Palm Z22 Handheld by PALM
|
Our Price: $169.99 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $39.95 (click here) Category: CE See more digital camera details and other models |
|---|
Digital camera reviews of Palm Z22 Handheld
Digital camera Review: Alarm barely auduble
Summary: 2 Stars
This product is useless as a reminder. I can barely hear the alarm even on the highest setting. I have to take medications twice a day and I got this to remind me. An expensive address book is what this is.Digital camera Review: Almost The Best PDA !
Summary: 4 Stars
Great price and great product. Very easy to use. Can use without having to read instructions first. My only complaint is that the alarm is far too quite to be of any use ! I am forced to have to use my cell phone for appointments and such I want an alarm reminder. BAD- as I bought the PDA to avoid using the phone for information storage, etc. If there was any way to fix it internally so that the alarm rang loud enough (like a cell phone alarm does) to wake you up at 3-6 inches from your head. It fails miserably in the alarm dept.BUT the rest of it is almost perfect.Digital camera Review: Almost perfect
Summary: 4 Stars
I gave this little device to my wife as a gift last xmas, and she defenetly loves it. It does pretty much all she needs.
PROS:
- Well known and stable Palm OS system.
- Very light weight
- Vibrant clear LCD display
- Great battery life
- Very affordable
CONS
- Small capacity (only 32 MB, 4 dedicated to Palm OS)
- Lack of expandability
- No media player
If I was able to make a change or update to this device, I'd pay a few extra bucks to have the ability to use SD (or micro/mini SD) memory cards and a media player, so I could use this tiny device as an MP3 player and my all-in-one device.
Unfortunately, the next step is upgrading to a TX or a Treo. No intermediate level device.
Digital camera Review: An eBook reader with benefits!
Summary: 4 Stars
A tale of a Mac, Mobipocket, and a mama on the go....
Despite my love of gadgetry, I've resisted the lure of the PDA for nearly a decade, even when I was working as an info systems analyst and had a slew of site visits, meetings, deadlines, vendors, etc., to track. I preferred to pull out my Game Boy Color or Tamagotchi when all the other guys were showing off their Palm Pilots, Handspring Visors, and tiny StarTac phones, LOL (yes, it was the late 90s). But stay-at-home-motherhood and health issues changed my mind.
I bought the Z22 in January 2007, so I've been using the PDA for just over a year. I'd originally purchased it to replace my beloved, but archaic, Franklin eBookman 901 (an eBook reader). The main appeal of the Z22 was its light weight (3 oz. vs. the 6 oz. eBookman), since I have carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists. I already had an iPod and cell phone, and didn't want a "loaded" PDA or smartphone; my last cell phone (LG VX7000) weighed almost 4 oz., and was literally burdensome to use. The simplicity and compactness of the Z22 greatly appealed to me.
My other criteria for a PDA included affordability, Mac compatibility, and Mobipocket Reader capability. Most of my eBooks are in Mobipocket format, so I needed a PDA that worked with my Mac and Mobipocket Reader. The Z22 fit the bill, even though I can't use the Mobipocket Reader Desktop software on the Mac.
The Z22's screen is about half the size of the eBookman, so it took a little while to adapt to the smaller display when reading eBooks. At least MobiPocket lets you page up/down using either the touchscreen or the Palm's navigator buttons. The resolution isn't that great, especially for photos (very grainy), but it's adequate for an eBook reader, especially if you adjust the Mobipocket background color to a pale blue or green to reduce eyestrain. I usually have 15-20 eBooks loaded on the Z22, and rarely use more than half of the available memory.
I'd gotten spoiled by the Franklin eBookman software, which would automatically convert files (text, HTML, etc.) to the appropriate format, so it took a little research to figure out how to do the same with the Z22 and OSX. I use an app called Pordible to convert files to .pdb format. It's a fairly easy process, although HTML eBooks usually require some manual clean up, in order to render them readable.
I'd switched to a Mac (OS 10.4.11) prior to buying the Z22, and never used Outlook for my contacts, so I basically had a fresh start with this PDA. I opted to use the Palm software for my contacts and calendar, and haven't had any major issues with syncing data. I also haven't had any problems with the unit freezing, except with certain Mobipocket eBooks; a soft reset has always resolved the matter.
The calendar feature was more of an added bonus, since I initially planned to use the Z22 just for reading eBooks. However, I found myself using both the Palm Desktop software and the PDA versions quite often. It's been useful for keeping track of my husband's schedule, my medical appointments, bill payment due dates, my son's activities, family birthdays, etc. I especially like the ability to color code categories. I actually use the calendar as a quasi-diary, also, to record certain day-to-day events.
The Z22 is bundled with a handheld-only trial version of SplashShopper. I tried out the program, and created several shopping lists, plus a list of all the Thomas & Friends DVDs and wooden railway toys my 4 year-old son owned (or wanted). I no longer had to worry about forgetting handwritten grocery lists, or trying to figure out if my son already had a particular Thomas train or DVD, while at a store. I liked the program so much, I forked over $14.95 to SplashData to upgrade to the full desktop version. It's much easier to create and modify lists using the software on the Mac, rather than manually input data on the PDA.
Since I use the Z22 heavily as an eBook reader, the battery no longer seems to hold a charge quite as efficiently as when new. I do keep the brightness on a low setting, so that helps conserve battery life (and preserve eyesight). I have the Flexi-Case for my Z22, and it's been fine for my purposes. I usually stash the PDA in a pocket of my bag when I go out, and it hasn't suffered any ill effects.
Overall, I'm quite satisfied with my Z22. It was worth buying just to avoid the dreaded eBookman OS vanishing act (from merely changing the batteries). I bought one for my husband for Christmas, since he finally decided his FiloFax had outlived its usefulness. Now I can beam grocery and "honey do" lists to his Z22. If my Z22 ends up dying (as seems the case with many people who have owned it for over a year), I'd likely replace it with another one, unless Palm comes out with an updated version.
Digital camera Review: An excellent pda...Palm has finally made a more reliable product,if you are lucky.
Summary: 4 Stars
This is an excellent pda,from palm...I received this as a christmas gift...My last two palms died at an early age...They had memory wipe problems...My cell phone rang,my screen went blank...As my fellow reviewers have noted.Their customer service is terrible...Ive had no problems,since receiving my palm...I have noticed,that this unit like all palms,seem very sensitive to static electricity...This might explain some of the negitive experiences palm customers,have had with their products..I love the palm...Please make sure that the retailer has a good refund/return/exchange poicy of at least 30 days,As most problems show up in the first 30 days or 90 days after purchase...4 star recommended...I thank you stewart L.