RealTown's RealTalk

I used to love my Treo but I’ve decided that I might be better off with another type of smartphone.  I’m on my second 700p with Verizon.  Phone service in my area is great but the phone has decided to just die whenever it chooses.  It has died three times when I needed to show homes. 

It was amazing to read your comments as I thought I was reading an "echo".  I am currently with my third Treo 700P and the number of times I have wanted to throw it as far into the nearby bay as I can send it can't be counted.  Because I have a family plan with Verizon, switching carriers would mean buying three new phones.  That is not an answer at this time.  I was told when I made the switch that for some unexplained reason, more problems seemed to be occurring with the Treos using Verizon than with other carriers.  WHEN it works it is great but it is completely unreliable!!  My two previous phones just froze up!  When asked to perform a desginated task it would simply reboot completely.  The last one locked up and would not function, reboot or turn off.  I was warned ahead of time that the problem would be blamed on the Supra application and it was but this makes little sense as I am sure Palm and Supra worked these things out long before doing a nationwide recommendation on this device.  Right now it is working.  I'd like to know how your saga plays out since it is so similar to my own.  (ann@anntidmore.com)

Ann Tidmore, CRS, GRI, SRES, CNHS, e-Pro

Cheryl: had a 650 and had finally had it. Was able to trade up for free--the question was to what. Everything I heard or read about the Treos was really bad. Also spoke to techie types at customer services for other devices--kind of like taliking to mechanics at a car dealership before looking at cars. Consequently went to a Blackberry Pearl. I like the size, but it is less 'beefy'--but it also works really well and consistently.

The Treo perpetually froze and blocked calls while it updated--which I didn't know til I got rid of it--cost me--I got booted off a referral thing that required instant response--they said they could never reach me and I accused them of not even trying because the phone never rang. But also won't work with Supra--not infrared.When I went to the Verizon store, at least 2 other people were dumping the Treo. The real downside now is not only carrying the Supra Key, the Supra Key only stays charged for maybe a day and a half--even if you don't use it. If you use it, you're lucky to get through the day. It's horrible. And it takes 4-6 HOURS to charge this thing. At least with the old key you could dial in for a last minute update. There is no last minute option with this thing. Using the PDA would certainly be easier--but there's no good PDA option.Good luck. PS The Pearl really, really works well. It took some getting used to. It's a pleasure to have something that actually functions. And the sound quality of the phone is great. E-mail is great. syncing with Outlook is great.

The TREO 650 isn't bad, but there are some issues with it you might consider. 

1.  The memory that comes with the phone is low compared to some other brands.  I installed my eKey on my phone and that too up most of the memory on the phone.  Of course you can get a removable memory card but a lot of programs for TREO 650 have to be intstalled on the phones own memory.

2.  The phones speaker in the earpiece isn't very loud and you have to increase it for every phone call. 

I've had the TREO 650 for over a year, which means it's probably time to upgrade to a new model.  So if you're considering going with the TREO 650 keep in mind you're going with an old phone or at least "OLD" in reference to the life of a model of cell phone.

Jeff Sheppard, CSP
Broker Associate
Cedar Creek Realty, LLC
25775 W. 103rd Street
Olathe, KS 66061
W# 913-829-6500
F# 913-829-6537
Email:  jeff@cedarcreek-kc.com
Website:  http://www.cedarcreek-kc.com

Hello Yoko,

Looks like you've received a lot of good information.  I own a Verizon XV6800 and like it very much.  It's a little on the bulky side, but I'm able to pull up MLS quickly and it's easier to navigate than the others.  I did get the extended battery, because when you have the bluetooth enabled, it burns through the battery life.  It has both keyboards (digital and manual, qwertry).  The screen is a good size.  Once you get the hang of it, it's easy to use.  Good luck.

Lisa Greene, ABR