Comments on: More Reports on Possible m505 Delivery Dates

The website is now saying that the item is currently unavailable :(

Damn! I could hardly believe it! I Just bought 2 M505 and got 2 16 Meg SD chip free!!! I live in a podunk town...so not too many people know too much about palms...anyways. Went out to Office Depote this morning and they had three in. I bought 2 of them. I asked the manager there if he was able to give me the free SD Card per adds out with Staples/Best Buy etc...He said that it really is only for the M500 but for me he will do. Sorry guys, I can't give you the store or location due to the fact that I promise I would keep the store location anonymous. Thumbs up for Office Depote!!!

dteky

called OD in downtown Minneapolis and they don't have any m505 yet.. Anyone knows when it'll be arriving?

Office Depot now reorts that they ahve 400 in stock and ready to ship! Ordered mine and they promise a three business day deliverly.
They also will pick up and return the unit for free if you want to return it, must be done within 7 days!
Folks, those of you that have it (east coast OD's have them, thanks Palm...you're preorder customers, wait and love you, NOT)

those that have it...please keep pics and first impressions coming and THANKS!

How did you manage to buy it before 8 am? Doesn't Staples open at 9? I think this guy is a troll.

-RobZombie

A troll! I don't know where you come from, but the Office Depot opens at 7am around these parts, mister.

If he is a troll, he is the first troll to have a legit user account and leave his name. I hope it is true.

-Eric

Troll!

rhash...if u have it tell us what came in the box? How many CD's did u get w/ it?

There are two CDs..one is Palm Desktop software, the other is mobile connectivity software, which says it contains web clipping for palm os, palm sms, multimail se v1.0, and documentation.

I'm not sure how to prove to you guys that I have one...I hate to do this, but call the office depot if you want...410 573-0020...but at this point, you should probably ask if they HAD them, not if they HAVE them....

Remember, I am the guy who pointed out the community first that office depot had m500s a week or so ago (may have been at Palmstation)....I do my homework, I am diligent about finding out who has what when....I have called every morning to office depot, specifically to their receiving manager...and now i have one.

Randy

Ok, I screwed up. He said Office Depot and I read Staples. And he's right, OD opens at 7. Sorry called you a troll so fast. I need more coffee.

-RobZombie

The Annapolis, MD store is open from 7am-9pm M-F. This could
be legit.

-Al

I just called and they have 1 left in stock...this is legit.

Mike H

You know, you're supposed to charge the thing for several hours before you use it, don't you? Perhaps you didn't know. Perhaps you don't care. Perhaps you are lying.

Yeah, I know I am supposed to be charging it...and I am...2 hours at first it says...but there was enough juice to turn it on...I mean, come on, are you going to not at least take a peek at the screen when you take it out of the box?

BTW, lying?

I think I'm taking all of this abuse pretty well, don't you? I mean, considering that I'm not really bragging about having one, I'm just letting everyone know that they are out there...

I heard they come with a few minutes charge. Maybe this is for customers who want to make sure it works before buying. Maybe just part of the manufacturing process.

I called my local OD and Staples and they have none in stock. OD said May 8th. I was put on hold while they checked for stock. I also don't see where the M505 is offered on the Office Depot web site. I would like to see a pick of the box and receipt of the person that swears they have one.

You can use them in the cradle. It charges and runs the thing at the same time. I'm deep in that ugliest of emotions, envy.

Palm does ship the units with a minimal charge and you can turn it on depending on how long the unit has been sitting on the shelf, in this case absolutely possible since the unit is fresh from the assembly line.

Randy, no bashing here. Thanks for the info!

My Palm V and Palm IIIc had a TINY charge in them out of the box, and you can use them in the cradle while they are charging. I heard you should fully charge them before trying to use them, but like many I take a "peek" of my new toy for a minute or two before it is fully charged. I checked many of the Office Depots in Chicago (10+) and none have the m505. I canceled my order with Palm, ordered via the "3 Day delivery" Office Depot Instock website offer. I have doubts on that. If they haven't shipped by tommorow or charged my card I will attempt, yet again to find one in Chicago. I think I am getting the vibe that between today and 48 hours from now many Office Depots and perhaps Staples (based on the rumored stock arriving in the warehouses) will finally have some limited quantites.

Personally I would be happy if I found out my order shipped from Office Depot's website for arrival on Monday the 7th, and I could kick back for the weekend watching the slew of amatuer reviews and digital camera picks of the new m505 roll in.

Randy, you are being really patient about all the suspicion. Thanks for the info. Now would you mind boxing the m505 up and FedExing it to me so I can write a review? I promise I'll send it back as soon as I'm done. ; - )

---
Plenipotentiary
Palm Infocenter

OK, all bashing aside, it looks like people are really posting some useful info here. I mean, mostly the "they don't have them" posts. It will certainly save me all the useless daily trips I would otherwise have to make to my local brick and mortar retailer.

It's just that no less than half a dozen other posts have been fakes in the past, so, if you're the first one to get one in the U.S., you will get a lot of attention.

By the way, is it metal in the front and back or just the front like the m500?

I read Randy's post at 8.20 this morning, went onto the Office Depot web site to get the number and called the store. I said I heard you had 4 and now have 2. She said how did u know. I had her hold one for me to ship, as I am out of state. So I too have one, or will have one tomorrow am. I can't wait. I also ordered the case and the 16 meg card. I had to talk to the Manager to have it send Fed Ex, at my cost. But certainly worth it. I feel like a kid in the candy store.
THANKS RANDY FOR THE EARLY POST TODAY. IT GOT ME MINE.

Thanks for the heads up Randy...

When it's all charged, post a quick review! esp curious about the screen and comparison with Vx. pics? I sure hope other places get them soon!

I just snagged 2 at Ofiice Depot (Maryland). Thanks for the heads-up.

Just picked mine up in NY at Office Depot.

30th and 2nd Ave. They only had 4 now there are 3 and I heard someone calling in to get one while I was there...

Tearing the plastic off the box right now...

Any other Marylanders get a 505? I just called the one in Hunt Valley and Catonsville and they say they are still expecting. There's an anon post about someone who got 2 from Maryland - where in MD?

Called a couple of office deopts and found a helpful Manager in Houston. They were supposed to receive
their shipment yesterday for a promotion, but expect shipment this week for promotion next week.
Promotion
1. Buy the 505 from office depot and receive a free travel card
2. Sign up for 3 months of AOL with 505 also receive a free game card

Timonium.

I just called Anapolis Office Depot per the number above and the lady on the phone was soooo nice. She said she had one left and could I get in there quickly. I live in Georgia, so no, I can't. She said they are expecting another shipment tomorrow and she would place one on hold if I wanted.

This is so cool. Its like Windows 95 or something :)

This thing will crush Clie. Mark my words. Everyone and their mother will have to have one. The Clie is just too bulky. Vive la Palm.

I just picked up my m505 at the Office depot located in Tigard, OR. It was a sweet experience, since there is no sales tax here in Oregan and I am on a business trip from California. When I called them this morning, first they told me they didn't have any. Then I said to him that someone I know in the eastcoast bought one, then the salesperson went to check. He told me afterwards that they had 4 or 5 in this morning, of which one they have already sold. When I went to get mine, he told me that they still have 2 or 3 units left in the store. Their phone number is (503) 639-3880. Hope this will help.

Enjoy!

Mirza

Just got one from Clayton OD, St. Louis. Not that impressed with the screen. It is OK with the back light but deff. dark compared to IIIc.

Hey i just wanna thank the org. poster. Because of him I got mine today with a free sd card!! Thanks alot man!!!

-ryan

p.s. I will have photos on palmpilot classifieds when i get a chance...madproductions.homestead.com

I bought mine today in Atlanta, Georgia at the office depot on Pleasant Hill Road. I called this morning and the truck had just pulled in and the man said they had four. He held one for me and when I got there the other 3 were gone, but I got mine. Nice unit. The screen is darker than the IIIc and does look better with the backlight on. It is a shame that you cannot adjust the screen. I will definitely keep this one, but would of liked to have seen a little brighter screen.

anyone know how to activate the vibrating alarm....i can't find it!

OD does have them in Cincinnati. 4 in stock (now 3 :) Screen is a bit light and slightly uneven in brightness. 16 MB card free with purchase! Springfield Pike store has 3 left!

Office Depot, Appleton WI has them as well. I had two reserved I picked them up on the way home from work tonight. They are charging right now. I didn't ask if they got more than 2 in.

Good luck to everyone else.

btw, I was reading the manual; I hadn't noticed previously that 4.0 OS support timezones and daylight savings time... about time. And no I haven't looked at the screen yet. I fouled up a Vx once by not fully charging it, I'm not going to repeat the mistake, just in case.

If someone could shed some light on the issue, for those who have compared it with the IIIc, how do the screens match up? I've been hearing that even with the sidelight on, the m505 is dimmer than the IIIc but but what brightness setting is the IIIc set at?? I have a IIIc and the m505 is sounding MIGHTY tempting so it would be nice to get some objective opinions before I decide one way or the other.

The Corpus Christi Office Depot store has the m505 in their Moore Plaza store. Just bought one and it is great!

I ordered from OD yesterday and they haven't charged my credit card yet. But they did confirm that I have the ~$480 available, tying up that amount for a couple of days. My supposed delivery date is Friday but I no longer believe anything a store tells me.

Just called my local OD office and the guy in Electronics didn't know when they would have them in.

I bet I would have gotten my order on 5/7 as promised but I finally found a Chicagoland Office Depot with the m505, canceled the OD order and went and picked it up TODAY! Yeah...!

I just checked the two office depots in Washington DC and they said no m505's in stock. Of course I'll go by one of them at lunch and check again. When the m500 came out the first clerk I asked said no they were not in yet and the manager overheard the question and said that they were in, just not on the shelves yet. I believe this guy in Anapolis. If he does know the receiving clerk he would have the real info. The people that answer the phone sometimes wouldn't know a palm if it bit them in the ass.

Al, did they give you any indication when they will be recieving the units?

Got the same standard response. Sometime this month. I'm going to drive up there
this afternoon and try and round up a manager to give me better info.

-Al

Rhonda is the shipping person at the Annapolis store. I talked with her and with Jennifer this morning. I posted earlier to say they are shipping their third of 4 units to me. They were real nice to deal with. Very unusual now adays. Again thanks to Randy for the info.
I am not registered but have been an avid reader several times a day here. Boy did it pay off!

I have this overwhelming urge to skip out of work to go to Office Depot. Is that wrong? :)

I have called all the places in Philly. Nobody has it. Aaaagh!

-Al (yes, I have nothing better to do)

I just called back the DC store (19th and L) and they now have the m505 (amazing what 2 hours does). I just picked it up. They are out there.

Harry

Just called my nearest OD and they got 4 - say they know they have at least two left and they are holding mine at the service desk. Whoo hoo!!
I'm off for the 2 hour round trip to collect it!

I just bought the last 505 at Office Depot in NYC, 30th St. and 2nd Ave. I called the Greenwich Village Office Depot first, but they said they'd have none till next week or later...

ALLENTOWN, PA OD has 3 left. Nice people.

I just had Office Depot call me and tell me to come get my M505. He had 4 of them. This is not bullshit, I have been waiting like the rest of you!!! I am the one that posted that I would like to see the picture of the box and receipt so I have a camera here at work, just need to know how to upload the pic and I will post it. I am leaving work right now to go get it. So it will be a 1 1/2 hours before I respond here again. Dont ask me to post the Office depote location because I dont want them getting a million calls just to see if I am lying. I will post a pic of the box and the receipt to prove I have it.

Dean

wow, this is exciting... eagerly awaiting pics!

If you can e-mail the pics to ed@palminfocenter.com, I can handle uploading them and posting a link.

---
Plenipotentiary
Palm Infocenter

I just e-mail ED the pics. Including receipt.

Dean

this is sweeeet!
Going to pick one up on the 12th, my bday. Can't wait to load intelligolf and hitting the lynx.

I just picked one up at the Office Depot in Kennesaw. They received 4 in total. It's currently in the cradle charging. It did have a few minutes of juice already in it. Preliminary screen feedback is that it looks pretty good overall, the front light is probably not quite as bright as I expected, but still good. Personal opinions may vary.

These were sent to me by Dean:

http://www.palminfocenter.com/images/img_m505_user_box.jpg

http://www.palminfocenter.com/images/img_m505_user_contents.jpg

http://www.palminfocenter.com/images/img_m505_user_receipt.jpg

---
Plenipotentiary
Palm Infocenter

Odessa Texas (yes) on reserve for me They got 3 in on the truck this am. morningstar1844@hotmail.com (Jerry F. Giardina) I will post comments on the web this evening after I charge it. Probably around 11:00 p.m. CST This is for real this time guys!! Good luck in hitting your local Office depot stores. I will check on Staples before I post this message! None at Staples in Odessa, Texas this am 11:35 a.m.

Just got mine from the OD on Pleasant Hill. They got 4 but they were all spoken for. I got a call back from the OD on Jimmy Carter and they had 4 as of 12:15pm today.

OD in Kennesaw has no more. I got the last! Sure wish I had a serial cradle!

scouter075@mindspring.com

just baught one..they just got delivery. finally...

What is the phone number to the Hyde Paek OD

I was the orginal poster saying I couldn't find a m505 in Chicago this morning... well all the Office Depots got them in the morning and they have 'em now... SO DO I! See my review further down the posts...

Which Chicago? I just called the Ridgeland ave. OD in Naperville and they said they did not get them yet.

Downers Grove location on Ogden near Chicago has at least 1 or 2 left... I got one there about 2 hours ago.

PS: Ask for the free 16 meg card, I got one.

Yes there here in chicago , got mine this morning at 10.30 at schaumburg, il at office depot. Now home after working all day and excited to see how it works, have being charging it at work all day.

I belive you work for Palm, I also belive that many will be getting m505's before the end of this week... or this day.

Palm Guy, go away. We don't want to hear about May 10th. And don't go squealing to your superiors about this "early release" either. We're just happy to get a product made by your company so, think about it: We are why you have a job. Don't blow it!

Madmax,

Take a deep breath, relax...

Dave is legit and the information that he posts is always very informative. Don't bash the guy just because he is commenting on the release date from a his unique viewpoint.

Max,

Yes we are very grateful to all of our customers, I don't know why you think we aren't...

While a good number of m505's will be trickling into the channel this week (I'm not gonna squeal :-) ), the 10th is the day when you should see good availability of the product in all retail outlets.

That came from left field....

Dave

Question for Dave....How is the screen in your opinion and do you know why Palm isn't going to give the user the option to change the brightness on the device? Could a hack possibly fix this and provide this?

Thanks for any input...Mike H.

Mike,

The screen is what is was intended to be - extremely low power and thin. Is it as bright as the iPaq - no way, but the batteries really do run for 3 to 4 weeks and it's about the same size as a Vx.

As far as I know, there's no way to turn up the brightness. You could always use a hack to have the sidelights on, I guess - if it's too dark for you.

Outdoors, it is great.

Dave

Mike here is the best comparative review I have seen regarding the m5xx scree. The comparison includes all the units except the new clie witch the author (Shawn Barnett) did not have.

http://www.pencomputing.com/palm/stest/stest.html

Dave,

If you leave the sidelights on all the time, in your opinion, how long will the battery last? Rough estimate would be fine (a week at the most?).

Thank you
Edd

Not sure yet, but if you drop it in the cradle overnight, it shouldn't be an issue, right? I'm looking int this now.

Dave

Just picked up my m505 at Office Depot in Timonium, MD; as of 11:00 EDT, they had 1 left after I bought mine.

Sorry folks, buy IMHO, the screen isn't what I expected. I've used a Visor Deluxe for about a year.

Even with the backlight on, the colors appear washed out. Look nothing like what appears on the box. Perhaps just my unit, perhaps just my perception.

But...please judge for yourself. I'm trading this guy back for the m500.

i agree.....very washed out and very dim....thought it would be a bit brighter especially from some of the pics i've seen online....it definitely is worse than the pics i've seen....another thing....the m505 on my logo seems like it's going to rub off within a day....it's not raised like the palm logo is on the device....hope i got the right one and not a closer to pre-production model?

nt

nt

Dave said:

>Not sure yet, but if you drop it in the cradle
>overnight, it shouldn't be an issue, right? I'm
>looking int this now.

WRONG!!!

If you argue like this, what is the point of telling customers something about a 3 to 4 week battery life ? That makes absolutely NO sense.

Battery life is important for people who are NOT around a cradle everyday. If people are around cradles everyday, battery life has NO significance in my opinion, except if the battery life is less than an hour....

I thought the idea for the Palm was to have a "handheld, to be carried everywhere" [your website] as well as "handheld devices to provide access to and management of corporate information for mobile professionals".

Mobile is the operative word. Mobile for most people means leaving the office and leaving the cradle behind, not merely mobile movement to a meeting room and back to the desk.

Another beatiful quote from your site:
"Feature overload diminishes battery life, adds additional costs, and compromises the wearability and usability of handhelds. Our philosophy is simple. Start with the basics, make them affordable, and let customers add functionality as they see fit."

So now I want to use a feature (sidelight) that according to your design philosophy is not an overloaded feature that dimishes battery life, why do i have to put the palm back into the cradle overnight...?

I am sorry, I appreciate your input, and until a few weeks ago, I was a die-hard "no-way Handspring, Sony, Handera" Palm fan. Times surely have changed extremely rapidly for me over the last few days.

ex-Palm/new-Handera-user

If you want a .MP3 player, view images, movies etc.. why not buy a IPaQ ?? it has a good resolution & screen and great expandable..
I think I buy the 505 for the slim (Vx) design and SD Slot.. the Clie only got (expensive) MemoryCard for expansion.. The SD slot of the 505 offers a lot more..
It is difficult, but I think I buy the palm 505..
But I think I have to wait a little longer :(
Netherlands / Europe..

>>m505 or color CLIE?

Hell, why not wait till the .... eh... shoot, might as well wait till next year's new palm with ARM processor... this pathetic display of "is it there yet" / "yes it is there", "no it isn't" .... I have had enough...it has taken to dam*ed long

I think i can hold out another few months on my trusted IIIx...

but this is out of league with the m505 - no color!!

Out of the m505's league? That is debatable - which is better: slim with colour or Palm III size with CF and SD, higher resolution, voice recording, soft Graffiti area, jog dial and cheaper?

I'd go with the 330 myself.

yea...and the handera 330 is $100 cheaper than the m505! I already ordered my handera from palmgear. They say it will ship May 7th....

me again... also does anyone have an item or SKU # for best buy stores? that way i can call and ask them to look it up by that

got my m505 at office depot at tarzana ca

I buy a lot from FranklinCovey. "Frankly" they normally have about a one week delay compared to direct sale outlets like Staples, Office Depot, etc. due to the fact that they choose to open up and unpack each box and then repack it with their own desktop software.

Ever since the IIIxe's and IIIc's came out I have found this to be true, FC has always been a week behind every other channel. The m100's came out about 5 days after the public release, but that was the best scenario I've seen for them.

Harry

email me some info on that stylus please.

Thanks

scouter075@mindspring.com

Yep. Office Depot in Melbourne Fl. They've got 4 in stock, have not displayed them yet.

449.00, I have not opened it yet. The picture on the box did not impress me, and the view of the photo suite images on the box did not impress me either.

Sony screen on picture looks very impressive, however its not all about the screen.

If you notice, palm is shipping with more software, and accordign to them you can also play mp3s from multimedia cards (for those of you interested).

Anyway, I will play with this device now and post my opinions at 4:00pm eastern time

Until then

Later

How does the screen compare to a monochrome screen in the same lighting condition ?

Are the icons and text just as visible.

Thanks for any feedback on this.

To me the screen is a lot darker than the monochrome version that I seen in the store. I wish it had a setting to have the backlight come on by default.

"accordign to them you can also play mp3s from multimedia cards"

Where does it say that? I have only read on Palm's web site that you can STORE mp3 files on a card. Nothing abut playing them on the m50x.

I called the Timonium Office Depot. They said they had none and never did. I then started to compose a biting flame to post for the inaccurate information. But I stopped myself and decided to drop by the Office Depot instead.

Well, they had one. They weren't on display (and then I was really getting pissed off), I had to ask the person at the customer service desk. As they went to get it, I was thinking "I bet they are confused and are going to bring me an m500."

I can't tell you how happy I was to see 505 on the box.

Anyhow, the person on the desk told me that someone came earlier this morning and got 2. And the one I was getting was the LAST ONE.

So, instead of flaming you, I have to say thank you for leaving me one!

And to everyone else - don't call - just go to the store and ask for "the new Palm Pilot - the 505" and if they have it, they will produce it.

Before you start reading keep in mind that the comparison with the Sony PEG-S300 is the B&W

first version of a Sony Brand Palm OS type. This is the one I have. I am only emphasisng

in atributes I think sony has advantage over (in my opinion) or just to evaluate diferences.

When I do not mention a comparison its because I do not thingkthere is an impact in

features or I do not care about the differences

CASING
whether is metal or plastic, I cannot really tell. The front and back looks like metal, the

middle of it, like plastic.

Sony S300 its metal on the sides and back, plastic on the font.

STYLUS
Thick and ugly, almost had to step on the thing to take it out. ( It took me 10 minutes and

a penny to pull it out of the rail).

When put back, does not go all the way in and stays sort of too loose, bound to get lost.

Sony S300 stylus goes in and out smoothly and makes a clicking sound to let you know that is

secure.

front flip cover??? Its hiddeous, I do not know why hey boter to put it in the box. I, it

doesn't look or feel right

SCREEN
Dark. with the back light looks ok, not impressive. The m500 screen is clearer even in

black and white. The picture on the box is displayed with the light on

No contrast adjustment button. Bad, bad, so your screen is alway going to be dark, unless

you alway use the back light or are standing in the sun (bright iluminated place). On the

sun you can actually see the screen, but its not more diffent than a well iluminated place

Acording to the Palm tech representative when used with the back light your batery life

won't be impacted too much ( charge every 3 weeks instead of every month ) We will see

that!

If you do not have the back (lime light on) you won't be able to tell if its in color or

not. (barely)

If you are under a lamp, the screen is still dark even with the back light. I you go to a

darker place or a regular iluminated place, then the backlight gives it an OK view of your

screen.

When I put my S300 on a regular lit room, the m505 looks slightly better but not by much.

When I turn on the backlight on both units, m505 is significally better.

CRADDLE
Heavy. This might be a good thing. rustick! And pulling the thing off it is like lifting

weights and it feels like its going to break. I called TEch support on this. This is the

way to pull it out.

1. move the device forwade (I would say 60 degree angle)
2. pull straight up. It comes out easy.

While taking it to the 60 degree angle, it sounds like you are actually going to break.

Palm says its intentional, and it won't break. "With wear and tear it should come out

easier with time".

Another way to know when to pull out, is to wait for that "beep" while moving the device

forward, when you do, pull in upward direction, it will come out easy.
SUPPORT
palm does not have an 800 number for US continental technical support. it does for Puerto

Rico technical support.??? (what is that all about?) Luckily I speak spanish, but we lost

communications (or he hanged up on me) and I decided to call Palm number (which is not an

800 number) according to them, they will have one within 30 days (just a rumor). This is

the catch

After 30 days of having your device, you have to pay by incident on your call. In other

words if you call tech support after 30 days of having your device, they will charge you a

fee for trying to fix it????? (Boy are they getting smarter???? I guess they really want to

loose the BUSINESS!!!!)

SOFTWARE
Contains additional Note pad, where you can scribble notes.
It seems you will be able to dial out from the palm I assume with a modem or phone.

Date book has no changes in its fields, that I've noticed so far.

Sony S300 has the ability to put a picture along with contact information. I think this is

neet, but not a necesity. I did not carry a picture in my palm of my contacts, but now that

I do have a color device, I think I want that feature incorporated!!!

I had asked palm about this feature in the past and the answer was yes it includes it. WELL,

IT DOESN'T.

no changes for the calculator, except the buttons, from circles to square

Botton line: It seems like this equipment is a Vx with color (when you turn the backlitght

on)

SYNCKING WITH YOUR OLD INFO.

a snap. I had already installed the Palm desktop 4 on my device. Had not problem.

Applications that supported color switched to color automatically.

**************** MY ADVISE TO YOU *************************

WAIT, WAIT, WAIT,... Wait so you can check out the color on the Sony N710 and compare it to

the M505 when they are on display, and see if its worth your money. If the screen is the

only important thing to you.

Also check on accessories, if you are going to spend the money on them. Sony is so much

more expensive.

In my case I have so much SONY JUNK that I am looking at other brands, sometimes propretiary

is not a good thing.

Reason why MAC is not what we have every household today!!!

Color Vs B&W. Honest opinion, if color is going to be defined by the Palm m505 displays you

are better off with B&W, unless you use the backlight, that that case, it will depend on the

user.

Color is nicer, 65million to 254? if you have better resulution tan 160X160 maybe, since I

have not seen the 320 resolution I cannot say, but I have seen the IIIc and that is

defenitly brighter than the m505.

****************************************************************************************

For now this is all I am adding. On a needed basis I will post more comments is I need to

PS why would anyone like to store mp3 files if they cannot play it?

my goodness, first of all i have to say thanks to the palminfocenter message boards. I checked it this morning and people were reporting that they had gotten theirs so i called around some OD stores in Houston and finally got one, and they still have some available.
Forget what you've read, you can only judge the M505 when you have it in your hands. Having said that, this is one sweet unit. I drove 70mph in a 45 zone just to get home and even at that i kept staring at the box on the freeway just to convince myself i really had one unit. btw i couldn't wait to get home to thank the folks that posted the message about getting theirs on this board. Palminfocenter RULES BABY!!!
Now on to the 505. as i write this, my darling (thats right) sits in her cradle happily lapping up volts of electricity. Its a nice unit. For those who have not seen it, wait and test one out for yourself b4 you pass judgment.
Indoors, in low light, the screen sucks, yep i said it, it sucks, I guess the only way to enjoy the screen is to have the side light come on probably all the time. Having said that, the screen is beautiful with the light on. Having used a Vx for two years this a wonderful departure from the dull background. It feels great in the hands as well. The rail on the left side of the unit is too small except for the flap cover.
I guess everything else you can read from the palm website. Thats my little take on my 6 mins of use.
P/s it had about 25% charge out the box.
Being a student, i guess i have mega mega bragging rights to be one of the first to own this in school!!

To those that ordered from Palm, i say cancell your orders cos those a**holes really did you bad. I almost ordered one as well but decided to wait.
To those that haven't got it yet, i'm sorry, i was in the same dilemma. Hoping, lusting (yep), drooling, but take heart, when you do get yours you'll MOST DEFINITELY LOVE IT!!

AL

GlowHack. U can get it from PalmGear :)

In Chicagoland: I got it at Office Depot in Niles, IL. Yes, the screen is pallid, as we were warned. But given the small size and other features, the trade-off is acceptable (for me). Outside, the screen looks nice. Indoors it is VERY dark; I am going to have to install GlowHack to turn the backlight on automatically. I'm sure this will reduce battery life, but I cradle my Palm at least a couple times a day, so I'm not concerned.

Folks:

Looks like keeping the backlight on will turn out to be a no-brainer. Not only will GlowHack work apparently, but for those of us who don't like HackMaster hacks for whatever reason, you can also use EasyView 1.0. It's also available at PalmGear.

Still waiting for my M505 in Ithaca, NY... 8-)

00/00????

I called 4 O.D.s at 7am this morning in the Bay Area and nobody has them, though they all had the sku in their system. One person told me that "3" were reported to be delivered to the district tomorrow. I am guessing that Palm shipped to the east coast first and will ship to the west coast second, hoping to have product arrive at both places at the same time. That is how a company I previously worked for did it.

I've checked in Northern CA, too, and no luck...it may be the West Coast really won't be seeing these in stores until May 10th... =(

Kind of like not being invited to the big party...

We are in Palm's backyard. If any retailers are going to hold to the 'official' sales date, it would be those in the bay area.

I just got a 505 from the Lynwood store near seattle. Off to play...

Gosh, can't believe they don't have it for ppl in Bay Area... :(

Nothing at OD in Los Angeles right now. I guess everyone went on strike. :(

But ppl in Porland Got already.. how come not US in California????

Well I just got mine at OD in Tualatin, OR area. I live in the east bay but currently on a business trip here in Portland. I guess I am lucky, since they don't have a sales tax here either.

Mirza

A good idea for anyone looking for the Palm M505 on the West Coast is to ask the people at Office Depot if they have received their freight yet today. Many of the stores I have called said they will be getting their freight around 11:00am to Noon. The product could be in that freight, so its good to find out and visit the store right after the freight comes in. But of course, give them a little time to unload it first : )

Just a friendly tip.

Viva la Palm M505!!!

The SkyTraveler

How bout sitings in Minnesota?

This really sucks! m505 is available everywhere except in the freakin' Bay Area. The guy at OD in SF said mid-May.

gosh..... that's so not far.. why not ppl in Bay Area .. I have been waiting for this for so long now.

Just called Most of the OD in Bay Area.. they'll had their shipment in already for today, but none of them have M505 :(

I just confirmed that no office depot in the bay area got them in today. Oh well, maybe tomorrow.

Provo, UT OD sold all theirs this morning. I drove to Salt Lake where all ODs have/had them.

Called the OD's in my area (Ventura County, CA) and no one there knows when they are expecting them. The sales guy gave me the date of May 10th. But after reading post of lucky people (from all over except California) recieving them today... I am keeping my fingers crossed that the 505's will arrive tomorrow.

Any suggestions when I should take action on my quest for the 505? Opening? Afternoon? Close?

Also, I have a pre-order at Staples... not sure when the heck they will kick in. Wondering if that release date of May 8th is true and/or if it will be earlier now that Office Depots are selling them.

Any suggestions or help would be great.

Party On!

Office depot on Barrington and Olympic has 3 left...will not put on hold, first come first served.

With respect to prior message that's in Los angeles

In Orange County they are hitting the OD all over the place. I bought one in South Orange County at 9am today. Yipee!

Ventura County now has the 505!! Bought mine this morning.

But now I'm pissed... Because I have to order a serial Cradle, due to I don't have a frappin USB.

Happy with the screen although I'll know more when I SYNC

Not Frustrated Anymore

bought my m505 today at tarzana ca office depot no free 16mb memory

it's metal...

Dave

Does it come with a multi-voltage AC charger? Or is it only good for 110Volts?

Kinda seems like plastic to me....definitely doesn't have the same metal feel of the Vx. Also all of the buttons are connected on one grid....put your finger on one of the buttons and move from side to side...all of your buttons will move around...

Birmingham, AL has them. Greensprings store. Had 5, now has 4. I posted yesterday that Jim said they were in the warehouse on the 30th and would get to him today. Sure enough, good ol' Jim! Of course, boot it up on the minimal charge, and guess what - it's just a Palm. Screen looks good, but nothing to blow you away. I haven't tried the backlight, as it is only minimally charged.

Thanks... I just went to OD at B'way and 4th St. and bought the last m505 from their first batch

Yeah, I've got 10 of those d*mn ScreenWrite Protectors left over from my Palm Vx. Do you know if the new screen is the same size?

I bought some of the Screenwrite type protectors and I have not tried them with my M505 yet. Didn't the IIIc require a different type from the other III series models because of the color screen?

Tried the WrightRights and the dim the screen very badly even with the backlight on. Hopefully someone will release a screen protector designed for the m505 soon.

here's how to protect the screen & save the $$:

Cut out a rectangle of overhead transparency so it is .2-.3 inches larger on all sides. slip it in (sort of hard, but you hardly ever have to replace it-only when you get it really mocked up & it looks like crap) and use. it doesn't break any seals or anything, and your warenty isn't void. I've used this on all of my models since my old palm pro (god, I loved that baby!) and it's been great so far)

I use the "clear" protectors from www.vsps.com. These aren't like the WriteRights in that they're not textured so they work on color or monochrome Palms.

could you please give instructions about how to do this hack?

It's called "GlowHack.prc" use it with Hackmaster or X-Master.

Works like a charm...

Ahab

I just called them and they denied that they even have one. Please respect people anctious to get it and post true info only.

well then you can call the sales guydirectly.. Jose Malina. 212-949-8012 x1764 He sold me mine and they will ship ovenight. Whether you believe me or not is irreleveant...I got mine

What is RCS charging for the 505?

$449 and NYC tax... I called and got mine.. thanks

I just called and indeed they supposedly got 500 in stock today. The only drawback if you aren't sure about the screen is that their return policy is 10 days and only if it is defective. You can't just return it because you don't like the screen.

They have many many of them...

Yeah Baby!!!!

I just got off the phone with RCS also, got mine comming over night - Friday Delivery. Thank you for posting this contact here for this purchase. Now when I get it tomarrow I'll be sitting on the phone all day canceling my wait lists every where else - Including Palms.

I think I'll be up all night.

Scott

ScottG

Got mine at OD in Richmond, VA. They got five at each store here. Limited peripherals and NO SERIAL CRADLE! All I can do is charge and play with the unit itself until I get home to sync it with my laptop. I have pre-ordered a serial cradle from Palm.com but if past experience is any indicator of future performance, I might as well just camp out in front of Office Depot..........

No you are not getting screwed. All you have to do call and cancel.

I got mines this morning, paid less too. Called palm center, cancelled my order. and moved on. No questions asked!!!

Seems like all the Office Depots in Orlando got 4 each. I got mine at the Kirkman store but they didn't know anything about the free card. Was there a flyer in the Sunday paper?

yes its alot smaller so the old one will not fit, btw i still haven't been able to get the stylus out!!! Its really tightly fitted.