[From Antoine RJ Wright (Charlotte, NC, USA)] I cannot speak for many people; but I am getting along without my Treo just fine. While it is true that I miss the touchscreen, and I've been a lot less towards using my calendar/tasks for everything - inputting is a bit of a chore except for the major things - I am feeling a bit stable with the choice of moving to a Symbian S60 device.
Right now, I am reviewing the Nokia N81 8GB. This is an impressive, albeit entry-level device. 8GB of internal space makes it an ideal candidate as an at-work device for music all day. And the rest of the device is just slick in looks. I've got a few niggles with it, and the Treo is the reason why. Some parts of the design are there, but don't seem effective enough for touching. Whereas on the Treo, the parts that were "touchable" were very much functional areas. I even like how the N81 8GB duplicates the mute button at the top of the device like the Treo - though in this case the button doesn't mute, but locks the keys.
I'm thinking a lot about the "iPhone effect" that has taken place in the mobile market. I think that peolpe who have moved from a Treo do understand that its not so much that the Treo wasn't enough, but that it was a non-perfect device that was trumped by another non-perfect one. The experience of having a device that just fits is key to a lot of what we understand about living with a mobile; and I think Apple jumped into that very well. I think Palm's next OS will address it really well too. But for now, until that really vital aspect of "simple experiences" becomes something in the Treo mantra again, I can see more people understanding and living life without a Treo and doing just fine - at least till the next Treo comes ;)
Antoine RJ Wright is writer and editor of the excellent Mobile Ministry Magazine
