Now taking submissions for a deprecating nickname for the Palm Treo, ala "CrackBerry"

It's actually surprising how ranting on a blog can make you feel better about a particular topic, so let me now inform you all on the wonder that is my Palm Treo 600.

I got this thing a little over a year ago and I loved it. It had everything, an mp3 player, camera, dayplanner, solitaire, oh yeah and I could use it to call people too. But either way I loved it, it went everywhere with me and I was always the first to chime in on the wonders of the Treo, and how far superior to the BlackBerry it actually is.

Then, disaster struck. I had always had trouble with the phones headset. This wasn't a big deal because I didn't mind using the speaker for music, and I hated handsfree calling. I assumed that the problem was I was trying to listen to music on a handsfree headset, and it wasn't meant for that, and hence my problem. But then I got an adapter to make it possible to use regular headphones and encountered the same problem. I realized that the issue was in fact, my phone, and decided to bring it back to The Source to get them to fix it.

This all went down in early December, at which time I should have sent it in, but they told me it would be gone for like 3 weeks and they couldn't give me anything remotely on par with it as a loaner, so I said I'd wait and left the store. In the months that passed a little spot developed on the screen. It wasn't a dead spot because it still responded to touch, but the color was gone. I decided that this enough to warrant the 3 weeks without my phone so I sent it in to be fixed with a little over a week left on the warranty.

I continue to lose my mind over the next two weeks as not only my phone is gone, but my computer is as well. This cuts me off completely from the technological world and I feel like a friggin' caveman. How do the Amish do it? But my phone does not come back, but I'm sent a brand new replacement a week early, and I get all giddy. This is also the day I order my new laptop, so I'm all kinds of psyched. Until my phone fails to upload my phonebook from the computer when I HotSync and I have to input 200 numbers back in by hand.

But a week later, the unthinkable happens, my phone stops making noise. The headset jack is now permantly recognizing headphones, and thusly cuts off all sounds to the speakers, I freak out and bring it promptly back to the Source, where I am given the same loaner phone, and sent on my way.

I get a call Friday that another replacement has been sent in, and I pick it up on Saturday afternoon. I have tinkered a bit and manage to get the HotSync thing working and I'm saved the hassle of retyping all these numbers for the third time.

This is all well and good until last night. I take my phone to the stadium as I always do, and on the way down plug in the adapter and listen to some music on my headphones, which cut in and out a bit, generally pissing me off, but my phone works, so I'm not going to push my luck. Then I come home after the game and unplug the headphones to be met by...no sound. Again.

I am now doing all in my power not to pitch my phone into the bit of snowbank thats left in the driveway. But I manage to make it through the night, and my 9am exam before walking into The Source and being met by looks of "again?!". This time however, they make an offer that I can't help getting a bit psyched over. They request that I'm given a free upgrade to the Treo 650 when they replace my phone this time, they stress the amount of shit I've gone through and how it's tainted my view of the product and all that stuff. I'm thinking "sweeeeet" but trying not to get to built up because I'm thinking that I'll probably be given another 600, which will probably crap out on me again.

At least the loaner phone this time has a walkie talkie built in, thats pretty awesome.