PalmOne m515 Color Handheld

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Manufacturer: PalmOne
Price at amazon.com: Used & new from $87.99




Product Features:

• Palm organization and style at an affordable price
• Easy to learn and use--even if you've never used a handheld before
• Mini-USB connector allows easy transfer and backup to computer
• Keeps addresses, appointments, and important information safe and secure
• What's in the box: Palm m515 handheld, USB HotSync cradle with built-in battery charger, Getting started manual, Palm Desktop software and bonus software, Complete documentation, Protective flip cover

Product Description:

The ultraslim, lightweight Palm m515 handheld has all the classic information management features you expect from Palm, as well as a bright color display with support for over 65,000 colors. It's also loaded with valuable productivity and connectivity software and has a built-in expansion card slot for additional memory storage, applications, and content. It comes with 16 MB built-in memory, enough to store thousands of addresses, years of appointments, hundreds of to-do items, and more than 50... read more


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Description from Manufacturer:The release of the Palm m515 handheld proves that Palm listens to customers and is willing to make changes. Thanks to the indifferent customer response to the lackluster color screen of the Palm m505 (released in 2001), the Palm m515 boasts a much brighter display and contrast controls that were missing in its predecessor.

We were among the many who voiced disappointment with the Palm m505, and while the m515's color screen still isn't at the top of the class, it's an obvious and welcome improvement. With display support for over 65,000 colors, icons and images (viewed in the included PhotoSuite application) have a nice richness and depth of color. However, as the screen resolution is only 160 by 160 pixels, the m515 doesn't achieve the crispness found in the Sony T615 (which has a 320 by 320 pixel resolution). But ultimately, unless you need a high-end multimedia viewer integrated into your handheld, you should be suitably happy with the m515's display.

There are only three levels of brightness contrast control--high, low, and off. At first we were taken aback by the "off" setting, as it rendered the screen almost invisible in our office, but it's fine for outdoor usage and will help conserve battery power.

With its curved angles, thin design, and light weight, the Palm m515 feels very comfortable, both in the palm of your hand and resting in your pocket. Also, with the m515's 33 MHz DragonBall VZ processor, we found switching applications to be very fast.

The applications and desktop software (version 4.01 for Windows and version 2.6.3 for Mac) haven't changed, and that's just fine with us. (Note that a beta version of Palm Desktop 4 for Mac OS X is available for download.) The Palm interface is one of the most elegant and simple to understand--yet powerful--operating systems around.

But Palm adds more power with a variety of add-on applications that you can choose to install, ranging from Documents To Go for viewing and editing Word and Excel documents, to Palm's collection of mobile connectivity apps, to the aforementioned PhotoSuite for viewing images and short movies. Our favorite is AvantGo, an app that downloads Web content to the m515 whenever you synchronize, which enables us to keep up with the latest world news as well as Aussie Rules Football scores. You can add even more content and applications via the expansion slot, using optional Secure Digital or MultiMediaCard memory cards.

You can choose to synchronize the Palm m515 with the Palm Desktop application or link to Microsoft Outlook (Windows only). Palm Desktop is more than adequate, but if you are in a corporate environment and Outlook is your scheduling/e-mailing/tasking brain center (which it is for us), the synchronization is seamless.

Overall, we're very happy with the Palm m515--it's quick on its feet, has a nice color display, and is loaded with great software additions that can enhance both your productivity and your fun. --Agen G.N. Schmitz

Pros:

• Improved color screen--brighter, with contrast controls
• Good range of additional software, from Internet connectivity to e-book reader
• Expansion slot enables you to add even more content and applications to customize the m515 to your needs
• Easy synchronization with Palm Desktop or Microsoft Outlook

Cons:

• Continued use of high brightness level can wear on batteries
• Palm Desktop for Mac still behind the times, but new software on the way

Average Customer Rating:

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Comment: Good but not perfect Rating:
I owned a Palm III for four plus years and was very happy with it. Then my purse was stollen with the Palm in it and I was forced to update. I read the reviews on the Palm M130 and decided it was for me. I ordered it without visiting a store to check out the real thing and I found that it was much thicker and heavier than my Palm III. I keep my Palm in a wallet organzier and I could barely close the wallet with the M130 in it. Therefore, I returned it and I am awaiting my refund. In its place, I purchased the M515 instead. SO far, I am very happy with the 515, especially its width. The only annoying thing about the product is that they have an attractive slip on leather cover but the cover will not stay on the Palm. Otherwise, the software was very easy to install and the Palm is meeting all of my needs. The color screen is nice and the battery has not worn out yet after one week of use. Why can't they make the cover work though? I never had a single complaint about my Palm III.

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Comment: Old Palm users - Worth waiting Rating:
I started using Pilots when they were called Pilots. I've
upgraded from them to Palm IIIxe and now to the m515. I'm a
a real reviewer, not some marketting suit.

I have to say I was tempted to get the first color Palm, but
I'm glad I waited.

The m515 is a good product. It has nice color, the display
is suitable for different environments. It may not be the
best for all people, but for normal office/home/road use,
the display, and usability is great.

I was relieved that the same style of applications came with
the hand-held. I was relieved that the PC applications look
like they've been nicely upgraded, except that they need
to be more refined, and MS-office-like in terms of function
to help get useful data from the PC world into the Palm.

So, if you were looking for a vastly new PC software suite with
the m515, it's basically the same as it was. It just looks
better.

The physical properties of the m515 are nice. It's light, thin,
looks cool. I really like the rechargable battery feature
that's been in the line for some time, but having gone from
AAA batteries to this, I'm happier.

I still think that the accessories market is lacking really good
quality cases. They all look and work cheaply. What
I really want is a nice cordura case that can expand if I
want it to. Essentially, I see the m515 as a executive level
product-- for the price and function you'd expect a higher
level of accessories. I didnt' find that apparent.

But the core of the unit is really beautiful. I love the color,
I bought a game-pack to go with it just for that reason. Now
I'm hooked on Sim-City. The m515 is really worth the wait.
I probably won't ever have to upgrade for quite some time
because I can always add more memory and the applications
that need the most help are the PC aids, not the palm applications.

Other nits:

Order it with extra styli, not just one.
Order it with a cover that covers it completely-
don't depend on the basic flap.
Dust and dirt will eventually get on the screen with the
standard flap cover.

Recommended packages:

* Get the game pack, it's fun.
* Zipper case is more secure and protective.
* Get more memory now, while you're online ordering it.
* Get the extra cradle NOW while you're ordering it. Remember
that NT/95 users need a serial kit, the USB won't work for those
older versions of Windows.
* Order your serial kit while you're there, the extra 4 days
wait is eternity.

I gave this review 4 stars to leave room for some improvement
in the PC applications and quality of accessories to protect
and utlize the product. I'm really happy with the m515.

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Comment: Great Palm until it dies an early death. Rating:
Let me start by saying that the only reason I did not give this Palm only 1 star is because while it was working, I absolutely loved it. This was a great Palm pilot and I used it for pretty much everything. I loaded it up with third party software, filled my expansion card with e-books and played games with very few problems. I cannot highly recommend this unit and give it a 5 star rating due to the short life span compared to the price of $300 - $400 when I bought it a little over a year ago.

I started with a Palm xe, then a Palm IIIc, and ended up with a Palm m515. The Palm xe literally fell apart - the buttons snapped apart making it useless. When the Palm IIIc stopped working, I gave Palm the $125 to refurbish my unit which they did. Then about a year later it was accidentally put into the laundry while I was in the hospital after giving birth to my daughter, which is how I ended up with the m515. Now, just over a year later my Palm m515 just stopped working.

As much as I miss my Palm, I can't justify giving Palm another $125 to "refurbish" my unit or go out and purchase another brand new unit for $200 or more. I have spent SO much money on Palm PDA's and related items over the last three or four years that I feel like a junkie. I've been doing my research here at Amazon trying to find out if Sony is any better and it seems they are pretty much the same.

The irony is that Palm is selling products that do so much, but if you use all of the functionality, you drastically limit the life of the unit. So until these guys can make a sturdier product that has a longer life, they have lost me as a customer. And COME ON, give us a replaceable freaking battery already!

Posted at November 11, 2003 07:39 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)