Ever since Palm combined their handheld organizers with a cell phone, other companies have been working to keep up. There are some excellent products out there, you know the names, but the Palm Treo line continues to hold its own in the convergence market of organizers, mobile phones, Internet, and e-mail access.

The Palm Treo 680 smartphone, the fourth and final Treo in the 600 series of smartphones, was introduced in October '06. Smartphone is Palm's version of combining the organization of a Personal Data Assistant (PDA) with the connectivity of a cell phone. Palm has been the longtime leader in the field of PDA's and its Treo 680 is an excellent choice for those who want to combine two devices into one. It's packed with features that, while maybe not enough for the heavyweight executive, will keep the busiest of us in touch and on-time.

The Treo 680 runs the Palm OS 5.4.9 operating system. A die-hard Palm user for years, I find their operating system intuitive and functional. It was rare that I had to reset the device, a common occurrence since I switched to the newer Windows Mobile OS. The great thing about Palm is the massive amounts of software programs they have available that run the Palm platform. I used my Palm for everything from a world clock, currency exchange rate calculator, e-reader, language translator, and GPS device. My husband "beamed" me a program from his Palm to calculate Body Mass Index. I did everything on my Palm except talk on the phone.

I love the idea of combining my PDA and my cell phone into one device but for too long, the smartphones were chunky versions of PDA's that I didn't want to carry. Palm changed all that with their 600 series of smartphones. This newest design is slightly smaller and lighter than its predecessor, Treo 650. It's less than an ounce difference, but every bit matters when you are weighing down your pockets. One improvement is taking away the telltale antenna that capped the top end of the earlier Treos and going with an internal antenna which Palm says is more powerful, too.

The Treo 680 features the same square touch-screen and stylus reminiscent of the original Palm handhelds, a clear advantage over the brands that don't have the touch screen. The stylus is as comfortable to hold as a ballpoint pen and makes entering data a snap. The stylus is conveniently stored on the side, but thankfully, Palm sells extras in packs of three for replacement. The Treo 680 also doubles the convenience

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