Palm m505 - the best yet...

The Palm m505 is what I believe to be the best, or one of the best, Palm OS devices. The m505 has a modern, redefined Vx look, and while keeping it in a tiny package, have added an extra expansion slot as well as a color screen! Many more minor and major additions, upgrades, and extras make the m505 truly a remarkable device.

The m505 has a close competitor, the N610C from Sony. There are some differences, but currently the N610C is the main competitor for the m505. The N610C has many disadvantages, which drew me away from buying the Sony:

- Visuals – the N610C is a rectangular box. The m505 has a much better design, incorporating smooth curves and flares, making it a unique, good-looking device.

- Accessories – this is what the Sony lacks. No keyboards, digital cameras, or wireless modems are available. The PEG-S300 has been available from 2 years, and still nothing available yet.

- Yes, the N610C has 320x320 resolution, but besides image viewing, there are very few applications that take advantage of it.

- The m505 has two new alarms, the vibration and light feature. Tiny feature, but yes, very useful for meetings and classes when silence is an important factor.

Some of these things are major, like the accessories, which really made me think whether I wanted a higher resolution, and lack some important (well to me they are) features. Now, with all PDA’s, the m505 does have some disadvantages too. Very few, and very minor, but I must list them.

- The AC Adapter cannot be used with the m505 directly; you must have the cradle charge it. Travelers must fork over an extra $40 for a travel cable.

- Under certain conditions, mainly so/so lighting, the m505 is not the best to look at, even with the sidelight on. Other than that, the m505’s screen is excellent. In pure sunshine, business lights, and pure darkness are definitely the best places to view the m505. Now, I have the sidelight on all the time (GlowHack), and this does drain the battery faster.

- There is no hardware available for the SD/MMC slot. I am not big into accessories for handheld’s, but the comfort of knowing that it is there is a good feeling and gives me a sense of freedom.

- I wish the sound would be better, as it would be nice for some games. But, Palm’s idea is “simplicity,” so I don’t expect a good speaker anytime soon.

As I said, not major, but a to do list for Palm. There are, however, many good things about the m505. I use it daily extensively for notes, to do’s, calendar, address book, and even my digital wallet pictures! Games, compared to a monochrome device, are much more fun to play, especially the graphic-intensive games. Palm provides a handful of software, such as DocsToGo, which is a really nice feature. The screen is clear and colorful, making it perfect for viewing images and playing games. Then, I slip it into my pocket and go. It is nice to be able to carry a PDA in your pocket all day long, without feeling it. Here is a list of advantages, nearly prioritized:

- Visual Appearance/Size – the m505 looks beautiful. It is sleek, ultra slim, and just looks good. No other device can compare. The metallic buttons add a “millennium” touch to it, yet not over doing it. Half the time I have to check if the m505 is still in my pocket. That is how slim it is. ½ an inch is nearly nothing.

- Color Screen – My promise was the next PDA I would get would be in color, as monochrome devices get boring to look at after a while. I love this screen! I wish it would have a brightness control, but it still looks good. PowerPoint presentations and pictures look FANTASTIC on the m505, as well as games. Also, the screen is very little pixilated, and at first, I asked “What Pixelation?!?!” But once you look at it, from really close, you start noticing it.

- Rechargeable Battery – If the m505 used regular batteries, I would probably have to change them less than every week. When at home, the m505 is in the cradle anyways, so, rechargeable batteries work out great for me.

- USB/Palm OS – After using USB, I would never go back. So, when I heard the m505 was USB, I was happy. Also having the Palm OS 4 is really nice, as it adds much more security features, 16-bit color support, and many hardware optimizations. Also, the cradle. It looks good. Not overwhelming decorative, or “futuristic,” but just right. It also has some “weight” in it, giving it a firm hold to my desk.

- Software – Palm included some useful software, including Documents To Go (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint (version 4.0), MGI PhotoSuite Mobile Edition (picture/movie viewer), Palm Reader (eBook reader), some simple games (Hardball, Gammon, etc.), Web Clipping, AvantGo (Offline “channels”), and a few more.

- Expansion – It is nice to know, that if you run low on room, you invest 50 bucks in a SD/MMC card, and have extra storage. I also hope that Palm has some hardware available for the slot in the future. Cards are relatively cheap, compared to the Clie’s Memory Stick.

- Accessories – Previously owning a Clie PEG-S300, there were absolutely NO accessories for it. Now, I can go and buy a keyboard for better note taking, or a digital camera. I have more options, which is what I like.

The m505 is a perfect companion for anyone. The color makes organizing “fun” again, expansion is a new thing for Palm’s, and all of the included applications make it a near perfect PDA! One note, I see people lowering the rating for the m505 because “Vx accessories aren’t compatible,” or “New Universal Connector.” Let’s face it, technology changes; we can’t stick with the same hardware forever!!! Computers change all the time (i.e. ISA slots to PCI), but new technology is better! Palm promised for the next few years to stay with the new Universal Connector, but only time will tell…

Here are some VERY useful applications to download from the Internet. I highly recommend all of these!

- Documents To Go 4 – The m505 comes with DocsToGo 3, but there is an upgrade via Palm’s website. The best for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for your Palm. (http://www.dataviz.com)
- ZIOGolf – The best game available for Palm devices. Realistic, 3D like golf!!! This is the best game available for Palm’s!!! (http://www.ziosoft.com)
- SimCity – Get the original for your Palm! Looks excellent on color devices! (http://www.ateliersoftware.com)
- TealLock – Complete protection for your Palm. A must for every Palm owner who wants to protect it! (http://www.tealpoint.com)
- 3D Hockey – A very addicting air hockey game! Excellent, 3D graphics. (http://www.ellams.f9.co.uk)

Just to show how useful the m505 is, about half of this Epinion was edited with DocsToGo, on the m505! It is nice to know that documents, large or small, can be edited on a Palm! The screen was fine to edit with, there was no “crowding” going on, I actually enjoyed it, being able to use my m505 for “almost” anything.

I really hope that this Epinion has helped you get a better understanding of the m505. The m505 is an excellent device, but of course the smartest thing to do is to try it out in a store, and see if you like it. The m505 was like “love at first site,” because my first reaction was, wow, the m505 pushed me over the edge to buy it.. Feel free to email msmasitti@yahoo.com for questions regarding the Palm m505.