Treo 680 crisis over; first impressions

Ok, so my Treo 680 somehow magically came alive at 6am this morning. I still suspect something went wrong with my battery callibration, though. Thanks to all who offered their suggestions. I have only used the Treo 680 for a couple of hours at this point, so I thought I would offer some immediate first impressions.

The Treo 680 certainly feels lighter than my Treo 650. It fits just as well in the hand. Some aspects of the phone feels flimsy — for example, the SD card door and the SIM card holder. Otherwise, the Treo 680 is as solid as its predecessor.

Palm did some changes on the keyboard, particularly the shape and the configuration. Whereas the Treo 650 had rounded buttons, the Treo 680 has flatter buttons. The keyboard layout change is quite frustrating to me. I keep hitting the power button (red button) when I want to select a menu. It’s driving me crazy, but after two years with the Treo 650 I need to retrain my muscle memory.

My Treo 680 (AT&T branded) came in an OEM box, with minimal accessories. There was the standard charger, HotSync cable, mono earphones and a leather case that’s as ugly as it is functional. There are no CDs or manuals in the box, so I had to download the manuals and borrow the CD from a friend.

My current cases won’t work with the Treo 680, since Palm moved the camera and speaker positions at the back. I will probably look for a new case soon — I quite like some of the rubber/silicone skins that are available.

I won’t talk about the software this time around — more impressions to come!

Filed under: Treo Today

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