For all of you visiting us from CNET - welcome! However, this IS NOT a new phone for VodaFone - this is a 500v for non-Vodafone carriers and over-the-counter sales!
Palm’s first Windows Mobile Smartphone(the 500v for Vodafone) has been reviewed all over the internet. However, the company has recently released an unlocked version of the device called Treo 500 - and TamsWMS is proud to be the first news service to present you the beginning of a Treo 500 review…by unpacking the box:
Not surprisingly, the 500’s box was stripped off all Vodafone branding - Palm’s design team did a great job at making the package look cool:
Immediately after opening the package, you are presented with a multilingual “read-this-first” manual:
After having read the manual(which I, of course, didn’t do :)), the box reveals a driver CD and a “Quickstart guide”:
Once this is done, you can finally get your paws onto a blister containing your precious Treo 500 and a battery(did I mention that it looks cool?):
Both the 500v and the battery are in small PVC bags - Palm additionally glued blue protective foil over the screen and the camera lens of the device:
Below this blister, one can find a MiniUSB cable, a power supply with international plugs and - a wired headset. As usual, Palm did not include a MicroSD memory card - while I personally feel that this is a rather bad idea(limits users), the widespread availability of cheap memory cards makes this less of a problem than it once used to be:
Last but not least, here is a small video showing the unpacking process:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7068658954178327278&hl=en
In the end, the Palm Treo 500 ships with the same (well-done) hardware bundle found in the 500v’s box. However, Palm significantly beefed up the presentation, packaging the stuff in a fashion similar to the one that debuted along the Treo 680. While this probably won’t make much of a difference for a seasoned mobile device addict, having a “quickstart” manual handy can be a great way to mitigate initial frustrations for the average user….
P.S. - Stay tuned for benchmarks, a detailed screen comparison and much more - in the next parts of our Treo 500 review!
