I'm unable to upgrade my Treo 180 to a Treo 270 and am dissatisfied with the expectations that were set eight months ago concerning GPRS. As a result, I, and others, must live with the archaic data connectivity of the internal modem dialing in at 9600 baud.

With that said, I like the new Treo 270 screen and keyboard. The updated unit has an easy to read screen and a lighted keyboard. Both are welcome improvements over the Treo 180, making it worth the extra $100. The screen is not as sharp as other color Palm OS models like the Sony Clie, but compared to the Treo 180's monochrome screen, the Treo 270 screen is a measurable improvement, as you can see in Figure B.

FIGURE B

The Treo 270's color screen is a big improvement. Click picture for a larger image.

During the review I had the opportunity to use my Treo 270 to save $100 at the local pool supply store. Here's how. The clerk tried to overcharge me for a pump that I knew cost less than what I was being quoted. So I used my Treo 270 to dial in and then show the clerk the Web site with a lower price using the built-in Blazer software. He made the appropriate adjustment while at the register, saving me a trip home to print out the Web page. The clerk couldn't access the Internet on his computer, but he was very impressed with the Treo 270.

Otherwise, the Treo 270 and the Treo 180 function about the same. Both devices are limited by the internal modem and 9600 baud connection speed, the single threaded Palm OS, the relatively short battery life, and an unclear speaker-phone. The real improvement seems to be in Sprint's Treo 300, which I talk more about elsewhere in this issue of PalmPower in the article, "Wireless service issues and handheld communication."

Product availability and resources For more information on the Treo communicators, visit http://www.handspring.com/products/communicators/index.jhtml. For the article, "A Blackberry loyalist's three months with the Treo 180," by Chris Guella in the August issue of PalmPower, visit http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue200208/treo180001.html. For more information on free SMS, visit http://www.ezmsg.com. For more information on Ruksun Software Technologies, visit http://www.ruksun.com. For more information on Handango, visit http://www.handango.com. For more information on Palm handhelds, visit http://www.palm.com. Easy, flexible article reprints ZATZ now offers a quick, easy, flexible and inexpensive way to use article reprints in your marketing and promotion efforts. You can now get article reprints for a one-time fee of only $200. For details, visit http://mediakit.zatz.com/reprints.

Judith Tabron thinks the ultimate goal of human evolution should be that enlightened state where we all get dozens of cable channels and Bill Gates gets what's coming to him. She is in charge of instructional technology at Brandeis University.