Opinion: Tungsten T5, What the heck happened?

>> "pa1mOne has stated that the T5 is a new generation device"

Then why does this "new generation" device look suspiciously like the old generation device?

-------------------------------
Editor, http://Pocketfactory.com
Contributing Editor, http://digitalmediathoughts.com

I just bought the axim x50v, specifically to use with a gps, and the hardware specs are amazing. The screen is beautiful, and it just looks great.

However, it runs Windows Pocket PC whatever, and I HATE IT. This is the most horrible handheld OS ever made. It's simply horrible.

Initially I was thinking of switching to it as my main PDA, but after spending a few weeks with the axim, Palm will always remain my main handheld.

>>>However, it runs Windows Pocket PC whatever, and I HATE IT. This is the most horrible handheld OS ever made. It's simply horrible.

Another poor sould lured in by the siren call of better specs -- and then mugged by the inhuman software.

You don't need that GPS to point you back to POS.

But maybe p1 could use a GPS!

No, I was not lured by the specs, at least not to try to replace my TT. I had originally planned on using a full blown car computer, but then realized I could get the same functionality in a Pocket PC. The GPS software for palm just doesn't match up. If anything, using a PPC has made me more resolute in sticking with Palm.

However, my shopping experience pointed me to a lesson that Palm should have learned a long time ago. Your presence in a B&M store is very important. Palm's simply have no "pop" when sitting next to the new PPCs. If you don't know the power of Palm, you easily gravitate towards the flashy PPC units. Palm really has to compete here.

palmOne does resell a GPS for use with the T5 (well, not specifically, but it does work... it only needs a power cord to be included).

Bill...
[Still sticking with my T3 -- might buy another one as backup]

Mike, I may have found a solution to your dilemma.
it's called the Garmin Ique. Absolutely horrible battery life ( about 60-90 minutes with backlight and GPS on). But decent built quality, Hires+, built-in antenna (good for walks). first rate GPS software (i think garmin still has the lead there) and eh... Palm OS! I haven't seen the VGA PPCs, but I feel that my eyes would be the limiting factor at any higher resolutions (pixels/inch)

Older device, but it still fits MY bill........

Garmin 3600 iQue

Call me the eternal optimist, but I'd like to think the T3 is the Last Good Palm Made.....so far. Its early days yet in 2005 - lets see what Palm has up their sleeves....

Masmune, if you're the eternal optimist, then at least you'll have company. I'm willing to give P1 one last shot to keep my business. I was very underwhelmed with the T5, and I agree with this article's supposition about its current popularity. I don't think it will last very long.

I do think that P1 needs to keep the 'power user' segment, because it's not just they that use the 'power' features. For example, I don't need to have a voice recorder for most of my day. But when I need it, boy is it handy. And I find wi-fi very handy in general, although I may not use it as often as some power users. I have been very loyal to P1 over the years, despite the ridicule of friends and family, and the T5 has been a huge disappointment, to say the least. P1, this is your last chance!

I'll be optimistic too, sure. Just decide on one kind of connector and stick with it though. I'm tired of multiple connectors/cradles/accessories/etc. just because we have two different models of Palm.

_________________
Sean

There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.

[QUOTE] I'll be optimistic too, sure. Just decide on one kind of connector and stick with it though. I'm tired of multiple connectors/cradles/accessories/etc. just because we have two different models of Palm. [QUOTE]

Oh, not me. I just LOOOVE having to keep handy a p3 connector, P5 connector, handspring connector, Palm "universal" connector, Treo connector, and (if PalmOne ever builds anything worth buying again) the new "athena" connector. Good thing I dumped the Zodiac and never bothered with SONY's shiny junk.

It would be less of an issue if each connector was noticeably better than the old one, but from holding Athena (making 2 cables out of 1 - brilliant thinking there) it appears that it's LESS able to stay attached to the handheld or Treo than the "Universal" Connector or the Treo 90-600 connectors. The extra power cord gives it one more thing to carry, connect, wear out and get lost. Hey- what they lose in customer satisfaction they gain in sales of accessories - good job MBA's!!

Quote: "Zire 71 and Tungsten E-both of these had HORRIBLE screen hum, so much that you could hear them over the roar of servers in a server room, or across the room."

Don't forget the Zire 72 and T|3. I'll never ever buy another P1 device until they fix this problem. Being able to hear the hum (or should I say whine?) while waiting inside a plane spooling up its engines is too much for me. And all those sessions reading in the library/lab really hurts my head.

pen & paper -> m515 -> Zire72 -> TH55 & Handera 330

Puppy, you have been threatening to buy an Axim for over 3 months now. Here is a link to the Dell website, in case you can't find it-

http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/compare.aspx/pda?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

Have a nice life.

It was the last straw for me. Sold my T3 and got an Axim X30. Haven't been this happy with a PDA in a long time.

Cheers,

svrontis, acting sarcastic like that really adds nothing. Palm has a huge problem here. I don't *WANT* to have to buy a PocketPC. I think they're clunky, and have their own set of problems. But it's a fact that a huge number of Palm loyalists are now seriously looking at Dell's offerings (or have already moved-you should see the number of posts in Axim centric forums from people who have had 5 PalmOS pdas, and just got an Axim).

Hey- at least with a Pocket PC you get Graffiti 1.... Apparently Grafitti 2 is so good PalmOne won't even LET you put Graffiti 1 on a $400 T5.

I concur with the people that say it's probably PalmOne or Source trying to save face after jamming G2 down our throats. There is a HUGE underground of people that have loaded the G1 library onto their G2-supplied devices.

...And in true Palm customer-oriented fashion, their response to this was not to offer G1 (now that the lawsuit's dead) but to LOCK OUT the ability to even hack back to G1 on the "T5." Talk about putting the nail in the coffin for that device....

Puppy, I apologize for my post. I acknowledge that you have a lot of problems with the T5 (although, personally, I wouldn't agree with most of the points you raised).

If u poke around, I'm sure u'll find plenty of beefs with PPCs

Not lack of WiFi...

Yeah, PPC has some of it's own problems, but I jumped to the Dell X50v, and have had ZERO problems with mine. I admit, I don't add 40+ aftermarket programs, etc..., that many users do, so other than pocket bible, I use the programs that come on the unit. Since I already use Outlook, syncing was never a problem. Also, I like having WiFi, BT, a voice memo, dual CF and SD card slots, etc... I REALLY miss the ease of using palmOS, but now that I've learned how to use PPC for what I need, I'm probably not going to go back anytime soon.

All good things...

I really hate to hear you guys argue....but then again conflict inspires innovation. I hope the folks at palm read this stuff and take it seriously. I sense that Palm has become a product of the big gorilla on the block. (Meaning that they don't have to be competitive their competitors do). If this attitude has been incorporated in the palm culture it is a deadly mistake; many failed corporations can attest to this.

What Palm did with the T5 is suspicious. Dropping the LED, vibrator, voice recorder and changing the connector (without providing some type of adapter) is negligent and arrogant to say the least.

To have people criticized for making these observations is nuts because this is how the global economy works---producers produce what consumers want to consume--- and for Palm to be delusional in thinking that they can live on the laurels of their operating system is not fair to them or us the customers.

Where are the cobalt and garnet os systems and where is a true upgrade to the T3.

I like so many others have purchased many (4) palm devices, I’ve had to upgrade accessories to fit the new devices; 2 wireless keyboards, 2 GPS' (Magellan and tom-tom), various cradles and sync cords all of which will not fit on the t5. I have purchased a fortune in software and software updates, these purchases have kept me loyal to Palm (along with the great graphics, and operating system) now that the new devices will not fit my accessories I may as well look elsewhere if Palm will not produce what I want to consume.

My T3 battery would not hold a charge longer then 25 minutes so I bought and replaced the battery; it now last about one hour. I would like to upgrade to a new device.
Thank you, svrontis but I already have the links to dell, compact and everyone else, I will wait till December and then I will decide.

Palm people I hope you read this and are working on a new knock out device using customer enhanced research.

This is my third palm unit and I have invested heavyly and stuck with the Palm name

What's the find bug? Do you mean it can't return more than 8 search results?

Who designed this thing? The only thing I like about it is that it's the first PalmOS device with a 320x480 screen and a normal form factor...but everything else seems wrong.

Support Knowledge Library

Solution ID: 38782

'Find' function shows the same eight Contact matches when it should show more

The "Find" function searches through all the databases on your device. palmOne has discovered an issue in which the "Find" function displays a maximum of eight matches in the Contacts application, although there may be more matches in Contacts.

What do you mean by "Find"?
We're talking about the global search function on the Tungsten T5 handheld. "Find" is launched when you tap the small magnifying glass icon in the status bar at the bottom of the screen. When you enter the search term and hit OK, the Tungsten T5 searches through the index files for its databases, application by application.

What is the issue?
In order for this particular issue to occur, all of these factors must be present:

You have more than eight Contacts with the same string of text in their Contact info
Example: you have more than eight people whose last or first names, email addresses, web sites, AIM names or home addresses begin with "sm" — Smilla Anderson, John Smythe, smartypants@palmone.com, www.smittenwithpalmone.com, etc.

You use the built-in "Find" function to locate that text
Example: you search on "sm"

The item you're looking for does not appear in the first screen of Contacts, so you tap Find More.

The same eight Contacts are displayed every time you tap Find More. You can't continue searching in other applications once the eight Contacts are displayed.
What should I do?
The "Find" function is a subsystem of the Palm OS. It is a rudimentary feature of your handheld that performs basic searches. There are third-party search utilities on the market that offer robust features and flexible searching options beyond the basic "Find" function included with the Tungsten T5 handheld (and which do not encounter the issue with displaying only eight Contacts). Search the palmOne Software Connection for third-party handheld search utilities, such as IntelligentFind.

Note: the presence of a third party product in this article should be not be construed as an endorsement of that product, nor should its absence be considered a denigration. palmOne does not manufacture any third-party products mentioned above, and cannot provide support for them. If you purchase a third-party product and require help with it, contact the manufacturer.

>TungstenT(16M)>T5(256M!)

another sucker

What he said. How dare you make a sensible observation here on Palm Carping Center. If you don't have petulant complaints, then we don't want your kind here. (sarcasm intended)

Agreed. I'm glad I'm not the only one who's sick of seeing the same old regurgitated whiny flames by the same set of 15-year-olds with too much time and too much money on their hands and no real world experience in the design, development or marketing of technology products.

Yes, I'm calling all of you out. You know who you are.

Move out of your parents basements, get a job in the mobile industry and start doing real work to affect the change you want to see in the industry.

STOP trying to pass off your whiny rants as opinion pieces and your "My Ultimit PDA" drawings you make in history class as business plans.

Granted, Palm should not get a cakewalk here, they have screwed up, but the T5 has been out for MONTHS now. Get OVER it .

PIC USED to be interesting and informative.

Now it should be renamed PSC for "Palm Slam Center" because that's really what makes up most of the content here. It's like continuous re-runs of "Steve-Dave" and "Walt The Fanboy" from the Kevin Smith movies except you're talking about PDAs instead of comics.

well considering that all three of you schmucks have 20 or less posts here each, you don't bring much to the table anyway. stop biatching and hit the bricks if you don't like it here. no one is going to miss you.

Gekko,

Its the quality of the posts, not the quantity. That said, I have to say that PalmOne needs a "wow" product in 2006.

"Many men stumble across the truth, but most manage to pick themselves up
and continue as if nothing had happened."
- Winston Churchill

>"Its the quality of the posts, not the quantity."

their quality sucks too.

Gekko said, "their quality sucks too."

The posts from svrontis, RoadKnight and rcartwright in this thread are high quality posts.

The administrators of this site continue to allow the useless people to pollute the message boards. Channel your frustration there.

Try this one for size:

Palm Daycarecenter

It really comes down to what you use the device for. The author has needs that require a new Palm that has a slider and the other 'features' they need. I have a need for a device that I can flip the cover open and have access to the full 320x480 without a slider. Just the way I use it. The T5 happens to be pointed to folks that use the device like I do. Sadly for Palm I need WiFi and quick access to a camera so I'm sticking with my TH55. That doesn't mean the T5 is wrong for everyone.
If this isn't the perfect match for someone's uses, the next unit will be wrong for someone else. I have a T|C and can't use the keybord, my wife has it now, can't live without it and will be heading to the Treo 650 when Cingular releases it. It has the features that she 'needs' in her life. Others hate the 650, it doesn't mean Palm got it wrong. Just wrong for you.

-----------------
My wife has to sell a lot of candles (www.ccandles.com) to buy her new Palm.

>"it doesn't mean Palm got it wrong. Just wrong for you."

In a way, I agree with you. Though in the case of the last two models out of PalmOne, the T5 and 650, they are touted as "upgrades" to previous models. Even the numbering system coincides: T3->T5, Treo 600->Treo 650..

Now I don't know about you, but "industry standard" as I understand it usually means that when something's an "upgrade" it is actually an upgrade - people who have the old model will be able to have the at least as much functionality as the model it allegedly replaces, plus some potential extras that make the $400-600 a little more bearable.

Now I'm not saying it's necessarily "right" or "wrong" to remove vibrating alarms on the T5, or have 33% LESS memory than a Treo 600 in a Treo 650, but it's sure not any sort of improvement and most sane people would call it a "downgrade."

Why PalmOne made these decisions is up to them, and perhaps their declining sales numbers can be seen as feedback about how well the market enjoyed being offered less for more as they "discontinue" more usable models.

Nonetheless, "right" and "wrong" is for the philosophers to chew over as they apply layers of duct tape to their older and older Palms as hope springs eternal that PalmOne will release REAL upgrades soon.

>TungstenT(16M)>T5(256M!)

another sucker

That's good :) The "We the Suckers" thread was one of the longest in recent memory!

All good things...

From my previous post to T5 may be my last I stated
"I really hate to hear you guys argue....but then again conflict inspires innovation. I hope the folks at palm read this stuff and take it seriously. I sense that Palm has become a product of the big gorilla on the block. (Meaning that they don't have to be competitive their competitors do). If this attitude has been incorporated in the palm culture it is a deadly mistake; many failed corporations can attest to this."

This is my third palm unit and I have invested heavyly and stuck with the Palm name