Fully Powered Treo

It’s funny how I’ve never really stopped to count the number of applications installed on my Treo but PalmSource’s forthcoming Powered Up Awards made me stop to think about this and after navigating through eight screens I discovered that I currently have over 140 programs (see image) in total.

I guess that for many this will be categorical proof that I am a ‘power user’ and yet I don’t really feel that my list should be considered extraordinary because pretty much every single one of the programs enhances my Treo experience in a unique way and I couldn’t imagine not having them with me at all times.

I use many of these applications daily (such as Pocket Tunes, QuickNews and mobileClock), others I use frequently (such as 4Cast, Express and TCPMP) while others provide me with functionality or information under specific circumstances (such as Infoman, Destaller and Noah Pro). 

It has been the combined stories that each of these applications tells which has powered your Treonauts blog and what keeps me excited every day with the discovery of yet another useful or fun program that I want to share with you.

However, I am sure that I don’t (yet) have _all_ of the very best applications installed on my Treo and that there will be many more to discover in the coming months and years.   At the same time, many of the applications that are currently at the top of the charts will need to be continuously updated to keep up with what I envisage will become an increasingly competitive landscape as companies such as Yahoo! and Google among others begin to more aggressively enter the mobile services and applications arena next year. 

The much needed funds, skills and competition that these companies will bring combined with the growth in the number of Treonauts across the world are sure to radically transform our Treo experiences.  In many cases we have only scratched at the possibilities and much work remains to be done at improving not only the technology but also the usability, design and simplicity of these applications in order to appeal to an ever growing and less technologically-savvy audience.

Moreover, as I have written about repeatedly in the past, many developers still often forget the basic rule that keeps more Treonauts from trying and ultimately buying their products: deliver solutions and keep it simple!!!  In almost every software case I would vote for fewer features in favour of greater ease of use – something which becomes even more crucial for any mobile application on our Treo with which we interact on a small 320x320 screen.

I personally believe that “The overall use of a system is directly proportional to the ease-of-use of that system.”  Others have also complained or talked about the simplicity imperative in an increasingly complex ecosystem and termed it “Simplexity” – the idea of making things appear to be simple, when in fact they are becoming increasingly complicated.  Albert Einstein for his part said that we should “Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.”  Any developer harbouring ambitions of leadership should pay close attention to this first.

PalmSource’s Powered Up Awards can provide you with the opportunity to nominate and reward those applications that you believe have most significantly contributed to a simple solution that has enhanced your Treo experience in any one of five categories:

• Enterprise / Productivity
• In-House/Custom Application (not commercially available)
• Wireless / Over-the-Air
• Multimedia
• Games / Entertainment

The open nominations period ends December 11, 2005 and five (5) Category winners and one (1) Grand Prize winner will be selected based on the following criteria:

• Innovation — Solutions that are truly unique and run on the latest Palm Powered devices.
• Popularity — Solutions that lead the industry in sales or downloads.
• Benefits — Solutions that enhance quality of life.
• Ease of Use — Solutions that deliver power through simple and elegant software design.
• Support — Solutions that are regularly updated with readily available product support.

To help you make the most of your Treo with any new application that you may have been wanting to add to your list I have created a 20% Off Coupon valid until Monday 28 November in the Treonauts Software Store.  Just enter the promotion code POWERTREO in your shopping cart.

Treonauts are always looking for simple solutions…