Sometimes little things make or break how you feel about your electronic gadgets. With the Palm Centro, the little things give this smartphone a unique feel, both good and bad.

Anybody used to using a traditional Palm-based personal digital assistant should be immediately comfortable with this combination cell phone/PDA. It has a touch screen with large icons on the main "home" screen making it easy to click, even for the clumsiest of hands; and it feels solid as you hold it to your face to make your phone calls. The touch-screen is sensitive to the touch; but I have not found it too sensitive, so accidentally rubbing my face against the touch screen hasn't inadvertently activated on-screen buttons.

The unit that I have been reviewing, attached to the Verizon Network, is a reliable phone; but for somebody who has not used Palm for a few years, has been a bit frustrating. The frustration should be easy to avoid though with a few simple steps. One frustration was the keyboard lock. Every time I wanted to make a phone call, I'd have to press the power/end-call button; then press the 5-way navigation button (the big one in the middle of the face of the phone) to unlock the Centro, because the Centro would lock every time the power went off; and the power went off at the end of every call. Good for battery life; bad for getting to start your next call. After days, I realized that I could set it so it doesn't lock immediately after each call.

At first, I complained about the small keys on the face of the Centro -- tough to hit properly with big fingers. Again, it was because I didn't understand the nuances of the phone. In this case, I hadn't yet realized that the phone contained a touch screen. Once I did, I found it easier to dial by touching the soft buttons on the screen instead of the built-in hardware keyboard.

As a PDA, the Centro offers the usual advantages and interface of other Palm devices, including home page, calendar, contacts and tasks, all within easy reach -- from the soft touch screen and using hardware buttons.

I also like the applications on the Centro. They match a busy executive's daily needs and are well implemented. As with most smartphones, the Centro offers e-mail and messaging (text and multimedia), allowing good communications. The Web browser is easy to use whether you want to touch the screen, navigate with the 5-way navigation button, or hit the keyboard keys.

A customized version of Google maps makes it extremely simple to zero in on a destination. The Google maps application takes full advantage of the touch screen, allowing you to scroll the map with your finger, zoom with a touch, or convert from map to satellite view, just like on your PC (maybe even easier). The Centro also lets you create and view Word documents, Excel Spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations using the built-in Documents-to-Go Application from software developer DataViz. This application alone might help some users discard their laptops in favor of the very portable Centro smartphone.

An avoidable disappointment with the Centro is another one of those little things. While it comes with a stylus that neatly tucks into the phone, and helps you tap the touch-screen for fine movements; the stylus is too soft and bends too easily to make it particularly useful.

The bottom line is that the Centro is feature rich and easy to use; but is hobbled by a handful of annoyances that detract from the user experience.