New Phone

I took the plunge (thanks to work) and picked up a new Palm Centro yesterday. Ever since my Treo90 died, I’ve missed having the keyboard and the one-handed entry ability. I had a cheapy palm that replaced the Treo that didn’t survive a trip through the washer, and replaced that about two years ago with the LifeDrive.

Side Note: I still like the LifeDrive, and it will remain available for longer trips where I want to really take advantage of it’s storage and large screen.

I played with the display model a bit at the Sprint store, comparing it to the Treo755p. It’s a bit smaller, but has the same resolution. My main concern was the keyboard… and after a few test memos, I felt it was something I could live with, and reminded me of the learning curve I went through when I went from my old Handspring to the Treo the first time around. I think as I use it, I will get more used to it. (I’m still considering adding the software to allow graffiti entry on the though… if I can find it again.)

So far, I’m very impressed with the Centro and really liking it. I do a LOT of eBook reading - 15-16 books in the last 3-4 months - and while the screen is small, I read for almost an hour last night with out much of a problem. For comparison, my LifeDrive is 320×480 in full screen, 320×320 viewable with the graffiti area in use and the Centro is 320×320 - but is a half-inch narrower than the LifeDrive screen.

I was afraid the Centro was going to feel cheap or plasticy, but overall it has a good feel to it. It fits nicely in my hand. I have… large, not huge hands. If they were any bigger than they are, the size might get to be more of an issue. The black finish does seem to attract smudges, but easily wipes clean. My biggest issue with the case is the battery cover. It does feel … not quite flimsy, but since you have to remove the cover to get at the microSD slot, I am concerned it won’t hold up over time. It’s been a bit tricky to get the cover back on at times, and I’m just waiting for the plastic tabs that hold it in place to go SNAP.

The only other item that feels cheap on this is the stylus. It disappears nicely in to the back of the case, but it is just extruded plastic or something and flexes a lot when using. At least I have my 4-in-1 from Stylus+ so I don’t have to rely on this thing a whole lot… and so far most things I’ve been able to handle with my fingertip as well.

I’ve only started digging in to the software, there’s lots of new stuff for me to play with like the SprintTV, Google Maps (have used the traffic feature already), On Demand video and more. The one thing I do want to look for is a version of the LifeDrive’s “Drive Mode” so I can maybe access the 2GB SD card while it’s in the phone for adding things.

I’ll try to come up with more, including some pics or something at a later date.