32 out of 33 people found this review helpful.
Palm's Back on the Right Track
Date of Review: Oct 21, 2005
The Bottom Line: It's a firm upgrade for my Tungsten T and for the price point, you get a lot of rich features that previous Palm PDA's didn't have.
I purchased a Palm Tungsten T several years ago and it's in dire need of a replacement. Every time I turn it on, the digitizer needs to be recalibrated and it's getting tedious. For those who don't know what that is, think of when you sign those digital receipts when you check out at a store like Best Buy. If it's calibrated right, then where your pen strokes are, the image should appear, if not, it's usually above, below, to the right or left of where you're signing. It gets tricky when you need to access certain functions or buttons on the handheld.
On the same day that Apple had released the video-capable iPod and the new iMac, Palm released their latest PDA, the Palm T|X. For the first time, Palm had finally integrated both Wi-Fi access into its PDA. Bluetooth is usually standard and a module needed to be purchased for Wi-Fi access. Prior to the Palm T|X, the Tungsten C had built-in Wi-Fi access, but it lacked Bluetooth.
Palm is dropping the Tungsten and Zire in their product names to help concentrate the attention on the company's name, hence the new model name.
So, a few days later, I searched for its availability and Best Buy had it in stock. I feel that it's a worthy upgrade from my aging Tungsten T.
Product Specs
- Operating System: Palm OS Garnet 5.4
- Memory: Intel 312 MHz ARM-based processor
- Screen: 320 x 480 transreflective TFT touchscreen display, capable of displaying over 65,000 colors; with landscape and portrait orientation modes
- Wireless Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11b and Bluetooth 1.1
- Audio: Speaker and a standard 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack
- Expansion Slot: 1 slot for MultiMediaCard, SD & SDIO cards
- Battery: lithium ion
- Power/Sync: multi-connector at base of PDA, sync via USB cable and bluetooth, AC adapter
- Size: 3.08" W x 4.76" H x 0.61" D
- Weight: 5.25 ounces
Included in the Box
- PDA (of course)
- flip cover
- USB sync cable
- adapter
- instructional poster
- Graffiti 2 reference sticker
- software install CD
- 1 protective screen protector
- free month with T-Mobile Wi-Fi service
Computer Requirements
Windows: Windows 2000 (SP4), Windows XP, USB port, CD-ROM drive, Outlook synchronization requires MS Outlook 2000, 2002 or 2003
Macintosh: Mac OS 10.2.8 to 10.4, USB port, CD-ROM drive
Included Software
Preinstalled on PDA: Addit software catalog, Blazer web browser, Bluetooth Manager, calculator, calendar, contacts, DataViz Documents to Go Professional Edition, Expense, Favorites, Media, Memos, Note Pad, Pocket Tunes MP3 player, Quick Tour, Security, SMS messaging, Solitare by Handmark, Tasks, VersaMail email client, Wi-Fi Manager, World clock
On CD-ROM: Adobe Reader, AudibePlayer web link, Enterprise Solutions web link, eReader for Palm OS, Handmark Express, Media Desktop, Microsoft Outlook conduits, Palm Desktop software for PC & Mac, Real Rhapsody Dekstop, WiFile LT, Windows Media Player/DirectX
Impressions
The Palm T|X shares the same physical design as the Tungsten T5. It doesn't have the metallic finish, rather a black plastic finish. It's sturdy and doesn't feel cheap. On the top is the imprinted new Palm logo and below the screen has the assignable 4 buttons: home, calendar, contacts and web browsing. In the center (between the 2 center buttons) is a 5-way navigator to quickly navigate through the "desktop" and the programs. On top of the machine to the left is the expansion slot and on the right hand side is the headphone jack, the power button, and the writing stylus slot. At the bottom of the machine is the multi-connector to sync or recharge the machine. On the back is the reset button and the speaker.
Unfortunately, the Palm T|X didn't come with a cradle to sync or recharge it. Instead a USB sync cable is included. While the T|X is connected to the computer, it can also recharge at the same time. You can also use the included adapter for charging the device.
For protection, Palm gives you a piece of its screen protector. You need to cut it to the right dimensions as indicated on the diagram. Make sure to cut outside of the black line, instead on inside the black line to get a better fit for the Palm. In addition, a pseudo leather flip cover is included and it attaches via the left spine on the T|X. It gives some protection, but I do encourage you to purchase the Hard Case accessory. It's branded for the Tungsten T5, but it's compatible with the T|X. The flip cover doesn't have any option to lock it in place, so it can easily open and the screen can be easily damaged.
Palm has learned from the past included the use of nonvolatile memory. This means that even if the device runs out of charge, the data is still protected in its memory. The T|X comes with 128 MB built-in, 100 MB is user accessible. Compared to the T5, it's a downgrade from 256 MB.
And the screen...it's what attracted me to this upgrade. I thought the Tungsten T had a nice screen, but I didn't know what I was missing. The T|X has a 480 x 320 pixel transreflective TFT screen that measures at 3.25" x 2.2". The display is 30% brighter and has better color saturation than previous models, having the same screen as the LifeDrive. The device supports landscape and portrait modes with a touch of a button. This device is so bright for my standards that I set the brightness controls to its lowest setting. And even at that, it's comfortable to look at the screen.
I know that for the price point of $299, things needed to be done to help cut costs. I was not particularly happy to know that Palm decided to use Bluetooth v1.1. It should have stepped up to at least 1.2 or even 2.0. Bluetooth 2.0 has a faster connection and a better power management.
On the Wi-Fi front. It supports 802.11b which is compatible with the popular Hotspots powered by T-Mobile located at most Starbucks and Borders. It supports both WPA and WEP security protocols. When I tried to connect to my wireless router at home (I have Apple AirPort Express), it wouldn't connect successfully. I finally realized that it's 802.11b and I only my router to connect 802.11g machines. That was easily fixed and I'm able to connect in less than 10 seconds to the Internet to check my mail and do some light browsing.
The T|X comes preloaded with Blazer, their choice of web browser. I find this program buggy to say the least. When you access it via the web button in front of the machine, the program freezes to a white screen and the device does a restart. When accessed via the applications menu, it opens up without any problems. Accessing the websites is pretty fast, but has difficulty with more complex, graphics-rich sites. I tried opening Bank of America's website to check my account. It loaded fast, but incorrectly. The login screen only showed the password box and didn't have the userID box. It behaves well when accessing Yahoo.com or mapquest.
Mail retrieval via versa mail is on the slower side. You have 2 options to obtain your messages, one to obtain the messages in its entirety or just the headings and decide later if you want to download the entire message. It's not capable of displaying HTML format emails, but it's a nice addition to quickly check your messages.
The T/X has a speaker mounted in the back. It could be louder for my standards, especially when enclosed in the Hard Case. Unfortunately, Palm decided not to have the vibrating alarm function as an alternative. The audio jack accepts the standard 3.5 mm headphones. Another thing that's lacking with this machine is the voice recording option. There is no built-in microphone for taking voice-recorded notes.
On program compatibility. All of my programs from my Tungsten T was compatible on the T|X except for one. They ran smoothly and quickly. My PDA use is mostly for reference. I'm a pediatric nurse, so Skyscape.com is my best friend for any nursing and medical reference guides. So if you're like me, make sure to purchase an ample storage card. I purchased a 1GB card. By the way, the T|X can support cards up to 2GB in capacity.
Finally...the battery. It uses a non-removable 1250 mAh lithium ion rechargeable battery. With normal use, it can last 5 days and per Palm's standards, normal use is defined at 40 minutes per day, using only 20 minutes of Wi-Fi. MP3s can be played for a continuous 6.5 hours. Palm recommends to charge the T|X on a daily basis for at least 30 minutes to have adequate charge.
Overall, I'm very happy with this upgrade. Considering that the price point is on the affordable side ($299), there are some things that needed to be sacrificed for a good balance. You gain both a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless connectivity, the same screen as the LifeDrive, a more stable OS, lots of software. What you compromise are: a slower processor, no vibrating alert, no voice recording, no cradle, slower Bluetooth standard. But...I feel that the machine is perfectly balanced for its cost vs features. Palm finally got it right and they're back on track with the new Palm T|X.
On a side note: I purchased this PDA in Best Buy and opted for their 2 year extended warranty which costs $50. Being that PDA's get their fare share of daily abuse, an extended warranty isn't bad option to purchase.
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