Rumor: Palm m130 and m515 Revealed

Monday, March 4 seems to be the day on which Palm Inc. will launch two of its new color handhelds. Those handhelds, as has been mentioned on numerous occasions, are the Palm m130 and m515.

m130
The m130 comes with 8 MB of RAM, 4 MB of ROM, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that lasts up to one week, Palm OS 4.1, an SD/MMC slot, Universal Palm connector, and it is fully customizable with the latest m100 series faceplates.

In fact, the m130 will be an exact colour copy of the m125 with minor case appearance changes, including a blue and silver faceplate and a new type of flip-lid, but with a rechargeable battery, the first of its kind in the m100 series.

The new, improved screen is worth another mentioning. The new STN LCD (Transflective) will still be 160 by 160; however, it will be a vast improvement over the m505 screen Palm introduced last year. One of the reasons is the smaller size, therefore the sharper look of the m130 LCD.

The backlight is On by default. It can be turned Off by holding down the On/Off button for 2 seconds. The brightness is not otherwise adjustable. For optimal display, the contrast can be adjusted by clicking the Contrast icon on the Graffiti area.

This handheld uses ROM memory which can't be altered; therefore, no operating system update is possible. This is not as bad as it seems to be, since the m130 wouldn't be able to run OS 5 anyway.

Unfortunately, the m130 does not offer the "Alarm LED" and "Alarm Vibrate" options available with the m505.

m515
The m515 will come with 16 MB RAM, 4 MB Flash ROM, an improved screen capable of displaying 65 thousand colors, a rechargeable battery, a SD/MMC slot, and a Universal connector.

An anonymous source has revealed that the m515's screen will be different from the m130's, without contrast adjustment but with a sidelight that offers three levels of brightness: Off, Low, and Hi. The same source mentions a "Sun-like" icon on the Graffiti area; however, in a picture sent by Palm to its media department, there is no such icon. Even the Low setting is brighter than an m505.

The m515's casing is the exact copy of the m505's, but with a rough-textured finish, different from the m505's smooth finish.

Palm OS 4.1
The new Palm O.S. 4.1 will include some major changes in operating system/external memory services. It will support multiple FAT tables on SD/MMC cards and support I/O on SD.

It will even get a new colour version of the Notepad that will allow users to alter the background and the ink colours.

Adam Tzeit is the Editor-in-Chief of Palmi, a handheld-related site based in Israel. This article was written exclusively for the Palm Infocenter.

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Annoyed

I.M. Anonymous @ 2/28/2002 11:45:41 AM #
I feel annoyed now. When I rushed out an d got my 505 I was disappointed with the screen. Palms slogan on their web site was colour done properly. But now they've rectified it, it should have been proper in the first place.

RE: Annoyed
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/28/2002 12:55:12 PM #
You knew what the 505's looked like when you bought it. If you really didn't like it, why did you buy it? I can probably answer for you. Because it was the best screen available at the time. Since then better screens have been released and its time to update the 505. Which Palm is doing.

Since your PC came out, tons faster ones have been released. Why can you accept that but think Palm ripped you off?

RE: Annoyed
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/28/2002 1:08:16 PM #
> Because it was the best screen available at the time

Uhh ?? Are you serious ? I believe that the fact is "Because it was the WORST screen available at the time". CLIE has BEST screen, not PALM.

RE: Annoyed
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/28/2002 1:11:18 PM #
I agree! I did the same when purchasing my PC. I bought a PC that I wanted that had the features I needed at the time. When I bought my PDA (Palm IIIXE), it had and did everything I needed at the time too. With the m515 coming and having the features I need now, I'll be retiring my Palm IIIXE and getting the m515. I don't understand why people bitch and moan when the bought something that will obviously be replaced with something better in the future.


RE: Annoyed
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/28/2002 1:40:15 PM #
I'm always confused by people who refer to the "CLIE", like "CLIE has BEST screen, not PALM." There are quite a few models in the Clie line and some of them have some really terrible screens, like the S500C and the T415. There is also the monochrome S series, who's screens are certainly not better than the m505's. You need to be more specific.

Also, the m505 was out for a few months before the N series, which is probably what you are talking about. When the m505 was released, it had the best screen available on a Palm OS device. Since then, better screens have been introduced and now its Palm's turn for an update.

RE: Annoyed
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/28/2002 1:42:49 PM #
Palm, or PDA, is in the rapid advancing stage,
like PC 5 years back.
It means a few months after you buy your PC, it is already way behind the best PC available already.
And it is worth probably only 50% of its original
value.

But the one you like most when you buy one ( PC then
and PDA now.), and don't look at
what is coming in a few months, unless you need to change.

ted

RE: Annoyed
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/28/2002 3:34:02 PM #
>> > Because it was the best screen available at the time

Uhh ?? Are you serious ? I believe that the fact is "Because it was the WORST screen available at the time". CLIE has BEST screen, not PALM. <<

You need a little historical perspective. When the Palm m505 was INTRODUCED, it was the best screen available at the time--certainly better than the Sony S500C, which flopped mightily in Japan. The IIIc and Visor Prism were already on the market and were brighter, but they couldn't be viewed outside. So the Palm had the most viewing options, even if it's brightness was less-than-desirable. Sony LATER came out with a better screen on the N series.

It's not known whether the whiner above bought his m505 before or after the N series was released. But I agree that said whiner should ****, because Palm was simply offering the best it had, NOT trying to rip him off. Just because the m505 had flaws doesn't mean Palm was keeping something better under raps, essentially soaking people for money with inferior products. Get a grip.

On a side note, some people simply will NEVER understand how and why this stuff happens, and that's why they'll never be satisfied with ANYTHING Palm does.
Consider:
1) In a capitalist economy, no company can maintain 90% dominance fairly, because the competition will invariably make gains in marketshare. People who point to minor gains by Handspring, Sony, Compaq, etc., claim it's a sign of "Palm's demise." No, it's merely a sign that capitalism works.
2) Sony is able to innovate faster than Palm mainly because Sony is a larger company, with more cash and therefore more $$$ for R&D. Some people act like Palm employees sit around with their thumbs up their a**es all day--that's simply not the case.
3) Just because Palm made mistakes during the Yankowski "fog" doesn't mean those will continue. Anyone who reads about what the company is CURRENTLY doing can tell that they're beginning, again, to move in the right direction. Sure, the m515 is probably more about fixing problems than it is about innovating, but you've got to fix your vehicle before you can drive it, don't you?
4) Amazingly, despite Palm's problems, despite (inevitably) lost market share, they are STILL #1. Why? Well, popular low-end options (m100), brand-name loyalty, etc. Is there anything wrong with brand-name loyalty? Lots of people admit that New Balance makes a better running shoe than Nike. Has New Balance overtaken Nike? No, and the fact that Sony's products are CURRENTLY better than Palm's doesn't mean Sony will overtake them. It also doesn't mean that Palm buyers are somehow stupid, retarded, misled, etc.--nobody claims Nike buyers are.

So to the smug Sony-loving, Palm-hating crowd: enjoy your Clie--it's a nice machine. But stop bashing Palm at every opportunity, and ESPECIALLY stop bashing people who buy Palms to satisfy your own insecurities with self-important claims of superiority. Besides, the supposed superiority of your Clie doesn't mean you're anything but what your CHARACTER shows you to be.

RE: Annoyed
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/28/2002 4:38:07 PM #
I have never been disappointed with my M505 screen - and it is a Hungarian model to boot! My guess is M515 users may not always use the high setting as to conserve the battery - I hope the low setting is as good as the M505 with the sidelight on - if it is much lower it may have limited functionality.

RE: Annoyed
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/28/2002 6:35:40 PM #
>..Because it was the best screen available at the time
Nope, Visor Prism definitely has better screen when M505 was released. It's brighter and adjustable.

RE: Annoyed
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/28/2002 7:14:11 PM #
"So to the smug Sony-loving, Palm-hating crowd: enjoy your Clie--it's a nice machine. But stop bashing Palm at every opportunity, and ESPECIALLY stop bashing people who buy Palms to satisfy your own insecurities with self-important claims of superiority. Besides, the supposed superiority of your Clie doesn't mean you're anything but what your CHARACTER shows you to be."

I'd like to comment on this, look at the M500 series USB fix and the Clie stylus fix thread. did any those so called Sony-loving Palm hating people jump on Palm device becuase it might fry your motherboard when you sync? No. but when I look at the Spony styli fix thread, it's only posted for less than 24 hours there's already comments about those sony engineers

"Another case of user ingenuity making up for Sony's incompetence.

If their engineers spent as much time on their products as they do posting messages to websites like these, maybe CLIE users would not have to deal with issues like this."

I don't know if he's one of those sony haters, and palm lovers but that sure is annoying.

So who's bashing who whenever they got the chance now??

RE: Annoyed
Ia3n @ 2/28/2002 7:21:17 PM #
The m505 was not by any means the best screen at the time. The Prism was definitely better, though thicker. The m505 may have been a good unit but the screen was never one of its advantages. The Sony N-Series came out very soon afterwards, especially if you count the release in Japan. They are much brighter and have four times the resolution. The fact is, Palm was trying to save money or battery life, or for some other reason, decided to use a low quality screen. It was NOT the best available. The higher quality of the N-Series screen can't be attributed to only advancement over time because the new Palms still haven't matched the Clie's resolution and it has been several months since then.
And to whoever said it's stupid to say that Clies are better than Palms because there are several kinds of Clies... well, there are several kinds of both.
My intent here isn't to bash Palm in general, just on the m505's screen. That was BAD. The current improvement is more of just because they have their act together than an increase in technology.

-Ia3n
Director, Ministry of Truth
RE: Annoyed
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/28/2002 7:30:57 PM #
the m505 was not as good as the Prism or IIIc screen but it was more useable in ANY lighting condition because both of the other screens of course are useless in sun. what made users so mad when the m505 came out was that they were expecting a reflective screen much like the "other" hot reflective screen at the time, that in the iPAQ. the iPAQ of course was tons brighter and more readable and m505 users were angry. Palm stated the reason was the smaller size and desire to preserve battery life but very quickly new models from Sony came out similar in size to the m505 that had much brighter screens. the m515 is a big improvement but I say it again... hold out if you can... this fall Palm will release a m5xx sized unit with built in bluetooth and a 320x320 screen running an ARM processor and OS 5... cost? $449.

RE: Annoyed
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/28/2002 8:24:00 PM #
<< So who's bashing who whenever they got the chance now?? >>

I think it's a fair statement to say that there is WAY too much bashing on ALL sides of the platform going on on this site.

It really doesn't matter where it started. What matters is that this is Palm INFO Center, as in INFORMATION. As in, read news, post questions/answers, and offer opinions. Unfortunately, WAY too many people who post here focus their opinions too much on the "My PDA can beat up your PDA" argument. I've seen it from proponents of ALL PalmOS devices--Palm, Sony, Handspring, even Handera. It's just plain sickening.

People, IT IS A MACHINE!!!!!!!! YOU WILL EVENTUALLY ABANDON IT FOR ANOTHER MACHINE!!!!!!! AND YOU MIGHT SWITCH BRANDS WHEN YOU DO!!!!!! WHAT'S MORE, EVEN IF YOU SWITCH, YOU'LL PROBABLY REMAIN WITH THE SAME PLATFORM!!!!!!

Why is that so hard to understand?
And why is it necessary to try to argue what's the "best PDA?" Do people argue what the best cross-training shoe is? Best automobile? Best desktop computer? (Apple-lovers notwithstanding) Best brand of jeans? Best ice cream? Best answering machine? No! The beauty of capitalism & competition is that there are different products from different companies, and we all have a choice. If you're so small-minded that you insist on acting like a 2-year-old and attempting to elevate YOUR brand (no matter what it is) by reducing the others, my first inclination is to tell you to play on a very crowded highway, please. But in the spirit of rational discussion, I'll merely ask you to take a look at yourself in the mirror and consider just how foolish you look.

RE: Annoyed
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/1/2002 12:10:49 AM #
"It really doesn't matter where it started. What matters is that this is Palm INFO Center, as in INFORMATION. As in, read news, post questions/answers, and offer opinions. Unfortunately, WAY too many people who post here focus their opinions too much on the "My PDA can beat up your PDA" argument. I've seen it from proponents of ALL PalmOS devices--Palm, Sony, Handspring, even Handera. It's just plain sickening.

People, IT IS A MACHINE!!!!!!!! YOU WILL EVENTUALLY ABANDON IT FOR ANOTHER MACHINE!!!!!!! AND YOU MIGHT SWITCH BRANDS WHEN YOU DO!!!!!! WHAT'S MORE, EVEN IF YOU SWITCH, YOU'LL PROBABLY REMAIN WITH THE SAME PLATFORM!!!!!!"


I forgot to say that I have a Palm m100


RE: Annoyed
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/1/2002 12:14:48 AM #
Why all this fuzz about which PDA is better?
I think Palm, Handera and Sony devices are targeted on different markets;

Palm is the "mainstream" PDA which everybody recognizes as being a "Palm", well done and trusty,
for "everyday" use.

Handera, TRG and Sony make enhanced, state of the art PDAs for more demanding users or people who know how to take advantage of their especial features.

As simple as that, so dont compare oranges and apples.

RE: Annoyed
LarryGarfield @ 3/1/2002 1:52:08 AM #
I agree that the different Palm OS OEMs (which now officially includes Palm, Inc.) are targeting different markets. The only place that they are in direct competition is the "prosumer" market, vis, PIC fanatics. :-)

One note, though. TRG IS HandEra, they changed their name last year. :-) The other big OEM is Handspring.

--
This post is ROT26 encrypted. Reading it is a violation of the DMCA

RE: Annoyed
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/1/2002 3:33:06 AM #
This forum, more than most, cries out for a draconian moderator.

I almost bought the 505, but will wait for the 515.

If the "rough finish" is similar to the V, then I'm fine with that.

RE: Annoyed
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/1/2002 4:57:43 PM #
And YOU should be the first one moderated.

looks good, sounds good

crustyedgeofinnovation @ 2/28/2002 11:50:47 AM #
i like the new notepad feature with different colors, very nice....

RE: looks good, sounds good
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/28/2002 12:49:57 PM #
I agree! I can't wait to get the m515! Looks like it has everything I need in a nice little package.

RE: looks good, sounds good
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/3/2002 8:42:21 AM #
I like the following Palm PDAs for:

Sony N series: multimedia, form factor & expandability

Handspring Prism: THE Pioneer in 65K colours that got Sony interested in colour

Handspring Treo: Another pioneer in FULL-INTEGRATED communicator, hope they wld release the color version in no time

Palm V/m5xx series: Pioneers in the slim form factor

Color at last!

Dark @ 2/28/2002 11:51:05 AM #
> ... including a blue and silver faceplate and a new type of flip-lid

I think it's time Palm improve the m1xx flip lids. They loosen over time.

I wonder... Will my Kodak m100 PalmPix be able display color on the m130? Any idea guys?

_________________

http://www.Palmvenue.com - "Where Palm OS users and developers meet."

RE: Color at last!
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/28/2002 12:10:16 PM #
The m130 uses the so called "universal" connector, while the m100 does not. So, I don't think your camera will fit.


RE: Color at last!
ColonelKlink @ 2/28/2002 11:01:02 PM #
Ha HA! Just finished a project today... converting my Palmpix for my m100 to my new m125 (soon to be returned for m130). Not too difficult, either, all you need is a Palm branded serial hotsync cable with UC, the camera, and a soldering iron...

I've tried beaming pictures taken on my m125 to my m505, but the palmpix program on the m505 shows a corrupted b&w image...

I expect that the viewfinder will be in black and white, but the pictures will be in color... I'll post some pictures of the camera in the forums when I get a chance!

RE: Color at last!
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/28/2002 11:01:18 PM #
So you mean to say that I could not use the Hotsync cable of the m100 with the m130???

RE: Color at last!
Ed @ 3/1/2002 12:03:41 AM #
> So you mean to say that I could not use the Hotsync cable of the m100 with the m130???

Correct. I still think Palm should have named the m125 the m300. Fewer people would be confused about peripherals. The m125 and m130 have the same HotSync port as the m500 series, not the one from the m100 and m105.

---
News Editor

RE: Color at last!
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/1/2002 7:01:57 AM #
Bravo, ColonelKlink. What a mind, to just go off and make your own connector.

And Ed. It is about time someone noticed that the M125-130 should have been called the M325-330, or maybe the M325-255.

RE: Color at last!
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/3/2002 1:34:06 AM #
I used the m130 at compusa in oregon and the m130 felt just as cheap as the rest of the m100 series. The color was bright but the screen is so small.

not enough

I.M. Anonymous @ 2/28/2002 12:05:17 PM #
I really like the improved screen and memory but what about better sound or a faster CPU if all they can do is this then I will wait a bit. I don't want MP3 stereo sound on my PDA just good enough quality so I can have distinctive alarms or notifications say as an actual voice telling me what's up..
The new 66mhz cpu would be a good alternative to ARM for me and I don't see why that could not have been included. Perhaps in the Palm m530?

RE: not enough
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/28/2002 12:17:38 PM #
As I understand it, these will be the last two Palm models to be introduced before the release of Palm OS 5, which is designed to support faster ARM processors and higher resolution screens. If that's what you really want, then you should probably wait.

RE: not enough... enough for me
c_blue @ 2/28/2002 12:47:44 PM #
when I get a PC, I know it will be outdated in less than a year, so I choose one that suits me at that time... when I get a PDA, I do the same thing... I will get the m515 not because is perfect for the next 5 years but because it suits my needs now and has color. maybe I'll change it next year with a ARM based PDA.

C_Blue

Don't get technology... get tools to do the job...

RE: not enough
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/28/2002 1:04:45 PM #
I agree! I did the same when purchasing my PC. I bought a PC that I wanted that had the features I needed at the time. When I bought my PDA (Palm IIIXE), it had and did everything I needed at the time too. With the m515 coming and having the features I need now, I'll be retiring my Palm IIIXE and getting the m515. I don't understand why people bitch and moan when the bought something that will obvious be replaced with something better in the future.

New Palms

I.M. Anonymous @ 2/28/2002 12:13:43 PM #
Too bad the M130 will still have the shrunken display. I had an M125 and sold it because the slightly smaller characters and low back lighting made it very hard to read for my 48 year old eyes. The brighter color display will probably help.

I was gonna get an M505 but caught wind of the new M515. Sounds like my patience has paid off. Brighter screen, more memeory, drawing on the colored notepad....life is very good...:-) Now to find it with a package deal, like a free leather case..

RE: New Palms
crustyedgeofinnovation @ 2/28/2002 12:44:08 PM #
i like the idea of customizable faceplates but the faceplates take up too much room...i often just take of my face plate and I find it much easier to view the screen... the faceplate covers at least a millimeter on each side...it looks pretty ugly without the plate, but i don't mind...anyway, thats my story...

RE: New Palms
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/28/2002 1:49:58 PM #
That is how Palm can distinguish two market segments, I guess.
Otherwise everybody will buy the m130, and
no one will get the 515.

ted

RE: New Palms
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/28/2002 2:49:22 PM #
Yeah, the m1x0 series is very feminine.
The m1x0 series is very fashionabl^ÝzSen you accessorize with new faceplates.


Color saturation

I.M. Anonymous @ 2/28/2002 12:20:31 PM #
The problem with the Palm m505 is not only the brightness. The colors are a little desaturate. How about the color saturation (not brightness) on the 515? Ah?

OS4.1

I.M. Anonymous @ 2/28/2002 12:26:17 PM #
So dare I mention it again - why do Palm Support keep telling me that OS4.1 offers nothing new when it clearly does (numerous bug fixes as listed previously and now the changes listed above - major changes in operating system/external memory services. It will support multiple FAT tables on SD/MMC cards and support I/O on SD) and when are they going to make it available to us poor fools who've got OS4.0 in our dark-screened m505s?

I really do like Palm products, but I do get the feeling they don't really care too much about supporting customers who've already parted with their cash!

RE: OS4.1
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/28/2002 12:34:22 PM #
> why do Palm Support keep telling me that OS4.1 offers nothing new when it clearly does

Because they are evil minions of Satan who enjoy lying to people. In fact, they get a bonus what they pass the 10,000 lie mark. They also like to sit around and laugh about the lies they tell to other support trolls.

It's either that or the changes in the OS you are complaining that you don't have are on an unreleased handheld so they aren't available yet. They aren't on the version of OS 4.1 that ships on the Sony models.

You should give up complaining about the m505's screen. You knew what it looked like when you bought it. If you really didn't like it, why didn't you return it?

RE: OS4.1
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/28/2002 12:44:25 PM #
COOL are they hiring any tech support now ?? You just described my dream job. :P

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