Palm TX Handheld
by Palm
|
List Price: Our Price: $249.98 You Save: $150.01 (38%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $54.99 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
|---|
Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Palm TX Handheld
Customer Review: Excellent PALM OS PDA
Summary: 5 Stars
I also upgraded from a PALM Z22 and I am very happy with the T|X. I really enjoy the larger screen (including the switchable landscape display) with much higher resolution, sd card slot, a faster processor, bluetooth and wifi (although NOT the latest versions that are now available from other vendors), albeit with a significant reduction in battery life (From ~8 hrs for the Z22 to ~5 hrs for the T|X during normal operations with an even much shorter operating time using wifi unless the conserve power mode is turned on in the user preferences window). The wifi connection was extremely simple to setup as well as operate unlike the version included with the MS Windows Mobile 6.0 OS. This pda is also much better suited for the included Microsoft Windows Suite (Word, Excel and Powerpoint) so that I can also get some serious work done with the unit too. It also has a good calculator and many are also available for the PALM OS on the web. I have also purchased a Think Outside IR keyboard which contrary to earlier reviews works perfectly with very low power consumption with the T|X. Wait until they lower the price again and get extra accessories like a desktop cradle, Saunders-Rhinoskin hard metal protective case, USB hotsync cable and plug-in adapter for charging/operating in a car (which also works fine contrary to other available reviews), screen protectors, spare stylii, an extended warranty beyond 1 year, etc.
I find that as a scientist I use this thing for most everything keeping track of my day to day demands as well as helping me to organize and plan all of my future activities. The PALM OS is far superior to the Microsoft system in my opinion. I just hope that PALM keeps producing these fine units. If they ever do design and produce new pdas, I fervently wish that they would make the internal battery user replaceable however.
Finally, I do have one serious complaint, not because I believe that Palm will ever change the choice of software that is provided on the TX, but because I just would like to alert other users to this problem. The Microsoft (MS) office package of Word, Excel and Power-point provided is called the Premium Edition and will not plot any graphs at all (which I was hoping for without spending any more money), but to get the graphic plotting capability you must separately purchase the very expensive Professional Edition available from DataViz! To provide a product called the Premium Edition that doesn't even plot simple graphics or allow you to create simple slides or even allow any simple spell checking capability is a joke in my humble opinion. This practice has been followed for many years by the producers of the MS Windows operating system versions. I thought that Palm product producers had a little more honesty left in them than to do this, but I was certainly wrong on this point!
Customer Review: Balderdash!
Summary: 5 Stars
I wouldn't have even bothered to post here but some of the reviews of this product are braindead.
This is a fantastic product. I went through the whole Palm line from the very first up through the IIIE and then to a Sony Clie (running Palm OS). Then I thought I would try MS Mobile. I bought an HP and it was a struggle! I never was comfortable with it--Outlook is very cumbersome. It was a multimedia nightmare.
But this TX is great. Very thin--only 2/3 the size of the HP. Palm is just a great OS. Very straight forward, fast, and battery conserving. I can listen to MP3s for 5 or so hours even with bluetooth running.
Wifi worked when I first turned it on. Other users that have reported problems--I don't understand that from my perspective.
Screen size is larger in inches than my HP.
Physical construction is very stable. Not creaky. Still lightweight.
Also, if you run the batteries down in the HP you'd better have a backup because you will loose everything! The palm stuff is stored in flash.
I would invest in a screen cover for it (by the Kodak ones at Office Depot) just to keep the screen looking nice. Don't pay over 7 or 8 bucks for a pack of 8.
Also, get a case if you're going to be banging around with it. Belkin makes a good one you can wear on your belt.
Also, ante up right away and buy a 1 or 2 gig card. Then start throwing stuff on it. The Palm OS really simplifies this process. Drag and drop basically. Don't expect the windows explorer interface--this is easier.
With Documents to Go included this PDA is hard to beat.
Oh, also, if you're considering a PDA type Smart Phone. Think about it. You're on the phone and you need to relay someones address. Now how the heck are you going to do that--I mean, you're on the damn fone! Get the thinest bluetoothiest phone with long battery life and run the PDA with it. The TX will connect to COMMON bluetooth phones so buy one like Motorola or Nokia or ?. Then you can even dial from the TX, leave your phone on your hip, and talk through your BT headset. I like the Jabra.
Anyway, I just get so pissed of when people buy something and can't get it to work when I find it's an outstanding product.
Okay, want to know a downside to the TX? No builtin mic. That seems like an oversight. And no camera--no oversight. I think builtin cameras are the bane of photography. Buy a little Casio and you're in better shape than PDAs with builtin cameras. Been there--done that too.
Everybody just settle down--don't get your panties in a twist--and buy a TX.
I don't work for them or any other retailer of this product. It's really my opinion.
Customer Review: Great PDA for the price!
Summary: 5 Stars
I love my Palm TX. I had a Handspring Treo 90 for years and I found the transition to the slightly improved operating system of the TX easy and comfortable. I am a Mac user and I was concerned Palm's defection from Apple and lack of support for Macs might turn out to be a problem, but my fears were ungrounded. The TX works fine with my Macs. Of course, I use the Palm desktop and don't make any effort to integrate addresses, etc. from the Mac OS. I stay happily inside the Palm cocoon. This could potentially be a problem for people who need to integrate with the Mac OS and transfer files. But all I need are the datebook, tasks, memo, contacts software that comes integrated into the TX operating system. I looked into the well-regarded third party software for file transfer but ultimately decided the Palm desktop was all I needed. After three months of constant use, I find the TX is everything I had wanted. I am able to access the internet, download (and send) e-mail from any location that has wifi. The wifi capacity is great and lots of fun. The Blazer browser that comes with the TX is fine, although I have added another browser, Opera, which works well too. I have also added several other media players to supplement Pocket Tunes which came bundled with the TX. None of the software is perfect and you have to live with the limitations of every program, but a PDA is a far more limited device than a computer. Originally I wanted to get a smart phone but decided the cost of internet access via the phone was just too expensive. So I started looking into the two device solution - a cell phone plus a PDA. As I investigated different PDAs, it gradually became obvious that the Palm TX was the best device for the money. And my personal experience has corroborated that conclusion. The TX is far more powerful than any smart phone currently available, and the free access to wifi means no expensive monthly fees. My cell phone bill is under control. One caution, be careful about the software you load into the device. My limited experience suggests that unstable software can lead to problems with constant resets, even uncontrollable resets that a number of reviewers here have had trouble with. Carefully check out any software you load into your PDA. I have found that there is nothing that I really need that didn't come with the TX and I almost never have a problem even though I use the handheld everyday. The one time I did have a problem with resets was after I loaded a piece of third party software that consistently crashed my TX. So now I am very conservative about adding software which has worked out well for me because I never have problems. My TX is very stable. I highly recommend the TX. It's not perfect, but it is a great product with many features for the price.Customer Review: Good for what I need it for
Summary: 5 Stars
First, note that although I have tried out a Palm TX at a local retailer, I don't own one yet, mostly because Amazon doesn't actually seem to have any yet and doesn't seem to know when they'll have them ...
As a Palm m505 user, I've been wanting to upgrade for some time, but the devices that did what I wanted were both rare and expensive, usually because they had features that I didn't need (like the Tungsten C's thumb keyboard or the LifeDrive's 4GB HD). SanDisk promised a WiFi SDIO card for the m5xx series for a long time, then finally reneged. And the m505's 160x160 screen with its washed-out color left something to be desired. Once I finally get one a TX, it'll be a huge step up.
The Palm TX's screen is great; 320x480 makes a big difference. The backlight has several levels of brightness rather than just on/off. Over 100MB of usable memory is huge compared to the less than 8MB on my old Palm. It has an SDIO slot, so I can use the SD cards I already have. Built-in Wi-Fi means I won't be tying up the SDIO slot with an adapter and don't have to swap cards if I want to be online. Stereo audio means I can load up a card with MP3s and have a solid-state MP3 player. And one of the first things I'm going to try is using WiFile and PocketTunes to effectively stream MP3s wirelessly from my computer's hard drive.
I'm glad the Palm TX doesn't have a camera; the last thing I need is a PDA that I'll have to leave at the front desk when visiting certain companies for work. With more and more places banning gadgets with cameras, I just don't want the hassle. I'm also glad that it doesn't have a phone -- I don't have a cell phone and don't want one, and besides, I don't want to drain my PDA's battery by talking on the phone, and vice-versa. I'd rather have my camera, phone and PDA be separate devices.
This is not to say that I think it's perfect -- the biggest adjustment will be the lack of a cradle. Attaching plugs isn't going to be my favorite thing to do. Cradles are sold separately; I may eventually end up getting one. I'm going to miss the blinking-light and vibrating alarm features that the m505 has but the TX lacks. Voice recording is conspicuously absent on the TX, but as I didn't have it before, I'm not going to miss it. As for Bluetooth, this will be the only Bluetooth device I own, so it's like having a fancy piece of string with one tin can attached.
Overall, I like this device. I'm going to be able to access the Internet from anywhere in the house, and make use of the ever-growing number of Wi-Fi hot spots. The features may not be the absolute latest and greatest, but they're light-years beyond what I have now, and the price is quite right.
Customer Review: The Best Palm Ever!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have never owned a Palm. I bought the first Handspring Visor when it came out. I owned three of them and three Clie's. I always thought they were better that Palm at the time. Well Handspring and Clie are no more. I dropped my last Clie and the backlight quit working still works but too expensive to fix. It was the bomb. So I use and older model for the past year which suited me fine; so I thought. I started having issues with that and decided to buy a new Palm. I hessiatated for awhile to buy one. I didn't like the fact Palm's didn't have a scroll wheel like Clies.
I now have owned the Palm TX for a month now and I could never go back. Most of my programs worked and I had to upgrade some others.
I love the:
1. Widescreen it make reading spreedsheets much easier. The included Documents To Go is much better than the Quickword I have been using for the past 6 yrs. You can also see more video and pictures with the Widescreen.
2. The intergrated Palm Desktop. I was able to use it to convert videos in a reasonable amount of time. It is not fast but, it is simple and easy to use.
3. Pocket Tunes, it comes with it and it is a great app. I have used it for a couple of years now. I recommend the upgrade it's only $30 but, money well spent. With the upgrade you can play WMA's and OGG file. Tailor the sound better with more eq options.
4. Isilo a reader app. is a pleasure to use and read in the wide screen format.
5. Addit is a nice app that keeps you up to date on the latest news (Rueters)
6. WiFi. I was skeptical at first but it works well considering your using a Palm. It is much better the my Clie. With this feature alone I can now leave my laptop at home.
I travel quite a bit so lugging a laptop around can be quite a pain. Wether by plane or auto I can watch movies, listen to music, read a book, or most importantly kept up on work.
As a music player I have to mention I own MiniDisc and a DAP both Sony products and have great battery life. Sometimes it is not practical to have all these gadgets in your pocket. I like the sound of the Palm. The battery life is good but not great. With Pocket Tunes and larger SD cards who needs an Ipod. It is only a matter of time before 4&8 GB cards come out. Yeah it cost more than an Ipod but I can do more with a Palm; oh yeah the video is better and the battery life is about the same. Pocket Tunes syncs up well with Windows Media Player.
Overall I am very impress the the Palm TX. I am not disapointed yet with the performance, workmanship of this model.