Telecom Treo problems

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Telecom Treo problems - BEWARE!!!

yahnz

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#9020 14-Aug-2006 11:21

If you're thinking about buying the Treo 650 on telecom, or have already bought one, you need to beware of a few things.

First of all, the Treo 650 sold by telecom has the MMS capabilities LOCKED OUT. You CANNOT sent or receive photo/video txt on this device under Telecom.

No such restrictions exist on these phones on the US CDMA networks nor on Vodafone - this appears to be a Telecom restriction. The messaging app simply lacks the ability to attach a photo/video, and on receive, you get the "visit xtra & put in a whole lot of numbers to get your mms" txt.

Software versions for the messaging app appear identical between the phones with this function enabled and disabled, so it looks like Telecom flipped a setting here, or removed some underlying library file. It's not clear whether a user fix is possible, even with a reflash.

Telecom support is as usual struggling to maintain an upright posture, so don't expect much help there... It wouldn't hurt to call them and complain about misleading the customers tho. In fact - please do so!

Secondly, as an owner of a Treo, you will soon become familiar with an unnerving reset on incoming calls. Your Treo will suddenly reset itself, following which you will find a new voice mail. The phone resets itself rather infrequently IN GENERAL. However, on CDMA networks this happens FAR TOO OFTEN (daily), there appears to be a significant bug in the Treo software - you can get the reason for a reset to see this first-hand.

At any time, open the Dial Pad application, and enter #*#377#. This code displays the last reset error message. Chances are you will see:

HtcCDMARadio.cpp: Line:51, CRC check failed

Yup. Welcome to Telecom, mate. This one is a bugger because you will miss calls owing to this error. If your phone is turned to quiet mode you may never even know that calls are coming in while the phone merrily reset itself! Again, Telecom support response is a "duh..." The usual answer here is - oh, it's the software on your phone - well, this happens to fresh, out-of-the-box phones as well.

The saving grace is that resetting the phone (as in power off/on) seems to make this problem go away for a little while. The long term solution - keep bugging Telecom every time this happens to you. You will NOT see a fix for this unless Telecom gets to feel some pain here.

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For those of you reading this and getting cold feet about buying a Treo on Telecom, keep in mind that this is still the best PDA/cell combination out there. The palm interface is far more useable than Windows Mobile (the "mobile" outlook app is horrible!), the sync with your Outlook/Notes/whatever works well (unlike the junk Nokia software), and there is a ton of software for it.

Vodafone is MAJORLY missing the boat here.

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#43895 14-Aug-2006 11:35

Sorry but where is Vodafone missing the boat?

And could you not use the Email client for MMS. The handset is not sold as having MMS client built in.

chiefie

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#43896 14-Aug-2006 11:41

I don't know what/how you can rant about the last bit, but being a Windows Mobile smartphone user as well as pocket pc user, I think the Pocket Outlook (Outlook Mobile) integration with Outlook is second to none, it is the best synchroisation one can expect in terms of working with Outlook or Exchange.

I agree with you, Nokia's PC Sync isn't as ideal as to Activesyn, but I have seen Palm's HoySync being very limited when compared to Activesync, however like you mentioned, there are other synching software which you will have to pay extra.

Now coming back to your statement about Vodafone, umm.. Vodafone is not missing the boat or anything. If anything creditting, Vodafone actually push the NZ mobile market to use smart devices first. That with the help of majority smart devices came out on GSM/GPRS, and generally are quicker with the aid of Parallel Imports too. And also, I see more smart devices on offered by Vodafone NZ than Telecom NZ, and with Blackberry devices as well as Imate WM devices, and not to miss out Palm Treo 600 and 650 were on Vodafone's list first.

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yahnz

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#43897 14-Aug-2006 11:42

Telecom gives the Treo away with a 2 year plan. Ask Vodafone to give you a Treo-type PDA and you'll understand how they're missing the boat here.

And as for email on the phone - yes, of course you could send anything via email. That's not the point. If I were to give you a phone and say "of course there is a camera built-in! of course you can send and receive photos!" - would you assume that REQUIRES a data plan, and an email account, etc. etc.? Their advertising is technically correct but also very misleading.

johnr

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#43898 14-Aug-2006 11:47

Yahnz I don't think your post is very good to be honest sounds like your main gripe is the handset has no MMS. Should you have not checked this out first

yahnz

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#43899 14-Aug-2006 11:47

Btw - ActiveSync is GREAT. I would love for Microsoft to licence it so that other companies could tap into it. But we know how likely that is now, don't we?

What I hate is their assumption that you can take a desktop app and make it useable on a palm-sized device. Of course it can be made to work, but it's painful. There is a reason Palm spent years designing the UI - and while it's not as shiny, it sure is more useable. But it is a personal preference, and this post wasn't about that. It was about how Telecom needs to feel some pain from customers to better support the Treo.

johnr

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#43901 14-Aug-2006 11:50

But Palm makes the device not Telecom NZ so should they not support the device.

Thats just like asking TVNZ to support my TV at home

yahnz

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#43906 14-Aug-2006 12:22

John, while I appreciate your opinion here, Telecom is at best misleading in its advertising, and is ignoring problems with a device it sells.

Have a look at this page: https://www.telecom.co.nz/mobile/shop/front/0,,204449-201928,00.html?rd=1. Now look at the capability list to the right of the Treo - what's the first item with a check next to it? (It says "Photo Msging" on my browser) Now look at all the other phones with that check - are you saying they all require the use of email attachments instead of MMS?

Lastly, if you truly own a TVNZ-sold TV, you have my apologies, and I heartily recommend upgrading to a color model.

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Jama

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#43907 14-Aug-2006 12:31

Treo 650 does support Activesync, that is how I get my Exchange email and calendar.

yahnz

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#43908 14-Aug-2006 12:33

Jama - the ActiveSync support is for Exchange only. Not useful unless you want to/can go that way...

chiefie

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#43909 14-Aug-2006 12:34

Jama: Treo 650 does support Activesync, that is how I get my Exchange email and calendar.

I think YahNZ is probably referring to Activesync when used with Outlook (local) and not with Exchange Activesync.

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#43914 14-Aug-2006 12:53

yahnz: Btw - ActiveSync is GREAT. I would love for Microsoft to licence it so that other companies could tap into it. But we know how likely that is now, don't we?

MS did license Activesync to Palm so regardless of whether you are talking about local (PC) or remote (Exchange) Activesync the point is that MS have licensed it.

Why would you want to use Activesync on a PC for Treo when Palm Hotsync works so much better?

munchkin

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#43957 15-Aug-2006 01:22

I'm sure that ActiveSync was only licenced to Palm for [desktop] use with the Treo 700W, not for use with Palm OS based devices.*

* Exchange Server connections not included.

tonyhughes

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#43964 15-Aug-2006 08:13

What an odd post. (post # 1)

TNZ has always made it clear that the Treo uses email as the transport for photos.

There is no user fix for your MMS point, because MMS would need to be enabled at network level. Im sure TNZ didnt remove that functionality to spite its users.

Tell me again in thought out real words how Telecom is misleading its customers? (Provide the actual text please).

If you are that unhappy with the performance of your Treo, you have remedies under the CGA. I suggest you follow that up! If it cant be repaired or replaced to satisfaction, you can get a refund.

It is the best device type in *your* opinion. I cant use it - my thumbs are too big, and I find Palm OS a little confusing at times. I own a Windows Mobile device, and have no such problems.

There is a ton of software for Windows Mobile too... Palm is not exclusive in having an active base of software developers...

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#43969 15-Aug-2006 08:48

munchkin: I'm sure that ActiveSync was only licenced to Palm for [desktop] use with the Treo 700W, not for use with Palm OS based devices.*

* Exchange Server connections not included.

Correct. Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Dataviz and Palm all have licenses to use Exchange ActiveSync (a.k.a. AirSync) only. Except for the Palm 700w (and 750v) which use Windows Mobile and in this case desktop ActiveSync.

yahnz

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#43981 15-Aug-2006 12:06

tonyhughes: What an odd post. (post # 1)

Thanks Tony! :) I strive to please.

TNZ has always made it clear that the Treo uses email as the transport for photos.

There is no user fix for your MMS point, because MMS would need to be enabled at network level. Im sure TNZ didnt remove that functionality to spite its users.

Tell me again in thought out real words how Telecom is misleading its customers? (Provide the actual text please).

Scroll up 5 posts. Read. Copy/paste. Click "go" or press enter. Read.

Not sure what you're trying to say here really. Are you arguing that all other MMS users of Telecom are really using email behind-the-scenes? Or are these other phones secretly tapping into Vodafone for their MMS capabilities?

If you are that unhappy with the performance of your Treo, you have remedies under the CGA. I suggest you follow that up! If it cant be repaired or replaced to satisfaction, you can get a refund.

I'm not sure where you've read that I'm that unhappy with the phone... I *am* unhappy with Telecom tho. I think they could do better.

It is the best device type in *your* opinion. I cant use it - my thumbs are too big, and I find Palm OS a little confusing at times. I own a Windows Mobile device, and have no such problems.

There is a ton of software for Windows Mobile too... Palm is not exclusive in having an active base of software developers...

Whoa there you extatic Windows Mobile user... :) Take a deep breath - of course this is all just my opinion. The post was titled BEWARE TREO USERS as you might recall. Nothing about the sucky Windows stuff at all! It's all just a preference. But I am sorry to hear about your thumbs.

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