A while ago I posted about Brodit's release of active and passive car holders (see this post) for the Palm Treo Pro. As the active holder uses a separate microUSB connector, I've chosen the Brodit Passive Car Holder with Swivel (item 875268) for this quick review, since I already have a microUSB charging cable with car plug.
As you can see above, the Brodit Passive Holder is a simple car cradle, about half the height of the Treo Pro itself. The bottom is flush with the bottom of the Treo Pro, the side grips stop just above the green Send and red Stop key, and the back extends a bit further upwards. At the back there's the swivel and at the left side you'll see the Brodit logo (adhesive, so it's removable).
To mount the Brodit holder, you can choose for the reknown Brodit ProClip or the more economical air vent mounts. None of these are supplied, so don't forget to order them together with the Brodit holder!
The photo above shows a typical ProClip. I've used an air vent mount since I have a lot of these around, although in the future I might opt for a ProClip since it is much sturdier mounted, and of course visually it is much nicer too.
In the photo above you can see the Treo Pro mounted on an air vent in the car:
-
There is room behind your Treo Pro, making sure there's enough air circulation so that your device doesn't overheat. This is especially good since car interiors can be hot, and using the GPS mode of the Treo Pro can produce extra heat too. A further benefit is that the back of the Treo Pro is not scratched by repeatedly inserting and removing it from the cradle. The active holder for the HTC P3600 Trinity touched the back, so I'm glad to see that Brodit has improved on this.
- I've had to use some black PowerTape to fix the bottom of the air vent mount to the car dashboard, but otherwise all went well.
My findings: the Brodit passive holder (875268) is crafted perfectly for the Treo Pro. Your device fits firmly — a little bit too firmly in the beginning — but this will improve over time. Once mounted to your dashboard correctly, it will do exactly what it's supposed to do without scratching or overheating your Palm Treo Pro. Unless you're looking for an active holder with built-in amp and speaker, this Brodit passive holder comes highly recommended.
If you don't have a car charger cable yet, you can also choose the active holder (965268), keeping in mind that the microUSB connector is not fixed to the holder itself. If you already have a swiveling mount for your air vents or ProClip, you can also choose for the cheaper non-swiveling version (870268).