~~ Palm TX: A Non-Techie Perspective ~~

Preface
I’m not a technology geek nor am I am technologically challenged. I am somewhere in the middle between those extremes. My Palm TX is used mostly for personal use. I like to use the Palm for maintaining my schedule, keeping important dates and reminders in check, containing contact information, and organizing my chaotic life. The Palm is also used at work to look up medications and dosages and other information through applications such as Epocrates.

The Product
The Palm TX retails for $299 and is available at stores such as Fry’s Electronics and Best Buy.

Specifications for the Palm TX
- Operating system: Palm OS Garnet 5.4
- Memory: 128MB w/ 100MB accessible to user
- Processor: Intel 312 MHz ARM-based processor
- Screen: 320 x 480 transflective TFT touchscreen display, Support for over 65,000 colors, Landscape and portrait orientation modes
- Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11b wireless technology, Bluetooth 1.1 wireless technology
- Audio: Speaker, Standard 3.5mm stereo headphone jack
- Expansion slot: Support for MultiMediaCard, SD & SDIO cards
- Battery: Long-life rechargeable lithium ion
- Power / sync: Multi-connector on device, USB sync cable, AC adapter (108-32 VAC/60Hz)
- Size: 3.08" W x 4.76" H x .61" D, 78.2mm W x 120.9mm H x 15.5mm D
- Weight: 5.25 ounces, 148.83 grams

In the Box
- Palm TX handheld
- Flip cover
- USB sync cable
- Power adapter
- 3-step setup poster
- Graffiti 2 sticker
- Software Install CD-ROM with desktop software, Tutorial, Getting Started Guide, User - Guide and bonus software

On the Palm
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, Solitaire, Tasks, VersaMail email client, Wi-Fi Manager, World Clock

Desktop Requirements
- Windows PC: Windows 2000 (SP4), Windows XP, USB hardware port and CD-ROM drive, Administrator rights required to install, (Outlook synchronization requires MS Outlook 2000, 2002, or 2003 - sold separately)
- Macintosh: Mac OS 10.2.8 to 10.4, USB hardware port and CD-ROM drive, Administrator rights required to install

Contact and Miscellaneous Information
Website = www.palm.com

Product information taken from product packaging and product website.

My Experience
The Palm TX was a definite upgrade from my aging Palm m505.

The Palm TX
The Palm TX is quite sleek and attractive. The unit itself is matte black in color. It almost looks like a really dark navy blue. It has the “palm” logo above the screen and has four programmed buttons on the bottom: Home, Calendar, Contacts, and Blazer. There is a big, charcoal gray toggle switch in the middle that allows one to toggle up/down, right/left, and enter without using the screen or the stylus.

Setup
I had some difficulties setting up the Palm, particularly the WiFi stuff because I'm not the person who usually sets up those sorts of things. My husband had to help me set up the WiFi connection and show me how to search for connections when using it outside of the apartment.

The Screen
I absolutely love the screen to the Palm TX. The color and the details are amazing. The screen is 320 x 480 transflective TFT touchscreen display, as Palm states. The colors are bright and the images are quite detailed. The screen can support over 65,000 colors. I like the fact that the screen is much larger than my previous m505. The Palm TX screen also allows for portrait or landscape mode, which is an awesome feature. I like to use the landscape mode when I’m surfing the Internet because it makes it much easier for my eyes to read a news article in the landscape mode. Changing the screen to the landscape mode is easy as there’s a small button on the toolbar that allows for changing between the two orientations. The Palm package came with a screen protector, which was a bit difficult to cut perfectly to fit the screen. It was also difficult to lay the protector on the screen without any bubbles or creases. I’m glad that I did put the screen protector on because I used an old stylus to write on the Palm and ended up scratching the protector. Whoops. Better the screen protector than the screen!

Layout
The layout of the main page is great in that it is very organized. I despise visual clutter and Palm has done well to avoid it. The crisp colors and format of the main page allows for a visually pleasing organization. I like how the battery life is located on top so that I always am aware of how much juice is left in the Palm. The time is located in the upper left corner. I like the small toolbar that runs across the bottom of the screen as is useful but is also visually out of the way.

Music Feature
It’s nice that Palm decided to put in the music feature. PocketTunes plays the music and music can be enjoyed either through the built in speakers (located on the back of the Palm) or through earphones. I find the speakers to be fairly weak in quality so I opt for using my earphones instead. While the quality isn’t great, I find that it suffices when my iPod nano isn’t on hand.

Battery Life
The Palm TX has a rechargeable lithium ion battery. One of the drawbacks of the Palm TX is that the battery non-removable. I find that the battery lasts between 4 – 5 hours. I don’t use the Palm continuously but have found that the battery life takes a dive with prolonged use of the WiFi feature. I charge my Palm about once a week, sometimes a bit more frequent depending on usage. Charging the Palm is easy as I use the adapter to charge. I usually plug the Palm in at night and let it charge through the night so that it’s ready to go in the morning when I leave for work.

Favorite Feature
My absolute most favorite feature about the Palm TX is its WiFi ability. I love that the Palm TX allows me to check my e-mail or surf the Internet anywhere that has wireless Internet access. Now I can check my e-mail or read up on the latest news in the airport, at a coffee shop, or even at the local mall that has tons of wireless Internet access spots. The convenience the Palm TX affords with this is awesome! I’ve been able to keep connected to Internet using the small, portable Palm TX.

(The Bluetooth feature is also nice if you have a Bluetooth enabled device, which I don’t.)

Overall Thoughts
The Palm TX is an awesome as it packs convenience and organization into 5.25 ounces!

Thanks for reading!
Pooks
Copyright 2006