PalmOne m505 Color Handheld

PalmOne m505 Color Handheld
by Palm

Our Price: $444.57
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Category: CE
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Digital Photo Product Details

Manufacturer: Palm
Platform: Mac OS 9 and below
Model: 3C80801U
Product features:

Built-in 8 MB memory stores thousands of contacts, appointments, to-do items, and notes
Displays over 65,000 colors--view photos, video clips, and more
SecureDigital/MultiMediaCard expansion slot for additional memory and functionality such as a dictionary/thesaurus, games, and more
USB cradle allows faster HotSync operations
Windows and Macintosh compatible--includes desktop software for both platforms

Accessories:

Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of PalmOne m505 Color Handheld

Customer Review: Perfect color Palm
Summary: 5 Stars

I just upgraded from Vx to the m505, and I'm in awe. I'm an avid Palm user, went from V to Vx, always wishing for a color Palm with the same form-factor. I tried the IIIc when it came out, but I just couldn't get used to the size. As a 'power-user' I consider 2 items of preeminent importance: formfactor and batterylife. Formfactor because a PDA is of little use when it becomes a hassle to carry at ALL times. Batterylife speaks for itself. The difficulty has been the technological trade-off to get color on a handheld. Look at the IIIc or any of the color Pocket PC's. color-formfactor-batterylife, one or more has to give.

That is, until now. I've put the m505 through it's paces and am very impressed with how Palm weighed the tradeoffs. Yes, there are still tradeoffs. The screen isn't as bright as for example the IIIc. This is because the m505 has a TFT reflective screen iso an active matrix screen. In other words, it reflects ambient light instead of emitting it's own. The advantage however is much improved batterylife. Also, an active matrix screen is completely illegible outside, whereas the m505 screen looks vibrant. To alleviate lowlight situations the m505 screen is 'sidelit' to provide the ambient light necessary. Batterylife still clocked at a little under 7 hours of continuous use w/the backlight on! Under the fluorescent lights in my office I don't need to turn it on, however in my neighbourhood's unnamed coffeehouse I do need it. I think that folks upgrading from a bright IIIc will be disappointed, however I disagree. I found the brightness of a IIIc straining after long e-book reading sessions. The m505 screen is easier on my eyes, yet very good quality and usable under the most circumstances. In short, I'm very happy with the screen.

The expansion slot also is a very welcome addition. I think the SD/MMC slot is the most elegant expansion solution available on the market yet. Why? It retains the all-important formfactor. Try a Springboard on a Visor Edge, or worse, the iPaq with an expansion sleeve. The SD slot is elegant, small, and hotswapable. Right now, not too many expansion options are available pending the final approval of the IO standard on SD, but look to how support of proprietary Handspring Springboard grew for an idea of how SD will be supported. I'm using my m505 with a 32Mb memory card, and it works very well. I can run apps from the card with negligable delay, the card shows up as a category and I can select any app from there. Again, very nicely implemented.

I was a bit surprised by the hotsync speed. Very fast. USB really makes a difference, but make sure you have a USB port, otherwise you'll have to buy an extra serial cradle.

I don't hear much about the software bundled with the m505 in the reviews, but I think it's great. Most importantly, the m500 series comes with Documents To Go. This app allows you to read and even edit Word, Excel, Wordperfect, Lotus etc. documents, with perfect ease. I had bought it already, but for the newcomers it's great to get this app with the package.

I really like the vibrate alarm. Somehow, I'm surprised nobody came up with this one before (including myself). But this is great! No need to wake everyone up at meetings anymore to be alerted. I would like to be able to choose which alarm I want to get with every particular event in datebook. Right now your choice is applied across the board to all events. But I'm sure DateBk4 will fix that one. Great app that one by the way, check it out...which reminds me that Palm came out with a press release that the 10,000th application has just been released. Can you believe it? And most of this is freeware and shareware!

Let's see, what else, with the m500 series Palm standardized the connector at the bottom, so that you don't need new peripherals every time you upgrade to a new Palm. The only thing I don't like about it is that it's a bit hard to unplug the Palm from the cradle...a minor annoyance. Another minor gripe is the price, although considering I plunked down... for the Vx, this could be considered a bargain by some standards.

All in all, formfactor, batterylife, color, expansion, software, I'm sold.

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Description of PalmOne m505 Color Handheld

Palm's simple yet elegant operating system has long been a shining light in the world of PDAs. The good news on the Palm m505 is that the Palm OS still offers a wide array of tools to gather your personal and business data in a great computing environment. Unfortunately, the most touted aspect of the Palm m505--its color screen--is a disappointment.

Turning it on for the first time, we wondered if we had received the monochrome version Palm m500 handheld--the screen was dark and barely visible in our moderately lit office. We fumbled around for the contrast preference, but couldn't find it. In fact, the Palm m505 has no way to adjust contrast other than to turn on the backlight. Only with the backlight activated could we actually discern the icon and screen colors, and even then the LCD screen seemed muted.

On side-by-side tests with the Handspring Visor Prism, its main color competition, the Palm m505 was lacking in brightness and crispness--despite both handhelds' having 16-bit display support that can show up to 65,000 colors.

The reason for this seems to be that Palm has sacrificed brilliance for energy efficiency. The Palm m505's rechargeable battery does, indeed, keep its charge with "normal" usage (estimated by Palm at 40 minutes per day) for about three weeks. However, with the mandatory use of the m505's backlight, we found the battery needed more frequent charging. Luckily, charge time in the included HotSync cradle/recharger is quite short.

The basic Palm applications in OS version 4.0--Address, Date Book, Memo Pad, and To Do List--remain largely unchanged, with a few tweaks here and there. For instance, the Date Book application now includes a screen view with a list of the appointments and to-do items for a particular date. And like the m100 series, the Note Pad has been added for doodling and scribbling handwritten notes (instead of writing longer tomes in the Memo Pad using the Palm's Graffiti alphabet).

Palm has collected a number of bonus software titles that you can easily add to the m505 without denting much of the 8 MB of memory, including AvantGo, which downloads Web news and content from a variety of sources (enabling us to keep up with Aussie Rules Football scores). The biggest test for the color screen came with PhotoSuite, an image viewing app that displays a range of image-file formats downloaded from your PC. We found the color depth to be quite good, but the screen's lack of brightness made the images look rather muddy.

Additionally, several connectivity applications from Palm's Mobile Internet Kit are provided, including the Web Clipping app for viewing Web content built specifically for Palm viewing and MultiMail SE for accessing e-mail. And, of course, there's the highly touted expansion slot for SecureDigital cards and MultiMediaCards, allowing you to add memory, content, and functionality. Unfortunately, at the time of this review, we were unable to test any of the cards offered by Palm.

With its curved angles, thin design, and light weight, the Palm m505 closely resembles its predecessor, the Palm V series handheld. And like that model, the m505 feels very comfortable both in the palm of your hand and resting in your pocket. Also, with the Palm m505's new 33 MHz Dragonball VZ processor, switching applications seemed much more immediate.

The siren song of the new m500 series is indeed seductive, and Palm has done well to streamline its basic repertoire and add some tasty new notes to the mix. However, the Palm m505 is ultimately a disappointment due to its underwhelming color display. If you're having trouble getting this song out of your head, the Palm m500 handheld (with all the functions of the Palm m505 but with a monochrome screen) should keep your toes tapping just fine. --Agen G.N. Schmitz

Pros:

Faster processor
Classic Palm styling--contoured design is comfortable to hold
Good range of additional software, from Internet connectivity to e-book reader
New expansion slot takes industry standard SecureDigital cards and MultiMediaCards

Cons:

Color screen is rather dim and ultimately disappointing
Backlighting must be turned on to see the color screen, wearing down the rechargeable battery
Expandability via SecureDigital and MMC cards limited by current offerings

The lightweight, stylish Palm m505 handheld offers 16-bit color support and is expandable and customizable. The Palm m505 has an expansion card slot for additional memory storage (up to 64 MB) and add-ons such as a dictionary/thesaurus, games, and more. The Palm m505 comes with all the classic personal information management tools you expect: Date Book, Address Book, To Do List, Memo Pad, Mail, and Clock. It has 8 MB of built-in memory, enough to store thousands of addresses, years of appointments, hundreds of to-do items, and more than 50 applications.

The expansion card slot is a dual-purpose slot that can hold two types of cards: Secure Digital and MultiMediaCard (MMC). Both types of cards are small, inexpensive, and easy to plug in. Much like computer diskettes, they hold information for upload or download onto a handheld. With them, you can instantly add software programs, e-books, large databases, graphics, or even video files to your handheld without sacrificing memory space.

The advanced LCD display delivers more than 65,000 colors for your viewing pleasure--perfect for games, photos, spreadsheets, and even video clips. Sleek and lightweight, the Palm m505 handheld has a shiny aluminum casing and is curved to fit in your hand.

The new native USB HotSync cradle allows you to quickly back up and exchange information between your handheld and your PC or Mac. The Palm m505 handheld also features new vibrating and blinking LED alarms (in addition to the standard audible alarm) to help you stay on top of your busy schedule. The Palm m505 handheld comes equipped with a rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery, which is charged using the HotSync cradle.

The Palm m505 handheld comes with Palm OS 4.0, which provides enhanced security and improved Internet connectivity. Other application features include Note Pad for writing sticky notes, Palm Mobile Connectivity for connecting to the Internet and obtaining e-mail via compatible cellular phones, and AOL for the Palm OS.

The Palm m505 handheld is PC and Macintosh compatible and requires a USB port. It comes with Palm desktop software for both PC and Macintosh. It has a one-year warranty.

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