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You know I have been a Palm supporter for several years! I am comfortable with the platform! I know its limitations and workarounds. I depend upon it! It rarely lets me down! I look at the price vs performance side of things and I am seeing that the Palm Treo is still a lot of Smartphone for the $$$. It does a lot more than the iphone at this point, for a lot cheaper! I have raved about ChatterEmail and how much I love it! The Palm OS has been a part of my life now for almost 10 years! It all started with a Palm III. Then, a IIIc. On to a Handspring Visor Prism with the phone module add-on! Then to a Tungsten E, and to a Treo 650! Then onto the 680! I have invested quite a bit of money over time in accessories, in applications. I know a lot about these devices! Yet, throughout all of these years, I have seen little growth. Very little innovation, I have seen hardly any change in the OS! I have Watched WM grow and get better and better. And I see WM offer things such as WiFi. Now the iPhone comes along, with its gimmicky interface. As gimmicky as it is, it is still an innovation. Oh, I see faults in the iPhone design as I have blogged about before, but I still see it as a step forward. And if you compare it to the early Treos, its pretty solid for the first attempt! But what does Palm offer? the same ole, same ole OS in a new form factor, code-named the Gandoff, or worse, the $600 Foleo that does about 1/3 as much as a $500 laptop . . . . Palm has been promising a new OS now for at least 3 years. First it was going to be Cobalt. Scratch that, as it can\\'t work, but don\\'t worry, Palm has something better! Linux, but wait! Theres more! We will make it to where you can still use your existing Palm apps!!!!!!!!
During all the iPhone mania, buried deep in the "other news" Palm announced that it would be next year before it would release its new LInux OS! I am starting to grow weary of this very stale OS . . . . Look around and you will see HTC turning out some pretty incredible WM devices. Now Apple comes along and on its first try, really does some pretty neat things . . Its hard for me to get excited when Palm continues to take my 10 year old interior, and put it in a new package with new paint and expect me to pay a new price for it . . . Add to that the fact that AT&T can\\'t offer High speed data for a Palm Treo, and the frustration level rises. I look at the Cingular 8525. This device out of HTC's WM factory is a whole lot of device! A big, beautiful screen, slide out keyboard, AND HSDPA for $300 with a two year! So why haven\\'t I switched already? Why didn\\'t I jump on the iPhone bandwagon? Why haven\\'t I taken the WM HTC plunge? Well, there are two things about the Treo that I am not sure I can live without . . . The first is the keyboard right on the front of the device! This sort of thing can\\'t be discounted! This is the design that just seems to work for me! Its about the only thing about the Blackberry that I like! It is quick and right there. No sliding to access, and thumb-typing ain\\'t bad! I input a lot of text in a typical day using email, IM\\'s, documents and notes. I like this design! The other is Chatteremail! Chatter is, as I have said many times in the past, one of the most powerful apps you will ever find on ANY Smartphone. This is one area about the iPhone that really turns me off! Its idea of IMAP email reminds me a whole lot of Versamail for the Treo! In short, its a joke . . To many, its not, but if you have ever experienced Chatter with IMAP accounts, you know what I am talking about. . . . WM mail is no better. But how much longer can the Treo design and one great app keep me here? Here is what I am telling myself: I am giving Palm until April of next year to show me their Linux Treo! If its announced, but not out, I am gone! If the thumbkeys are gone, then so am I! With the total lack of innovation for the last 7 years, (since the 600 was introduced) I am not waiting any longer! What will I move to? Right now, I don\\'t know . . But my eyes are starting to wonder and the grass is certainly looking greener in the iPhone and WM camps . . . '
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