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In the last three weeks, I’ve been to seven airports. CES, Macworld, and other travels have sent me all over the place. One thing I always check out when I run across them are airport Palm stores. See, I’m a Palm believer. They started the handheld and smartphone revolutions, we owe them a lot. And I think they have a few bright products on the horizon. I don’t stop by the stores for the hardware, I stop by to see people getting interested in smartphones.
But this little travel tradition of mine might soon come to an end, as word is Palm will be shuttering 26 of its airport stores as it prepares to pay out quite a bit of money to Treo 600 and 650 owners as part of a class-action suit it settled not long ago. The final hearing is set for May 2. Many of these handsets had manufacturing problems, and those that required more than one repair are eligible for a rebate or credit. If things go as anticipated, registered owners of Treo 600s will receive $75, whle 650 owners will receive a $50 credit towards the purchase of any new Treo smartphone.