Treo 650 and Tiger
I’ve recently acquired a Treo 650. It’s quite neat. What follows is a collection of a few useful resources and lessons learned, getting the Treo working with Mac OS X Tiger:
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Synchronizing the Treo 650 through iSync: Method 1:
- Despite what various sources will tell you, you might consider getting rid of and/or back-up any previous Palm-related software, library files in ~/Library and /Library, and other data and configuration in ~ and ~/Documents.
- Try performing the entire installation process as an admin user, with your Treo 650 plugged into the USB port. I believe this is most helpful for the “Enable Palm OS Syncing…” step in iSync. The first time selecting this option appears to trigger Tiger to try to install some components, and it would appear Apple forgot to check and ask for Administrator privileges.
- setup iSync: If you’re using Tiger, you’ll need to download the
latest Palm Desktop from Palm (the one on the CD-ROM is not
compatible with Tiger). Install that, then in isync find the “Enable
Palm…” menu option under devices, and select that. - using the usb cable, sync once from isync (click sync in isync,
then click hotsync on the treo). - follow these directions to get bluetooth sync working
- The Bluetooth aspect of Method 1 did not quite work for me. It’s worked fine for other people. So your mileage may vary. To make a long story short, HotSync Manager was unable to show me a Bluetooth-PDA-Sync-port connectivity option. I did have a Bluetooth-PDA-Sync connectivity option. Despite my monkeying in Bluetooth preferences, I couldn’t get the Treo to Sync over Bluetooth. Method 2 saved me.
- Synchronizing the Treo 650 through iSync: Method 2: Buy MarkSpace’s “The Missing Sync” for Palm OS. It fixed all my issues, is far simpler and more elegant. After pulling my hair like a mad man throughout tribulations of Method 1, Missing Sync was a most welcome breath of fresh air. It’s $39.95. Check out their side-by-side comparison. Note: when they mention “Internet Sharing”, they’re talking about enabling your Treo to leverage your computer’s Internet connection. I’d love to find a way to somehow pipe the Treo’s Wireless 3G data connectivity over bluetooth, to the laptop, thereby giving me “in-a-pinch” Internet access just about anywhere. Has this been done? Either way, my Treo 650 doesn’t allow me to create a “New Connection”. I believe it is locked.
I’ve started to explore the following Palm applications:
- pssh - Free, Open-Source ssh client. Supports SSH2. To import an RSA private key, open-up the Palm Desktop application, create a Memo entry, paste your key into it, sync the Palm. Open PSSH on the Palm, click the Menu button, select Public Keys…, Click [Import...]. Select your key from the listed Memo Pad entries.
- UpIRC IRC client. Works well.
Which other Palm apps should I be using?
Finally, I have to mention that EarthLink Total Access for Treo is quite cool. EarthLink also ships a more stable mail program with the Treo 650, called “MailBox”. All Treo650s otherwise ship with a program called “VersaMail”. While toying around with it, I’ve noticed it has a nasty habit of adding a semi-colon ; after each e-mail address, which is thoroughly non-compliant with the SMTP protocol, and causes many SMTP servers to choke over emails it sends. VersaMail does have a couple of interesting advanced filtering features, which I personally find don’t make-up for its shortcoming.
I would expect most companies who carry the Treo 650 offer their own mail application, be sure to ask ahead.
#1 Elizabeth Webber says:I own a treo 650 and my FAVORITE program is
Directory Assistant which you can find here http://home.triad.rr.com/rlwhitt/palm/#da it’s a free directory lookup plus can do driving directions etc. it is great
Also Ringo to customize ringers
check out http://www.treocentral.com and http://www.everythingtreo.com it is where I get most of my treo info!
#2 Joel says:I’ve been able to use my T-Mobile GPRS data connection, via bluetooth, on my Powerbook. It’s awesome. A bit slow. But with T-mob’s move to a faster wireless connection, I expect that will improve.
If I can dig up the links that helped me out, I’ll post them for you.
#3 Daniel Sofer says:The Sprint Treo has a Bluetooth setting to allow the phone to be used as a modem. I used this in Napa Valley last month and was very useful! Easy to setup on the Mac as well…
#4 Chris Holland says:Joel: Yes, I’d really love to get those links!!!
I remember trying to do something similar with my sony ericsson t610, i’m also a tmobile subscriber with T-Zones Pro, and i remember OS X Panther Bluetooth assistant offering me an option to do that, but it was asking me for information I didn’t know or have, and concluded at the time that to obtain that information I’d need to actually buy T-Mobile’s GPRS computer data plan. But i’ve always had a hunch that if the t610 can do GPRS on its own, there ought to be a way to pipe this connectivity over to the powerbook.
I’m wondering whether these things are easier on the Treo.
#5 Chris Holland says:Daniel: mm interesting. i’m guna poke at Prefs again. My phone might be locked in some exotic ways too.
#6 Chris Holland says:Daniel oh wait, you’re talking about Dialup Networking, ah yes, I’ve done that on the t610, very useful in a pinch indeed, and i think i can also set it up on the Treo, and that’s a good start.
Being greedy for bandwidth, I wish I could tap into GPRS or 3G/data connectivity instead of going through analog dial-up.
#7 Chris Holland says:Elizabeth: it does look way cool. Adding it now
THANKS!
#8 Neo says:I know Sprint has disabled dial up networking in the Treo 650, which I’ve had about 6 months(?) http://www.Shadowmite.com made a tiny 4KB patch which revealed the “DUN Networking” in the Bluetooth menu ( it was still there but invisible). He has instructions, and lots of ways to delete ad’s & such from ROM.
Anyway, we dial using the modem in OS X called SprintPCS (cool huh?) dial #777 and we get about 80 - 130 Kb/sec - which isn’t heaven, but I’m on it now.
Term for “Dial up networking” is “DUN” so, google it & find all you can imagine, Shadowmite should be in the top 10 like so:
http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=treo+650+bluetooth+dun&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
You’ll love it!
#9 kugino says:use handbrake to convert movies to mpeg4 (and reduced fps and resolution). then use tcpmp as a movie-viewer on the treo. it looks gorgeous and is wonderful for watching movies on the go. and best of all, both are FREE!
#10 Mario Alessi says:Using bluetooth to transmit the internet from a TREO 650 to your machintosh no longer requires shadowmites rom hack. The firmware update that was relased a few months ago fixed the problem. Go to Bluetooth on your phone and turn on Dialup netowrking. Youll need firmware 1.12 if a sprint phone.
YOu can email me and ill help you out more. The hurricane here in Lousiana keeps dropping my internet and power.
#11 Chris N says:Will get the new Treo soon.
#12 Jeff says:what about wifi on the TREO 650? is it possible, or planned?
#13 Chris Holland says:Jeff: The Treo 700 will have WiFi, run windows, and have SIP-capabilities. Or not.
As for the 650, well, there’s this WiFi thing supposed to come out at the end of the month.
#14 Massimo says:I’d be very interested in how to set up DUN for a treo 650 and Mac OSX. I’ve been trying for a few months now and I have to admit, I’m baffled. (I have an unlocked GSM)
Otherwise, the treo 650 is a nice little machine, even though rather crash-prone, which for a phone is a tad inconvenient.
#15 Joel says:on treocentral was really helpful when I was setting my Treo650 up. I had to search Howardforums for the T-Mobile specific stuff. I think most of the thread is concerend with Cingular. So keep that in mind if you’re using a different carrier.
http://discussion.treocentral.com/showpost.php?p=785677&postcount=110
This post looks like a good digest of the steps.
#16 Joel says:Gah. That didn’t work. hehe. But click on the BIG link above to go to the thread and click the second to go to that specific post.
*mumbles something about ’stronger darned coffee’*
#17 Mojo says:I setup bluetooth on tiger using this ref article. I tried TuSSH, will give pssh a shot. Also try SplashBlog, and 800-FREE411
#18 Mark says:I have a Treo 650 and it’s awesome! I was having problems with it but I downloaded the latest firmware and it fixed the problems… The only thing that I’m experiencing is expensive interenet service via Cingular. Does anyone have cingular, and what do you pay. And is there away for me to connect my powerbook to the internet via the Treo.
thanks!
#19 Brenda Golden says:I just bought a palm 650 however it upsets me that the reps who sell these phones don’t know anything about them at all. The book that comes with the package is not informative at all. I am thoroughly thankful for what you have listed on the website. It’s great information. Perhaps you can help me with this: Versamail: i can read my mail but I cannot reply or send. I use aol and we have entered the correct service information but it still will not let me reply or send. The second problem is how do I put my versamail in one of my favorite buttons. The reps in the stores don’t know anything! Thank you so much. Brenda
#20 ravin' dave says:http://www.taniwha.org.uk/
Many modem scripts can be found here. Though I didn’t see one for the treo. A little digging can yield something. I used a script for my old phone to connect my G4 laptop over tmobile GPRS data-network. Like joel said, slow but cool.
#21 Rich...! says:I’m a huge fan of the hobbyist software apps like “initiate” (must have) and butler…!
#22 reggie says:I just got my treo 650 and I love it to death, but of course i have one gripe…If your on the internet and the treo goes to sleep in order to wake it up u got to hit the phone button, which brings up the phone then you got to re-open the internet again…i wich it would wake up exactly where i left off.
#23 Chris Holland says:reggie: yeah i did notice that. quite annoying. heh.
#24 captnswing says:regarding DUN: check out http://captnswing.net/howto/treodun/
Its easy as 1-2-3
#25 Matt says:reggie: I thought so too at first. Don’t hit the green button, hit the red button — it’ll wake up right where it was. It’s counterintuitive to me to hit what looks like the “end” button on other phones, but the Treo red button doesn’t act like the end button on most other phones.
#26 Mark says:I used my Treo 650’s connection to tether my Powerbook while performing relief work in New Orleans. I amazingly got Edge class speed. I use T-Mobile and have the $20/month unlimited plan. Great price point! The “phone number” in setting things up is internet2.voicestream.com. Different number if you have the lower plans.
Barkman’s home page http://www.taniwha.org.uk/ is the place to get the modem scripts for 3G. For Treo 650’s get the Generic 3G script file. It is a .sit file. In it will be two scripts that you copy over to /Library/Modem Scripts/.
I just updated my Powerbook to Tiger this weekend and installed the scripts. On the initial pairing of my Treo650, it only paired. I went into bluetooth settings and selected my phone and clicked configure which then brought up the option of using the phone as a modem. I’m going to play with the modem port setting and see if that helps speed issues, as it doesn’t feel as speedy as when I had Panther on this laptop.
#27 joe says:thanks for the helpful article on connectivity (bluetooth and USB) with your treo and mac. i was frustrated because i share the same inability to connect via bluetooth. working now — thanks much.
#28 Chris Holland says:Joe: glad to be of help
#29 Brorom says:Does anybody knows the access code for the general phone configuration menu? Am not talkin’ about the basic one (with the preferences and those things), the one I’m tryin’ to get is the one that allows you to modify/edit or config the network (PRL, 3GDATA, SML, PREV, etc). Usually these are codes you have to dial in the phone application and then you get into the new menu.
#30 Problems with Treo 650 2.5 mm port says:I am very frustrated. I have my 3rd defective Palm Treo in 3 months. They all develop the same problem. After about a month the 2.5 mm port of the speaker phone and mp3 player become defective in a STRANGE way. It becomes the ONLY way the phone will work. In short the phone always thinks that something is plugged into this port even when it is NOT. This mean the phone ONLY works with a head set after about a month. If you pull the plug out the regular speaker and microphone on the phone never turn on nor can you turn on the speakerphone.
I’m having my 4th Palm Treo shipped to me now but — I’m afraid it will just happen again. I DO use the plug frequently as I use the device to play music AND I plug in the headset for most calls. BUT I am not doing anything I shouldn’t do NOR am I abusing the device in any way. This is all, standard, advertised usage.
Does anybody have any experience around this issue? No one at Palm claims they have ever heard of this problem before and I’ve talked to a lot of people there.
Tony
#31 tom mancuso says:i believe i followed your instructions correctly for first synching up my treo650 with my g5. the g5 was previously synched with an old visor and had many addresses and memos on it. however, only the memos seem to have crossed over from my computer to my treo. the addresses are still on the computer, but my phone contact addresses on my phone did not merge or crossover and instead i lost all the addresses that were on the phone.
i have called treo. i have called sprint. treo’s tech support referred me to sprint. sprint’s tech support said they do not support mac.
i’d appreciate some help getting things straightened out. also i would like to start using a palm keyboard with my treo. how do i install that?
thanks.
tom
#32 Mark says:Tom Mancuso - I would suspect you have conflicting conduits. I have seen this behavior before with my Powerbook not syncing to my 650. It is a hit or miss as to whether you will receive an error message about this conflict. You will usually see something in the log file on your Mac that helps point you in the correct direction. Look under Palm for conduits and move the conflicting ones to the folder disabled conduits. The ones you move will depend on what your method of syncing will be, isync, Palm, third party, etc.
#33 Elizabeth W. says:make sure you have the current Palm Desktop software from the website and then follow these instructions:
1. open iSync, go to Devices and choose Enable Palm OS Syncing
2. open HotSync Manager and go to Conduits, Conduit manager
3. Double Click on the iSync Conduit and checkmark the enable iSync for this Palm Device
4. your device will now show up on iSync
5. to sync treo open iSync (or choose from the menu bar if you choose to have it showing in the preferences
6. choose sync now and then hit the hotsync button on your treo!
that should work, if not comment and I can try to help you through it
ps ths is the way to get it working with isync using iCal, Apple Mail and Apple Address Book
#34 Noni says:Is there any current info. on using Treo 650 (Sprint coverage) as a modem for a MAC powerbook…we’ve tried it and keep gettting a modem script error.
#35 Chris Holland says:Noni have you already looked at http://vocaro.com/trevor/treo-dun/ and tried to install the Sprint/Treo650 updater?
#36 LauraGH says:Have any of you encounter problems with the Palm Treo 650? Here’s a synopsis of what I sent to Consumeraffairs.com after a year of frustration with this defective product. Apparently there is a class action lawsuite being filed agains Palm for negating their responsibility as a provider of consumer products in CA. Frustrated Treo 650 users need to unite!
Within one year’s time I have gone though 4 – now soon to be 5 Palm 650 Treo phones. Initially I worked with Cingular whom replaced the phone 4 times, but they indicated that if the 4th replacement phone did not function I would need to contact Palm directly.
Within a few hours the 4th replacement phone produced the exact same problems over and over again. The issues include:
Extremely poor sound quality:
oRecipients of calls cannot hear me and I cannot hear them.
oLoud blaring buzzing sounds heard by recipients and by caller.
oZapping sounds then calls cancel out or are dropped instantly.
oVoice quality is extremely low and choppy.
oSpeaker quality – non existent.
Dialing issues:
oIt takes me anywhere from 4 to 6 attempts to connect a call.
oCalls keep dropping.
oCan’t use the phone in an emergency situation.
oCalls received are lost/dropped.
oI basically can’t use the phone at all.
Screen:
oPhone freezes
oPhone freezes and goes completely white.
oData transfers incorrectly from phone to pc and vis-a-versa.
oThe phone has frozen to the point where not even removing the battery and replacing it will “unfreeze” it.
The problems with the Palm Treo are so bad that I cancelled the Internet and e-mail services with the hope this would help. It didn’t help one bit. The problems simply keep getting worse and worse as time goes by and they have grown to be more frequent.
I initially worked with Cingular and aside from having the phone replaced 4 times they also replaced the batter, the SIM chip to no avail. By the way, Cingular refused to allow me to by an insurance/extended warranty when I first bought the phone a year ago.
Today, upon calling Palm they gave me the run around and made me pay $26.44 to have this garbage of a device replaced for a 5th TIME! When I asked them what they would do if the problems continued with the replacement phone they said “nothing.” When I asked them “So are you telling me if the 5th phone is defective you won’t do anything until I go away and get tired of asking for help with this defective product?” Valery’s reply was “Yes, that’s correct.”
I’ve asked for my money refunded by both companies and they refuse to give me back the $499.00 spent on this defect product. One year and 5 phones later Palm refuses to take responsibility for the defective product.
The impact has meant loss of business opportunities; inability to conduct business virtually and via telephone – the main reason I bought the stupid thing; inability to obtain assistance in emergency situations; extreme frustration – mental distress and hardship; inability to receive emergency calls from family members – family members have had to be hospitalized or were calling me while they were in distress but I couldn’t receive their call for help; extra financial cost for the numerous attempted calls that failed; plus additional cost from Palm for replacing the defective device for a 5th time.
#37 Heckler says:Sounds like you’re foooocked. Too bad. My Treo allows me to sync with a mac’s iSync, use the GPRS to connect to the Internet via my laptop when other connections are unavailable, download email quickly, watch streaming TV shows, place those emergency calls and receive them, and manage a business day to day. I couldn’t image living without my Treo 650.
- A Happy Treo User
#38 Gabe says:How do you do streaming live TV?
#39 solus says:Has anyone in the UK ever got Treo/Mac/Dun working?
I’m on o2 and I waste a day or 2 every month inputting the same old logon details hoping they will work this time…they never do…
#40 Rob says:Well Team, from reading your posts it looks like I am not alone. I’ve just bought a Treo 650 having spent a lot of time on research to determine just whether it was what I wanted, based upon what I had read I thought so. The phone was delivered last week, I loaded the SIM turned it on and it was just great. I loaded my Tom Tom SD Card, turned on the GPS and boom, I was driving from one of the UK (I’m Australian) to the other without getting lost, question number 2 resolved. What I CANNOT do is use this damn thing for DUN. A large part of what I do for a living requires access to the internet whilst I am in far flung corners of the Globe. If I can’t get DUN to work this toy is a nothing but a sea anchor to me.
I have spent the better part of the last two days trying to connect my MP Pro to the internet through my Treo, currently using Orange UK as a network. I have trawled through google and spent hours on the Palm support site and downloading modem scripts from Ross Barkman’s famous and damn useful site. When I connect using Internet Connect the phone is able to establish a connection and get part way through the authentication and that is it. The line disconnects and I get an error indicating that the computer could not negotiate with the remote server. Before anyone asks, yes I have turned off the Echo Packets option. I have experimented with just about every combination available and am seriously starting to regret the money I have spent on the this damn thing.
I would be grateful for any help anyone could offer.
#41 jdpf says:The 2.5mm jack confusion has happened to me, i think it is software related (as truly bizarre as that sounds). When it happened to me, I jiggled the jack to no avail. I’ve had lots of experience rebuilding the stupid 2.5mm headset jacks in previous phones (practically every phone i’ve ever owned, actually) and if the jack is shorted, it tends to respond to pressure from the male connector— at various insertion depths. As the treo’s jack did not respond to such pressure, i reset the phone, and presto— the jack worked. Go figure.
Curiously, I’ve experienced an unhappy mysterious and intermittent loss of data (quite a few times, actually). When i talked with the SprintPCS rep, she tested it on her Treo 700 and it didn’t happen for her, could be user error on my part, so YMMV:
Place a call from your contact list.
Take a note in the one of your contacts.
Click Done to save the note.
Hang up the call (press the red button).
Press the Home button.
Try to find the note again.
Laugh happily because you didn’t lose any data.
Finally, I’m not able to synchronize using USB anymore— and I haven’t figured out why yet. Someone suggested that the cable’s pins are crusty (look clean to me). I can synchronize using bluetooth (but that takes ages). Switching the conduit/connection settings in hotsync manager and the treo doesn’t seem to help— even with reboots (of both the computer and the treo) between such changes. Sigh. It should just work.
have a nice day.yadjdpf
#42 Azzurra says:Buon luogo, congratulazioni, il mio amico!
#43 MarkyMark says:Yes Tony it just happened to me. I had this Palm 650 to replace the prior defective one. The speaker was too crackly so I popped in a 2.5. The speaker ain’t crackly any more. It ain’t nothing anymore. So I guess I’ll use the vibrate mode for the phone. Palm used to be a respectable company. I don’t know what happened. I am looking at the BlackJack or something else now. Didn’t use the cheap camera on the Palm much anyway. Not like it was easy to get the photos off it either. It was an expensive piece of …