Product Reviews

It has been quite a year for Palm. It decided to drop the Palm operating system common to all its previous handhelds and start making products using Microsoft's Windows Mobile 5 instead. The Treo 750v is the company's first smartphone to use this new OS.

It looks similar to Palm's 650 smartphone, down to the QWERTY keyboard, but the 750v is far more pocket-friendly and it doesn't have the stubby aerial of the 650. It's slightly wider than a standard smartphone, but is still amazingly compact for a phone with a keyboard. It feels tough and durable, and the rubber backing is pleasant to hold.

Despite the phone's compact dimensions, both the screen and keyboard are large. The only compromise is that the display has a reduced vertical resolution of 240 pixels rather than the 320 pixels found on many Windows Mobile handsets. This makes little difference when using most of the phone's functions, but you have to scroll up and down more when viewing webpages and documents.

The 750v's directional keypad and soft keys are large and easy to use, but it takes time to get used to the keyboard.

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The keys are well spaced, but those with big hands will have to type with their fingernails. You can't type messages as quickly as on T-Mobile's MDA Vario II (opposite), but typing punctuation marks is easier on the 750v than with the Vario II's awkward function keys.

The handset has all the usual Windows Mobile 5 features, but Palm has made some changes to the software. The phone application is integrated into the Home screen, so you have immediate access to voice calls. The text-messaging application is a big improvement, as messages are organised in chat threads in a similar way to Google Mail. This makes it far easier to keep track of text message conversations.

Like all Windows Mobile 5 phones, the 750v has Pocket Outlook installed for your email, which you can set up with any POP3 email account. It also supports Vodafone's Push email service; once you have registered your account with Vodafone, a copy of any mail arriving on your mail server is sent directly to the handset. There is integrated GPRS and 3G, but no wireless networking to connect to hotspots.

The Treo 750v can also synchronise your contacts and calendar with your PC's Outlook using the supplied USB cable. Unlike most Windows Mobile handhelds, the 750v has a proprietary connection, so you have to carry around a separate cable from your digital camera or MP3 player.

It is better designed than its predecessor, the Treo 650, and feels as if it would last a lifetime. The MDA Vario II has a better keyboard and wireless networking, but the Treo 750v is more compact and has the advantage of Push email. It's excellent value and a good choice for anyone who needs email on the move.