Comparison: Moto Q versus Treo 700wx

Sometimes it seems the whole world has gone Microsoft – even the software company’s competitors. Witness Microsoft’s rival in the mobile realm, Palm Inc., and its recent conversion. Last year it started using Microsoft’s Windows Mobile operating system in its handheld computers – this from a company once considered Microsoft’s main foe in the fight for portable operating system potency. So when you’re shopping for handhelds, what’s the difference? Common sense would suggest all machines that use the same operating system will act the same. Users need only pick the form factor that suits them best – and since so many handhelds share the flat rectangular silhouette of the smartphone, even that selection seems moot.Or is it? Telemanagement was curious to find out if Windows Mobile smartphones are necessarily created equal, so we sourced a Motorola Inc. Moto Q and a Palm Treo 700wx. Both use Windows Mobile 5.0. Both are available on Bell Mobility’s network. Both are pitched as business devices.For all those similarities, however, the machines have as many differences. We found that it’s imprudent to judge a handheld by its OS alone.The DifferencesThe differences manifest upon startup. The Treo’s personal digital assistant (PDA) functions, such as calendar options, operate independently of its communication functions, so the phone and email links can be turned off even as the PDA apps soldier on. The Q operates as a single unit, so if it’s on, it’s ready to receive calls. Thus the Treo’s battery can last longer; its receiver isn’t constantly pulling power when it’s not needed. The Treo prioritizes Internet searches with a search field right on the home screen, which also displays reminders of imminent appointments, voice mail messages and email messages waiting to be heard and read. Calendar items, contact listings, messaging options and certain other programs are accessible via a click of the Windows button or, as per classic Palm functionality, by poking the screen with a stylus.It’s clear that Palm has tweaked the Microsoft interface to act more like Palm’s own operating system than, say, a PC running some large-scale version of Windows. The Q also announces upcoming appointments and pending email and voice mail messages on its home screen, but the Internet function is buried a layer deeper. And whereas the Treo lists programs by words, the Q displays icons, making it feel look more like a PC than the Treo does.Some might find reading emails on the Q easier. The thumbwheel on the side makes it simple to scroll down the message, line by line. The Treo’s navigation button provides no such control. The user must employ the stylus for fine scrolling, and if he’s unaccustomed to the stick, this could be frustrating.Meetings and TravelTwo facts of business life are meetings and travel. Users sometimes need to change their handheld notification settings in a hurry – from loud, corridor-appropriate beeps to discreet, boardroom-friendly buzzes. Doing so on the Q is easy. Simply highlight the Profile on the home screen and change it to Meeting. But it’s even easier on the Treo. Flipping the switch on the top from left to right puts the device into vibrate mode. For the most part, email retrieval is equally easy to configure on both machines, but our test Q arrived with a crucial feature turned off in the settings, so the first few messages sent were not recorded in the Sent folder.Other differences had more to do with hardware than the operating system. The Q’s battery cover started to peel off within weeks of our having the device. The Treo, by contrast, kept it together. But the Treo somehow managed to call itself a few times as it sat in a jacket pocket. It recorded three muffled conversations on voice mail. It seems the key guard, which nannies its way into normal operation and sometimes frustrates the user, did little to halt the unwanted ghost calls.Both the Treo’s and the Q’s operating system seized up once or twice. The only remedy seemed to be to remove the battery and put it back in. No matter how many voice mails were actually in its message store – one, three, five, whatever – the Treo always said one ("1") was waiting.For Telemanagement’s purposes, the Q is the winning machine. Its stylus-free interface is easier to use and it never called itself. In general, if you want to recreate a PC experience, the Q is the better bet. If you want the latest version of a classic PDA with a Windows twist, source the Treo. Either way, it’s clear that devices running the same operating system are not necessarily twins. The main message? Dig deeper than the OS when making your selection.

Comparison: Moto Q versus Treo 700wx

News | 02/01/2007 5:00 am EST

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