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Product Reviews:
PalmOne Zire 72 Handheld |
Rating: 5 (out of 5)
Summary: My Personal Favorite
Comments: I have used a PalmOne Zire 72 for years. It simply has all the features I want. When it went down the toilet I was happy to get a direct replacement for1third of what I paid for the original. I had invested in plug-in software that will only run on the Zire and I couldn't see any reason to upgrade. |
Rating: 4 (out of 5)
Summary: It's no iPhone however its great for 1st-time handheld users, teachers, and ADDers
Comments: Not willing to drop hundreds of dollars and be tied with yearly cell-phone bill contracts by getting an iPhone or Blackberry? can not say I blame you. Did you realize that cell phone companies can change your plan without notifying you and that this practice is legal?
Although Palm no longer makes the Zire 72, it is useful. (note: this review applies to the silver Zire 72).
I have had the Zire for a couple of years now and I like it.
Other reviews here have listed the pros and cons of the Zire 72 in great detail. I do not have the WiFi card so I can not review that part of the 72. You can use it to:
take so-so pictures
read Ebooks
listen to music and audio-books
record video and audio
play games
draw
keep track of your finances
sync to Microsoft Outlook
make and edit Office documents
use as a TV remote control (software is separate)
and--supposedly--watch DVDs.
Other uses:
**This is great for teachers--there are all kinds of software for grades, lesson plans, attendance and more.**
**The Zire is also great for ADDers--there is a great software program called "Bug Me!!" that lets you personalize reminder notes and attach neat-sounding alarms to them. The Voice Memo feature is useful for recording spur of the moment thoughts, especially on the road.**
BLUETOOTH: I do not have any "bluetooth-enabled" devices so this aspect of the device was completely useless to me.
INTERNET ACCESS: There is not a separate WiFi card slot so you will have to take out your media SD card to put in the Wifi card. I do not know if you can use1card for both; I doubt it!! I also do not know how effective the card is or if it is worth getting (they run about $30-$50 on eBay).
HELPFUL HINTS:
1. you will have to purchase a separate SD card [$15-25 dep on size] in order to take pictures or listen to music, so factor in that cost when deciding how much you want to spend.
2. To listen to music you will have to download Real Player to your computer and the Palm. Warning: not all music can be downloaded directly to your Palm because of conflicting formats. There were times when I purchased songs especially for the Palm only to find out that they couldn't be downloaded. In some cases you can burn them to a CD and then transfer them, however it's a hassle.
3. When adding software, always add it to the SD card as the handheld itself doesn't have much room.
4. KEEP IT AWAY FROM WATER. This sounds obvious however is easy to forget if you are an "on the go" type who never eats a meal without doing 2 other things at the same time.
5. Keep the installation CD in a safe place. You may need it later--I have re-used it several times.
6. Palm support isn't great. Any help I have gotten has been through various message boards on the Internet.
7. The battery life is less than spectacular.
8. do not get this if you run with a "techie" crowd. Next to their iPhones and Blackberrys, you will quickly feel like a Neanderthal. At least you will be a Neanderthal who isn't spending $100+ per month on their cell phone and data bill.
9. If you take advantage of Audible.com, do not forget to cancel your subscription BEFORE the annual renewal date --otherwise it gets renewed automatically. I was really enthusiastic about Audible.com for a month or so however stopped using it after that.
10. Costs can add up. I got mine wet (DUH) and spent a lot of money to get it fixed. It was cheaper than purchaseing a new unit--and I did not want the contractual obligations and headaches that come with smartphones (the new AT&T my big fat foot). I purchased this for $299 when it was new, plus the metal case, plus some software, the repairs, a replacement charger, yada yada yada. however this type of situation can probably be avoided by more careful types.
11. do not give it as a gift to someone who isn't willing to put in some time to install software and experiment with the camera, video recorder, etc. or to someone who isn't comfortable with "gadgets" (Hi Dad!!).
12. If you are a woman, keeping this handy can be a pain. almost all women's clothes do not have pockets (God forbid our clothes become more functional than ornamental) and even if they do, this will not fit comfortably into them, especially with the case. You can keep it in your purse however then you are constantly taking it out and putting it back in if you use it often. When I was teaching, I compromised by keeping my regular purse locked up (it was that kind of place) and getting a small, cute purse which slung across my torso to keep the Palm in during the day,
13. GET THE METAL PROTECTIVE CASE. Trust me on this one. They're about $20-$30.
In conclusion, the Palm Zire 72 is suitable for:
1st-time handheld users
anyone who wants to avoid contractual obligations
teachers
ADD-ers
people who want to be organized however who do not want a cell phone
and NOT for people who are constantly calling and IMing others or those who need to be "connected" at all times.
Suggested software:
Bug Me!! $20
Splash Money, $30 for handheld alone. Compatible with Quicken and Microsoft Money.
Microsoft Outlook sync software, $30. {$70 if you want the top-notch Key Suite.!!!!!!)
Plus the case,$20-$30, and an SD card--$20. do not forget tax and shipping.
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Rating: 4 (out of 5)
Summary: great agenda, pleasant with
Comments: its was a great agenda to me until1day.... i drop it..
i used with a aluminium case and i have been drop it many times until from my legs drop it and the screen become blank, i heard this is the problem however overall its great agenda, used about1year.. if i got to purchase another i will do it.. however i think to purchase the treo 650, its the1i need for now....
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Rating: 4 (out of 5)
Summary: Great - if you use an expandable memory card
Comments: I have both the Palm Tungsten E and the Zire 72. I have owned both for over 2 years and honestly haven't had a problem aside from losing data. This happens when the battery dies completely (I am terrible at recharging electronics). However, I must say the voice recorder and digital camera on the Zire 72 have been lifesavers in certain situations!! I have been able to take clear voice records of lectures within large classrooms.
At the time I purchased the Zire 72, it came with a free expansion card (mail-in offer). When the card did not arrive, the girl at their customer service number was helpful and friendly. I will definitely continue to purchase Palm products in the future. |
Rating: 4 (out of 5)
Summary: great medium-level palm
Comments: got the zire 72 ~2 years ago, replaced with t/x 12/05 (see my review on it). thought i should still write a review because i thought it was a great palm overall.
pros: quick, quicker than the t/x and locks up less; also important for music lovers: you can lay the palm flat and actually hear the music fairly well with its speaker (volume overall much louder with 72 than t/x; and when flat, can barely hear stuff on t/x). similarly, if you connect it via the headphone jack to your car stereo, it produces a much louder sound (important to minimize static noise if using a cassette adapter); has a voice recorder!!; has a decent camera as a backup in case you need a pic and no real camera around
cons: comes with only 32 mb internal memory however can use an external card; blue "paint" will flake off...i just peeled all mine off so it had a nice silver look however then they came out with the zire 72s which is basically the same thing!!; some of them will start making the high-pitched buzzing noise when on...mine started doing that after i had it for a year or so; screen size is the usual size, not bigger like the t/x
all in all i think a great palm, definitely get it and not the t/x if you plan on using it more for music than other productivity stuff!! |
