Palm Treo Pro Review

Interface:

Running Windows Mobile 6.1, there isn’t a lot new with the interface. The Pro does not have a customized homescreen like devices such as the HTC Touch Diamond and Sony Ericsson Xperia X1.  This, of course, can be customized entirely by the user with different plugins and even new interface overlays. The homescreen soft keys are Contacts on the left and Internet on the right, which launches Internet Explorer.  The HTC Task Manager’s quick menu sits at the top right of the screen, allowing users to quickly close running programs and see real time memory usage.



Phonebook and Organizer:

As a WM Professional device the Pro is as full-featured as it gets. It of course syncs with Outlook, so managing contacts and calendar is simple.  Being a GSM phone, when a new contact is added the user is given the option to add it as a SIM or Outlook contact.  Only the latter will sync with Outlook when the phone is paired with a computer.  There is nothing new with the Pro; it runs the standard Windows Mobile Calendar and Contacts application. Other PIM applications are also exactly the same as before, such as Notes, Tasks, Calculator and Clock.



The dialpad and phone interface has been redone yet again, and HTC’s fingerprints are evident.  A press of the send key brings up recent calls and contacts, but annoyingly not the onscreen dialpad.  That is accessed via the left softkey, and unlike the 800w there is noticeable lag between button presses.  The pad itself is large and easy to use, and even though the onscreen version must be accessed by softkey the user can dial with the physical keyboard at any time.  Not only can you dial by number, but if you start typing in letters it will match your contacts.


Like the HTC Touch and older HTC devices, the in-call screen features six onscreen buttons in two rows.  For the Pro they are Speaker, Mute, Hold, Note, Contacts and Unlock/Lock.  The screen is locked by default when on the call, and the user has to use the d-pad to access the Unlock button which is a minor annoyance.  It’s a good idea in theory, but doesn’t translate in practice.  Again, the caller ID picture is still miniscule.