Proud Geek

For years, I’ve had problems trying to sync my Palm Treo with my computer via the HotSync cables.

(What, you’re reading this because you thought the title meant something more risque than this? Please! This is a somewhat family-friendly blog!)

I’d repeatedly press the HotSync button, and disconnect and then reconnect my Palm with the Sync cable up to ten or even twenty times before it would finally start the HotSync process. Very, very frustrating. I knew it was because of dirt and gunk accumulated in the connector at the bottom of the Palm unit, but still …

Then while trying to clean my Palm’s connectors with Purell, I discovered something.

Every time I want to sync my Palm, all I need to do is to rub a dab of Purell a bit vigorously along the connectors. It will sync after each time I do this. Without fail.

But then when I take my Palm and use it for more than a few minutes and try to sync it again without a dab of Purell, it won’t work. And then I have to rub Purell again along the Palm connectors so I can sync it.

So now every time I want to sync my Palm, I just rub Purell along it first. Works every time.

Who knew that a bit of Purell on the base of one’s Palm works just like a lubricant?

(Ok, I couldn’t resist. Family time again.)

The Palm Centro will come out in mid-October in the USA — and it’ll only be $99 (with a 2-year Sprint plan)!

(Click on the photo for a larger version)

Here’s what you’d get with the Palm Centro, running on the Palm OS:

• Palm OS 5.4.9
• 1.3 megapixel camera / video
• 64mb storage
• Removable battery
• 320×320 screen
• EvDO network (near broadband-speed Internet)
• Bluetooth compatible
• Comes with IM, text-messaging, phone, and email (although the built-in Versamail email program does not use push technology — so just download Chatter Email and follow my instructions to get push email)
• Comes with the typical PDA tools of contacts, calendar, tasks, memos, and sync
• MP3 player built in
• Full keyboard (actually a rubber sheet!)
• MicroSD expansion slot (in side of unit)
• Available in two colors: ruby red and onyx black
• Smallest and lightest Palm smartphone ever

At this point, I’m not sure why this is a “cheap” Palm compared to the Palm Treo line (which can be as low as $199 but can be as high as $450). The case is lighter and made of durable firm plastic, and these units will have an IM client built in — at least only for those units being sold by Sprint. The Centro actually seems to be a mini version of the Palm Treo 755p, so time will tell why this is a more inexpensive alternative. I should note that Sprint has an exclusive contract to sell the Centro for 90 days, and that other carriers may be carrying the Centro starting in January. Hopefully my favorite, Verizon, will sell this very soon …

(I should note that a Treocentral blog post explains that this smartphone would be terrific for entry-level users, but nto necessarily for power users. Interesting.)

If you know me even passably well, you will know that I have my nose to my Palm Treo pretty much all the time. I walk while reading / using my Palm Treo. I use it in the car while waiting at red lights. I use it in the elevator at work. I stand in line at Starbucks while reading someting on my Treo. I whip out my Palm Treo whenever I’ve got a few spare SECONDS.

So … Just what am I doing on my Palm Treo 650?

Ah, here’s a quick list of what I might be doing on the Treo at any given moment:

• Checking out my Mobile Facebook page (including reading and writing on people’s walls, checking on who just joined as a new friend, and reading new Facebook emails;
• Reading and sending emails via Chatter (see my blog post about setting up push email using Chatter)
• Reading e-books that I purchased via eReader (believe me, it becomes easy after a while to read books on the Palm, and it’s difficult to go back to the printed page!);
• Catching up with everyone’s blogs as well as news headlines using Google Reader’s mobile page;
• Making sure there’s no traffic on my way home via Google Maps Mobile;
• Checking out my Proud Geek blog stats via WordPress’s admittedly bare-bones mobile page;
• Playing either Bubblet or WordPop!;
• Maintaining my to-do list and generally managing info via either Vitalist’s mobile page or Bonsai;
• Checking the weather via Accuweather’s mobile page;
• Writing documents and spreadsheets via Docs to Go;
• Browsing the Internet using Googlizer (via Google’s mobile page) to optimize webpages for smartphones;

If you’re thinking, “Wait a minute, Mr. Proud Geek makes it sound like his Palm Treo 650 is just like a laptop!” then you’re exactly right. Exactly right.

That’s me, Mr. Proud Geek, in the photo below. I’m at the Miami Seaquarium, holding my younger daughter and using my Treo while dolphins frolic and splash us all. (In the photo, I’m actually emailing fellow Treo fanatic Chris.  Click on the photo for a larger version.)

Good news: my younger daughter finally quit her pacifier a few days ago. Hooray!

The latest Palm Treo model has been unveiled!

The Palm Treo 500v is the slimmest Treo ever, and it comes with a nice upgrade of features, including:

• Delivery of MSN/Hotmail, Yahoo, and Gmail emails as they arrive — a very nice touch, considering that it was difficult in the past to get push email on Windows-based Palm Treos without an Exchange server
• 2.0 megapixel camera for sharp pictures and videos
• 150mb of memory — plenty for all of your music and videos that you’d play with the built-in Windows Media Player Mobile.

(EDIT: Some downsides. The screen is non-touch — the first time ever for a Palm Treo. Makes it more akin to a Blackberry, eh? Also, the keyboard’s smaller than other Treos, so if you’re stubby-fingered, well …)

You want one? If you’re living in North America, you’re outta luck for a while — the Palm Treo 500v is only available in several countries in Europe for the time being.

Do I want one? No, because I want a Treo that runs on Palm OS. But I could be swayed if the software is right …

If you’re wondering — yes, the “500v” is a lower number than some of the latest Palm Treos out there (680, 700, 755). This apparently reflects the fact that this would be more inexpensive, and may be available for just $99 with a good voice plan.

Palm wised up and decided not to go ahead with the release of its Foleo!

Three months ago, I blogged about the Foleo and said at the end, “Sorry, Palm. You gotta work harder. But I’d be happy to be proven wrong — I’ve been a faithful Palm user for nearly ten years.”

I’m thrilled to see that Palm has decided not to go ahead with the Foleo and, instead, focus on its smartphones. From a portion of its blog post announcing its decision:

In the course of the past several months, it has become clear that the right path for Palm is to offer a single, consistent user experience around this new platform design and a single focus for our platform development efforts. To that end, and after careful deliberation, I have decided to cancel the Foleo mobile companion product in its current configuration and focus all of our energies on delivering our next generation platform and the first smartphones that will bring this platform to market. We will, of course, continue to develop products in partnership with Microsoft on the Windows Mobile platform, but from our internal platform development perspective, we will focus on only one.

Hooray! Good step back, Palm. Now, it’s up to you to capitalize on your step back by taking two steps forward in the right direction — a superduper smartphone that’ll give the iPhone and the upcoming Google Phone a run for their money.