A Convergence Train Wreck

Convergence, the promise of disparate technologies uniting in a single cohesive and functional unit, has been something of a Holy Grail for the gadget business. There were some goofy ideas like "Internet-ready" refrigerators and ovens, but more practical applications as well, like camera-equipped cell phones. Instead of two devices taking up pocket space, there would be just one.

Convergence is a worthy goal, but sometimes it can go too far. For example, defunct Netpliance couldn't generate much interest in its $99 "i-Opener" device, which was sort of like a PC, but not really. Even Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) and 3Com (Nasdaq: COMS) introduced Internet appliances, only to quickly abandon them to unseemly deaths. I'm thinking that the Treo 700W ought to fare just as well.

Unveiled with great fanfare last September in answer to the popular Blackberry from Research In Motion (Nasdaq: RIMM), the latest version of the Treo promised to integrate the popular Palm (Nasdaq: PALM) personal digital assistant with Verizon's (NYSE: VZ) cellular service and the Windows Mobile 5 operating system from Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT). It would be the first Palm device without the Palm OS, which was a major departure for the company. From my experience with my Treo, it departed right off a cliff.

I've had my Treo for several months now, and while I'm by no means a power user, I like my gadgets to work as advertised. But, as is typical for a Windows-powered device, it's buggy as all get out. When connected to the Internet through Verizon Wireless Broadband Access, the system will bog down or freeze; sometimes the Treo just won't start up. In both cases, you need to remove the battery to get it to reboot. That nifty touchscreen is a real boon, too -- except when you use the phone as a phone and it touches your ear. That causes it to set alarms, change time zones, and unintentionally bring up all sorts of programs.

Having used a number of Palm devices over the years, I hoped that the Treo 700 would build upon those successes. Though Verizon has a monopoly on branding with the Treo for the time being, it seems that the fly in the ointment here is Microsoft's operating system. It's enough of a hassle that, considering the Treo's $400 price tag, I've thought of firing up my old Audiovox (Nasdaq: VOXX) phone, which I got for free with my phone service. At least it didn't limit me to 160 characters in a text message, unlike my so-called "smartphone."

Sometimes cramming so many features into one device -- sorry, "creating a technological convergence" -- creates more problems than it was meant to solve. Sure, instead of a PDA, cell phone, and a palmtop computer vying for pocket space, I've got one device. But I'm thinking my smartphone is pretty dumb; I'd be better off with two cups and a length of string.

Microsoft is a Motley Fool Inside Value recommendation, while Palm is a Motley Fool Stock Advisor pick.

Though Fool contributor Rich Duprey owns the Treo 700W, he does not own any of the stocks mentioned in this article. You can see his holdings here. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.