Palm's latest Treo, the 755p, features a slimmer form factor than previous versions of the smartphone PDA. It's less than an inch thick, and weighs well under six ounces, making it easy to drop into a pocket where it rides almost unnoticed.

Like previous Treos, this smartphone PDA combines the best features of a cell phone with the power of a PDA. You're able to type e-mails and text messages via the full-sized keyboard below the Treo's screen--it's thumb-typing, to be sure, but it still beats using an onscreen keyboard. You can browse the Web over the fast EV-DO cellular network, giving you high speed access to the Internet wherever you have a cell phone signal (although there's no WiFi built in). And you can view PDF files as well as edit Word and Excel files while you're on the go.

The 755p offers some new features, including the robust Google Maps application. It's not a GPS receiver, but this feature gives you detailed maps of any location, and you can receive wireless updates about traffic conditions and detours (although some providers may charge extra for this service). You can tie this Treo to your favorite instant messaging accounts and stay in touch easily with your friends and contacts via AIM, Yahoo! Messaging and others.

Palm includes a 1.3-megapixel digital camera on this PDA, letting you take pictures and even record video that you can e-mail to friends. There's no flash, but the pictures were of decent quality for a phone camera. And since there's a microphone, you can also use this Treo as a voice recorder for taking down voice memos.

The 2-1/2-inch screen isn't as large as what you'll see on traditional PDAs, but the 320x320 resolution gives it a crisp depth for viewing pictures and watching video. This Treo even lets you stream live Sprint TV--you have to pay for a lot of the programs, but it's like realizing a futuristic childhood dream to watch television in the palm of your hand.

The design of the 755p makes it easy to manipulate onscreen menus via the directional pad and programmable buttons as well as the touchscreen (although some of the edges weren't that sensitive to our stylus taps). We especially liked the sliding switch on top of the Treo that instantly converted the smartphone to silent ringer mode.

With built-in IrDA and Bluetooth, you can synch up with compatible PCs without wires. The latter even allows you to use the Treo as a cellular modem for your laptop, letting you browse the Web with your portable PC away from wireless hotspots. If you're looking for both a cell phone and a PDA, Palm is one of the vendors who best knows how to combine the two in a smartphone PDA like the Treo 755p.

Pro: Fast cellular browsing, maps and TV at hand
Con: No 802.11 wireless

Warranty
1 year, limited