Its only April...

Yes, its been a month of sheer silence. Like a month of April Fool's day everyday. It almost seems as if nothing much was happening in the market. Nothing great to look forward to, nothing worth selling everything you own for... uninspiring you could say.

From the looks of things, everyone's just waiting for mid-2009, for more news on the Palm Pre or the now-rumoured new iPhone form factor. Either way, its still a good 3 months away, at least, especially for us here in Asia.

For one thing, it will be a great battle. And there can only be ONE winner. But a new iPhone though? Who really knows? Apple sure has a great knack for keeping things hushed. We can only wait. One thing's for sure, Apple had better make sure it does everything and more!

But, for me, I think I know what my next purchase will be, the new Nokia E75. Allabout symbian has reported that today, the E75's have started shipping! FINALLY! From the many (excellent) reviews I've read here and here and here, I think it will suit my needs very well. Time to replace my E71 and E66 soon anyway ;) If none of you have ever heard of FP2, read here at mobile-review for a good write up about it. If anything, personally, its reason enough to upgrade!

Now the question begs, what colours (black? bronze? red? all?) will arrive here in Brunei? And then... what colour should I get?! Decisions decisions....

Sexier E71's and a Pre.

For those of you who loved the white edition of the hugely popular Nokia E71 and thought nothing could ever be sexier.... hold on to your breath.... Nokia's just made it EVEN more sexier, releasing new colours, in BLACK and RED. Click here to view them on Nokia's site.

There's no news (yet) on the release, but you can be sure I'm trying to find out! Especially on release for Brunei. More updates once I hear about it.

And then, there's the Palm Pre. More and more reviews are surfacing on the web and more and more of them reveal that Palm is now giving Apple a fight. (Finally). Anyway, read here at treonauts for lowdown on "Top 10 reasons to love the Palm Pre". Well, I certainly don't need convincing.

A busy new year, and then, there's the new Palm Pre...

Since the new year has kicked in, its almost hard to believe its already the 8th of Jan! Its been somewhat of a busy start for me, workwise... but thats a good thing isn't it?

Close to a year and a bit now of running my blog, I have to say its been amazing. So many opportunities have arisen from it, and all I can say is, its going to be a great year of mobiles, mobiles and more mobiles..... oh yeah, more reviews too for d3xlabs.blogspot.com. Thanks to all my readers and friends for always "dropping by". Its really just my simple blog about Everything mobile.

What I have been looking forward to since the start has been the CES event in Las Vegas on 09Jan09. Its meant to be one of THE tech events to watch out for on a calendar. And boy did this year's launch prove to be worth the wait! Its no secret that the longest ever mobile that I've used so far is the Palm Treo 680. Love the Palm OS, always have, always will. But their OS has been showing signs of ageing lately, with the likes of iPhone taking the world by storm (and now, everyone else seems to have followed their footsteps). Treos didn't even have wifi or 3G! So sadly, it was time to move on...

Until now...

The newly announced PALM PRE. I've been watching hands-on videos on it all over the web. It looks very very intriguing. Of course, patience is the key as the time it will take to reach this side of the world would be around 6-8 months. That already feels like forever... Anyway, here are some teaser pictures and specs:
Specs:

• High speed wireless (HSDPA)
• Wifi
• 3.1 inch 24 bit colour 480 x 320 display
• slide out portrait QWERTY keyboard
  
• Bluetooth 2.1
• 3 mp camera with LED flash and extended depth of field
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• 8Gb of internal memory
• Palm trademark - Ringer mute switch

Just look at that! Ladies and Gentlemen, Palm is back in the building....
(now, the wait...)

Updates and a Treo Resurrection: New Treo Pro

Hi everyone. I am still very much alive. Been a bit held up over the past month which has kept me from completing my review and updating my site. Well, I'm back.... again.

I have still been keeping up to date with the new releases from Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, LG, Motorola (the list is endless), Apple (yes the 3G has been set loose into the world!) and a even brand that's close to my heart, the Palm Treo.

This quarter's updates:

1. Nokia's released the 8800 Carbon Arte, N85 and N79 (N96 I just heard has started shipping for those of you who are waiting).
2. Sony Ericsson's released W902, W595 and the W302.
   
3. Samsung's released the highly acclaimed Samsung Omnia (I've actually had the chance to play with one up close. Its impressive). In black AND white variations too!
   
4. LG's released the successor to the Viewty, the KC910
5. Motorola's released a model called MOTOJEWEL. No prizes for guessing its targeted at the ladies.
   
6. Last but not least, a surprise by many, Palm has just released the new Treo update which is bound to take the (treo) world by storm; the Palm Treo Pro.

Treo Pro Specs

• Size: 114 x 60 x 13.5mm and 133g in weight.
  
• Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
• 256MB (100MB user available), 128MB RAM program memory
• Micro SD compatible
• 320 x 320 pixel (a FIRST in WinOS devices!) although 65k colours
  
• Touchscreen
• 3.5mm audio jack
• Comes in black

But just look at it. Its gorgeous.

Apple, another worth while mention, has launched the 3G variant of their take-the-world-by-storm iPhone. Available in 8Gb and 16Gb, black or white, this upgrade has caused queues and overnight sleepovers just like its predecessor did.

Decisions, desicions... with Christmas not long away, or Raya (however you see it) its time to carefully plan your next gadget of choice.

Orange is the new Black

This will be a quick post. (I know I say that all the time, but it ends up being so long anyway)

Its been an adventure the past few days.... Nokia N95 released in all local shops since Monday, and most people I know have been pretty excited about it. As for the launch price, at the time of this post, I know that INCOMM Gadong is selling it at the lowest so far. BND1,288-00. Quite reasonable for a phone thats "got everything" AND a never-before-on-Nokia, a 5 mp camera. Of course, if you can afford one. I've yet to see it first hand before I make any judgements. A friend has just bought one today though, so you can be sure I will definitely look for him to get my "hands on" impressions soon!

AND, also!!! .... Like my new toy??

Yup, you better believe it. My Copper (orange) Treo 680! My buddy sourced it for me in Singapore, only 3 weeks old, and it arrived yesterday! Apparently, the (ex) owner bought it from the US, and didn't like the colour after using it. Too bright maybe? (And incidentally, he decided to sell it, and get the Arctic white 680 instead!) Just my luck! So I knew I had to jump on it!! Condition was perfect too! Its SUCH a rare find this side of Asia! In Brunei, I know of friends with the Arctic whites and Crimson reds, but no one's got a Copper orange yet! Ahhh, what a colour. I've always loved the colour orange. Its the new black.

Ok ok, some have argued with me today that I've broken one of my goals this year by changing a new phone. TECHNICALLY, I'm still using a Treo 680 alright? Its just the colour's that changed. So, my goal's still applicable. Argue all you like, but i'm STILL using a T-r-e-o-6-8-0.

In the coming week, I hope to get my hands on a Nokia 6300, e65 and N95 to review. And for those successful types, I'll try get my hands on the latest Sony Ericssons and Motorolas to review too. Will keep you posted.

I don't want an iPhone

Hello world...

Yes, I've been rather silent lately. Work and family commitments mostly, plus, the mobile world's been pretty unexciting too, sadly.

That is, until the official arrival of the APPLE iPHONE.


Lots of friends have asked me why I haven't done a write up on this new Apple release (that promises to take over the world). *oh brother*

Well, two reasons really why I haven't jumped onto the bandwagon like so many other bloggers, writing about the iPhone and the million-and-one reasons why they want it (now).

1. Firstly, I wanted to spend some time reading up about reviews, forums and feedback from the "rest of the world" first. Sure it looks great and oh-so-tantalising when you read about the specs and oogle over the sheer look of the iPhone.... with its patented Multitouch recognition capabilities (if you don't know what I mean, it means you haven't really read up (much) on the iPhone), its slimness, its OSX software (Sthg to watch out for symbians, WMs and Palm) and the fact that its basically an iPod built into a phone! (Incidentally, treonauts has done a great, albeit maybe biased, review on the treo vs iPhone, here.) So far, from what I've read, its caused a buzz worldwide for sure. Its like EVERYONE is waiting for it. (Not that its out yet. US release - June07, Asia - 2008). Even Treo critics have used it as a bullet to slam Palm on what-they-should-have-done.
   
2. Secondly, I'm definitely not one to rave about a mobile which I've not seen, or touched, in person yet. It would be like fantasizing about a Ferrari, and telling the whole world why its the best car in the world, and yet, thats just based on looks and what you hear/read about it without actually owning one. How pathetic. So, with the iPhone, that's my take on it. I don't want one.
   

But, at the end of the day, what do I think about it? Sure it looks great and all, but this 1st generation iPhone may not be the treo-killer some people are raving about. (It would beat the Music-edition Nokias or the Walkman-Sony Ericssons for sure though). Give it another few upgrades and tweaks (look at the 1st gen iPod compared to the now-5th gen iPod, and you'll understand what I mean), THEN it will be a force to reckon with. And, knowing Apple's strategies and marketing campaigns, its gonna be huge.

But, till then, I'm sticking to my trusty ol'treo 680. Time to show the world how dedicated I can be. Hey, what matters is how I finish right? Not just how I started.

Review of my Treo 680

Close to a month (anniversary) for my 680 now, what better time to (finally) conclude my own personal hands-on with the Treo 680.

Having first been introduced to the Treo 650, from the (then most advanced Nokia flagship model) Nokia 9500 Communicator, I have come to a realisation that the Treo is probably the best smartphone in the world today. This was back in early 2005. I loved my Treo 650. Used it constantly, downloaded every conceivable program more than what I needed or used, had numerous games, watched uncountable episodes of Lost, Top Gear and other movies on it. Using it for 11 months was a testiment of how I valued it. (Hey, 11 months is historical in my books). But, through all this though, there were a few issues I had with the Treo 650; the limited memory, the stub antenna, the weight of the 650, the location of the SD and sim cards at the top and most irritable of all, the frequent resets (due to firmware, which is upgradeable not to worry).

To cut a long story short, I decided I'd sell off my 650 during its peak, in anticipation of the rumours of the new treo model (which eventually took a whole bloody year to finally come out. By then I'd already had already gone through my mass onslaught of "temp" phones ranging from Nokias to Sony Ericssons. A dark era in my history needless to say). Eventually, the Treo 750v was released and, after such a long absence of a treo in my life (which was, by now, really messy. I never did find another equivalent Personal Infomation Management (PIM) to run my life, like the 650 used to handle. Nokia's symbian sucked big time), I thought the 750v was my redeemer. The total package. For a while it was. I was getting the hang of the highly rated Windows Mobile 5.2 integrated into the form factor of a treo. It did everything. Handled mp3's, videos, my appointments, my reminders, some games, had nice themes, handled my calls fantastically an most importantly, never resetted. (That in itself says it all)

But, at the back of my mind, I still missed the Palm OS. Reminiscent of my 650 and what it did for me a couple of years ago. And what did I do? I sold it off and ended up with the one model I've been waiting for all my life... the Treo 680. Its finally mine. I'm finally back to where I belong. Kinda like, once you've used a Mac, then you try Windows for a while, but you realise, you've always been a Mac at heart.

So, what do I love about my Treo 680? Here we go, my top 10 likes:

1. The Hi-res screen! 320 x 320. The clarity just knocks my socks off. I can see every single tiny icon from my Agendus program (my PIM app that replaces the default calendar) like nothing. The 750v I had Pocket Informant, which did the same thing, but the screen res just spoilt it for me. With 680's hi-res screen, I've loaded tons of wallpapers, backgrounds, hi-res skins and 5-star-rated hi-res games like Bejewelled 2, Text Twist, Zuma, Tetris and (my latest) Puzzle Bobble! (Astraware games just rock!)
2. The increased memory! Lots of RAM now. I've shoved in my favourite apps like Agendus, Splash money (good finance management app), MyBible, mRing, Butler (my alarm clock), Rescoviewer (awesome photo viewer), Fonts4OS (app for changing 680's fonts to whatever you like. Currently on Tahoma) and TCPMP (app for watching my episodes and movies on my 2Gb SD). After all these stuff, I've STILL got 45mb free in my 680! With my old 650, I'd have less than 10mb by now.
3. The position of the SD card holder is now on the right hand side of the device. Perfect location in my opinion. Coupled with my black Vaja iVolution case, there's no chance of it EVER slipping out.
4. The sim card is now located under the battery as compared to the 650's position on the top. There are pro's and cons of this, especially to the frequent traveller who might like switching sim cards here and there.
5. The weight, shape and size of the 680 is just perfect. The 650 now feels heavy compared to the 680, which feels noticeably lighter in hand. Furthermore, with the absence of the antenna stub, its close to what its perhaps meant to be as a full fledged pda phone.
   
6. The keyboard has also been improved from the 650. It feels more tactile and more spread out. This has improved the overall experience of using the 680 now. In other words, a joy to use! I must note that its strangely and subtly different from the 750v though, albeit both sharing the same layout. Odd.
7. The internet surfing app, Blazer is now noticeably faster too. Web pages load more than twice as fast than the 650's version. Its more tolerable now. Before, to view a page would take a good couple of minutes to load. Of course, don't compare the 680's speed to broadband speeds. It does not have 3G capabilities like the 750v has. On this note, I've yet to try the Verichat app (MSN / Yahoo / AIM) with this.
   
8. Phone quality is clear. A tremendous improvement from the 650, which needed an app called VolumeCare to increase its volume for calls. Now, it just works well.
   
9. The phone interface has improved with the introduction of "tabs". Moving left or right would bring you to (from left) Dial pad, Favourites (No limit on number of favourites I can save here, ranging from applications, speed dials, sms messages etc), phone main screen, Contacts and Call history. I personally like this new layout as compared to the 650's with drop-down styled tabs. Alot more user friendly than before.
   
10. Last but not least, it does not reset! This is a major factor for me, and perhaps many other Treo users out there. I will admit though, that there have been occasional instances, but this is because of my own doing, installing incompatible apps during my testing stages as previously posted. Otherwise, its plain stable, just like the 750v.
    

As with all things, there are downsides to every coin. For the 680, I've got my top 3;

1. The Battery. I'm surprised to experience the lifespan of the 680's battery. With my usage of few calls during the day, heavy sms texting, occasional games and maybe the odd listening of my mp3's, by the end of the day, the battery indicator is down to about 15-20%. Compared to the 650, this is quite a difference. Some say that this factor alone is the achilles heel for the 680. I attribute this to the smaller (lighter) battery which Palm has allocated for the 680. Personally, I've always been a person who charges my phone on a nightly basis anyway, so its not a major dealbreaker for me. I'll just wait for higher capacity batteries to be released in future.
   
2. The Camera. Sadly, Palm did not upgrade it from the 650. It still sports the 0.3mp camera. At least the 750v owned a (perhaps) market entry 1.3mp camera under its hood. The bright side of the 680's camera, the hi-res screen which makes the 0.3mp shots look acceptable, with ample light and colour balance on most photos. So, I've learnt to live with this handicap. (Besides, using my Rescoviewer app, I save alot of my photos taken with my 6.3mp Fujifilm Digicam into my 2Gb SD for viewing. Beautiful)
3. Last but not least, the Software incompatibilities. I'm again surprised by the refusal of 680 to work with apps successfully tested on the 650. Both sharing the same OS version, Palm OS 5.4.9, I fail to see why this is an issue. Apps like my Mp3ringer, TreoAllegro, Agendus 10 and Zlauncher just do not work on my 680. I suspect that this is a software issue, not a treo problem. But then, I've already found alternatives to these apps (I mentioned them under item 2 above) so I'm not really bothered by this, just nit-picking I guess.
   

All in all, I'm pretty satisfied with my Treo 680. My Vaja protects it well too. Coming to my 1st month of use, I'm aiming to convince myself this new year, that by this time next year, I'll still be using the same device. I'm just loving my 680. I'd recommend it to anyone without any hesitation. Treos are just awesome. Don't diss it till you try it. As Palm's marketing campaign for the 680 goes, "Add some colour into your life". So what's stopping you?

Treo 680 testing phases

Day Four with my trusty sidekick the Treo 680. Its awesome coming back to such a familiar OS. I feel like I've been around the world and back, and there's definitely no other device out there that just does it for me. Since I sold my Treo 650 almost a year ago, I've tried a couple of Sony Ericsson's, I've tried Nokia Symbian's (few models), I've tried cheap low budget type phones (my reason: to use temporarily while waiting for new treo to be out) .... heck, I've even gone the Windows Mobile way with the 750V. But now, I'm back to where I truly belong. A friend just noted to me yesterday, I'm a Palm guy. I totally agree. Its been a mad journey this past year trying all these phones and their OS's. Maybe I shouldn't have sold my 650 in the first place right? But then if I did that, it would've been close to two years of using a mobile.

Now THAT would be h-i-s-t-o-r-i-c-a-l.

Anyways, four days with my 680. So far. Other than the fantastic things I love and other slight little niggles I have against the 680 (which I'll just save for my coming review), the reactions I've been receiving from my peers around me have been nothing short of my expectancies. They sure have shown mixed feelings. Some already expected it (gee, thanks guys, you understand me too well) while others have just gone plain speechless, definitely believing that I've lost all my logic.

Passion makes people do crazy things doesn't it?

So far, I know of four people (including myself) with the Treo 680. Two more 680's will be flown in from Singapore in a couple of days for another 2 friends. Then there'd be six of us. Behold, the beginning of a local 680 community. Five of us will own the standard available Graphite colour whilst one owns the rare Arctic version. Here's a picture of it up close and in hand.

You will notice that its quite a nice shade of white. The texture is not "glossy" like the graphite version, but almost similar to the soft touch of the 750v. Its nice. Clean and sophisticated. One can only imagine what the Copper and Crimson colours will look like. But anyways, my mate with this Arctic 680 has also just received his black vaja, like mine. It looks awesome. Black on white. There's just something so classic about that. I think if he chose white on white instead, it'd really rock, but really, a white leather case? Geez, you'd have to wash your own hands everytime you touch your treo!

These past few days, together with my mate Frogman, we've been testing out various apps (that used to work on our 650's) to check out the compatibility issues despite both the 650 and 680 having the same OS version. Our results have been surprising so far. Many apps that work on 650, won't on the 680. How odd.

I will mention about this further in my review. But for now, its back to the testing phases.

Updates in my regular websites of interest:
- Eseries has some good photo comparisons between the Nokia e61 and Treo 680 in one of their posts.
- Treocentral has posted a good review on the pen stylus for the treo 680 and 750V editions. I will definitely be on a lookout for this.

My Palm Treo 680

A couple of months ago, I mentioned that I've switched from coffee to tea, mainly as an effort to be more health conscious. So far I've succeeded against that urge for a "java". There have been moments though, where the mere whiff of it drives me crazy, how much more to see others with their "shots". Self-control. BUT I'm glad I haven't cracked under pressure (yet).

Why has it been so difficult? I've been a coffee addict for many years now. It used to be my morning wake-me-up concoction, my afternoon break and my night relaxation choice of beverage. So you see, switching from it has been a challenge.

Ok, where am I going with all this boring talk you might ask....

Ok, I admit it. I've crumbled. I've had enough of tea (windows)!! I've now moved back to coffee (palm)!!! That's right, I've had enough of the dark side. Its been good, stable and all, but real boring I gotta admit. I needed to see the light! I need to go back to my first love... and boy did I miss her.

Let me introduce to you, my new long lost first love, the Palm OS (Treo 680!)

I just received it at noon today, with the kind help of a friend who just returned from a short trip in Singapore. Though she arrived at 1am this morning, I had to stop myself from physically going to pick it up from the airport. (I was close to doing that last night though) BUT, I decided to do the sensible thing and go during lunch today. I could hardly wait.

Unfortunately, Singapore, just like Malaysia and Australia (I checked) only has the graphite colour available. The other 3 colours have not been released to Asia yet. Not a problem, I think I much more prefer the graphite anyway. Because personally for me, the looks of the arctic, copper and crimson could fade away after a while. So I'm just playing safe.

Anyways, when I reached back to the office, I quickly snapped a picture of it before I allowed myself to rip the tight plastic wrapping off. And boy did it look good when I opened the box. Its exactly like what the millions of reviews I've read about it says. All in all, it sure feels good to be back to Palm.

Since I just got the Treo today, I will be messing about with my 680 the next couple of days.
A more detailed review will be posted soon.

Meanwhile, what did I do with my 750V you might be wondering. Well, lets just say, its proud new owner is real happy with it. Hey, thats this is the business isn't it?
But hey at LEAST I still have my vaja. So not all is lost.

Treo vs iPod

A major project was due today, first thing in the morning too, to make it more exciting for me. Fortunately, it went quite smoothly and there were many lessons to be learnt from it. Of course, no details will be mentioned (hey its got nothing to do with mobiles right), BUT its all over now. I can now breathe a huge sigh of relief.

Anyway, today would have been another usual routine Friday afternoon, but by about 4.00pm, my department (there's only 7 of us) decided to go for high tea to kick back and relax at the Empire Hotel & Country Club, after the long morning. After all the eating, talking and laughing (we get along well together) and towards the end of our "tea time", my boss whips out a gift. (Apparently, it was to celebrate my birthday which is coming next week. An occasion, honestly, I'd rather not remember. Age is catching up with me you understand..). It was the new Apple iPod Shuffle!

Ok, what's this got to do with my mobile blog? When I reached home, I examined this tiny little box and slowly took out the Shuffle. I have to admit, its a real cool product though. I admire the build quality, the clip system (best invention added to an already awesome product in my opinion) and the sheer size! Its unbelieveable! You HAVE to hold it in your hands to know what I mean. Not bad though, I thought, for my 1st Apple product ever.

Now, I started thinking, what am I going to do with this Shuffle???? I'm definitely NOT the typical music hermit with earphones stuck in my ear all day long. This will be... strange.

In one of my earlier posts about using my 750v as an mp3 player, lately I've been storing all my mp3 collections on my 1Gb mini-SD card. I only occasionally listen to them at whim... in the office, at home, in the car. The 750V utilises its built-in Windows Media player to play all formats of songs. Just recently too, I've also installed another 3rd party app called PocketPlayer which is an even more user-friendlier program that I can use to search, and play, my entire collection of mp3's in my device. I'm quite satisfied as it is. Even with my previous Treo 650 and the (now) new Treo 680, the bundled PocketTunes software would easily satisfy any music junkie out there. This was the sole reason why I never invested in ANY of my own Apple iPod product before. Why would I right? My Treo plays all mp3s and wav files, just like an iPod. My Treo can store as many songs as I want depending on the size of my memory card, just like an iPod. My Treo can watch any format of video I want it to, NOT like an iPod with its limited video formats. My Treo can view AND edit all photos stored in it, NOT like an iPod. My Treo has an even more versatile calendar or alarm clock, even BETTER than an iPod. My Treo has better color and it can make calls too, which an iPod can't even do! (for now of course).

So really, why WOULD I ever want an iPod right? Other than it just being cool to have! And now, with the availability of the Arctic Treo 680 soon, it'll look JUST like an iPod!

Well, you get the picture.

Of course, there was ONE thing which I NEVER used my Treo for, which iPods are widely being used for these days. Exercising. I have never gone jogging, or trekking anywhere with my treo I have to admit. C'mon, what if it dropped! Although, having said that, reading other Treo sites, there are products out there that allow you to strap your Treo to your arm for this sole purpose. So you see, even then, this proves my point, you still wouldn't need an iPod if push came to shove.

Now, it leaves me with what would I do with my new iPod Shuffle then.

I decided.... I think I'll try use it for my jogging and gym sessions then. Yup, I'm going to fall into that category of gym rat that sports a white earphone plugged into his ear during workouts. Sad I know, but I rather not risk my Treo flying out of my arm band while I'm jogging you know.

Anyway, wanna know what am I doing now while posting this? Charging the Shuffle. Yup, here I am dissing it and comparing it to my Treo, but I'm still gonna try it out at least. (Update) I've just tried transferring some mp3s into it, to test it out. (No cd-rom with iTunes bundled in unfortunately. Gotta download it myself). So far, all I see is a blinking light. I've read and re-read the instructions about charging and transferring songs, but it still doesn't work. I don't get it. Well, back to charging it goes.

HMPH! My Treo never gives me problems like this. Another point for the Treo.

Treo 680 is on shore!

Work's been rather hectic as of late. A major project due in a few days, a course to attend next week. My trusty ol'V (that's 750V and NOT V3 mind you) has been a great help, tracking my progress and reminding me on what needs to be done.

Anyway, announcing the presence of the alter-ego and new kid on the block all-rounder, the Treo 680! Selling at SGD$788 as advertised on the Palm Singapore website here.

Two friends of mine have JUST received their new Treo 680's yesterday. Flown in direct from Singapore. (Its not available locally yet. And we know how much the cut-throat prices here are anyway). They are SO SO pleased. Two very different consumers. One is a new 1st time Treo user and the other, a replacement from his Treo 650.

I've was just able to see it in "person" a while ago. I have to admit, it looks GOOD. The first thing you notice is that its lighter than the 650. The button layout is exactly the same as my 750V, with a few minor tweaks to cater for the Palm OS. The battery cover, the front screen size, the stylus location... all exactly the same imprint as the 750V. Once I switched it on, the first thing that hit me was the color and resolution of the 680. Well, it IS the same as the 650. I guess its been a while since I've seen the 320x320 screen. Operating system wise, because of the back-up sync that my friend did last night, it looked exactly the same as his previous 650. You wouldn't be able to tell the difference, other than the fresh new form factor, i.e. no antenna, button layout etc.

But all in all though, it looks like a best-seller in the making. It IS targetted at the consumer market, the first time Treo users. Its just too bad the launch in Singapore only gives buyers the choice of the Graphite silver colour (like the colour above) , and not the remaining Arctic, Copper or Crimson colours that US has released. But hopefully it will come soon.

Also earlier today, my other friend, who bought the other Treo 680 (for his wife) called me up and we talked about the new Treo (he still uses 650). It seems that his wife's still struggling with learning the new Palm system from her previous Nokia. (Hey, it HAS only been a day ok?) But what he said to her struck me. He said "Don't worry, you'll get used to it, once you're a Treo user, you'll always be a Treo user". Now THAT is a Word of Wisdom.

So with Christmas around the corner, and if you're stuck on what to get as a Christmas gift for your loved one, why not try out the Treo 680. Try it, you'll never know, he/she might like it. Heck, YOU might like it too!

Vaja iVolution for Treo 750v

Here it is! My new Vaja iVolution Treo 750v case. FINALLY.

After tracking it online on a daily basis, then pestering the FedEx folks on the local end here today, I finally have it in my hands. Its beautiful. I'm glad I played safe and settled with the Black colour, rather than go for the other fancy customizeable colours out there like Lemon, or Sky Light. Black's just perfect for the V. Makes it look ultra professional. Here are some pics.

I gotta admit though, my pictures just don't do the case any justice. (It looks way better in real life. Take my word for it). I also decided against taking photos of the box it came in. (Hey, its just a pure white box with Vaja symbols. You wouldn't see much from a photo of a white box honestly)

A quick review:
Taking it out of the box, almost instinctly, I just had to take a whiff of that new Argentinian leather smell. AHHHHHH...... It was so reminiscent of my old Treo 650 iVolution and my (current) wallet when they first came too. There's just something about new leather isn't there? (Maybe its just me.)

Holding it in hand, the first thing I noticed is the cool Vaja symbol on the top right hand corner. Simple and elegant. The iVo feels very sturdy and solid on its own. "Semi-rigid frame" a little instruction paper says in the box. I totally agree.

The inside of the iVo was lined with a nice soft leathery material with the word "Vaja" strewn all across. Classy. Coupled with the soft touch of the 750v's body, it should prove quite difficult to even budge a centimetre from its holdings. So no complaints here.

Almost immediately, I slid in my 750v into its new case. It was a perfect and tight fit. It really complemented the V very well, not adding too much bulk to the original shape with all buttons within reach.

The "Ringer on/off" toggle at the top is exposed but does not stick out at all. The side volume buttons are easily within reach too.

At the back, with the camera behind, it just seemed to peer quietly through the cutout from the back of the iVo, contented with its new protected state maybe. However, the tiny mirror above the camera for self-portraits is totally blocked now by the iVo. Perhaps, the designers felt 750v users wouldn't bother with that feature anyway. They're probably right.

As for the speakers (front and back), both were covered by a chrome mesh, not obstructing any sounds at all. I made a few calls with the iVo on. There were no problems hearing the other person speak. In fact, it almost felt more "comfortable" with the iVo on my ear, like an added cushion.

For me though, the best part is that the iVo does not interfere with the keyboard functions of the 750v at all. Unlike the previous iVo for Treo 650, where the sides tended to stick out making it difficult to press letters at the side, this iVo does not restrict in that way at all. Excellent.

Overall, holding and looking at the iVo in my hand, I can really tell that I'm holding a total quality premium product. I would, without a doubt, recommend for anyone to invest in Vaja's for their smartphones (or even wallets) if they don't mind spending a little bit.

I hope this review helps.

d3xlabs hands on with the V

Work's been a bit hectic as of late. Deadlines to meet, reports to higher management, forecasted projects to plan for. Sure I'm making noise about it now (cos it leaves me pretty drained by the end of the night; meaning I can't update my blog!) but, I do enjoy my job. Yeah, you read it right. Everyday's a new challenge, everyday's got something fresh to look at. I guess its the nature of my day job.

BUT, I will say this. Having my 750v for 2 weeks now (who's counting anymore right?) I gotta say I couldn't have handled my hectic schedule any better without it! LOVE my treo. Its my day warrior. My personal secretary. I've been wanting to blog this the past few nights, but as usual, the mind was willing, but the flesh was weak. You have no idea how much more you can achieve with a Treo. (yea, yea... the sceptics amongst us would argue that holding a cheapo $100 phone, a digital camera, a notepad and a pen would have pretty much the same effect. Rather than slag those type of people down, I'll just say this, "To each his own")

So here it is, complementing the treo-godfather's take on 750v, a story of my own.

The first thing in the morning, SPB TIME jolts me awake with the loud customizeable mp3 tone I've set. (Importantly, its got "snooze". Ahhh, the best creation in the world if you ask me)

So, after my usual morning routines, I'd settle down to enjoy my oatmeal breakfast, and the TREO is my usual morning companion, telling me what I need to do for the day.

These days, ALL my appointments and schedules are logged into my treo, whether its a meeting at work, a lunch appointment, a reminder to pick up or pass sthg (like a phone) to someone, whether its a bill to pay, what groceries to buy for the house.... you get what I mean.... yup, its ALL in my treo. I can't give any more excuses on missing any appointments or forgetting anyone's birthday now. (The dispensation of course, is if I actually OVERLOOK entering the data INTO my treo). I use Pocket Informant 2007 as my calendar application now. Highly rated with numerous awards from various pocket pc outfits. Hey, with a tag line of "Bring back order into your life. Need to see beyond Today?", who can argue against that?

At meetings, when everyone else is holding on to notepads and pens, there I am armed only with my Treo. I have an arsenal of weapons under my (thumb) control that others are not even aware of (My plan to treo-ize the office has not hatched yet). I've got my Word Mobile, or Notes, to choose from to take down notes, or action points which I need to look into. I've got Excel Mobile to look at reports which I've saved into my 1Gb mini-SD card. Of course Pocket Informant is there when I need to look at calendars or set a date / schedule for another meeting. I've got a Calculator. Heck, I can even record voices if wanted to. In my office, if it gets too quiet, (or ironically if I need to focus when it gets too noisy), when others have their iPods plugged in, I've got my Windows Media Player to keep me satisfied. I can even watch movies with it if I wanted to! But hey, I don't get paid to watch movies at the office.

By the time I'm on my way home, the Treo's not even half as tired as I would be. Battery life's good with usually slightly over a quarter drained after a long day.

At home, with my kids still in their early years, the camera / video on my Treo is more than enough to quickly snap those "kodak moment" shots. Good thing they can pose pretty well at such a young age too! And even they know my Treo has photo albums stored which they can view photos of themselves after each shot. And with my 1Gb mini-SD, space is NOT an issue at all. Here are some samples of the camera quality. Perhaps not the best, but hey, if you want clear print copies, use a digicam. 750v's camera is ideal though for thumbnail shots to attach to my contacts, which I have on my "Today" screen (just one of the cool features of the 750v)

At night, when the family's asleep, and I want to enjoy a quiet moment alone, who's with me? My treo of course! I've got TCPMP for WM installed as well in my Treo. Meaning, I can now watch full featured movies in any format. I've enjoyed many an episode of Top Gear from my Treo and even watched a full movie on it before.

In the weekends, as I usually attend my regular church services, even there my Treo doesn't fail me. I've installed PocketBible, with various editions for comparison too. Searching for any books or verses has never been any easier. Coupled with Word Mobile, I'm also ever ready to take down notes.

All this time, I've talked about only the functions I use on a daily basis. (Note: I don't usually play games on my Treo). I have also not mentioned other Treo features such as the phone, the sms/mms/email OR the internet features. They are simply amazing to say the least. No complaints. Phone call quality is clear with great reception. Threaded chat for sms's is FANTASTIC, (c'mon... tell me, what better feature IS there out there?) For email, my Gmail is currently set up for quick downloads too at a push of a button. I've also installed Windows Live messenger and Verichat on my Treo, (which I'm currently testing now). MSN all day long... yup, you get the picture.

It has really been so easy using my Treo, the "one device to rule them all". This is truly the only device anyone will ever need. Being a Palm OS user, now Windows Mobile, I won't influence you on which OS you should or should not use, but I will say this, Get a Treo. My brother in Australia has recently bought a Treo 650 too (which I FULLY recommended of course). Last I heard, he absolutely loves it. I keep telling him, he has not discovered the full potential of his Treo yet. I'll have to sort him out when he gets back here on holiday soon.

Last but not least, all I'm waiting for now, is for tangible protection for my Treo. My Vaja iVolution is on the way! Been tracking it online past couple of days now. Its flying around somewhere in US as I blog this. Once it arrives, my Treo will be c-o-m-p-l-e-t-e.

Cases for protection - revisited

Over lunch with some mates yesterday, one of them had a leather case for his Nokia e61 which caught my eye. (All this talk on cases lately left me rather "alert" on what else people are using out there for their smartphones). Needless to say, I asked to have a look.

Here it is, the Noreve traditional leather case for Nokia E61.

In short, I was impressed. It was a nice fit for the e61. It did not add any extra size to the device like many other cases have the habit of doing. Inside, the e61 sits quite comfortably in place and there were a couple of extra pockets for SD cards and credit cards too. Outside, the soft leather flap covers the e61 well, with a little magnetic clasp that secures the e61 within. On the back, the clip used was very similar to the ones used with Vaja's. On the website (above), the price of this is about Euro 39.99. My mate did say it set him back about $110 door to door. Which works out together with the shipping costs. Not bad.

And sure enough, he also asked me to consider it for my Treo 750v too, but another mate there commented that I'm a more a Vaja guy. How true. But actually, I explained, that cost wise, Vaja's aren't that much more costly than this Noreve. Its just a matter of preference now isn't it? Argentinian or French, what's the difference? BUT, given that the Noreve case for 750v is almost identical to the one you see here, I knew it's just not for me. I'm not a fan of flaps 'n such. I like my cases straightforward with nothing obstructing the view from the main screen. Call me old fashioned, but hey, that's me.

BUT, I will reveal now, that I DID decide on spending a bit to invest in protecting my 750v asset.... a BLACK Vaja iVolution case for the 750v, without clip. Couldn't resist it. So, when I do get it in a couple of days, I'll post up some pics. (Note: Yes, its the same one you saw on my previous post. What a beauty!)

Cases for protection

I have this neighbour who owns a BMW M3, beautifully white with huge black-sprayed rims with minor hints of modifications not noticable to the eye. A fine and true ultimate driving machine.

Everyday I see it purr by as she (the M3) arrives back safely in sheltered holding of her garage. (Why "purr"? Hey, you don't expect it to roar by in high speed accelerations in my quiet neighbourhood do ya?!). Everyday I also see it sparkling oh-so-shiny clean. Why? Because the owner, washes his car lovingly at the end of every single day. I'm serious. No miss. He's a locally known (and quite popular) hairstylist who's establishment is located very nearby in an extremely busy commercial hub. So yes, he can afford such a luxury that many people salivate just talking about.

I tend to understand how he feels though. Hey, I would if I owned my dream car, the very notorious, very evil Subaru STI. Not very expensive, but unfortunately, not practical for someone in my current circumstances. (But that's another story altogether....)

Meanwhile, I DO own my dream phone! (Ahhh... you see where this is heading....) No I don't wash it every single day as it purrs back home with me after a long day. (Does cleaning count though?!). BUT nevertheless, I do want to protect my 750v. I've been researching as to what sort of casings or pouches there are available at the moment. There are a number out there. Famous known brands like Krussel, Brando, Proporta, Piel Frama and Vaja, to name a few. As I don't currently own the whole range of cases / pouches mentioned, other than the Vaja T65 for my previous Treo 650, and the Krussell case that came with treo-godfather's unit which was included in the package from Singapore, I can't personally give a dedicated review on each of the other brands I mentioned above. Otherwise I'd be biased. Just remember, when choosing a case, its basically down to what you would want. A nice form fitting type, a vertical slip-in type, a horizontal slip-in type or a booklet opening type (like the Proporta above).

But then, maybe I am biased, having previouly owned the Vaja T65, and even now using a Vaja wallet I specially ordered. Nothing beats a Vaja. The Gadgeteer says, "... if you want the best fitting case on the market, you want a Vaja iVolution case. They are the ultimate in look, feel and fit. Problem is that they are also expensive with a capital E....". I truly agree. They're not cheap, but they are the absolute BEST in terms of quality. They are fully customizeable too, with colours, clip selections and even name engraving. Feeling loud? Try Lemon on Orange? Different? Try Light Sky with Chocolate? Bling Bling? Try White with white. Color blind challenged? Try Rossa with Olive. Check out the Vaja link above and you'll get what I mean.

Here's a pic of the new iVolution for 750v. Those of you owners out there, or potential owners, you should seriously consider one if you can afford it.

Anyways, here's a pretty good comparison review from Geekzone NZ between the Vaja iVolution and Proporta for Treo 750v. Check it out.

Guest Blogger: A Hands on with the Treo 750v

Over the past few days, I have been receiving queries on how much "better" the 750v is compared to the 650. My response is usually the same, "I'm new to Windows Mobile, give me time" (and also, "No, I'm not selling this one ok?!"). I am in no position to say its better (yet), but all I can conclude (for now) is that its just "different". Like Windows is to a Mac.

With this, as promised a couple of days ago, I'd like to introduce you to my good buddy, my "guest blogger", the treo-godfather himself.

A little bit about him before I link-up TWO articles of his personal Hands on experience .
I've known him for a number of years now, amongst other things in our friendship, I've learnt alot from him about PDA's and smartphones. At one point at least in our past, we've both owned the same devices at the same time. beginning with the Palm Tungsten E, the Treo 650 and now of course, the Treo 750v. You could say, that my sole allegiance to the Treo now is due to his influence. And because of this, I dare say that no one I know is more knowledged or experienced in "all things" PDA's or Treos. If you want to know about hacking through the devices, changing system elements, experimenting with different softwares or even pushing your devices to its limit, look no further. I don't call him the godfather for nothing.

Without further ado, the links to his articles.

Interested in Treo 750v? Read this.
Third Time's the Charm: a look at the Treo 750v.

Why should you switch from Treo 650 to Treo 750v? Read this.
Palm Qualm.

All I can say is this, "Come.... come join the dark side".

Goodbye Palm, Hello Windows!

I'm excited. A couple of days ago, it was all talk of the Treo 750v. All the contemplations, all the what-if's, all the "feeling" of the unit in hand.... and now, the move to the dark side is complete.

Behold, I am now a proud owner of the Palm Treo 750v. And... I have no regrets. Windows Mobile 5, where have you been all my life?

Not without drama though. I ordered a unit from a local retailer a couple of days ago, but there was one big problem, they did not have any stock! And to make things worse, they could not confirm with me when the new stock would arrive. All I could do was wait. When something that you've been waiting for all year long as finally arrived, then you're told you can't get it yet, and there's no time period to wait before getting it, it was a little frustrating to say the least. (So what did I do? I went to another store that had 2 units left! *whew*)

Sure I waited this long for it, and sure its now running a different operating system than what I originally expected, but hey, a Treo it still is.

I've already filled it up with all my daily essentials to keep me prepared to face each day and its challenges. My PIM softwares, some personal programs, some games, Verichat for IM, some themes, a 1Gb mini-SD card.... yup, I'm good to go. I'm not gonna talk anymore about the features of the 750v, as my buddy the treo-godfather will soon be posting his review on this. So, keep checking for updates.

On a related note though, one of me mates JUST commented that he'll ask me again how the 750v is after 4 weeks time. Where's the faith?? Yes, yes, I know, I have alot to prove.... I think this one will silence the critics, you'll see.

So anyways, yesterday while at the store waiting for the sales assistant to bring out the 750v I was buying, I couldn't help but take notice of the other customers who were there. There were 3 which I remember clearly.
The first customer, a middle-aged guy, was testing out the new SE z610. He seemed pretty keen on getting it, messing around with the ringtones and general feel of it. I was thinking, "Dude! That's a girly phone man!". It does look nice though, you gotta admit.
The second customer, a lady who came in with her Nokia n70, looking to buy a higher capacity memory card for her unit. I was shocked! This store I was in is notorious for CRAZY WHACKED out prices for their memory cards! I wanted so much to shout at her suggesting she visit a shop a good buddy owns nearby, TTCO Enterprise. (People, if you're ever looking for quality products, with quality after sales service, you gotta try this place) Well, I couldn't very well say anything to a total stranger now could I?
The third customer, a guy, came in asking to buy a new Nokia N70. I was thinking, "wow, popular model these days". Unfortunately for him, the store had no stock. Then he asked for a new Nokia 6680. There I was, having this strong urge to ask him (hey, he was standing next to me) if he wanted a 2nd hand unit that I have in my possession. OR even, to visit QQ Store (see my links) as they'd probably have stock for a new N70. BUT, again, I had to control my urges and just zip it.

Good thing though, because by then, my 750v came and all my attention was diverted away from these unknowing customers. Made me think though, one day... I must own my own shop. Then customers like these, will be happier.

But, don't you just hate it though when you see customers in a mobile shop, asking for advice on certain models/brands they want to purchase, then there you see young punks or pop girly sales assistants attending to them only caring about making their commissions and giving customers crap advice?

You don't? Well, to me, I sure hate it.

Coffee & Tea

Don't you just love public holidays? Wake up late, not have to jump into the rat race, no need to think about work... Just a day (or two in our case) to spend time with the family and also in my case, to contemplate on the move to the dark side. I KNOW I said the move was complete yesterday. Hey, I still got time! Switching allegiances ain't easy ya know!

Incidentally, a couple of hours ago, I just returned from what I call, the Fellowship of the (treo) ring. (I know, I'm gasbagging about treo again) My two mates, TrueBlue and Treo-godfather (decided give my mates names in these blogs since i refer to them most of the time) had just received their new treos from Singapore and decided to meet up at a cafe. Needless to say, the curiosity got the better of me and I decided to join them. In the end, there were five of us at the table, all current or ex-treo owners together at one time. (Me, TrueBlue, Treo-godfather, Fumikane and Frogster) We had enough of seeing it on the computer screen, enough of reading reviews online from users around the globe, enough of wondering how it would feel like in our hands. We knew we had to see it for ourselves. At the expense of the two new owners of course. (Thanks guys!). The feel was great. Slimmer than the 650, more solidly built, and there is was, the Windows Mobile OS.

In the end, Frogster and Fumikane left undecided and not thoroughly convinced. For me however, I left still thinking about the move to the dark side.

You have to understand, we are all Palm OS users and we've all tried and tested what the Palm OS can do. Sure it had its hiccups and occasional resets here and there, but we regrouped, we adjusted, almost just... lived with it. Now, here we are, presented with the same loveable treo form factor, but a different OS inside..... it was.... totally unreal.

Ok let's take coffee and tea as an example. I've been a coffee-a-holic for many years now, then one day I received an email article about some research done which proves that drinking tea, is healthier. (I'm trying to be health conscious). So, I decided from that day on, I'd switch to tea. It was hard at first, but after a while, I got used to it. I drank tea in various flavours, tried it in many ways... and now, I love it. (Especially green tea, but hey, that's another story). Sometimes though, I do have cravings for coffee, but I always remind myself to stick to the guns, I'm a tea guy now.

That's my point exactly.

I'm used to Palm. I know and heard that Windows is better (supposedly), but I haven't tried it yet. I'm sure it gives me the same "high" as Palm would, and maybe better, who knows.... so now, the only thing stopping me is.... the act of literally going to the shops to buy one. (Hey, public holidays are here remember?)

I still have time.....

ANYWAYS, later on this week, I will be introducing to you the Treo-godfather himself, who will be guest-blogging on this blog about his personal review of the new Treo 750v. Take it from me, this guy knows what he's talking about. He started out with various ancient day Palms and HP IPaq PDA's in the early years, then when the Treo 600 was released, he was probably the first one in the country who bought it. After that, the Treo 650 came along (with that, a whole treo community grew, from his influence), then a Dopod 838 (back to WM) and now, the Treo 750v. It will be a good post I promise you.

So, stay tuned.... and meanwhile.... I'm back to thinking. I'd better get myself a drink.

A cup of Tea.

Treo 750v

Today was a day like every other. Work related deadlines, reports to sort out etc. Couple of phone queries here and there. Nothing out of the ordinary. Until.............

Remember my last post when I was talking about two of my mates having ordered their Treo 750v's, (which is due to arrive tomorrow from Singapore), well... there was a discussion amongst us today. The major part of which, revolved around the infamous debate of Windows Mobile (WM) OS vs (the ageing) Palm OS. Being an ardent fan of Palm for a while now, and one of the many remaining "loyalists" around, I was intent on sticking my ground and defending the causes of what the mighty Palm OS could do against the dark (WM) side. Let's just say that my defence was slowly crumbling to the ground, with no light-saber juice left in my arsenal against the onslaught of WM laser beams that some of my mates were shooting. At the end of the discussions, and subsequent numerous emails that followed.... the war was slowly starting to diffuse..... with the winner very obvious.....

Windows Mobile 5. The dark side.

Yup, you heard me. Like traitors, there was no longer any argument that could substantially hold against what WM could do to our lives. We were hit. And left wanting....

Wanting.... the new Treo 750v. The same 750v I mentioned yesterday.... the same 750v I blogged on 06Oct06. And how humiliating / timely (same difference) that it was also TODAY, that the 750v became LOCALLY and officially available at a major telcom supplier!

Beaten, together with the hand that held the sword, the treo godfather himself, I dragged my palm-storm-trooper feet to the showroom where the champion beheld. The Treo 750v. And boy were we blown away! The size, the lack of antenna, the unfamiliar-yet-supposedly-stable OS (to me anyway), it was enough.

The move, to the dark side, was complete.

Ok, enough of gasbagging about treo in every blog. You get the picture. I love Treos. I will own one soon. If you haven't tried one, get out there and make one of the best financial decisions of your life, Get a Treo. On mytreo.net, I read a news header that caught my eye. "Vancouver Sun: 1 in 10 would rather lose their mother in law than their Treo". Now THAT, says it all.

Moving on, I have to add this. I was watching TV earlier on this evening, and an interesting advert came on. It started with this guy who saw a reflection of this girl in the mirror. But when he actually tried seeing the "real" girl, she wasn't there. It was only inside the mirror she existed. What followed then, was a chase between them with a whole kaleidoscope effect of them running here and there. Then the product came on, the Motorola KRZR. I was like, WHAT GIVES!? All that running and kaleidoscoping, the ad's about a phone?! Moto had cool ads with the RAZR, but this one, it takes the cake.

Sorry, but I'm not a fan of (any) Motorola. They just don't work in my books.

Frodo

Why Frodo you ask? A buddy of mine commented the other day, I'm Frodo. Puzzled me at first, but he reminded me of my recent post with regards to a certain "PRECIOUS" I once owned. Ahhhh.... I see. If I do start having a weird gleam in my eye, salivating when I talk about phones and eating raw fish... please, someone... hit me.

The reactions I have received the past couple of days have been nothing short of expected. Most of them have been, "What?! You sold your.....". Sure I miss it, but in this line of business, you gotta be tough. No emotions, no loyalties. "What 8800?"...

I must say though, it has been a while since I've been intrigued by a phone that's held my interest longer than... a month? The Treo 650 was that magic phone for me. I'm hoping the new Treo 680 will do the same.

Ah well, back to the waiting game AND using a huge Nokia 9500 for the time being. What a weapon.

Anyways, incidentally, at work yesterday, one of the managers said to me on my way to a meeting on his floor, "What phone are you using now?" I yanked out the 9500 from my pocket to his surprise and laughter. (He uses one too) He then asked, "Have you used the p990i yet? I'm thinking about getting it". He had been using his nokia 9500 for the past 2 years (almost) and had been itching for a change. I told him, basically, the SE p990i sucks big time (sorry Sony Ericsson! Your fault really) and that I've already heard of so many complaints about it, and of people selling it off too because of the laggy OS interface. Sad but true. So anyways, I told him, since he is familiar with the Nokia symbian OS, wants / needs a keyboard AND would like the office email to sync with his device, then the Nokia e61 would be the best Nokia device currently which will suits his needs. He was even more pleased when he heard the price of a new one now. ($628 only from QQSTORE). I emailed him all the good reviews from My-symbian.com and allaboutsymbian.com, AND even found him a 2nd hand unit that I heard about recently too. Now, the ball is in his court.

(Of course I'd still recommend a Treo anyday..... )

Speaking of Treos, a couple of mates decided yesterday to purchase the new Treo 750v, the Windows mobile version of the Treo. It will be arriving in a few days time from Singapore. I told em, they'd definitely be the first in the country to own it for sure, since its not locally / officially launched here yet. All that talk about it with them, it made me very curious now about how the "feel" of it will be. I'll try post my first impressions of it next week.

But Windows on a Treo? That's like.... like.... Windows on an iMac. Something's weird about this picture isn't it? We'll see...