Rumor: Is the Treo 90 Handspring's Mystery Device?
Last month, Donna Dubinsky, Handspring's CEO, said her company would be releasing a new device that is not a Visor . She said it would borrow some of the design characteristics of the Treo line but not be a wireless device. Recently, rumors have been circulating about a Treo 90, which has a built-in keyboard but no Springboard slot.
There appear to be some basis for these as CompuSmart.com, a Canadian webstore, now lists the Handspring Treo 90.
Update: The Treo 90 has been removed from CompuSmart's webstore. However, a screenshot of what was there is available.
According to CompuSmart, it will have a color screen, a built-in keyboard, and 16 MB of RAM. Possibly the most surprising thing about this model is that it will have SD slot. There is no mention of a Springboard slot. The Treo 90 is listed at $460 CAD, or $295 US.
The webstore gives no other details and has no pictures.
When Ms. Dubinsky made her original reference to the mystery device, she said only that it would be available before the end of Handspring's current financial quarter, which is over at the end of June. CompuSmart says the Treo 90 will be available on May 29.
Update: PDABuzz has what is says is a picture of the Treo 90 and a few details, including the size.
Thanks to Larry and Adam Perahia for the tips. -Ed
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RE: Back In The Game
RE: Back In The Game
This is a sad day in Palm-dom
RE: Back In The Game
-Mathrocks314
RE: Back In The Game
------------------------
Mario
CLIE Moderator
http://www.geocities.com/msmasitti
RE: Back In The Game
Memory cards are a good idea. A faster cpu like 66MHz would have been nice if it kept power down the same or lower than 33MHz. Also nice would be if it has the same bottom connector as the Visor so we can use cables and keyboards.
RE: Back In The Game
Treos have a different connector than Visors, but at least all the Treos have matching connectors. So anything that attaches to a Tre 180/270 should attach to a Treo 90.
This seems natural
a. Handspring is obviously moving away from Graffiti Silk Screen
b. Springboard can get beyond OS3.5x
c. Expansion / external storage is becoming a standard feature for PDAs. SD is the norm now.
c. A similar form factor provides a family look (except the flip), and reduce production cost.
Now, what is going to be the fate of Visor, and all those springboard developers. Kind of sad to think about.
I heard that it will be in champagne colour, though still colour casing.
Well, there goes the Springboards :(
I guess this move is understandable since the size of the modules is too large to support being used within a communicator-type of device. Although, I hope this means there will soon be a TREO 270 that sports an SD Slot. If this rumor is true, the engineering has already been done to make this possible. Expansion is my only hang-up with the TREO communicators and if future communicators have SD(i.e. like a TREO 370), then I'd be a happy camper.
If the Communicator products (like TREO 180/270) eventually do include the SD cards, I'm curious if they would also support cards like BlueTooth, 802.11b/a or if they will be storage-only support. That would be awsome to be able to go anywhere and tap into an 802.11b(a) network/LAN for local traffic and GPRS/CDMA when outside of a LAN.
Very interesting Rumor Ed, Thanks!
RE: Well, there goes the Springboards :(
Just my $0.02.
RE: Well, there goes the Springboards :(
My guess is the SD slot hardware went in where they had taken out the wireless modem. There isn't room in the casing for both. The Treo is really small. Certainly no room for a springboard port.
SD status confirmed inadvertantly by a third party...
http://www.bluenomad.com/bbvfs/prod_bbvfs_details.html
Google's cache of the item is more telling:
http://makeashorterlink.com/?K28D121E
Quoted in part:
BackupBuddyVFS is designed to work with organizers that support the Virtual File System (''VFS''), such as the Palm m125, m500, m505, m705, Handspring Treo 90, and the Sony Clie. Please note: The Handera 330 is not supported at this time.
Picture at pdabuzz
RE: Picture at pdabuzz
RE: Picture at pdabuzz
While it seems silly to call it a Treo without wireless built in, I guess you can still do all the same stuff as the 180 or 270 if you have a cell phone and IR link, or a BT cell phone and a BT SD card stuck in the Treo 90.
As for the overall design, I like it. I love my Treo 180, and have looked and and liked the Palm m130. But I've grown to really like the keyboard on the 180, and think that a non-wireless device can benefit just as much from the thumb-board. If they can keep this at the same price as the Palm m130, I think the m130 will have a hard sell against the Treo 90, if only for the fact that people won't be as afraid of the keyboard as much as they often are of graffiti.
I'll pass if its not HI-RES`
btw, does treo means it has wireless support?
RE: I'll pass if its not HI-RES`
RE: I'll pass if its not HI-RES`
---
News Editor
RE: I'll pass if its not HI-RES`
any news on palm? any rumoured new device?
RE: I'll pass if its not HI-RES`
RE: I'll pass if its not HI-RES`
RE: I'll pass if its not HI-RES`
RE: I'll pass if its not HI-RES`
Ick!
ugh......
Is it me or is that thing ugly?
RE: Ick!
The T615C will soon be discontinued and Sony will have a new model that costs at least $400. Hi-res is great but $100 cheaper is great, too. And a keyboard thrown in.
Sony has great high end and ok low end models but nothing in the middle.
RE: Ick!
Yep, it's called the Palm m130.
RE: Ick!
I think we could all do with less disparaging remarks on this site. He didn't do anything to deserve that misquoting a price is hardly worth the label of moron. Oh and the price on the Palm website is $279.
RE: Ick!
It's true
I think it is an excellent move on Handspring's part and will compete nicely with the Palm m130.
Steve
Brighthand.com
RE: It's true
http://www.brighthand.com/newsite/features/marketshare.html
I'll admit, I skimmed it on Monday but missed the Treo 90 reference.
---
News Editor
RE: It's true
Steve is such a hack, if you check the google cache for that page, you'll see he didn't know it was the "Treo 90", nor that it had an SD slot. If Steve's "source" explained it in "every detail", he certainly missed the major detail. Truth be told, Steve is simply lying about knowing anything.
The information he had was exactly what Donna said, a new organizer based on the Treo line, nothing else.
Steve always wants people to think he's in the know, but instead he's simply in the pocket. He has been, and always will be a compulsive liar far too caught up in trying to seem important.
RE: It's true
RE: It's true
RE: It's true
"Handspring's Treo 180 communicator is the first Palm Powered device to include a full keyboard and Handspring is expected to release a color version, likely under the Sprint name, this summer. Rumor has it that Handspring will also release a new Treo inspired organizer, thinner that the Treo communicator and with a color screen, but not wireless."
Make up your own mind on who's telling the truth here. (Do it quick though, no doubt Steve will have the cached version removed soon since it proves he is not being honest about the original article.)
RE: It's true
Why would you be such a hater as to check Google's cache in the first place? Some people.
www.CLIEsource.com
RE: It's true
Appears the truth may have caught up with Steve after all, but don't take my word for it, ask Ed who I'm sure read the article today when Steve brought it up.
The previous version contained "Treo 90" as well as the details about it having SD.
RE: It's true
www.CLIEsource.com
Click here for the full story discussion page...
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Back In The Game
Hopefully, this will be like the Edge, with a built in keyboard, and color hi-res screen. :o