:. Introduction .:
Want
a very inexpensive Palm-based handheld? Yea I know you do and the new Palm
Zire model, retailing for $99 US, will fulfill any organizational void you
may be experiencing. The Zire is the simplest version of the current
available Palm's and that's how Palm got the final price down to the
under-one-hundred range.
One thing to note is that this Palm is the least
expensive model and looks better than any other Palm on the market.
:. Specifications .:
Dimension (mm):
-
4.4" x 2.9" x 0.6"
-
3.8 oz.
:. What's inside the box .:
- Palm Zire unit
- USB HotSync®
Cable
- Power Adapter
- CD-Rom: Palm Desktop
- Instructions
:.
Palm Zire .:
As you can see from the pictures, this is a completely
redesigned Palm. These guys have been the market leaders for over six years
and wanted to develop a PDA that almost anyone could afford and did just
that with the new Zire model. The new Zire is
"an affordable way to organize your life". It is designed to meet the
demands of individuals in business, students, and families juggling endless
events and activities.
The distinctive polished white face and silver back
lends a visual simplicity and
elegance.
It comes with a removable flip lid to protect the 160x160 monochrome display
while being stored. Also, there are two quick-link buttons that focus on
what matters - Address Book and Date Book.
It also includes all the important Palm Applications
such as a Date Book, Address Book, Note Pad, and To Do's. These are the
standards Apps but there are thousands you can download on the internet.
You
can even download many games for this PDA. The picture on the right shows
Simcity! that's right, you can actually play fun games on the Zire. There
are so many sites out there that sell and provide Palm software that can
really make this unit versatile. It's not powerful enough for a multimedia
experience but you can expect that coming from a $99 Palm.
Another feature of the Palm Zire is the Beaming
capability. Now this is an absolutely genius idea! you can Beam information,
files, and applications wirelessly to other Palms (infrared). The infrared
port is located at
the
top of the unit, although you cannot see it.
The Sync software allows you to sync information with
your PC. You can also type up essays on this Palm and stick them on your PC.
There are numerous applications that are powerful enough to handle typing up
essays and even spell check them! Although only having 2 MB of memory, Palm
applications are very memory savvy and you would be surprised how much you
can actually store on 2 MB.
The Graffiti feature is very advanced in Palm devices.
I began using the graffiti feature
as soon as I got the Zire and it easily recognized my way of writing. You do
have to conform to a different style of writing that the Palm can recognize
and this is easily done. I am able to write almost as fast as I can type
with the graffiti feature.
One other important feature is the battery life. You
can charge the batteries and not have to worry about them dying. Unlike
Pocket PC's, Palm devices use minimal battery power and because of this, you
can run the Zire for weeks with one charge.
Overall, this is one feature-filled PDA that won't dig
into your budget. For $99 US, I think it's well worth the investment. I'll
sum up the reasons to take a look at the Palm Zire more in page two. So turn
the page!
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