Average Rating: 
Rating:  - What market is this geared towards?
This replaced my Handspring Prism which I loved. There are a few 'extras' with the M130 but the screen is small, it is very slow (compared to my Prism) and the font is not as clear. I want my Prism back! If you are a first time/occassional user buy it, you will love it. However; if you have had a PDA before....don't buy this one. Even the IIIc was better! That was my very first PDA. The Prism was my 2nd (and best) and the M130 is was a replacement for an extended warranty for my Prism when it was purchased, but it is WAY beyond par.
Rating: - Big improvement from m125, but still a compromise
I've slammed the earlier version of this device (the m125) for its SMALL SCREEN, but adding color (and TFT at that) and rechargeable lithium battery are significant improvements that puts this unit into the realm of contenders.However, keep in mind that this is still a compromise unit, with several drawbacks relative to the higher-priced m515, or to the color Clie models. The m130 is functionally identical to the m105 (which costs about half), with the exception of an expansion slot that you will probably never use, a faster processor, a fast USB cradle,a couple of software doodads, and now the color screen and rechargeable battery.
If you want the cheapest PALM-branded model with color and expansion capabilities, then the m125 is it. (You can get a used color IIIc model for a lot less, check around). This model is still plagued by a small screen, and it's low-res at that.
With the built-in difficulty of pointing and clickin on a Palm device, size matters. But the color makes it far easier to see, so it's a trade-off.
The color Visor Prism has significantly greater screen real estate.
If you want to stay with Palm, consider the Palm m515. It comes in a super-slim package with a rechargeable lithium-polymer battery and a full-size screen (although low-res).
In that price range, however, a Pocket PC might make more sense (Palm still can't compete with the gorgeous iPaq active color screens).
Here's a basic product guide:
Palm m100/Handspring Visor -- Bargain basement models with 2 MB of Ram. Good starter models for the price. Distinguishing characteristics: Visor has significantly larger screen/expansion slot and fast USB cradle. Palm has slower serial.
Palm m105/Visor Deluxe/Visor Neo -- Workhorse models with 8 MB of Ram (plenty for monochrome models). Visor has bigger screen/USB/expansion slot. Neo has faster processor.
Palm m125/Visor Platinum/Visor Pro -- Upper middle class models. Visor has larger screen. Both have USB/expansion slot.
Palm Vx -- Classic, not significantly expandable. Smallest full-function PDA with lithium rechargeable battery. Sharp, full-size mono screen.
Visor Edge/Clie slimline -- ultraslim mono models sell at a premium.
Palm m130 -- Fills consumer color niche. Compare to color Clie models, Visor Prism. Small, bright screen, rechargeable battery, expandable.
Palm m515 -- top of the line. Screen is now brighter, 16 mb included, now we want higher resolution. Still, a great improvement over the horrible washed-out color on the Palm m505. Compare with top Sony models/iPaq.
Enjoy!
Rating:  - Excellent PDA
-Like others, I did a ton of research before buying it. I was mainly deciding b/w the Palm m130 and the Treo 90. I wasn't into all the MP3 player/ digital camera accessories that Sony offered. Treo 90 comes with 8MB more of internal memory, is smaller and has a larger screen, but I chose the m130 because I liked the way it felt in my hand, the long-lasting durability of Palm products in general (the quality of treo's and Handsprings is not very good from some people I heard from), and the construction of it, which seemed very sturdy (made of plastic, not metal or glass) and able to withstand an accidental drop, unlike most of the other PDA's out there.
-The screen is very good, being able to show over 50,000 colors. Handspring Treo 90 can only show several thousand, so the m130 is good if you want to hold pictures.
-One concern I had was that the m130 only had 8MB of internal memory. I'm in the medical field and being able to run drug databases and references is a must for me. I invested in a 128MB SD card (which is WAY more than you need) and most of my programs can be run off the card. Some programs, like Avant Go can't. From what I hear, most drug programs can run off the card, but some can't, like ePocrates. Others require a portion to be stored on the internal memory. But thus far, I still have plenty of space left on my internal memory, despite filling it with lots of programs.
-All in all, it's really quite a fun toy to use. It's been really helpful with my work. With Avant Go, you can get all the latest movie listings, news, sports, etc with a quick HotSync. I also find that it fits nicely inside my coat or pant pocket.
-If you don't want to spend an exhorbitant amount and still want a good, decent and durable color palm, go for the m130. If you hate Graffiti, get the Treo 90.... Pros and Cons of the m130
Pros:
- good bang for the buck
- fits nicely in hand
- good color screen
- durable design, Palm brand
- internal battery that charges to full in less than 15 minutes
- takes bluetooth, SD and Multimedia cards
- nice hearty software bundle included
- good battery life (I don't use the backlight)
- nice, loud alarm to wake me up during my naps Cons:
- only 8MB internal memory (thus I recommend getting card)
- slightly smaller screen than other palms
- slightly difficult to put into Sync holder, takes some practice Other issues:
- Some reviewers write that the m130 is thicker than other palms. True, but my opinion is that it's designed so that you don't need to buy an extra case or holder to protect it. I know somebody with a Sony Clie who dropped his and now there's a permanent dent in it. Being thicker means it generally fits better into the hand, but not necessarily in your pocket. However, if you're a guy, I don't think this is much of an issue. For the ladies, I can see why having something small like the Treo would be more convenient. - Lack of Flash Rom. Not an issue, since Palm OS 5 won't work on anything other than the newest models (e.g. Tungsten) anyway. - Readability in outdoors. Some people gripe that with a lot of PDA's you can't read them in direct sunlight. Well, if you could, your PDA would need to suck up more juice to make the backlight stronger than the sunlight. For me, it's not an issue since I know I'd use it mainly in the hospital or at home. Hope this helps!!
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