Comments on: Palm m505 Review Part II

Still on backorder are the seriel cable, 8MB backup card and Travel Recharger.

I'm so excited -- I can't wait to receive my m505, be sorely disappointed, and rush back to return it! What an exciting day it's going to be!!

This page is in Japanese but don't worry about that. Click on the link near the top left labeled McFile 1.12.

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News Editor
Palm Infocenter

http://www.pencomputing.com/palm/stest/m500vsN710C.html

If you can't see the diff, the Sony Clie can be really cool!!

John

Will constant partial charging shorten my battery life? The manual says to charge it everyday, but I am wondering if I should try to let it run down in between charges. Not sure if it will develop a 'memory'.

You only need to worry about "memory" on NiCad or NiMH batteries.

2c

Has anyone used the new Kagi 9V charger? How long does it take to charge the M505? How many charges will you get out of a 9V battery?

PLEASE HEEEEEEELP!!!

It's fine that you're returning the M505, that way someone who wants one can have it. The tone of your post though, like all the others disparging the M505, is that anyone who chooses to use it is obviously not as "advanced" or sophisticated as you. Get some counseling.

For an objective comparison on screen quality between the m505 and Clie, check out the link below.

http://www.pencomputing.com/palm/stest/m500vsN710C.html

So if I choose the M505 because it fits my needs, I'm accepting less than I "could" have? What a ridiculous statement. So we should all drive top-of-the-line cars? Live in the most expensive houses? The list goes on.

What a moron you must be in person. I've used several Palms, I don't need MP3, I don't need desktop compatibility and I certainly don't need 32 or 64 MB of RAM.

Enjoying my mediocre life with the M505 and very happy.

A Moron in Person

if you were to just buy the right handheld in the beginning you wouldn't be living in a sea of mediocrity. (sorry, but the word fits the situation *perfectly*.)

i bet you can't truthfully say that you like having only 8MB of ram. how many times have you had to remove programs to fit a different one in memory? 16MB+ makes a world of difference, as does a memory expansion card. just think of all the great things you'd get to keep on your handheld without having to remove other great programs.

teach Palm a lesson. give your money to a company that is innovating rather than trying to play catch up.

How long have you been around technology? Not long I gather. Whatever you buy "in the beginning" is out of date before you leave the store. Things change, technology is evolving. If you're happy running Windows 3.1 on a 386 that's great. Most of us are not. We welcome new technology, realizing that there's never going to be the perfect PDA. There will always be something else someone wants added, or expanded or smaller.

So you just have to find a PDA (or anything else) that fits your needs, buy it and use it. If something else comes along you like better, buy it. It's only money, what does it matter to anyone but me how much I "waste" on new toys?

"Who cares what YOU are doing? Why do people like you continually post to these message boards regarding what you are doing with YOUR Palm. It's apparent that you have trouble making decisions like this and want people so support you."

What a blind follower you are. You are so freaking loyal to your beloved Palm that you are willing to back the company and everything it does completely without question. You're just a clone!! You are so loyal that you would jump and attack anyone who has anyone who even dare to critize your beloved company.

Do you actually think that Palm care about you, even knows who you are, or is grateful that you are defending them? (I say this not only about Palm, but most big companies including Sony) Palm is only grateful that you gave them $450!! Come on wake up and get a life!!

Now back to the topic at hand, I think Palm's develope of the m505 does bring critism. I think that the biggest complaint that people is with the screen. I know that some people don't seem to mind that the screen is dim and dull, but the majority of the people are saying that the screen is 'medicore' at best. Someone wrote that they won't mind living with a medicore machine along with a medicore life. That's just depressing....who are you a librarian? (heh)

I don't know about the rest of you, but if I'm paying $450-$500 of my hard earn money, I want a screen display that looks like it's worth 450-500 bucks!!!

"So we should all drive top-of-the-line cars? Live in the most expensive houses?"

You are missing the point. Most people are disappointed because they did buy the top-of-the-line PDA and got a so-so screen.

Would you buy a Ferrari if you knew it had a Honda engine inside... HELL NO! Same goes here.

2c

My purpose here was to do one thing...share an opinion. If you're not interested in my opinion, that's OK too...this is America!

To all of you other more stable individuals (shame on me, now I'm pointing fingers)I enjoy reading the thoughts and constructive criticisms of others, and keep the comments flowing!!

**Happy M505 User**

If the m505 didn't suite him SO BE IT!!! I love my IIIc and will keep it.

Did any of you even read what Ed posted? I guess not cause he said the same thing I just did. Damn, go ahead flame me now.

Palming away.....

The bottom line is all of us can make comparisons, gather tons of data from the most educated and informed sources available for all palm-type devices, and in the final analysis the question should be..."Would it fulfill my needs?" What works for me might not work for you, and vice versa. So let's stop ragging one another and get back to the mission at hand...the exchange of information and thoughts on a subject that fascinates all of us. If it didn't fascinate us, why are we all be spending so much time reading and replying to these posts ;-)

If you want a wonderful bright and vivid color for the picture viewing or for other multimedia purpose then get a iPAQ or Casio E-125 or HP Jornada.

If you want a Palm OS only PDA with wonderful bright and vivid color for the picture viewing or for other multimedia purpose and you are a gadget nut then get a Prism

If you want a ultra compact Palm OS only PDA for your organizer purpose such as keeping phones numbers, to do list, taking notes and with a extra room for large applications then get a M500

If you want the features of the above ultra compact PDA but have limited budget and can live with only 8 MB of space then get a Palm Vx.

If you want a ultra compact Palm OS only color PDA but the color is not your upmost priority and yet you need room for larger applications then get a M505

If you want a compact Palm OS only color PDA and you need it for viewing languages with complex charaters such as Chinese or Japanese and you love keeping nice pictures and prefer to have your music with you too then be patience and get a Sony Clie N710C.

If you want to criticze other PDA simply because you love yours so much then get a life!

Seriously folks, lighten up. I think we're all forgetting one little thing here that I'm pretty sure EVERYONE learned when we were children (or, are children, not to leave anyone out) - WE'RE ALL DIFFERENT. Nobody has the exact same needs for anything - including PDA's. (Well, except oxygen - most people I know are pretty bent on having a decent supply of that stuff..)

Some may want a thin device that can display good quality color images for business, or some may want a bit heavier device that can display pictures of their kids in high quality, bright as could be color so they don't have to worry about losing them in their wallet..

Others may want a bit more in terms of multimedia capabilities, and not mind yet an even larger size, and opt for a PPC.

This isn't intended to start one of those wonderful Palm vs PPC wars - all I'm trying to say is that everyone has their own needs and their own opinions. People can see the screens for themselves, without everyone attacking the few daring enough to say what they think. I really doubt anyone is going to read one single post of someone saying "I don't like the screen," and decide to never buy another Palm device again.

State your opinion, be friendly, or shut up.

Evan

I think we need to remember that everyone has their own opinions and preferences. I value opinions posted here but the one that matters the most is my own. If you like the M505 then great, if not, that's fine too. To each his/her own.

No reason to fuss.

BTW, the review was GREAT! Awesome job;)

Can you elaborate on the "much brighter" comment? Are you referring to the strength of the sidelight or the contrast of the screen itself without the sidelight on? Did you examine both units with a full charge?

Ed,
I own a Hungary model and still have about a week in which to return it. If you could pursue this USA/Hungary "brightness" difference for those of us in my situation and give your opinion it would of great help. Thanks.

Surely there coudln't be any difference. But... Now maybe these are just flukes, but, the USA model had a more white look to it in the dark, and the Hungarian model didn't backlight the bottom 1/8 inch of the graffiti area. But, in normal light, I could see no difference. The Hungarian model also had a power switch that wasn't as sensitive as the USA model. But, that's just my two models out of how many thousands.

Makes ya wonder why that hack/ hoax or whatever said the Hungarian models could be modified to brighten the screen and not the ones assembled in USA. Interesting.

Lovin my 505.

I have a USA m505 bought last Monday at Office Depot in Atlanta. Available for a drink?
--Bruno.

This got me curious so I went to OD and bought another m505(it seems like Best Buy gets the Hungarian and OD get the US...weird). The new unit is being charged up. I will post another message once I can confirm my statement above just to make sure that what I saw yesterday isn't a fluke.

To attempt to remove any bias I probably have, I took it around to about 15 people in my office to get their opinions. Most don't own any Palmtop devices, but there are a couple Prism and non-color Palm owners. The worst comment I got was, "That looks pretty nice."

Regardless, in my opinion, the m505 I picked up looks excellent. I find it hard to believe that so many people would complain about the screen if they all looked like mine, so I'm willing to bet the manufacturing process wasn't too great.

And no, it's not Hungary vs. USA.

Thanks,

dteky

Is the screen side lit from all 4 sides? My upper right side doesn't seem side lit.

That all being said, I have a Hungarian model purchased from OD (first shipment). Generally I like to buy "Merican" if I can, but OD didn't have and USA assembled models available. My m505 seems to have a blueish white light with frontlight on. The complete graffiti are is lit up. I have no complaints. Also, I find I only need to use the frontlight about 20% of the time as I have fluorescent lighting in my office, though not as bright as some offices. I guess all those carrots mom fed me as a kid come to some use.

I really think the Hugary vs USA arguement is a nonstarter. We all know the good 'ole US of A makes superior products ;-)) But don't forget, at least those of us old enought to remember, that Hungary produced the Gabor sisters (three gorgeous blondes in their day).

according to smaller.com, "the American m505 is of a better build with a better lit screen and a more even light distribution"

this is very disturbing to hear being an owner of a hungarian palm m505.

your comments please....

I would venture to say it is close to the Prism in brightness. (I used to own one).

In my humble opinion, size and form are important. The M505 has both and a very good screen. I also own an EM-500 and the screen on it is great but comes with the price of bulk and form.

Make sure you get the USA model!!!!

I took several photos with the lights on and off with both organizers, but I have no idea how to post them. If someone can advise I'll be happy to post them.

Luckyfoot

:(

http://members.nbci.com/ckohl23/1.jpg
http://members.nbci.com/ckohl23/2.jpg
http://members.nbci.com/ckohl23/3.jpg
http://members.nbci.com/ckohl23/4.jpg

http://cmkohl.8k.com/m505.html

Just a thought.

The side light on my Hungary model also doesn't light up all the way to the very bottom of the silkscreen but that is apparent only in very dim light so I couldn't see if this was true about CompUSA's model.

I'm not going to return my Hungary model for a USA one over this. The difference is just too slight to be worth the hassle.

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Palm Infocenter

Keep the comments coming folks...perhaps Palm will wake up and see that us users are smarter than they give us credit for!

Does anyone know of any stores in the Toronto west end (Mississauga) that currently offer the m505 that's made in the U.S.A ? I'd like to see firsthand a side ny side comparison to make a final decision. Thanks.

-joe-

I have two USA assembeld M505's and one of them is like this where the very bottom of the graffiti are is not lit up. The other one is lit all the way to the bottom, but it has a big flake of dust on the edge, under the top layer of screen and I'm afraid it will migrate out into the viewing area. Anybody else have a device where the lighting doesn't go all the way to the bottom? Should I exchange it?

Just bought an m505 Hungary Made and it looks fine and bright... It doesn't matter where it is assembled because the parts origin are the same... In every assembly line there are always a percentage of stock that will not meet the level of quality... From what I've heard is that the USA and Hungary made units both have issues on a certain percentage...

Cant complain as managed to get a deal on it for US$360... :)

Go and buy either version... Very nice unit...

Thanks!

He told me that brightness varies from unit to unit and has nothing to do with country of manufacture. Also, and he emphasized this over and over, he said that the brightness problem is a software issue. I couldn't believe this, but he repeatedly told me it was true. His claim is that the brightness is set at the level it is for purposes of keeping the battery life at a reasonable amount. He implied that it's just a tradeoff between battery life vs. screen brightness.

Mark's Palm, btw, was very bright. And guess what? It was made in Hungary.

As soon as Palm gets the m500's modem in, I'll go back to doing most of my e-mail from the Palm. As I said in the article, I'd really prefer to do almost everything from the handheld. About the only exception is real Web surfing.

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News Editor
Palm Infocenter

However, this particular review was written by David Pogue. For those that don't know Mr. Pogue is the author of the popular "PalmPilot: The Ultimate Guide" put out by O'Reilly (you know, the computer books with animal woodcuts on the cover). You may have also noted that his book is regularly advertised in the left column boxes here on Palm InfoCenter (look for the flying squirrel). Though his current edition (2nd) is beginning to show its age, if you read the book you'd understand that this man loves Palm handhelds. Simply put, don't shove off his review as a piece of useless fluff.

On a related note, I didn't think the m505 was as bad as Mr. Pogue described. There were two present at the past meeting of the Michigan State PUG, and I was pretty impressed with the screen. Then again, as Ed mentioned in his review, I'm one of those that's been using a monochome Palm (Vx is most current), and anything color looks better than that. I frequently find myself in those lighting situations where the ambient light isn't enough, and the backlight just seems to make it worse (whether I invert the backlight setting or not). The frontlight on the m505 helps the screen no matter what. In fact, I kind of wish that the monochomes had frontlight like the m505.

Anyway, for more information on David Pogue's book (and to see what he does know about Palm handhelds), head over to http://palmpilot.oreilly.com/

No, I don't work for David Pogue, the NY Times, or O'Reilly - I just know that the man writes a darn good book about Palm handhelds and his review should be trusted)

http://www.davidpogue.com/

I'm pretty sure he's used a Palm device for more than 2 minutes.

Allan

Really, everyone needs to be a little more independent and form their own opinions? "Parroting" what they've heard or read other places is an excellent description of what's been going on with the M505 discussions.

It is called "Marketing" :)

Sony will make you wait and wait... I am pretty sure of it!

Loving my m505,
Aaron the original poster :)

To buy something else just because what you want isn't out yet is just plain foolish -- even more so when you only have to wait for a month or two. Besides, most of the people here already own a PDA. You can afford to wait.

2c

i didn't buy the palm because the sony was not here and i was impatient. i do not want a heavy bulky over-priced over-hyped mp3 player. i wanted a sleek slim thin powerful organizer. and i got it and am happy. so back off! i'm not foolish for getting what i want.

"yo 2c- i didn't buy the palm because the sony was not here and i was impatient..."

Then I wasn't talking to you. I was responding to those who were recommending the purchase of a m505 over a Clie 700 just on the basis of availability.

BTW: Your claim of satisfaction loses credibility when you lash out with like that. If you are truly happy with your purchase, please don’t let the writings of an anonymous person spoil it for you. That *would* be foolish. ;)

2c

Don't get me wrong, I don't care much for Sony computer products, but they are a huge company with lots of resources and may end up being the last man standing on the Palm OS side of PDAs. And if Sony every purchased Palm, Handspring can probably kiss their OS license goodbye!

Palm appears to be in the process of imploding and might not be around much longer as a separate company. I expect to see them taken over within six months, perhaps sooner if their new lineup flops. The first step will be a series of resignations, likely to be announced within the next month.

Microsoft is now poised to step it, but it remains to be seen whether or not PPC4 has been simplified enough to challenge Palm's intuitive design. Don't be surprised to see massive changes in the PDA market over the next 4 months.

Btw, funny the author of this article mentioned that MSMOUNT was created for the CLIE, but did not mention anything about McFile.
Well McFile was created FOR the CLIE also, see the little Memory Stick icon on the bottom left? And Click the "Palm" on the top right, It'll change to "MS"

And anyways, Sony Clie was better off the block. Sony Clie comes with MS-GATE an almost full featured file management program (McFile is still better), but Sony's MS-Gate is a lot more better than whatever the m500/505 uses to copy stuff to the SD/MMC.
Heh. Palm m500/505 is Half-Assed

I have no idea if there is any merit to this rumor. I just find it ironic that after all of the Sony bashing I’ve seen on this board, it’s their technology that is propelling the platform to the next level.

Maybe some of you Clie boys out there can help clear this up. ;)

Let's see if Palm will release what is being called a "m515" --

320x320 screen
brighter lighting
contrast control
soft Graffiti area

D'oh! That will teach me to write reviews until the middle of the night. Thanks for the correction.

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News Editor
Palm Infocenter

joemc