For many old users, the appearance of Treo 700w was a huge change. It showed that Palm gave up its own operating system for the first time and adopted Microsoft's Windows Mobile.
The start of strategic cooperation
On September 26, 2005, Microsoft and Palm jointly held a press conference in San Francisco, USA. Microsoft founder Bill Gates was present in person and announced the results of the cooperation between the two parties, a mobile phone Treo running the Windows Mobile operating system. This action was understood by the outside world as Palm's strategic change in the face of intensified competition in the smartphone market, and it wanted to use the introduction of Microsoft systems to open up new enterprise user markets.
The two parties reached an agreement that a new phone will be officially launched in the first quarter of 2006. It will first support the CDMA 2000 1X network standard, which shows that its initial market is mainly locked in North America. This cooperation was quite shocking news for the PDA industry and mobile phone industry at that time, changing the original competitive landscape.
Changes in hardware design
Treo 700w uses a redesigned keyboard layout. Compared with previous Treo models, its keys have become smaller and more compactly arranged; the original Home key and Book key have been canceled and replaced by the iconic "Start Menu" button and "OK" confirmation key of the Windows Mobile system.
In terms of connectivity and expansion, the Treo 700w has Bluetooth and infrared data transmission capabilities, and is equipped with an expansion slot that supports SD cards and MMC cards. This card slot is also compatible with SD I/O devices, giving users more expansion possibilities. However, its screen resolution is lower than that of the Palm OS Treo phone of the same period, which is considered a compromise.
Launch and initial market feedback
In January 2006, Treo 700w officially started shipping and listing. In the US market, it is sold exclusively through telecom operator Verizon Wireless; in the UK market, it is sold exclusively by operator O2. Such a sales model that was deeply tied to operators was a key and important way for smartphones to enter the mainstream consumer market at that time.
However, even in 2006, this phone still did not have WiFi wireless network capabilities. This was seen as a common shortcoming of all Palm smartphones at the time. In an environment where wireless LANs were gradually becoming more popular, this flaw limited its application experience in business and mobile office scenarios.
Operating system and software experience
In terms of operation, Treo 700w is based on the Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0.2.0 operating system, which is a PC-style system that is closer to the operating logic of a desktop computer. It has traditional elements such as the start menu and file manager. However, for those users who are accustomed to the simple and efficient features of Palm OS, this system appears to be more complex and bloated.
The design of the hole corresponding to the soft reset of the device software is controversial. When the machine crashes and needs to be forced to restart, the user has to open the back cover of the phone and use a stylus to poke the small hole hidden in the battery compartment. This process is far less convenient than the external reset button that can be used directly, and brings unnecessary trouble to daily use.
Evolution of subsequent models
In September 2006, in response to market feedback, Palm launched the Treo 700wx, an upgraded version of the Treo 700w. The new model was almost the same as the 700w in terms of appearance and core configuration. However, its main improvement was that it unlocked the network lock and could support any CDMA operator, not just Verizon.
In 2006, Palm did not abandon its own system and launched the Treo 700p. The "p" in the model number refers to Palm OS, and the Treo 700p runs Palm OS version 5.4.9. The 700p has a slight hardware upgrade, the most significant of which is the increase in screen resolution to 320×320 pixels, which is the same as the earlier Treo 650, and its display effect is better than the 700w.
Continuation of the Windows Mobile product line
Since the Treo 700w, Palm has continued to launch a number of smartphones based on the Windows Mobile system. In January 2007, the Treo 750 was released for the European market, which was also equipped with the Windows Mobile 5.0 system. At the end of 2007, the more fashionable Treo 500v was released, which used the updated Windows Mobile 6.0 standard version.
In 2008, Palm launched the Treo 800w, which was a model designed for CDMA networks. It also used the Windows Mobile 6.0 system. In 2009, the final product of the product line, Treo Pro, appeared. It was equipped with Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional Edition. It also rarely provided both GSM and CDMA network versions.
Looking back on this past, Treo 700w is more like a bold experiment that ultimately failed to turn the tide. At that time, for Palm, which was trying to both retain old users and attract new users, did the strategy of parallel promotion between Palm OS and Windows Mobile divert its already few R&D resources and ultimately accelerate its decline? Do you still remember or use these early smartphones? Feel free to share your experiences and insights in the comment area. If you find this period of history interesting, please like and share this article.
