Organize Me Baby!
Pros:
USB Cradle, Color Screen, Expansion Slots, Sleek and Small.
Cons:
Price of $449.
The Bottom Line:
Great choice in an ever-expanding market.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
I finally broke down and bought a Palm after much debate (with myself) about whether I really needed one. I have a desktop AND a laptop already after all. Now that Ive done it, I think, Who cares if I really need it or not
I love having it and it organized me just because I like to play with it." I looked at the Palm Vx since thats the one my best friend had purchased a couple of months ago. I also looked at the new Sony Clie (w/ built in MP3 player and Memory Stick expansion Slot)
but decided against it as it was a bit too large for my taste. I turned my back on the Vx when I saw the m500 and its expansion slot. The slot didnt make the unit bigger
it was the exact same size. But, the m500 quickly got forgotten too when I saw the m505 was color AND had the expansion slot, AND was the same size as both the Vx and the m500, for $50 more. The only difference being it is slightly heavier, but not so noticeably that it made a difference in my purchase decision. My Vx owning friend is now jealous and keeps trying to "accidentally" switch them when I'm not looking.
Looks The size of the m505 is perfect. The Palm IIIc and the Handspring and Sony devices seem just a little large to me. I cant see making this device any smaller as a smaller screen would become difficult to look at. A little thinner might be nice, as I have faith in technology, but is not necessary. The device is only a centimeter thick as it is. The device casing is the same modern gunmetal color of the Vx but has a slightly different curved shape. The buttons at the bottom are lighter silver and the power button is combined with the charge/hotsync indicator light. The graffiti/picture menu area at the bottom of the screen looks the same as other Palm devices except for the white colored graphics (rather than black) which make them easier to see for me.
Specs The m505 has 8MB of RAM, with 4MB of Flash memory. This is enough for my needs, but people who need more may want to spring for an expansion card or two, or look for a device with more memory
like a Compaq iPaq (which uses Windows CE, not Palm OS...yuck). It also has a 33 mHz processor and opens applications quickly.
As I mentioned before, the unit has a built in expansion card slot known as a Secure Digital slot. It uses Secure Digital and MultiMedia Cards. Both are quite expensive and are not readily available here in Germany yet. Luckily I am not needing them for the memory yet, however I would like to see apps such as AutoRoute Europe on a card as that program would take up lots of memory if installed directly into the device.
The device also sports the Infrared port on the top of the unit. Two devices can beam each other applications, memos, etc. They do have to be fairly close with the ports facing each other however. You dont want to be beaming across a conference room anyway as you never know which of the other twenty Palms in the room would receive it!
Included Apps Palm OS 4.0 is included with the m505. This was a seller also as the Vx came with the 3.5 version and upgrades are not available until November 2001.
The m505 comes with lots of good extra applications. Besides the standard DateBook, MemoPad etc. it comes with: Documents to Go 3.5 (not the latest version, but I will explain that below), MGI Photosuite, Pocket Mirror, AOL, AventGo, Palm Reader, PowerOne Calculator, and Notepad.
The included Documents to Go is the 3.5 version which does not allow the creation of new documents. And it only reads Word and Excel files. However, as a purchaser of the m505, you are entitled to a free upgrade to Version 4.0 over the Internet. This version allows you to create new documents right on your Palm and utilizes PowerPoint in addition to Word and Excel. Tip: Be sure you write down the registration and activation numbers for the application. You will spend more time getting them emailed to you again before you can install the application.
Accessories The device comes with a USB Hotsync/Charge cradle. This was a major seller for me as the Vx only has the serial cable unless you purchase the USB adapter separately. The unit has a built in Lithium battery to recharge on the cradle also. The only complaint I have is that the unit is not dual-voltage
living in Germany that is a major asset. I have to plug it into a strip that is plugged into a transformer. The cradle has the new Universal connector so it is not compatible with earlier versions of Palm devices, such as the Vx. I can see this being a pain for people who would like to upgrade but dont want to purchase the expensive accessories (such as the portable keyboard) all over again. My friend who owns a Vx is purposely NOT buying any of the Vxs accessories, as he knows they will not work with the unit he will eventually upgrade to.
The m505 has a slim leather case available for separate purchase that is very similar to the Vxs slim leather case. I bought mine for $27.95, which seems a little excessive to me, but since I liked it I got it anyway. The only noticeable difference being the slots to store expansion cards.
The Color Screen I wouldnt say the color of the device is bright and vibrant unless you are using the backlight. The backlight really makes it glow and is easy to see in any light. I dont even worry about the backlight wearing my battery down too quickly as the battery has good lasting power and it charges whenever its in the cradle anyway. In normal office lighting I have not needed to use the backlight. I have mainly had to use it in poorly lit rooms or rooms with natural light as the only source. The color looks really great with color applications. As an example I have a pass the time in staff call game called Bejeweled that is in color and looks great on the color screen, with or without the backlight. If you dont care about having a color screen, I would save the $50 and buy the m500. I just had to have color though
Im a technology junkie.
The screen seems to be very durable. I am pretty careful not to scratch it, but other people have used it and no scratches have appeared. I have not dropped the device to know if it would be damaged by a blow, but it seems to be of strong materials.
Other Features The alarm is a nice feature. It allows you to choose from several different alarm sounds or choose the silent vibrating alarm. The vibration is rather mild, so you would have to have it on your person (like in a suit pocket) to be able to feel it. This option doesnt work for me as I keep mine in my handbag.
The sounds the m505 makes are not invasive, however if you find them annoying you do have the option of turning them off. I keep mine on as I like to know that my touch to the screen was accepted.
Just as a side note and tip, those Palm users looking for a good list application for shopping lists, packing lists, etc should try HandyShopper 2.0. It is freeware and is an excellent program; it keeps me super organized!
To wrap it up Overall I am thrilled with my Palm m505. I recommend it to not just business types, but to anyone who wants to get their life organized.
