Comments on: Rumor: m515, m130, and T625C Appear at Webstores (Updated)

The Release date is also for the M130

The retail price in us will be:

M515 $399
M130 $279

Well, I was in there yesterday, and didn't see them, maybe just for fun I'll ask today and see what they say. They're two blocks from my office.

-Craig Bowers

It also lists the m515 as being in stock and it isn't available yet, either. Anyone want to order one and see what they tell you?

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News Editor

I would say...

Hell Yeah! It's a risk alright but then again :
Palm DID announce in the past they will come out with a brighther version of the m505 right? Well I think now is the time. It would be such a great advantage to do so, and the wait is WELL worth it. I say go for it.

What is the worst that can happen? A small wait? Don't worry and go right ahead.

http://pdan.has.it

-[]V[]uskrat

Also, I don't believe there will ever be a truly universal slot/port that will last more than a couple of years. These things just change shapes way too often.

I would NEVER use this PDA even if it was $100 -- the buttons are lousy, hard to use, and the stylus is too small even for my four year old.

Okay, think I'm on crack? What are the two main ways you "interact" with a Palm device?

Press the buttons and use a sylus.

Thankfully, the m515 has great buttons and a good stylus. I can live without high res for a while.

-Kevin Crossman

You are on crack.

Stylus: if you don't like it get a replacement or use a pen/stylus

Buttons: Do you have mitts for hands? If so, pardon me, but the other 99.9% of the population doesn't have problems.

That guy is a TROLL.

Anyone who has spent 5 minutes using a jog wheel will NEVER go back.

For *MOST* people (and not myself, and the other Uber-PDA enthusiasts on this board) the ability to pull up a phone number with one hand (jog dial) outweighs not being able to effectively play Frogger.

Until you actually USE a Clie, shut your yapper.

And as for the stylus.....please.....half the cool of having a Palm is going out and buying a big, fat, comfortable stylus.

And while we're discussing the act of TEXT ENTRY:
Listen...."Kev".....the Graffiti area on the 615C is hard as a rock, and 35 times faster to write on than the m505.

I'd take a 615c with Fitaly Stamp and a Doctor Grip Stylus over my old m505 and Graffiti ANY DAY.

The buttons do suck for "no eyes" use (gaming, in the dark usage, etc), but are fine when you can actually see them. Their problems lies in the fact that they all feel the same (you can't distinguish where one ends and the other begins). The Up/Down rocker is the real bane here, though. It's too small and too stiff to really use.

But hey, that's what the Jog Wheel is there for.

The stylus right now is adequate, but I'll get used to it and eventually like it, I'm sure. Why? Because I originally thought that a standard Palm sized stylus was too small for me. I got used to them.

My only real complaint about the stylus is that I can't easily remove it from the silo without a concerted effort. With my Visor, all it took was a simple one-handed thumb motion to remove the thing. With my CLIE, I've actually gotta USE my fingernails to pry the thing out.

Although I'm sure this will be rectified with 3rd party stylus solutions. With my Prism I had a Pilot Pentopia Chameleon Pen/Stylus. I absolutely adore that thing and I hope they make one for the T Series CLIEs.

In the end, the Sony T615 won me over. Yeah, sure it isn't perfect. Neither was the Palm V 2 years ago but we didn't have a choice then. Now that we have, the issue is which one. Just like buying a computer - buy what you need for now. It will get outdated almost immediately after buying whichever model.

In my opinion, you look at what you need your PDA to do. If you like games - go buy the Palm m515 - and even for games if you play Solitaire or "tap-tap type" of games you really don't need the buttons to do much.

If you read alot or use it for more information type of activity, the T615 with its jog dial is really useful. The screen is fantastic and the reviews about the red tones looking brownish IMHO isn't really an issue. I can still differentiate the reds from browns. Unless you are using the Clie to touch-up your photos or print output quality images, it isn't an issue either. Who does anyway? It isn't meant to do that. You have a PC sitting on your desk to do that.

As for peripherals, unless you absolutely use the Palm to replace your notebook/PC the Foldaway keyboards and its variants aren't that important. I bought mine and thought I could use it but unless you are typing short memos, you will want to go back to your notebook after a while. Yeah, it's cool so if that's what you want...

What else? SD vs MS? Well, Memory Sticks are now 40% cheaper. But the clincher for me? Damn, if Palm came out with the m515 instead of the m505 a year ago I would have bought it. But they didn't and it tells me they are short-changing their customers. It's like they took a year to address the basic problems with the m505 - bad screen. And still they cannot do better than what Sony is offering.

Anyone notice an odd similarity in the model names?

Anyway, this discussion is generally childish (which, as a N610 owner, I find embarassing, since it's mainly caused by other Sony owners), but I want to throw 2 RATIONAL cents into the mix.

First, let's be honest and admit that Sony's buttons haven't been very good since they started making better PDAs. The S300 had good buttons but was a lousy machine. The N-series and T-series are better machines, but with increasingly lame buttons. Is this a problem? Only to the end user. I personally prefer the buttons on the m505, but I've learned to live with those on the N610. And my hands are generally considered small, BTW...

Second, let's be honest and admit that Palm's screens have been subpar when compared with the competition. Lower res, dimmer, etc. Is this a problem? Again, ONLY TO THE END USER. I don't mind the m505 screen, but I prefer the Clie. I can also see, however, why someone would prefer the Palm.

Third, let's admit that SD "appears" more proprietary right now than MS. Here's what I mean: "open standard" generally results in "plentiful and cheap," while "proprietary" usually translates to "very exclusive and high-priced." I think it's fair to say that so far, MS is more plentiful and cheaper than SD.

Lastly, let's admit that "brand name loyalty" is not a bad thing - it's what most manufacturers seek - Chevy, Ford, Olds, etc., in cars; Palm, Sony, Handspring, etc., in PDAs. You Sony owners who constantly bitch that NO ONE can disagree with you about which PDA is better are to be pitied - you often remind me of the proverbial "terrible" 2-year-old, stomping your feet and throwing yourself on the floor, crying, until you get your way. Or worse yet, you're the proverbial redneck pickup truck driver with the window sticker of Calvin peeing on your hated competitor's logo, all the while drinking your beer illegally on the way to causing yet another alcohol-related fatality. You give a bad name to us more reasonable Sony owners as you constantly attack people who use machines with A COMPATIBLE OS. It won't be long before you attack me because I keep my N610C, since I see no really compelling reason to drop another $400 on a machine that will have minor improvements while rendering my Stowaway keyboard obsolete (at least for now).

IT'S A PDA, PEOPLE. If you have some innate need to argue that passionately about something, find something else. I find it hard to believe someone can have that much "passion" for a freaking gadget (and yes, for those of you who know who he is, I'm also slightly referencing Dale Coffing, that PPC nut who REALLY needs a life).

And for those sitting on the fences - well, isn't this the great American dream is all about? The freedom to choose, the freedom to say what you want to say and the freedom to s**t on something or somebody that you don't like - no matter how incredulous and sometimes even childish? Good for those that expressed either they love/hate Palm/Sony because that's the game you guys invented.

Zz

Mario

Gordon from Edinburgh.

Gordon from Edinburgh

are we forgetting the built in speaker and the software included??? there is nothing about the 515 that is better than the clie. NOTHING.

I like the T615c but my PC at work (which is where I would use it the most) runs windows NT which means I wouldn't be able to sync it up (t615c is USB only) there.

I'm assuming that the m515 will at least have the option of a serial cradle like the m505. From what I've been told, the t615c doesn't.

Palm M515 16MB Color Handheld
Lightweight, stylish, expandable, Internet-capable and customizable with a new high-contrast reflective color LCD display.

PC Mall Part # 969123
Mfr. Part No. palmm515

When you want the latest thing…and you want the best of everything…you want the Palm m515 handheld. This slim, sleek handheld packs virtually every feature you could desire into an eye-catching design so impressive it works for you even when it's turned off. Start with a brilliant color display to bring out the beauty in a digital photo, a video clip, or a spreadsheet. A rechargeable lithium ion battery is included, while 16MB of memory means more room for professional and personal data. The Palm m515 handheld also features built-in dual expansion, so you can quickly plug in business applications, additional memory, or a keyboard - and how about a GPS-locator to keep tabs on even the most mobile executive? While on the go, use your Palm m515 handheld to check email or access the Internet with the included Palm Mobile Connectivity software. [Data-enabled mobile phone or modem and ISP required for wireless connectivity.] Of course, your Palm m515 handheld comes with all the powerful Palm features you expect to help organize and access the critical information a busy professional needs when going on a business trip, out to a client meeting, or simply, up to the top.

FEATURES:

Eye-catching style and brushed platinum finish combine powerful performance features with a slim sleek, design
Brilliant, high-contrast color screen supports 65,000 colors
Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries
Palm Expansion Card Slot to access critical documents, business applications, video clips, and digital photos using postage-stamp-sized MultiMediaCards and Secure Digital Expansion Cards
Palm Universal Connector to add essential business tools, including a modem, digital camera, keyboard, and more
16 MB of memory lets you carry more vital work files and personal data
Access the Internet and email with the included Palm Mobile Connectivity software. [Data-enabled mobile phone or modem and ISP required for wireless connectivity.]
Packaged with bonus software programs including Documents to Go by DataViz to let you view, create and edit Microsoft Word and Excel; view and share PowerPoint files; and edit video images
Powerful Palm features put important dates, names, addresses and action items at your fingertips
Efficient Palm one-button synchronization with desktop or laptop computers keeps data secure and up-to-date
Includes OS 4.1 - Palm's most powerful, most secure operating system ever.
Access to more than 10,000 application programs for increased business efficiency and personal improvement

It is you who should be angry. You're the one who cannot do his job properly because of a lack of information. Information that retail stores have in abundance. See one of the earlier posts.

It is you who should have that supervisor's balls for breakfast. You are getting phonecalls from potential customers about products that are already sitting in warehouses, waiting to be delivered to the general public.

Sorry, had to say that.
Could you post some secret info on availability in Europe? hehe

Cheers,
Jan

Palm's management has no control over what rumours appear here and other websites. If they started to confirm or deny rumours, they would be asking for trouble. If Palm didn't do everything they could to keep new products secret until the official launch, then some people here would want to crucify them for this as well (remember the abuse a year ago relating to the m505 announcement?). It seems that, for some people, Palm is always wrong no matter what they do.

Also, get off the Palm Sales Rep's back, the guy is just trying to do his job and so is his supervisor (who may want to keep his balls).

Come to think of it, your unhealty fascination with the supervisor's anatomy suggests that you might find greater fulfillment at other websites.

I do what I'm told. If you really want to talk to me just kittiekatt@hotmail.com">email me for heaven's sakes.
and I'm a girl, not a guy.

and I am more than a little pissed off at the way things are run. I'd love to be able to give all the answers, but if I do, I lose my job. I'm not even allowed to confirm or deny *any* info about *any* new product.(Standard response - Palm does not comment on unreleased products. keep an eye on the web and our InSync Online emails.)

and if you think I'm a hoax, well, I haven't got much to say about that, since I am getting paid right now to sit here on the phone and take orders for Palm.