Palm TX Handheld
by Palm
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Palm TX Handheld
Customer Review: Hold off on those microchip brain implants - get a Palm TX instead
Summary: 5 Stars
Niftiest PDA is the best thing since sliced bread. If this powerful little unit won't do what you want, well, get a laptop and a sturdy backpack to carry it in. Otherwise, enjoy the many features that Palm gives you: first, I like the excellent software for your PC for data entry and transferring graphics, e-books, and such to the TX when you synchronize it. Easy to use with an attractive interface. I have downloaded video from my Fuji E900 to my TX and it plays it well including the sound.
I installed Snapper for e-mail (great program - I never got Blazer to work). I installed Fireviewer which lets me view PDF documents (such as having the Paris Metro map on my TX!). Another favorite add-on program is Smart2Go which gives me street level maps of the entire East Coast of the USA. Beat that! And E-reader from Palm lets me keep titles such as a French/English dictionary onboard. By the way, the Mariam-Webster English dictionary is not recommended (it wouldn't even serve the needs of a highschooler).
Another biggie in the add-on programs category is DataVis PDF to go. It also reads PDF documents and most other types of documents you might like to port over to the TX. Modify them and upload back to your PC. PDF display is slow to load but if you need it, it's there for you. Powerful Palm software it is.
A very useful hardware accessory is the metal 'armor' case you can buy through amazon for it. Drop it? No problem. Sit on it? Piece of cake. Read my review in the all my reviews section. You need it. Another hardware upgrade is the Palm desk stand/charger/synchronizer: see my review for that too. Worth the money.
Wi-Fi? Yep! Gets the dumbed-down PDA web pages like a champ. Shop on E-bay at the airport, why not? Bluetooth can be used for several purposes but one good one is to use your bluetooth phone as a modem where Wi-Fi is not present.
I use SD cards for it of up to 2GB capacity. When SD card capacity increases just a little more, maybe I can get the Library of Congress card catalog on it. Hmmmm.
So, you can tell I'm happy with the Palm TX. Accessorize it to the max and you've got a powerful device that will do some things a laptop will do, but is much smaller and chic.
Recommended.
Customer Review: Upgraded from a Palm m500 -- a pain to upgrade but worth it when done
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had it with the [hard to read] green screen, so I figured it was time to upgrade. I knew it would be a pain because I sync with 2 PCs (one Vista PC at home and one XP PC at work), and the one at work I sync with Outlook calendar/tasks and Palm Desktop memos/contacts. Complicated! I've had a Palm since 1998, so I have a ton of data that I wanted to preserve. Before you get started, make sure you sync first and make backup copies of the entire Palm directory (so you know what it looked like before and can recover the data files if the installation/sync fails).
Cons: Manual and user-friendly upgrade instructions did not accompany the product. You have to go online to read FAQs, user manual, and troubleshooting guidelines to figure out how to upgrade. I had to uninstall and reinstall the software (old then new) several times, and each time I installed, I got a different outcome. I spent hours on 2 nights trying to upgrade at home, then another couple of hours upgrading at work. I'm still not done because I discovered that I need another software (Intellisync) to split the sync at work (sync with Outlook for calendar/tasks and sync with Palm Desktop for memos/contacts). The conduit that accompanies the Palm T/X only lets you sync with Palm Desktop OR Outlook -- all of it (memos, contacts, calendar, tasks). A cradle does not come with the Palm T/X -- it's extra. The cover (case?) that comes with the Palm T/X looks cheap and doesn't even cover the Palm. It looks too small. It's not easy finding stores that sell Palm cases, and I don't want to buy it online (need to see and feel).
Pros: Much easier to read than the older models I had (m500 and IIIx). The screen is a nice size and you can change from portrait to landscape very easily. Wi-fi connection to the Internet is very easy and simple to use. Documents To Go comes with the bundle. The media accomodates video in addition to pictures, so it's cool watching videos on it. The big plus for me is the color...that's a big step up from the older models I had. Once you get past the installation of the upgrade, it's fun to use and enjoy new features. Perhaps it's much easier for new Palm users than for upgraders.
Customer Review: Love It!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I got the TX a few months ago and absolutely love it. Thi was an upgrade from a Palm m130 which I also really liked and used every day for a portable calendar. This plays videos very well, shows off JPEG images beautifully, Plays MP3s without a hitch, and connects to Wi-Fi for email and web browsing.
I was afraid the included screen cover flap was going to be flimsy and unusable, but it is pretty sturdy and keeps the screen protected pretty well. I also put on the included screen protector and am glad I did. I'd hate for this big clear screen to get messed up.
The best way to get videos looking great on this unit is to make MPEG1 files and transfer them to the SD card via card reader. When using the Palm Desktop software to transfer, it re-encodes the videos into ASF files which are good for small file sizes, but not great for quality. My MPEG1 files look great on this.
You can add MP3 files to the device through Windows Media Player but it is slow. Again I recommmend using a card reader to get MP3 files to the device.
Only a few glitches with the unit in that it will randomly reboot itself. I have not lost any data, but a bit annoying that it will just reboot. Also a few times when on Wi-Fi it will lock up and I need to reboot it using the reset button on the back. No problems, just a bit annoying.
I use this everyday for keeping track of appointments and such. It syncs with Microsoft Outlook great and I can even keep it in sync with two computers....work and home.
I love this thing and would highly recommend it to anyone. Even someone thinking about a video iPod....this is even better. Screen is bigger, unit is smaller, plays video and music just like the iPod, but with this you can add things to your calendar, add contacts, surf the web, check email, play games....you could even add a GPS unit to it! This doesn't have a huge hard drive inside like an iPod, but you can add unlimited numbers of SD memory cards for endless supplies of music and video. I have a 2GB card in it and is only half full of music and video.
Customer Review: Still the Best PDA (better for podcasts than iPod)
Summary: 5 Stars
Even though I have a Treo and an iPod, the Palm TX is still the best PDA. The only drawback is the new graffiti, but I understand that is not Palm's fault. The Wifi is great, I can get my Audible books directly without a computer. The widescreen (landscape mode) is great for web browsing and showing pictures. Best of all, I like P-tunes and use it while driving. I download online sermons (Dr. McGee Thru the Bible) and whenever I shut off the Palm, and then turn it back on, it remembers exactly where it left off. Even if I switch to other applications, and go back to P-tunes, it still is there exactly at the right spot. This is a great feature since the Palm rarely needs to be rebooted (months? years?). Meanwhile for my iPod, everytime it reboots, you lose your spot, and for 45 minute sermons it is important to get to where you left off.
Another thing is that in the iPod, you can only listen to Podcasts in reverse chronological order (even that doesn't work, since my 5th gen iPod doesn't create a Playlist of the podcast, but jumps back to music menu at the end of each episode). Most of the time I want to listen to them in chronological order, and I have to individually pick each episode, then when it is done, it goes back to the main menu. Then I have to go clicking and scrolling back down to near the end of the list to hear the next one (certainly not good while driving). On the Palm, with pTunes, I can easily group select a list of files in alphabetical order and put them in the current playlist. Then it will automatically play each episode in the correct order. The extra work of transferring files to the SD card is worth it. Most podcasts come in alphabetical order or you can change the name of the file in iTunes to prepend 01, 02, 03, etc. It's too bad that iPod does not allow you to list the Podcasts in chronological order. This alone will keep me using my Palm TX.
Bluetooth and beam features are there too to transfer your pictures etc, to other devices.
Finally, it is sleek, good looking and slim.
Customer Review: Wonderful PDA
Summary: 5 Stars
After six years with my beloved Sony Clie I had to give up the ghost and buy a new PDA. After much research I chose the Palm TX and have been using it for about two weeks. I have had no problems; the WiFi works marvelously at home using my own network as well as at work where I have access to a free network. It does come with a TMobile icon in the event you want to pay for WiFi access where available. The VersaMail program, once set up for all three of my e-mail accounts, works beautifully. GMail looks the best as their web site accommodates the Palm screen visually. Earthlink works but they have not designed their website to accommodate the Palm screen so it involves some maneuvering - not Palm's fault. A Palm technician walked me through bringing all the Clie data over and I had no problems at all. The screen quality is superb. I do follow the manufacturer's advice regarding battery life extension and keep Bluetooth off when not used, I keep the screen brightness under the half-way mark (it is very easy to modify as needed). I have a separate mp3 player so I do not save or play music on the TX. I do have some photos stored for my own enjoyment or to share with friends. The Palm website support area is full of valuable information; I use it regularly. There is also a 600+ pdf User's Handbook available on the web which I saved to my computer. It has everything you need to know; I consult it regularly. Since the new PDAs have so many features I chose to buy the extended warranty through the Palm site. After you register they will send an e-mail with a 20% off coupon for the website: that's the time to buy the extended warranty as they will apply it to that. Games? What can I say - I love them. I have about six favorites and they look and work wonderfully on the TX. I contacted the websites I originally purchased them from via e-mail and they sent me a link to the newest version to download and gave me a new registration code free of charge so I could install the games on the TX. This will surely become a reliable companion...as was the Clie.