The "headset" provided by Handspring for their very expensive Treo 270
communicator is Mickey Mouse and very insulting. It doesn't even fit
in my very normal-sized ear unless I take off the sponge comfort
cover; worse -- it has no elbow piece to keep it on and in your ear! 
I checked out the headpieces at Plantronics and those seemed to be
just as feeble a design. None of the headsets available at Radio Shack
work with the 270. (I think it has to do with the two black stripes on
the jack rather than the unique three stripes that are on the Treo
jack).What I would love to find, is a single (or double headset) that
stays on the ear, covers the ear like an ordinary Walkman headset would, 
screening out all the windnoise and outside sounds. Does any company
make them? (Please remember that normal cell phone jacks do not
work with Treo 270).

Hello radioflyerx,

Thanks for your question.

I ran into a similar problem that will provide the answer for your
search as well, when I looked for aftermarket retractable headsets for
my Nokia 8260 cell phone. Like the Treo 270, the Nokia has a unique, 4
conductor 2.5mm plug, that carries a common ground, mic and ear piece
signals as well as the ability to answer and disconnect the call. The
Treo 270 headset requirements and connector are identical to the
Nokia. That being said, there are very few "over-the-head" headsets
for Nokia 3000/8000 series cell phones. Most are in the ear, or over
the ear boom-mic style.

Searching for headset +Nokia +8xxx OR 8000 OR 8260 I did find the
following items:

http://www.daydeal.com/headsets/amiheadset.htm - an AIM monaural over
the head headset with boom mic with a model for Nokia 8200 series

The same model appears here:
http://www.phonecallmall.com/link_directory/dynamic-frameset.html?http://www.buycellularphoneaccessories.com/
under Nokia 8260 handsfree.

After extensive searching, this was the only model I could find that
was truly "over-the head" as you requested. However, fear not, there
is another alternative:

There are adapters that convert a standard 3 conductor 2.5 mm plug to
a 4 conductor required for the Treo (or Nokia), as shown here:
http://www.sarrio.com/sarrio/NOK82HFA.html . Many vendors sell these
and claim that they make ANY 2.5 mm headset compatible, however, since
I have not personally tired these, I can not guarantee all functions
will work. Perhaps you may lose the ability to answer and disconnect
from the headset. Perhaps all functions will work. At any rate, it may
well open a world of possibilities in other headsets for your Treo.

A good source of quality headsets for standard 2.5mm plugs can be
found here, at Hello Direct :
http://www.hellodirect.com/catalog/templates/HD-Foyer.jhtml;$sessionid$K2RSHPYNEQLJSZEXAICSFEQ?CATID=2016

Plantronics also makes an "over the ear" model that requires no
adapter for your Treo. You can find it here as well as many other
internet stores: http://www.millionbuy.com/plam133n1.html

I trust this information has been helpful and leads you to the ideal
headset for your Treo and your needs.

Regards,

-=clouseau-ga=-

---

Request for Answer Clarification by radioflyerx-ga on 23 Aug 2002 13:06 PDT

clouseau-ga:
        I am hesitant to try the "conversion headsets" right now, but
if anyone has done that, and found them to work with the 2.5mm Treo
plug, that would certainly open up a wider variety of choices.
        I have ordered the item you recommended at this site. 
http://www.daydeal.com/headsets/amiheadset.htm
         Will let you know if it works on my 270.
Thank you, and I will respond to this within two weeks, if that's
okay.

---

Clarification of Answer by clouseau-ga on 23 Aug 2002 13:41 PDT

Sure thing. Do let me know how it works. I am very confident that
model should be no problem.

As I mentioned, and having no first hand experience with the adapters,
I strongly suspect that the only functionality that *might* be lost
with a standard 2.5mm headset and adapter  is the ability to answer
and hang up from a headset mounted switch. Mic and earphone would most
definitely be operational.

-=clouseau-ga=-

I got enough info to get moving on it. I think that this will work:
Graybar Electronics is shipping me
a 2.5 mm 4-pin 451-N Plantronics Headset and a Plantronics 43038-01
adaptor cord • total cost under $75 including shipping. I am sure this
will work.