Features

• Packed for business and priced for value
• Create and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint-compatible files on the run
• Listen to MP3s, watch video clips and view photos wherever you go
• Easy-to-read, high resolution, 320x320 transflective color screen
• What's in the box: Handheld device; Palm Desktop software, including Documents To Go; all basic utilities such as Calendar, Contacts, Tasks., etc.

Reviews (175)

WHAT A GREAT VALUE!! but......
I could not believe the brightness and sharpness of the screen! Stunning! Battery life -- 1 to 2 weeks, great. Vast amounts of memory for pictures, sound, and an expansion slot for more. Plays MP3s. Extremely fast processor for very snappy response, improved version 5 OS functions now use MS Outlook compliant names: Datebook (now called "Calendar") Phone book -- "Contacts",etc.

I had a problem with corruption of one of my data files and received prompt and helpful support from Palm. Free for 1st 90 days, not toll free.

No wireless, but you can connect to a cell phone! No "Blue Tooth" (how's that for an idiotic name?) but you can beam!

Complaints?

If you liked Graffiti you'll HATE Graffiti 2! Very different, you get yo re-learn most of what you KNEW!

Cradle?? NO Cradle! and none available to buy! Surprise! Now you've got a teensy power cable separate from a USB type B cable.
That sucks! but I guess they had to hold back something.

All in all, get this Palm!!

Thanks Palm!
T|E is an excellent device with minor problems. For the price its a bargain and will ensure Palm's market share stays high.

Pro's,
1. Its a Palm, with the latest version of Palm OS.
2. Looks good and feels solid in hand.
3. Superb screen and extremely clear.
4. mp3 playback is very good.
5. Uses standard mini USB jack, not propreitary Palm connector.
6. Fast performance. Don't compare raw MHz between PDA's, this one's faster than 400MHz PPC's.
7. About 28MB is available memory, which is a lot for a Palm.
8. Good software bundle and stable OS.
9. Speaker is - suprisingly - good at playing mp3's (64kpbs sounds great).
10. Flip lid and a screen protector are in the box. (I don't buy a PDA without flip)
11. Stylus is superb, thick/heavy/shinning metal.

Con's,
1. Down button is hard to press, ironically that's the most used button on T|E. The 5 way navigator is poorly designed and cheap plastic.
2. Size is bigger than some other handhelds like Clie SJ20.
3. Case is slippery and tough to keep clean.
4. Thread on included flip cover scratches T|E at the top easily.
5. Battery life is just like Pocket PC's, needs charging frequently.
6. Included charger is not a world charger and is bulky.
7. No bluetooth or Wifi but atleast it has SDIO slot (poor Clie fans have to put up with propreitary memory stink slot).
8. Weak alarm sounds (think this can be fixed?) and no vibrate only mode.
9. Packaging in plastic box is tough to open and not eco friendly.
10. Battery is not user replaceable. (dead Palm after 2 years?)

Most of the minor issues with T|E will go away if you spend double and get a T|T3. Overall this is a great Palm at affordable price. Thanks Palm!

What is your problem
Just get it from Best Buy or a or a local electronics store, you'll get a 1 year warrenty, and if it crashes, refund or get a new one.

If you are stupid enough to think for ONE second that the used pda that PalmOne sends you will not have problems, the PDA they send you is "USED", by fact, its exactly like your old one! Take my advice, and buy one from your local electronics store.

I hope this helps the future buyers of the T|E, and other PDA buyers.

chowdhary
i acquired this palm tungsten e from my school for course related work. i used it barely a few days and and then, it doesnot work anymore. its great looks, good memory, good backlite features, but NO RELIABILITY. The hardware has gone packing. waranty is 3 months - woefully bad.

palm one will need to do their hardware 'home-work' better - i wonder how such an un-relaiable product is sold in dozens (or is it so?).

overall, palm one has poor hardware put out to users.

Think about this: Why do they offer just a 90 day warranty?
Purchased in December 2003. By April 2004, battery would not hold a charge for more than a few seconds even after overnight recharging. Useless. I checked the warranty: 90 days. So I'm stuck with a $200 piece of junk that I had just started using.
Generally speaking, if a company has confidence in its product, it will offer a fairly long warranty period. If they offer just a 90 day warranty, there is generally a reason why. In my opinion, Palm has no business taking $200 from a customer for a product that they has so little confidence in. So I'll look at another company for my hext handheld. What you do is, of course, up to you. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

PalmOne stretches the possibilities with the Tungsten T5, the first handheld from PalmOne to utilize flash memory. In addition to a groundbreaking 256 MB of memory, the sleek, slim Tungsten T5 features a high-resolution 320 x 480-pixel screen, a fast 416 MHz Intel Xscale processor, Bluetooth wireless connectivity, and a Secure Digital memory card expansion slot. And, of course, the Tungsten T5 features PalmOne's suite of information management applications, the ability to edit Word- and Excel-compatible files, and synchronization with Microsoft Outlook (Windows only).

See a detailed diagram of the PalmOne Tungsten T5's features

Internal Flash Memory Built for today's mobile professional, the Tungsten T5's 256 MB of memory actually provides 215 MB of user-available memory (55 MB for built-in applications and 160 MB of internal flash drive memory). Connect it to your PC or Mac and use it as you would a USB flash memory drive to transfer data and multimedia files from work to home. To access files stored on the handheld, simply select Drive Mode on the handheld and plug the included HotSync cable into a USB port. To add files, just drag and drop them from your PC desktop to the new File Transfer application (installed with Palm Desktop; Windows only). A live desktop window gives you instant access to data and information stored on the handheld's internal drive--without the need for synchronizing the handheld to move files.

Multimedia
The included RealPlayer for Palm OS enables you to listen to MP3s stored on optional expansion cards via the built-in speaker on the Tungsten T5 or, for stereo sound, on optional stereo headphones or ear buds. The updated Media application lets you view (and show off) transferred photos and videos.

Display
Unlike the Tungsten T3, which required you to slide the handheld's bottom open to activate the screen's landscape mode, the Tungsten T5's screen offers widescreen viewing at all times. The bright 320 x 480 transreflective TFT color display supports more than 65,000 colors. You can easily switch between portrait and landscape view, as well as open an active input area at the bottom of the screen.

Connectivity and Expansion
With built-in wireless Bluetooth connectivity, you can synchronize the Tungsten T5 with a Bluetooth-enabled computer from across the room (within a range of 10 meters, or approximately 30 feet). But that's just the start. Using a compatible Bluetooth-enabled phone, you can send and receive e-mail and connect to the Web, send multimedia (MMS) or text (SMS) messages, and even automatically dial any number in your handheld's Contact's application. You can also synchronize data the "old-fashioned" way via the USB connection at the base of the handheld.

The Tungsten T5 uses MultiMedia Card and Secure Digital expansion cards, which instantly add software applications, additional memory, large databases, and more without taking up built-in memory space.

Operating System and Software
Veteran Palm OS handheld users will immediately notice the new Favorites view, which provides easy access to applications, files, and folders. The installed Palm OS 5.4 also introduces the Files application, which enables easy navigation among folders and files. It uses the intuitive and easy-to-learn Graffiti 2 writing software to input data into the handheld (as well as an on-screen keyboard). Windows users can synchronize their calendar, contacts, tasks, and notes with Microsoft Outlook. The Palm OS features the following organizer applications:

• Contacts: Lets you store several addresses for each contact, and with new fields for more phone numbers, multiple e-mail addresses, instant messenger IDs, and Web sites.
• Calendar: Use the new Agenda view to see upcoming calendar events, tasks due, and important e-mail, and color-code your events to provide an easy way to reference your calendar in the Agenda, Day, Week, and Month views. Take more notes, or synchronize more details from your desktop, in the larger Memos and Notes fields.
• Tasks: Use tasks with alarms and repeating tasks to set reminders for important commients.

What's in the Box
This package contains the Tungsten T5 handheld, a built-in rechargeable battery, a carrying case, a USB HotSync cable, a power cable, a stylus, a CD-ROM with Palm Desktop 4.1 software for Windows and Mac (as well as bonus software), and a printed Getting Started guide.

Tech Talk: Flash Memory
Flash memory, a form of electronic memory, is used for easy and safe information storage. Its low power consumption and light weight make flash memory ideal for mobile devices. In addition, flash memory holds information without a charge or power, just like a memory card saves pictures when not connected to a digital camera. The flash memory in the Tungsten T5 handheld will maintain its data even when power is exhausted. Simply charge the handheld again and the data is there.

Tech Talk: Macintosh Users
While the Tungsten T5's new File Transfer application is a Windows-only feature, Mac users can simply mount the handheld as an external drive, and then proceed to drag and drop files from the Finder to the handheld. Note, however, that the Tungsten T5's Palm OS environment is unavailable when connected in this mode. ... Read more

Features

• Sleek, stylish handheld with groundbreaking 256 MB internal flash memory
• Doubles as a flash drive--quickly drag and drop files from your PC to handheld
• Expansion slot that supports MMC, SD, and SDIO memory cards
• Palm Desktop Software for Windows and Mac and Software Essentials CD included
• Bluetooth enabled

Amazon.com Product Description

The Zire 31, the successor to Palm's Zire 21, is designed for value-conscious students, parents, and anyone who wants to keep their most important day-to-day schedule and contact information close at hand. The bright color screen lets you show off your favorite snapshots (stored on optional expansion cards) to friends, family, and coworkers. The Zire 31 also offers a built-in MP3 player and Secure Digital card expansion for storing digital audio files and photos. The 16 MB memory (14 MB user available) can store thousands of phone numbers, addresses, lunch dates, meetings, birthdays, doctors' appoinents and shopping lists.

 

UpgradeFeatures The Zire 31 offers the following improvements to the Zire 21: Color display (versus the Zire 21's monochrome screen) 16 MB of Memory (versus the Zire 21's 8 MB) MP3 digital audio capability Palm OS 5.2.8 (versus 5.2.1 for the Zire 21). Display The Palm Zire 31 features a 160 x 160 color STN screen that displays thousandsof colors and features contrast and brightness controls. Audio The included RealPlayer for Palm OS enables you to listen to MP3 musicfiles stored on optional expansion cards via the built-in speaker or optionalheadphones/ear buds. RealPlayer for Palm OS makes it easy to transferyour personal MP3 music collection to expansion cards and organize yoursongs by creating and editing playlists right on your handheld. It alsooffers an auto-dimming capability to help conserve battery power.

The Zire31 features a 160 x 160 color STN display with contrast and brightness controls.

Connectivity and Expansion The Zire 31 uses Multimedia Card and Secure Digital expansion cards, which instantly add software applications, additional memory, large databases, and more without taking up built-in memory space. You can synchronize to your desktop PC via the mini-USB connection on the side of the handheld. Operating System and Software The Zire 31 is powered by Palm OS 5.2.8, which provides higher performance, enhanced multimedia features, and enterprise-class security. It useses the intuitive and easy-to-learn Graffiti 2 writing software to input data into the handheld (as well as an on-screen keyboard). Windows users can synchronize calendar, contacts, tasks and notes with Microsoft Outlook.

Compatibility
The Palm Zire 31 is compatible with PCs running Windows 98, NT 4.0, 2000, Me, and XP, and with Macs running Mac OS 9, version 9.1 or higher, or Mac OS X, version 10.2 or 10.3.

What's in the Box
This package contains the Zire 31 handheld, built-in rechargeable battery, protective flip lid, mini-USB HotSync cable, power cable, stylus, CD-ROM with Palm Desktop 4.1 software for Windows and Macs (as well as bonus software), and printed Getting Started guide. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery with a battery life of up to a week under normal usage or around 6 hours with continuous digital audio playback. ... Read more

Features

• 160x160 color display with contrast and brightness controls supports thousands of colors
• 200 MHz Intel ARM-based processor, Palm OS v5.2.8, 16 MB RAM (14 MB actual storage)
• Expansion slot supports MMC, SD, and SDIO memory cards
• Standard mini-USB connector
• Comes with Palm Desktop Software for Windows and Mac and Software Essencials CD

Features

• Bright, 320x320 transflective TFT color display supports more than 65,000 colors
• 312 MHz Intel PXA270 processor, Palm OS v5.2.8, 32 MB RAM (24 MB actual storage)
• Integrated 1.2 MP digital camera that also shoots video
• Expansion slot that supports MMC, SD, and SDIO memory cards
• Palm Desktop Software for Windows and Mac and Software Essentials CD included

Product Description

Introducing the sleek, stylishly designed Tungsten E2 handheld from palmOne. It's packed with the latest handheld technologies, including Bluetooth Wireless technology and an extra-sharp, high-resolution color display. It also features non-volatile flash memory for safe storage for your Calendar, Contacts, documents and presentations, photos and videos, even if you don't have time to recharge. ... Read more

Features

• View and edit spreadsheets and word processing documents
• Manage calendar, contacts, documents, presentations, photos, videos and music
• Brighter, richer color screen
• 32MB of built-in flash memory
• Bluetooth wireless technology

Reviews (6)

Not so bad after all..
I had a m515 a couple of years ago when it crashed and never woke up. I somewhat apprehensively decided to get this Tungsten E2 mainly because it has non-volatile memory and so here I am.

First about the case itself: It is a solid case with a solid look of steel and I suspect that this is for a reason along with the fact that they got rid of the cradle systems. Traditional Palm PDAs did come with a cradle and they did have quite a bit of issues with the SUDS (Sudden USB Death Syndrome). The steel finish is elegant but it does leave smudges which is managable. For whatever reason they decided to leave this finish, personally it is fine with me. I don't get it when people complain that they are dissapointed when there is no cradle. Good thing I don't have to lug a cradle while travelling and if not will have to buy a travel charger.

Compared to the previous m515 I've had, this is a steal for $249. The interface is very good and I really like the crisp display. All in all, looks like they took the best of the Tungsten E model and improved it. It took a bit of time figuring out to play mp3s using the Realplayer. I had to format my SD Card using FAT instead of the FAT32 file system. After this step, adding and removing songs was a breeze. I must say that I am totally blown by the music quality. Agreed that the built-in speaker isn't meant for this but on a headphone it is awesome.

The operation speed is pretty good and a 10 hr battery life doesn't hurt at all (mighty impressive). Haven't played around with Bluetooth yet and it's dissapointing that if I need wireless, I've to shell out another 100 bucks for it. For now, I am satisfied with the base version and I don't think I'll go for wireless anyway. Additional SD Card would probably be a good idea if one needs more songs on the go.

Bottomline is that this is a decent PDA for the price (which is bound to go down shortly) and if you know the limitations and capabilities and don't have high expectations you'll be satified. Just keep your fingers crossed if your unit goes bad and is out of warranty (Palm support has been legendary in being terrible).

Hopefully we don't have to deal with it.

Better than the E
Way to go palm, you did it again.

Pros:
Faster processor
Sweet sounding MP3's
great movie quality.
Tons of apps
Bluetooth web browsing.

Cons:
included memory is low
cradle not included.

Other than that, a grat buy at an affordable price!

An odd, disappointing update to Palm's workhorse model...
There is a reason, sadly, why sales of PDA's have shrunk each of the past few years -- a crushing lack of imagination and innovation -- while rival gadgets competing for valuable pocket space, like Apple's iPod, have taken up the slack and have seen booming sales as a result.

The Tungsten E was a breakthrough in its time, a beautiful piece of engineering with a high-quality color screen and a rock-bottom price of 199 clams. Its main drawbacks -- it's paltry 32MB Ram and it's lack of built-in wireless capabilities -- could be fixed with add-on cards.

But two years is a long-time in electronics land. Since then, Apple released the iPod mini, which will store the contacts most people use Palms for, plus hold 4GB worth of tunes, for the same price. It's also far smaller than a Palm.
Meanwhile, folks who want the more sophisticated functions that a Palm can deliver -- like medical imaging etc. for docs, photos, sophisticated calculator, email and web surfing on the go -- found the Tungsten E outclassed by Blackberry's, upgraded cell phones, Palm's own Treo and the like.

So it was odd, and frankly disappointing, to get a look at the new, pricier Tungsten E2. I'd love to see the market research that suggested they could raise prices with a minimal feature upgrade while the competish has been eating their lunch. After a two-year wait, they didn't even increase the 32 MB memory. They merely made it non-volatile flash (something they should have done long, long ago). At a time when Apple is selling a 1GB shuffle for $149 and flash memory is dirt cheap, it's mind-boggling why Palm would choose to link the E2's fabulous hi-res screen to low-rent memory.
As for what you still don't get: There is no phone, no camera, no thumbpad, no WiFi. This is close to a pure PDA, though it can display pictures and double as a poor-man's MP3 player.
The added bluetooth -- odd why they went that route instead of the far more common WiFi -- does nothing unless you have a compatible bluetooth phone or computer.
As with the E, the E2 still is a great design. Clean, simple, portable, shirt-pocketable. No keyboard, but I've never been a thumbpad fan.
MS Office functions are also included -- Word, Outlook, Powerpoint. Why you would use them, however, is a bit bizarre to me. Who wants to spend the time coding in a Powerpoint presentation with a stylus? Yet, if this is important to you, it's here. And having your email with you can be a plus...
Here's a basic product guide:
Mono Palm Zire -- Bargain basement model with 7.2 MB of Ram, upgraded from hobbled 2 MB original model. About 100 smackers. Often offered free as bundle deals with new computers. Good starter model for the price, but designed to leave you wanting more. Includes rechargeable battery. Memory can not be upgraded. Horribly skimpy black-on-grey screen.
Tungsten T2+, etc.: Deluxe models that feature, in some cases, larger screens/Bluetooth/Wi-Fi/thumbpads with dropdown graffiti screens. All unnecessary features in my book, especially given their much higher prices.
Zire 72: Similar to E2, but with a low-rent camera attached.
Treos: These models should be seriously considered if you are a thumbpad fan, or if you want your PDA to also be your phone. But let's face it, how many people can afford spending several hundred smackers on a PDA?
BTW, when comparing, I've found you can generally ignore the speed of the processor. For most Palm functions, the reaction time is near instantaneous, or at most a second or two lag.
As for PocketPCs, some of them are now very attractively priced and are worth checking out. I've yet to use one extensively, so I'll stick to what I know -- Palms are simple, easy to use and almost guaranteed to improve your productivity. It's like having a backup for your brain. And who doesn't need that?

It is great for many things, and not so great for a few
Ignore most of the complaints about this model and Palm in general.Remember what you want a Palm for: storing information in an easy-to-access manner.For most people, it isn't supposed to be a mini laptop.It doesn't matter if the specs haven't changed much over the years.How much has a DayRunner improved in the past couple of decades?Some innovations make sense, sure.I've had several PDAs over the past few years because of specific things I wanted (rechargable battery, color screen, wireless access, etc.).Now I have a E2 (for the Bluetooth, screen, design, and ease of use).But at the end of the day, my usage has stayed pretty constant.I want good PIM applications (personal information management) on a small device with a good screen and battery life and the ability to check my email.That's all I want, and the E2 gives me that.Sure, Palm could wow us with innovations, but I really can't figure out what they could introduce that would be a "must-have" feature.Competing Windows Mobile devices don't offer anything particularly better either (unless you want a jack of all trades device that isn't particularly good at anything.In other words, if you want a PDA, this one is great.Here's why:

1.For most of the things that anyone does with a Palm, it works great.In other words, the PIM features work great, and the direct synchronization with Outlook is fantastic (and a new feature only on the past few Palm devices).
2.The hardware and "fit" of the device is great.This is the latest in the "Palm V" model and it shows.No gimmicks, just a good device fit and design wise.
3.The Bluetooth feature is great, if you need/want it.Setting up PC Bluetooth sync is easy if you follow the manual and the wizard on the device.Using it with a phone is a much greater challenge due to the few phones supported directly by Palm.Check first to see if yours is.If not, there might be a work-around, but prepare yourself for a few hours on the internet trying to find one.
4.The fact that the memory doesn't get erased when the power runs out will be really helpful if you're prone to forgetting to charge your devices.

The bad:
1.Versamail is incredibly difficult to work with.By far it has taken me the longest time to find out that I can't use it to sync with Outlook as planned (this is because you can't directly Hotsync IMAP accounts with SSL security, nor can you sync an IMAP account to Outlook, points buried in Palm's website).
2.As mentioned, getting Bluetooth to work with an unsupported phone is a real pain and not the most reliable connection ever invented.
3.Yeah, yeah, it shows fingerprints, should have a power indicator light, and a cradle would have been nice.A little too much cost-cutting, I think.

Overall, I'm very happy with the E2.It does what I want and probably more than what most people desire (most people probably don't need Bluetooth on a PDA).If you don't care about Bluetooth or the non-volatile memory on the E2, get the Tungsten E and save yourself $50.

Just like the T5
OK

Palm is no longer the leader in easy to use PDAs.

I love my Tungsten E. Its simple. It does what I want it to do - keep me organized. I bought it after I returned the "paper weight" called the T5

So I bought the E2 thinking it can only get better. Well, no. Its seems that they repackaged the T5 as the E2.

I bought the E2 with the WiFi card that Palmone's website promotes as the best thing since sliced bread.

I couldn't get the E2 to synchronize with my old Outlook info without doing some technological acrobatics. Deleting here and there and adding files here and there.

I go to install the WiFi card and the installation software tells me its incompatible with the E2. Must I point out that Palmone's website specifically says that the card is compatible.

Now I am popping antipsychotics to keep from flushing it down the toilet. I try to sync its new Bluetooth capability with my phone. I found out there are only a limited set of phones that can be easily connected. I proceed to manually connect the phone...the PDA will not recognize the phone either!

Arrrrgh!

Time spent = 7 hours trying to get it to sync,30 minutes fooling with the WiFi card, and 30 minutes fooling with the Bluetooth. This includes waiting time for outsourced tech support that was of absolutely no use.

The only thing good to say is, the screen is brighter.

Do not buy the Tungsten E2. Palm is no longer the leader in easy to use PDAs.

Matter of fact I'm going out to buy another Tungsten E, just in case the one I have breaks. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Building on the success of PalmOne's Zire 71, the Zire 72 is the first Palm-based handheld that can capture digital video with sound and shoot digital still photos. This multimedia PDA also features bright 320 x 320-pixel color screen for optimal playback of video and photos as well as voice recording capability and an MP3 player for listening to your own soundtrack. Other features include Bluetooth wireless connectivity, a 32 MB memory, Secure Digital card expansion, and a fast 312 Mhz Intel PXA270 processor. And, of course, the Zire 72 features Palm's suite of information management applications and the ability to edit Word- and Excel-compatible files and synchronize with Microsoft Outlook (Windows only).

Upgrade Features
The Zire 72 offers the following improvements to the Zire 71:

• 1-megapixel image resolution (1280 x 960 pixels); the Zire 71 had a maximum 640 x 480 resolution.
• 32 MB of memory (24.7 MB user available); the Zire 71 had only a 16 MB memory
• Video capture with sound; the Zire 71 only shot still images.
• Digital zoom for closer image capture and in-handheld editing.
• Voice recording capability.
• Wireless Bluetooth connectivity (the Zire 71 connected to your PC only via the HotSync cable)
• At 4.8 ounces, it's 10-percent less weighty than the 5.3-ounce Zire 71.
• Palm OS 5.2.8 (versus 5.2.1 for the Zire 71).

The Zire 72 can easily capture and manage your most important digital files.

Built-in Camera The back of the Zire 72 holds the built-in still and video camera, which does not require you to slide the back of the PDA to activate it (like the Zire 71 did). You can shoot video with sound turned on or off at 320 x 240 pixel resolution and 15 frames per second. Just use the handheld screen to frame the video, tap the "record" button on the display, then save your video to an optional expansion card after tapping the "stop" button. For still photography, it features a 1.2-megapixel CMOS sensor with a fixed focus range of about five feet and a 2x digital zoom. It captures up to 1280 x 960 pixel images, as well as 640 x 480, 320 x 240, and 160 x 120 resolution modes. The camera also offers such customized image setting controls as white balance, brightness, saturation, contrast, and sharpness. You can also add date stamp or effects like sepia, black and white, and blue.

Audio The included RealPlayer for Palm OS enables you to listen to MP3 music files stored on optional expansion cards via the built-in speaker on the Zire 72 or, for stereo sound, using optional stereo headphones or ear buds. With the built-in digital voice recorder, you can create voice memos, then synchronize them to your desktop PC and email them to friends and colleagues. Display The Palm Zire 72 features a 16-bit, 320 x 320 bright transflective TFT color display, which supports more than 65,000 colors.

Listen to MP3 music files stored on expansion cards via the built-in speaker on the Zire 72

Connectivity and Expansion
With the built-in wireless Bluetooth connectivity, you can synchronize the Zire 72 with Bluetooth-enabled computer from across the room (within a range of 10 meters, or approximately 30 feet). But that's just the start. Using a compatible Bluetooth-enabled phone, you can send and receive email and connect to the web, send multimedia (MMS) or text (SMS) messages, and even automatically dial any number in your handheld's Contact's application. You can also synchronize data the "old-fashioned" way via the mini-USB connection at the base of the handheld.

The Zire 72 uses Multimedia Card and Secure Digital expansion cards, which instantly add software applications, additional memory, large databases, and more without taking up built-in memory space.

Graffiti 2 allowsyou to enter data quickly into your Palm handheld but it's even more intuitiveand easier to learn Along with the standard Palm software, you'll receive a Software EssentialsCD-ROM containing PalmOne's VersaMail, Web Pro, Messages (SMS/MMS), PalmReader, Documents To Go Standard Edition, Acrobat Reader, Solitaire, powerOnePersonal Calculator, and Audible Player for palmOne handhelds (Windowsonly). Compatibility The Palm Zire 72 is compatible with PCs running Windows 98, NT 4.0, 2000,Me, and XP, and with Macs running Mac OS 9, version 9.1 or higher, orMac OS X, version 10.2 or 10.3.  

Messagessoftware allows you to send and receive text and multimedia messages andinclude photos taken with the built-in camera.

Features

• Bright, 320x320 transflective TFT color display supports more than 65,000 colors
• 312 MHz Intel PXA270 processor, Palm OS v5.2.8, 32 MB RAM (24 MB actual storage)
• Integrated 1.2 MP digital camera that also shoots video
• Expansion slot that supports MMC, SD, and SDIO memory cards
• Palm Desktop Software for Windows and Mac and Software Essentials CD included

Reviews (28)

Good device, good value... but
I am a LONG time PDA user and have owned several models- spent WAY too much money in this area, but that is a different story!

The Zire 72 is a decent device for the average user. 'Power users' or business users may want the increased memory and slightly more stable operating system of the PalmOne Tungsten T3, and WiFi users may want to consider the Sony TH55 or something, but the average user will love the Z72.

Still camera, movie camera, MP3 player, voice memos, AND the entire suite of Palm OS features in one package for under $300? Wow! Bonus- GREAT controls! Much better than the Zire 71 joystick!

OK, the thing is a little buggy. SOME programs (both new and old) don't run well on it. There is a bug or glitch if you use the 'quick unlock' AND 'lock at a pre-set time' features together. There are not a lot of accessories out yet (and with the proliferation of new devices, this is becoming a real problem for manufacturers!), and the non-standard connectors mean all of your old Palm Universal Connector stuff will not work (but this is only a problem if you have any of it!)

I would rate this a 5 IF it was more stable/less bugs, had a better battery life, and was not quite so... 'toylike' in the color and design. A perfect 5 would also have included a larger software package and a better case (the nylon/Velcro pouch is nice and well made, but to dig a PDA out of a pocket or bag, then dig it out of a pouch is a violation of the 'Zen' of Palms!)

Fine basic functionality. Some weak points.
The basic Palm functions are familiar and run fine on this machine. The processing speed is much faster than earlier Palms and Sony Clies I've owned. Walt Bilofsky's excellent Tide Tool freeware runs dramatically faster. Sync to a Mac under OSX 10.3.4 is fast and reliable. Palm finally has given Mac users some support.

The camera is the poorest excuse for a digicam I've used. Pictures are extremely contrasty, and color balance is usually way off. The lens vignettes, causing severe shift toward green at the corners of the frame. The Zire 71 camera, although lower resolution, had better color balance and more manageable contrast.

The audio player quality is not nearly as clean as an iPod, but good enough to be listenable. The output jack has surprisingly high gain. There's no equalizer, i.e. no tone control. The voice memo recording feature works well, and its audio quality, while not hi-fi, is good enough for guitar practice.

Downloading audio files to the Zire 72 via USB hotsync is unacceptably slow-- several minutes per MP3 track (this is acknowledged in the manual). I bought a $20 SD card reader and copied the files to the card directly. This is many times faster.

The case supplied by Palm for the Zire 72 is a bad joke. It's bulky, and the fit is overly tight. Earlier Palm models had convenient flip lids that attached directly to the machine. I don't know why Palm has retreated to this Mickey-Mouse approach. Also, the case supplied with my unit, when taken out of its plastic bag, had a powerful chemical or solvent smell (some sort of artifact of the manufacturing process?).

All in all, a powerful machine, a reasonable value, but not a masterpiece.

Not too shabby...


The palmOne Zire72 doesn't look too bad...the con that really irritates me, is that 98% of consumers said that the paint chips off. If I get this, I'm considering(after the paint flakes off) on re-painting it with nail-polish. Perhaps I can find a similar-colored nail-polish of the original painted face, and create a "refurbished" Zire72! It certainly wouldn't hurt to try...anyways...I'm assuming, since it was not listed otherwise, that the Zire72 does not play movies. Bummer. I hope it does, even if it does eat up the battery life...I also hope that people are exaggerating about the camera.....oh, well, I'll just have to see it for myself!

wrong pricing ??
Isn't the price on this thing wrong. If you go down on the pag it says buy with hard case and crosses out $282. Meaning that buying both together will be less than $282. But when you put it in the cart the total shows $282 = $262 + $20 ??

regards,
Sumit

Good concept, execution needs work
The Zire 72 seems like such a great product. It has built-in bluetooth, USB, a camera, voice recorder, SD card slot, mp3 player, all the standard time- and contact-management utilities, and an extensive third-party development environment. For the most part it lives up to expectations.

HOWEVER, after using my Zire for a couple weeks I have to comment on a few problems I've run into...

First has got to be the -really- bad paint job which stared flaking off the very first day! Plan on spending a few extra bucks to get a "skin" when they come out (and they will, since -everyone- who buys a Zire 72 will need one). The paint is a sort of rubbery texture that I'm sure they put on to provide a better grip (which it does). Unfortunately it does not stick very well at all to the underlying surface. It is very easy to scrape it with just a fingernail to expose the underlying surface. It doesn't stop there either, because once dinged, the damage slowly spreads as the nearby paint continues to peel away, especially up near the top right where you're always rubbing against it to pull the stylus out.

Second is the awful camera performance. Actually, the camera itself seems to work ok, but the auto-exposure firmware really doesn't work well at all. If you take the time to manually adjust the settings (sunlight/incandescent/flourescent, low-light) and can wait a few moments for the camera software to catch up then you can get some decent pictures, indoors or out. If you don't, the results will be generally low-quality (over/underexposed, grainy, bad color, etc.).

Third is the marginal battery life. I can get through a whole day on a fully-charged battery, but only just. I'm concerned that as time goes by and the battery degrades that I'm going to have problems running out of power before the day is done. That would not be so bad if I chould just throw in another set of AAA cells, but that's not an option with the built-in battery on the Zire. If I forget to plug it in overnight I don't even get through my morning. Not good. Plan on carrying around the power adaptor with you for emergencies (or buying one for the office and one for home).

Next is the lack of a built-in file manager. I was able to get the "media" app on the palm to display some mpeg video clips I had made before purchasing the Zire. Encouraged by my success, I tried an avi and a Quicktime file. These transferred to the SD card - I know because the available filespace went down - but they did not show up in the "media" app. Ok, failed experiment, no big deal. However, they also are not visible in the main "delete" menu, or anywhere else I've checked. So it seems that if no app on the Zire recognizes a file, there appears to be no way to reclaim the space from within the palm short of reformatting the card and resyncing to recover your data! Bad user interface.

Also, speaking of cards, you -must- get a SD card if you plan on playing audio or video. The only exception is the built-in voice recorder, which will record to and play from the built-in RAM. The Realplayer audio player and the video capture feature of the camera on the other hand require a card to store data on.. you will not be able to use either feature without one.

I give the Zire 72 a 3-star rating as is, deducting 1 star each for the awful paint job and the user interface issues with file management and camera auto-exposure (non)functionality. With a hopefully forthcoming firmware update from PalmOne to address the softare issues, and a little work on my part stripping off the rest of the paint I think I might be inclined to bump that up to 4 stars.

If they had left off the paint entirely and fixed the software issues I would definitely be giving it a solid 4 stars, maybe even 4.5 (0.5 off for battery life). ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Kicking the technology advances up another notch, the Palm Tungsten T3 delivers a professional, sleek alternative to bulkier Pocket PCs that's chock-full of productivity enhancing and information sharing applications. Improvements over the T2 include a full-screen mode when the bottom casing is slid open, a bevy of enhanced display options, compatibility with Java applets, larger internal memory, and an easier to access status bar.

First, just the technical facts:

• Palm OS 5.2.1
• 32-bit, 400 MHz Intel XScale processor
• 64 MB internal RAM, with 52 MB usable for applications and file storage (an improvement over the T2's 29 MB usable RAM)
• Bluetooth wireless connectivity
• Secure Digital memory card expansion slot
• 4.3 (closed) x 3.0 x 0.66 inches, 5.5 ounces

The T3's Stretch Display

Overall, the Tungsten T3 isn't that much smaller than the Zire 71, but it does feel nicely compact in the hand and its larger navigation button is easier to manipulate with just your thumb. However, the "wow factor" comes into full force when you slide down the bottom of the T3's case to reveal the full screen mode. And it gets even better. The standard "silkscreened" Graffiti input area (so-called because its icons and borders are printed onto the screen's glass) is now replaced by a digital version, which can be hidden to reveal an even larger screen. We found this useful when writing long notes in Memos and viewing an expanded daily calendar view. You don't actually need the Graffiti writing area to input data into notes or Calendar items. With the Full-Screen Writing preference turned on, you can write Graffiti characters anywhere on the screen (you'll even see an outline traced on the screen as you write). But the crowning display enhancement is the ability to rotate the screen to landscape view, which was especially handy when viewing downloaded movie trailers (using the included Kinoma video player). If you're left-handed, you can change the orientation in landscape view so that the status bar and Graffiti input area are more accessible to your own orientation.

The T3 includes the familiar suite of Palm applications (Calendar, Contacts, Memos, and Tasks) as well as a number of third-party software title (ranging from Acrobat Reader to RealOne Player for listening to digital audio). Calendar has been given an Outlook-friendly makeover, adding an Agenda view that consolidates all of today's appointments, tasks, and new e-mails. With full-screen mode on, Calendar's month view now displays smaller calendars for the previous and next months.

Bluetooth wireless functionality is built in, and the Tungsten T3 still includes the BlueBoard and BlueChat for sharing information with other Tungsten users. For Web communication, Palm includes VersaMail and WebBrowser Pro, both of which can be used along with a Bluetooth phone. Additionally, VersaMail can access a corporate e-mail account, including Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Domino servers.

Java has also now entered the Palm OS arena, expanding the application development opportunities. The T3 comes with a few sample applets (including a periodic table that would be handy at our local pub's trivia night), but we'll have to wait for more development before Java becomes a full Palm OS tool.

Our only complaint, design-wise, is the placement of the Voice Memo button, which as been placed toward the top of the left side of the case, below the on/off button on the top panel. When turning on the device, our left hand's thumb continually triggered the Voice Memo app when attempting to turn on the T3. Note that you can also turn the T3 on by pressing one of the application buttons surrounding the Navigator, or by sliding the bottom case open. Overall, the Tungsten T3 is a Palm powerhouse, blending its traditional information management strength with new multimedia and connectivity functionality (both wired and wireless). It's about as perfect a personal productivity agent for professional settings as it gets. --Agen G.N. Schmitz

Pros:

• Crisp, bright color screen
• Fast processor, ample internal memory, and expansion slot to boot
• Digital Graffiti input area can be hidden for full screen display
• Screen can be rotated to landscape view
• Access to corporate e-mail and Bluetooth wireless connectivity

Con:

• Voice Memo button gets in the way of turning on and off

Features

• Palm’s new breakthrough Stretch Display
• Device slides open to reveal a 320x480 display with 50% more viewing area
• Ultra-fast 400MHz Intel XScale processor and 64MB of internal memory
• Wirelessly access email, dial phone numbers, send text messages and connect to the Internet
• What's in the box: Handheld device; Palm Desktop software, including Documents To Go and Adobe Acrobat for Palm OS; all basic utilities such as Calendar, Contacts, Tasks., etc.

Reviews (69)

Fantastic but a few problems
Overall the Palm Tungsten T3 is a great machine with a bright screen but there are a few issues that you may want to be aware of prior to purchase.

Power supply - if you intend to take the T3 around the world, make sure that you have an international power supply or buy one. The one that came with the box is only 120V. I guess the cradle is fairly bulky so you might want to just get a sync cable with an international power supply.

USB - I had a lot of problems syncing the Palm the first time. After looking around, it turns out that older USB ports are incompatible with the T3. I bought a USB 2.0 PCI card and it works perfectly now. I just wished Palm made it quite clear on their support pages what the problem could be. I spent so much time reloading the software on my PC. Admittedly, my machine is fairly old and probably has a 1.0 or 1.1 USB port.

Kinoma - minor problem, the video player is great and I love the widescreen encoding of movies. The only problem is that if you 'stretch' your T3 while you are playing a movie, it sometimes crashes the whole machine.

Stretch feature - the extendable section is great idea but it seems a little hard to operate. I wish it would extend and contract a little more easily. Just make sure your hand is well away from the extend/contract mechanism while you operate it, your palm could get caught in it sometimes especially on the edges :) The only other disappointment is that not every application allows you to display the document with the whole screen (eg Avantgo).

Aside from the minor issues, it is a responsive machine that runs audio and video very smoothly. The bundled software is great and bluetooth works a treat. Great Value.

T3 sets a new standard
I ungraded from a Palm M500 to the Tungsten T3, which I ordered from Amazon.com, using Super Saver shipping. It arrived six days later; I charged the battery, turned it on, and it has functioned perfectly since. An incompatible third-party application caused a "Fatal Error"; having been disappointed with that application anyway, I deleted it - no loss.

The beautiful stretch display is even better than reviewers had led me to expect. It is a little bright for my old eyes, so I turned it down, and it is not only very easy on the eyes, it will reduce power consumption. The landscape display option is a great asset for my uses, and well worth whatever it might have cost.

Processing speed is all that is promised. I would occasionally wonder whether the M500 was still running in searches, which it always was, but the T3 delivers results instantly, without fail.

I have been using PrintBoy software, and neither my printers nor my laptop have Blue Tooth capability without additional expense. PrintBoy installed perfectly on the T3, providing seamless changeover to the new PDA.

The voice recorder seemed to be an unneeded frill to me, until I used it a few times. It is a definite asset, as I no longer need to carry a recorder.

WiFi is of no use to me, and the added cost might have deterred me from buying the T3.

Battery life could be better, but my work demands a lot of time in my car, and the car charger will take care of this minor detail.

The price seemed high until I experienced the Tungsten T3. The great display, added memory, processing speed, packaged software, and overall feel of a quality product justify the cost.

UPDATE 6-22-04: After two months of daily use, I have not only become accustomed to the T3, but it is now an old friend, which has never let me down. I had not had any problem with the original graffiti, and learning the new graffiti was an unneeded inconvenience for me, but not difficult. No problems have appeared, and I WOULD CERTAINLY BUY A TUNGSTEN T3 AGAIN, WITHOUT HESITATION!

Satisfied User
I've had my T3 for 7 months now and have nothing but praise for this remarkable gadget.
The 75 applications I've fit into the spacious 64m memory and a 256m SD card include: my check register and shopping list database (Splash Wallet), a world clock with 20 alarms (Megaclock), a complete address book/meeting scheduler/to-do list/calendar (Agendus); an outliner (Bonsai), spreadsheet, word processor, PowerPoint editor (Documents to Go) and relational database (HanDBase); a drawing/painting program appropriate to my 10 years training as an artist (HandPainter); a dictionary and thesaurus (To Go), ebook readers; road maps of Colorado and the New York metropolitan area (Mapopolis); listings of 30,000 movies from the Internet Movie Database -- including main cast,director, and synopsis (on TomeRaider); an MP3 player with my favorite 50 songs; a photo album of 30 pictures; a chess game, submarine game, and Space Invaders clone; an icon editor, a file utility, a backup utility, and a flashlight (PalmLight).
For all that, I still have 40% of the memory free.
For all that, I've never had my T3 crash, whine, play games with my eyesight, or go bump in the night. It does however wake me up in the morning to Reville, but I asked it to do that since it's also my alarm clock.
It has replaced most of the contents of my wallet, two notebooks, and a portable cassette player -- all of which I had lugged around with me for 30 years until I bought the T3.
I like to compare my T3 to a 386 desktop computer I used to own -- the T3 does about about as much, about as well; except now it's attached to my belt.
The only thing I don't like about the T3 is that it's not as sturdy as the original Tungsten-T. The T3 feels noticably fragile.
But after 7 months, I can say: I use it daily. I use it for everything. It's never failed me.

Love it. But battery life disappoints.
Love this Palm device. Earlier I had 2 Mb monochome Palm Pilot, so this is a good change to have 52 Mb color one. New grafiti is better. Voice memo feature is good, but need to keep the source of sound away otherwise recording gets bad. Web, VersaMail, MP3, Bluetooth are not very useful to me. It came with RealOne MP3, but that needs an add on card. I didn't find the feature to turn the display very useful. Rarely use it. The battery life disappoints.

Overall, a great device to have.

Do your research before purchasing
I was very happy with the T3 when I bought it. Great screen and resolution, fast processor, bluetooth. But then about 3 months after I got the T3, it started making a high-pitched noise all the time it was turned on. If you work in an office, it's very noticible. On the street or in your car, not so much so. Finally, as I work inside all day, I got fed up with the noise. Since I'm still well within the warranty period, I contacted PalmOne support. Their response is below.

"Tom, I understand that the handheld makes excessive bussing noise from the screen when it is turned on.I would like to explain this phenomenon for you.

Some palmOne handheld devices may emit a high-pitched buzz, especially when plugged into an electrical outlet. The noise does not damage the handheld, and does not mean the handheld is malfunctioning. All electronic components vibrate to some degree when carrying an electric current. That vibration creates sound waves. The TFT displays used by some palmOne handheld devices can amplify those sound waves, resulting in the high pitched buzz you hear.

In most environments the buzz will be drowned out by ambient noise. In particularly quiet environments, or if you bring the handheld to your ear, you may be able to hear it. Because this is normal and expected behavior, palmOne does not provide repairs for products exhibiting the buzz."

Note the part that says, "...palmOne does not provide repairs for products exhibiting the buzz." Anyone with the T3 on their desk in an office setting with normal hearing can hear the shrill all day long.

Just do adequate research before purchasing. This issue and others (including the lack of Palm support) have been documented by many users on numerous Palm message boards.

Good Luck. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Palm’s latest PDA offering delivers wireless networking, lots of RAM and a faster processor--a PDA for the professional.Palm has embraced wireless networking with the Tungsten C, which has built in 802.11b capability. This is definitely a PDA for power users, as along with wireless networking comes 64MB of RAM, 51MB of which is available for your applications and data. The Tungsten C runs on the new Intel PXA 255 processor, an update of the PXA 250 which has more speed and better power management than its predecessor.

Compact and powerful

The hardware looks very much like that of the Tungsten W. There is no antenna like the W has, but there is a keypad where the Graffiti area traditionally sits on a Palm. A new version of Graffiti, called rather unimaginatively Graffiti2, is provided, and you can use this to write text direct to the screen should you desire to.

Palm provides a whole slew of applications including Documents To Go, for working with Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents. This is in ROM along with email software VersaMail and software to set up the wireless networking features and run VPN (Virtual Private Networking) sessions. Connecting to an existing 802.11b network is easy as pie -- and a separate manual walks you though the process if required. Once connected, you can use another ROM-based application, Web, to browse the Web using your wireless modem.

Though designed with professional users in mind Palm has not lost sight of the fact that the Tungsten C will appeal to a wider audience. They provide the Kinoma player for watching movies and Photos for looking at digital images. A key notable absence is any kind of MP3 player.

Palm’s addition to the range of PDAs with built in 802.11b is a very impressive one. It has the processing power to cope with wireless activity and the memory to deal with the data you’ll download and share while using wireless.--Sandra Vogel ... Read more

Features

• Bright 320x320 transflective color screen
• Fast, 400 MHz Intel PXA255 processor with Intel XScale technology
• Built-in Wi-Fi and keyboard
• Secure Digital/MultiMediaCard Expansion Slot
• What's in the box: Tungsten C Handheld, Stylus, Flip Cover, USB HotSync Cradle, Power Supply, Desktop Installation CD, Software Essentials CD

Reviews (69)

The BEST! PDA on the market
All of the specs you can get from the other reviews and from Palms website directly. My post here is because I am a new owner of the Tungsten C. Ive had mine about a week now and I am really glad I got it.

THE GOOD: tons and tons of great apps and games for this! Some of them like billiards, megabowling, bejeweled, monopoly, pinball, GTS racing, mahjongg.. have high res graphics which make game play estounding! The wifi internet ability makes this palm a 10 star PDA. I can walk near my local apple store or stop into my local coffeehouse and check my email and pull up a website on this palm for free. This PDA will keep me VERY busy for hours on end when I travel on flights. I can even check email in airports too. Im writing a book right now and the built in keyboard is alot easier to type quickly then using graffiti feature. Its great to finally have this PDA to write my book, I no longer need to bring my laptop anywhere! As you can see im not a serious business PDA user but this will last me many years Im sure because it has all the features I want. I recently rode the new Pasadena-Los Angeles metro gold line subway and relaxed doing my Tungsten C.. played some games, replied to some emails, and checked my metro timetables stored as PDFs. Im set for the the future and beyond! (I cant wait until the software to make my Tungsten C a worldwide cellphone is released in September!)

The BAD: Palms website rarely works for me during Pacific daylight hours. The built-in palm web browser cant handle popup windows. In some ways thats good, in some ways its bad. The only other bad thing I can think of is people have complained here of the mono audio feature this palm has. I too think Palm either overlooked this feature on the most powerful PDA on the market or they ran out of room on the pda itself for the jack... or they just want you to go buy their new ones coming out a year later! I couldnt wait and Im glad I got this one NOW. I did fix the mono problem. I bought a $15 Nokia cellphone headset and cut the wire 3 inches above the mic. Then I got a nice set of walkman style stereo headphones and cut the end off. I soldered up the leads and now ive got a great set of headphones with mic for my palm. If you know how to solder its fairly easy to do. Just solder the ground leads together, then solder the mono lead to the two stereo leads and youve got mono piped into both headphone speakers. Finish it off with some black electrical tape. Do a great job and take your time and no one will ever know you spliced it! Its a 15 minute fix until Palm comes out with their own version.

Awesome performance
I've owned several PDAs over the years and had abandoned the Palm platform for Sony Clies - the Clies were faster, more stylish, had more features and fantastic screens. I was intrigued by the features of the Tungsten C and tried one out at a local store and immediately purchased one online. In short, the C is a power user's dream PDA. My impressions after 3 weeks of use:

Screen: incredible, very bright, robust colors - rivals the Clie NX70V, maybe even a bit brighter

WiFi: immediately connected to my home Airport network - range is about 70-80ft - I have been able to connect effortlessly to T-mobile hotspots in several Starbucks

Speed: nothing like it on any PDA - the C truly flies - the browser speed is next to incredible - much faster than browsing on a PocketPC

Keyboard: I have never liked thumbpads, but the one on the C has the keys spaced so they can be accessed via thumb typing - I rarely need to use the new Graffiti 2

Memory: you will not run out!

Battery: very good, I'm getting 10-15 hours

The mono sound issue doesn't bother me at all - I have an iPod for mp3 listening - the C is fine for Audible content - the mono/stereo doesn't make much difference with the spoken word

It would have been nice to have built-in Bluetooth - the only limitation I have found so far.

I would also would have liked to have a travel charger included - it's a pain to have to carry the cradle around.

Great Handheld With WiFi!
This is my fifth handheld. My first two were palm, my third was a Sony, and for my fourth I went back to palm. All four had 8MB of RAM and a 33 MHz processor. When I first turned on the Tungsten C I was amazed at how fast it was. When I clicked on an application it would instantly open, without that 1 or 2 second delay seen on older handhelds. This handheld includes 51 MB of memory, which is very nice for storing applications, movies (using the included Kinoma player), music, pictures and just about anything else. The display is one of the best I've seen, and the high-resolution is really nice. I like the Tungsten T3 expandable display, and was considering getting it, but I realized WiFi was too important. The WiFi is one of the best features of this handheld. I opened the WiFi setup application, it instantly detected my home network, I entered my WEP key and it was connected. Browsing the web on the Tungsten C is not anything like on a desktop or laptop. There is A LOT of scrolling involved, and many web pages take a long time to load, even with cable internet. There are also a lot of bugs in the web browser, and I've had to do many soft resets. I've downloaded AvantGo, which can be used as a web browser, and I never have to reset. The e-mail application, VersaMail, works very well. I just entered my POP3 mail account, and it worked. The keyboard is also a great feature. It is much better than Graffiti, and I'll never go back to a handheld without a keyboard. Palm includes Graffiti2, but I don't even bother using it because the keyboard is so convenient. One thing I've been hearing other reviewers complaining about is the mono headset jack. It would be nice to have stereo, but it's not that important to me. If I want to listen to music, I'll use my iPod. It works just fine for audiobooks, though. The headphones (sold separately from palm) look like ones for cell phones, however, they do not work with cell phones. Overall, this is a truly great handheld. It has a few minor problems, but so does any other electronic device. I've compiled a list of pros and cons:

Pros:

-400 Mhz Processor
-51MB RAM
-Built-in WiFi
-Thumb Keyboard
-Excellent Display
-Comes With Good Array Of Applications

Cons:

-Web Browser Has Too Many Bugs
-Mono Headphone Jack
-No Included Headset

Wonderful Handheld, Couple of minor glitches
First off, I'm now spoiled. After this handheld, I will NEVER go back to a grafitti based palm! I might put up with less memory, maybe a cheaper display, maybe slower processor, but I would never take a replacement without the keyboard. Using the JFile shareware database, my sister entered an entire stack of about a hundred movies in a couple of hours on this keyboard with little or no training. It couldn't have happened on my previous Visor Prism.

-Display is indeed the best in its class. I was amazed that I opened it up under direct summer sunlight inside my car and I could read the text without any problems. [I wouldn't try making out color, but that's fair to me]

-Speed is wonderful. Much faster than the high end Treo's (and better display too) I used to play Handmark Monopoly on my Visor Prism... I tried it on my Tungsten C and at first I thought the animations weren't working... then I realized it was just happening too fast to see!

-Palm's advanced replacement is very well done. I was rushed to ER about two months after purchasing this machine and in the process it got munched in the car door. When I was better I gave Palm a call, paid $150 and had an advanced replacement in decent condition sitting in my hands very quickly. (WITH full warranty still I might add!) It was very nice since I'm very dependent on this little machine.

Downsides?
-Web browser stinks. It crashes a lot on quite a few sites. I'm leary of forking out >+$40 for the pro version when I'm not sure it will be more stable.

-Wi-Fi range is poor. I have to be basically within 20 feet of a base unit for it to work. [Using both a DLink and Airport Extreme]. On the flip side, I have never had interoperability issues as long as I input the keys in full hex. And I understand that this range is typical of units this size.

-Unit will lock on poor wi-fi reception

-No bluetooth! This would be the one feature I completely miss. Wish they'd get this fixed.

Poor reliability
I bought this product from Amazon in May. Amazon graciously accepted to return it and even paid the shipping cost for the return when I found that the PDA wouldn't even charge - the green light at the top that indicates it is charging never came on even once. I talked to Palm support first and they suggested I should send this in for repair and that if they could not repair it they would send me a refurbished product. A refurbished product in exchange for a brand new never-used one? I decided to return it and get a replacement from Amazon.

However, the replacement has the same problem. Of course, I could ask Amazon for a replacement once more bbut now I am sick of this product. It also leaves me wondering about its reliability. It would be even worse if it conked off after 90 days because then I wouldn't be able to return it also.

Thumbs down for this Palm. Thumbs up for Amazon's superb customer service. ... Read more

Product Description

The LifeDrive mobile manager from palmOne is the perfect companion for your digital lifestyle. With a 4 GB hard drive, extra-sharp high-resolution color display and built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, you can easily manage, access and share your documents and media files. Includes email support, plus MP3 player and photo viewer.Drag and drop thousands of files from your PC. LifeDrive Manager does the synchronizing for you, preserving your PC's directory structure and ensuring you always have the most recent versions of your documents safely with you. You can store and access years of email, thousands of documents, presentations and photos, hundreds of songs and hours of video... The non-volatile memory keeps your information safe.Stay connected via your mobile phone or at public Wi-Fi hotspots. Access your POP, IMAP and Exchange email accounts and browse the web. Or, use Bluetooth to connect to compatible devices nearby.View photos and videos with the palmOne Media application. And enjoy all the songs in your personal music collection with on-board support for MP3 files. Rehearse your PowerPoint presentation, on your way to a meeting. Keep all of your important Word and Excel documents at your fingertips. Synchronize and view an Acrobat file. ... Read more

Features

• Quickly drag and drop files from your PC onto your LifeDrive mobile manager.
• Intel 416MHz XScale processor
• Portrait and landscape viewing
• 320x480 hi-resolution, color display
• LifeDrive smart file management

Reviews (16)

An honest look at it all...
Let me preface this review by saying that I did in fact order mine - it should be arriving any day and I look forward to posting a very honest review of this palm handheld.

I just had to post this review to combat those many bad reviews on this item.It technically is not available yet and will not be released until the 30th of May.To all those WinCE users out there - stop complaining about items you don't even use!

Now I have a long history of having palm handhelds - from my first Palm V to my current Palm Tungsten T3, I have a good viewpoint on their company's evolution (albeit slow).I recently left Palm for Sony's CLIE TH-55 which I thought was the best all-around PDA available at the time.It had everything I could ever want, and more!I decided to stick with Palm since Sony was leaving the market and purchased a Tungsten E which I was sorely dissapointed by.Long gone was the metal for PDAs from this company, as seen by their recent trend with the Tungsten T5 (plastic, plastic), and their new E2 (plastic again).

I sold my Tungsten E and purchased a T3 the moment the T5 was available because that perhaps was one of the larger dissapointments in Palm's history.Well, here were are with them satisfying our needs with 4 GB of storage space, Wi-fi, bluetooth, and USB 2.0 (yes, it has USB 2.0 unlike other's reviews).

So why did I order this item?I plan to have it replace my USB flash drives, I look forward to checking my email wherever I am at work or in my house with the wireless networks.Heck - even when I'm waiting for food at Starbucks or Panera I can leech onto their free Wi-fi.Battery life?I'm hoping its better than what I get with my current T3 - though nothing beats that Sony CLIE I had thus far in the battery life comparison.I'll post an addendum to this review once I've used my new LifeDrive for a month or so.Keep an eye open for my updates!

On the mark
This PDA is exactly what the Tungsten T5 should have been (integrated Wi-Fi, voice recorder), and will probably drive the latter out of existence.One cool feature that the other reviews haven't noted is that the LifeDrive can be used as a photo-dump, enabling direct transfer of data from a camera's SD card--something that the iPod Photo (unbelievably) can't do without additional hardware.True the 4GB can't compare with dedicated photo-dumps (the Epson P-2000 has ten times the storage), but it's still more than enough for a photo-intense vacation.

Wrong product..wrong time.
Wrong product..wrong time.

Consumers of US have been offered new electronics products almost everyday. But how many times we look at them and say, "I want that!" PalmOne's LifeDrive is not going to make you say that, either.

Major features of the product:
* Palm OS 5.4
* Intel Processor
* 4G HD
* Wi-Fi 802.11b
* Bluetooth 1.1
* USB 2.0
* Big color display
* Support for Microsoft Documents
* Voice Recorder
* Camera Companion Software
* MP3 Player

This is not impressive.If PalmOne wants to be ahead of the curve, they should have added Wi-Fi 802.11g. Bluetooth and USB 2.0 are pretty much necessary and they are good there.

Lets do a quick comparison of this product,

PalmOne Treo 650: $400 (And lot cheaper with cell phone service annual contract)
Features: Cell, PDA, Camera, MP3 Player, SpeakerPhone, Bluetooth, 23MB
Nokia 6620: $350 (less than $100 with annual plan)
Features: Cell, PDA, Camera, MP3 Player, Speakerphone, Bluetooth 12MB

Why am I comparing with cell phones? Because we have to have one and what is missing in them is the big hard-drive. For that, I am not going to buy LifeDrive. I will rather just a get a USB drive/firewire drive for 50 bucks which I don't need to upgrade or something, or better yet, an iPod which is an excellent USB Hard-Drive (iPod Photo fo 30G $349)
If PalmOne is thinking that this device is going to fill the gap between your office computer, home computer, camera, I think they are wrong. We need little more integration like combination of a Nokia Cell,PDA, Apple MP3 player, small Sony camera, Big Hitachi Hard drive. And all of this still should be bigger than the Palm Treo.

Bottom Line: I wouldn't waste my money on this. I am sure something more worthwhile will come before end of this year.

The first steps towards real convergence.
Good or bad, this marks the beginning of the microDrive convergence into PDAs and cellphones.Yes, South Korea, China, and Japan have had microDrive PDAs for awhile now, but this is the US debut of real storage, and a definitive shift away from HotSync to a more-generic external drive model.

Think about that for a moment.Even Microsoft PowerPCs don't support a pure external drive model of synchronizing.This allows you to just connect to a central data store (via Bluetooth, WiFi, or USB) and bring your MP3 files over.Or Word documents.Whatever.It's not the data storage that's most impressive here, it's the final surrender of Palm's HotSync methodology.That's the big news here.

Of course, this device represents a compelling upgrade for older PDA users.Storage at near 4Gb means the iPod mini or Zen Micro are less attractive electronics, by virtue of their single-function purpose.The OS has been ramped up, and it still runs most of the legacy Palm apps (you will find that more and more apps are not migrating, though).The extra treat of Bluetooth and WiFi radios means you can use a Bluetooth keyboard, connect to a BlueTooth cellphone, maybe stream music to your Bluetooth BMW.. or use WiFi to stream to a WiFi stereo system, receive that stream and playback, grab MP3s from your basement machine, and so forth.

I can see this being used as a web pad in most homes, allowing for some web browsing, some MP3 playback, and more importantly, remotely viewing another PC on a home network (maybe to shuffle music playback or check email).Of course, having WiFi or Bluietooth in a PDA is not groundbreaking; having both isn't either, but it's impressive and long overdue.

The sum of features makes this a worthy addition if you're looking for a new PDA, or if you want something much more than an iPod mini or Creative Zen Micro.However, if you hang on a few months, maybe to Q4 2005, Nokia will have a cellphone with a 4Gb (maybe 6Gb by that time) microDrive, and then the electronics landscape changes forever, because no one will want "just an MP3 player" ever again (unless they really don't want a cellphone or handheld computer).

Fred

Close but...
As a Palm owner since the original Pilot 1000 I have been somewhat confused by Palm's tentativeness of recent times. Probably a bit too much marketing mumbo jumbo going on back there. Feature sets are playing catch up but with tantalising possibilities. Eg I am waiting to see what eventuates from the BeOS acquistion.

The device needs a phone and camera with decent resolution, much more memory, a multitasking O/S - possibly even realtime, straight forward programability for third party apps and software to keep an event log if it really is to be a Life Partner. Great natural handwriting recognition andvoice recognition for dictation and commands would make this the world beater it should be. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Early Adopters Pick: August 2003. The first PDA to include integrated GPS technology.

With the power of Palm OS 5 and the dependability of Garmin GPS technology, this super PDA redefines multitasking. Its integrated software not only allows you to look up appointments and contacts, it also locates and routes you to them with voice-guidance commands. Feature highlights include: GPS receiver, MP3 player, voice recorder, infrared communication, and vibrating alarm.

GPS The differentiating feature of the iQue 3600 is its integrated GPS capabilities. Garmin's innovative Que technology delivers location awareness, electronic mapping, automatic route calculation, turn-by-turn voice guidance, and map data interface to the iQue 3600. Que technology enables users to see where they are, find a street address, know where the next turn is via visual and voice guidance, get back on track when they’ve strayed off course, and navigate efficiently to their desired destination. Detailed Mapping Users can choose a configurable basemap of North America, South America, Europe, or regions in the Pacific Rim, with generalized information on highways, major city streets, highway exit services, railways, rivers, lakes, and state, provincial, and national borders. The iQue also has the added benefit of detailed street information on the included MapSource® CD-ROM, giving users the capability of looking up restaurant addresses, hotels, local attractions, transportation hubs, emergency services, and much more. Once a desired point of interest is chosen, you have the capability to view more info or even show it on the map screen. The mapping capability of the iQue 3600 makes it a versatile companion for the international frequent flyer who travels, for instance, between New York and London or San Francisco and Hong Kong.

Customizable maps mean never getting lost again

Powerful Organization
The iQue 3600 is built around the Palm OS 5 platform and offers standard Palm applications, such as Address Book, Calculator, Date Book, Memo Pad, and To Do List. And there’s enough processing power to search large databases of stored information and to enhance display graphics with easy-to-read fonts and crisp electronic maps. There's also a voice recorder for making memos, quick notes, and messages. With 32 MB of built-in memory and an expansion slot, you can even store your favorite MP3s.

The flip-up GPS antenna

High-Tech Integration
One of the key benefits of technology integration on the iQue 3600 is its patent-pending contact-locator feature. Enabled by Garmin's Que technology, this feature connects the Palm Address Book and Date Book to the GPS electronic map to give the user the ability to navigate directly to a specific address within the user’s contact database.

System
The Garmin iQue 3600 features the new Motorola DragonBall MXL ARM9 microprocessor, and boasts 32 MB DRAM. This handheld is powered by Palm OS 5, which offers the processing power to take on the most demanding mobile computing tasks, together with advanced multimedia and the wireless connectivity and security that enterprises require.

Display
The iQue 3600 delivers brilliant images with its 2.16-by-3.24-inch display. It has a 16-bit color display with 320 x 480 pixel resolution.

Expansion
Expand your iQue 3600 via its Secure Digital slot.

Software
The iQue 3600 comes with the following Garmin Que applications: MP3, GPS Clock, Address Lookup, Electronic Mapping, Track Log, Trip Computer, Automatic Route Generation, and Turn-by-Turn Voice Guidance, as well as these Palm OS 5 applications: Address Book, Calculator, Date Book, Expense, Mail, Memo Pad, Palm Reader, and To Do List. In addition, it includes these third-party applications: Astraware Game Pack, Documents to Go, powerOne Personal Calculator, StarCaddy, SplashPhoto, and Vindigo.

The Nuts and Bolts

 

Included in the box
iQue 3600, protective display cover, metal stylus, USB HotSync cradle, A/C power/charging adapter, quick start guide, installation/application, CD-ROM with manual, and choice of MapSource configuration with full unlock certificate: either 1) North America City Select CD or Atlantic European City Select CD.

... Read more

Features

• ARM processor powered by Palm OS 5
• Integrated Que technology, with GARMIN GPS and mapping software
• Speaker for voice-guidance commands, MP3 player, and message playback
• Voice recorder for making memos, quick notes, and messages on the fly
• What's in the box: iQue 3600, protective display cover, metal stylus, USB HotSync cradle, A/C power/charging adapter, quick start guide, CD-ROM with manual, and choice of MapSource configuration

Reviews (124)

Don't believe the Hype
This is a great product. I have owned one for a few weeks and it is very cool. Looking at the iQue3600 as only a GPS navigation unit, it has performed perfectly and far exceeded my expectations. Garmin really has the gps navigation software perfected and the palm platform with the 320x480 16 bit screen makes for a pretty impressive package (much better resolution than more expensive in car units). The voice promps work great and the palm interface makes for real ease of use. If you have used a palm before, you will learn the GPS software in a couple of hours. Besides outperforming any GPS nav system in its price range, the iQue 3600 is also a full featured palm with mp3 and voice recorder. If you travel for business, you must get one. The Quefind program has a database of hotels, restaurants, ect, with phone numbers. If you see a place you'd like to eat, call and get reservations, then press "route to" and the iQue does the rest.

There is a lot of bashing of this product for alleged hard resets. I have never had one, although I did upgrade the firmware via Garmins website. I actually almost didn't buy the iQue 3600 because of some of the negative reviews I read here and elsewhere. Then I saw a newsprogram on undercover marketing and now believe that some of the negative product reviews here and elsewhere are the work of paid marketing folks pretending to be normal consumers. The dollars at stake are too large and this meathod too easy and inexpensive for it not to be happening.

I looked into Garmin and discovered that they are a 5 billion dollar company with a great reputation in the GPS area. So I figured that if the product becomes defective within the first year, Garmin would stand by its warranty and fix it.

If you buy this unit, also buy the car mount kit and a 256mb card. For about $600 you get a perfectly sized easy to use GPS navigation system that really works, and it also is a fully functional palm (you can even run other programs while the gps system is running). Everyone that I have shown it to can't believe what it can do or the price. You pay $300 - $500 bucks for a decent handhold anyway, for a little more, you also get a state of the art gps system with voice and a great screen. My bet is that this will be a very hot gift for Christmas this year.

A very good product
I decided to get the Garmin iQue 3600 since I needed a new Palm anyway and liked the idea of having a portable GPS for hiking and travel. Here is a brief summary of my two-week experience:
Price - very reasonable for such a bundle.
Convenience of use - very good.
Memory - an SD card is a must. The internal RAM will get you nowhere since it is all taken up. I bought a Panasonic 512 MB SD and I don't regret it. Now I have plenty of room for maps, MP3 music, third-party Palm products (including memory hogs such as dictionaries and e-books).
GPS performance - as good (or as mediocre) as you can expect from a hand-held GPS. Very good when holding horizontally outdoors, reception lost when putting in you pocket, lost when going indoors, reasonable on a car dashboard.
Software - well, you know Palm OS with all its quirks and inconviences, but this is Palm, nothing to do about it. Unfortunately, Garmin's device-specific software (Que) is no better. Worthless documentation, unhelpful Help, and some quirky procedures (most notably in Tracks and Audio).
Most troublesome point - absence of external battery pack. What is the use of a portable GPS if you can't take it on a decent half-a-day hike? Palm's own Power-to-Go is incompatible. I got Power Runner (look for it on the Web) and it is excellen t on all accounts, except for being a bit heavy.
In summary, iQue 3600 is the best of its kind, simply because it is the only device of its kind at the present (for this reason it is also the worst ...). Be prepared to spend $... on the unit,another $... on a SD card, then another handful of dollars on Power Runner, then perhaps another handful on a Car Kit, and you are ready to go.

Poor user interface!
I can't believe so many people love this product. I love electronic gismos and rarely need to use instructions to figure how to work things. It took me for ever to figure out and too load maps. Once I got it working, it worked ok, but not great. Besides being hard to set up, it had three major problems.
1) Poor user interface. Hard to figure out how to use. Can't use while driving.
2) Short battery life. I many times lost important data because battery ran out too quickly.
3)SD card slot doesn't hold card well. I loaded east and west coast maps into device. Went on vacation. When I came home, I used it as GPS and wondered why no detailed maps where there. My card fell out without my knowledge.

My First GPS
I read the reviews, I read everything I could about not only this unit, but all types of GPS units. Finally, I took the plunge and bought this unit and the auto adapter. All I can say is I made the right choice. I live in Chicago and my job requires I respond to railroad accidents. Not only does this unit get me there, but it picks a route that cuts the time I spend getting there. It also has shown me new routes to old destinations that were faster and more direct. I also added the 256 mg storage card. When you start loading the map software, it will take some space and you will have to load some now and replace it later for other areas, although I have Illinois, Wisconsin on now. I have the software on my laptop so it is also portable, if I need it on a trip. The auto unit has a beanbag with a cradle that locks the unit and can be positioned on the dash or anywhere the unit can detect the GPS satellites. You plug the combination charger and speaker in and you are ready to go. Step by step audible directions and if you go off route, the unit recalculates and guides you to your destination without any fuss. You can select hotels, restaurants and all kinds of stuff in the directory. The PDA functions are what you can expect, but one great feature is the mirror software that lets the Palm software recognize the Outlook calendar and address book and use it so I didn't have to enter it all over. Get this unit, you won't regret it.

Great When it Work - (Infrequently)
I have the IQue3600, in fact I've had 5 of them. When its working, its absolutely amazing. The PROBLEM in a nutshell, is that its fragile. None of mine has worked for more than a 2 week period. The wiring that passes through the antenna hinge breaks, and you then can't access satelites at all. Up to now, they've been good about replacing. Now they won't even answer my email, and its over 30 minutes on hold to talk to someone, so I'm guessing they're having lots of problems. I'd wait until they get the bugs out before buying one of these, but when they do, its super. ... Read more

Features

• A new concept in handhelds: an extremely portable personal entertainment communicator
• 6 oz. with stylus
• Integrated wireless LAN (802.11b) and Bluetooth interface
• Built-in QWERTY-layout wide-pitch keyboard with backlight
• What's in the box: Clie handheld, Charger Cradle, USB HotSync Cable, Retractable Stylus, AC Adapter,Hand Strap, Installation CD-ROM, Instruction manuals

Reviews (26)

Sony Clie PEG-UX50
The search for the perfect palm pilot has always been an issue. Many have features that others don't have, that making it complicated to get the perfect one. Finally, Sony has created a PDA that has every feature that anyone could ever want "The Sony Clie UX50".
This PDA has more bells and whistles than any palm powered handheld that you have seen. With its wireless Internet and its blue tooth, it is easy to connect to every type of compatible device and the cradle for charging would be the only thing needed to be connected physically to it. This PDA has crossed over into being more like a laptop.
The UX50 also has a spaced out keyboard, which makes it easy to type in all the information that needs to be typed. Also the UX50 has a swivel screen, which allows you to change the keyboard into a screen. The pda also allows for the left and right-handed user to be comfortable and also eliminating the High-resolution display not to be covered while you write.
The screen resolution (420x380) is better than any pda out. The screen will let you enjoy little movies with the memory stick pro, which goes up to a gigabyte. Also the screen will be perfect to view your pictures from the camera on the pda or other sources. This pda has hand writing recognition for those who like to write on the screen. Also it has an MP3 player and a voice recorder.
This palm powered device is surely one the greatest inventions in the land of the pda's. It almost goes into the realm of laptops. If you were to buy any palm pilot and didn't mind dishing out 650 dollars then the Sony Clie UX50 is the palm for you.

Many Bells & Whistles in a small pkg, but needs improvments.
I have had an older Sony Clie for a few years. I was thoroughly impressed with that one. It served me well. I then had to replace it, and was solidly leaning toward another Sony product. The features of the UX50 series impressed me very much. But it does have some shortcommings.

Pros:
• Small size. Without a doubt, this is a great unit that fits nicely in my shirt pocket.
• Beautiful screen. It is clear and bright. It is a bit smaller than the older unit, but it is perfectly legible.
• Lots of internal memory. This means I can record a bunch of voice memo's or quick low-res pics from the built in camera w/o using a memory stick.
• Toolbar. There is a little toolbar along the side next to the silk to pull up commonly used features quickly. (like clock, speaker and memory stick media info)
• Built in Keyboard. I love it. It even has a backlight. Not too difficult to use, unlike smaller kbds on other units. The keys are slightly raised.
• Landscape working environment. The "silk" is along the side, and when not being used, the silk can be hidden giving an expanded screen to show text or other items in the silk area. This widescreen mode is a much more efficient use of screen real-estate.
• New handwriting recognition. Decuma is very natural, and has a very good recognition rate. But... see below...
• Rotate/Swivel screen. Use the unit as a micro-laptop, or as a micro-tablet.
• Bluetooth and WiFi. Very easy to setup and use.

Cons:
• This unit only works in landscape mode. I prefer holding the unit in my hand in portrait mode. There doesn't appear to be any setting in software to change this.
• The design favors wireless hotsync, since USB cable is very awkward to plug into side of unit. The cradle should provide the USB connection, and when inserted in the cradle, the USB connection is passed through the cradle (one less wire to insert)
• The battery life is terrible on the UX50 (even compared to the three year old unit I replaced). Perhaps the keyboard light uses up much more energy.
• The memory stick and stylus can come out too easily. I have nearly lost my stylus twice. The end of the memory stick protrudes just a bit too far, and can be easily unlocked.
• New Graffiti is difficult to get used to after a few years of proficiency with the old Graffiti. Some of the strokes are not as easy to use. Perhaps I'll get used to it, but my entry rate is significantly slower.
• Decuma takes up a large amount of screen space when used. There doesn't appear to be any way to shrink it. Also when in wide screen mode, decuma still only uses 2/3 of the screen (the rest of the screen is unusable)
• Decuma should be used in Portrait mode (replacing the Silk). This would free up more screen space, and would still be natural.
• The speaker mute feature should have a timeout, so I can mute for only 1/2 hour or so while in a meeting, but then get my audible alarms afterward.
• Cannot "type" special symbols from the keyboard. I use the bullet symbols all the time, but must enter them using graffiti.

I like the unit. Everybody I show it to is very impressed. The hardware is well designed. If they come out with software that fixes some of my above issues, then I would wholeheartedly recommend this above any thing else presently available.

Nice toy.. definitely not worth the $
Bought a UX50 used off eBay. Have had it for about a month. I would pay 400$ max for a used one. Now that Sony has stopped the entire Clie line, you should find them cheap off the internet.

PROS:
- Nice keyboard
- Love the fact that you can listen to music at the same time performing other functions like browsing, email etc (probably an OS5 feature not restricted to this model only)
- The wireless works like a charm right out of the box.
- Great resolution.

CONS:
- Had to soft boot at least 3-4 times already.
- Most apps require portrait mode which the UX50 does not natively support.
- Battery life - 3hrs max if you use the wireless.
- Need an additional memory stick (128MB - 40$)
- Crappy camera - 0.3MP!!! cmon Sony!
- Native doc support restricted to read only.
- Need the docking station to charge, no direct connection to PDA.

Must have software:
- you can enable the landscape mode for most apps using Code Diver. This is a MUST if you want to use the UX50.

(shareware + 10$. Remember to use the latest beta and not the handango version)
- Also I strongly recommend buying Documents to Go and Contacts to Go (add another 75$ to the tag)

Overall, you can end up spending about 1000$ to make this thing really usable, not worth it. But if you dont mind getting a used one cheap off eBay, this is definitely a nice toy.

A very unsatisfactory product
Having owned several pdas (palm IIIc, m130, tungstenE, & tungstenC), I was really wowed by the design of the PEG-UX50. I saw it first at Tokyo's Akihibara Electronics Town, and was impressed with the sleek design. The unit was functioning but mounted, so I didn't get to hold it. I was most taken with layout and functionality of the keyboard, and the swivel screen. Of course I was determined to buy one.

I waited two months until I was back in the USA and ordered two units from separate vendors. This is my usual custom when buying pdas, as I want to be sure one item isn't experiencing anomalies. I was so excited the day that they arrived. That excitement quickly dissipated.

The battery life is absolutely horrible. I was reading an ebook, and the battery barely lasted for 3 hours. When surfing the web, it lasts for about 90 minutes. The 3-D launcher interface did not appeal to me, so I switched to the classic palm launcher, which made things better. The stylus is too small and too thin to be of any practical use. By the time you get it out and get it extended, you could have tapped what you wanted with your fingernail several times over.

Additionally, the ergonomics are very poor. Maybe it's made for someone with wider hands than mine. It's too wide to sit comfortably in my hand in landscape mode, and there is no portrait mode. After reading my ebook for the three hours that the battery held a charge, my hand was cramped. Also, the buttons are not placed in the most convenient of locations. It's too easy to press the email, internet, or back button while you are just trying to hold the unit. And what's with the jog dial on the left? Probably a wonderful feature if you're left-handed like my little brother. Unfortunately, I'm right-handed.

The vast majority of the palm applications I downloaded did not take advantage of the UX50's wide screen. Who wants a pda window that only covers part of the screen? Certainly not me. In the end, I returned both units. One to Best Buy, where I was not charged the 15% restocking fee, and the other to MPSuperstore.com, where the restocking fee was waived because the IR port was defective.

I tried really hard for two weeks to like the UX50. I left my tungstenC and home and used the UX50 exclusively for that period. The only reason I gave the PEG-UX50 two stars is because the keyboard is excellent. I prefer typing on it than on my tungsten C keyboard. I was prepared to trade in my tungstenC for the PEG-UX50. It's little wonder Sony has withdrawn from the US pda market for a while. Maybe they'll dream up better products while they take this much-needed hiatus.

Cool gadget but uncool price
I've been using a Tungsten E for work and got the the UX-50 for play and was originally hoping to face out the Tungsten E.

They both run Palm OS 5 but I foung the Clie's interface not as user friendly as my Tungsten, it took me almost a week to get used to it and work with it without stopping to look up something in the users manual.

For the size and looks it is a very nice gadget, it's capabilities are close to that of a laptop unfortunately the price tag doesn't justify the purchase. For such a high price it should at least have Documents to Go installed.

The battery life is horrible! I got an extended battery which attaches to the bottom and makes the unit thicker and I'm still not able to use it as much as I use Tungsten during the day without worrying about the battery running out. I need to get a car charger before I can get more use out of it during the day.

The stylus is too thin to hold comfortably and it collapses in mid-use. It also tends to slide out very easily and I've almost lost it that way. Same with the memory stick, it sticks out from the unit just enough for it to come out easily.

The screen is very nice although I would appreciate it if you could occassionaly swtich to portrait mode. The swivel screen is one of my favorite features.

Not a big issue but I would like to be able to delete someapplications like "Clie Demo" that I don't use and are taking up space in the memory and in the icons.

The shortcut buttons are a nice feature but I immediately had to reassign them to features I use more than internet and e-mail. Their location makes it easy to press accidentally.

The built-in camera is better than that found in most cell-phones but not excellent. It comes in handy for quick snapshots but don't expect more from it.

The browser is lame and could use some improvement. It's nice to have a keyboard although it's not good for serious typing.

Bluetooth works great but the infrared interface was difficult to use when working with my cell phone.

This PDA has great potential but Sony has to first make some improvements before it becomes a "must-have". For 3 times the price, I thought this PDA would make my Tungsten E obsolete but I find myself still using it just as much because the Clie hasn't been too reliable to me. So I'll continue using 2 separate PDA's in the meantime. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Palm’s Zire brand is designed primarily for consumers rather than for professionals. The first Zire was a low cost, entry level machine, this one, the second in the range, is a multimedia extravaganza. The most eye catching feature of the Zire 71, after you’ve noticed the sleek rounded blue casing for the hardware, is the built-in digital camera.

The Zire 71's built-in digital camera

You need to slide the upper and lower body apart to reveal it, and when you do so the Zire 71’s screen automatically turns into a viewfinder. Click the button that is also revealed during the sliding process, and you can take pictures, at resolutions of 160 x 120, 320 x 240 and 640 x 480.

Palm has even produced a new version of Palm Desktop to help you make the most of managing digital images. This includes a nice viewer and some editing tools. Palm Desktop also, incidentally, has a new installer which is more efficient than before when it comes to selecting multiple applications to send to your Palm. The Zire 71 runs version 5 of the Palm operating system, which has improved sound features. Install the provided copy of the Real One player and you can play MP3 music through headphones. Gaming is assisted by a joystick style navigation button that sits beneath the screen. But when you want to use the Zire 71 for more traditional personal information management tasks you can tap the application shortcut buttons to launch Date Book, Address Book or Note Pad. The fourth button takes you to your digital photo library. As usual these buttons can be reallocated to other applications if you like.

Only 13MB of to the 16MB of memory on board is actually available for applications and data, but an SD card slot means you can add to this easily. The screen is a superb transreflective TFT type – it is the best we’ve seen on a PDA from Palm. The Universal Connector means existing peripherals like keyboards which support this should work without problems with the Zire 71. The Zire 71 is a great multimedia PDA which finally puts Palm in a position to rival Sony for its Multimedia crown. --Sandra Vogel ... Read more

Features

• Bright, 320x320 transflective TFT color display supports more than 65,000 colors
• Texas Instruments OMAP310 processor (ARM); 144 MHz
• Integrated digital camera with 640x480 resolution, auto exposure, and automatic white balance control
• SD expansion slot
• What's in the box: Zire 71 Handheld, Protective Carrying Case, USB HotSync Cradle, Power Adapter, Desktop Software CD-ROM, Software Essentials CD-ROM, Stylus

Reviews (151)

My First Palm
This handheld is my first ever. I knew precious little about the Palm Operating System - and had previously decided on the more familiar Pocket PC. Well, with the letters "PC" there, it couldn't be that much different my desktop, now could it?

For some reason - I chose the Palm Zire 71 instead. And, as simple minded as this sounds, it was the digital camera that really clinched the deal.

As things turned out - despite my initial trouble with the OS (it's like learning to drive in America after you've lived your whole life in the U.K.) I eventually got the hang of it -and, amazingly enough, am now typing this review out with my stylus. (I don't think I'll ever really learn to write in Graffiti 2!)

If you are as new to Palm software as I am - it might be a good idea to get a feel of operating it before you purchase one. I got very little sleep the first week after purchase trying to find the "uninstall" tab to get rid of some quirky programs I downloaded off the Net. (There isn't one - you just DELETE it! Deleting programs are a definite no, no in Windows!)

Apart from the unfamiliar OS - everything else worked spiffily. And the digital camera has been every bit of fun it promised to be. The Zire 71 is the best in its class, feature wise. A great buy, if you don't mind lifting anchor and venturing beyond the safe shores of the Continent of Microsoft.

Cool PDA for the money
I have had the Zire 71 for 2 weeks now, and I am very satisfied with my purchase. It is definitely one of the best PDA's for the money.
I know there are other PDA's with features like Bluetooth and WiFi. However, Bluetooth is only a convenience feature because USB already does everything as long as you have a cable. Also, you don't need WiFi to access e-mail if you have a GPRS phone, and most of us don't rely on our Palm pilots to surf the web. Notebook computers are much better for that.
The built-in camera is great (WOW! factor). It doesn't replace a digital camera, but it's always available.

Pros
-Bright, clear, vivid 320 x 320 resolution screen.
-Accepts SD memory cards. I also have SD cards for my camera and camcorder. In my opinion, SD rules!
-Universal connector for cradle, charger, and hotsync. All of those functions are working fine.
-Ability to run almost any software designed for Palm OS. I have yet to see a piece of software I want that requires a better Palm.

-Speed. I know there are faster Palms and Pocket PC's out there (for more money), but for the applications I run, I can't imagine why I would need anything faster.
-Joystick (great for games).

Cons
-Only 13 MB of memory for applications. You can solve this problem by purchasing a high capacity SD card.
-Kinoma player does not convert Windows Media or RealPlayer formats.
-Joystick (not so great for productivity applications).

Tips
-Get a high capacity SD card (at least 128 MB) ASAP. Use it to store all your pictures and movies.
-If your movies are in a compressed format (ie. Windows Media, RealPlayer, Quicktime) convert them to AVI or MPEG first. Then convert them to Kinoma format. I use Windows Movie Maker to convert my Windows Media files to AVI.
-Get a hard case specifically designed for this model. With a hard case, I can put my Zire 71 in my front pocket and not worry about damaging my Palm.
-If you want to use e-mail, get a GPRS phone.

PalmOne gets cheap.
OK, the people that designed this baby, should be fired, or given a crash course on not getting cheap with a product of this price.

I love this little baby; mp3, buttons, video fx, pictures (fair at best,). But, I have my distaste for certain things which may sound trivial, but are important to many of us.

1-Can't Palm supply this expensive device with a quality belt carrying case? I paid 20 bucks for mine at Staples, and the button is starting to become loose. A 4 dollar product for Palm, if they decided to buy them and including them with the product. Instead, they give you this piece of crap cover, which is the most impractical case you can see.

2-The blue paint on the side, peels like a banana. What the hell is that made of?

3-The power on button is awkward, somtimes turning on when the case touches it out of random motion. Couldn't have placed it on the bottom of the unit?

Apart from the aforementioned, the unit is pretty good. But why would Palm get so cheap, and not address these petty problems which could of been rectified with some practical designers?

Next time I buy a PDA, I will do my homework, and see if the competition can offer a solution to these petty problems.

Otherwise, I'm somewhat satisfied. I hope not to encounter the battery life nightmares that some people have. Not able to replace the battery, is like spending $$$ on a car, and not being able to replace its battery. Makes you wonder if Palm wants you to replace them every year.

Disposable Palm is what the message is conveying.

sync conflict
I have a Lexmark printer that has a card reader built into it. Problem: When I have the printer hooked up it won't let me sync it keeps saying "USB DEVICE NOT RECOGNIZED". So, I just pull my printer out of the USB port, and press the hotsync button and it works fine. That is the only problem I have ever had with my Zire71. It's the perfect Palm! The Zire72 is supposed to be better, but why would I trust something that doesn't protect the camera lense as well as the 71? THERE IS NO COVER FOR THE 72 THE LENSE IS ALWAYS EXPOSED! Sure, you lack the extra RAM, but a cheap 128MB SD card does wonders.

it keeps breaking!
I got my Zire 71 as a Christmas Gift. I absolutely loved it, however, it malfunctioned in March (a problem with the digitizier). I had barely used it and it stayed on my desk for the most part. Palm sent me a replacement unit because it could not be repaired. In May it malfunctioned the exact same way again! Once again, Palm is sending me a replacement unit.

You do have to be careful with the power button...the battery drains very quickly. The case it comes with tends to turn it on when you slide it in.

I wish I could get a refund...I will never buy another Zire again. I asked Palm for a refund and they told me "a refund is not an option." ... Read more

Features

• Palm OS version 5.2, i.MXL application processor, 32 MB RAM
• Built-in 310K Pixels CMOS Camera with 2x Digital Zoom (JPEG, 640 x 480 resolution)
• High resolution TFT Color Display (320 x 320 dots, 65,536 colors)
• Integrated Memory Stick slot (compatible with optional Memory Stick Pro media)
• Internal lithium-ion polymer rechargeable battery

Reviews (13)

Delighted first time PDA user
I researched PDAs fairly extensively before I settled on my Sony Clie TJ27. Well it has been about a month, and I am delighted with it so far. Originally I was interested in a Palm but was frightened away by all the negative reviews everywhere. My Clie came with free Dataviz software (upon registration of the product on the Sony website), including word, excel and "Slides to Go" (similar to Powerpoint) and I have had no trouble transferring data from files on my PC to my Clie and performing hot sync operations.

I've taken pictures (okay, you need to get fairly close to your subject with the 2x zoom limitation, but if you want topnotch photography, buy a digital camera). The only area needing improvement is the battery power. When you use the camera, it eats batteries faster than if you were just working with data. All in all, I love it and would highly recommend, especially to first time users who don't expect it to be their morning alarm clock (honestly, who would rely on a handheld for this); a top-notch digital camera or their desktop. It is what it is - a great value for the price.

Great for the Price
I had a Handspring Visor Edge and the battery died on me, so, I thought it was about time to upgrade my PDA. I purchased the Sony PEG TJ27. I was shocked on how easy it was to convert all of my calendar and addresses information from my old PDA to my new one. The jog dial is very nice and the camera is a nice perk. The camera does not compare to a real digital camera, but it is fun to have. I do think that I should have paid the extra $100 to get the PEG TJ37 with the sound and wireless capabilities, but overall I enjoy my new PDA and I am very happy with my decision. As far as battery life, I have not yet tested, but it does require a lot more charging than the Handspring Visor Edge.

Solid, Reliable
The TJ27 isn't a terribly exciting PDA-it has no sound capabilities so it can't play MP3s or video (with audio)-even though the rest of the hardware is more than up to the task. What it does have is Sony's typically high build quality and reliability. The screen is excellent (and unlike most PalmOne models, it doesn't hum loudly, and the backlight can be toggled on and off).
The button layout is questionable. A jog dial sits between two left/right buttons in the location that most PDAs have either up/down buttons or a 5-way navigator. Depending on the program, the left/right buttons sometimes function the same as up/down buttons on older PalmOS models, and sometimes the jog dial and left/right buttons function the same as a 5-way navigator. The 4 application buttons are a bit too small, too close to the left/right buttons, and are connected together. (The calendar and address book buttons are connected, and the to-do and memo buttons are connected). So the layout isn't the greatest, but it does work okay.
The camera, as with all integrated cameras, is almost completely worthless, but since it doesn't really raise the price any, it's not a big deal.
System speed is excellent. The TJ27's 200Mhz i.MXL CPU (Motorola's ARM chip) benchmarks only 27% slower than Intel's 400Mhz xScale. Of course that power is basically complete overkill, especially since the TJ27 can't really play video, but programs like Documents to Go, and the basic PIM apps respond very quickly.

All in all, this is possibly the best "basic" PDA on the market right now. No audio, a somewhat strange button layout, but far better reliability than you'll get from other companies.

Good Value
I replaced my Palm 105m with the TJ27 shortly after the first of the year. It's a good value for the $200 price tag. Of course, it has the usual fearures such as addreess book, calendar, etc.
I also like the built-in digital camera (the picture may lack some quality, but it's quite good for everyday use). I also can give the back light screens high marks. The only two negatives are the battery has to be recharged frequently and unlike the plam there's no free built-in games. For your everyday use this is a great little unit. One last thing - their customer support: once you finally get through Sony's stupid phone menu and speak to a real live person, they are friendly and helpful. I had a small problem with the Hot Sinc and they fixed it right away.

SONY CLIE TJ27 vs. Tungsten E
The TJ-27 is SONY's response to the $200 Tungsten E. Since the TJ-27's price is slipping to below $170 it's easy to see who's winning in the marketplace.

The TJ-27's great strength is that it DOESN'T have PalmOne's hacked up extensions to the PalmSource OS. That's why I sold my T/E and bought the TJ-27. That's not to say it's a great product; there are no great pocketable PDAs available today.

(...) ... Read more

Features

• Keep all your important information--from appointments to addresses to notes--at your fingertips
• 8 MB of memory, bonus software, and a fast processor
• Play games on the go or read an eBook
• Synchronizes with Outlook
• What’s in the box: Handheld device; Palm Desktop software including Note Pad and Expense; Software Essentials CD with Handmark Mobile DB and PDA Money; pre-installed basic applications such as Address Book, Date Book, etc.

Reviews (49)

get what you pay for
I actually thought it would have more options then it did. There is nothing to do with finances on the zire 21. It has never reset itself on me and really keeps a charge for a long time. I have had mine for a few months. Hard to see in dim light. Once again, lack of options. If you want a daily planner, mini organizer, and somewhere to keep phone numbers, and email addresses it is great.

The Zire 21 resets when placed near your cell phone !
This is outrageous - my Zire 21 was frequently doing spontaneous hard resets, losing all the data. I finally figured out why - it can't be kept near a cell phone. Huh ???? What do they think we're all carrying around with us all the time ? Someone should file a class action lawsuit and make them do a recall on all these units ... Meanwhile, don't buy one unless you want to be constantly backing up your data, since Palm is apparently doing nothing about this.

Don't bother
It will constantly lose data! I still like Palm Zires but get a different model. I love my Zire 71.

Erases Data Near Cell Phones
I also had the problem of my data erasing when near my cell phone. I plan to buy the Tungsten E instead. Palm support says the data erasing near cell phones only occurs with the Palm Zire 21 model. If you want an inexpensive model, look at the Palm Zire. Its functionality is almost identical to the Zire 21, it just has 1/4 of the storage space.

Sometimes the basics are the best
Zire 21 is a terrific device for those of us who need a notepad, calendar and our address book... but not much else. After three years or so with a fancy VIIx, I stepped back to the Zire 21. Oh Joy. Simplicity and functionality again.

My Palm Zire 21 is used in conjunction with an iBook and a DotMac account. Everything works together without incident.

By analogy: I am a yacht captain and see the notebook as the "yacht" and the Palm as the "dinghy." Without a good dinghy, one cannot get ashore to play. ... Read more

Features

• Palm OS version 5.2, Sony Handheld Engine processor, 32 MB RAM
• Built-in 310K Pixels CMOS Camera with 2x Digital Zoom (JPEG, 640 x 480 resolution), audio player, and video player
• High resolution TFT Color Display (480 x 320 dots, 65,536 colors)
• Integrated Memory Stick slot (compatible with optional Memory Stick Pro media)
• Internal lithium-ion polymer rechargeable battery

Reviews (27)

WOW...all I can say is WOW...
Sony has done it again. Seriously. I'm not kidding. I've gone through a handful of PDA's in the past few years, and I've found flaws in almost all of them to date, but not the Sony Clie TH-55!!

First and foremost, it's just a sleek modern (...) design, that certainly draws attention. It's very light, fits in the hand very well, and is very comfortable to use. Sony positioned the scroll wheel/jog dial on the back of the palm, conveniently where one's pointer finger might lie when holding the PDA. Just below this scroll wheel is the built-in digital camera, which, when in well-lit rooms, takes rather nice pictures! This is perfect for just capturing cameos or friends acting silly when out and about.

The power switch is in a somewhat odd location, it's in the form of a slide switch on the left hand side of the palm. This takes a little getting used to, since my other PDA's had buttons on the top or bottom, but having the sony's power switch here makes it more difficult to have the PDA accidentally turn on and waste battery power while in your pocket. Another interesting (odd at first) concept is the stylus for this Clie - it lives on the back of the pda, just like other models, but it telescopes when you remove it. This felt a little odd at first, but it becomes natural within the first day you use it. It's an interesting idea, but I'm guessing they had to do that to accomodate the electronics for the camera.

There is a concealed memory stick port on this PDA as well, which I'm told can accomodate a 512MB memory stick? Either way, I just have a 32 MB stick that, in addition to the spacious 32 MB of memory built-in, suits me just fine for taking a few pictures here and there and saving them directly to the mem stick.

If all the stuff I just said wasn't cool enough, check THIS out! YUP, there's more! All those little cameos you take of your friends actin silly, or headshots of your co-workers, you can assign a picture to each entry in your address book!! Gone are the days of looking at a list of names, now you can look at a list of faces too!!

I could rave more about this, but the best thing I could say is get it!! You'll see how much fun it is, and possibly discover more fun items to rave about when it comes time for YOU to review this clie right here on amazon.com. Thanks for taking the time to read my review, and happy Clie-ing.

Bringing the Tablet PC to the PDA
PROS: I love the design, very solid build quality and great mat black finish. Superb software from Palm and Sony come bundled with the unit. Love the huge screen and the virtual graffiti pad. Excellent MP3 playback, movie playback. Love the ability to create free notes, drag-n-drop, images, sound recordings, memos and add an alarm so that you remember. Tinted cover looks great and allows you to see the screen when closed; excellent when you wish to distinguish which alarm has alerted you. The jog dial on the back is cool and the camera delivers OK pictures. Also comes with Documents to Go, a software that allows you to read, edit and create Word, Excel and Powerpoint documents. Why did choose this over the PalmOne Tungsten T3? Battery Life. This baby goes on and on for days.

CONS: Processor speed is sometimes slow. The flip cover will eventually get broken as it only opens to a 40 degree angle (although it is removeable). Retractable Stylus collapses every now and then. Does not come with a cradle, and US version does not have bluetooth capabilities. buttons on the side of the unit could be better placed and it does not come with a carry case.

All in all, I'm glad I bought mine. its helped me to stay organised and allows me to save and share some great media with friends and family. My advice, "try b4 u Buy"

Great Little Machine
All in all, the TH55 is a great little machine. The flip lid is a little klutzy, the on/off switch is a bit awkward to manipulate, and there is no native landscape support. Still, these are minor inconveniences for a PDA that comes with lots of features in a well-engineered little package.

best value/dollar going.
had palms and handspring and more palms. vx finally became impractical (was to synch thru serial port) but never had a big beef with it.

when shopping for replacement, thought if i was just going organizer, get another palm... prolly zire. thought if i wanted a palmtop computer, go WindowsCE.

i decided for power, and started research.

FINDINGS:
WindowsCE is NOT WindowsXP. No one seems to like CE much, even those (like me) who are pretty fond of WinXP.

WindowsCE devices were pricey, even cheap ones. The whole securedigital thing and the expense and clunkiness of addons was a big turnoff. i had tried the handspring visor and wireless packs and junk. ugh.

turns out windowsCE doesn't work as well with ms office docs as docs to go on a palm. go figger.

palm 5.0 getting good reviews.

palm-branded devices getting mixed reviews.

Palm gets dissed a lot for
*materials of construction
*durability,
*premium prices
*strange holes in feature sets

Palm feature sets weren't aligned with what i wanted, and i didn't like the prices much. I had never ever thought about a clie, they looked like pricey toys.

i read about some in reviews of other systems. more about them. got interested. looked deeper.

hey. clie! what the hell, DON'T LEAVE NOW SONY!!

I loved what i found in research - powerful, light, strong, compact, durable, good software, sharp screens, great battery life, good feature packages...

I now own this model and am utterly delighted. logging on to LAN at local bistro and home and bosses house is cake. apps that aren't standard palm ARE really better. screen is INCREDIBLE.

you don't know this, but i normally don't rave about junk.

i'm raving.

this is the best darn handheld i found by every metric i can think of.

Sony Th55
Access to the internet with WiFi "AWESOME" especially with the way battery consumption is conserved 2.480x320 color screen improves internet browsing experience 3..Decent camera 4.Reasonable processor speed styling and nice form factor. ... Read more

Features

• Palm OS version 5.2, i.MXL application processor, 32 MB RAM
• Built-in 310K Pixels CMOS Camera with 2x Digital Zoom (JPEG, 640 x 480 resolution), audio player, and video player
• High resolution TFT Color Display (320 x 320 dots, 65,536 colors)
• Integrated Memory Stick slot (compatible with optional Memory Stick Pro media)
• Internal lithium-ion polymer rechargeable battery

Reviews (17)

Theres nothing better for the price!
Only those who have not any intuition with technology can rate thi PDA low.

The WiFi is just as powerful, stable and fast that makes this Clie work even better than many laptop computers with integrated antennas.

Configuration was as easy as my old Zire 71 and the camera quality noticeable superior!

Fip cover is useful and discret, you wont have problems being ready to use your PDA to enter some text, take a picture being protected all the time.

Tho Palm OS5 works great under Sony's hardware plus the Clie Navigation Bar that makes it even better.

Light weight, elegant, compact, powerful and affordable! Tell me where you can find such a perfect combination?

First week with the TJ37
I bought this pda to replace an clie sj-20, which I liked quite a bit.

I bought it primarily for the wireless connection, since I have access to wireless and home and work. Rather than run off to my computer to check email, I hoped to be able to pull out the pda, check email, and sync later.

So far my plan is working very well. As others have noted, the wireless connection settings are very easy. Setup of software was also easy. Unlike another reviewer, I like installing components one by one to avoid having things I don't want.

Palm OS v5.0 is somewhat of an improvement, although it isn't clear to me exactly what is palm and what is Sony. I do like the 'desktop,' which seems vaguely MacOS X-like.

I very much like that the TJ37 works with previous clie peripherals - I have a terrific fold up keyboard that is a marvel of engineering (the newer stowaway) which works much better with the 200mhz processor of the TJ37 than the 33mhz in the sj20.

And as others have noted, the camera is a great addition. Used closeup and without zoom the camera takes very serviceable pictures. And they are quick, without the annoying lag we experience no our 4megapixel Canon. Since I always have my palm with me, I'm taking many more pictures of the kids etc.

A couple of notes:
The TJ37 comes with a cover that opens like a book. It is the same material (which defies description) as my sj20. It opens like a book, I'm assuming, to facilitate the use of the camera. The sj20 has a flip up cover, which is more convenient. The TJ55 has a translucent plastic cover, which looks a lot better.

The version of intellisync included has less functionality than the version that came with my sj20, so I uninstalled the latest and reinstalled the sj20 one. In particular, the new version does not allow you to set date parameters for calendar sync...an annoyance.

The size of the stylus does not bother me in the least.

Netfront web browser is quite good.

I bought it for wireless and the unit really delivers. Highly recommend at this price point.

A thorough look at a weak product
After much research, reading, thinking and more reading I was torn between 2 PDA models, the Clie TJ37 and another model (whom I shall not mention here because I don't want to come off as shilling for a competitor).

Since I was a return Clie customer I thought it a good move at the time to lean toward the Clie line. Once I waded through the nay-sayers and detracters of the Clie line, I arrived at the store with money in pocket. Spending a few minutes alone with the stylus-less floor model & the runner-up, I finally decided to purchase the TJ37. I and ran home with it tucked under my arm. (after paying of course)

The out-of-box experience was excellent, everything you need packaged neatly in a sturdy, green, cardboard box. Ahhh, just like the first time, I thought as I opened it up. After patiently charging it for four hours, I was ready to rock & roll with my new Clie. This is the first color-PDA I have ever owned, oh how I looked forward to this moment.

I picked it up and pulled out the stylus. And that's where the disenchantment began, that cruddy little telescoping stylus. Here are the bad points of the TJ37 as I see them (and each one made me madder)

Cover - at least Sony included a cover with the Clie, one of the few things they are good enough to throw in. The old Clie's had the cover attach to the top of the unit. That was a good, ambidextrous orientation and was easy to flip up and out of your way to use the unit. The TJ37 however, has one clipped to the left side of the Clie, like a small book. Making it harder & less comfortable to hold out of the way.

Stylus - there's no excuse for a stylus this small and this bad. Uncomfortable, hard to hold, cheap, difficult to use and you cannot even replace it with a normal sized stylus because the holder won't accept it. I have average sized hands and this stylus was way too small. Hard to use and easy to loose!

Lack of base - I am also quite tired of paying good money for a PDA and then have to shell out MORE money for a deskcharger base when it should come standard with the unit! This goes for ALL makers of PDAs. But, I especially ding Sony here b/c they squandered their development money on frivolity (integrated weak-camera, their own cruddy software) instead of being pragmatic or even innovative they chose the route of often made mistakes. Next time include a deskcharger base with the product.

Sony's proprietary s/w - I am sick of companies overwriting standard software with their own interpretation. It wastes system resources and you cannot delete it! The money it took Sony to develop that crappy Clie Manager software, which no one will use, could have been saved and help deliver a more affordable unit to market. I buy Palm PDA's for PALM o/s not to use your idea of what PALM should look like!

Chinsy cameras - and chinsy is a nice way of saying cheap-a** garbage!! Cameras have been integrated into phones to such an extent that you cannot purchase a decent cellphone without an integrated camera, a camera you probably won't ever use btw. And Sony follows suite with a cheap, weak performing 310k pixel camera - why bother? A third of a mega-pixel camera? You have to be within 5 feet of a really well lit subject to get a blurry, washed out image. Wow - what a feature! Again, waste of development time and construction materials to deliver something no one will use, and few wanted. Again, that money could have been saved to offer a more affordable unit on the market. Why not include a Swiss Army knife next time at least that would be a useful feature!

Connection adapter - the IO/power adapter used to plug into the bottom of the Clie gave me my first, real "what the H! were they thinking" moment with Sony! A cheap little piece of plastic less than 1 inch square needed as a go-between for the USB & power cord. So, what happens if I loose it? Or if it breaks? Guess I'll have to stuff more money into their pockets to buy one - and while I wait, I won't be able to use my PDA...another great idea from the cheap marketing-driven minds at Sony! Clearly Japanese traditions of quality are being replaced at Sony with marketing delusions, when they could benefit by marrying pragmatism.

By the time I was done, I threw it back in the box (none too happy), went back and returned the TJ37. I read someplace that this is one of the last Clie releases Sony plans for the US. GOOD, I say, because I do not plan to purchase another Clie (unless my demands, above, are met). What a waste of time, effort and money ... steer clear of this Clie.

The upshot, I learned some new things on PDA's and I purchased the runner-up, which is excellent!

This is a great PDA
My husband used to support the Microsoft Pocket PC products and they were buggy as heck. As part of his job he got them free. After all the aggrivation he had with his, he spent the money on his TJ37 and loves it.
His HP product had to be hard reset every two weeks. He had several MS approved apps on the Pocket PC that had to be reinstalled, a 30-40 minute ordeal. A hard reset on a Pocket PC is similar to reformatting your hard drive. Hard resets also caused him to run out of validations on his ebooks. Contrast that to the TJ37. He's never had to do a hard or soft reset on the Clie. Like a Timex watch, it takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin. He did try a hard reset on the Clie once, but everything returned when he synchronized the newly reset Clie with the PC.
My husband's associates at his firm asked advise on which palm device to purchase. He enthustically recommended the Clie, but his associates purchased Compaq's at 50% off. Consequently, they're having to perform hard resets, the alarms quit working, etc., yet my husband's Clie just keeps plugging along.

My first PDA
I've held off for a few years before going to a PDA..basically because I was so used to paper day planners. I am glad I finally got a PDA. I guess I got tired of going to meetings and watching everyone deep into their Palms while I looked out of place with my paper notes. But aside from image, I can honestly say that I am very impressed with this device. I did some reasearch and found that Palm OS is better than the other MS devices because there is much more software. Palm OS is also more user friendly. I really like all of the enterainment options on the TJ37. I haven't been able to figure out how to connect the mobile internet and the MP3 stuff yet but I'll make that a careful study. But I did download tons of cool software and this thing has more than enough memory to handle all of the software up-grades, e-books, games, etc. The graffiti works pretty good too..it didn't take me long to get the hang of it. I recommend this to those of you who are contemplating taking the big leap to a PDA. The TJ37 is the perfect little mobile office and coupled with a nice leather case (you have to kinda search for one that'll fit on the internet becasue they don't supply one to you) you'll have a nice little executive mobile office. I can tell you that the stylus is pretty annoying. It is a thin piece of metal that is retractable. It is too flimsly and contracts in your hand sometimes as you using the device and does not pull smoothly from the device..it kind of tugs a bit. Also the battery life kind of drains pretty quickly. But the bottomline is that for the price and what you get it's a very good deal..highly recommended. This thing has everything and the Sony brand is about the best you can get from a electronic device..the quality is very good. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The Tungsten T is Palm's most compact device yet. But don't be fooled by its diminutive size. Inside, the new Texas Instruments OMAP1510 processor (an enhanced ARM-based processor) gives you the performance you need to organize your work and your life. Stay productive when you're on the go with access to your essential Word, Excel, and PowerPoint-compatible files. Built-in Bluetooth technology allows you to access e-mail and connect to the Internet with the use of a Bluetooth-compatible mobile phone. On top of all this, the Tungsten T handheld has a new color screen, a built-in voice recorder, a five-way navigator button for one-hand operation, plus dual expansion for adding functionality so your Tungsten T handheld grows with you.

Display
The Palm Tungsten T features high resolution on its 320 x 320 pixel backlit color display, which can display more than 65,000 colors.

Expansion
The Tungsten uses MultiMediaCard and Secure Digital expansion cards, which instantly add software applications, additional memory, large databases, and more without taking up built-in memory space.

Operating System
The Tungsten is powered by Palm OS 5, which provides higher performance, enhanced multimedia features, support for Bluetooth connectivity, and enterprise-class security.

Extra Software
Along with the standard Palm software, you'll receive a Software Essentials CD-ROM containing Acrobat Reader, ArcSoft PhotoBase Palm Edition, BlueBoard, BlueChat, Copytalk, Dialer, DataViz Documents to Go 5.0 Professional Edition, Handmark, Palm Reader, Palm WAP Browser, Palm Web Browser Pro, Phone Link Updater, powerOne Personal, SMS, and VersaMail 2.0.

Compatibility
The Palm Tungsten T is compatible with PCs running Windows 95, 98, NT 4.0, 2000, Me, and XP, and with Macs running Mac OS 9 or Mac OS X 10.1.2 or later.

In the Box
Palm Tungsten T handheld, stylus, protective cover, USB HotSync cradle, power supply, installation CD-ROM with PDF user's manuals, Software Essentials CD-ROM, and Read this First document. ... Read more

Features

• Reflective TFT color screen with brightness control and support for more than 65,000 colors
• ARM-based Texas Instrument OMAP1510 processor
• Integrated Bluetooth Radio and Antenna
• Secure Digital/MultiMediaCard Expansion Slot
• What's in the box: Palm Tungsten T handheld, stylus, protective cover, USB HotSync cradle, power supply (120 VAC), installation CD with user manuals, Software Essentials CD

Reviews (81)

Great Hardware, Software Doesn't Pass Muster
The Palm Tungsten T is a great piece of hardware, but having switched from the Pocket PC platform, the software doesn't quite pass muster. While the new Palm OS 5 is not great, neither is the Pocket PC. The Palm OS keeps it simple, whereas the Pocket PC suffers from an over zealous interface (all it's missing is a wallpaper with palm trees and a pina colada). The Tungsten T also seems to operates faster than many Pocket PC, even given the more powerful processors that are standard in Pocket PCs. It's worth pointing out here that standard entertainment software for the Pocket PC (and Sony Clie Palm) is noticeably missing in the Tungsten T bundle, such as an MP3 player and video playback (MP3 player is now available for download on the RealNetworks website). Many competing PDAs now include either Bluetooth or WiFi (but not both). It seems like Palm is entrenched in Bluetooth for mobile computing, whereas more Pocket PCs now include WiFi, such as the new HP IPAQ, and the Toshiba e740 and e755. In April 2003, SanDisk is coming out with an innovative combination WiFi/128MB SD card that should solve this deficiency; a combination WiFi/256 MB SD card will also be released (both at reasonable prices). They are said to work with Palm OS 5.

Overall, the Tungsten T is worth the price (especially after the price drop) because the hardware is very well designed and has only one minor software flaw. The hardware's great design beats out the software's many setbacks. If you're not a demanding user, but want a small PDA for a reasonable price, then this is the PDA for you. For advanced users, you'll have to evaluate competing Palm and Pocket PC PDAs on price, features, design and portability.

The points I allocate are given in staples [points]

Hardware "Excellent," Total of +9.5 points
Here's a breakdown of the hardware, by importance:
+ The smallest PDA on the market, elegant and slim [3]
+ Sharp screen, bright colors [2]
+ Great design and slider concept (albeit borrowed from the Sharp Zaurus) [2]
+ Fast processor [2]
+ Bluetooth [2]
+ Recorder microphone is built in. Record your classroom lectures or boardroom meetings [2]
+ One of the lightest PDAs on market [1]
+ Finally, a Palm with a headphone jack. The volume with headphones connected is not very loud and audio quality is average. Headphone jacks come standard on Pocket PC PDAs as well as Sony Clie PDAs. PDAs such as the HP IPaqs are significantly louder and more clear. [1]
+ SD card reader [1]
+ 2 groves on sides are used to dock Palm Tungsten T into leather cases, etc. This innovation eliminates the need to use Velcro or to use bulkier cases that hug your PDA. [1]
+ 5 way navigator is neat, haven't found a use for it yet though. [0.5]
~ Speakers are loud, but not all that clear [neutral]
- Short battery life, clocks about 3 hours [3]
- Only 16 MB of RAM included. You can install most of the bundles programs, but you'll run into space constraints. [2]
- No 802.11b capabilities (WiFi) [1.5]
- Same tired cradle design. It has 2 cables, 1 for USB connection to your computer, 1 for power. This cumbersome layout prevents you from charging your Palm without the cradle. Big disadvantage when you're traveling, etc. [1.5]

Software "Mediocre," Total of -1.5 points
Pros & Cons of OS 5 Software, by importance:
+ All the basics are included, including Documents to Go (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), a few games, web browser, Bluetooth software, Acrobat Reader, Arcsoft Photobase, Voice recording, and Email software [3]
+ Graffiti is fantastic [2]
+ Simple to operate [2]
+ Clean design [1]
~ Unparalleled 3rd party software support for Palm; but Palm OS 5 is not backward compatible with Palm OS 4 software. [neutral]
- No MP3 software bundled with player. The RealOne Palm Tungsten T MP3 media player was released late March, 2003 on RealNetwork's website. Average player without the bells and whistles. No powersaving feature or other extra features. Can't play other file formats [1.5]
- Design flaw: "Home" button is on graffiti area, and you can't assign a button to "home". This means that when the slider is up, you can't change tasks (unless task is assigned to 1 of 4 buttons). For example, you can't switch from a game you're playing to the web browser when slider is up and graffiti area is hidden. [2]
- Web browser is mediocre. You can surf the Web using Bluetooth to connect to a GPRS (2.5 G) phone, but setup for each session takes a few minutes. I tested Yahoo! Mail, ESPN, Cnet and Washington Post. Graphics are crisp, but web pages are not formatted for Palm. For example, while you can reduce the font size, I couldn't find a way to uniformly reduce the graphics on a Web page, or uniformly scale down a page that is wider than the 320x320 pixel screen, and you have to scroll sideways on many pages. You also can't open multiple browser windows to surf the Web (which would have been useful when I was trying to add email address in Yahoo! mail). [2]
- Bundled organizer software has fewer features than Pocket PC (can't assign multiple categories to a contact; can't choose how long to snooze a reminder). [2]
- No bundled video software (MPEG2 or AVI/MPEG 4). [1]
- Email lacks SSL support. I managed to set up my main email account, but couldn't find the Secure Socket Layer options necessary for one of my email accounts. [1]

...

I gave up my Palm V for this one.
Finally, a PDA worthy to replace my old Palm V!

The color screen is so sharp and bright, and the processor is so fast -- I'm delighted. It's noticeably heavier and slightly thicker than my Palm V, but shorter (when closed) and less wide. It took me a couple days to get used to using it with the slider closed.

If you have a Bluetooth phone, this is definitely the Palm you want. Surf the web during boring meetings! I can sync with my Mac over Bluetooth too, so I didn't need a second cradle for my office. I don't care about having mp3's on my Palm, unlike some other reviewers.

I still think that the V has the best design of any Palm ever. But this is certainly beautiful and I love the display and Bluetooth. When the new Ultra-thin keyboard is available, I'll have a complete mobile web and email solution that weighs under a pound (including cell phone).

Good features but serious hardware bug
Background information first: I'm a health care provider, so I use the tungsten for inputting and modifying appointments several times per hour, 40+ hours a week. For me, the ease of inputting and accessing the address book, date book, and to-do's is the make it or break it factor. I upgraded from the Palm IIIC because even though it always served me without any problems, it was getting slow in searching for patients' names after 3 years of appointments built up in my datebook.

Good news second: The display is pretty and easily readable; the form factor is nice and small so I can just keep it in my pants pocket; it plays mp3's very nicely with a free download of the RealPlayer; the voice recorder activates at the press of a hardware button and comes in handy while driving; this PDA can sort through 3+ years of my appointments in no time flat.

Bad news third: Under serious usage, the digitizer becomes erratic and terribly frustrating. Where you place the stylus can be off by as much as several characters, first one way, then another, then back again, with no predictability. Unfortunately, you usually spot the error after writing in the wrong area, or worse, pasting instead of copying. It requires almost continual recalibration. It's clearly a hardware problem since tapping it on the side causes it to happen, but it's random and unpredictable. The result is a much slower inputting of data (and ample swearing).

Perhaps worse is that the support I have gotten from Palm has been very, very frustrating. They have replaced the tungsten with another return a couple different times, and the exact same bug was present in each machine. While the tech people adamantly deny a hardware problem, one of their engineers was upfront with me. He acknowledged the hardware problem, but unfortunately couldn't do anything beyond sending me another or advising me to briskly smack it open and shut several times.

Conclusion: If you don't demand too much of the digitizer, you'll probably be happy. If you get in any trouble and need tech support, you may be very unhappy with the company. Personally, since I like the Palm OS so much, I am about to purchase a Sony Clie.

This is an "OEM" product !
I received a PDA Tungten T that is in a repackaged box, no manuals and software CD. I wrote an e-mail to the seller, they replied to me: "If you read the ad specific to KM Electronics, you will see that our item is sold OEM (meaning without manual, software, CD or box)...., and You are quoting from Amazon's site which is different from ours and different from where you purchased. We are a "sub-store" of Amazon with our own product description. We do not offer the software, etc. However, feel free to return your item according to our policy below.......,
As stated in our Amazon return policy, if you must return a product we charge a $15 restocking fee...."

Updated Review
To anyone I led astray w/my original review - I apologize. When I wrote it I loved the Tungsten T. There are better quality PDAs out now that are comparable in price to Tungsten T.

It still has good qualities: a good screen, good maneuverability and good processing speed.

What it doesn't have is good support. Around month 10, I started having issues with a shift in the keyboard. Type 'k' and you get a 'j'. First it was only w/the right side of the keyboard....then the left. Then it switched: Type 'j' and you'd get a 'k'. Completely screwed up.

The odd thing is - I ended up getting used to typing that way.

Redigitizing helped for short periods of time. Maybe 1/2 a day. But always it would go back to being f***ed up. The Palm site had a patch that worked for about 10 minutes. Reading on-line, this was not just my problem - but fairly wide-spread.

Palm was of NO HELP. I had no 3rd party software loaded onto my Tungsten - so that wasn't the issue. To have Palm "fix" it - I'd have to send it in, which was a difficult option. Try to fix it yourself and you violate the warranty.

I ended up buying a new PDA (which I'll review after a sufficient amount of time in using) and giving my Tungsten way to someone whom was going to attempt troubleshooting. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Building on its strong multimedia foundation, PalmOne's Zire 72 GPS Bundle provides all the navigation equipment and software you need to easily get you to new destinations. This GPS Bundle includes TomTom Navigator mapping software for the U.S. and Canada, Bluetooth GPS receiver, vehicle mounting cradle, and a 64 MB Secure Digital card for map storage. The first Palm OS-based PDA that can capture both digital video with sound and shoot digital still photos, the Zire 72 also features a bright 320 x 320-pixel color screen, voice recording capability, an MP3 player, Bluetooth wireless connectivity, a 32 MB memory, and a fast 312 Mhz Intel PXA270 processor. And, of course, the Zire 72 features Palm's suite of information management applications and the ability to edit Word- and Excel-compatible files and synchronize with Microsoft Outlook (Windows only). It's also available without the GPS Bundle in the original blue version and silver special edition.

GPS Bundle Features
This GPS Bundle provides you with reliable and easy-to-follow maps voice-guided turn-by-turn instructions that enable you to focus on driving to your destination without stopping to study and refold a map. It includes a Bluetooth-enabled GPS receiver, which sits on your car's dash and triangulates your position using at least three satellites. This real-time location data is transferred to the Zire 72 via a wireless Bluetooth connection and is displayedin either a 2D or 3D map.

The maps are provided by TomTom Software, and this GPS Bundle includes 8 CD-ROMs with complete road maps of the U.S. and Canada. Special features include a wide array of street-level and highway maps, customized door-to-door navigation and voice-guided turn-by-turn instructions.

Also included with this GPS Bundle is a charging adapter/cable for both the Zire 72 and the GPS receiver that fits in your car's cigarette lighter, a vehicle mounting cradle that can attach to your windshield via a suction cup, and 64 MB Secure Digital card for storing maps.

Built-in Camera
The back of the Zire 72 holds the built-in still and video camera, which does not require you to slide the back of the PDA to activate it (like the Zire 71 did). You can shoot video with sound turned on or off at 320 x 240 pixel resolution and 15 frames per second. Justuse the handheld screen to frame the video, tap the "record" button on the display, then save your video to an optional expansion card after tapping the "stop" button.

For still photography, it features a 1.2-megapixel CMOS sensor with a fixed focus range of about five feet and a 2x digital zoom. It captures up to 1280 x 960 pixel images, as well as 640 x 480, 320 x 240, and 160 x 120 resolution modes.The camera also offers such customized image setting controls as white balance, brightness, saturation, contrast, and sharpness. You can also add date stamp or effects like sepia, black and white, and blue.

Audio
The included RealPlayer for Palm OS enables you to listen to MP3 music files stored on optional expansion cards via the built-in speaker on the Zire 72 or, for stereo sound, using optional stereo headphones or ear buds.

With the built-in digital voice recorder, you can create voice memos, then synchronize them to your desktop PC and email them to friends and colleagues.

Display
The Palm Zire 72 features a 16-bit, 320 x 320 bright transflective TFT color display, which supports more than 65,000 colors.

Connectivity and Expansion
With the built-in wireless Bluetooth connectivity, you can synchronize the Zire 72 with Bluetooth-enabled computer from across the room (within a range of 10 meters, or approximately 30 feet). But that's just the start. Using a compatible Bluetooth-enabled phone, you can send and receive email and connect to the web, send multimedia (MMS) or text (SMS) messages, and even automatically dial any number in your handheld's Contact's application. You can also synchronize data the "old-fashioned" way via the mini-USB connection at the base of the handheld.

The Zire 72 uses Multimedia Card and Secure Digital expansion cards, which instantly add software applications, additional memory, large databases, and more without taking up built-in memory space.

Operating System and Software
The Zire 72 is powered by Palm OS 5.2.8, which provides higher performance, enhanced multimedia features, support for Bluetooth connectivity and networking, and enterprise-class security. It useses the intuitive and easy-to-learn Graffiti 2 writing software to input data into the handheld (as well as an on-screen keyboard). Windows users can synchronize calendar, contacts, tasks and notes with Microsoft Outlook. The Palm OS features the following organizer applications:

• Contacts: Lets you store several addresses for each contact, and it adds new contact fields for more phone numbers, multiple email addresses, instant messenger IDs, and a website for your contacts.
• Calendar: Use the new Agenda view to see upcoming calendar events, tasks due and important email, and color-code your events to provide an easy way to reference your Calendar in the Agenda, Day, Week, and Month views. Take more notes, or synchronize more details from your desktop, into the larger Memos and Notes fields on the handheld.
• Tasks: Use tasks with alarms and repeating tasks to set reminders for important commitments.

Along with the standard Palm software, you'll receive a Software Essentials CD-ROM containing PalmOne's VersaMail, Web Pro, Messages (SMS/MMS), Palm Reader, Documents To Go Standard Edition, Acrobat Reader, Solitaire, powerOne Personal Calculator, and Audible Player for palmOne handhelds (Windows only).

Compatibility
The Palm Zire 72 is compatible with PCs running Windows 98, NT 4.0, 2000, Me, and XP, and with Macs running Mac OS 9, version 9.1 or higher, or Mac OS X, version 10.2 or 10.3.

What's in the Box
This package contains the Zire 72 handheld, built-in rechargeable battery, carrying case, mini-USB HotSync cable, power cable, stylus, CD-ROM with Palm Desktop 4.1 software for Windows and Macs (as well as bonus software), and printed Getting Started guide. The GPS Bundle contents include Bluetooth GPS receiver, vehicle mounting cradle, cigarette lighter adapter/cable, 8 TomTom Navigator CD-ROMs with U.S./Canada road maps, and a 64 MB Secure Digital memory card.

The rechargeable lithium-ion battery that has a battery life of between 3 and 4.5 hours depending on screen brightness settings and usage. ... Read more

Features

• Bright, 320x320 transflective TFT color display supports more than 65,000 colors
• GPS Bundle includes Bluetooth receiver, complete 3D road maps of U.S. and Canada, vehicle mounting cradle
• Integrated 1.2 MP digital camera that also shoots video; Palm OS v5.2.8; 32 MB RAM (24 MB actual storage)
• Expansion slot that supports MMC, SD, and SDIO memory cards
• Palm Desktop Software for Windows and Mac and Software Essentials CD included

Amazon.com Review

The release of the Palm m515 handheld proves that Palm listens to customers and is willing to make changes. Thanks to the indifferent customer response to the lackluster color screen of the Palm m505 (released in 2001), the Palm m515 boasts a much brighter display and contrast controls that were missing in its predecessor.

We were among the many who voiced disappointment with the Palm m505, and while the m515's color screen still isn't at the top of the class, it's an obvious and welcome improvement. With display support for over 65,000 colors, icons and images (viewed in the included PhotoSuite application) have a nice richness and depth of color. However, as the screen resolution is only 160 by 160 pixels, the m515 doesn't achieve the crispness found in the Sony T615 (which has a 320 by 320 pixel resolution). But ultimately, unless you need a high-end multimedia viewer integrated into your handheld, you should be suitably happy with the m515's display.

There are only three levels of brightness contrast control--high, low, and off. At first we were taken aback by the "off" setting, as it rendered the screen almost invisible in our office, but it's fine for outdoor usage and will help conserve battery power.

With its curved angles, thin design, and light weight, the Palm m515 feels very comfortable, both in the palm of your hand and resting in your pocket. Also, with the m515's 33 MHz DragonBall VZ processor, we found switching applications to be very fast.

The applications and desktop software (version 4.01 for Windows and version 2.6.3 for Mac) haven't changed, and that's just fine with us. (Note that a beta version of Palm Desktop 4 for Mac OS X is available for download.) The Palm interface is one of the most elegant and simple to understand--yet powerful--operating systems around.

But Palm adds more power with a variety of add-on applications that you can choose to install, ranging from Documents To Go for viewing and editing Word and Excel documents, to Palm's collection of mobile connectivity apps, to the aforementioned PhotoSuite for viewing images and short movies. Our favorite is AvantGo, an app that downloads Web content to the m515 whenever you synchronize, which enables us to keep up with the latest world news as well as Aussie Rules Football scores. You can add even more content and applications via the expansion slot, using optional Secure Digital or MultiMediaCard memory cards.

You can choose to synchronize the Palm m515 with the Palm Desktop application or link to Microsoft Outlook (Windows only). Palm Desktop is more than adequate, but if you are in a corporate environment and Outlook is your scheduling/e-mailing/tasking brain center (which it is for us), the synchronization is seamless.

Overall, we're very happy with the Palm m515--it's quick on its feet, has a nice color display, and is loaded with great software additions that can enhance both your productivity and your fun. --Agen G.N. Schmitz

Pros:

• Improved color screen--brighter, with contrast controls
• Good range of additional software, from Internet connectivity to e-book reader
• Expansion slot enables you to add even more content and applications to customize the m515 to your needs
• Easy synchronization with Palm Desktop or Microsoft Outlook

• Continued use of high brightness level can wear on batteries
• Palm Desktop for Mac still behind the times, but new software on the way

Features

• Palm organization and style at an affordable price
• Easy to learn and use--even if you've never used a handheld before
• Mini-USB connector allows easy transfer and backup to computer
• Keeps addresses, appointments, and important information safe and secure
• What's in the box: Palm m515 handheld, USB HotSync cradle with built-in battery charger, Getting started manual, Palm Desktop software and bonus software, Complete documentation, Protective flip cover

Reviews (103)

Best Colour Palm For It's Time
The Palm m515, in my words, was the saviour for Palm's goof: m505.

Compared to the m505, the m515 came with 8MB more memory (a total of 16MB), and a brightness control, which help made it the best of all Palms. It has the look of the old V series, 16MB, hi-res colour, and expandability (uses Multimedia and Secure Digital cards), this Palm is the best idea since the first one.

(My wife uses my old m515, which replaced her m130. My parents also still uses their m515.)

The rechargeable battery, which isn't replaceable, stays charge for about two weeks. I suggest you get a cigarette charger if you're on the road a lot.

There are many third-party software, hardware, and accessories still available for the m515--more than what's available for it's replacement model the Tungsten E.

If you want a professional, slick, and/or versatile PDA that is inexpensive and fairly new, then I would suggest the m515.

Don't waste you money on the m505. And, I wouldn't suggest the m500--why spend the money for all the technology and get no colour screen?

If you want a new model and want hardware attachments (utilizing the universal connector), I suggest getting a Tungsten T2/T3 or the Zire 71.

Good but not perfect
I owned a Palm III for four plus years and was very happy with it. Then my purse was stollen with the Palm in it and I was forced to update. I read the reviews on the Palm M130 and decided it was for me. I ordered it without visiting a store to check out the real thing and I found that it was much thicker and heavier than my Palm III. I keep my Palm in a wallet organzier and I could barely close the wallet with the M130 in it. Therefore, I returned it and I am awaiting my refund. In its place, I purchased the M515 instead. SO far, I am very happy with the 515, especially its width. The only annoying thing about the product is that they have an attractive slip on leather cover but the cover will not stay on the Palm. Otherwise, the software was very easy to install and the Palm is meeting all of my needs. The color screen is nice and the battery has not worn out yet after one week of use. Why can't they make the cover work though? I never had a single complaint about my Palm III.

Worked great for about a year
I absolutely loved this handheld until it stopped syncing.

When I started having this issue I contacted Palm immediately. They said it was a problem with static electricity - or something like that - and promised to send me a card to reset the thing. Well they took months to send it and it still didn't work. Now my warranty is over and they won't honor my claim although it started during the warranty period. I am not going to pay $125.00. It just isn't worth it.

Now it is nothing more than a play toy for my children.

Great Palm until it dies an early death.
Let me start by saying that the only reason I did not give this Palm only 1 star is because while it was working, I absolutely loved it. This was a great Palm pilot and I used it for pretty much everything. I loaded it up with third party software, filled my expansion card with e-books and played games with very few problems. I cannot highly recommend this unit and give it a 5 star rating due to the short life span compared to the price of $300 - $400 when I bought it a little over a year ago.

I started with a Palm xe, then a Palm IIIc, and ended up with a Palm m515. The Palm xe literally fell apart - the buttons snapped apart making it useless. When the Palm IIIc stopped working, I gave Palm the $125 to refurbish my unit which they did. Then about a year later it was accidentally put into the laundry while I was in the hospital after giving birth to my daughter, which is how I ended up with the m515. Now, just over a year later my Palm m515 just stopped working.

As much as I miss my Palm, I can't justify giving Palm another $125 to "refurbish" my unit or go out and purchase another brand new unit for $200 or more. I have spent SO much money on Palm PDA's and related items over the last three or four years that I feel like a junkie. I've been doing my research here at Amazon trying to find out if Sony is any better and it seems they are pretty much the same.

The irony is that Palm is selling products that do so much, but if you use all of the functionality, you drastically limit the life of the unit. So until these guys can make a sturdier product that has a longer life, they have lost me as a customer. And COME ON, give us a replaceable freaking battery already!

Hot Sync Problems
I really really liked my palm until one day it stopped syncing. I didn't do anything to it, it just no longer made a connection with the USB on my computer. My warranty was up so I had to pay if I wanted to talk to the Palm tech support people. I did some searching on the internet and discovered that many others had the same problem--funny Palm made no mention of that as I went through all the trouble shooting wizards on their website. Also really irritating that they do not have a way to solve the problem. Palm does have a program that will drain the battery which apparantly makes the palm sync again, but many Internet posts have said that this makes the battery fritzy thereafter. I have purchased a serial cradle which apparently is free of the syncing problem to hopefully allow me to use my palm again. No matter how good the product is, if it doesn't sync with my computer it is WORTHLESS. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Palm's simple yet elegant operating system has long been a shining light in the world of PDAs. The good news on the Palm m505 is that the Palm OS still offers a wide array of tools to gather yourpersonal and business data in a great computing environment. Unfortunately, the most touted aspectof the Palm m505--its color screen--is a disappointment.

Turning it on for the first time, we wondered if we had received the monochrome version Palm m500handheld--the screen was dark and barely visible in our moderately lit office. We fumbledaround for the contrast preference, but couldn't find it. In fact, the Palm m505 has no way toadjust contrast other than to turn on the backlight. Only with the backlight activated could weactually discern the icon and screen colors, and even then the LCD screen seemed muted.

On side-by-side tests with the Handspring Visor Prism, its main color competition, the Palm m505was lacking in brightness and crispness--despite both handhelds' having 16-bit displaysupport that can show up to 65,000 colors.

The reason for this seems to be that Palm hassacrificed brilliance for energy efficiency. The Palm m505's rechargeable battery does, indeed, keep its charge with "normal" usage (estimatedby Palm at 40 minutes per day) for about three weeks. However, with the mandatory useof the m505's backlight, we found the battery needed more frequent charging. Luckily, charge timein the included HotSync cradle/recharger is quite short.

The basic Palm applications in OS version 4.0--Address, Date Book, Memo Pad, and To DoList--remain largely unchanged, with a few tweaks here and there. For instance, the Date Book applicationnow includes a screen view with a list of the appointments and to-do items for a particular date.And like the m100 series, the Note Pad has been added for doodling and scribbling handwrittennotes (instead of writing longer tomes in the Memo Pad using the Palm's Graffiti alphabet).

Palm has collected a number of bonus software titles that you can easily add to the m505 withoutdenting much of the 8 MB of memory, including AvantGo, which downloads Web news and content from avariety of sources (enabling us to keep up with Aussie Rules Football scores). The biggest testfor the color screen came with PhotoSuite, an image viewing app that displays a range of image-file formats downloaded from your PC. We found the color depth to be quite good, but the screen'slack of brightness made the images look rather muddy.

Additionally, several connectivity applications from Palm's Mobile Internet Kit are provided,including the Web Clipping app for viewing Web content built specifically for Palm viewing andMultiMail SE for accessing e-mail. And, of course, there's the highly touted expansion slot forSecureDigital cards and MultiMediaCards, allowing you to add memory, content, and functionality.Unfortunately, at the time of this review, we were unable to test any of the cards offered byPalm.

With its curved angles, thin design, and light weight, the Palm m505 closely resembles itspredecessor, the Palm V series handheld. And like that model, the m505 feels very comfortable bothin the palm of your hand and resting in your pocket. Also, with the Palm m505's new 33 MHzDragonball VZ processor, switching applications seemed much more immediate.

The siren song of the new m500 series is indeed seductive, and Palm has done well to streamlineits basic repertoire and add some tasty new notes to the mix. However, the Palm m505 is ultimatelya disappointment due to its underwhelming color display. If you're having trouble getting thissong out of your head, the Palm m500 handheld (with all the functions of the Palm m505 but with a monochromescreen) should keep your toes tapping just fine. --Agen G.N. Schmitz

Pros:

• Faster processor
• Classic Palm styling--contoured design is comfortable to hold
• Good range of additional software, from Internet connectivity to e-book reader
• New expansion slot takes industry standard SecureDigital cards and MultiMediaCards

Cons:

• Color screen is rather dim and ultimately disappointing
• Backlighting must be turned on to see the color screen, wearing down the rechargeablebattery
• Expandability via SecureDigital and MMC cards limited by current offerings

Features

• Built-in 8 MB memory stores thousands of contacts, appointments, to-do items, and notes
• Displays over 65,000 colors--view photos, video clips, and more
• SecureDigital/MultiMediaCard expansion slot for additional memory and functionality such as a dictionary/thesaurus, games, and more
• USB cradle allows faster HotSync operations
• Windows and Macintosh compatible--includes desktop software for both platforms

Reviews (223)

My Palm m505 expierence
Bright

I used to have a Windows CE device, the Nokia 9110 palmtop/mobile phone and still have a Palm IIIc. I read a lot of bad things about the M505 color display. After using it very often in the last couple of weeks (car travel, planes, office, etc.) I can't believe that people say the display is a problem. This is far better then my PIIIc. For sure the contrast on the display are less impressive (you getting used to it) but it works in all light conditions. I only use the backlight in about 10% of the time. Sometimes you have to swivel the Palm screen towards a light source to read the display correctly without the backlight (it saves battery).. Outside, this display is incredible clear, with my PIIIc I always had to increase the intensity of the screen to see something.
It is also much faster then the PIIIc, this M505 is really fast. The software included with it is really cool, easy to use Excel and Word document reader. Ebook, Photosuite software to name a few.

Because of the negative commands on this site on the M505 I almost bought a M500. Lucky I didn't do because I heard now that the M500 is slower (It has the same processor but the screen updates slower).

Compared to the PIIIc, I would say the M505 is:

- Smaller with less weight. (it fits in my wallet).
- Faster.
- More software.
- Integrated SD slot is really useful, I never thought it would be (8Mbyte RAM with a few family pictures is could becoming a problem).
- Better display ( better in both very dark and bright light situations). Even in this small size, the battery get me running for longer then 10 hours, thanks to Color LCD technology Palm is using (simular to the PIIIc).
- Now I can write on my palm in complete darkness also because now my Silkscreen lights up.
- This unit is ready for the bluetooth wireless technology, which will be available from Palm at the end of the year.
- Faster USB hotsync transfer. (only important for Aventgo website syncing I found).

I Looove it!
The screen looks great in almost any lighting situation - in those dim light settings backlighting works and works well. I find that I only need to use backlighting about 20% of the time.

My main gripe is that the scroll buttons are a bit recessed and hard to press (esp. compared to Palm V).

If you loved the Palm V I can't think of any good reasons not to love this one (besides lack of backwards compatibility with accessories)

Pros:

Smaller than a Palm V (slightly heavier)

Color screen looks great

Backlighting on the Graffiti area finally

Lots of cool bundled software

Finally can synch to USB (I have a Mac!)

Lots of cool expansion options (SD cards) w/out the huge size a Handspring slot

Cons:

It ain't "cheap" (then again, you're getting great value

Scroll buttons

Perfect for almost anybody!
The Palm M505 is a neat little PDA. It's features are perfect for students to business people. There are many positive elements to this little Palm.

The Palm M505 is the perfect companion for a student. It's small size and low price makes it perfect for somebody on the run and someone in need of a durable, compact Palm Pilot. In it's life, my Palm has been dropped numerous times, gotten soaked in water, and gotten thrown into the bottom of a backpack countless times. Again, it is perfect for anyone in need of durable database.

AWESOME CHRISTMAS PRESENT!!
I got this awesome palm piolot with a keyboard and it is great! I bought games and put a cool "Documents to Go" program on it. I write stories a lot so I can use it for that, and I can also write school things on it if I'm in the car and my handwriting won't be sloppy! This is very cool. I am 12 1/2 and this is one of the best palms I have ever used. You should buy it!

Time Bomb
I got this model for myself because at the time, it was the best model available. It worked really well for quite a while, and I even told my dad to get it for my mom for Christmas. So far, she has had no problems (knock on wood). Mine bit the dust earlier this year after over a year of problem-free functioning. It just quit syncing. Nothing changed at all. It just stopped syncing one day. I went through numerous attempts to solve the issue through email technical support with Palm. Nothing worked. I didn't want to call them because I didn't want to spend money on tech support. Turns out they won't charge you because they know there is a problem with the unit! They sent me a reset card which didn't help. I called them again and they were going to make me jump through more hoops. I pulled out the attitude and said NO WAY. They finally agreed to take the unit back for repair. They turned around the unit quickly and it was fine for a couple months, and it just quit on me again. They are obviously having VERY serious issues with this model, and I feel as if I have suggested a time bomb for my mother. It's not worth the hassle to get this Palm. I don't know if all Palms are this problematic, but I would avoid any Palm model that begins with a "5." I'm sure they are all duds, and once you begin to rely on a PDA there is nothing, and I mean NOTHING more bothersome than having to go through these issues. You are left without a PDA for who-knows-how-long and you feel vulnerable. It's just not worth it. ... Read more