TIP: Power Saving Settings For The Palm Centro (not using Power Hero)!

[chokaay]

POWER-SAVING SETTINGS FOR THE PALM CENTRO:
(and probably similar for Treos and other Palm OS phones as well)


For those that DON'T use Power Hero or other powersaving programs, here are some things you can do to your Centro to save battery life:

- Go to MY CENTRO>"MENU KEY">UPDATE and disable "Auto-Update".
- Go to BLUETOOTH and turn "Bluetooth" OFF (if you don't use it).
- Go to EMAIL>"MENU KEY">PREFERENCES>AUTO SYNC and uncheck "Mail" (or any other boxes there). Repeat for all e-mail accounts.
- Go to EXPRESS (if downloaded)>"MENU KEY">EXPRESS SETTINGS... and change "Auto-Updates" to NO AUTO-UPDATES.
- Go to IM>SETTINGS and uncheck "Auto-Sign On" and click SAVE. Repeat for all IM accounts (AIM, MSN, Yahoo).
- Go to PHONE>PHONE PREFERENCES... and change "Location ON" to "911 Only". NOTE: This will affect the accuracy of the GPS functionality of your handset (if you use an external GPS device or Sprint's Family Locator). Google Maps (without using an external GPS) will NOT be affected, as it doesn't have true GPS functionality on the Centro.
- Go to PREFS>POWER and lower the screen brightness to as low as you feel comfortable.
- Go to PREFS>POWER and change "Auto-Off After" time to 15 SECONDS or 30 SECONDS.
- Go to PREFS>POWER and turn "Beam Receive" OFF.
- Go to PREFS>POWER and change "Backlight During Calls" to OFF after 15 SECONDS or 30 SECONDS.
- Go to PTUNES>"MENU KEY">GENERAL PREFERENCES and change "Turn Off Screen While Playing After" to 10 SECONDS or 30 SECONDS.
- Go to PTUNES>"MENU KEY">GENERAL PREFERENCES and uncheck "Check For Updates Every 30 Days".
- Go to SPRINT MOBILE MAIL>(YOUR E-MAIL ACCOUNT)>"MENU KEY">SETTINGS>PREFERENCES...>ALERTS and uncheck "Audible Notification", "Vibrate", "Flash LED Indicator". Repeat for all e-mail accounts. NOTE: This will affect new e-mail notification alerts for your e-mail accounts that use Sprint Mobile Mail. Do NOT disable all alerts for the e-mail accounts you wish to continue receiving new e-mail notification alerts from.
- Go to TV GUIDE (if downloaded)>"MENU KEY">AUTO-UPDATE SETTINGS... and change "Connect And Download TV Guide Content At" to DO NOT AUTO UPDATE. NOTE: This MAY affect TV Guide's ability to update its content automatically. If you want to save the hassle of clicking the "UPDATE" button everytime you want to use the TV Guide application, then set an update time.


Optional power-saving programs you can use to manage some of these settings, and possibly more:

- POWER HERO = Possibly the fullest functional power-saving application for Palm OS (Treos & Centros). I don't use this, but I've heard very good things about it.
- BUTLER = Not really a power-saving application, but there are certain settings you can control that can extend your battery life. I don't use this, but I've heard good things about it.
- KBLIGHTSOFF = Controls when your keyboard/application key lights turn on independent of the touchscreen. I personally use this application (along with all of my tips above) and my battery is extended noticeably. Very small and very good application for what it does.

[mskita007]

I read your reviews. Is it safe to say the Palm Centro and BlackBerry are pretty much the same, or does one phone have more features than the other?

[chokaay]

I read your reviews. Is it safe to say the Palm Centro and BlackBerry are pretty much the same, or does one phone have more features than the other?


The BlackBerry is definitely more complicated and has more advanced built-in features than the Palm Centro. They are two different animals:

The BlackBerry has a faster processor, more advanced hardware, and a more complicated operating system that is capable of running multiple applications simultaneously (basically like a computer).

The Palm Centro has a slower processor, tends to have more "dumbed down" features, and features a very simple and straight-forward operating system that really feels like a PDA instead of a computer.



That being said, both are very good types of devices in my opinion... it all depends on what you're looking for!

If you're a technophile who MUST have the latest and greatest gadget, who can't stand to be away from your e-mail or the Internet for more than a minute, who is on the road a significant amount of time and uses the phone constantly as a "substitute computer" as well as an entertainment center (movies, music, TV, etc), who likes to multitask and demands a lot from your phone, etc... then a BlackBerry probably is better suited to you than the Palm Centro.

However, if you're someone who is budget-conscious, who isn't as tech-saavy, who is a casual user that mostly uses your phone as a phone or PDA (calling, messaging, calendar, address book, memopad, to do list), who usually wants simplier functionality and straight-forward interfaces (ie: pushing icons on touchscreen), who won't usually use more than one application at a time (minimal/no multitasking), who just wants your phone to "work", etc... then the Palm Centro probably is better suited to you than a Blackberry.


Hope this helps!

[mskita007]

Awesome! I still haven't ruled out the Centro. I really like it. A relative let me play with hers for a while, and I believe it's exactly what I want. I suppose I can deal with the poor camera quality, especially since that the ONLY feature that I don't like. I love my BlackBerry, but like you described in your post, I'm not that type of person. It's a bit too much for a non-techie like me. Your reviews, thoughts, and opinions are definitely helpful in me making a good, solid decision. Great work!

[chokaay]

Awesome! I still haven't ruled out the Centro. I really like it. A relative let me play with hers for a while, and I believe it's exactly what I want. I suppose I can deal with the poor camera quality, especially since that the ONLY feature that I don't like. I love my BlackBerry, but like you described in your post, I'm not that type of person. It's a bit too much for a non-techie like me. Your reviews, thoughts, and opinions are definitely helpful in me making a good, solid decision. Great work!


Thank you! I aim to please! :p

Good luck on your decision! Finding exactly the right phone for you can be a difficult task. When I chose the Centro, I was lucky I did a lot of research and played with a lot of phones (in the Sprint Store) before choosing the one that fit my usage habits the best. So far I have no regrets at all! ;)