Great Organizer!
Pros:
Backlight, Price, Does not wrap words onscreen, Hard Cover, Calendar, Scheduler
Cons:
Software will not install on computers that do not have Outlook 98 or higher
The Bottom Line:
If you need simple organization, the ability to read email on the go, and want a good deal, this is the handheld for you!
|
|
Overall Rating:
|
 |
|
Author's Review
I was looking for something that wasn't too pricey to use for organizing my schedule. This organizer fit the bill perfectly. And at $39.99 on sale at BestBuy (regular price $49.99) I was pleased with the price.
I had already purchased the Sharp OZ-290H but it bothered me in one respect - it wrapped words around the screen. I prefer my "stuff" to look a bit more professional than that and it was a pain to read half a word on one line and the other half on the next line.
I had looked into getting a PalmOne Zire 21 or 31, but they were more than I wanted to spend and really had too many features. I just needed something simple to keep my information organized.
This is a *great* handheld! It has a backlight (something the Zire models lack from what I've read on the web) which has come in handy a few times already.
Features:
Calendar, Scheduler, To-do list, Memo (I put my grocery lists here), Telephone books (3 of them), translator (5 languages), spell check (I haven't loaded this yet), touch screen, synchronizes with Outlook 98 or higher (the only problem with this organizer - more on that later), nice hard flip cover instead of the softer cover the Zire uses, Email reader, Calculator, and some I'm probably forgetting.
The screen looks like a "real PDA" in that it has icons and operates like a computer desktop - click (tap with stylus) and away you go! It is only a b&w screen but I wouldn't expect color for this price!
The to-do list is plenty roomy enough and features an alarm that can be turned on or off. (Key sound can be turned on and off also)
The Scheduler is a dream come true, as is the Calendar - shows daily, weekly or monthly views.
The Memo feature holds 986 characters so had plenty of room for grocery lists and I used it to copy a recipe out of a magazine while in a Dr. waiting room too :)
The buttons on the bottom of the organizer are a nicely weighted metal and sturdy-looking. There are multiple enter buttons (one on the screen, one on the bottom of the handheld and one that pops up higher on the screen when the keyboard is used.)The enter button on the onscreen keyboard is the carriage return that prevents words from wrapping around the screen.
It uses one AAA battery (I have a rechargeable in it now and it's doing great - some products will not work with rechargeables, but this will). I don't know about battery life yet, as I've only had it a few days but I've used it quite a bit. The user guide says when the "BATT" is displayed to immediately replace the battery so I just tossed an extra AAA in my purse.
This thing won't sing and dance for you and has no handwriting recognition, but it is definitely a good buy for the money and a handy little organizer to keep your life in order!
**Software problem**
The only problem I encountered was that the software to back up the organizer info will *not* install on my computer at all since I only have Outlook 97, not 98 or higher. (I'll be upgrading next week). I preferred the OZ-290H software that let me install the Desktop Utilities so I could back up my data even though I couldn't sync with Outlook. Both the OZ-590A and OZ-290H use a USB cable for connection purposes.
