Many of us are anxiously awaiting our orders of the Palm Treo Pro to ship out. I think my Treo 750 is a great device, but I can't wait to get the Treo Pro. The sleek and thin design really looks great compared to the more "brickish" 750. I might miss that soft-touch paint, but we'll see. I ordered my Treo Pro on the 11th, so I reckon I've got about 2 more weeks to wait.

While we're waiting for those Treo Pros to ship out, we can still read the reviews out there and read what our own TreoCentral forum members are saying about the device. If you haven't read Dieter's extensive Treo Pro review, be sure to check it out.

There was a thread in the forums started recently in which forum member Bronxboy, who says that he doesn't see the appeal of the Treo Pro, asked, "Why get a Treo Pro?". Bronxboy, like me, prefers the Palm OS. While I do prefer the Palm OS, I do appreciate the WM Treos too with their multi-tasking capabilities. Anyway, the question "Why get a Treo Pro?" has gotten some interesting responses.

Many forum members replied that the main appeal is the Treo form factor with the front facing QWERTY keyboard. Forum member CrunchDude says:

Form factor, one-handed device, WiFi, GPS, up to 32GB microSD space, Windows Mobile 6.1, 1500maH battery, 320x320 resolution, full QWERTY keyboard, no carrier lock, Bluetooth EDR...oh man, my hand is getting tired...

Forum member The Phone Diva says:

I like the Touch Pro too(that's the Touch Diamond design with a physical keyboard, right?), but the Treo Pro is actually the first Treo to get me interested in Palm again. The form factor is great for text and email, and the new design is quite attractive for a Treo. They finally caught up, LOL! Decisions, decisions. My 8525 is looking so old now.

Someone mentioned the Treo form factor being dated and that resulted in many posts of people debating whether or not the Treo design is actually dated. Regarding the Treo form factor being dated, forum member gadgetluva states:

I still disagree with you on your point that the Treo form factor is dated. How can a useful, powerful, efficient design in of itself be dated? The implementation of said design CAN be, but not the design itself. I can probably do twice as many tasks in the time it takes me to do them on touchscreen only devices. And this isn't just related to typing - shortcuts (think about the Treo Pro - 10 assignable hardware buttons AND the 7 allowable shortcuts on the start menu) means launching up to SEVENTEEN (17!!!) programs pressing no more than 2 buttons. Dialing a contact that is a favorite is as easy as pressing and holding 1 or 2 buttons. Dialing a contact that ISN'T a favorite is as easy as typing in 3-4 letters as well. Granted, the square screen is less than ideal for videos, but not everybody uses their phone for video (and for those that do, the Treo is a VERY poor choice). I think the reason why we all love this Treo design is because of how efficient it is, how easy it is to use one-handed (nevermind other devices that CAN be used one-handed, the Treo is DESIGNED to be EASILY used one-handed). Dated design? I think that the slab form factor (remember the imate Jam?) is a more dated design.

As I said, this is an interesting thread. Be sure to go read the full thread as there are plenty of great responses there.

Another Treo Pro thread caught my eye recently. Marianne, one of our TreoCentral forum members, now has a new Treo Pro and has shared some details with other forum members. The first thing that Marianne shared about her new device was:

I'm still playing with it, but I really really like what I've seen so far. The exterior is really slick and it's very fast. I like that you can close an application by pressing and holding the x-button. I miss the smiley symbols in text messages...

The new buttons are very good!

Further into the thread, Marianne also says:

I really liked the eggshaped keys on my 750 and 650 and the way the keys were curved. This keyboard is different with flat keys and straight rows but it takes no time to get used to. I also like the "feel" of the keys when you press them. And the new buttons for calendar, messages etc are great. You just have to hit "the general area" where they are, not "bulls eye". The new 5-way is also much better with the center button being much larger and flat and it looks much nicer - more like an elaborate logo than a 5-way.

The screen is clearer and crisper - at least to me. I've compared some views with the 750 and the Pro side by side.

And obviously the camera is so much better!

Once our members read that Marianne had gotten a Treo Pro, the questions began to pour in. People wanted to know about the memory on the Treo Pro. Marianne said that she didn't check the memory out of the box, but at the time of her posting, with no programs running, the device showed:

Storage

• Total: 105,55 MB
• In use: 49,46 MB
• Free: 56,09 MB

Program

• Total: 101,18 MB
• In use: 35,59 MB
• Free: 65,59 MB

Forum member berdinkerdickle asked how the reception of the Treo Pro compares to other phones that Marianne has owned. Marianne replied:

Very good - full blast so far, but you have to keep in mind that I'm on a 3G only network in central Stockholm. I'm visiting my parents in the countryside 300 km west of Stockholm today, and that'll be the real test. You drive through vasts forests and hilly terrain. And lot's of elks but I doubt they'll affect the reception.

Dieter laments in the thread that he has returned his Treo Pro review unit and is already missing it. I bet it was hard for him to pack up that sexy device and ship it back to Palm. I hope you get your own Treo Pro soon Dieter! Thanks for your great review on the device! By the way, that sweet pic above of the Treo Pro's keyboard is one of Dieter's from his review.

There's lots more to read over there, so go and check it out.

---