When Palm introduced its first model with a reflective(aka outdoor-readable) screen, users were disappointed with the weak colors. By the time the Treo 680 hit the market, the company had improved its technology far enough to verse TFT’s. Usually, consumer smartphone screens are the best-of-breed - can the Centro stack up?
First of all, a Palm Treo 500 versed the Centro. The 500 won. BTW, the Centro’s keyboard backlighting is extremely weak - this is not an optical distortion.
The Treo 680 had no issues dispatching the Centro either:
The rx4240’s TFT screen literally ripped the Centro’s screen to pieces - total ownage:
Last but not least, here are a few more Centro-vs-Treo shots. Please note how the Treo’s screen reflects light a lot better:
In the end, the Centro’s tiny screen renders all further discussion futile as it simply is too small to be comfortable to use for longer duration. The reddish hue, average contrast and weak reflectivity are annoying - but are minor issues compared to the screen size. People coming from a 680 should look elsewhere…
P.S. Yep - the white border around the screen seems to be gone!
Those complaints are meaningless taken in context. The centro isn’t meant for “power users”. It is an entry-level device, and consequently users should not expect high or even mid range parts. As sales have shown, the device is near perfect for its purpose… I don’t hear much of people returning their centro because the screen doesn’t have high-fidelity color
I agree completely with medevilenemy. There’s no comparison between a 600 and 300 dollar device. The fact that the 300 dollar doesn’t perform to the satisfaction of critics is expected, not a disappointment.
And the screen reflectiveness is confusing me. I don’t want the screen to reflect when I’m outside. If it does, I see the leaves of the tree above me rather than the ebook I’m trying to read. I think you mean it reflect light instead of dimming the screen, but in that photo I can see the centro screen a lot better than the treo’s.
Hi Folks,
thank you all or talking back! Apparently, my Centro review causes controversy - which I see gladly ;).
First of all, the two device’s prices are very similar - both boxen are in the 300€ price range for an Austrian.
Generally, my review compares the 680 and the Centro from a power user’s view - I will make this clear in the verdict which is coming soon. People with low demand will definitely be happy with the box - but these usually do not read TamsPalm ;).
I hope that I have now been able to clarify my situation a bit…
Best regards and thanks for talking back
Tam Hanna