Handspring Treo 270

A compact palmtop computer and mobile phone combined, the new Treo attempts to offer both portability and functionality.

Handspring's proclaimed corporate mantra is: "Keep it small, simple, affordable and connected." Does the company's latest offering meet these criteria?

Well, the new Treo 270 Communicator is certainly small - at least by the standards of most personal organisers. The unit fits easily in a shirt pocket, and while its weight is not negligible, it is barely appreciable.

It can sit comfortably in the palm of your hand, and its jog-dial control is conveniently positioned under-thumb (presuming you are right-handed, that is).

Before you can make use of this or any other control, though, the Treo's lid must be flipped open; this immediately brings the machine to life and acts as the 'off' switch when closed. This useful feature is a hallmark of the Treo 270's mobile phone credentials - but more on that later.

As a palmtop organiser, Handspring's latest offering must rank as one of the most attractive. The small frame belies the unit's wealth of features, which are set off well by the pretty colour screen.

In terms of software, there is nothing new or particularly enticing on offer here. The Treo relies on the popular Palm operating system as its backbone. This includes a simple-to-use address-book tool along with basic memo-taking and scheduling applications. If it is an all-singing, all-dancing multimedia-capable pocket computer you are after, Palm OS is not for you.

On the other hand, if you are looking for straightforward contact management, why complicate life by going for anything grander?

The Treo 270's Palm OS interface is navigated by an at-times baffling combination of the aforementioned jog-dial, short-cut buttons and a pen-like stylus.

In addition to these control regulars, a minuscule keyboard underlines the 4,000-shade display. This is very similar in look and feel to that of the Sharp Zaurus, but here it is a necessity rather than a novel extra. While most other PDAs allow some form of pen-based data entry - be it the simplified strokes of Palm's Graffiti or the cursive writing recognition attempted by Pocket PCs - the only way to get information into the Treo 270 when out and about is via this tiny tapper.

Sadly, while Sharp somehow managed to create a well-spaced layout, the Treo's keys seem a bit too close together.

As a mobile communications device, the Treo is accomplished. The flip cover doubles as an earpiece, and the unit acts much like any contemporary mobile handset. Telephone numbers can be entered via the keyboard or by pressing the large on-screen numeric icons displayed on the touch-sensitive screen.

Alternatively, the jog-dial can be used to flit through a list of speed dials (the Treo stores a maximum of 50). The device boasts a speaker-phone feature, but the usefulness of this is marred by a sloppy design quirk: the hands-free mode can be engaged only after a call has been connected.

In other words, by the time you have got speaker-phone operation enabled, the person on the other end of will already have uttered their greeting. It is not a major failing, but quite annoying - it is perhaps better to use the supplied earpiece with its in-line microphone instead.

The web-browsing facility works well. The software is Handspring's own Blazer browser, which supposedly turbo-charges internet activities, but surfing seemed slothful at times (though this is an inherent limitation of GSM networks). However, if you stick to sites optimised for mobile browsing, like the BBC's News Online service, it is an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Indeed, this aspect alone justifies the colour screen's inclusion.

The Treo 270 is a good-looking, fine-performing device - but it is not without its faults. The speaker-phone mode is flawed, and the keyboard-only entry method will further limit its appeal.

Price: £549 (inc VAT but without connection)

• Dual-band (GSM 900/1800) mobile phone
• 16MB memory
• 33MHz Dragonball processor
• Lithium-ion battery - 3 hours' talktime, 150 hours' standby
• Dimenions (HxDxW, in mm): 108x21x71
• Weight: 153g
• 12-bit colour display (4,000 shades)
• Connects to PC/Mac via USB or serial
• Includes Handspring's own web-browser application (Blazer) and text-message (SMS) management software

Contact:Handspring: 020 7294 0157
www.handspring.co.uk