Treo 650 and SYNC.... no dice

[Lex Talionis]

First, yes, I know.. it is not on the 'officially' supported list. But, I have seen other phones that were not on 'the list' that do work and it is all BT capable mind you.

 

So, I was in the dealer and checking things out. I tried to pair my phone, and my chicks phone, both are Verizon Treo 650's but with 2 different software versions (1.04 with BT 1.0 and 1.05a with BT 1.1 respectively) and neither worked. We tried 3 times on each. The dealer pulled out a RAZR and SYNC'd it up - first time - and made a phone call. we could not

 

anyone else have success or failure with a Treo 650? This is a real bummer to get a car with this technology and not be able to use it!

Edited January 9, 2008 by Lex Talionis

[CorporateEdge]

Go out to the sync your ride web site (ie microsoft). There is a users forum and I believe several people have tried to sync the 650 with various degrees of luck.

 

I know several people in our company had huge problems sync'ing the 650. Multiple attempts with no success.

 

I have a 700P with Bell Mobility (Ontario Canada) and it sync'd up after 3 attempts. Make sure you clear the sync off the palm and the palm off the sync before you try again (Old Micorsoft standby- turn it off and start fresh).

 

The 700 has a problem that is documented in the various forums where it will be working fine then when you try and dial a call it will start the connection then flash a message after 3-4 seconds saying the call was unsuccessful. If you look at the treo it is working fine and the call is actually still in progress. I haven't seen a fix for this problem and just use the phone on manual for that call. usually works fine the next call. go figure !

 

A final comment. I sent MS a question about why no 700 treo's were listed on the approved/tested list. Next day the 700 (w?) was suddenly there. I don't think they have the time or desire to try every combination of phone/carrier so if its not on the list it will likely work anyway.

 

let us know if it ever works and check the internet.

http://syncmyride.com/Own/Modules/SupportC...upportHome.aspx

[Lex Talionis]

It looks like to be on the users forum, you must be a syncmyride.com member - which it seems needs a VIN and I have not purchased my rdie yet... so I cannot get/post to that forum. (or did I miss it?)

 

BUT, you raise kind of an interesting point. When we paired the Treo 650, the Treo found and added 'SYNC' and the Edge's SYNC found my Treo, but when you put in the PIN it gives you is when the SYNC reports 'connection failed'. BUT, the SYNC is still listed in my Treo as a Trusted Source right now and the SYNC - when we went to add the dealers phone as a test - showed my phones BT name in the list of phones already on the Edge. So, I wonder if in fact it was possible to make/receive a call as it showed my phones name on the Edge SYNC and how could it do that if the connection actually failed? would it not have even captured that info from my phone had it no in fact connected? maybe we assumed the connection failed and should have tried it?

[CorporateEdge]

So you were just trying to pair your phone up with a demo or someone elses Edge to try it before you buy it ?

 

My Treo failed the first couple of times hence my recommendation to go in and clean out both systems and start fresh. I have heard it can be done but will take 2-3 tries. If you are seriously looking at buying why not get the dealer to drop his price by "x" dollars to cover all/part of the cost of a compatible phone ? just an idea.

 

I think you can get the treo to work but not all the functionality will be there.

[Lex Talionis]

yes, just testing to see if in fact my phone would work as Sync is an awfully cool brick to me if it cannot. So, we just sat in a demo car on the lot and tried to pair my phone, my chicks phone, and his phone. Ours did not, his did, ours Treos, his RAZR.

 

I now wish, despite seeing the connection failed error I would have tried to get or make a call given the Edge in fact had my phone name in it's memory and SYNC screen and my Treo had SYNC. Darn. Might try again.

 

BTW, his sync'd after we tried the 2 Treos and without clearing the Edge SYNC system of our attempts.

 

I like the idea of asking for a discount on the price given I would not be able to use a key piece of technology.

[akirby]

I like the idea of asking for a discount on the price given I would not be able to use a key piece of technology.

 

How is it the dealer's fault that your phone isn't compatible?

[Lex Talionis]

first, not saying it is or is not. syncmyride.com clearly makes the effort to tell you that not all phones that are capable of syncing are listed and many not on the list do, but have not just been officially tested. So essentially, it is telling you that there is a good chance yours will even if not on the list. ALSO, they DO have a list of phones they do know that will not work for sure. This Treo is not on that list mind you.

 

Second, they sell the hell out of that Sync feature to you and - the salesman - know very little about phone usage. I was never told by the dealer that some might and some might not. It was blanket told "you have a cell phone? then you can sync it to the sync system!" - which is not entirely true. Point is, if they sell you on a piece of equipment, only to find that piece of equipment that they sold you on does not work for you, then it seems their bad.

 

Though I am - and many of us here - are the rarer buyer in that we come to the web to research, most people simply do not and if the dealer tells you "do you have a cell phone? then you can sync it" and you buy the car only to find out that you cannot.. who do you turn to? You could have bought a 2007 with no sync then but instead, bought into that option that generically sold you on.

 

so, there is a lot of gray here. in this exact case - the phone I have seems to work for some and not others. is not on the official list - but many that work are not on the list - but is not on the official 'will not work list' either. the salesman generically sell you on the idea/product and do not caveat the service, I just happen to find out by trying and web researching - most people will NOT do what I have done and go t this effort. so really, is my phone compatible or not.....

[Lex Talionis]

just got this nice generic, noncommittal email from SYNC about the Treo 650.. not much help huh?

 

Hello,

 

Thank you for contacting the Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center regarding the compatibility of the Treo 650 with Sync.

 

Feedback such as yours allows us to examine our practices and policies to ensure that we meet or exceed the expectations of our customers in the future. We regret that you have not had a favorable experience, and appreciate the time you have taken to write us.

 

If you have any other inquiries regarding SYNC, please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to address them for you.

 

followed by this when I replied that they did not actually answer my question..

 

Our records indicate that you contacted the Ford Customer Relationship Center earlier and we advised you that the Customer Relationship Center is unaware in advance of changes that our Sync Engineering and Design Team may be making and the specific reasons that the changes may be made in the future.

 

At this time we are unable to provide you with an alternate response. If any additional information regarding this matter should become available in the future, please let us know.

Edited January 3, 2008 by Lex Talionis

[CorporateEdge]

Can you say "automated response" ? And they could do a little better in tailoring the program to pick up key words to better match the boiler plate response to the actual issue. Ah well, I guess they saved money over having a call center in India respond to the question. Likely outsourced to a low cost computer in Tonga.

 

As far as "how is it the dealers fault"... it isn't BUT if they are really keen on selling the car with lots of expensive options/bells/whistles then they will likely pop for a new compatible phone to seal the deal. The cost of the phone will get built in to the transaction one way or another but if I were the sales rep I would not loose a 45,000.00 sale over a 150.00 phone !

 

Whats the line in the song... "how bad do you want it.. not bad enough" ? Name the artist/album/song !

[Lex Talionis]

Can you say "automated response" ? And they could do a little better in tailoring the program to pick up key words to better match the boiler plate response to the actual issue. Ah well, I guess they saved money over having a call center in India respond to the question. Likely outsourced to a low cost computer in Tonga.

 

As far as "how is it the dealers fault"... it isn't BUT if they are really keen on selling the car with lots of expensive options/bells/whistles then they will likely pop for a new compatible phone to seal the deal. The cost of the phone will get built in to the transaction one way or another but if I were the sales rep I would not loose a 45,000.00 sale over a 150.00 phone !

 

Whats the line in the song... "how bad do you want it.. not bad enough" ? Name the artist/album/song !

 

 

only problem there is that the phones I need - PDA style - are not merely $150 I use a Palm Treo for specific business and personal reasons.. and it is one of the most ubiquitous PDA data style phones out there - and yet it is neither supported nor not supported. to get me a phone that would work with Sync would be a heck of a lot more than $150 as it is just not a phone to me... it is a lot more.

 

agreed about the weak boiler plate responses... I kept responding back like 4 times with specific questions only to get these lame vague emails... ha ha

Edited January 3, 2008 by Lex Talionis

[akirby]

I was never told by the dealer that some might and some might not. It was blanket told "you have a cell phone? then you can sync it to the sync system!" - which is not entirely true. Point is, if they sell you on a piece of equipment, only to find that piece of equipment that they sold you on does not work for you, then it seems their bad.

 

I would agree, except that wasn't the question you posed. You said that they should offer you a discount (or pay for a compatible phone - same thing) because YOUR cell phone wasn't fully compatible.which implies that you knew that before you bought it. If the dealer told you it would work and it didn't - different issue.

 

The problem is that Sync is built to support a specific, published bluetooth standard. If the phone also supports that same standard then it works. If it doesn't then it's the phone's problem.

 

It's like buying a 1080p HDTV only to find out that your standard DVD player won't output 1080p and then blaming the the TV manufacturer.

[Lex Talionis]

Technically, the question I posed was not about a discount... that was not raised until post #4 and not by me but by CorporateEdge.

 

Second, look at the big picture which was my point.... which is.... I, you and the others here happen to be a very small % that do web research beyond what the salesman say. 99% of the people take the word of the salesman and the salesman is wrong in saying "you have a cell phone? then you can sync it to the sync system!" as it overstates the ability of the system... Additionally, the website that covers the phone compatibility is vague at best in saying things like, and I quote, "Most Bluetooth-enabled phones support hands-free calling through Sync". And, "Even if your Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone is not shown, it may still work with your Sync! Many existing mobile phones have not been tested yet and new ones are introduced frequently. If your phone is Bluetooth-enabled, it is likely to support Sync’s features. So if you don’t see your phone here, just stop by your dealer and test it with Sync." That is a bold statement when in fact the Treo is the, arguably, most ubiquitous PDA phone out there... and seems to have questionable success.

 

What if I had bought the car based on the salesman's statement and grinning sales speech as he explained the greatest of the feature, only to find out my nor my spouses phone would work? I just got lucky I am anal and went and researched it and found out about this issue - most won't be so lucky.

Edited January 3, 2008 by Lex Talionis

[akirby]

Technically, the question I posed was not about a discount... that was not raised until post #4 and not by me but by CorporateEdge.

 

Second, look at the big picture which was my point.... which is.... I, you and the others here happen to be a very small % that do web research beyond what the salesman say. 99% of the people take the word of the salesman and the salesman is wrong in saying "you have a cell phone? then you can sync it to the sync system!" as it overstates the ability of the system... Additionally, the website that covers the phone compatibility is vague at best in saying things like, and I quote, "Most Bluetooth-enabled phones support hands-free calling through Sync". And, "Even if your Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone is not shown, it may still work with your Sync! Many existing mobile phones have not been tested yet and new ones are introduced frequently. If your phone is Bluetooth-enabled, it is likely to support Sync’s features. So if you don’t see your phone here, just stop by your dealer and test it with Sync." That is a bold statement when in fact the Treo is the, arguably, most ubiquitous PDA phone out there... and seems to have questionable success.

 

What if I had bought the car based on the salesman's statement and grinning sales speech as he explained the greatest of the feature, only to find out my nor my spouses phone would work? I just got lucky I am anal and went and researched it and found out about this issue - most won't be so lucky.

 

I already said if the salesman told someone their phone would work and it doesn't then that's a big problem. No argument. They should let you try it for yourself.

 

Of course the website is vague - Ford and Microsoft have absolutely NO control over how a phone manufacturer implements their bluetooth interface. And given the number of different phone models and firmware versions out there it's impossible for Ford or Microsoft to test everything.

 

As for the discount thing, you said:

 

I like the idea of asking for a discount on the price given I would not be able to use a key piece of technology.

 

And that's what I was responding to. Would it be a good thing for dealers to offer a Sync compatible phone with each vehicle? Sure - nice marketing ploy. But you're implying that the Sync system is defective because it doesn't support your phone and therefore you deserve a discount which I think is ridiculous.

[Lex Talionis]

I found this post interesting on another site. it has interesting implications if true..

 

"I have a Treo 755p and a Ford Edge. I was able to connect with a Ford Engineer that develops Sync. They have developed a patch with Palm to fix the 755p connection issue, but according to him, Palm needs to release it (i.e. this is a Phone issue, not a Sync issue). I look forward to getting this released."

[CorporateEdge]

Based on our corporate experience with the Treo phones (we likely have hundreds in North America) and the problems with them Lex's last post doesn't surprise me.

 

Several of my coworkers are on their 3'rd or 4'th Treo due to various fatal errors, speaker breakdowns etc.. Our tech support spends more time on Treo support than all other issues (laptops, work stations, printers etc..) We are now looking at converting everyone over to Blackberrys based on all our problems. Palm is compounding the issue by replacing defective units with "remanufactured ones" that seem to come with problems already built in to them. Palm is one company that I would not be buying stock in right now.

 

My Treo (700P) is paired up fine other than the intermitent "call ended" problem which is noted in various forums. I just put up with it and move on. Maybe the next phone/pda will work better and in the mean time I will keep an eye out for any Treo patches

[Lex Talionis]

to piggie back what you say about Palm... they are also as about as outdated as you get. they are slow to update, slow to release, slow to change form factors and get more on the cutting edge as compared to say.. a Blackberry PDA. I fully admit when you use a Treo it does feel antiquated.. BUT it does everything I need it to do and many other that use it.

 

The real point with much of this, as you elude to, is that many companies have hundreds of these in circulation. Not to mention all those in the hands of the individual users such as myself. Which is why I firmly believe it is the most common PDA phone out there. Period. It not working with Sync - whether it be a Microsoft bug, carriers bug or Palms bug - is still surprising as you would think whomever's issue it is they would have patched by now.

 

Heck, the several month old Voyager for Verizon works... but not the ubiquitous, been around and used by many a company, business user and personal user - Treo 650.

 

And speaking of Blackberry, Sync lists only 3 models of Blackberry on 3 carriers that works. that is not even that great a potential for usability.

[akirby]

Heck, the several month old Voyager for Verizon works... but not the ubiquitous, been around and used by many a company, business user and personal user - Treo 650.

 

And speaking of Blackberry, Sync lists only 3 models of Blackberry on 3 carriers that works. that is not even that great a potential for usability.

 

Wow - the newer technology works but not the old outdated stuff. Wonders never cease.

[npggirl]

Based on our corporate experience with the Treo phones (we likely have hundreds in North America) and the problems with them Lex's last post doesn't surprise me.

 

Several of my coworkers are on their 3'rd or 4'th Treo due to various fatal errors, speaker breakdowns etc.. Our tech support spends more time on Treo support than all other issues (laptops, work stations, printers etc..) We are now looking at converting everyone over to Blackberrys based on all our problems. Palm is compounding the issue by replacing defective units with "remanufactured ones" that seem to come with problems already built in to them. Palm is one company that I would not be buying stock in right now.

 

My Treo (700P) is paired up fine other than the intermitent "call ended" problem which is noted in various forums. I just put up with it and move on. Maybe the next phone/pda will work better and in the mean time I will keep an eye out for any Treo patches

CE...I have to concur with what you are saying...

Yes, I know the the Moto Q is not the same as the Treo...BUT, same issues! Lots of fatal errors, and "freezing" screens. Bought one, had to return it within 3 days for a new one. The new one did not do well with my SYNC...and since I am a cell phone junkie anyway, I figured...what the heck, get a new phone! But, for people that use Treo's, this really sucks. I have not owned a Treo...is it Windows based? My Q was, and my gosh, what a fit that phone gave me at times....

[npggirl]

to piggie back what you say about Palm... they are also as about as outdated as you get. they are slow to update, slow to release, slow to change form factors and get more on the cutting edge as compared to say.. a Blackberry PDA. I fully admit when you use a Treo it does feel antiquated.. BUT it does everything I need it to do and many other that use it.

 

The real point with much of this, as you elude to, is that many companies have hundreds of these in circulation. Not to mention all those in the hands of the individual users such as myself. Which is why I firmly believe it is the most common PDA phone out there. Period. It not working with Sync - whether it be a Microsoft bug, carriers bug or Palms bug - is still surprising as you would think whomever's issue it is they would have patched by now.

 

Heck, the several month old Voyager for Verizon works... but not the ubiquitous, been around and used by many a company, business user and personal user - Treo 650.

 

And speaking of Blackberry, Sync lists only 3 models of Blackberry on 3 carriers that works. that is not even that great a potential for usability.

Ahhhh yes. My wishes for you would be to own a voyager...*chuckles* It actually coincides flawlessly with SYNC....however, I still have the "verizon" issue of blocking features so that my SYNC will not spit out my txt messages to me...And this, from what I understand, is a Verizon issue...NO other complaints though...

[Lex Talionis]

Wow - the newer technology works but not the old outdated stuff. Wonders never cease.

 

really... the new Venus is not listed, nor is the Motorola MOTO™ Z6c, nor is the MOTORIZR Z6tv, nor is the LG enV, nor is the LG VX8700, nor is the LG VX9400, nor is the Samsung Gleam, nor are the Blackberry 7130e or 8703e... and the list goes on and on and on. All 'newer technology' and all with BT. and all not on the list.

[Lex Talionis]

Ahhhh yes. My wishes for you would be to own a voyager...*chuckles* It actually coincides flawlessly with SYNC....however, I still have the "verizon" issue of blocking features so that my SYNC will not spit out my txt messages to me...And this, from what I understand, is a Verizon issue...NO other complaints though...

 

 

I like that Voyager.. heck, I love the iPhone for that matter... the bummer is none of them do PDA type work like the Treo. Period. Which sucks. I do wish Treo users had more options.. a true PDA type calendar alone is a single must have function for me and neither the cool Voyager (I have played with it several times trying to find ways to make it work for me so I could move on from Treo) nor the iPhone can manage that type of PDA data. Not to mention, often porting over years worth of calendar events and Memos and ToDo lists and such is impossible as they do not make converters or have suitable application to support your data (i.e, your Treo Memos have no like application on a different phone).

[akirby]

really... the new Venus is not listed, nor is the Motorola MOTO™ Z6c, nor is the MOTORIZR Z6tv, nor is the LG enV, nor is the LG VX8700, nor is the LG VX9400, nor is the Samsung Gleam, nor are the Blackberry 7130e or 8703e... and the list goes on and on and on. All 'newer technology' and all with BT. and all not on the list.

 

Doesn't mean they don't work - just that they haven't been tested.

[npggirl]

I like that Voyager.. heck, I love the iPhone for that matter... the bummer is none of them do PDA type work like the Treo. Period. Which sucks. I do wish Treo users had more options.. a true PDA type calendar alone is a single must have function for me and neither the cool Voyager (I have played with it several times trying to find ways to make it work for me so I could move on from Treo) nor the iPhone can manage that type of PDA data. Not to mention, often porting over years worth of calendar events and Memos and ToDo lists and such is impossible as they do not make converters or have suitable application to support your data (i.e, your Treo Memos have no like application on a different phone).

Oh yeah, I feel you there. I know that my calendar on my voyager is just so-so. I mean, I can add tasks, but not like I could with the Q. Luckily for me, at this point in my life/career, I don't require all the data packages and such....Then again, maybe we all can use the new android from google. Have ya read up on that yet? It is not fully functional, but, from what I understand (only through minimal reading) it is suppose to be user friendly with phones from companies that go into this thing with google...Verizon, from what I have read, will be one of those companies (yay for me)...it is very detailed...and I don't quite understand all of it, but, check it out.

Edited January 10, 2008 by npggirl

[Lex Talionis]

something kind of funny and ironic.. I happened to look down and see the banner ad for this page and at the moment I type this... it is for the Treo 650 - So, on the Ford Edge forum, under the Treo 650 not Syncing thread is an ad for you to buy the Treo 650... which you would not be abkle to use on the Edge...

 

 

I also recently saw this Ford Sync marketing image floating all over the web.... notice the first phone in the ad... a Treo.... yet no Treo works on the Sync system

 

Edited January 21, 2008 by Lex Talionis

[npggirl]

something kind of funny and ironic.. I happened to look down and see the banner ad for this page and at the moment I type this... it is for the Treo 650 - So, on the Ford Edge forum, under the Treo 650 not Syncing thread is an ad for you to buy the Treo 650... which you would not be abkle to use on the Edge...

Oh, sure is....dang! Like a slap in the face, huh?