I discovered the hard way that there are certain apps that the Treo 650 won't run well. In fact there are some that will cause catastrophe, so it's a good idea to consult a list of compatible software . Thankfully my own disaster happened when I was still here in Manila (I can just imagine the loud noises and gallons of sweat involved if it had occurred when I was abroad), with time to research and repair. It was nothing less than TELT -- The Endless Loop Thingie -- a seemingly random disaster which will see the Treo 650 crash, shut down, reset, boot and then do the same thing over and over. At its worst, TELT requires the dreaded, acrobatic zero out reset (you might not believe the body position you'll have to assume just to do it), which someone has rightfully described as the "Death Star of all resets."

Thankfully I put that all behind me within a week of purchase. The one irritant I still live with is that the system resets when I use the "Find" function. There's probably a corrupt database somewhere in my files, but I'd have to do a program-by-program reload and don't have the time for it. Meantime I've at least managed to repair my calendar entries using a database scanner.

My Berlin Hotel office

The Treo 650 has served me very well. I use its PDA functions mainly for text-intensive activities; planning schedules and appointments, making notes and writing articles when abroad. The two accessories I've found indispensable: an SD memory card for backing up the handheld (call me paranoid; when you call me, send an MMS) and storing MP3s, books and photos; a Palm wireless keyboard, so I can do serious processing using the Documents to Go program bundled with the Treo 650.

It certainly beats lugging a laptop. All I have to do is clear a little space, unfold the portable keyboard, lay the Treo on the mount and start working at once. I was telling some people about the time I was in Venice supposed to be on vacation and I was pressed to meet a deadline. I chose a suitable workplace -- a waterfront restaurant along the Canale della Giudecca -- set up my Treo 650, and by working several hours, through a lunch of spaghetti vongole and an espresso, I was able to hammer out a column. Somehow, the looks I got after I told the story were not of admiration. What could I have said?

I also have a truckload of third party apps -- system enhancers, travel utils, guides and foreign language dictionaries mainly. I've surprised myself, because I've hardly used the device for playing games; I've just given Zap and Zuma the occasional spin and found the graphics very crisp, the sound effects noteworthy. Actually the sound is good enough to handle MP3 music, played with the enclosed RealPlayer. The Treo can also record sounds that can be used as ringtones, and there are apps out there that will turn it into a voice recorder. There's also a way to encode DVDs and play them back on the Treo 650, but I haven't tried that out yet.

Not bad for a sub-megapixel camera. A seminar participant in Berlin.

Another Treo portrait. Meet Izzy.

As for the built-in camera, it's a sub-megapixel device that won't be making any headlines for high resolution. Also, because it's fixed focus, it needs fiddling with distance to get a properly lit shot. Some users recommend going in really close up, others say standing back a distance is best. The quality isn't too bad, and and there are all sorts of possible throwaway uses. For example, some guys take Treo pictures of where they park their cars so they can make their way back to them later. I've taken snaps of my luggage just before checking it in a left-luggage section at the train section. Just in case there are identification problems later. At the very least, the camera can take portraits of the people in the Treo's Contacts list. And let's not even talk about the possibilities for blackmail...

You'll probably get the impression by now that I like the Treo. Let me say it upfront, it's a killer replacement for my defunct Prism. It's a great combination of phone and PDA, can't say much about its Internet capabilities because of my problems with Globe.

Until August 2005, Palm Philippines is throwing in a free Bluetooth headset for anyone who buys the Treo 650. It's a good deal. I never thought I'd end up looking like a weenie Terminator overlord, with this silver thing in my ear periodically flashing a blue light. But it's become an indispensable accessory, it does away with having to stick the smartphone smack against my ear. The sound quality is good, and most people I talk to don't notice I'm using Bluetooth. Of course the people around me probably notice that I'm talking to myself, but then they likely attribute that to the fact that I'm an idiot. A happy one anyway.

People sometimes ask me for devices to recommend. I play it safe, cop out and always reply, "what works for you." There's no point buying some expensive widget just for the sake of showing it off. Unless of course you're an illegal gambling lord and can buy widgets by the warehouse. As far as I'm concerned, this is the smartphone to beat, and no potty-mouthed Blackberry user can tell me otherwise.

Anyway you know which is the dominant species, because gear review mags are always calling this or that new device the "Treo killer."

Don't get the Treo 650 just because it's one of the most expensive smartphones around, buy it only if it works for you. It certainly does for me.

Having said that, I should note that Veronica Pedrosa of CNN, who also uses a Treo 650, tells me it's the phone of choice in Beverly Hills. Imagine that: I'm using the same machine as a crack dealer! All I need is a BMW and a MAC-10.