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Customer Reviews

Almost done right--still the best for price

2004-05-22
Bought my original Treo 90 for $300 20 months ago because the worst thing about PDAs is having to take the time to pull out a stylus to use it. Keyboard entry is the way to go. Unfortunately, the Treo doesn't go quite far enough as navigating without the stylus is still difficult and in some cases impossible. Still, as I use it primarily for storage of reference sources--phone contacts and medical docs (the latter principally using iSilo, as well as several on-line synched programs)--it was a workhorse I couldn't live without. Dropped it multiple times, filled it with dirt once while crawling through mud with it in my pocket. It never flinched. I use a Secure Digital card to store an additional 15MB or so of data (which is a LOT of documents).

Then last week it died. Had to do a hard reset. All data erased. But, since I back up very frequently, no problem! Right? ...Until I found that the synch ability died also. Now I have a laptop with all my data, but no way to access it. Tried using the IR synch, which also wouldn't work.

So I went shopping. Much to my surprise keyboard entry is now only found on the highest end models. The Tungsten C is tempting, but at $400 I can buy 3 Treo 90s on-line for the same price. Do I really need Wi-fi access and a bulkier PDA? Don't think so. Thinking about buying 2 at least so I will have one as a backup down the road.

Excelent for first time users 2004-02-17
Its a long review so here's the short:
Good: Battery, Price, Memory, Color Screen, keyboard, Easy to set up and use, compatability (freeware), expansion slot
Bad:
Only basic software included, Palm includes Word and Excel To Go.
Cheaper to replace then repair (which could be good as you get a new one in days rather than the old one in weeks, and not uncommon in gadgets like this)

This is my first Handheld. I received it as hand-me down from someone who found they didn't use it much since they had a laptop. Its low price and great features make me glad I started with this one. A less capable handleld would have frustrated me and turned me off to the Idea of handhelds.

Typing on they keyboard seemed much more appealing than learning to use the PDA shorthand for character recognition. A benefit for first time users. It might not be as difficult to pick up as I though.

The color backlight display is a must have for my future purchases, I only wish the keyboard was lit some way also. I did find a replacement stylus with a light to solve that problem though.
I never had a need for the expansion slot, the 15 Meg of memory hasn't been past half full even with a Word compatible editor and quite a few documents.
I love the calendar, notepad, and e-mail. It comes with its own appointment program, and also syncs with Outlook. The sync setup is easy, and has worked without complications for me.

There are quite a few free applications that you can download to add other features, such as MS Word and Excel compatibility. The freeware apps are a bit crude but get the job done. The freeware apps for word compatibility convert the .doc file into its own format, then needs to re-convert back to word when you are done. Sometimes using cut and paste into the Note Pad can be just as easy. You can purchase Word To Go, but these are included in the purchase of Palm PDA's and might make buying them a better bargain if you need full compatability with MS Office.

I had it for six months and used it constantly at work and home until I dropped it, and the backlight went out, and then while seeking replacement, it wouldn't boot at all. Since it was a secondhand item, it wasn't under warranty, and the $99 service charge sent me shopping again. Comparable handhelds were twice the price, and didn't have the keyboard. Palm does include the documents to go, and quite a few applications that made them a tempting option. Not ready to move on to the handwriting recognition or the additional investment, I replaced it with another Treo90.

As mentioned in other reviews, I am constantly finding the Treo on when I pull it out of my pocket. This is because the buttons all across the bottom turn the device on (a feature I could live without). They all stick out enough that they get hit by everything, the leather cases for them might provide enough clearance for the buttons, or just as likely would get miss-aligned and constantly hit the buttons. In spite of the unit being on quite a bit, I have never had a problem with it keeping a charge. I charged it and sync at my workstation at work, and have no problem going the weekend without additional charge.

My next purchase will be a close call between the Palm (Tungsten) and the Treo.

Poor battery life 2004-02-16
After 15 months of ownership, my TREO90 will no longer turn on. One month ago, it began having problems holding a charge (despite reading the Handspring FAQs, and getting rid of any drain to power). PalmOne's minimum out-of-warranty repair charge is $99. (Am neurotically careful with my "stuff" -- this thing was babied.) Instead of repair, PalmOne advises considering a replacement. No thanks: my next purchase will be a 'DayRunner.'

Terrible, Terrible Customer Support 2004-01-23
I really wanted to have a keyboard on my PDA. Since the Treo 90 was the least expensive PDA with a keyboard, I decided to go for it. Now, if I could go back in time, I would never have bought the thing; it's just not a very good gadget. Let me tell you why.

The cover is held in place by two plastic protrusions that quickly wear down because of friction. Amazing how cheap this design feature is.

It is very difficult to find a good case for the Treo. And you must have a case because the Treo 90 is made with such soft plastic, your fingernails can scratch it. If I could buy another PDA, I would go for a Palm because Zero-Halliburton makes cases for a couple of the Palm models.

The box for my Treo 90 mentioned that some very important software called RecoEcho was available for free from the Handspring web site. This is necessary in case you ever need to do some data entry in the dark when you cannot see the keyboard (no, the keyboard is not backlit). But the software wasn't there because they're pulling back the offer. Guess my box was out of date. To Handspring's credit, I was able to obtain the software by writing to Customer Support. But I'm not sure that you would be able to get it for free now.

The screen on my Treo 90 has a bright spot in the upper right-hand corner. When it first appeared, the PDA was still under warranty so I sent it back to Handspring for repair or replacement. I was astonished when it arrived back at my doorstep a week later with the bright spot just as it had been. Worse, some poorly trained technician at Handspring had tilted the on/off button and messed up the keyboard. Each button now makes a metallic ping when it's pressed (in addition to the clicking sound that it's supposed to make). After the unit had been returned to me unfixed, I decided to call somebody at Handspring to ask about it. A very ditzy man told me that his Treo 90 also has a bright spot in the screen and that there was nothing to worry about. He also ignorantly mentioned that the unit could be turned on with any of the front buttons, so it shouldn't matter to me that the on/off button had been dislocated. (Problem with his suggestion is that whenever you power up with a front button, you wind up in the associated application. What if you were playing a fun game before the PDA turned off?) At that point he tried to sell me some accessories. Later, I wrote Handspring Customer Support to tell them that the unit had been returned to me unrepaired and that it had been further damaged at the repair center. This resulted in a call from some bully who left me a surly message that he had "received my latest complaint, ," and that I should call him back (presumably to be convinced that the PDA was perfectly sound and that their service was great).

I would advise staying away from this product. The technology is old and Handspring's Customer Service is barbaric. Either wait for the Pocket PCs to come down in price, or get a Palm or Sony without a keyboard.

FLIP COVER FOR SCREEN 2004-01-20
I BOUGHT A TREO 90 JUST OVER A YEAR AGO.
WAS VERY SATIFIED WITH UNIT AND USE IT DAILY BUT THE FLIP COVER BROKE , ON THE HING TABS JUST BROKE OFF AND NOT ABLE TO GET A REPLACEMENT ,ACCORDING TO THEIR WEB SITE. TRIED TO CALL BUT NEVER GOT ANY RESPONSE OR REPLY. JUST AFTER I BOUGHT THE UNIT I TRIED TO PURCHASE A COVER THAT WOULD FIT IN SHIRT POCKET , NONE WAS AVIABLE SO I MADE ONE OUT OF LEATHERETT.
AND NEEDLE AND THREAD , WHICH WORKS VERY WELL , HAS VELCROW SNAP.

It's great!!! 2006-01-10
This is the perfect pda. I bought one when they came out, so I've had mine for a long time. If you didn't get one with they came out, you missed out. Buy one, if you can find one.

Gary Hyink

Great PDA 2005-10-04
Small, light...fits the need. Too bad Handspring is no longer in business. Their products are much slicker than Palm's.

Handspring-the world of compact PDA's 2004-12-28
I just got my new Handspring Treo 90 about a month ago, and so far, I have no complaints. Seriously, what got me into the Treo first was when I saw doctors using it for appointments on CNN saying PDA's are really useful, plus I had never even seen one with a built in kepyboard. I'm really glad I got it finally. The screen doesn't look as nearly as vibrant as the one on the front of the box or the picture on amazon, and that's good. My eyes are sometimes sensitive to vibrant colors probably because I don't have good eyesight, but it's still great to have a color PDA after using a black and white one ever since I got into handheld devices.

The built in keypad is very original, almost like a Blackberry, and also very compact in the small space you have on the screen and the PDA, but as surprisingly small as the buttons (and the PDA itself) may seem, it is very easy to type in things. I'm already a pro at it, and only have sideswiped a key next to the one I was aiming for once or twice. Like for me I'm 5' 10" and my hands are fairly large, but it helps to remember assignments for High School, since I'm a junior, and things can get pretty hectic around the middle of the day when you try to remember homework. I really also like the keyboard because with PDA's that don't have keyboards (which is mostly all of them) you have to continually tap at the screen with the stylus, and it gets annoying after a while.

I'm sure I'll still be using the PDA for work when I get out of college, but while you're using it, it helps when you're so concentrated on entering in something, and you forget about the smallness of the PDA and it's just very smooth in what it does in the small space to hold. It's even got a guide through on the programs so you won't have to go back to the guide book to find out how to use the keyboard or how to get started period.

And also another thing that I like is that when you turn it off, it stays in the same place that you left it so you won't constantly be going back to the main menu and have to click on the place you were just to get there. I'm still trying to figure out what mail is all about. The guide that comes in the box is very basic, but I'm sure I'll figure it out.

I didn't want to bother buying it for $300.00 though. I'm sure a lot of us don't have that kind of money, especially when you're in high school like me. But for a refurbished one, and you're not paying full price for one that might break down as many have said before, I got mine which works great, almost like a new one, at priceisright.biz where PDA's of all sorts soar in low prices, and I saw that it's currently unavailable here, so there you have it. I got mine for $39.00 because the previous owners of them all must've all had the same problem: the flip cover came off, but I like it even more without it. The battery life is also very useful when recharging. It doesn't even take an hour before it's fully recharged, and it last's a long time. Like me, I'm used to my Sharp OZ-590 (which I still have) which needs one triple A battery, but I wanted to upgrade to something more modern, and durable, and recharable instead of regular batteries; thus the Treo 90, and it works great.

You won't believe how durable this thing is. (I hope my mine keeps working after what others have said) I've dropped it at least four times. Once on the carpet, another time on a hardwood floor, and the other two times on hard concrete. This thing has obtained barely minor scratches, and hasn't messed up or anything. I've only reset it a couple of times, and that was because I had downloaded a bunch of things too quickly, but hey, when you do as many resets as me, you begin to do it routinely.

Synchronization is a little hard to figure out, but once you do, it turns out to be extrememly helpful. I learned how just today, and I got to download a good number of games. I was sort of angry when I found out I had to download the games from the cd rom, and I couldn't figure out how to synchronize, but now that I figured it out, it works perfectly. Try not to pay attention to the guidebook too much. It might mess you up even worse. I just went with my own instincts.

The metal stylus is also very helpful in my favor. It's a lot more heavier than just the plain plastic ones, and is easier to hold because it's wider than the other ones. Everything is very useful. The only reason why I gave it four stars is because if the bottom buttons are touches while it's being jostled around in a backpack or a purse, or pressed up against someone in their pocket, it'll turn on. I've already found it on twice after pulling it out of my pocket, and I was wearing baggy pants, and the fact that you have to press two buttons to get to the main menu is sort of annyoing, but these things can easily be worked out. No big deal. All in all, I hope Handspring comes out with a lot more PDA's this size and compact. They'll definitely be a huge help in the long run of a busy life.

Died after one year 2004-08-03
I loved my Treo 90....while it lasted. One month after the warranty was up the unit completely died. Reset wouldn't help it. The manufacturer would repair it...for almost the cost of a new one. Be wary of this product.

Psychadelic, Mon! 2004-06-25
I got 1 of these PDAs for my b-day, and it's great! I dropped it in the toilet, and it still works! My dog ate it, but it came back. It must be magic! Bye bye, silly-willy!