PalmOne Zire 72 Special Edition Handheld Silver Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I had a Palm III followed by a Palm V and I was pretty pleased with both these older model PDAs. After some study, I opted for a Palm Zire 72 and I am very pleased with the features.
Important to me, the Zire 72 has Palm's suite of information management applications and the ability to edit Word- and Excel-compatible files and synchronize with Microsoft Outlook (Windows only). This is one reason I got the Palm; my Blackberry is not good as a PDA and I love the easy-to-use and fast PalmOS.The Zire 72 features:
1-megapixel image resolution (1280 x 960 pixels
32 MB of memory --64 MB in the special edition
Video capture with sound
Digital
Voice recording capability.
Wireless Bluetooth connectivity to connect to the PC or your Bluetooth-enabled phone
4.8 ounces wieght
Palm OS 5.2.8 Operating System
Software
USB cable for linking to PC
Slot for SDI memory card
16-bit 320x320 TFT screen capable of 65,000 colors.
Capabilities Rundown:
PIM and software:
Zire 72 features Palm's suite of information management applications for expenses and note, and it has the ability to edit Word- and Excel-compatible files and synchronize with Microsoft Outlook in Windows. Our own company email system will support the Palm and Pocket PC while it will not be supporting the Blackberry Enterprise System anytime soon. So the Outlook support is very important.
Bluetooth:
The Bluetooth seems designed for devices to enable mobiles, LAN and PC connections to give web capability. It would be clunky, in my view, to connect via a cell phone, so I'd love to see WiFi. But this feature can be added with a $99 card put into the SDI slot. Bluetooth is not as easy to configure; the set-up wizard seemed to be a bit difficult and there are only a few cell phone models included in the preset configurations. If you can get the 72 connected, you can use it to dial numbers, send SMS, MMS and e-mail, and browse the web using the Web Pro 3.5. Or you can opt for a WiFi card and surf at MacDonalds and Starbucks. Phones that are listed:
Sony-E T68i
Sony-E T610
Nokia 6310i
Nokia 3650
Siemens S56
Not a super list.
For PC interfacing or Palm-to-Palm there still is an infrared port.
Egonomics:
Complaints were made about the blue paint on the regular edition flaking off. I have the special edition with the silver body and this is not an issue. The control is a rectangular navigating button. The screen has the familiar Palm division between screen and stylus pad below. The Graffiti 2 was easy to use--the letters are almost exactly like written print, as long as you know where to begin the the letter, but that's practically intuitive. The sensitivity and accuracy of the stylus-pointing is a huge improvement over the very early Palms like the PalmV.
My system came with a Cordura nylon case, very nice quality and a huge improvement from the old flimsy leatherette flaps of early days. Without a case, you have to get something to cover the screen. The stylus is the same type of rod that attaches to the side by sliding into a slot.MP3:
You need a SDI card (Secure Digital card) to load MP3 songs with RealPlayer onto the system for playing back with MP3. These are not hard to find, you may even have one floating around the house (we did.) Drag-and-drop songs onto the card on your PC, put card in Palm and go. There is a headphone jack.
There are "speakers" (tiny) and a voice recorder. Great for memos.
Camera:
The 1.2 megapixel camera has onboard adjustments for contrast and light (I needed to take down the exposure for a shot of my deck at dawn.) Digital zoom. No cover for the camera lens. The resolution was ok. The memory will hold about 85 shots, and you can move them to the SDI (optional) card. No flash.
Software:
The installation CD comes with Adobe Acrobat Reader for Palm, plus a calculator, a reader-- Documents To Go which allows you to read Microsoft Word and Excel. It's recommended to download AvantGo to add internet features. Sites such as www.palmsource.com, www.freewarepalm.com, www.palmgear.com, www.download.com have many free or inexpensive applications for the PalmOS.
There is no manual, it's on the CD.
Summary:
For a PDA, this is about perfect. To be perfect, they'd have to include WiFi and or a better phone setup list for the Bluetooth. I am quite thrilled with the Zire 72--it does what I want it to do, mainly be a PDA and keep my appointments and handle some data. The camera and MP3 are nice for travel.

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Building on the success of PalmOne's Zire 71, the Zire 72 is the first Palm-based handheld that can capture digital video with sound and shoot digital still photos. This special silver version of the Zire 72 also features bright 320 x 320-pixel color screen for optimal playback of video and photos as well as voice recording capability and an MP3 player for listening to your own soundtrack. Other features include Bluetooth wireless connectivity, a 32 MB memory, Secure Digital card expansion, and a fast 312 Mhz Intel PXA270 processor. And, of course, the Zire 72 features Palm's suite of information management applications and the ability to edit Word- and Excel-compatible files and synchronize with Microsoft Outlook (Windows only). It's also available in the original blue version.
Upgrade Features The Zire 72 offers the following improvements to the Zire 71:
1-megapixel image resolution (1280 x 960 pixels); the Zire 71 had a maximum 640 x 480 resolution.
32 MB of memory (24.7 MB user available); the Zire 71 had only a 16 MB memory
Video capture with sound; the Zire 71 only shot still images.
Digital zoom for closer image capture and in-handheld editing.
Voice recording capability.
Wireless Bluetooth connectivity (the Zire 71 connected to your PC only via the HotSync cable)
At 4.8 ounces, it's 10-percent less weighty than the 5.3-ounce Zire 71.
Palm OS 5.2.8 (versus 5.2.1 for the Zire 71).
Built-in Camera The back of the Zire 72 holds the built-in still and video camera, which does not require you to slide the back of the PDA to activate it (like the Zire 71 did). You can shoot video with sound turned on or off at 320 x 240 pixel resolution and 15 frames per second. Justuse the handheld screen to frame the video, tap the "record" button on the display, then save your video to an optional expansion card after tapping the "stop" button.
For still photography, it features a 1.2-megapixel CMOS sensor with a fixed focus range of about five feet and a 2x digital zoom. It captures up to 1280 x 960 pixel images, as well as 640 x 480, 320 x 240, and 160 x 120 resolution modes.The camera also offers such customized image setting controls as white balance, brightness, saturation, contrast, and sharpness. You can also add date stamp or effects like sepia, black and white, and blue.
Audio The included RealPlayer for Palm OS enables you to listen to MP3 music files stored on optional expansion cards via the built-in speaker on the Zire 72 or, for stereo sound, using optional stereo headphones or ear buds.
With the built-in digital voice recorder, you can create voice memos, then synchronize them to your desktop PC and email them to friends and colleagues.
Display The Palm Zire 72 features a 16-bit, 320 x 320 bright transflective TFT color display, which supports more than 65,000 colors.
Connectivity and Expansion With the built-in wireless Bluetooth connectivity, you can synchronize the Zire 72 with Bluetooth-enabled computer from across the room (within a range of 10 meters, or approximately 30 feet). But that's just the start. Using a compatible Bluetooth-enabled phone, you can send and receive email and connect to the web, send multimedia (MMS) or text (SMS) messages, and even automatically dial any number in your handheld's Contact's application. You can also synchronize data the "old-fashioned" way via the mini-USB connection at the base of the handheld.
The Zire 72 uses Multimedia Card and Secure Digital expansion cards, which instantly add software applications, additional memory, large databases, and more without taking up built-in memory space.
Operating System and Software The Zire 72 is powered by Palm OS 5.2.8, which provides higher performance, enhanced multimedia features, support for Bluetooth connectivity and networking, and enterprise-class security. It useses the intuitive and easy-to-learn Graffiti 2 writing software to input data into the handheld (as well as an on-screen keyboard). Windows users can synchronize calendar, contacts, tasks and notes with Microsoft Outlook. The Palm OS features the following organizer applications:
Contacts: Lets you store several addresses for each contact, and it adds new contact fields for more phone numbers, multiple email addresses, instant messenger IDs, and a website for your contacts.
Calendar: Use the new Agenda view to see upcoming calendar events, tasks due and important email, and color-code your events to provide an easy way to reference your Calendar in the Agenda, Day, Week, and Month views. Take more notes, or synchronize more details from your desktop, into the larger Memos and Notes fields on the handheld.
Tasks: Use tasks with alarms and repeating tasks to set reminders for important commitments.
You'll useGraffiti 2 allows you to enter data quickly into your Palmª handheldÑbut it's even more intuitive and easier to learn
Along with the standard Palm software, you'll receive a Software Essentials CD-ROM containing PalmOne's VersaMail, Web Pro, Messages (SMS/MMS), Palm Reader, Documents To Go Standard Edition, Acrobat Reader, Solitaire, powerOne Personal Calculator, and Audible Player for palmOne handhelds (Windows only).
Compatibility The Palm Zire 72 is compatible with PCs running Windows 98, NT 4.0, 2000, Me, and XP, and with Macs running Mac OS 9, version 9.1 or higher, or Mac OS X, version 10.2 or 10.3.
What's in the Box This package contains the Zire 72 Silver Edition handheld, built-in rechargeable battery, carrying case, mini-USB HotSync cable, power cable, stylus, CD-ROM with Palm Desktop 4.1 software for Windows and Macs (as well as bonus software), and printed Getting Started guide. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery that has a battery life of between 3 and 4.5 hours depending on screen brightness settings and usage.

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