:. Introduction .:

The Palm Zire 71 handheld is one of the most versatile PDAs around... and for a good price. The new OS 5-based Palms are completely re-done both style and performance-wise. The Zire 71 features a Texas instruments ARM-based CPU running at 144 MHz. Such speed really shows you what the Palm OS is capable of. Applications and documents appear in an instant.

The 16 MB RAM (13 MB user accessible) is also plenty considering most Palm applications are in the KB range. Although, if you want to expand the capabilities of the Zire 71, a Secure Digital or MMC card is a must. I recommend nothing below a 128 MB card. With the 128 SD card, over 2 hrs of MP3s can be placed on it so you can enjoy lots of music on the go. Also, videos and documents can be accessed but not applications, meaning that if you ever run out of the 13 MB that are included, you will be stuck that way.

The SDIO slot allows you to upgrade the Palm with MMC and SD memory cards and it goes further than an SD slot because with the IO feature, you can plug in many other goodies such as Bluetooth cards, WIFI cards, and many others to keep you happy.

MP3 playback is awesome on the Zire 71 for three main reasons: the sound quality is really good, there is a standard 3.5 mm headphone port, and since the batteries last well over 12 hrs of continuous MP3 playback (with LCD off), many will be amazed.

Video on the Zire 71 uses the new Kinoma Player and Producer. The Kinoma Producer software bundled with the Zire 71 is not the full version, meaning advanced video compression options are withheld. The full version costs $29.00 USD and with it you will be able to choose what compression options you want. After I installed the Kinoma Player on my Palm and the Producer on my desktop, I downloaded a 90 MB Matrix Reloaded trailer. The compression took about 4 minutes on an AMD 2100+ system and reduced the file down to 9 MB, or 1/10 of the original. I must say that the video quality was really good and had high frame rates. On the other hand, the sound was a bit scratchy. However, with the full version of Kinoma that I tried, I was impressed with the options available for compression. Both audio and video can be customized in the full edition and its worth the $29.00. There is simply no comparison to the popular TealMovie player because Kinoma's quality blows it out of the water. I recompressed the 90 MB Matrix Reloaded trailer, but this time compressing the audio to 44100 KHz. I also changed the video compression to 320x320 @ 30 FPS in Cinema video mode. WOW! what a difference! The originally 90 MB trailer was reduced to 19 MB without sacrificing sound quality and the video was so good it'll put a smile on anyone's face.

One problem with Kinoma is the lack of compatibility to common video files, especially the popular DivX format. Right now, QuickTime and MPEG 1 are supported. Although this was a bit of a heartbreak, I found Kinoma to be extremely fun and easy to use, which included a clean interface to aide this. Overall, the multimedia on the Zire 71 will not disappoint and is comparable to that of more powerful Pocket PCs.

The built-in VGA camera on the Zire 71 takes some pretty good pics at a resolution of 640x480 and in JPEG format. Images can also be saved as 160 x 120 and 320 x 240 and other options allow you to place a date stamp and adjust contrast AND adjust white balance AND remove red-eye using the Palm Desktop software. Pictures taken in low light conditions do not turn out (because there is no flash) and there is also a bit of a delay when taking pictures that I estimate would be close to 0.5sec. Obviously this is far from a high performance camera and would not replace a standard digital camera. However, for taking fun pics that you email to others, this little camera does the job and is a very nice feature. At first I didn't want a cam on a PDA because I did not deem it to be useful. I was wrong, it's a whole lot of fun and everyone I show it to respond with a big smile. The camera is activated with the flip of the unit and the snapshot button is perfectly located at the bottom of the unit. When the camera is closed, the picture viewer software is automatically opened.

Here is an unedited picture I took with the Zire71: (click to enlarge)

With all of the great features of this Palm, there are also some not-so-great ones. The main one is the lack of a 'hold' button. You have to be extremely careful not to knock around the Zire 71 or you'll end up changing or stopping the song. The case that is included with the unit does not solve this problem either - the joystick tends to be pressed in by the case, thus turning the Zire 71 on. If only a hold button was made for this unit, it would have avoided a lot of annoyance. Another minor detail is the 'popping' noise the speaker makes on occasion. This noise occurs on every Zire 71 and it is a bit weird, nothing major though.

Some Features to Note:

• Hi Resolution LCD with Brilliant Color

• Layout is Simple and Functional

• SDIO Slot for Expandability

• 144 MHz Texas Instruments OMAP Processor

• Standard 3.5 mm Headphone Jack

:. Specifications .:

:. What's inside the box .:

• Palm Zire 71 Handheld
• Palm Zire 71 Case
• USB Docking Station
• Power Cable
• Two Software CDs
• Instructions

:. Palm Zire 71 Handheld .:

Now I'll get into the best part about this Zire 71 model - it's amazing 320 x 320 LCD screen. This panel beats new Pocket PC panels with flying colors. It has a transflective panel to make it super bright indoors and manageable in direct sunlight. The brightness is amazing, the resolution is also terrific, and the colors are vibrant!!! Watching movies or episodes of your favorite show will be a great experience every time because this screen is so vibrant. It also has wide viewing angles so people next to you can also catch a glimpse.

As for the physical layout of the unit, the buttons are all located in standard positions. The joystick is very nicely done and is easy to use unlike many other Palm and Pocket PC-based models. There is also an indentation in the middle of the joystick where the stylus fits in, making browsing much easier. As for the color, the back is silver and the front is baby blue with silver.

I personally think the Zire 71 is the most attractive of all Palm handhelds up to date. The stylus included with the Z71 is all plastic and is very light, making it feel a little awkward. I got used to the stylus quickly because you tend not to focus on such a minor detail when the rest of the unit is so incredible. After reading this review, you know that I am in love with the Zire 71 and rightly so. Except for the Sony Cliès, it is rare to see a Palm-based handheld capable of "doing it all".