The Palm OS hasn’t had a makeover in four years. Surprisingly, except for multimedia support, it’s not terribly behind the times. It’s still easy to use, and it offers all the core features you want from a smartphone operating system and boasts both a full QWERTY keyboard and touchscreen.
Palm started out as the leading maker of PDAs, which is why the OS that comes with most Treo smartphones is particularly strong when it comes to syncing calendar and task information with your desktop. (The Treo 700w and 700w|wx come with Windows Mobile 5.)
Desktop synchronization is where Palm OS shines. With the push of a button, you can automatically sync any information from your PC to a Treo, including phonebook entries, calendar items, tasks, even photos and music files. For Microsoft Office compatibility, the DataViz Documents To Go application comes standard on every Treo smartphone. Along with syncing Office files from your PC, you can instantly read attachments in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint formats. (You can also edit and compose Word and Excel files, though PowerPoint documents are read-only.)
Palm’s e-mail support isn’t quite up to BlackBerry levels, but it is very good. The Palm Desktop software allows you to synchronize your e-mail settings automatically. The VersaMail program supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and desktop synchronization for getting messages. For those of you who want BlackBerry-like connectivity on your Treo, Palm offers BlackBerry Connect, letting you access BlackBerry e-mail and other features from your company’s BlackBerry Enterprise Server.
Though you can play music files, DRM-protected tunes require the purchase of a third-party application. And Palm OS boasts the most third-party applications available.
Choose this OS if: Desktop synchronization with your data is critical.
Compatible devices: All Treo models except 700w and 700w|wx.
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