[athena]

Hi! Would anyone know where I can get the Palm Treo 680? I've asked around and found one dealer (Master OA) which is certain to have it around mid-Dec. However my friend would like to get it sooner... is there any place other than the local dealers where I can get this (with warranty of course)?

This online retailer, Expansys, has it as well but not quite sure if it's reliable. [http://www.expansys.com.hk/p.aspx?i=137488&tab=price]

[discobay]

I think they are OK - been around for a while and have branches around the world. Give them a ring if it makes you feel more at ease.

[vmlinuz]

Yeah, Expansys are very reputable, but also have a reputation for being pretty expensive - quite a long way above street price, but with a very good range of mobile stuff. Personally, I'd wait a week or two for it to hit the streets - they only shipping in the US last week AFAIK.

Then again, it's on my "to buy when have income" list... and there's no income in sight in the short term :-(

[discobay]

Did you previously say that you have a Treo 650?

[vmlinuz]

Originally Posted by discobay

Did you previously say that you have a Treo 650?

Who, me? Yup...

I know, the 680 isn't much of an 'upgrade' - the differences come down to slightly different form factor, particularly the lack of external aerial, the extra memory, and the newer software. My 650 - which was a refurb replacement for a broken one - is getting a bit long in the tooth, battered, a bit unstable, certainly stuffed in the storage department, and I think both my batteries are starting to show their age. I didn't say it was high on my to-buy list It's well below a Wii, for example, also below boring things like a shaver which will hold a charge...

[discobay]

This is going to sound gay but ... my shaver is also playing up. Game consoles are not particularly high on my hit list but getting a replacement for my Atom is.
If you were looking for a Treo 650 (for the first time) would you go for it or would you go for the 680? (Though I think you've already answered).

[vmlinuz]

Originally Posted by discobay

This is going to sound gay but ... my shaver is also playing up. Game consoles are not particularly high on my hit list but getting a replacement for my Atom is.
If you were looking for a Treo 650 (for the first time) would you go for it or would you go for the 680? (Though I think you've already answered).

I'd wait for the 680. The hardware is still pretty weedy, but slightly less so than the 650, and it still has that sweet, sweet, Palm OS underneath Plus, at this point, I think the 680 is meant to be cheaper than the list price for the 650 anyway - although there have been suggestions that that's a launch promotion for the holidays...

Oh, and for the record, I like a 3-head Philishave, myself.

[athena]

thanks for the tips! but my friend is getting the Treo shipped from US after all, and it's way cheaper. Otherwise, the published price at Expansys is pretty much the same as that quoted by the local hk dealer - so it would've been a good option i guess.

[vmlinuz]

For what it's worth, I saw the 680 on the Access booth at the ITU expo - Access being the Japanese mobile browser company which bought the PalmOS software company a year or two back. It's noticeably nicer hardware than the 650 - smaller, nicer in the hand, and the lack of antenna gives it a whole different profile. Also, it seemed that the screen was brighter - I put my 650 next to it, with the screen brightness slider at the same point on both, and the 680 was brighter. I was amused to see they had a Cingular-branded (GSM) phone marked as an EVDO device...

Still not sure it's worth a huge amount as a 650 upgrade - it's nicer, but essentially a slight refresh of the same platform - but for the right price, or as a new phone, I can see it doing well.

[ashzz]

I waited too long for the 680 and finally landed up buying a palm 750 2 weeks ago.... Quite happy about it, no complaints so far