Treo 600 Release Dates, Interview With Hawkins

Posted By: Ryan Friday, October 3, 2003 10:55:44 AM

ZDNet has an interesting five minute interview with Handspring Chairman and CPO Jeff Hawkins from recent the San Francisco Treo Launch party. Certain carrier prices and releases dates have also come to light, as the anticipated smartphone becomes closer to availability.

Mr. Hawkins talks about the design, functionality and development of the next generation Treo. He also goes into the social aspects of using a smartphone like device and the upcoming transition to Palm. You can check out the full video clip here.

PIC attended the Treo 600 launch party in New York City last week, and have our report of the kickoff here.

Handspring Treo 600 Review ~ Click for largerAvailability
TreoCentral has uncovered some additional information about the availability and price. They report it should be available from Sprint on October 13th for $399 with activation. Cingular should have it on sale around Oct 20th at the subsidized price of $449. T-Mobile should also have it buy the 13th, but pricing is not known. There is no word on AT&T at this point. The price without service should be $549, they also think Handspring may offer existing Treo owners $100 off to upgrade.

About the Treo 600
The Treo 600 runs Palm OS 5.2.1 with a 144 MHz Texas Instruments OMAP processor. It will have a 160x160 pixel CSTN color screen, 32MB of RAM and a SD/MMC/SDIO expansion slot. There is also a five-way navigation dial for one handed operation. The Treo 600 has a built-in digital camera (640 x 480 VGA), so you can take and send pictures or connect a face to a phone number with picture caller ID. It will also feature a dual speaker architecture for high-quality phone and system audio. It will have a large capacity 1800 mAh rechargeable Lithium Ion battery for up to six hours talk time (GSM); or up to five hours talk time (CDMA); and about two weeks organizer use for both versions.

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updated PIM functions too?

painted_dog @ 10/3/2003 12:35:59 PM #
since it has OS 5.2.1 & will be kind of a PalmOne product, will it also have the updated PIM functions?

just curious...

-painted dog

RE: updated PIM functions too?
Admin @ 10/3/2003 12:44:57 PM #
It does not have the updated PIM apps that are on the new Tungstens but it does use the enhanced PIM apps (datebk) that have always been on the Handspring line, I'm not sure if there are any new features.

-Ryan

RE: updated PIM functions too?
idlepaw @ 10/4/2003 7:49:10 AM #
The updated PIM features on the Tungstens were apparently created by the soon-to-be PalmOne side, not the PalmSource side. So, none of the other licensees will have them. By the way, I have to say that the updated PIM features, especially the Calendar and Contacts ones, are fantastic. I may not need to use Action Names anymore, and the additional fields solve my biggest complaint about Palm OS as compared to Pocket PC.

RE: updated PIM functions too?
mikecane @ 10/4/2003 5:14:22 PM #
I wonder if these enhancements will be rolled back into PalmSource's offering or if this is the beginning of the end of a standardized PalmOS feature set?

RE: updated PIM functions too?
LiveFaith @ 10/5/2003 12:11:36 AM #
Interestingly, PalmSource gets spunn off, then Handspring gets absorbed. In that order, according news reports I've read.

Does that mean P/S gets the updated apps and sells them back to P1 / HS or does P1 own it and HS get em?

Pat Horne; www.churchoflivingfaith.com

RE: updated PIM functions too?
bcombee @ 10/6/2003 12:53:53 AM #
Palm SG owns the apps -- they were developed on the Palm SG side of the fence, as best I can tell. What's not so clear to me is who owns the modifications to Palm Desktop to handle those apps; I'd guess that the licensees have a source license to Palm Desktop that allows distributing altered versions, but I don't know for sure.

--
Ben Combee, CodeWarrior for Palm OS technical lead
Programming help at www.palmoswerks.com

?

bshort @ 10/3/2003 1:21:53 PM #
So since I have an existing Treo 180, if I got new service from Sprint I'd only have to pay $299?

Seems like a pretty good deal to me.

RE: ?
Edward Green @ 10/3/2003 2:18:59 PM #
$300! Ouch.

Try some UK pricing:

http://tinyurl.com/pm9u

For a personal user you are looking at £100 (the Zire is £80 the Tungsten|E £150).

For a heavier user the thing is free.

Can't wait for mine.

Edward Green
--
http://www.khite.co.uk

CNET Dubinksky interview

Foo Fighter @ 10/3/2003 3:22:07 PM #
CNET has now posted an interview Donna Dubinsky as well:

http://news.com.com/1601-2-5085925.html

-------------------------------
My blog: www.pocketfactory.com

No Smart Phone for me.

Doo @ 10/3/2003 3:53:24 PM #
To me a smart phone is just to big. I want a PDA with a big screen and a tiny tiny phone. I don't want to lug stuff around I don't need. Going out at night, or the beach no big phone. But they must work together.

BIG SCREEEN PDA, tiny tiny phone.

Just my two cents.


Scooby

BIG SCREEEN PDA, tiny tiny phone
Gekko @ 10/4/2003 6:29:17 PM #
I think I agree. And how about the BIG SCREEEN PDA and the tiny tiny phone automatically sync with each other via bluetooth every time they are within 2 feet of each other? I want two devices, but I want the phone to be a peripheral of the PDA just as the PDA is a peripheral of my PC!

PC--->BigScreenPDA---->TinyPhone

What do you think?

RE: No Smart Phone for me.
Escalus @ 10/6/2003 7:09:34 PM #
Long time reader of PIC but never registered :)

Anyway - The large screen PDA + tiny tiny phone combo almost works for me, but not quite my vision. I think that PDAs are great in terms of input/output of visual information, and the main function of a phone is mainly for talking. So why not have a PDA/phone combo, in which all visual input/output is done on a PDA screen, and the phone would be nothing but a little bud that you insert into your ear, and maybe a little protrusion for the mike. When you're done talking, insert that little bud back into your PDA, and you're done! SMSs/web browsing/phone book/dialling etc can be done directly on the PDA screen (which we can all do now)

Of course the problem would be to fit a battery so small and yet can tough out your 3 hour long phone convos :)

But still, I've been using a Treo 600 for a few weeks now. Apart the unclear speaker and slippery back cover, it's a pretty sweet machine :)

No, No, y No!!!

lechter @ 10/3/2003 4:25:45 PM #
No way. I'm going to a Sprint T608 3 Ounce bluetooth phone and relish in the crisp and glorious 320 x 480 screen of the $ 349 Palm T3.

The T608 will be shipping next week at Sprint.

I'm sorry but I'm not going to live in a 160x160 2inch "1999" world. I'm going to live in a 320x480 HUGE 400Megahertz voice recorder Palm T3 phone, keep the phone in my pocket and browse a clean Palm.

The Treo 300 was genius. But so much progress has been made since that the compromise today is too painful.

Later on, when the Treo 900 comes out with projection screens and keyboards, and new technology can accomodate portability needs...but for now a two product solution is much more elegant. You get a really small sexy T608 phone you can put by your face and not look like an MIT techno geek and you can look at your big, beautiful 320 x 480 Palm T3 screen with beautiful Word, Excel, attachments, really a proud place to live, in 5 ounces.

The Treo 600 is 2 years too late...it reminds me of those Swiss Army knifes that are smaller than the original, too small to work anything yet so convenient to have around to dissapoint.

I mean are you gonna SHOW that 160x160 screen? No! No! Y No!

RE: No, No, y No!!!
iJITSU @ 10/3/2003 4:45:12 PM #
Do you respond to EVERY treo thread with your explanation for why you're going with the SE and T3 instead of the treo 600? I think I've seen you on at least three other forums posting the same post.


RE: No, No, y No!!!
iJITSU @ 10/3/2003 4:53:24 PM #
Just realized it's a different name, so you may not be the same person. If not, ignore my post. If you are the same person, ignore my post anyway. :)

same dude, different name
nrosser @ 10/3/2003 4:56:08 PM #
I think it's the same person, based on the obtuse (and telling) (and recurring) statement of 'live in the screen of 780 x 960' whatever...see that in every post in every forum..

RE: No, No, y No!!!
mikecane @ 10/3/2003 5:05:05 PM #
Obviously someone who has never *seen* nor *tried* a Treo 600.

The 160x160 screen is sharp and damned bright.

The integration of PalmOS into telephony -- voice/data -- is marvelous.

RE: No, No, y No!!!
lechter @ 10/3/2003 6:12:56 PM #
Hey you guys I have the right to opine on the Treo 600 here as this is not a discussion group...this section is a list of comments to a news article.

I yes, regularly post in the Treo 600 forum, soon to be replaced by Bluetooth and Great Palms Forum

Go tell your mommy this time you could not bully one more kid

RE: No, No, y No!!!
drw @ 10/3/2003 9:42:51 PM #
lechter: sony dropped all CDMA devices. there is no pot of gold at the end of your rainbow. :-)

---
David
RE: No, No, y No!!!
lechter @ 10/4/2003 1:30:44 AM #
The T608 is shipping in early October!!! At Sprint !!!

RE: No, No, y No!!!
helf @ 10/6/2003 10:32:42 AM #
WTF is opine? That supposed to be 'whine' ? ;)

And what is wrong with a 160x160 screen? I've gone from a 640x240 b/w screen, to a 160x160 b/w screen, to a 160x160 color screen, then to a 240x320 b/w screen..

I have absolutely no problem going to and from high and low res b/w and color screened pda's. So wth is up with people ? :|

RE: No, No, y No!!!
Mithras @ 10/6/2003 3:37:47 PM #
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=opine


What if I drop it?

seichert @ 10/3/2003 5:06:35 PM #
Currently I carry my beat-up Nokia phone on a belt holster. If I drop the phone the screen does not crack. Will this be true with the Treo 600? If not how I can protect it from inevitable drops? Will the carriers offer insurance on the Treo 600 as they do on regular phones?

Stuart Eichert
RE: What if I drop it?
Edward Green @ 10/3/2003 5:30:39 PM #
They are in Europe. £5 a month.

Edward Green
--
http://www.khite.co.uk
RE: What if I drop it?
mikecane @ 10/4/2003 5:16:21 PM #
>>>If I drop the phone the screen does not crack.

-- but it's not a touchscreen, is it?

graffiti?

keats @ 10/3/2003 6:53:46 PM #
i'm really REALLY thinking about getting this phone/pda but i have one question i hope someone can answer. i've used thumboards for about a year now, but there are times i still use graffiti. now given the screen space of the treo 600 is there still going to be the option of inputing things in a "virtual graffiti" area or on the screen itself? or is it all thumbboard. thanks for all the help.

-keats

RE: graffiti?
gfunkmagic @ 10/4/2003 3:33:05 AM #
Yes you can enter graffiti on the screen...

Visit http://goodthatway.com/
-better living through better technology.

Can you synch 2 separate Palm OS PDA's?

stillaresident @ 10/3/2003 7:48:17 PM #
If I purchase a Treo 600, is it possible to synch its PIM databases with another Palm OS PDA (e.g. Sony Clie)?

RE: Can you synch 2 separate Palm OS PDA's?
gfunkmagic @ 10/4/2003 3:35:07 AM #
Yes you can do this using SyncUs:

http://home.btconnect.com/franklin/syncusindex.html

Visit http://goodthatway.com/
-better living through better technology.

RE: Can you synch 2 separate Palm OS PDA's?
stillaresident @ 10/7/2003 12:32:06 AM #
Thanks for the info!

Jeff sounds like he had one too many cocktails at the launch

Gekko @ 10/4/2003 9:12:26 PM #
Good softball interview though.


How does it comapres with BalckBerry??

batmon @ 10/6/2003 4:48:06 PM #
Hello,

Does anyone knows which method is better for corporate email accounts? RIM BlackBerry offers email encryptions and works with Exchange Server. The new BlackBerry 7200 has 240X160 display, can handle email attachments, can check web through WAP, but no expension slot. Is there any method for Treo 600 to handle corporate emails securly? Thanks

Pocketability?

diment0 @ 10/8/2003 3:59:05 AM #
If the new smart phone generation will have one problem, it's pocketability. I am sure Handspring have done their market research properly, but still, I wonder how high "pocketability" rates on cosumers' wish lists.

Donna Dubinsky claimed that everybody would be migrating towards a smart phone at some point. I very much doubt that. Many an attempt will be made to find the right compromise between feature set, usability and pocketability. In the months to come, the Treo 600, the new Nokia 7600 and Samsungs line-up are some of the entrants vying for market share in the smart phone/ messaging cell phone segment. It will be interesting to see which concepts will ultimately succeed and which will not.

I think the trend will go toward owning multiple cell phones (all with the same number). Most carriers in Europe are already accomodating the trend. However, there will still be a lot of people who will just want to carry one phone. And with that set pocketability will always be important.

RE: Pocketability?
ozz @ 10/12/2003 11:36:52 AM #
Why would someone own more than one cell phone with the same number? Doesn't make sense.

Aussie Release

elmo @ 10/8/2003 10:34:43 AM #
Does anyone have any information as to when the Treo 600 will be released in OZ? I'm quite eager to see it, and cant find any release dates!

Thanks In Advance for your help!

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