Consumer Electronics Store: PALM Palm Tungsten C Handheld

Average Rating:

Unfortunately, after just one day of using it my initial joy had turned to frustration. It wasn't really anything particularly big, just an accumulation of little niggles. You'll have read some of them in other reviews as they are things that everyone seems to have noticed. I find it very strange that the designers of the product didn't uncover them in beta testing.

To start with the clicking noise that seems to appear randomly on certain key presses becomes pretty annoying. At first I thought it was a setting in the preferences so I had a look and made sure the "click on key press" option was off, but I still got it. Then I switched the unit to completely silent, but it still didn't go away. It's only a little click, but once you've noticed it you can't help but think it is getting louder and louder. I've never encountered it on any other Palm device.

Another major gripe is the silly mono connection for the headset. This just seems absolutely crazy. Not only is it mono, but it is not even a standard headphone connection - it is one of those plugs like you get for a mobile phone headset. Granted, this is probably what Palm were thinking of when they put that kind of socket on the unit, but a little user reacher would have told them that anyone buying a machine with 64 meg of onboard RAM and the ability to plug in addition SD memory are likely to want to use it to listen to music or audiobooks from time to time (in my case that means ALL the time). This is a MAJOR glitch and one I am sure Palm will look to amend in a future model - at least I hope they will.

Lastly, although the unit has WiFi, which worked well for me, I felt that for the money there should also be built in Bluetooth. I was used to this with the Tungsten T and just assumed the Tungsten C would include it and so was disappointed to discover it didn't.

I've given it 3 out of 5 because it does have its merits - a lot of them, but unfortunately the clicking, the silly mono socket, and the lack of Bluetooth really let it down badly. I'm going to be returning mine tomorrow and sticking with the Tungsten T.

Its pluses? I've got a wireless network (apple airport) at home and at the office. I've been able to launch the web browser on the PDA, log onto amazon using my email and password, find this page and start writing my review.

I'm also typing this on a keyboard (well, kind of!), which is a huge improvement on the old grafitti system, which is of course still included for those who got the hang of it. I'm also able to surf and type on a colour screen that is as good as anything I have ever seen on a PDA.

Checking emails and going onto the internet is extremely straight forward - the only hitch I encountered is down to Apple not palm - you need to select network password equivalent in the airport configuration to get the letters and numbers that make up the key you need to log into an encrypted network.

And though I've seen the reviews questioning the wireless range of the tungsten c, I found that I was able to log onto my network at home and collect my emails two rooms and one hallway away from the airport base station. Not as good as my airport enabled ibook, but comparable to the cordless phone I have at home.

The downsides? Other reviewers have already questioned the lack of bluetooth and if I didn't have wi-fi at home I'd be taking this product back. When you spend this sort of money you really have to be sure you are getting the most out of it.

You also need to be realistic. Yes I've been able to connect and access every site I want but as with any PDA the experience is not anywhere near what you get on even the smallest of notebooks. Having to scroll backwards and forwards to read what is on the screen can be a pain in the backside. As is typing in several hundred words, something that I am doing now. Sure it can be done but it will take you twice as long as on your PC, though I suppose it does teach you to be brief!

I've not played around with the documents to go feature just yet, but I would think it's the same there as well. Use it to write or amend short presentations or documents, but don't write your board report on it.

In summary this is a great product, light years away from the psion and handspring I owned previously. Just be realistic what you are going to be using it for and the limitations of a tiny screen and keyboard.

Consider the 400Mhz processor, which zips through apps with blinding speed. Consider the 64MB ram, enough for apps, docs, pictures, just about everything I'd ever use this Palm for (and even if I run out of memory, the unit is upgradeable via the expansion slot, which accepts memory, application cards, etc.). Consider the built-in Wi-Fi, which worked automatically for me on my Linksys 802.11b home network -- super-fast browsing with a browser app that, in my opinion, outperforms the comparable Pocket Internet Explorer app that ships with PocketPCs. Consider the built-in keyboard, which feels and works great, with tactile response and easier thumb-typing than the comparably priced Sony models.

The unit comes loaded with excellent software, including Documents-To-Go, Palm Reader, Adobe Acrobat, Handmark Solitaire, and more. The new Palm OS 5.2.1, which includes a brand new preferences interface, allows you to apply themes to your screens, and makes everything much easier to access and customize.

I've owned earlier editions of Palm, and while I loved their simplicity and reliability, I always felt they came up short when compared with the Sonys and PocketPCs. No more. With a killer feature-set, an attractive form-factor, and across-the-board hardware and software upgrades, Palm should easily maintain its narrowing lead in the PDA market. The Tungsten C gives me the Palm simplicity I love, and the power I crave. I can't rate this unit highly enough.