PalmOne Zire 71 Handheld by Palm
|
Our Price: $79.95 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: CE See more digital camera details and other models |
|---|
Digital camera reviews of PalmOne Zire 71 Handheld
Digital camera Review: Downgrading from a T3 to Zire 71 NOT a good idea...
Summary: 3 Stars
Alright, I am willing to come right out and say it: in order to save a buck, I really made a poor decision. I figured that my T3 was just about the best handheld available (and still is, by the way...) but it contained many features I never really used to their fullest extent, so I thought that I would save some $$ and go with the modestly priced Zire 71 (a refurbished model, by the way). Immediately I noticed that it was in excellent condition without so much as a hint of wear. I VERY much appreciated this. Going with a screen almost half the size of a fully-extended T3 has been a bit difficult to get used to (I'm still working on it). However the screen IS very clear and beautiful. I really like the idea of the built-in camera, even though the quality isn't even on par with fairly cheap digital cameras these days (and many camera-phones, too). Still, it's a nice feature.
VERY quickly I discovered how going from 64 MB of memory to 16 comes into play and F-A-S-T. ENORMOUS mistake going for the smaller memory. I should have KNOWN, but I was more intent on saving money than making a smart choice, so I suppose I have nobody to blame but myself. Other than the vastly inferior memory storage, I noticed almost as an afterthought that the software did NOT come with Documents To Go, something almost ALL my previous Palm's had included standard. So I fished around and found the cd from my T3 and attempted to load it that way -- with no success. I figured that maybe the Zire 71 came out before the T3 and maybe the Operating System was an older version that could not support it, so I went digging even further and found my cd from my m130 and tried to load THAT instead...again with no luck. I now believe that the Zire 71 is incapable of carrying this particular program. WHY??? What on EARTH would cause them to make it standard on the smaller and OLDER m130, and yet neglect to include it on the Zire 71? Beats me.
One additional thing to note: the so-called mini-joystick seems a fantastic addition -- AT FIRST. Once I tried to use it on some of the games I have, it either failed entirely or simply wasn't big ENOUGH to be of any real use. You can also PUSH the joystick, which allows a brief view of the current time, but unfortunately all too often it gets pushed unintentionally and as I pull it out to use from the nice velcro-pleather holster it came with, I discover it is already on. Kinda bothersome, actually.
I would have GLADLY kept my trusty T3 if ONLY palmOne would pull their heads out of their behinds and design a model with a battery that the owner can EASILY REPLACE THEMSELVES. These products have been on the market for YEARS now, and it is absolutely inexcuseable that palmOne refuses to build this feature into each and EVERY model they sell. I checked to see what the cost was to send in my T3 to have it replaced...just $125 -- and that didn't include shipping! It was only slightly more to buy my Zire 71.
In short, I dearly miss my T3. For those who haven't used a more versatile and expensive model, the Zire 71 is probably well worth the expense -- but if you HAVE owned anything above it, steer clear of the Zire 71 quickly and at the very least move UP to the newer and incredibly more sophisticated Zire 72 -- I wish I had. For those of you just starting out with your first handheld, (I STILL champion the Palm OS platform as the most user-friendly out there) the Zire 71 would make a pretty good choice. Good luck and hope this review helped.
***UPDATE***
I have since taken the plunge and thrown out my PDA and my cell phone and bought a Palm Treo 650. Much, MUCH better than the Zire 71. In fact, it is so much better words fail to describe it appropriately. I believe the Zire 71 to be a great Beginner's PDA...but if you are a veteran PDA user that expects a lot from that PDA...you need a Tungsten E at the VERY least. I have found now that I have upgraded to the Treo and have only ONE item I have to carry now instead of two, it has made all the difference in the world. If you don't mind carrying the extra bulk, keep what you have...however if it IS a problem, go for the 650 -- especially now that the newer models are coming out and the price of the 650 can be found at some pretty good deals -- you MAY have to shop around to find a really good one, but trust me, they're out there. Good luck!
Digital camera Review: AWESOME!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of the best products Palm has ever put out there. There are only a couple of drawbacks; it has no bluetooth or
wi-fi(there are cards you can buy for that purpose, but then that means that the programs that you wan to use with it have to be on your palm's internal memory), no video camera, and if you need to use the screen at full brightness it won't last very long. Other then those few things it is awesome! you can play music, take quick snapshots, play games(there are a lot of good freebies), etc....
Digital camera Review: absolute crap
Summary: 1 Stars
Cannot believe how many entries with the same story...screen not responding and battery drained within minutes after typically a year of ownership. I actually (stupidly) paid to have my screen repaired after it mysteriously cracked. Paid over 100 british pounds sterling to have it shipped to Czechoslovakia and repaired only to have this happen about a year after the new screen was fit or ? if they just gave me a new one. Now the serial number has rubbed off so I can't even register a complaint to customer service...which might I add is horrible in the UK and Europe as well. Wish I had better to say but I don't think I'd buy Palm products again...tis a shame as its so beneficial having a functioning handheld working in the medical field. Digital camera Review: cool but could be better
Summary: 4 Stars
the zire 71 is awsome for a kid who wants a plam for back to school. I have had mine for 3 years and still nothing is wrong with it. the only bad thing is that you cant gat wifi cards that work and you cant get very much for it.Digital camera Review: Palm Zire 71-Good
Summary: 4 Stars
Loved the overall workings. Was disappointed in the camera feature which would slide apart and the battery would die, I would then loose all data. Backing up was very important. I wish it had a stored memory even when the battery did die. Otherwise it was very easy to use.