Palm Debuts the Z22 Organizer

I thought the necessary gadget was a $100 phone...

TREO will not save PALM.

A soccer mom would keep her phone numbers and appointments in her phone. It will sell well, cheap christmas presents etc, but without an expansion slot it is really rather limited and many phones offer enough for the pda-uneducated market.

Fish

I like that "3 step setup". A huge reward awaits the company that can bring the extremely complex tech world into the hand of the mainstream herd. You may fault Palm's lack of cutting edge specs etc, but you gotta hand it to them for their marketing. The minnow still swims among the sharks!

Pat Horne; www.churchoflivingfaith.com

At least they chose the correct therm --> Organizer.
It's hardly got the features to be called a pda...

--
http://www.arpx.net/article.php/top_10_palmos_applications - my top 10 palm apps

Well. The only true PDA was the Newton. It was the only device that had an "assist" feature that put the "assistant" into the acronym coined by Apple, PDA.

I would love to see that tech come to palm. Truly innovative. I still fire up my trusty v2.0 Newton 120 just to mess around with the 'assist' feature.

This is a great product for its target market. I saw one at Fry's Electronics today, I was there for about 5 minutes and sold the z22 and TX to a couple. However, they didn't have display models out yet, :(

The wife got the z22 and she was even afraid of it at that. Husband asked about the zire 31 and I told him difference, w/ expansion slot and I saw her cringe in fear. This is who the Z22 is for, and that is a lot of people. back to the basics. I was amazed at the size, it's small.

Another man was looking at one to replace his Zire 71 or 2 because it "is too big"! He liked the price and size of the z22.

The Z22 is going to appeal to a very large market. It's small, thin, sleek, & best of all it's simple. People want quick and easy access to data w/ low learning curve.

Hey G - Yes, the Palm Z22 does use nonvolatile memory.

Really?!! Wow, that's pretty cool then. All the soccer moms won't have to worry about losing all their data then when the forget to charge the pda! ;)

--------------------
Gaurav

Hi,
just to clear things up:

Zire 32: AFAIK uses RAM
Zire 22: AFAIK uses NVFS

Best regards
Tam Hanna

Find out more about the Palm OS in my blog:
http://tamspalm.blogspot.com

No,

Actually both the new Z22 and the Z33 use NVFS.

Pat Horne; www.churchoflivingfaith.com

Your bogus comments make Palm advocates cringe.

------------------------
Sony CLIE UX100: 128 MB real RAM, OLED screen. All the PDA anyone really ever wanted.
------------------------

The Palm eCONomy = Communism™

The Great Palm Swindle: http://www.palminfocenter.com/comment_view.asp?ID=7864#108038

NetFrontLinux - the next major cellphone OS?: http://www.palminfocenter.com/comment_view.asp?ID=8060#111823

Doc O,

I bet that's exactly what Palm's market research found. Time to abandon the X50v & HX4700 boys. Here's your daddy, the Zzzzz!

Pat Horne; www.churchoflivingfaith.com

It has non-volatile memory...the target market is people such as my wife, who never remembers to charge anything, and wouldn't have the first clue about using memory cards, nor understand why she would have to spend extra on a cheap pda just to back it up. She has absolutely no interest in taking the time for mp3 either...

Anyways, she just started using my old Visor Prism, and *I* have to make sure it's charged and backed up to the module...

Ya know, if Palm could spin this with a photo album for family, kid's sports etc, then they might bite too. Gotta be simple, simple, stupid simple. They could carry all their photos around to show off then. Needs hi-rez & a strong cam/photo interface tho. Z23 I guess.

Pat Horne; www.churchoflivingfaith.com

Although you may want the SD card, the problem is that SD cards are an added complexity for newbies. Palm is trying to keep this thing simple.

This is a great device.

The only thing I think they could add is the hi-resolution screen. (no added complexity for end user) A better screen makes this thing better for photos as Live Faith has pointed out.

My other minor complaint is the connector at the bottom. I was really hoping that Palm would be standardizing all their connectors and yet here we are with a different connector than all the other devices:(

Well, I guess Palm's answer to that is that if you want a card slot (and a headphone jack to play your tunes), pay $30 more and get a Zire 31.

Well, only minor way would be for photos. Showing off photos on SD cards would be a plus. Furthermore, it frees up the 20MB of user RAM, but im' sure Palm Desktop will have some idiot proof way to allow users to easily transfer photos via hotsync and even compress them to save footprint... unless the new Palm Photos allows u to zoom in on images.

Otherwise, low end users like my sister are comfy with a Visor (original with just 2MB!). I know this b/c I used her old Visor Deluxe bef it broke, and she only used 400KB of that handheld's 7.9 user RAM. Never even touched a Springboard module. She's not technically incompetent either. She's no IT professional, but she know's her way around the internet, laptops, and desktops. She just plans to use her PDA for only PIMs and limited other software.

The z22 is targetted for such ppl who just want the bare essentials and nothing more than color. If ya want hi-res and/or SDIO, then said person would've bought the T|E or T|E2

"Do you know the difference between an error and a mistake? Anyone can make an error, but that error doesn't become a mistake until you refuse to correct it."
-Grand Admiral Thrawn

the secret to enjoying your job is to have a hobby that's even worse

My PDAs: Visor --> Visor Neo (blue) --> Zire 71 --> Tungsten T3 (with 4 of 6 screws still remaining) ~?~> zodiac 2?

First of all, I may be one of the handful of non-apologists who actually think Palm's doing a nice job with their budget PDA line (<$200). Those are the units that fit best within the limitations of FrankenGarnet, of course

1. The outgoing Zire 31, widely available at $100 or less new, is a MUCH better deal for anyone who cares about anything media-related at all. The 31 has an SD slot and a headphone jack albeit less RAM and a more washed-out looking screen.

2. I'm curious to compare the Z22 & Z31 screens side by side as well as the hard buttons etc.

3. Palm needs to release a solid $200 MSRP unit combining a 320*320 screen, 32mb NVFS, Bluetooth, Athena connector, the Treo 650's decent quality VGA camera, and an SD slot/headphone jack. Basically, combine the Zire 31, the T|E2 and the Zire 72 with a single model. That'd give Palm solid PDAs at the $100, $200, $300 price points while keeping the line pared down to the bare essentials. Let the LD(s) and Treos cover all of the pricey segments.

FrankenGarnet is on its way to being the Wal-Mart (or Target if we're lucky) of the mobile OS world...

1-
The lesser screen and RAM would do it for me. IMHO, i feel that 16MB is too little for today's pOS media user. SD card adds great potential, but u still need some breathing room in user RAM to run apps and internal media. Washed out screen may not be as big a deal, as I'm assuming music is 1st in media for handheld, followed by pics, then vid. Else, it's a concern for ppl who wanna show off many pics.

I would still get a T|E or T|E2. Just a better "entry level" handheld IMO.

2-
If ya geta chance to view them in a brick and mortar store like Staples, let me know :) I'm also gonna try to compare the screens for myself if i have time

3-
SLOW DOWN THERE!!
Palm doesn't wanna leap too far too fast! I'm guessin they wanna do some pacing with upgrades so R&D can keep up and so they won't end up with no new features come next time (altho some ppl would argue this has been true since the T|E and/or T|T3)

Besides, Palm has a hard enough time making ONE good PDA at a GOOD price. It took them this long to combine 2 PDAs together (good features of 2 PDAs, not bad features) with adequate results. Let's let Palm work its way up.

"Do you know the difference between an error and a mistake? Anyone can make an error, but that error doesn't become a mistake until you refuse to correct it."
-Grand Admiral Thrawn

the secret to enjoying your job is to have a hobby that's even worse

My PDAs: Visor --> Visor Neo (blue) --> Zire 71 --> Tungsten T3 (with 4 of 6 screws still remaining) ~?~> zodiac 2?

Hey yall;
I revied for BPDA so I can answer a few things.

1. No Sd card because it would have made the cost more (didnt believe it either, but I just am a reporter).

2. Pics are handled by a Palm branded version of Splash Photo, automatically resizes photos for the screen. They get insanely small. And look great. Drag, drop, sync. Its that easy.

3. Battery lasted 9.5hrs from 100% to 0% in my battery test. That works out to easily 2 weeks for this market group.

4. The AddIt program on the Z22 is imporved such that it will make installing new software a breeze, aka for those afraid to download anything that isnt certified MS safe.

5. Hard buttons on the 22 are larger than the 21/31. My fiance, who owned a 21, remarked that she liked the power button being easier to press (its closer to the outside of teh device. She also liked teh 5way as it felt better.

6. There is NO CONNECTOR at the bottom. only the mini-usb at the top. It charges fully no matter if plugged into wall or computer. Very nice and thoughtless feature. Basically, gives two charging options to those who want to keep this for work and home (USB at work, and wall wart for home).

7. Doesnt come with a case but Palm is offering Boxwave like skins for it for $15. didnt get mine with teh review, but rad boxwave's and you get the idea.

Yes, this device is simple. Think 7 habits simple. Exactly the folks that would want this device. It should sell well, not as well as the orig Zire or TE, but not far off from it either.

mobileministrymagazine.com
antoinerjwright.com

Excellent info, 'Toine. Sounds like Palm may finally be sweating the details on their hardware. With the TX potentially shaping up to hit the sweet spot of the upper-middle end of the market and the Z22 (if this solves Palm's headaches, the Z22 should be renamed the "222" in Canada - as in "two twenty two" http://www.heroinhelper.com/sick/222.shtml ;-O) filling the "organizer" niche, Palm is paring its offerings to a more realistic lineup as I had suggested:

$100, $200, $300 and $400 PDAs. (I actually think the only way to justify a $400 traditional form factor PDA in 2006 will be if it includes either a decent keyboard + CLIE UX50-quality construction OR if it has a built-in cellphone radio.) The LifeDrive is the answer to a question no one was asking and should go the way of the dodo. Fixed harddrives have no place in PDAs now that 1 and 2 GB memory cards are coming down in price and have the advantages of no moving parts, lower power requirements and the potential to be swapped out for use in several devices.

Now Palm needs a $200 "average intelligence" phone to go with the $500 Treo 700w and 700p.

P.S. One suggestion, 'Toine: spellcheck your posts! ;-O
Your typing is almost as bad as mine and undermines the great info you always provide.

TVoR (who now uses voice recognition software after enduring years of people biotching about their 133t typing 5Ki11z...)

------------------------
Sony CLIE UX100: 128 MB real RAM, OLED screen. All the PDA anyone really ever wanted.
------------------------

The Palm eCONomy = Communism™

The Great Palm Swindle: http://www.palminfocenter.com/comment_view.asp?ID=7864#108038

NetFrontLinux - the next major cellphone OS?: http://www.palminfocenter.com/comment_view.asp?ID=8060#111823

Thanks for the review twizza.

I assume you really meant "thoughful" in the "Very nice and thoughtless feature" sentence, right?

This could make a nice little replacement for the IIIxe that my wife is still using. It's been a solid unit and will probably keep going for a few more years. But playing Bridge and Solitaire in color is a lot more fun. ;-) Since mobile MP3 listening is of no interest to her, the Zire31 would not be desirable. It would just add complication and bulk.

I assume the G1 libraries will work on this one too. That would probably be a deal breaker if it didn't. Come to think of it, that might just be the only advantage of having to use OS5 for so long; the G1 libraries still work!

I'm still waiting for the mythical "color HandEra."

Agreed. But the next version has to be thinner than this one, to make it easier for users to carry around. Palm should (shamelessly) copy the iPod Nano in this regard.

Just to let you know, I have a Z22 and I've tried several times to install G1 libraries without success.

I used the libraries that worked fine on my TE and another set that have apparently been tweaked for use on the TX. Each time it transferred into the PDA, I performed the necessary soft reset, then when I touched the screen to write something the screen went haywire and the unit froze up so badly that it could only be brought back to life by doing a hard reset.

Does anyone have a line on G1 libraries that work on the Z22?

The MIT Media Lab folks are full of ideas that never see the light of day.

My understanding is that another group tried to do the $100 computer thing for developing countries. I believe the Simputer was the result of that:

http://www.amidasimputer.com/

They don't show pricing, but my understanding is that none of them hit the $100 price point.

That said, if someone does the $100 (or even $200) Linux crank-up laptop, put me on the list to buy one.

Really simple too for a color device.

That is really priced to sell, too.

Nice and shiney too. A 14-year-old might think it is the iPod of Palms.

Basic construction and lack of extra external ports means a potentially more robust device.

Price, price, and price... to hit $99 bucks retail you gotta cut some corners.

JLM.

I'm not sure the only goal was to save money.

Very few users of the previous "beginner" zires ever used the SD card slot. SD just generated more user complications and questions.

If you want an SD card slot, there are other models for you. (Like Zire 31)