PalmOne Vx Handheld

[Archived in $100 - $200, PalmOne, Products]

Manufacturer: PalmOne
Price at amazon.com: $199.99
This item is not stocked or has been discontinued.

Product Features:

• 8 MB RAM
• HotSync cradle included
• Easily transfer data from your handheld to your PC or Macintosh
• Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
• Stores thousands of addresses, appointments, to-do items, memos, and more

Product Description:

Description from Manufacturer:At only 4.7 by 3.2 inches square and 0.4 inches thick, the Palm Vx handheld is truly pocket sized; however, this model sports a hefty 8 MB of RAM. The Palm Vx handheld also sports a sleek exterior that looks supercool--an intangible value to be sure, but one that's hard to argue with.

The Palm Vx handheld offers the same improvements to its screen that were made to the Palm IIIx. These updates since the Palm III handheld include a far sharper screen and contrast-variable backlighting, which makes the Palm Vx handheld much easier to use in low-light conditions. Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which charge while the unit sits in its HotSync cradle, make battery life a nonissue.

You can synchronize Palm handhelds with your computer so that you can carry all your appointments, notes, contacts, and e-mail with you. The simple one-touch interface makes sense to new and seasoned computer users alike. For owners that prefer Microsoft Outlook to keep tabs on folks for business and pleasure, rest easy. With the simple installation procedure, and Outlook support out of the box, you can transfer the data you have in Outlook, or start fresh with the Palm Desktop software. In addition, there are thousands of applications for the Palm operating system available on the Internet that make your Palm handheld work as everything from a universal remote to a digital book and restaurant guide.

We had no trouble setting up the device, synching with our PC-based Netscape e-mail, using the Graffiti character-recognition software, or working with the address book, date book, memo writer, to-do list, and all the other applications that put the Palm OS on the map. All in all, this is a great upgrade to an already strong product. If this is your first Palm, it's a great way to start.

Pros:

• Palm OS interface is simple to use
• Easy to install and set up
• Uses rechargeable batteries
• Sleek, solid design can take some punishment

Cons:

• Not expandable (has a closed case)
• Case cover opens too easily

Average Customer Rating:

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Comment: Palm Pilot Vx... Rating:
Weighing in at just 4oz., it has the same anodized aluminum exterior and LCD screen as the Palm Vx handheld. Yet it has four times the memory of its predecessor, giving you more speed and more storage... Now, no matter how busy your life gets, you can keep it together in style... Keep all your meeting times, places, people, phone numbers and other information safely tucked away in this elegant device... 8MB of memory stores up to 10,000 addresses, 5 years of appointments, 3,000 to-do items, 3,000 memos, 400 e-mail messages, plus, there's plenty of room for extra add-on applications, books, language translators, image viewers, dictionaries, games, advanced calculators, and more... Use the HotSync cradle to quickly backup and exchange information between your PC and your Palm handheld, as well as any number of popular PIMs like Symantec ACT! and Microsoft Outlook. Long-life lithium ion batteries recharge themselves in the HotSync cradle in just minutes a day. A full charge lasts up to a month. Optional recharging kit available for road warriors... With the Palm V Modem, you can access your desktop PC remotely in just minutes using a standard phone line or GSM cellular connection. Now you can check e-mail, access information from the office, or schedule a group meeting. Customize your organizer with thousands of personal productivity and enterprise applications available today. IR PortBeam your business card, phone lists, memos, and add-on applications to other IR-enabled Palm OS devices. Use third-party beaming applications with IR-enabled phones, printers, etc. Items Included in the BoxPalm Vx handheld, Palm Desktop software, Applications for Palm Vx handheld, Rechargeable battery (internal), DB-25 Adapter, Getting Started Guide, 2 Stylii, Protective leather cover, Handbook, HotSync cradle, Adapter/recharger. A great advancement in the realm of the Palm Pilot, this unit is far more durable than the III or the VII series...

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Comment: The standard that set the standards for handheld PDA's Rating:
The Palm Vx is really a standard-setter. Small footprint, great connectivity to the PC and to mail programs like Outlook. Many, many applications written for it, some shareware, some you can purchase. Easy synchronization via the cradle interface, which is also the recharging unit.

Here are the pros:

Small, lightweight, fits in a shirt pocket. Standard OS that is widely used. LOOOOOOOONG battery life. Plenty of memory for most text-based application. (8MB) Plenty of peripherals like a sexy little keyboard, a combo ballpoint pen-stylus, travel adapter kits, car battery charger, IR exchange which works quite well.

Cons: It's fragile. Even in the brushed steel folding case I bought, the screen broke when it slipped from my hand. It's Palm OS, which means it doesn't have the advantages of the Pocket PC (former Windows CE) OS to run PowerPoint, (there is a new program for the Pocket PC that lets you view and hear PowerPoint.) It doesn't have color display. The screen font could be clearer (there are better ones on other PDA's) The telephone and wireless stuff isn't in it (that's either the Palm VII with built-in wireless or other brands.) No MP3 player, no voice recorder. And the battery pack is not removable, although it lasts plenty long.

Should you buy it? If you want an organizer and email reader, this is excellent. It's what I use every day. The long battery life is a real boon to the traveler. It packs a lot for the money. The optional accessories are priced too high, but this is a complaint against the industry in general. You buy the basic unit, but to add some useful doo-dads, you can rack a significant percentage of the purchase price in no time.

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Comment: Good, but keep a paperclip in hand. Rating:
The palm works well and is simple to use and download things. But, this palm crashes alot!

Posted at November 11, 2003 07:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)