17 out of 17 people found this review helpful.
CarpalTunnel? RheumatoidArthritis? SciaticNerveDamage? TemporarilyBed-Ridden? Palm?s Tungsten E Handheld: Excellent, inexpensive alternative to pain-ridden computer sessions
Date of Review: Jan 13, 2004
The Bottom Line: Special needs? New to PDAs? Can?t cope with emailing the kids or grandkids ?cause touch-typing is beyond you? This is a perfect PDA for you, too.
Are you plagued with pain while using your computer?
Are you tired of trying to touch-type and failing miserably?
Are your eyes tired and your neck sore from hunting & pecking at your keyboard?
Don'tgive up. Help is here. Palm's Tungsten E Handheld, or PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), is going to give you a whole, new way to handle your digital life. A way that doesn't hurt.
If you want to keep using your computer, but pain and discomfort discourage you, the Tungsten E handheld is a great alternative. Forget sitting. Forget typing. Forget the monitor. Discover the freedom to "compute" the way YOU want to, not the way the manufacturers force you to.
The Tungsten E is right there in your hand, ready to let you do it YOUR way. You can sit, stand, walk around, or hang by your ankles from a back-swing. Whatever works for you.
Wherever works for you--inside, outside, lying in bed.
Hold it close to your eyes, or not.
No eyestrain.
No neck strain.
No typing.
How can I make such claims? Because, "I've been there, done that, and have the Tee-shirts to prove it," as the old cliche goes.
Once upon a time, long, long ago, I could sit at my computer for hours, typing my little heart out. My touch-typing skills weren't the greatest, but they sure beat the two-finger hunt & peck method. Not to complain or whine, but sometimes stuff happens--and there you are. My days of working & playing on the computer just for fun are gone forever and, in the beginning, I didn't know how to cope with these new, physical limitations.
At first, I simply gave up using a computer, except at work. But the time finally came when I was ready to find an alternative way to cope with my problems. I wasn't quite ready to go to a voice-activated typing program. What if it meant I still had to sit in front of a monitor? What if the software couldn't recognize my voice on "bad" days when the pain made it hard to speak
normally? (If you've been there, you know exactly what I mean!)
Eventually, I decided to bite the bullet & try a PDA...
To be honest, I never thought the day would come when I'd buy or use a handheld. They seemed to be nothing more than expensive, electronic "toys," toys that I didn't need any more than I'd needed a CB radio, mobile phone, or cell phone.
Let me tell you, though, using a PDA, in addition to my computer, has been a minor "life-saver" for me. And Palm's Tungsten E Handheld fills the bill perfectly for what I, and possibly you, need to make life easier.
What would make my life easier? And possibly yours? How about creating text files, without using a computer, but still easily downloaded into a computer?
I didn't know diddly about PDAs, what they could or couldn't do. But I thought one might be the answer, if, and only if, it did what I needed AND was comfortable to use considering my physical limitations.
It had to be:
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very light-weight
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comfortable to hold
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neck "friendly"
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easy to read
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uncomplicated to use
It had to have:
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adjustable fonts
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rechargeable batteries
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a teeny tiny keyboard
It ought be:
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comparatively inexpensive because I didn't want any fancy "add-ons":
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no phone
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no wireless
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no built-in camera
I simply needed a way to enter information into my computer, without sitting & typing for any length of time at my computer on those days when I physically couldn't do it..
A NOTE about the teeny tiny keyboard
The Tungsten E fulfills all my requirements except it doesn't have a teeny tiny keyboard--handhelds with teeny tiny keyboards are much more expensive. But, and this is a wonderful "but," after trying a PDA with a teeny tiny keyboard at Office Depot, I discovered that that was not the way to go. Using it would be just as painful as a regular keyboard. Tapping the on-screen keyboard with the stylus is so easy. You can hold the stylus any which way you can on "those days" (when the pain is really bad) and the keyboard on the screen still types the letters. Yessss!
And, if you never were a touch-typist, using the stylus on the screen's keyboard is great. You can see all the letters all the time. Your fingers aren't hovering over the keys, covering them up so you can't find the ones you want when you need them. It doesn't get better than this...tapping beats typing!
End of NOTE
Is the Tungsten E Handheld comfortable to use? Yes!
IT DOESN'T STRAIN YOUR DELICATE OR DAMAGED JOINTS BECAUSE
IT'S...
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LIGHT-WEIGHT
The Tungsten E only weighs 4.6 oz. (The Stretch Display Tungsten T3 [$399] weighs in at 5.6 oz. & the Tungsten C [$499] is 6.3 oz.) Even though it's so light-weight, if you lay it down on a slick surface like a table, it doesn't try to scoot away while you're using it.
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COMFORTABLE TO HOLD
Because of its width and weight, the Tungsten E doesn't hurt your finger or wrist joints. It's 1/2 inch thick, 4 1/2 inches high, and about 3 inches wide. The width is important because unless you have very, very small hands, it's extremely comfortable to hold easily. And, as easy as it is to hold for right-handed folks (I assume), it's terrific for lefties--especially if you want to leave the protective, leather-like flip cover attached to it while you use the PDA.
The stylus is slender, thinner than a pencil. Surprisingly, it's easier to hang onto and use than a
pencil--probably because all you have to do is lightly tap the screen's keyboard. You don't have to exert pressure on your joints or fingers as if you were actually writing with a pen or pencil.
I experimented and you could use a fat pen or pencil on "those days" when holding, or using, a skinny stylus is out of the question, if you do it gently. You don't want to scratch the surface of the clear plastic protective screen cover. Perhaps if you put a balloon or finger condom (I know, I know, it sounds terrible but it's like a balloon that covers a bandaged finger for restaurant workers, etc.) over the end of the pen point...
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NECK "FRIENDLY"
If you're a true-blue, dyed-in-the-wool touch-typist you can skip this part. For the rest of us...
Have you ever noticed how we have to keep bobbing our heads up & down, up & down like the "Bobbing bird" and the water glass that was such an intriguing childhood toy? Well, that's us, trying to touch-type.
I recently read an article that said monitors and keyboards should be closer together the way they are on laptops. Why? Because, if you're a non-touch-typist, you're damaging your neck by constantly looking from the keyboard to the monitor and back again. Eye-strain is another problem because your eyes have to re-focus each time your head goes up and down. (I wasn't aware of these problems myself until I couldn't touch-type any more.)
By the way, you shouldn't be embarrassed if you can't touch-type. Raise your hand if you're a
grandparent or great-grand and your family owned a typewriter when you were a kid. Hmmm, let's see, 1, 2, 3......16. That's about what I figured.
There was really no reason for our generation to learn to type. Girls who planned to become secretaries learned how, but that was about it. Now, unfortunately, the lack of that skill has come back to haunt us, harm our necks, and ruin our eyes in these days of email and the Internet.
But, using the Tungsten E Handheld makes writing emails easy. You can get all comfy in your favorite chair, or whatever, compose letters to your loved ones using Memo and the on-screen keyboard, and then download those text files onto your computer and into your email. It doesn't get
much easier than that.
IT'S EASY ON YOUR EYES BECAUSE OF ITS...
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SCREEN CLARITY
You won't have to strain to read the screen. You can use it in the dark if you wanted to! Outdoors is fine, but in very bright sunshine, it gets harder to see. It's sort of like taking a book to the beach. The sunshine bounces off the white page and makes it difficult to read. With the Tungsten E, bright sunshine directly on the screen washes out some of the contrast and makes it harder to read.
Frankly, it's easier to read this screen than most monitors or laptops I've seen. According to its
specifications, its "High resolution...16-bit, 320 x 320 transflective TFT color display supports
more than 65,000 colors," which boils down to it's great on your eyes and your photos will look terrific on it, too.
Plus, on "those days" when your eyes just aren't up to snuff, you can hold the PDA at whatever
distance that makes it easiest for you to focus on the screen. The technology Palm used for its screen display is great. The letters on the screen are so clear and easy to read, even on "those days," which is more than I can say for most screens I have to deal with at work or at home.
(The less expensive Zire [$79 US] & Zire 21 [$99 US] only have 160x160 monochrome screens.)
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ADJUSTABLE FONTS
When you're typing, you can adjust the font size from 8 to 72 if you're using Documents which is where you'll find MS Word-type formatting. If you use Memos (which I prefer) you can adjust the fonts to four different sizes. I can't read real small fonts on monitors. I prefer a 12 or 14 point font size and the Memo sizes work well for me. If this is a major concern for you, why not go to your local store and see what the Memo fonts actually look like?
IT'S UNCOMPLICATED TO USE...
The Tungsten E comes with a cable that has a mini USB connector at one end to plug into the bottom of your handheld and a regular-sized USB connector at the other end for your computer. Turn the handheld and your computer on, start the HotSync program on either one, and whamo! your files are transferred.
Once I put my Memo files on my laptop, I can copy them into Microsoft's Notepad and save them as text files. Then I can transfer them into my old Word 6 program, turn them into web pages, paste them into emails, or do just about anything I want to with them. It doesn't get easier than that for me.
And, it's just as easy to do it in reverse. You can take any text files on your computer, copy them into the Memo work area, save as Memo files, HotSync into the Tungsten E, and Bingo! you're ready to edit or add to them in the PDA.
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RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES
The Tungsten E uses an 840mAh rechargeable lithium Ion/Polymer battery--whatever that is! It comes with an adapter--one end plugs into the electric outlet and the other end plugs into the bottom of the handheld. Nothing to it. When it tells you you're getting low on power, just pop the plug into the wall and you're all set.
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COMPARATIVELY INEXPENSIVE
I paid $199.00 US plus tax. Compared to other handhelds, that's comparatively inexpensive especially since I don't want or need a cell phone, wireless connections, or a built-in camera.
I bought an over-the-shoulder digital camera bag, made by View [$5.99 US], instead of a more expensive PDA bag, to carry my Palm handheld. It's light-weight, and everything fits in it: wall outlet adapter, mini USB cable, and PDA.
The Tungsten E's expansion slot supports SD, SDIO and MultiMediaCard expansion cards (sold separately). So…
I also bought the PNY Technologies (Windows and Mac compatible--includes USB extension cable) SD Combo-Pack 128MB card & reader [$59.95 US]. I wanted to have the additional memory if I needed it.
Ummm...
I guess I really ought to mention that if, at this point, you're looking for comparisons--technical details of the Tungsten E Handheld vs. other handhelds--you won't find them here because I don't understand all that stuff. I'm not an electronics expert.
But, I've included the information I found at Palm's web sites. What follows is copied from Palm's web sites--with my own comments thrown in.
SUPPORTED DESKTOP SYSTEMS
Windows? 98/NT/2000/Me/XP (Windows 2000 and XP require admin rights to install) or Macintosh v9.1 or higher/Mac OS X, version 10.1.2 to 10.2.6 (Mac OS X requires admin rights to install)
OPERATING SYSTEM
Palm OS? Version 5.2.1 You'll have the latest operating system Palm offers, Version 5.2.1. (It's
understandable that the $79 Zire only has Version 4.1, but it's kind of hard to believe the $419 Tungsten W only has Version 4.1.1.)
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Memory: 32MB (28.3 actual storage capacity) Only the Tungsten T3 [$399 US] (51MB actual storage) & Tungsten C [$499 US] (52MB actual storage) have more memory.
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Processor: 126 MHz Texas Instruments ARM-Based OMAP311 How fast is this processor compared to others? I have no idea. But, the Tungsten E is a fast performer. When you tell it to do something, it does it quickly. To me, there's no noticeable time lag.
WHAT'S INCLUDED...
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On the handheld
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In the box
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Productivity
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Communications
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Entertainment
Find out more about WHAT'S INCLUDED at:
http://www.palmone.com/us/products/handhelds/tungsten-e/
and click on the "IN THE BOX" tab on the page
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ON THE HANDHELD
Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, Memos, Calculator (Added on first HotSync), Card Info, Preferences, World Clock, Note Pad [The Note Pad program on Palm's PDA is NOT the same as Microsoft's Notepad. It's actually a Graffiti? 2 software program that allows you to use the stylus to "write" information on the handheld instead of "typing" it in. If your fingers and hands still work fine, you might like that input method better. I tried it, but it didn't work too well for me since I couldn't hang onto the stylus well enough to make the correct Graffiti? 2 strokes consistently.]
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INCLUDED WITH PURCHASE (It's all IN THE BOX)
Stylus, Flip Cover, USB HotSync? Cable, Wall Adapter, Desktop Installation and Software Essentials CD w/PDF file users manual, Read This First
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PRODUCTIVITY (BONUS SOFTWARE)
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Adobe? Acrobat? Reader? for Palm OS
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DataViz Documents To Go Professional Edition v6.0 (Office Software Suite Version 6) - Find out more at:
http://www.palmone.com/us/solutions/personal/docstogo6/
"View, edit and create Word, Excel or PowerPoint-compatible files right on your handheld with Documents To Go from DataViz."
"...Documents To Go does a better job with these [MS Word & Excel] Microsoft-formatted files than the Pocket Word and Excel applications that ship with Pocket PC devices...." (Jason Brooks, in his eWEEKLABS column, October 13, 2003, eWEEK magazine.)
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powerOne™ Personal Calculator
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Handmark Mobile DB
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Handmark PDA Money
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COMMUNICATIONS (BONUS SOFTWARE)
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VersaMail™ v2.6 - Find out more at:
http://www.palmone.com/us/software/versamail26/
"Designed with the handheld user in mind, VersaMail™ 2.6 makes it easy to access and manage your
personal and corporate email while on the go.
"MACINTOSH USERS:VersaMail is a Palm OS? application. You can send, receive, and manage email on your Tungsten T3 or Tungsten E handheld regardless of which desktop operating system you use on your computer. However, Mac users cannot currently synchronize their email between
VersaMail and Macintosh desktop email applications."
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Telephony/SMS
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Phone Link
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Phone Link Update [Windows only (Free Internet download required)]
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Palm™ Dialer
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ENTERTAINMENT (BONUS SOFTWARE)
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RealOne™ Mobile Player [MP3 requires expansion card (sold separately)] - Find out more at:
http://www.palmone.com/us/solutions/personal/realone/
"Listen to MP3s stored on expansion cards via the built-in speaker on your handheld or, for stereo sound, using stereo headphones (not included with handheld purchase)."
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Kinoma Player™ v2.0 and Kinoma Producer™ Special Edition - Find out more at:
http://www.palmone.com/us/solutions/personal/kinoma/
QuickTime is required. Free Internet download available. Kinoma Producer™ Special Edition comes without a time limit.
"Watch full-motion video right on your handheld. Play files from your internal device memory or from removable expansion cards."
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Handmark Magic Dogs
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Palm™ Reader
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Palm Photos - Find out more at:
http://www.palmone.com/us/solutions/personal/palmphotos/
"Handheld: Use Palm™ Photos handheld software to create digital albums and view or share your photos - you can even 'beam' images to family, friends or co-workers.
"Windows PC: Palm™ Photos software on your PC makes it easy to organize your images and mark them for transfer to either your handheld or an expansion card during your next HotSync? operation. Any editing you do to images on your computer will be transferred to your handheld.
"Macintosh: Transfer photos to your Mac as JPEGs with a HotSync? operation. Then open them in iPhoto, or other image-editing application, for organizing and editing. Use the included 'Send to Handheld' docklet for easy drag-and-drop transfer of your photos from your Mac to your handheld during your next HotSync operation."
ADDITIONAL SPECIAL FEATURES - Find out more at:
http://www.palmone.com/us/products/handhelds/tungsten-e/specs.html
This web page includes a photo of the Tungsten E, pointing out all the Special Features. There's also a link to a 2 page .pdf Product Datasheet.
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5-Way Navigator Button: "Access information with just one hand"
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Stereo Headphone Jack: "Accepts standard stereo headphones for audio playback (sold separately)"
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Remote Email And Internet Access Requirements: "Requires an Internet Service Provider account and select data enabled mobile phone (not included)"
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Infrared Port
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Speaker
TO EXPLORE PALM'S WEB SITES ON YOUR OWN:
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If you want to land on the Home Page for Palm, go to:
http://www.palm.com/home.html
There, you can choose between Palm's hardware products or software--they've been separated into two sites.
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If you want to check out all the Palm handhelds, click on "Handhelds" on the left side of the screen, or you can go directly to:
http://www.palmone.com/us/products/handhelds/
and you'll find a listing of "The palmOne™ Handheld Family" which shows the memory, screen,
processor, OS version, size, weight, and price of all the Palm handhelds.
By the way, if you don't live in the USA, Palm's web address will be slightly different because your own country's code ought to replace the "/us/" part. Therefore, you should go to:
http://www.palmone.com
and you'll land on:
"Palm product information has been moved to palmOne.com.
Please select a country below to find information on Palm and palmOne products."
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If you want to check out Palm's Tungsten E, click on "more info" by the Tungsten E listing further down the page, or go directly to:
http://www.palmone.com/us/products/handhelds/tungsten-e/
You can check out the Tungsten E "Community" by clicking on "Community" at the top of this page and you'll land at "Welcome to the palmOne Community" at:
http://www.palmone.com/us/community/
On the right side of the page, click on Tungsten E and you'll land on "My Tungsten E Handheld" at:
http://www.palmone.com/us/community/myhandheld/tungsten-e/
You'll find all kinds of information and goodies, such as:
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NEW USER TIPS
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KEEP IN TOUCH
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User discussion boards
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Tell us your story
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News clippings
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PERSONALIZE WITH ACCESSORIES
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Peripheral add-ons
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Expansion cards
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Keyboards
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FOR MAC USERS
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Mac user resources
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Palm Desktop 4.1
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Support for Mac users
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CUSTOMIZE WITH SOFTWARE - You can go straight to one of these categories:
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Games
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Business and Professional
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Best selling software
Or browse among the 20,000 software programs that are offered for Palm handhelds when you click on:
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Software connection
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Add-ons
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Business & Professional
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Databases
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Education & Reference
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Entertainment
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Games
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Medical
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Personal Productivity
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Shareware
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Software Suites
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Software Tools
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Travel
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Wireless Software
Another way to discover what you can do with Palm OS software is to go to:
http://www.palnsource.com/applications/
You'll land on "Explore What You Can Do," which has "Expert Guides" and "What Users Say." Check it out, and ENJOY!
And, finally, you might like to check out these reviews at:
http://www.palmone.com/us/products/handhelds/tungsten-e/reviews.html
REMEMBER...
You don't have to give up the pleasure of using your computer because of the pain. There are other ways to input information into your computer rather than sitting, typing, and hurting. Palm's Tungsten E Handheld is a great, inexpensive, and comfortable alternative. It's time to start enjoying your digital life once again.
