The Palm Tx : A Great Ebook Reader

My main use of the Tx has been as an ebook reader and audio book player using the 'Documents to Go', acrobat reader, and the 'Pocket Tunes' (MP3 player application) which come with the Tx. These 3 applications are the most usefull apps(best) which come with the Tx. I normally convert my non-pdf ebook files into audio book files(mp3) using my (windows Vista) Pc and store them on a 2GB Sd card. Several audio books can be stored on the card. Then I just insert the SD card into the Tx and fire up the Pocket Tunes application to listen to them. If the ebooks are in Pdf format(a common proprietary format) then I use the windows Adobe software provided to convert them into a pdf which will display properly on the TX screen.

I have on rare occassions downloaded my email using Versamail at a local public wi-fi hotspot(a bookstore/coffee shop). So the built-in wi-fi capability does come in handy for accessing the internet however turning on wi-fi does deplete the battery quickly. I've found that using the web browser on such a small device for very long is too irritating and time consuming to be particularly useful. There are however compatible normal-sized keyboards available which might make browsing more tolerable.

Software
Much of the software which comes on the Tx seems oriented towards using the Tx to manage contacts, expenses, appointments, etc. Basically the traditional PIM or PDA type functions. This reviewer did not purchase the Tx for these functions and will not cover them here. The Tx user manual seems to cover these functions in great detail(PIM) and anyone can download the manual (plus technical specs) here: www.palm.com/us/support/tx/

The full list of applications on the device include: Quick Tour, Addit , Calc (with Advanced mode), Calendar, Card Info, Contacts, Dialer, Documents to Go, Expense, Favorites, HotSync, Media, Memos, Note Pad, pTunes, SMS, Solitare, Tasks, VersaMail, Blazer web browser and World Clock.

On the included CD is the Palm Desktop for Windows and Mac OS X, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Audibile player, eReader, a trial of HandMark Express, and WiFile (for accessing files on a PC over Wi-Fi).

There are 4 additional softwares which are well-known and I recommend for the TX palm(many more programs are available on sites such as www.palmgear.com):

1) a well known excellent media player, TCPMP, available at http://www.dvd-ripping.biz/tcpmp.html Using this palm media player you can view full-length divx movie files on your tx.

2) a windows program for converting text into mp3(speech), DocSpeak2Mp3, available at http://www.arkansasnetsoft.com/ Using this pc program you can turn ebooks into mp3 files which can be stored on SD cards and played on your Tx.

3)FileZ, a file utility(open source).

4) mobipocket reader for palm, available free at www.mobipocket.com, is most useful for viewing html as well as other types of files.

Hardware

The most prominent hardware features are the expansion card slot (can provide lots of additional memory-upto 32GB), the stylus and color touch screen, the dual wifi/bluetooth (no need to mess with cables, except to recharge the battery) and the 300 MHz processor (which can be overclocked or underclocked- to adjust power consumption to demands). You can sync your files to a pc's files using wifi/bluetooth(rather than the cable).

There are a variety of useful utilities/drivers to optimize the hardware to get peak performance.(for example at www.palmpowerups.com) Though be careful you know what you're doing before you use these. If you make a mistake you may have to disconnect/reconnect the battery to get the Tx to reboot.

Non-Cons
I've heard some people complain that palm's always have a buzzing sound associated with them. I have heard no extraneous noises on my Tx. Though there is a software solution, should you hear a buzzing (search for warpspeed). Also, some people complain about the power buttons on previous models having problems. I've had no power button problems. Though it was a long time before I read about a keylock feature of the power button: by pressing and holding the power button for more than 2 seconds you can enter keylock mode, which prevents buttons from being accidentaly pressed.

Summary
The TX combines an incredible amount of software and capabilities into a small device. I particularly recommend the ebook viewing and multimedia playing features of the device.