Give me the 505

I'd never used a handheld before I bought the palm m505. (Playing an occasional game on someone else's handheld doesn't count.) So this review may seem basic to more experienced users. If you're new to PDAs like I am, I've tried to include useful information from this perspective.

I wanted something to read ebooks on, but I also wanted more functionality than a dedicated ebook reader would provide. If I liked the calendar and address book functions enough, I would let it replace my paper planner.

When I started looking for a PDA, I went to epinions first. I was surprised at the number of manufacturers and models available. Although the highest recommended PDA was Casio's, I knew I could get a Palm handheld at a discount price at my wife's work, so I was looking for information that would support my purchasing a Palm.

My final decision was based mostly on the fact that Palm had been in the handheld business longer than the others and was probably more established/reliable. (I'm a long time Mac user and I feel strongly that when the manufacturer also invents the OS, the product is more stable.) I also went with their top-of-the-line model, because my experience has always been that as soon as I get proficient with a device, I wish I had got the one with more features to grow into.

In this review I'll talk about the following features:

•Screen
•Documentation & Website
•Battery
•HotSyncing
•Applications
•Entering Information
•Add-ons

Screen
The first thing I noticed was the screen wasn't as bright as I had expected. It has a reflective screen instead of using a backlight. The documentation says that this is to make it more visible under a wider range of lighting conditions. Backlit screens are harder to see in bright light (I haven't tested that, so I'm just taking their word for it). Now that I have used it in a wide range of lighting conditions I agree, the screen is very bright and clear in daylight, and when the screen is lit, it is bright enough to see clearly.

I use it to read when I go to bed, so I don't keep my wife awake. In a dark room, it's as bright as I would ever want it. (There is no brightness/contrast adjustment for the m505.) Initially I wanted the screen brighter, but now I'm satisfied with it. I realize that there isn't one perfect PDA out there, and I can't have everything. The benefits outweigh the shortcomings overall.

Documentation & Website
The documentation is easy to follow and comprehensive. Palm Computing's website answered any questions that the manual didn't. Their site also lets you search through 10,000 software titles, many of them free. That was where I started downloading games and programs, and before long I had filled up three-fourths of the m505's 8 megs of memory.

Battery
The m505 has a built-in rechargeable battery. It only took 2 hours to give it a full charge, and every day or so I put it on the recharger for 5 to 15 minutes, depending on how much I use it that day. I've used it for several hours in one day (no screen light on) and it didn't even go below half charge. Of course, with the screen light on, the battery depletes faster.

HotSyncing
The m505 comes with a HotSyncing/recharging USB cradle. It synchronizes all the data on your PDA with desktop versions of the applications. So, if you're at your computer you can enter appointments and memos, then HotSync and always have the most current information with you. Then when you make changes or enter new information on your handheld, HotSyncing sends the current info back to your desktop. You can also HotSync your email.

HotSyncing is also the way you get new software into your handheld. The first thing I did was download a bunch of games and programs off the internet. I made a mistake by loading them on a bunch of them at a time. Some of them didn't work and forced me to restart, and I wasn't always sure what files needed to be removed. So the safest way to do it is to load one program (with any associated files necessary), test it, and if everything goes as expected, load the next.

Applications
The four buttons at the bottom of the m505 give you quick access to the four most used applications:

•Calendar
•Addresses
•To Do lists
•Note Pad (or Memo Pad)

These buttons can be reassigned to open other applications (but the application must be on the handheld itself, not on an expansion card).

I didn't find the Note Pad application very useful. Handwriting doesn't look that great, (well, my handwriting at least) and you can't export it as text. If you have to write slowly and legibly, you may as well write it in Graffiti and get the added benefit of editable text. I re-mapped the Note Pad button to the WordSmith application (see info about WordSmith below).

Entering Information
There are three ways to enter information: Graffiti, the onscreen keypad, or the Palm Portable Keyboard. Graffiti is the hand-drawn alphabet that converts your stylus strokes to text characters. It is the easiest entry method to use for small notes and appointments. I find the on-screen keypad awkward to use and slower. The easiest method of entering text is with the Portable Keyboard.

Add-ons
•Expansion Cards
The m505 accepts SD Expansion Cards. It comes with 8 megs of RAM built in. The smallest expansion card is an 8 meg back-up card. I've got a 16 meg card in usually. There are also game cards with games installed (SimCity, arcade games, card games, etc.)

•Keyboard
The one thing that will expand your PDA's capabilities more than anything is a portable keyboard. The model that is made for the m500 series is the Palm Portable Keyboard. It folds up to nearly the same size as the palm itself (and you can buy a carrying case that holds them both-advisable since the two slide around when you carry them in your hand together and it's only a matter of time till you drop them).

•Screen protectors
One of the first things I bought for my palm was a pack of screen protectors - thin, mild adhesive sheets of plastic that keep the screen from getting all scratched up from the stylus.

Well, I hope some of this information is useful.