JupiterResearch: Treo 700 vs. PPC-6700 (and the 650)

Michael Gartenberg offers up a nice comparison review of the Treo 700 vs the PPC-6700 (HTC Apache) as well as the Treo 650 at the Jupiter Analyst Weblogs. The key takewaway is there is no "best" device. It all comes down to personal usage model for each individual. Comparing the Treo 700 compares to the PPC-6700 in my opinion, Gartenberg writes:

At first glance, they are both pretty similar, WM5, PocketPC devices that work over EV-DO. In practice, they are pretty different. The Treo works better as a combination phone and data device. This is due to the fact that there's a dedicated keypad on the device; I don't need to use the touch screen. The fact that it's been designed to fit better in the hand; and Palm made a lot of phone usability tweaks. It tends to be somewhat weaker than the 6700 on data intensive tasks since it has a lower resolution screen (240x240 instead of 320x240) and the keyboard is much smaller. Now, there's no getting around the fact that there are engineering challenges here but it comes down to function. If you're going to be using the phone more, look to the Treo. If the PDA parts of the device are better, you should look closer at the 6700. At the end of the day, they are both very capable devices, a lot depends on what your particular tasks are.

As for the difference between the Treo 700 and 650, Gartenberg states:

It still comes down to choice. There's no doubt that Palm OS is still more elegant than Windows Mobile for some tasks and is far easier to use. It's also less reliable. I find I prefer the WM 5 client for email (although there are very good email solutions for the Treo, like the excellent SnapperMail) and Web browsing. Hitting a large site on the Treo almost always causes me to have to reset the device. I also prefer the multi tasking nature of WM 5. I can browse the web, take a call in the middle and pick up where I left off. I can download RSS feeds in the background while reading email. Can't do that on Palm OS. At the end of the day, it comes down again to personal choice. If there's a particular app or service you need, then stick with that platform (for example, Sling will soon release a version of Sling player for WM5, it won't be on Palm OS anytime soon I suspect and there's a multitude of Palm OS apps that will never make it over to WM 5).

Pretty common sensical advice if you ask me. I'm more of a data intensive guy so the fact that the PPC-6700 has EV-DO and Wi-Fi gives it a leg up on the Treo 700. A friend of mine, who is definitely more of a phone person, just picked up the Treo 700, which was the right choice for her personal usage. As Gartenberg notes several times, it's all about choice, and luckily for us gadget geeks there seems to be a lot more out there. Now only if they weren't so expensive, I'd be able to choose more than one.so I could further tailor my usage model needs....