I'm sure that as our first week of the Smartphone Round Robin wraps up, my three colleagues will have the exact same feeling I do: Just one week with a new device is barely enough to scratch the surface of the device. The best we can do is provide an overview of our thoughts on the competing platform and how it compares to our own platform.

That issue seems especially pointed to me because, as I wrote in my first article on the Treo 680, the PalmOS platform really comes into its own only when you start exploring the vast array of 3rd party applications that are available for it. Many of my gripes with the PalmOS are easily fixed with the right mix of applications. When I put up my initial Treo 680 Q&A Thread, the TreoCentral community responded with a stunning array of 3rd party apps to do what I needed to do.

What I'm saying here is that I haven't been able to try them all, but I have a few favorites I'll touch on. Read on!

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When we decided to try this Smartphone Round Robin a couple of weeks ago, I immediately girded my loins (pictured above - just how uncomfortable “girded loins” actually are) in preparation for a full three weeks without a Windows Mobile device as my main brain. I knew it would be tough, but so far I've been managing alright.

The main reason, I suppose, is that my first week in the Smartphone Round Robin brings me the Treo 680 - in other words, I'm a Windows Mobile convert “old schooling it” with the PalmOS. The Treo 680 has been my sole device for about 5 days now - so how am I holding up with this blast from my past? Read on to find out.

(Don't forget - a comment on this post counts as an entry in the Round Robin Contest!)

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