Packing gadgets for summer vacation? I never leave home without 'em. And since the newest Sprint-branded Treo recently landed in my mailbox for review around vacation time, I decided to bring it along.

Sure, the latest Treo is loaded with features that will keep you in touch with the office, including zippy Evolution Data Optimized (EV-DO) network access, support for a wide range of e-mail accounts, Palm OS and organizer applications, Bluetooth 1.2, and more. (See my previous column for details.)

Treo 700pBut is Treo 700p vacation-worthy? (Tip: When your significant other frowns about you bringing a gadget on vacation, repeat the following line: "But honey, it takes pictures and video, too!")

Indeed, I found the Treo 700p's 1.3-megapixel camera with 2x digital zoom and camcorder easy and fun to use. The device's 2.5-in., 320-by-320-pixel, 65,000-color display makes a great viewfinder for shooting stills and video as well as playing back multimedia slide shows.

Palm Inc. has beefed up the included Pics & Video application, making it a breeze to create albums and slideshows with voice narration, transitions and background music. You can even use the "Draw on Picture" feature to create title and credit slides. I put together a vacation photo show in couple of minutes, drawing "ooohs" and "ahhs" on a visit with relatives.