Palm Treo Pro: A sweet Windows smartphone

The BlackBerry, iPhone, and T-Mobile G1 may be the kings of smartphone cool, but if you ask me, they all share one big shortcoming: They don't run Windows Mobile.

I know that statement puts me in a distinct minority. But I love the way Windows Mobile supports push e-mail from Microsoft Exchange Server and easily syncs with Outlook. Not to mention several other business-friendly features the competition lacks -- including VPN software and the ability to view and edit Microsoft Office documents.

[ Get a close look at Windows Mobile 6.1 in InfoWorld's "Palm Treo Pro: An InfoWorld guided tour." ]

The Palm Treo Pro -- an unlocked, quad-band, Windows Mobile 6.1 device with a physical QWERTY keyboard and 2.5-inch, 320-by-320-pixel display -- isn't the first Windows Mobile handset by Palm. Some models in the 700 and 750 series also run the Microsoft OS. But the HTC-manufactured Pro is the smallest Treo (0.7 ounce less than the HP iPaq 910c). Most important, it overcomes a number of hardware and software problems that plagued earlier Palm designs.

The lean Treo Pro -- with its rounded edges and recessed screen -- has a modern look. It fits comfortably in your hand, and I think the ergonomics are a bit better than the iPaq 910c's. For a size comparison, it has about the same footprint as the iPhone and is just slightly more petite than the BlackBerry Bold. Although the Pro's case is plastic, the build quality is very good. My biggest gripe is the shiny black surface, which really shows fingerprints and scratches easily.

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