Dinner with mobile device guys and Treo 650 almost here

I went out for a very nice dinner on Friday evening with my daughter, Danika, to meet with Kevin from TalonPR, John from SplashData, Roger from Mobile Data Force, and Todd from Smart Box Design. I had the outstanding bacon-wrapped monkfish from the Flying Fish restaurant in downtown Seattle. SplashData just released the new version of SplashMoney that allows you to wirelessly download data from your bank account and I am going to give it a try soon. I love their new SplashBlog application and service and am using it more and more now with my palmsolo's Treo Snapshots blog. There are some great plans for future functionality in SplashBlog, including support for Windows Mobile and Symbian devices.

Smart Box Design makes some great games and has plans for some great future ones that look like loads of fun. I was able to see one that I can't say anymore about at this time;)

My Treo 650 is out for delivery from FedEx and I can't wait to get it loaded up with my apps and start using it as my primary device. I was able to get the review 650 into a constant soft reset loop when I tried loading 10 new applications on Friday. I then went one-by-one and it appears there may be an issue with Adobe Reader for Palm on the 650. The GSM unlocked review model has still been very stable and I really think the carrier added stuff may be messing with other people's devices who are complaining of problems.

Treo 650 ordered and Treo 600 sold

Well I ordered my GSM Treo 650 on the palmOne site and was able to get free express shipping and no tax here in WA. My confirmation email said it may not arrive for 1-2 weeks though due to demand, but I have been reading on TreoCentral that this is a standard email for when they were first selling them and lately people have been getting them the next day or two so hopefully it arrives next week. I still have access to this review sample for two weeks so I am going to test it out fully first so I can make sure mine is rocking.

My PDA addiction buddy, Ted, just emailed me (and I received it instantly on the Treo with Chatter) and is going to buy the Treo 600 from me. My wife is happy with her Motorola MPx220 and she really needs a flip phone because of the way she throws them around in her purse so I am letting the 600 go to a good home where I know it will be used well. This will help offset the high cost of the GSM Treo 650 and also allow me to buy a sync/charge cable and some other stuff like a license to Chatter!

Needless to say, my Tungsten T3 is not getting much use nowadays. I won't let it go though since it is only worth about $175 and it is a very nice PDA that I can pass down to my daughters and also use for testing applications out.

Fossil Palm Powered Wrist PDA review is live

My full review of the Fossil Wrist PDA that is a Palm Powered device, with over 30 shots, is now live and can be viewed here. It really is a quality piece of hardware and just a bit too old of technology (mono screen and OS 4.1) for myself.

Ordering my own Treo 650 today

The Treo 650 arrived yesterday and I spent about 3 hours playing with it last night. I have read a lot about resets and other issues, but so far it has been performing flawlessly. Here are my initial impressions on the improvements over the 600; better display obviously, larger keys arranged in a more comfortable arcing pattern, much brighter keyboard backlight, seems a bit snappier, phone calls sound a bit clearer, Bluetooth rocks with the 3 headsets I tried so far, reception seems better (I actually received a good signal in my house to surf and I never usually do), the camera is a thousand times better (check out my SplashBlog photo blog to see some differences) and shots appear much clearer on the device, and I like the new hardware buttons and placement. The 650 is also slightly less wide than the 600 which just improves the feel in your hand.

I am placing my order for a Treo 650 today on the palmOne site and my new GSM unlocked Treo 600 may now be going up for sale. However, my wife said she really liked the Treo 600 and it would be a very nice phone to have as a backup since I did get it for $300 and it is new. If anyone is interested in buying it for around $275, just email me at palmsoloATgeekDOTcom to discuss. It is a new replacement from palmOne and is still in perfect condition since I have only had it a week.

Treo 650 on FedEx truck for delivery

The 2-week palmOne review Treo 650 unit is now out for delivery so it should arrive at my house sometime today. I am still really loving the Treo 600 and Chatter!

I have read some comments and received some feedback on the quality issues with the Treo devices and that concerns me a bit. I have noticed that calls are not as clear as they are on my PDA2K, but so far the signal reception is a bit better. I'll keep playing with the Treo and keep you up to date on how things are going.

Chatter provides Push email on Treo devices and ROCKS!!!

Oh no, it looks like I may have to shell out the additional cash for the Treo 650 soon. Peter is laughing at my current situation because I usually get all worked up over a device and then calm down after a couple weeks. However, the Treo device is getting better all the time and I am REALLY loving the navigation with the directional pad.

One application that I just discovered on the TreoCentral forums that may just make the Treo a KILLER device for me is Chatter Email. This amazing program gives me INSTANT push email functionality via my Mailblocks IMAP account for only a $32 one time cost. Emails are arriving on my Treo 600 as fast as they arrive in my Inbox via the web interface and it is blowing me away! I love using IMAP since it allows me to manage my email on multiple devices without losing any emails in the process like I used to do all the time with POP access. I plan on reviewing this program, but have to say no other email program I have tried (SnapperMail, VersaMail, Agendus Mail) can touch this functionality. Those other programs can be set to check your email on a timed schedule, but how many times does it do all this and there is no new email while wasting battery life? With the unlimited T-Mobile data plan, my IMAP email account, and Chatter Email I am set and I can now see why BlackBerry owners like the push email functionality. I have spent many hours over the years prompting my email program to check email only to find there is none to worry about.

Analyzing PDA usage, will the Treo be the ONE?

I recently began to monitor and track what primary applications I use on my mobile devices and where I spend all my time on them. It turns out that email, RSS reading, Handmark Express, and web browsing consume about 80% of my mobile device use with games, PIM, ebook and Bible reading taking up most of the rest of the time. When I travel I do write reviews on my devices, but I don't spend a lot of time writing when I have a desktop available to do it. So it turns out I really do not use that many 3rd party programs on a regular basis and have most of them loaded because they are left over from reviews or I use them once a week, every two weeks, etc. and they are handy to have loaded. The reason for me looking at my use was to see what device really can meet my needs and not just my geeky desires. I really think the Treo may be my new killer device and am a bit disappointed I never gave it a shot before.

I still do like my Axim X50v and other devices, but I don't spend much time watching movies, listening to tunes, etc. on my devices so these are mainly for fun and geeking out rather than required for daily use. palmOne has done a MUCH better job integrating the keyboard into the OS and having to pull the stylus out on the PDA2K takes away from its usefulness a bit.

Will my Treo infatuation last? Stay tuned to this blog to find out ;)

Using the Treo 600 this weekend

Now after using other devices with thumb keyboards and Smartphone capabilities, I have to admit I am quite impressed with the Treo 600. One of the most impressive features is the way you can control everything from the directional pad and keyboard, unlike the PDA2K where there are times when you have no option other than the stylus. It is also quite refreshing to zip between apps and have no lag time or pausing.

One of the coolest things I did was to download and install SplashBlog and Handmark Express right over the T-Mobile data network while we were furniture shopping this weekend. It is nice to be able to install .PRC files so easily on Palm Powered devices. I then took a couple photos and posted them to my SplashBlog account too. I can't wait to check out the Treo 650 when it arrives and compare it to the 600. It may be tough to fork out another $300 for the 650, but Bluetooth and higher resolution may win out in the end.

Treo 600 arrived

My NEW Treo 600 arrived and instead of being locked to Cingular like the seller thought it would be, it is a palmOne SIM unlocked model. This was a replacement for his that had bas pixels and I Brand New!

So far the most impeessive thing about it is how well palmOne integrated trhe navigational pad and keyboard into operating the device. I can use it without even having to use the stylus and this is what I want from a device with a keyboard. Windows Mobile does not do this very well and you must use the stylus to activate many menus and toolbars and perform actions. So far I am liking this 600 and can't wait to try the 650 side-by-side.

Gmail invites galore

I do not use my Gmail account much, but am starting to use it for some mailing lists I am on and I found I have 50 invites available. If you want a Gmail invite to sign up for you free 1000 MB account then email me at palmsoloATgmailDOTcom.

Received the Suunto n6HR SPOT watch

As you may know I am a HUGE SPOT/MSN Direct watch fan and have been wearing my Swatch CES Commemorative one since CES in January. I met with the SPOT team at CES and was shown the new Suunto model, which they just sent me yesterday. I thought my Abacus Brown and Swatch CES models were awesome, but this one blows them away. It is extremely lightweight, has a very comfortable band (made even more so because the antenna is around the watch face and not in the band), has a cool green backlight, and is waterproof to 100m.

One reason I wanted this watch now to review was that I am starting up my physical exercise progam again to get ready for a trip to Hawaii and for summer 7s rugby. This model SPOT watch comes with what looks like a very cool accessory, a heart rate monitor. You strap it around you when you workout and it wirelessly communicates your heart rate to the watch. It also creates logs of your heart rate that you can then upload to your desktop computer. Suunto includes some full featured training plan desktop software that works with the monitor to help you plan and optimize your workouts. I used to keep a written log of my jogging routes and times and now my watch can do it all for me automatically.

I can't wait to get started this weekend and will keep you updated on aspects of the watch.

GSM Treo 600 and 650 on the way

I won some software recently and it sold for a decent price on ebay so I used the sell to pay for a new GSM Treo 600 from a TreoCentral member. Since I have never owned a Palm Smartphone I didn't want to pay over $600 for the Treo 650. palmOne has agreed to send me a GSM unlocked Treo 650 to review for Geek.com for two weeks and offers a $100 discount to press members so if I really love it then I may sell the Treo 600 and get the 650. It will be nice to have both side-by-side for two weeks since that will give me a good chance to compare them in all respects.

i-mate JAM review posted on Geek.com

Check out my review of the i-mate JAM and feel free to leave comments on it. I can't wait for the next version running WM2005!

Fossil Wrist PDA initial thoughts

I recently recieved a sample of the new Fossil Wrist PDA running Palm OS 4.1 to review for Geek.com. The watch is about the same size as my SPOT watches, but the face is quite heavy. The stylus is rather cool and it does well running most applications I have tried so far, including the Tide application, AvantGo, Documents to Go, and some games. The backlight is a cool Indiglo blue which looks great in dark environments, but not so well in partially lit environments. Battery life is horrible when using the PDA functions and only gives you a couple of hours of use. As a watch without any PDA use I have seen over 4 days of battery life, but why would you want to use it just as a watch when you pay $199 to $249 for it and it takes up some serious wrist real estate. The 8MB RAM and processor are great specs and I also like the standard mini USB connector, but this is really just a geeky item that I cannot see the general public picking up for use. If the battery would last at least 8 hours for PDA use then it would be a better product. My latest generation SPOT watches are lasting me about 8-10 days with regular checking and reading of the channels and I am very pleased with them though.

PDA2K finally up and running smooth, ParkerVision router

I sent the JAM off on its way to a new home last week and spent this weekend hard resetting and reloading my PDA2K. I like using the Actin Engine Brand-n-Go service, but it just would not run on my PDA2K and I thought it must have been some kind of software conflict. I started reloading my device with just the apps I used regularly, beginning with Brand-n-Go. It worked fine and then I started loading everything else up. I had 90% of the apps loaded and then did a backup using Sprite Backup. After a successful backup, I continued loading up the device. After it was done, I soft reset it and then saw nothing but the blue i-mate screen. I had to do a hard reset and recover to my last backup. I then loaded the software up again. I ended up doing this same thing 3 more times and was getting pretty frustrated. At one point, I stopped the installation of the ClearVue Suite and my new PNY 1GB SD card was corrupted. Luckily, I had made a backup on my desktop of my SD card before going through all this so I was able to reformat the card and get it loaded with most everything I had before.

I finally was able to get the PDA2K loaded up and running how I wanted it to and left off the ClearVue Suite since it may have been the software causing me some problems. I really don't need it anyway since I do not do much attachment viewing on my device and I have TextMaker and PlanMaker loaded up to cover me.

I also installed the new ParkerVision SignalMAX router into my home network and replaced my aging SMC Barricade router. I tested the D-Link SuperG router before, but it had less range than my trusty SMC Barricade so I gave it to a friend to use. The ParkerVision model is 802.11b, which is fine for me since I use my wireless network with mobile devices and fast transfer speed is not important to me. Range is what I want and after some preliminary testing it looks like the ParkerVision router may have earned a permanent place in my system. I have to test out the security features too, but I am already getting much better range than with any other router I have tried.

Does the MPx even have a chance?

I was pretty excited last year when details of the Motorola MPx emerged and there is a guy at work who has actually been waiting several months for the device. However, when I saw it at Mobius in December and saw it was only coming with 32MB of RAM I knew it was doomed. The JAM has 64MB and even then that is the minimum you can have for a Phone Edition device and still adequately run multiple applications. The MPx still isn't readily available and then T-Mobile put the nail in the coffin with the MDAIV announcement. By the time the MPx comes out, Windows Mobile 2005 will be out and the device won't stand a chance in the market. It could have been a cool device if they would just have gotten the specs right and released it before the holiday season last year.

JAM now sold

I am in the process of finalizing the sale of the JAM device. This was a tough decision since it is such a nice Phone Edition device, but I am going to make the sale and then be patient and wait for the WM2005 version of the JAM with more RAM. The MDAIV that was announced last week looks interesting, but the lack of any hardware buttons on the face to even answer the call concern me. However, this was probably still an early prototype photo so I am not going to make any judgements until I see what is released.

My JAM review will be up on Monday or Tuesday at Geek.com and I hope you enjoy it. Joel said he wanted to go buy a JAM after reading my review. I have too much invested, cases, cables, etc. in the PDA2K and I love the integrated keyboard so I am actually exhibiting some constraint with the JAM.

I was thinking about now buying the Treo 650, but the low memory concerns me and it really seems more for phone/voice centric people rather than data-centric like me and the PDA2K is the best full featured device out there right now.

Wow, now that was easy

It seems that RegisterFly (my domain registrar) and Lunarpages play well together since it looks like everything transferred over to their server without any issues. I now have to explore new ways to improve my blog now that I have more space and flexibility.

GPS sold

Sorry folks, Peter called me up as soon as my post went live and bought the BT GPS. The headset is still available and I am entertaining offers on the JAM, but it is probably going to stay with me;)

Blog may be down for a couple days

I finally decided to put this humble blog on a dedicated server so I signed up for a year with Lunarpages. They were ranked quite high by a number of reviews and were SUPER fast to respond to my questions. I will still be sticking with Blogger for now, but may try out some of the other blogging tools as well. I would like to add a few photos to my blog and improve the layout a bit with links to my favorite sites, etc. so I can use my blog site as my browser's home page as well.

If you have the Blarg.net address saved the new www.palmsolo.com address will be the one to go to after the DNS switch is made.

Anyone have anything they would like to see on my blog in the future? Thanks for visiting everyone.

JAM may be sticking and updated sale prices

I haven't had any takers on the JAM, my Bluetooth GPS or Bluetooth headset and am seriously considering keeping the JAM and getting the 128MB RAM upgrade. Joel gave me a 256mb SD WiFi card and Piel Frama is offering to send me a case to review so that is pretty compelling as well. The JAM is so dang small and I could use it as my highly portable/smartphone type device when I am out and about and don't want to carry the bulky PDA2K.

If anyone is interested I will sell my Pharos Bluetooth GPS iGPS-360 to a blog reader for only $125. The dock itself normally sells for $90-$99 so this is quite a deal if you are looking for a GPS for your device.

The GN Netcom GN6210 Bluetooth headset is very cool and works with your mobile device and your office phone. It comes with a headset lifter so all you have to do it tap the button on the headset and the phone lifts on your desk. I only spend about 20 minutes a day on the phone at work so it isn't worth keeping on all day long. If you are in an office environment and talk a lot on the phone, then this product is for you. I am selling this headset and the lifter accessory for only $125, which normally goes for at least $175 all the way up to over $300.

Change of heart, JAM is up for sale now

OK, Peter was right:) I was smitten by the form factor of the JAM and it almost had me get rid of my wonderful PDA2K. I am an uber-PDAGeek so I will be sticking with the device that has it all, WiFi, Bluetooth, ample RAM and ROM, and my lovely thumb keyboard.

As a result, I am going to finish writing up my JAM review and then it will be available for the low, low price of only $550. This is the lowest price you will find on the internet for this MINT condition (new, except for the time I reviewed it) device. I put a Proporta screen protector on it when I first bought it (same as the JAVOScreen model and others) so the display is as new as the rest of the unit. If you are interested then feel free to email me at palmsoloATgeekDOTcom to discuss and get some photos.

I am also dropping the price on my GN Netcom Bluetooth Headset kit to $130 and my Bluetooth GPS package down to $175 so if you are interested in either of those feel free to email me as well.

Back from Hawaii and PDA2K may be on the blocks

My trip to Hawaii was over real quick as the company that hired me did not end up getting the salvage contract. I flew home Friday afternoon and was bummed because I was excited about getting the ship refloated. I knew the Coast Guard guy who was approving the technical aspects and he was happy to see me since I worked over 50 cases when I was leading the USCG salvage team.

I have been using the JAM exclusively for 4 days now and I am getting closer to selling my PDA2K. Peter thinks this is just a phase of my new device infatuation since I am quite a thumb keyboard fan, but I just can't get over the size of the JAM.

-Sent from my amazing compact JAM. Ask me about it:)

In Hawaii for salvage

While I have much enthusiam for mobile devices and would love to be a full-time evangelist for them, I actually do have a quite unique and interesting day job as a naval architect. When I was in the U.S. Coast Guard in my last tour in DC I was a very active member of the Salvage Engineering Response Team (SERT) where we assisted with remediating vessel casualties. I LOVED this work because it was real-life urgent engineering and was extremely interesting to me. Our firm has now decided to start marketing this capability and thus 3 of us are now on a duty rotation where we are available 24/7.

This week was my first duty week and I am now typing this blog entry on my JAM with my Think Outside IR keyboard on a plane bound for Honolulu, Hawaii. A 530+ foot bulk carrier with a full load of dry cement ran aground just off Barber's Point and I was asked to fly out ASAP to provide the engineering necessary to get the ship afloat again. She is very hard aground from the sound of things and cargo will have to be offloaded to get her afloat since there is not much tidal range in Hawaii right now.

While the travel can be inconvenient since it occurs at the last second most of the time, I am very happy to be doing this type of work again. I don't know how long I will be in Hawaii and maybe this trip I will actually get to the beach:) My wife and I are going to the Big Island in May for a PartyLite vacation and I actually have to come back out to Honolulu later in Feb. or March for another vessel inspection so I am going to get quite familiar with this flight.


M@
-Sent from my amazing compact JAM. Ask me about it:)

MDA IV, PDA2K may be for sale, JAM is good!

I just posted a blurb on the MDA IV that was announced by T-Mobile Germany yesterday. At first I was ready to put my PDA2K up for sale ASAP, and still may sell it too, but then I saw that there were no hardward buttons on the front of the device and the red and green phone buttons were on the keyboard itself. This looks like you will have to open up the clamshell to answer a call, which I don't think would be very convenient. I like the faster processor, support for the faster data networks (which T-Mobile hasn't yet rolled out in the U.S.), and the VGA display along with the cool flip and twist (ala Sony CLIE UX50) design though. What I would like is a VGA display device with the PDA2K/MDA III form factor that allows you to rotate the display 90 degrees into landscape mode while still using the PDA2K thumb keyboard as it is right now.

So I don't think I will get the MDA IV (don't hold me to this statement :)), but I would like to see what the next version of the JAM will look like. The MDA IV and other devices coming this summer and fall will most likely run the latest Windows Mobile 2005, that should have some good improvements in it.

I am using the JAM most of the time right now and just ordered a 1GB SD card to go with it. I am considering the 128MB RAM upgrade if I can sell my Bluetooth headset, GPS, and some other gear to pay for it. I am afraid as soon as I get this done though then the updated JAM with 128MB RAM and integrated WiFi will come out soon thereafter. The camera in the JAM has been taking some nice photos lately and I am not missing the thumb keyboard too bad. I could sell the PDA2K and pay for the RAM upgrade and am considering this option too.

If anyone is interested in the PDA2K for the lowest price on the internet, then feel free to email me and try to convince me to give it up for the JAM;) I have a couple of cases for the PDA2K too (Proporta and Piel Frama) so I am considering not letting it go yet.

Bluetooth keyboard frustrations

I have been away from town for a couple days and it has been a while since I updated my blog. I wanted to actually work on reviews and post a blog entry or two while on my trip, but I could not get the Dell Bluetooth keyboard to work with the i-mate JAM or PDA2K due to driver issues. I have had issues with this keyboard and different devices quite a bit in the last month or so and just replaced it in my bag with the good old solid Think Outside IR keyboard. While Bluetooth is a great idea for these keyboards and I am quite a fan and enthusiast in support of Bluetooth, it can be very frustrating at times with all the different driver versions out there. I can't imagine the general consumer embracing Bluetooth until it works out of the box EVERY TIME!