Electronics : Palm Centro Smartphone

Rating: - This phone combines functionality with ease of use.
I've only had my Centro for three days but I'm so pleased with it that I feel compelled to write a review right now and maybe add another one at a later date.
I'll admit that it may not be as flashy nor able to brag about the size of its mega pixel as some of the smartphones on offer but what it lacks in show it more than makes up for in ability and ease of use. Everything I've tried to do with it so far has worked first time with no hassles. Like for instance one of the first things I did was to set it up to get my email, I was expecting an hour of frustration but not a bit of it, I just put in my username and password and I was reading my emails within two minutes. After loading in the software I sat it on my infrared keyboard that I have for my Palm TX and that worked straight off too. It will sync through Bluetooth no problems which I know it should but I'm no computer whizz so these things usually take me a while to sort out. It even works with the TX desktop after setting a separate user account for the Centro. I did install the Centro desktop software but found the TX desktop has a few little extras so I'm using that instead. It will work with Microsoft Outlook if you prefer although I haven't tried it preferring the simplicity of the palm desktop. I was worried that the keyboard would be too small to be functional but after using it for a while you get used to it. They recommend that you hold the phone in both hands and type with your thumbs which you can but it's also just as easy to use with one hand like you would a normal phone. The Camera is only 1.3 mega pixels but is good enough for taking a snap shot when caught without a camera, the pictures are certainly good enough for email or posting to a blog. There are a good amount of applications that come with the Centro but if you go to sites like Centronaughts Software you will find hundreds of third party applications, some of which are even for free.
I bought the Centro because I wanted to save having to carry a separate phone and PDA. I've had a PDA since they first came out and use it a lot to organize my work and time. I also like to listen to music, take a picture, make phone calls and send and receive SMS messages plus send and receive emails, it does all this with ease in a user friendly way. Don't be put off by the Palm operating system, once you get used to it, its easy to use and works very well. Beauty is said to be in the eye of the beholder, the phone may not be the best looking one around but to me it looks okay, its certainly nice to hold, not too heavy and fits in to most pockets with ease. The thing that worries me the most is a lack of protection for the screen, I don't think you would want to put it in the same pocket as our car keys or even lose change. Without nit picking it's hard to fault this machine - okay, so my ear pieces don't fit the jack plug on it but then they never fit any of the other phones I've had either. This phone/PDA may not excel at any one particular thing but what it does do is a bit of everything very adequately and at half the price of some of its competitors. If I lost mine tonight I would go out and buy another one tomorrow, that's how much I like it.

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Rating: - Good....no great.....but not Perfect!
Have recently bought the Palm Centro and so far have mixed feelings.... but overall positive. Palm/Treo philosophy seems to be: "if it ain't broke, then don't fix it"; which is my sentiment exactly!
I am sure there are people out there who are very techno savvy and understand the intricate differences between Symbian, OS and windows based platforms, but sadly I am not one of them. I was looking for was something that does what is says on the box and does it reliably and efficiently with minimal hassle! I also have a Windows based PDA, but the Palm platform is much much quicker and responsive and lasts much much longer on a single charge.
I have moved from a Treo 600 to the Palm Centro via a short stopover with the Treo 680. The 680 was a tidied up 600, but unfortunately it died on me Day 3. Top marks to Amazon for taking it back ASAP!
My impressions regarding the Centro so far:
1) The Palm Centro is obviously smaller and more compact. The screen is smaller, but you'll soon not notice. The keyboard is allegedly a tighter fit, but practically doesn't feel any different. My trusty old Treo 600 now looks like a bulky antiquated piece from techno-history. However, the Centro also feels less sturdy. My major gripe is that you can feel the battery cover play slightly when you hold the Centro in your hand...very irritating that!!
2) The synchronisation via my laptop was painless. Literally took a total of 5 minutes to install the Centro's software, configure and sync all my old contacts, calendar, notes, and to do items. However, not SMSs! I know that there is software that can do that, but that's just too much hassle. Overall very very slick, and I moved over to the new Centro immediately.
3) Googlemaps was a major attraction, but I haven't been able to figure out how to browse Googlemaps without connecting to the internet. Suggestions anyone?
4) The actually software is no different from Treo's and whereas there are no new (worthwhile) gizmos, I am using programmes that intimately familiar with!
5) I am disappointed that the box doesn't include a slipcase!
6) The stylus is absolutely crap! It is very flimsy and bendy, small and too thin. Don't get me wrong, it is still functional and does what it's supposed to, but just feels feeble and limp and cheap! And I can't find an alternative stylus of better material that will fit in the slot. Hey Palm guys, that's an accessory that I will buy! Surprisingly, everyone else seems to gloss over how crap the stylus is!?
7) Battery life ie definitely less than my Treo 600 which only needed charging once a week or so. This beast needs feeding every third day! And can die on you without too much warning!

Before finally settling on this smartphone, I not only read all the very helpful comments on Amazon, but also perused the US tech-mags, which had an overall positive opinion. I also took to the high street and checked out the competition; namely the Blackberry, Nokia E71, the MDA, HTC, iPhone, Storm, X1, SPV, XDA etc, and unless you are after a specific feature like email, or a good quality camera, then the Palm Centro is definitely a contender as an all-rounder. It has the advantage of having a qwerty keyboard (which beats touchscreen tap-typing any day) as well as a touch screen! Though not as popular in the UK, I would definitely recommend the Treo/Palm family!

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Rating: - Best Value Smartphone with Great Software Support!
If you are looking for a great value smartphone, and ideally have an unlimited data-plan and EDGE coverage (although normal GPRS speeds is fine on many occasions), then you can't go wrong with this baby.

This smartphone basically gives you mobile internet ready to go. I use mine to check emails, send and receive attachments, browse the web, and now with tons of popular mobile-formatted websites its even better and faster. I use it to shop on amazon uk, check news and weather on the bbc, and check my bank statements.

Texting is one of the best with a qwerty individually lettered buttons, with the SMS view formatted like instant messaging chat (or not if you prefer). Although the keypad buttons are small and close together, with a little practice it becomes good to use. Maybe not so great if you have larger fingers though.

Tons of available software on it, some useful ones (bought separately) are: CallBlock (filters or blocks calls and SMS), and CallRec which can automatically record phone calls in the background! Palm probably has one of the largest library of software actively available, as most Palm-base
programs will still work due to the long standing operating system.

It also comes with Googlemaps as standard which now includes "my location", which pinpoints you on the map to the closest possible cell tower. Facebook application is also included, or free to download which works great, you can even upload photos and videos to it.

It has many great features that make it easy to use like the hardware ringer on/off switch on the top. Touchscreen is great, but it is possible to use the phone without ever touching the screen if you prefer! The phone is loud and clear, loudspeaker is very good indeed and simple to activate. As are switching to call waiting functions and holding/muting calls all with easy big touchscreen buttons.

All the basic PDA functions like task/memo/calendar/contacts have been with Palm for absolutely years and are easy and fast to use and access. They can be synchronised out the box with Outlook and with Palm's own great desktop PIM software that's included. There is also native Microsoft office document support out-of-the-box. Including creating new documents, spreadsheets as well as editing or viewing them too. Native PDF files can also be viewed too.

It also serves as a great media phone, with expandable micro-SD cards (up to 4GB compatibility), pocket tunes will play your MP3s and playlists. It only has a 2.5mm headphone jack, but Palm sell some really nice in-ear 2-in-1 stereo headsets that will plug straight in. There's some great software you can add so you can play your movies etc. Unfortunately there is no stereo bluetooth support out-of-the-box, but this is easily resolved with a great bit of software called: Softick Audio Gateway, which gives full A2DP support.

It comes with a travel charger for any country. USB cable and also software to sync it to Mac or Windows. Only downside is it is not fully compatible with 64-bit Vista or XP, unless you do the Bluetooth only syching work-around (which is what I do, and works great as long as you don't sync your media files which would take ages!).

There is now also a White Centro sim-free released from Palm on their website that you can now buy, although they are selling it for £199, you may be able to find it cheaper, but hopefully Amazon will get them in stock and knock the price down.

Overall:
This is a well and truly tried and tested OS, that is very swift and easy in operation. The size of the phone is near perfect and is not heavy to hold or use. It feels very comfortable to the ear and has very logical buttons and controls. I have used a few smartphones with some costing twice as much, but always found Palm to work best who give you the essential features really needed (I found that I didn't need wifi in a phone, nor 3G as EDGE coverage increased on my network and was up to speed). The Palm Centro truly works well in everyday life at an affordable price. Buy one today!

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Rating: - Palm Centro Smartphone
I've had my phone for a few weeks and am delighted with it for a number of reasons. 1) My daughter has a monthly phone contract with free minutes within the network so I was able to use a 3 SIM (which I can change if she moves to another network)The Phone functionality is great (dial from contact details or voice dial - great sound quality 2) I listen to talking books on my Creative Vison M which was adding to the weight in my handbag - I now have 30 or so Audible books on my phone (using the 4GB micro SD card I purchased at the same time) 3) I have used PDAs in the past and like having my appointments and contact details to hand - I can now synch with outlook although it's a pity there isn't the option to synch email. I would have to do this via the phone which could be expensive. 4) Although there is no GPS the googlemaps functionality is great (no internet connection required for this; although I can surf with the phone) I can get an on-screen turn by turn description of the route (no audio). 5) I have a Nintendo DS which I often play suduko on - this is one of the free games. The camera quality is poor but I have more room in my handbag for my camera now.

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Rating: - Palm Centro.
This is great little smartphone; well designed, easy to use and very reasonably priced against the competition. Having owned a Treo 680 prior to this I have found Palm's smartphones to be some of the most user friendly on the market. Some reviews I have read about the Centro have been less than favourable, mainly criticising the Palm operating system. I honestly can't see what the fuss is about as I have used Palm OS based devices for over seven years (Sony Clie SJ-30, Treo 680 and the Centro) and found it to be one of the most reliable operating systems there is. Palm seem to adopt the 'If it ain't broke don't fix it' rule to their OS and I for one couldn't be happier.

Compared to the 680 this is a much neater device, shaving about a centimetre off its dimensions and fitting easily in your hand. The keyboard is tiny but not unusable, and the screen is bright and clear. The memory card slot is a big improvement over over the 680, using micro SD cards instead of full size SD (the door shuts properly too!) The camera is only marginally better (1.3 meg against VGA) but still adequate for quick snapshots. The stylus is a bit flimsy but adequate for the job it does, and replacements are easy to get hold of.

A minor criticism is Palm's continued insistance on using 2.5mm earphone jacks which require a bulky adaptor for anything other than the supplied headset, although if you use a bluetooth headset this won't be a problem. If you are looking for a reliable, easy to use and well priced smartphone you can't go wrong with the Centro. Highly recommended.