When Research In Motion made the announcement this week about their plans for making a version of their software (BlackBerry Application Suite) available for Windows Mobile devices, that silly Dr. Pepper jingle popped into my head:

“I'm a Pepper. He's a pepper. She's a pepper. We're a pepper. Wouldn't you like to be a Pepper too?”

Now substitute the word BlackBerry for Pepper. You get the picture.

To me, the funniest thing is the timing of this announcement – Right after last week’s widespread BlackBerry outage greatly inconvenienced countless users of the popular wireless e-mail service.

Being a Treo – with its tens of thousands proven applications and accessories – is just fine for me.

So without further ado, Let’s Talk Treo!

Palm News

International Tour Company Deploys More Than 200 Treos

Globus, a worldwide leader in escorted travel, has deployed Treos to its workforce throughout Europe, the United States and Canada, enabling tour directors to manage daily transactions quickly and effectively. Using more than 200 Treo smartphones -- including the new Treo 680 -- as a wireless solution, Globus tour directors gain on-the-spot transmission and credit card transaction approval, access to the company's financial system, and connectivity to centralized information that improves daily business operations.

Lehman Upgrades Palm On Rapid Market Growth, Steadying Competition.

Last Friday, Lehman’s Jeff Kvaal raised his rating on Palm (PALM) to Equal Weight from Underweight, citing “rapid market growth, a steadying competitive landscape and modest valuation.” Kvaal noted that Treo sell through grew 30% in 2006 and he believes new, thinner Treos are likely in 2007.

Another Barron’s post (“Palm: Throwing The Hail Mary”) by Eric Savitz states:

“…sometime next month, according to RBC Captial’s Mike Abramsky, Palm will unveil some new products in a “hail Mary” play to recover lost market share in the smartphone sector from Research in Motion and others. He thinks the stock is worth owning for the next few weeks heading into the announcements, and could move into the low 20s.”

Potential Hawkins Sighting in Carlsbad?

Gizmodo has pointed out Jeff Hawkins is scheduled to appear at the D: All Things Digital conference that’s taking place May 29 to 31, at the Four Seasons Resort Aviara in Carlsbad, California. He isn’t considered a headliner. The conference is touting the participation of the Steves (Jobs, Ballmer and Case). But those of us in the world of Treo know that just like the old E.F. Hutton ad when Jeff talks, people listen.

Breaking Out of Corporate: BlackBerry and Treo Consumer Pursuit

Bloomberg News ran a story about how the best-selling so-called smart phones in the U.S. (Research In Motion's BlackBerry and Palm's Treo) are shedding their corporate colors and adding multimedia features, to pursue consumers. "We've seen a huge run-up of sales to consumers,” said Michael Woodward, a director in charge of advanced phones at San Antonio-based AT&T Inc., which started selling crimson Treos and ruby BlackBerrys this month.

No doubt this aggressive push has a lot to do with the competitive threat posed by Apple’s soon-to-be released iPhone.

Palm Blog Highlights:

Here’s a clip of what Palm’s Director of Wireless Solutions, Joe Fabris had to say about using a Windows Mobile Treo vs. the Palm OS Treo:

“- Palm OS (Treo 650, 680, 700p) - I love the application buttons. I love pushing the email button and getting my email. Push the Calendar and see the calendar. I use the Secondary (option/button) to get even more functions - web, text, camera...whatever I program.

-Windows Mobile (Treo 700w/wx, 750) - Multitasking is great. I can start a download of an audio book from Audible and then switch back to email and continue working while the book downloads. Or type in a URL like www.dyestatcal.com (daughter's track results) in the browser and while it brings down all the fancy pictures, I switch back to Google Maps or a text message, then switch back a minute later and the page is all there ready to be read.

“…When I'm on the PalmOS, I'd really like to multitask, and when I'm on WinMo, I'd really like the direct control of the application buttons.

Taking Over the World…

Palm issued another global expansion press release this week.

Treo 680 in Nicaragua

Last week, Honduras. This week Palm and Claro announced the availability of the Treo 680 in Nicaragua. Claro is a subsidiary company of America Movil Group, the leader wireless telecommunications company in Latin America and the fifth one worldwide. It has more than 110 million mobile users and enforces its presence across the continent with Claro in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua.

Recent TreoCentral Guides, Reviews & More

Review: Agendus V.11 for PalmOS - By Harv Laser

Harv checked out Agendus, a personal information management program that he referred to as “the PIM for the rest of us.”

“Overall, Agendus V.11 Premier and Professional are excellent programs that I have found to be useful in my daily life, even without having to plan for dozens of trips and business meetings. There is a learning curve here, and there are parts of this immensely powerful software that you may never use, or not initially see any need for.. stick with it as its power will reveal itself to you the more you use it. Just keeping tabs on my daily routing, scheduling Doctors appointments, making shopping lists, keeping track of my daily work and making sure I never forget to do something by offering customizable alarms is reason enough to pick up this amazing utility. From its humble beginnings in the Newton days to its current incarnation, iambic just keeps improving their software. Agendus V.11 is the best yet. Bravo iambic.”

Review: Agendus Mail v5 for PalmOS- By Harv Laser

Harv also looked at iambic’s email client, Agendus Mail. He writes:

“Agendus Mail is one of the most flexible and innovative e-mail clients for PalmOS. It’s a breeze to set up and use multiple accounts without getting confused or bewildered by all the messages in your inbox, and it’s a snap to send and receive mail from a wide variety of servers. There are only a few limitations of the interface, mostly due to the size of the Treo’s screen, but they are a cinch to overcome with all the different viewing options iambic has crammed into it. Overall, Agendus Mail packs a ton of features in a small application with an even smaller price tag.”

Review: Showmate for Treo 750, 700w|wx - By Jay Gross

Jay put Impatica’s ShowMate, a small, lightweight hardware accessory to project PowerPoint presentations wirelessly from a handheld device, to the test. He writes:

“Computers took over presentations from Overhead Projectors. With those, you not only had to hover over the contraption, but also develop an equatorial tolerance for heat. Computer display projectors get just as hot or worse, but you don’t have to stay close to them. Ah, progress. Impatica’s Showmate represents even more progress, as it frees you from hiding behind the computer screen, or even lugging your laptop around. If your PowerPoint presentations are simpler than mine, you’ll be ecstatic with it.”

Review: Mobi Products Metal Case for Treo 750 - By Douglas Morse

Does the Mobi Products Metal Case provide needed protection for your Treo without hampering functionality? Read what Douglas has to say in this review.

Clue: Saguaro Sneak Peek Ends April 27 - By Jennifer Chappell

“At the heart of Saguaro® is a true multitasking kernel that allows multiple Saguaro-compatible applications to run simultaneously. The kernel eliminates Palm OS limitations in the process, providing the most solid base upon which to build mobile software without breaking compatibility with your existing Palm OS applications.”

On their sneak peek web page, PDA Performance writes, “But hurry - availability ends April 27th.”

If you don’t have the time to sneak peek it yourself, you might want to see what one of the 1SRC members had to say. Jimmie at Gadgets on the Go wrote about it too.

Elsewhere in the World of Treo…

Review: Treo 680 by MobileBurn

“I love the Treo 680's keyboard, it is the best I have used in some time, and the Treo form factor really is great. The lack of 3G data and WiFi does disappoint me, but this is an entry-level smartphone, so I can't judge it purely on that. As an entry-level smartphone, the Treo 680 delivers all the PIM functions required. Looking at it from the point of view of someone purchasing their first smartphone, which is the kind of market the 680 is targeted at, I think the Palm OS still lets it down. Things like hidden menus and the lack of soft keys hurt usability for someone stepping up from a non-smartphone, and for this, I am only awarding the Treo 680 a rating of Recommended, instead of the Highly Recommended I had been leaning toward. Should the user spend the time learning the nuances of the Palm OS, they will be happy with the Palm Treo 680 - at least until they are ready to step up to something with more power on the connectivity front.”

Review: Treo Fashion Case by Prima for Nicole Miller

Prima recently introduced a new range of Treo fashion cases designed specifically for women under the Nicole Miller brand. There are currently four models available. Andrew over at Treonauts provided his thoughts:

“There’s no doubt that I’ve found all these Nicole Miller fashion cases to be well built, fun, elegant and also very good value. I can see how they would make an ideal gift and also how they will undoubtedly now better meet a woman’s Treo fashion criteria.”

Review: Proporta Lateral Case for Treo 700

Alli Flowers at MyTreo.net checked out the executive style, Lateral Case by Proporta.

“The aluminum plate inside the leather front flap helps protect the device. Unlike some other flip style cases that I've tried, this folds all the way behind your Treo so that when you're holding it to your ear you're not slapped in the head. I believe it's a superb design.”

Review: Seidio Extended Battery for Treo 700wx

The pdaBlast staff thinks the Seidio 2400mAh Extended Battery for the Treo 650, 700p, 700w, and 700wx is a must have.

“Don't sweat the weight or the price. The weight is not noticeable, and at $39.95 this battery is a "must have" for any Treo owner. I was so impressed with my battery that I bought one for my brother and my girlfriend and they love it! It is the best accessory for the Treo that you can buy, and it definitely gets the pdaBlast! Top Pick Award.”

Review: Palm Battery Charger

Here’s another take on Palm’s convenient battery charger.

“Those who carry the newer Treos (680 and 750) ought to seriously consider the Treo Battery Charger that retails for $19.99. After all, you can never quite tell when you’ll need the extra power on your travels. This is where the age old adage, “Better safe than sorry” comes into play.”

Review: SlingPlayer

“We think Slingplayer makes an attractive alternative to mobile TV options, and not just as a stopgap measure while we wait for mobile TV coverage in our area. Though video quality was a little better on the mobile TV devices, we think the Slingbox and Slingplayer have several advantages that mobile TV won't be able to match any time soon. First, you get to pick what you record and watch. Second, you can fast forward through commercials, if you have your Slingbox connected to a TiVo. Third, your content is limited only by your cable or satellite package. And, we only tested the Slingbox with a TiVo. It can also control other devices, so you could load a few DVDs into a multi-disc player and have movie options on the road as well. Finally, with upcoming support for digital media devices like the Apple TV, we're loath to send back our review unit, and might find ourselves purchasing one of these devices in the near future.”

In case you missed it, TreoCentral’s Harv Laser reviewed SlingPlayer Mobile for Palm OS last month.

Review: Spb Phone Suite

Brandon Steili at Just Another Mobile Monday (JAMM) tried out the Spb Phone Suite -- a collection of all phone features (profiles, call filtering, missed call notifications, reject and reply with SMS, etc.) for the Treo 700w|wx and other Windows Mobile devices.

“This program rocks!! For being a first time (version 1) offering from Spb you can really tell the beta testers worked their butts off to make it a solid app right out of the gates. There’s a few more options hidden in the program that I haven’t touched on - things like drop call with sms response - that continue to add even more value to this app, so I highly recommend if you own a PPC based (WM5 or WM6) phone you head on over to Spb Software House and give this new app a try.”

News: Skinner Released

Per a story at PalmInfoCenter, a new version of Skinner by 79bmedia GmbH, has just been released. Optimized for the Treo 680, this program allows you to customize your Treo phone application and numeric dialing pad with an assortment of skins.

News: Mobile Portal Launched

Last week, XOMOBO launched what they claim is “the world’s first mobile portal dedicated to Smartphone content and applications.” www.XOmobo.mobi will offer users of Windows Mobile devices browse-and-buy access to a huge range of business and entertainment content direct from their mobile handset. Initially launching with content and applications designed for Windows Mobile devices (both Pocket PC and Smartphone editions), XOmobo will be launching content for Symbian, Palm and Blackberry in the coming months.

Game Review: The Seven Seas

Kris Keilhack at PalmInfocenter played around with Seven Seas by Astraware. In brief, it is a pirate-themed version of Battleship with “some real-time, cannon blastin’ action elements (think Rampart) and chess (think Rook’s Revenge) strategy thrown in for good measure.” He writes:

“Seven Seas is just a fun little game in every aspect. I found it a nice mixture between action and strategy. It’s colorful, cartoony graphics and appropriately pirate-themed audio is a great addition to the game. I just hope Astraware can crank out a new version of this title in the near future to support the reshuffled hardware buttons of the recent Treo devices. For owners of older Palm devices, this is a fine title that has stood the test of time and is easily worth the sub-$10 purchase price.”

Game News: Worms 2007 for Windows Mobile

CoolSmartPhone reports that there’s a new version of Worms on the way for Windows Mobile devices. THQ Wireless Inc., a subsidiary of THQ Inc. announced an agreement with Team17 Software Ltd. to publish Worms® 2007 for mobile handsets worldwide. Retaining all the familiar award-winning gameplay and unique sense of humor that has epitomized the brand for more than a decade, Worms 2007 will showcase a whole raft of new gameplay features including new loopy weapons to add to the previous game’s arsenal.

"The addictive style of Worms gameplay has proven to be ideal for the mobile environment,” said Adam Comiskey, Vice President of International, THQ Wireless. “This new version of the classic game will please existing fans of the series, as well as newcomers to the world of Worms."

News: JetBlue Ponders In-Flight Texting

This week, the Financial Times reported JetBlue is examining the potential for in-flight text messaging.

“David Neeleman, JetBlue founder and chief executive, shares the misgivings of many US airline executives about the on-board use of mobile phones for voice calls, but said text communications could prove attractive.”

Endnotes & Ponderables:

Grabbing a Headline in a High-Circ NYC Daily – Priceless

I’ll admit I did a double-take when I saw the headline:

BUSY NEW YORKERS TALK TREO By HANNAH SELIGSON

Then I read the article. It was entirely about BlackBerry Users. Too funny! Palm has to be pretty happy about the exposure. The NY Post has an average paid circulation of 704,011 for Monday to Friday. Nice!

Here’s one more for the road. CNET reported the Consumer Electronics Association, a trade group representing electronics companies, just released a study saying “the average American adult spends $1,200 on electronic gizmos each year.” And apparently, that translates into the average U.S. household having about 25 consumer electronics products each.

Wow! I guess if you are so inclined, you can be a BlackBerry, an iPhone and a Treo too! Actually, it appears that many have put their money into non-cellular devices like digital video recorders, network routers, MP3 players and cable modems.

That’s a wrap!

---