section in which you will need to set up your “new” password. I made mine different than my account password and then I was able to access my Sprint email flawlessly. I obviously don’t have the Treo anymore to make my instructions precise. Sorry. However when I called *2 for Sprint support they gave me the same blank stare.

Here’s my two cents on the comparison of the 700p and the 6700.

Sound of Alerts and Ringers and Speaker phone
700p – Loud and functional
6700 – Quiet at best

Keypad
700p – can be operated one handed which is a plus, but buttons are small and clumsy
6700 – Nearly perfect, and nice use of plurality of each key with shift and option, but a two handed keyboard is tough in traffic or on a ladder.

Screen
I would rate them the same. If you have iffy eyesight then I would move you toward the Icons on the Treo.

Bluetooth
No comparison. The 6700 is near perfect, the 700p was sketchy (Units 2 and 3)

Feel
700p – feels like a nice brick
6700 – feels like a 1980’s Chinese toy

Case
700p – You need to buy separate ($30), but a swivel case with cover is available.
6700 – Comes with the unit free, but just a pouch with no real secure belt clip

Business software
700p – “Docs to go” was adequate
6700 – Microsoft programs were a small step up

Internet speed
Both machines are zippy fast, I will note however that the 700p that had the Bluetooth problems (Unit 1) was much much slower than the other 2.

TV
700p – Interesting, but useless to me
6700 – none, but I ripped and compressed a movie to the sd mini card and it played perfectly.. albeit quietly. See note 1.

General Functionality
Simply put. I feel that the Treo has better phone functionality with the exception of Bluetooth, but the 6700 is a true PDA with a laptop feel via the keyboard. I use the PDA functions more than the phone. However, I think that if you laid a 6700 and a Treo 700p that actually worked in front of me, I might grab for the 700p simply because it is one handed and feels like you can hammer nails with it …. heck, maybe in 2 years I’ll try out the 800p.

[kdallen]

Originally Posted by Acer288

However when I called *2 for Sprint support they gave me the same blank stare.

They conveyed a blank stare over the phone? They've got more talent than I gave them credit for.

Originally Posted by Acer288

but a two handed keyboard is tough in traffic or on a ladder.

...trying to suppress smart-*ss comments....

Originally Posted by Acer288

700p – Interesting, but useless to me
6700 – none, but I ripped and compressed a movie to the sd mini card and it played perfectly.. albeit quietly. See note 1.

I haven't tried Sprint TV on my 700p but I have played some of my movies and they look/sound great.

[FlaBat]

Day Two with my new Treo 700p brought up Error 67. While I had been able to get to the Web and Sprint TV earlier in the day, now I could not. Error 67 is a User Name / Password Error so I called Sprint to fix it.

I had called them about User / Name Password issues with VersaMail yesterday, but never heard back. When I called again today I was told that my “Ticket” had been looked at earlier in the morning, but I never got a call.

I also asked about the Sprint TV service and the extra money for certain channels/packages and was told that the “Ultimate” Package I have DOES NOT include all the Channels, but does “allow” you to buy them at extra cost. I asked “If the Access Pack is only $15.00 a month and the Ultimate is $25.00 per month and does not include all the Channels why would I use that over MobiTV which is $9.99 per month and DOES include all the Channels? MobiTV powers Sprint TV, right? That’s an uncomfortable question for them, but to me the choice is obvious and Sprint should rethink the way they present the Sprint TV package.

So back to Error 67. I was on the phone with the Tech Support Agent for 40 minutes or more (after waiting on hold at least ½ hour). He gave me a couple reset codes and even had me remove the battery, but still nothing worked. He tried making changes on his end, but they did not seem to be working either. When it was over I would have to wait 4 hours before trying to use the Web or Sprint TV on my Treo again, so I’ll wait until the morning.

It’s a great phone, but a little quirky so far.

BTW, I played the Monopoly game I downloaded for my Treo and it worked great.

[FlaBat]

Originally Posted by Acer288

FlaBat – just one thing. I had trouble with the password on the Treo also…. Go to the sprint web page via the phone internet and then select “my account”. There is an email section or perhaps just a password section in which you will need to set up your “new” password. I made mine different than my account password and then I was able to access my Sprint email flawlessly. I obviously don’t have the Treo anymore to make my instructions precise. Sorry. However when I called *2 for Sprint support they gave me the same blank stare.

No, that’s part of the problem. I can Log into My PCS Account Online (I did not do this on the Treo, I did it on a PC at work), but not get Sprint PCS E-Mail. It gives me a loop back to the Main Page when I try to set up an Account. Sprint is resetting this for me that may be why it will be 4 hours before I get back online with my Treo. I'll also get a new User Name and Paswword I think.

[FlaBat]

Day Three with my new Treo 700p brings more issues. I was told the day before to let it sit for 4 hours before attempting to hit the Web or Sprint TV again. Sprint needed time to reset something for me, I guess.

So I start the new day trying to get to the Web and get an Error 1012. I call Sprint and they say it is because there are “numbers” in the ”Restriction” field when it should be a 0. They change it and it goes away. I have a new E-Mail Address/User Name but my Sprint PCS E-Mail STILL does not work. It’s been two days and nothing has been fixed. I still cannot send E-Mail on the Treo using Sprint PCS E-Mail.

The phone works fine most of the day but Error 67 comes back. I reset it using the codes I was given the day before and it still does not work. I call Sprint and the Tech Support person is not happy I used the codes. He warns me Sprint may use it against me for knowing the codes should I have more problems with the phones. Then he has me put in the SAME codes again. After a few minutes Web and Sprint TV are back.

I had to call Sprint Tech Support twice today, blowing a good two hours out of the workday. I’m starting to wonder if Verizon Treo 700 owners have the same problems.

[FlaBat]

Day Four with the new Treo and there are some successes! I still cannot use Sprint PCS E-Mail (3 days and NO call back from Sprint Tech Support about the ticket they have open on me), but I get half of Bellsouth to work. I can GET messages, I just can’t SEND them from the Treo. I get an Error 502 Command is locally disabled message. When I try to Send or Reply to messages. After two days of Tech Support calls I think I’ll wait until Monday to call again.

I was able to send myself an Excel Spreadsheet so I could try out Documents To Go and most of it got to the Treo OK. It cut off after line 1949 (there are 2103 lines) but I get most of what I want and I’ll be tweaking a bit in the coming weeks to get more. I had tried to send it to the Treo’s RAM using the software that came with it. The software says “drag and drop” but it did not work with me. I could get it to send to an SD Card, but I don’t have one yet.

I also sent myself a long URL link and was able to save it as a Blazer “favorites” and now I can see local Real Time Radar on my Treo 700p. Sending myself the URL link may be the easiest way to populate the blank Blazer preset buttons on the Treo.

I’m getting happier, but still not in Treo Nirvana yet.