Jamie Lendino's review of the Sprint Treo Pro was posted on the PC Magazine webiste on Wednesday. While remarking that it is "a solid, responsive handset for business customers who need Windows Mobile compatibility," and giving it a "Good" rating (3.5 out of 5 stars), he definitely called out the fact that its lateness was not a good thing.
"Timing is everything. And Palm can't get it right," is how his review opened.
He followed that with this complement:
"Sprint's version of the Treo Pro is one of the better Windows Mobile options out there-mostly because Palm hasn't tried to turn it into an iPhone with ineffective finger-friendly overlays that drag down performance."
Other highlights include:
"You'll need the built-in stylus most of the time, but at least the display is bright and clear."
"The small keys on the Centro-like rubber keypad feel cramped, but typing on the device is blissfully quiet and surprisingly accurate."
While he seemed to enjoy voice quality, he had issues with reception. He was definitely disappointed with the performance of Internet Explorer Mobile 6.
Circling back to the timing thing, he noted:
"The Treo Pro for Sprint would have made more sense had it come out at the same time as the unlocked model. That GSM version, while quite good, appealed only to enterprise-level shoppers with AT&T and T-Mobile SIM cards because of its high up-front cost. Sprint's version brings those benefits to a much lower price point, and adds a welcome speed bump and more third-party software."
Timing is Everything
Hopefully, The Sprint Treo Pro will be the last Palm product that's late getting out the door. Maybe, just maybe, the Pre, true to its name, will actually show up before it is expected. Wouldn't that be grand?
