Comments on: Palm Tungsten T2 Review
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RE: why bother?
RE: why bother?
RE: why bother?
I find it rereshing that Palm is seriously investing in R&D. Otherwise it will keep losing market share to Sony... not that I mind that, but they seem unable to make an OS 5 model with a "normal" form factor.
RE: why bother?
RE: why bother?
This incremental upgrade pattern has been a standard evolutionary trend since the beginning. Go to www.PalmEvolution.com and study the branching:
pilot -> PalmPilot
Palm III -> IIIx -> IIIxe
Palm V -> Palm Vx
Palm VII -> Palm VIIx
m505 -> m515
etc. etc.
Take a good product, make a few updates and release another good product (kinda like this review
Cheers,
Dan
RE: why bother?
---
Tyler Puckett
Palm m505 and m125.
64MB SanDisk SD Card
RE: why bother?
Anyway, I am still happy with my TT but deeply troubled by the fact that I was three weeks too early in making my Palm upgrade... (I waited since November last year when the TT first came out and have been a loyal user of Palm starting from Palm, Palm Pilot, Palm Vx...) Ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:-(
Well, I guess my user ID said it all... I know nothing.
RE: why bother?
Either poor sales or inventory clearance for a new model.
Also, talk of a Tungsten T2 has been around the Forums here for several weeks.
RE: why bother?
Palm released the T2 because the supplies of the origional T screens had run out long ago. Replaced by the new screens. It's better to run with current than keep obsolete parts in stock. Add some more memory for fun and there you have it.
Could be easier to manufacture a T2 than continue with the T.
RE: why bother?
RE: why bother?
And yes, I AM A MAC GEEK!!
RE: why bother?
I was recently in a store to look at the latest PalmOS models, and I came away feeling that the Tungsten T-series was the only decently built machine. I was especially disappointed by the Tungsten C: it felt very cheap and especially the app buttons and 5-way controller feel awful. I was not impressed by any keyboard on any of the PDAs either.
I am a Palm m505 owner, and would still like to see a new model in similar form factor with a 320x480 screen. A slider has little use for me.
more pictures dispaly T2 / T
http://www.pdaforum.de/displayvergleich/
or
http://www.pdaforum.de/tungsten-t2/
Best greetings from germany
Markus
---
PDA-Forum - Alles rund um Palm OS Handhelds. http://www.pdaforum.de
I'm Underwhelmed
Great Review...Great Product
Has the implementation of the web browser (now in ROM) using bluetooth changed at all? It has been such a universal headache for people to set up.
What is the effect on batter life of the new transflective color screen versus the old T|T screen?
Looks like the T2 will hold us all over nicely until the 320x480 T3 comes out.
RE: Great Review...Great Product
RE: Great Review...Great Product
Holding the center nav button is supposed to be the launcher hard button, but some apps either take over control, or just don't handle it properly. Rather than opening the slider for those few apps, I'll just tap the voice memo, then use the nav button.
RE: Awesome Deal on TT2 Accessories Kit
Amazon.com was selling the Palm Tungsten T ( TT ) Essentials Kit for $50 but lowered their price on the kit to $30 last week (with free shipping) when Palm announced they were discontinuing the Palm Tungsten T.
Palm intoduced the new Palm Tungsten T2 ( TT2 ) this past Wednesday (7-23-03) . All the accessories in the the Essentials Kit for the TT can be used with the TT2. Amazon is STILL selling the kit today for $30 (with free shipping) !
If you're buying a TT2 get the TT Essentials kit from Amazon - it's a GREAT DEAL !
On Wednesday, the Essentials kit was $26.99 ( I ordered 2 of them), but today they jacked it up to $29.99 - still a great deal !
The Palm TT Essentials kit (made by Palm - not some 3rd party manufacturer) includes :
a) Tungsten T Sleeve Case (which alone retails for $30)
b) Recharging HotSync USB Cable - portable Palm cable that hotsyncs and recharges unit directly from your computer's USB port (No AC recharger needed!)
c) 6 Premium Screen Protectors
d) 1 Cleaning Cloth for screen
e) 2 original TT Stylis
RE: Great Review...Great Product
Yeah - i use that one too, but i have found a couple of apps that even override that (shouldnt be - but somehow...). The problem would be fixed once and for all if they just added a dedicated button that worked exactly as the silkscreen app launhcer button.
Just Like Sony?
Cheers!
RE: Just Like Sony?
-Bosco
Available RAM on Sonys is a sad joke
More but still not enough for power users. We should be getting 64 or 128 MB of RAM as standard on Palms by now. The only reason Sony and Palm shortchange us on RAM is so they can sell more Memory Sticks and SD cards. Those subnotebook CLIEs that are coming out soon are the worst offenders. They should have been given whatever OS the need to have AT LEAST 64 MB of RAM.
RE: Just Like Sony?
I agree completely that we need more RAM. 32Mb is more than enough for 98% of users, but not quite enough for you and me. I'm holding out for the T|T form factor with 64Mb, even if I have to get it modified. The new Mapopolis Navigator maps I'm waiting for are huge... just the two areas I need most total over 7Mb.
RE: Just Like Sony?
People slamming the Sony UX should read the fine print: although it has 16MB standard RAM, it has an additional 29MB that acts as Memorystick compatible RAM. This gives a total of 45MB of RAM. This approach is better i think - you can finally store files other than .prc, .pdb, .pqa in your devices RAM. People are used to the old paradign on this one, but i think this is actually one of the unsung innovations of the UX. Having said this - i'm still no fav of the UX devices because of the case design & keyboard, and the heinous stupidity of having no portrait mode.
TT3 and TT4
Many users in China have been in possession of TT2 for 1 or 2 months.
Now we are talking about TT3 and have a little information with TT4.
RE: TT3 and TT4
What kind of info do you have about the TT4?
Visit http://goodthatway.com/
-better living through better technology.
RE: TT3 and TT4
Got hardware specs for the TT3?
RE: TT3 and TT4
_________________________
Lord, help me become the person my dog thinks I am!
RE: TT3 and TT4
Myself, I'll wait like the previous poster for the T10 next year :)
RE: TT3 and TT4
Because newer Palm models are assembled in China...and China vendors usually have little respect towards confidentiality.
I hope the Chinese manufacturers soon realize this, before this issue drive away all foreign customers.
--
With great power comes great responsiblity.
RE: TT3 and TT4
While we're spreading wild rumours, is the TT4 similar to the TT3 with VG?
RE: TT3 and TT4
owned: Pilot 5000, PalmPilot Pro, Palm V, IIIc, m505, Sony T615, Tungsten T.
To Hodgen
Otherwise, I'll just enjoy the Tungsten T until next year.
Established Consumer Palm Handheld Possessor since 2002
RE: TT3 and TT4
Life is a great adventure or nothing.
RE: TT3 and TT4
I actualy here a palm like this is coming in november, TT3??
If it is the TT3, NO WAY Im buying that
A Palm in one hand is worth 2 Pocket PC Bricks
: )
-Steve
This is what the original Tungsten T should have been.
No doubt geeks here will complain that it doesn't have feature X, Y or Z but it has everything most non-technogeeks could need in a Palm. Too bad they can't seem to make it thinner. Palm's Vx still is the design to beat.
While I don't thint I'll ever buy another Palm that isn't a SmartPhone, if I had to recommend a Palm to a newbie, the T2 would probably be the one.
On another note, what's happened to the reviews here at Palminfocenter? "The display is stunningly is gorgeous and quite vivid. I was more than happy with the original TT screen, that is, until I had used Palm's latest transflective screen." Gushing "reviews" like this make me wonder what's up. If you need help with reviews, you should just ask. There are several people posting here that could probably help you out with well-written, balanced reviews of new hardware.
I don't think I'm the only one disappointed by the changes here either. http://www.palmstation.com/view_article.py?article=5594&flat_mode=1
RE: This is what the original Tungsten T should have been.
Every review reflects a personal opinion and I don't see anything wrong with that.
Keep them comin'.
reviews?
Actually, many of the reviews on this site are submitted by volunteers from the readership! Accessories, cool apps, you name it.
Got any links to on-line reviews you've done?
- D
RE: This is what the original Tungsten T should have been.
A SE P800 or even a Sony seems to be the way for me - I really-really do not like the xScale - while I love the OMAP.
Could be interesting if developers began to use the AMD Alchemy.
Live long and prosper...
CHINA for the new Tungsten T2or3
CIC has quite a presence in China running about 9 years in building their relationships. I wonder if their set up with Tsinghua Univ R&D and marketing plays a had in this down the road if not already
check out the history http://www.cic.com/press and look for the China news back to 1999 and also Legend and CIC and did not Legned and Palm stike up a relationship at the end of 2002?
go palm go cic
RE: CHINA for the new Tungsten T2or3
PalmOS 5.2.1 for TT?
Have fun,
freefall.
RE: PalmOS 5.2.1 for TT?
RE: PalmOS 5.2.1 for TT?
Look, we TT users are some of the most recent Palm customers. They can't really count on us buying a TT2 just to have an OS upgrade which was available for free or a rather small fee for older Palm units in the past.
RE: PalmOS 5.2.1 for TT?
To me, the main feature of OS5.2.1 is breaking the RAM limit barrier. But the T|T can't use this feature.
Some of the bundled applications are now on ROM which frees up additional RAM (a good thing!) but licensing issues might prohibit this, or at least make it a real PITA to get agreement.
Another difference is Graffiti 2 instead of "Graffiti Classic" -- which would be reason enough for me personally, to not want the upgrade.
And other than that, I can't think of anything else that is a significant difference. Anyone...?
Unless there's something I'm missing, I wouldn't expect there to be much demand for an OS upgrade.
- D
RE: PalmOS 5.2.1 for TT?
That's about the only major improvement from OS 5.0 to OS 5.2.1 I can think of, but it is a very crucial one for me.
RE: PalmOS 5.2.1 for TT?
Is there anyone who dare to use Jacksprat to flashwrite TT with the rom of TT2?
^_^
RE: PalmOS 5.2.1 for TT?
Edward Green
--
http://www.khite.co.uk
RE: PalmOS 5.2.1 for TT?
This is my reservation in moving up from the M515. Does anyone have any "Classic Graffiti" program/hack in the works, for those of us who don't want to change?
RE: PalmOS 5.2.1 for TT?
http://www.tealpoint.com/softscrp.htm
-- and ha! You are behind the times. PalmOS 5 *kills* hacks. Some of them will work with:
http://www.tealpoint.com/softmstr.htm
-- but don't count on the ones you Absolutely Need. I'll be losing PopUpMemo. ^%#$@#!
RE: PalmOS 5.2.1 for TT?
Good luck!
-
"If it weren't for electricity we'd all be watching television by candlelight." - George Gobol.
RE: PalmOS 5.2.1 for TT?
http://store.palm.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1157349&cp=1179762
Like others, I could live without the Graffiti upgrade. This does feel exactly like the feeling I had when the Palm Vx came out and I already had the Palm V. IMO, the T2 is too little of an upgrade in too short of a time period. I realy do enjoy my T|T and I feel that I can get quite a bit more use out of it, especially given how long I was using my Palm V! (granted I did deviate from Palm for a little while there with a Sharp Zaurus).
If I did not already have my T|T, the T2 would be _exactly_ what I would want right now. I love the T|T's form factor and all of the little improvements of the T2 address the majority of the minor gripes I do have.
RE: PalmOS 5.2.1 for TT?
Tony
--
With great power comes great responsiblity.
RE: PalmOS 5.2.1 for TT?
I also want to use the Voice Memo 1.1 (which is available since Tungsten C). Currently VersaMail 2.5 requires Voice Memo 1.1 to play a wave file attachment.
Tony
--
With great power comes great responsiblity.
RE: PalmOS 5.2.1 for TT?
RE: PalmOS 5.2.1 for TT?
RE: PalmOS 5.2.1 for TT?
RE: PalmOS 5.2.1 for TT?
Mike, PopUp Note works with TealMaster 2.15. Only problem is the list view does not work (shows blank list), but every other function is fine.
RE: PalmOS 5.2.1 for TT?
And, yes, I've tried TealMaster and PopUpMemo -- but without being able to see the List View, it's not much use to me! I have -- let's see -- 1,873 Memos, so it's kind of important to me, that List View feature that's broken... why won't he update his stuff?!!?
RE: PalmOS 5.2.1 for TT?
--
With great power comes great responsiblity.
RE: PalmOS 5.2.1 for TT?
RE: PalmOS 5.2.1 for TT?
The bubble
RE: The bubble
The bluetooth chip/antenna is mounted on a circuit board inside.
- D
RE: The bubble
RE: The bubble
Good, but can be better...
RE: Good, but can be better...
when the t3 comes out (if its true) id still go for the slider since it means its going to be compact when you just need to look something up.
a bigger screen with vg is possible..maybe with the zire 71s form factor. but how the hell do we get high res screen, slimmer design, and no slider!!!
the vx form factor with vg would be perfect..but think about battery life and since now palm has colored screens and more ram...it might not even be possible..at least not now.
RE: Good, but can be better...
RE: Good, but can be better...
Thickness from IR, card slot and stylus?
My guess is that it's either the slider, the battery, or both that make the TT/TT2 that thick.
I'm sure someone's taken one apart and posted pictures... that should settle it.
RE: Good, but can be better...
The slider had to be designed to go over the main body, then it had to be thick enough to house some very good keyswitches, then there is a backing plate to support the switches and buttons, then there has to be lateral support so the cover does not flex every time you use the buttons. Otherwise you would have marks and scratches from the inside of the slider contacting the screen.
Technically, they could have made the slider a little thinner and obtained the design objectives, but I think they made it thicker at the bottom to let you hold onto the device better... something that gamers appreciate. Not only has the T|T been the best productivity device for me yet, it's been the best for games mostly due to the generous real estate around great buttons and the easy to hold slider.
RE: Thickness from IR, card slot and stylus?
I disassembled my TT to find out what the big buzz is about, but didn't take any pictures, maybe next time.
Actually the TT's (and shurely the TT2) "thickness" come from the screen, battery and main board, the main board is very small, amazing, it only occupies the half upper part of the screen space and has only 3 noticeable ICs (the smallest board I have seen, compared against the PEG-T415 and the Palm IIIe ones), and the other bottom half is occuped by the battery, it is as thick as 0.5 centimeters aprox, BTW Samsung made. The screen board is separated from the main board and it has connectors on one side and ICs on the other, that makes the TT a little bit fat. Also notice that the screen is somehow sunken on the case, not like the Zire 71 screen.
I didn't find any separate bluetooth board or antenna.
Since this post should be about the TT2 and not about taking the TT apart, I cant't publish the instructions here, but if someone could guide me to the right forum to post them I will gladly share.
Promise to take some pictures of the TT's internals soon.
RE: Thickness from IR, card slot and stylus?
Also forgot to mention (the Altema reply notices it perfectly, thanks) that the buttons on the slider also contribute to make the TT fatter. To sum up, the back plane of the slider, + main board + screen + front side of the slider (buttons included) makes the TT as fat as it is, but I have to state that it is perfect for me, gives a good grip, not like the filmsy Clié PEG-T series.
Pictures comming up in a few days I hope...
Graffiti Classic??
Aside from TealScript, what other options are available?
Is there a "system extension" that enables true Graffiti Classic?
- D
RE: Graffiti Classic??
The Palm OS answer to the dilema with shortcuts is to not use those characters. Duh!
RE: Graffiti Classic??
All the people complaining about Graphitti 2 should give it a try before they get up in arms. There are only three letters that you need to re-learn.
RE: Graffiti Classic??
With TealScript and an hour of your time (provided you're a proficient Graffiti user) you can recreate graffiti Classic .... with BONUSES (I created my own extra stokes to automagically write common words like The For And ...
Tealscript is fantastic, it works wonderfully, and with WPM on my Z71 I'm now back to 31WPM as I used to do with Graffiti Classic on my Vx.
So where is the problem?
Alessandro
RE: Graffiti Classic??
RE: Graffiti Classic??
RE: Graffiti Classic??
But my question was whether there was another solution.
G2 (aka "Jot Lite") is ~OK but it isn't just a few different strokes - the "extended character set" is kinda screwy now, so it's a long learning curve to get fully proficient. And I use more than one device, so having to remember which device likes which variation is a real turn-off. G2? No thanks.
And I'm not really happy with the performance hit of TealScript -- using this on top of "Jot Lite" seems like a real kludge...
So. If anyone knows of another, more elegant solution PLEASE let the community know.
Cheers,
Dan
Good ol Palm
Or should I say getting the ones they have right the first time?
Sorry m505 owners...
Sorry T1 owners...
Sorry Zire 71 owners, we'll "freshen " you next.
But here's 50 updates to fill up your memory in the meantime...
Dripping with venom? -Perhaps.
The truth? -Closer than you think.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theroboticsclub/
RE: Good ol Palm
Sorry!
:(
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theroboticsclub/
RE: Good ol Palm
Hey everyone gets a chance to whine, right? ;)
RE: Good ol Palm
The Zire71 is a good machine. Who cares if they release an upgrade later. Current Z71 owners won't be in a worse position once the Z72 comes out than the are now. It's not Palm's fault that some people have a compulsive need to own the latest and greatest.
Jon
RE: Good ol Palm
Sorry!"
Yeah, like anyone here would buy an M100 now... you just spoiled the whole sales push for the new M100 Martha Stewart Edition.
Bitching and Moaning
Now i fully expected a price hike when the T|T was launched, palm to their credit havn't done this, it's not a brand new model, just like every other copmany in the world does. Whenever you buy technology you do it knowing that within days/weeks/months that it will become obsolete and start showing it's age. So let's be thankful that palm are continually reviewing their models and range, and thank god that there is stll an alternative to Pocket PC.
Bill Gates buys Tungsten T/2
In an unusual twist, a portion of a $7.5 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will go to purchase 1,100 Palm Tungsten T2 handhelds for superintendents and principals in public and private K-12 schools in New York.
RE: Bill Gates buys Tungsten T/2
If Gates had pulled the funding just because they didn't buy his company's handhelds, I'd have said he was being arrogant.
"All opinions posted are my own, and not those of my employers, who are appalled."
RE: Bill Gates buys Tungsten T/2
good review
As a Zire 71 owner, I was pleased to discover the quick lookup feature that's been integrated into the phone book. Before this review, I did not know it existed. Now, I can quickly jump to a specific entry using just the D-pad. Cool!
Virtual Grafitti
What I am asking is this: Given that we have seen pics of a rumored T3 with VG and now have seen an announcement of the T2 with no VG, what are the odds of a VG (soft-grafitti, whatever) enabled Palm anytime soon?
What say you?
<><
RE: Virtual Grafitti
I say TT3 in September.
Or Palm SG is in biiiig trouble.
RE: Virtual Grafitti
RE: Virtual Grafitti
I stick with September. OK, I'll give you part of October too.
April would be suicidal.
RE: Virtual Grafitti
I'm all in favour of the Tungsten T-series design, but wouldn't mind what people have already mentioned:
Slimmer and lighter
More memory
Longer battery life
Virtual Graffiti with a 320x480 screen
Lower price (yeah,right!)
I doubt anything would convince me to upgrade for a while yet, though. All of these new Palm devices don't argue for a replacement of my m505 - since I still prefer the functionality of the regular Palm apps to any fancy multimedia stuff for now.
If anyone at Palm is listening, the screen and size of the device are probably the biggest "draw" for your average consumer. Is it light and slim? Does the picture look good? That is probably the first thing a person notices.
Also, I would like to congratulate Palm on the build quality of their devices - they never seem cheap or easily breakable, unlike some Sony and PocketPC stuff.
Palm m505 User
RE: Virtual Grafitti
I disagree. The pictures of the T3 look like a fairly advanced prototype or pre-production unit. My guess is we will see these in time for Christmas, likely along with an updated Z71. The big question is will it have OS6 or OS5x on it?
RE: Virtual Grafitti
Instead of beating everyone to the punch with a near-perfect device, they would be an also-ran by next April.
Palm's Death March (again!)
And do you think the hp 2215 will remain at $399 for the rest of the year?
There is hellish competition out there. If no TT3 by the end of October, layoffs at Palm in December.
Audio Upgrade?
RE: Audio Upgrade?
RE: Audio Upgrade?
Edward Green
--
http://www.khite.co.uk
Rethinking
Slider and password
Has this been a hindrance to anyone? If so, I'll have to consider the T|C or Zire 71.
RE: Slider and password
RE: Slider and password
I've also learned to enter my password with my fingernail, so it saves me time reaching for the stylus.
Again, any Tungsten T users find themselves a little slow on the draw? Or is this no big deal?
RE: Slider and password
If you're worried about encryption or ease of use I can suggest PDADefense - you can set up your buttons (Date Book, Address Book, To Do, Notepad etc.) to enter a code instead of using the stylus.
An excellent product from a great group of people.
Palm m505 User
RE: Slider and password
But yeah, unprotected, the device does suffer a bit. That's partly why I'm considering an upgrade.
RE: Slider and password
RE: Slider and password
No, you do not need to open the slider. They added a "Keyboard" button to the unlock screen which pops open the on-screen keyboard.
RE: Slider and password
Nosy relatives, for one. (Oops! Did *I* say that?)
RE: Slider and password
Only at first until you learn that you don't even have to use the graffiti OR stylus when looking up addresses.
RE: Slider and password
RE: Slider and password
This seems to be missed in so many comments..... Palm OS 5.2.1 and above are Graffiti 2 based. This is basically JOT by CIC. It allows for on-screen graffiti. No Virtual Graffiti, you just write on the screen and it acts like the silkscreen. You don't need to load any extra apps.
However, on the T|T(1) you do need an extra program or two.
On the T|T(1) I would suggest looking at Slide Free, but I feel qlaunch is a better product. Both have trial versions. So does JOT if you want to see what Graffiti 2 is like.
Unfortunately, Palm did not include the updated system sound
Regards Carlis.
Have to talk to a Merchant about this
Anyway, I have to talk to the merchant that I purchased my Tungsten T regarding about the Tungsten T2.
Established Consumer Palm Handheld Possessor since 2002
Talked to the Merchant.....
Established Consumer Palm Handheld Possessor since 2002
RE: Have to talk to a Merchant about this
RE: Have to talk to a Merchant about this
I would if I get impatient. The only thing I REALLY need right now is RAM. The new Navigator map files are huge!
Hell, I'll just wait until next Late April/Early May
Hopefully, an Intel X-Scale Processor, ATI Video Technology, and AT LEAST 64MB On-Handheld RAM should be inside. IMO T4 probably going to have a 320x480 TFT High-Res Plus Screen (if not, True Res Plus Screen of 1280x1920 might be possible, if technology permits).
Well, I'm just gonna wait until Palm OS 6.0 comes out on the market, then I'm going to do Palm Tungsten T Version 6.0 (Hence TT4). IMO Waiting for Palm OS 6.0 will be a much better value than a Tungsten T2, which is just a "bug fix" to the Tungsten T.
As I should say, "5.2.1 Update for Tungsten T!!! 5.2.1 Update for Tungsten T!!!"
Established Consumer Palm Handheld Possessor since 2002
Paint It Black!
I look at that Sony CLIE NX 73 and that matte black finish is just *gorgeous* and makes the screen really stand out!
Make me a black TT2!
And *especially* a black TT3!
I am sick of silver! (Maybe that should be a PIC Poll: "Are You Sick To Death of Silver PDA Coloring?")
RE: Paint It Black!
I am sick of silver and beige. And I'm not too fond of the toyish grey on the Tungs W & C.
And the Z71 blue ... eh. Family-oriented, s'okay.
Gimme a black TT2 and TT3.
RE: Paint It Black!
Palm m505 User
RE: Paint It Black!
On a related note, my personal favorite Palm of all time (looks-wise) was the old IIIe SE, with the clear casing. The optional day-glo color screen protector flaps just completed the package. For a few months back in '98/99 or so, that IIIe SE was *really* trendy in a late 90s, .com hoopla, iMac, fruity see-thru kind of way ;-)
RE: Paint It Black!
The coolest aftermarket cases were the solid aluminum cases for the IIIc. It was almost enough to make me keep my IIIc a while longer. The desire for expansion moved me on to the M505.
I wonder if painting the T|T case would gum up the teflon guides?...
RE: Paint It Black!
May your Palm be with you...
RE: Paint It Black!
"I say it's photoshopped and I'm an expert!"
______________________________
An armed society is a polite society.
RE: too expensive
Updated Feature/Price Comparison Chart???
-screen resolution
-memory (don't care that much)
-wireless connectivity
-gadgets
And/or could someone tell me, which models have a camera, which have a voice recorder, and what's the cheapest that has both?
The Perfect Palm
400Mhz processor-minimum
IrDA 1.2, Bluetooth 1.2, 802.11b
USB 2.0 and/or FireWire 800 Hotsync
320 x 480 65k Transflexive screen
128MB RAM
OS 5.2.1
2 SD Card slots
Seperate graphics engine
What do you think?
RE: The Perfect Palm
RE: The Perfect Palm
There's a few things to keep in mind here:
1. Mhz=Performance is a false formula.
2. In direct comparison between a 175Mhz OMAP and a 400Mxz XScale using same OS and applications, the TI cleaned the Intel's clock. The comparison was not even close... the "faster" XScale got stomped.
3. I work directly with PPC owners who are a little confused right now. How come a 300Mhz device takes a few seconds for the same tasks that a 144Mhz device does instantly? If we graded the performance of cars only on maximum engine RPM, with no regard for horsepower or torque or gearing, we would be in the same quandry: An Acura Legend would obviously be the dragstrip champion against a '69 Hemi Dart because its engine can reach a higher RPM...
The TI OMAP may or may not be many things, but it is certainly not lame.
RE: The Perfect Palm
Battery life, TT vs. T2
Tungsten T: 81%
Tungsten T2: 87%
So the T2 battery seems to hold up pretty well, even with more RAM and a brighter display.
To give you some idea of the difference in screen brightness, the Tungsten T with the brightness turned up to halfway is about the same as the T2 with brightness at its lowest setting.
RE: Battery life, TT vs. T2
During your test, were the brigtness settings on full for both devices, or ??
- D
BUG Grafitti/Notepad
Is there a way to get the notepad functionality back without going to the prefs each time? Seems buggy if you can't any ideas on how to do this?
RE: BUG Grafitti/Notepad
Bluetooth & TT2
Duke
I've got a smaller one than you!
Gimmicks, that's why. It seems all manufacturers have become blinkered into adding useless gimmicks at the expense of size and battery life. Stereo speakers, cameras, fingerprint recognition, colour screens, 802.11b, ###mhz cpus: I don't want any of it if I have to pay for it with a bloated power-hungry machine. Give me a monochrome screen that I can see fine in any light without a backlight, and battery life measured in weeks not hours. I don't want to worry about losing my data because I forgot or didn't have time to charge my PDA last night.
The following are killer apps on a PDA IMO:
PIM (contacts, calendar, memos, etc)
Text web-browsing,
Password keeping,
Bluetooth,
Email,
MP3 playing.
Offer me a Vx with MP3 and bluetooth and I'll bite your hand off. I don't care what speed the processor is, the Vx is 33Mhz and I never have any performance gripes. 802.11b is too power-hungry for a PDA.
Bluetooth was designed for small, low-power devices and works well as such. If I'm at home or in the office, I'll use a PC for web-browsing, if I'm on the move, a bluetooth connected mobile. There's little need for 802.11b on a PDA.
Can't Palm release a good PDA, just for old-times sake for us serious PDA users instead of trying to catch PocketPCs in the useless-gimmicks race? If you PDA makers are reading this, please remember that there are some of us out there that still want Pocket Digital Assistants, not toys for boys. Maybe there's space for a new entrant to the market (IBM?).
Brendan
RE: I've got a smaller one than you!
Palm m505 User
RE: I've got a smaller one than you!
RE: I've got a smaller one than you!
T2. Top otch PDA. Unsticked stickers.
I have to say something... I left FutureShop somewhat upset by the fact that all the Tungsten boxes are not sealed and seemed to have been opened. The saleman told me that is how Palm ships them and that everyone complains about it. The same problem existed with the Tungsten 1 boxes. Palm should look into using stronger boxes sealing stickers. I would like to know if you guys have noticed this same issue. TIA.
So far the best Palm (especially with a SonyEricsson t610)
Point to note: I have been using Palm for 7+ years extensively.
I got pulled away by Sony after Palm Vx, for 2 Sony models, simply because 3Com just couldn't produce another model to match the finesse of Vx. I was disappointed by Sony also. My requirements are very straightforward: 1. Very small, 2. Good screen, 3. Scalable, 4. Graffti and 5. Good battery life. The very first Pilot seven years ago, and Palm Vx got all these requirements, but not scalable. CE is simply fundamentally inferior and clumbersome as an "on the go" OS. With technology advancement, I got greedy, I also want 6. Bluetooth and 7. mp3 playback.
I was very much tempted to get the TT earlier, but the screen is simply too poor. It also didn't have a seemless setup for mp3 playback and Bluetooth. Finally, Palm got it right and a little bit more.
1. Form factor
Very compact, and feel solid in your palm. Slider seems less tight as TT, which made it easier to open and close. A bit on the heavy side though.
2. Screen
Great screen. Very fine pixels and bright. It matches, if not better than, the Sony ones. It is even too bright if you set it at the brightest level indoors.
3. Scalability
32MB built-in and a SD slot, what else do you need. It is not like a memory hog - CE.
4. Graffti
Good that it is not a thumb pad like Tungsten C or W. Recognition is Okay. Unfortunately, I'm an old dog who prefers Graffti 1, not Graffti 2. If someone can tell me how to downgrade from Graffti 2 to 1, that would be great. It is good that you could do the Graffti on Screen, not only at the Graffti area. Practically, you never need to open the slider.
5. Battery Life
One charge seems to last for 3 days with heavy usage including some mp3 playing. That's pretty good for such a bright screen.
6. Bluetooth
The BT integration is far better than T1. It took me 5 minutes to set everything up with the T610. When I picked the location where I'm at, I could even select my local GPRS provider. It was so easy. Once trusted, immediately, I got SMS, POP3, Web Browsing, Phone dialing straigtht from the T2.
7. mp3 playback
The quality is very good. Even the built-in mono speaker is not bad. The Built-in RealOne mp3 player let you play in the background, true multi-tasking. The built-in video converter is better than the one from Sony. Although the conversion (or rendering) on the desktop is slow, I didn't get the error like the one I got from Sony. Video playback is very smooth. VoiceRecorder is nice, but I don't think I will ever use it.
In short, it is a solid production machine. Instead of waiting for the T3 for another 3-4 months just for the virtual Graffti area, just get the T2.
Issues:
- The build-in hot-sync software is very slow for copying files from desktop to the SD card. Better off getting a card reader for files copying.
- I had to cold reset it once while I was multi-tasking with some Bluetooth function in progress. It happened only once, hopefully not again.
- Graffti 2's 2 strokes letters like "t", "i" and the punctuations. It is just not as slick as the always one stroke (not counting letter "x") Graffti 1.
Advice on T2
Right now T2 here in our country is currently sold with free essential kit. I wonder why a new product such as T2 is now being sold with promo? Is it because T3 is expecting to be out soon? If T3 is to be out soon what do you think will be the price?
Should I buy now? or wait?
Thanks
RE: Advice on T2
Regarding the processor, the Sony uses the Intel PXA-250 XScale chip clocked at 200Mhz. If all you do is look at the Mhz, this can be misleading. The T2 is actually a dual processor device, with a 144Mhz TI OMAP processor, working together with a 200Mhz DSP. The original T1 with this dual processor benchmarks at about 366Mhz. The T2 has been optimized and runs a little faster than the T1. To put it in perspective, it makes a 300Mhz iPaq seem slow in some function, especially graphics.
In regards to MP3's while doing other stuff, no problem with AeroPlayer or PocketTunes. I have had MP3's playing while streaming a 36Mb video file (with sound) from the same card. I also had the music playing while using mapping software to generate routes while running a GPS at the same time. PocketTunes will even keep playing during a hotsync, but I prefer the audio quality of AeroPlayer. No problem while doing a search either. I cannot vouch for RealOne... I deleted it because I did not like the way it worked, and it seemed to use up a lot more CPU.
The T2 promo is probably to encourage sales in the face of the upcoming T3. The T2 would have been a hot item... if news of the T3 had not leaked out.
The T3 price should be between $400 and $500. If you really want the hi-res+ screen of the T3 and can tolerate the different button layout, then wait.
If the extra screen space and memory is not that important, go for the T2. 32Mb of RAM on the Palm T2 is plenty unless you are very extreme user or use mapping software. A moderate to heavy user like my wife would walk around with 20Mb of unused RAM if she had a T2.
RE: Advice on T2
I have another question concerning the processor performance I have seen some benchmark comparing palm handheld vs sony and it seems that there is really a big difference if we are going to base it on the benchmark. But I dont have any idea on the real world side. Can you share your knowledge concerning this?
please check the link I provided. thanks
Still missing some improvements
They thought about this when they designed the Zire Z's, why not the T2.
Another problem is that the unit turns on accidentally much to easily because of the front buttons being pressed.
Built in or not ? / Bugs in 5.2.1 on T2?
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why bother?
Who cares?
I have the TT and why should get this?
I'll wait till the T3!