Palm said today that it is launching a $25 million marketing campaign that will: "show people what life is like with a Treo smartphone and remind them that they don't have to look for an Internet café to access the information they want while on the go."

What exactly does that look like? Well, the campaign takes a multi-prong approach that includes the tagline: "Not just a cell phone. A Treo." There's also a new "microsite"; a viral campaign that includes Palm foot soldiers wearing bright-colored Treo clothing; and the opening of retail locations, including a new flagship store in New York, at Rockefeller Center.

Palm is just the latest to intensify its marketing tactics. Nokia and Motorola also have opened "experience" stores, which allow consumers to come in and test the products. Typically, the stores don't even sell products.

Palm stores will sell and activate devices, but there are none in the Seattle area.

I'm not sure what all the fuss is about.

I'm guessing it's either that competition among the device makers, such as RIM's BlackBerry, Palm, HTC, Nokia and Motorola, is heating up. Or it may be that people are finally looking for devices that can do more, but they need someone to hold their hand a bit during a fairly steep learning curve.