Palm has followed through with their promise that they made last Friday on releasing the MR update for the Sprint 700p. Thank You, Palm. Now get it out soon for the Verizon users.

Here is what the update includes:

Product enhancements:

• Performance improvements to phone application
• System improvements to minimize skipping during music playback and eliminate audio delays experienced on some games
• Performance improvement to minimize delays experienced when loading Blazer® browser
• Support for new daylight savings time legislation, plus a simplified Date/Time preference panel
• Increased expansion card support including 4GB SD cards and SDHC cards
• Resolution of certain “wake up” issues that may occur with certain third party push email solutions
• Improved handling of SMS messages to lessen stalling of messages.
• For customers using Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 with SP 2 and above, an update to VersaMail® client now includes an update to Microsoft® Exchange ActiveSync® which adds Microsoft’s Direct Push Technology for push email, calendar and contacts. Also adding other EAS functionality such as remote wipe, policy support, and global address lookup

Bluetooth® wireless technology enhancements:

• Increases list of supported/compatible Bluetooth wireless carkits, including BMW and Toyota/Lexus (Denso)
• Improves overall user experience with supported Bluetooth wireless carkits and headsets (e.g. allow user to manually connect / disconnect to a Bluetooth device)
• Additional Bluetooth wireless functionality (e.g. audio routing to Bluetooth headset even when wired headset is plugged in)

Palm Support : Treo 700p Update
Palm Support : Sprint Treo 700p Update

Palm’s Paul Loeffler just posted on their official blog that the Sprint Treo 700p MR update should now be arriving now on Monday, June 4th - but no definite date on the Verizon Treo 700p’s update. Originally scheduled for release this week (”Week of May 28th”), Palm posted an update to their original MR timing announcement that the update would most likely be delayed. The post said that it may have come out today, but now they confirmed that it wont be coming today in the most recent post on the blog. Only minutes after the new one was posted, the blog entry has already begun filling up with angry 700p user comments.

Even as a Treo Addict, all the recent news and announcements out of Palm has begun giving me a bad taste in my mouth and many other users. Palm has seemed to be devoting plenty of resources to new product development and, until recently, completely ignoring 700p users. With 755p hardware/software being pretty close to the 700p, users have been somewhat slapped in the face with new product that have the desired fixes and yet no fix for their own device. Being a former 700p user (I have a 755p now) this has been pretty irritating, but for me thats all its been - just irritating. I’m not raving pissed over it though. For the past year, I have definitely more happy with the 700p then upset. Even with it’s problems, it definitely served me better then the 700w did.

Unfortunately for Verizon users, the blog originally stated the Verizon update would follow in a couple weeks. But in the most recent post, Paul stated the release date is unknown. Grrrrrrr…. I think Verizon goes through a little more QA testing then Sprint does and Verizon sometimes criples features found in the Sprint counterpart. Not sure what the case is in this instance.

Either way, one thing that is kind of concerning me about this update - is that since it seems to be missing release dates, how well will this update actually be tested? The update should be in Sprint’s and Verizon’s hands by now… right? If it is, I would think that the carriers would have a good idea how long their QA testing would take. If users take it hot out of the oven, will we be surprised with some horrendous side effects?

*Sigh*

Official Palm Blog : 700p MR Timing
Official Palm Blog : Timing Update for 700p MR