Monday, July 7, 2008

Palm TXDA


Pros: Size, Wi-Fi, Ease of Use, Price

Cons: Seperate Pwr cord, "trickle charge USB"

After running around the world with Palm's E2 and having to switch my SD storage card for my Wi-Fi card and not being able to download files I decided to bite the bullet and purchase Palm's T|X. Upon opening the flashy business box the T|X gleems like a new penny. After a 3 hr initial charge I got to play with the T|X's features. Doc2GO, Versimail, and bluetooth connectivity all worked like a champ.

The media program played mp3s and showed pictures on a beautiful landscape or vertical screen in millions of colors. The most impressive feature was the ease of use of the built-in Wi-Fi. I detected not only my home's network but 3 others in my neighborhood. I took my T|X on the road for the first time and connected to the hotel Wi-Fi without any trouble. My only complaint would be with the battery life is not a long as I would like it to be but there are ways to get your battery to last longer. (i.e. turn off BT or Wi-Fi when not in use). Also, I am not a big fan of the 2 wire set up on the latest Palm products.

2 ports on the bottom of the device, one for hotsync and the other for power. What ever happened to the cradle? If your USB port supports 500 mA power you can "trickle charge" your T|X through it's USB cable and not the power charger. Word to the wise though..."trickle charge" takes up to 9 hrs vs 3 hrs on the power charger. The other 2 items I highly recommend is the hard case to protect your purchase and a 1 or 2 GB SD card so you can work and download from you Wi-Fi connections.


So, if you don't need to be connected all the time and don't want the monthly cost of a data plan on a smartphone like the 700w or Motorola Q but still want processing power, internet connectivity, and a robust email program for all your email needs then this sleek, beautiful, handheld is for you.