Hands-on with the Palm Treo 755p

Earlier this month, Palm unveiled its latest Treo—the Palm OS-based 755p—and I've spent the past week or so giving it a test drive. As the owner of the older Treo 700p for the past year, I can pretty much tell you that besides a few tweaks here and there, and the now-missing external antenna (which has been tucked away inside the 755p's sturdy shell), not much has changed. But here's the thing: despite its dated-looking menus and aging multimedia features, the 755p is still one of the best smartphones out there.

While the new 755p is pretty much the same size (save for the absent antenna) and weight as the 700p (tipping the scales at more than six ounces), the newer Treo feels quite a bit more sturdy than its older sibling. This could just be a factor of the 755p's slightly rubberized case, but there's also the more-secure rear battery cover, which always felt way too flimsy on the 700p. The keyboard is almost exactly the same, although again, the 755p's feel a bit more solid. The four function keys (for calling, events, messaging and home) that flanked the 700p's navigational keypad have been melded into a pair of rocker keys on the 755p—nice, but neither here nor there in terms of actual usability.

As I noted before, the 755p's Palm OS-driven menus are mirror images of those on the 700p; the only substantial change you'll find is Sprint's new instant messaging application, which lets you chat with AIM, Yahoo! Messenger and Windows Live buddies. Unfortunately, this new IM app is painfully limited; contact and privacy settings are non-existent, and while the app will keep you logged on in the background, you won't get any alerts if a pal sends you a message. Personally, I'd recommend skipping the Sprint IM program and going for a third-party app, such as the powerful Causerie.

Although the 755p's OS hasn't changed much, it does seem snappier than on my 700p; again, that could be because my Treo is saddled with a year's worth of junk files and third-party applications. That said, zooming around the 755p's various apps was a pleasure. Otherwise, most the 755p's specs are unchanged from the earlier model, including the 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth (good for wireless files transfers, contact synching, dial-up networks and wireless headsets, but no stereo support), 3G EV-DO data, access to streaming video via Sprint TV, and support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and push e-mail. Calling quality is still excellent, although you'll have to charge the 755p every couple of days or so.

So why would I recommend a smartphone like the 755p that seems to be falling behind the times? Namely because the Palm OS—while clearly showing its age—is still much easier to use than the oft-confusing Windows Mobile OS. Also, the Palm OS still enjoys solid third-party development support, which means you can take advantage of first-rate applications like DataViz's Documents to Go (a robust document editor that works with Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents). And while I'm traveling, I find that tethering my Treo to my laptop for on-the-go Internet is invaluable (I'm signed up for Sprint's all-you-can-eat data plan, which goes for about $40 a month). Best of all, the 755p is just $280 with a two-year service plan, compared to $400 for my 700p a year ago. While 700p owners have no real reason to upgrade, those in the market for a new smartphone should give the 755p a serious look.

Related:
Palm Tees up Treo 755p for Sprint [Yahoo! Tech]