My new Palm Treo 700p

After being on a waiting list for several weeks, I took delivery of my new Palm Treo 700p Thursday. This is not a review, but instead are a few thoughts about this pretty nifty little device.

Why the 700p vs. the 700w (Windows version)? The ease-of-use with the PalmOS is significantly easier to use than the Windows Mobile version. One click to get email with the “p” vs. five on the “w” model is the difference between having the device be an accessory vs. a gadget requiring LOTS of effort to use.

I was initially agitated that the Verizon VZAccess was not available for the Mac. Arghh! was my initial reaction and knew that I’d be forced to boot up my PC to configure the device…though I use my PowerMac as my main machine and all my contacts, calendar and other stuff is on that box…and my Powerbook was the device that I wanted to be able to connect to the 700p and use it as a modem to access the Verizon superfast EVDO network (Note: isn’t it disappointing that Verizon is all too happy to sell someone $15 access to the network via the Treo, yet have zero support for the Mac?).

What ended up happening with getting access from my Powerbook was so laughingly simple that I didn’t bother thinking about whether I’d have to wait for VZAccess (and rumors on the ‘net indicate it probably will never come out anyway). Here’s what I did:

a) Turned on Bluetooth on both the Treo and my Powerbook
b) Fired up Bluetooth Setup Assistant on the Powerbook and followed the instructions to discover my Treo
c) After handshaking and setup, I opened the app “Internet Connect”; selected “Bluetooth” and typed in:

– Telephone Number: *777
– Account Name: my_mobile_#@vzw3g.com
– Password: my_mobile_account_password

I was connected. Then yesterday I was leaving a client’s session and needed to send a long email. After pulling into a parking lot, I connected up and achieved 521kbps downstream and 192kbps upstream! Yeah…it’s not good for huge downloading/uploading, but I was *very* impressed and pleased with the speed.

Bluetooth is apparently slower than a USB-cabled connection so I may try the latter as well. No more dismay when I’m in a coffee shop without free Wifi or using a provider other than mine. Same thing when sitting in an airport knowing that I’d have to pay $10 for the tiny amount of time I’d happen to need while waiting for a flight.

Oh yeah. The Treo is fun though there are lots of little gotchas that need improving. That said, it is still THE most capable device of its type and I’m enjoying this smartphone.