March madness 2004 - Treo 600 vs. Motorola MPx200

CNET

Reviews

Ad: Manage updates with the Download App

CNET.com: March madness 2004

Treo 600

67.1% of the votes

Read review
Check prices
Get accessories

Siemens SL56

32.9% of the votes

Read review
Check prices
Get accessories

EDITORS' RECAP
As stylish as it might be, we didn't think the Siemens SL56 had quite enough game to hang with the powerhouse Treo 600. And we were right. The Siemens kept it respectable for a while, but the hulking Treo outmuscled it every step of the way, wearing out the little fella.

THE FANS SOUND OFF:

• The SL56, with its 12-key phone-pad plays, is for last year's moves: tired, weak, and played out. Club execs and folks in the bleachers crave the Treo 600's QWERTY quickness under the basket and its international coverage. The longer time between recharges represents Treo getting a needed assist from designers. Those three-pointer, I mean, third-party, applications keep coming: MP3 and movies. Treo must be Siliconese for On To The Majors.--Paul, San Francisco

• Handspring really got the formula for phone, camera, PDA, and styling right with the Treo 600. I'm a gadget guy, and I've finally simplified my life with one device that does it all. This phone is in a league by itself. It sends the SL56 to the showers early.--Jon, Los Altos, CA

• How can you call this a game? It's like Duke's basketball team squaring up against the Buckeyes' football team--two completely different animals. That being said, my vote goes to the Treo for its great feature set and small form factor, given all it has to offer.--John, St. Louis

• The Siemens may have started the slide format in North America, but it is old hat overseas. Add to that a high price and a creaky feel, and you get an overhyped phone. The Treo is a product I would never use but one I respect more. Treo all the way!

• This is a more interesting match for the Treo than in the first round.  The Siemens does have the slick looks and the move (or, in this case, the "slide"). But the Treo still packs a bigger punch with more features, and it has the endurance (a.k.a. battery life) to keep up with or outlast even the small guys. I still take the Treo, but the Siemens is certainly a worthy opponent!--George, Kansas City

• None of the phones can beat the convenience of the Treo's compact keyboard, and none of the smart phones on the market integrate the capabilities of a phone and a PDA (and a camera) so well. You can punch the ticket for the Treo to take it all.--Elliot, New York

• The SL56 is a cool phone, but it's a fad phone, and will be uncool, just like the Moto V70, the Nokia 8890, and so on. The Treo, on the other hand, is an awesome smart phone with tons of features that'll be still cool in two years.--Eric, Boston

• No, no upset, Joni. The Treo 600 is king. The search is over.

• It's too bad that people's obsession with convergence will cause the Treo to win. The SL56 is so much more usable.

• The 600 is my second Treo. What a phone! Nice and small but dependable, with all the features I need. I no longer have to carry a pager, a phone, and a PDA.--Carol, Livonia, MI

Back to tournament home