Palm Tungsten C: a PDA designed with business users in mind.If you're in the market for a new PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) A handheld computer for managing contacts, appointments and tasks. It typically includes a name and address database, calendar, to-do list and note taker, which are the functions in a personal information manager (see PIM). , look no further than the Palm Tungsten C, a feature-rich mobile device that's perfect for business workers on the go and priced for mass corporate deployment. Granted, other handhelds are a bit faster, but that's really the only drawback. No other PDA--including other "next yen" devices that also include integrated 802.11b (such as the much-touted Toshiba E740)--can compete with the "C" on features, price, and applications. It all starts with the crisp color screen you get on this higher-resolution Palm OS 5 device. Every application looks a bit more appealing on the 320x320 screen. Gone are the jagged edges common on previous Paint handhelds. Calendar and contact lists are more user-friendly thanks to extra screen real estate for details such as thin line separators and more graphical schedule views. Applications Applications still take a few seconds to load, and even though the Intel 400Mhz processor is still snappier than you get on earlier Palms, it just doesn't seem responsive enough. The speed problem is most likely due to the device's older architecture, which is bandy bandy /ban·dy/ (band´e) bowed or bent in an outward curve. for running legacy Palm apps, but can't compete with the 32-hit operating systems Operating systems can be categorized by technology, ownership, licensing, working state, usage, and by many other characteristics. In practice, many of these groupings may overlap. found on Pocket PC devices It may never be fully completed or, depending on its its nature, it may be that it can never be completed. However, new and revised entries in the list are always welcome. This is a list of Pocket PC and Windows CE devices, and companies that make, or have made, them. . However, the trade-off makes sense: Speed and power lose out to flexibility and support for hundreds of thousands of existing applications. Custom application development is easier on Palm, which is why large companies such as Burger King and Lexus are quickly rolling out the devices to employees. Why spend US$100 more for a Toshiba or a Dell when a Palm device lets you develop your own apps at a lower total cost? The Tungsten C can do everything a Pocket PC device can do, with the possible exception of playing the latest games. No, there isn't a Palm version of the popular role-playing game role-playing game n. A game in which players assume the roles of characters and act out fantastical adventures, the outcomes of which are partially determined by chance, as by the roll of dice. , EverQuest; the Tungsten C is squarely aimed at business workers. Connection Including Wi-Fi is the real clincher clinch·er n. 1. One that clinches, as: a. A nail, screw, or bolt for clinching. b. A tool for clinching nails, screws, or bolts. 2. . Now, you can connect to the corporate mall server, exchange files with desktop-bound workers, and surf the Web. In my testing, however, the Wi-Fi was a bit flakier than I expected. After I set up the device for my network, I could easily check email and surf. A few hours later, I was unable to connect for unknown reasons. I knew the network was stable because I had a laptop connected the entire time and it didn't drop the connection. Surfing is also a mixed bag. You can visit practically any site, but you have to be willing to compromise. Some sites, such as Google, work exceptionally well. More graphical sites, such as certain pages at MSNBC.com, fail to load because the site requires a desktop extension or must load a pop-up dialog that isn't supported in the PalmSource 2.0 browser. Sometimes, text runs off the screen or mixes in with banner ads. Of course, I had better luck at sites intended for mobile users, such as Handango.com. However, a handled isn't built for Web surfing Refers to jumping from page to page on the Web. Just as in "TV channel surfing," where one clicks the remote to go from channel to channel, the hyperlink on Web pages makes it easy to jump from one page to another. (or, perhaps the problem is most Web sites aren't built for access by mobile devices). I was able to check the weather, review a travel plan on Expedia, and jot down Verb 1. jot down - write briefly or hurriedly; write a short note of jot write - communicate or express by writing; "Please write to me every week" the latest sports scores from Yahoo easily enough. VersaMail 2.5 works exceptionally well, and I was able to easily set up authentication, check my e-mail, and remove e-mail files from the server. I also loved that I could set up instant messaging Exchanging text messages in real time between two or more people logged into a particular instant messaging (IM) service. Instant messaging is more interactive than e-mail because messages are sent immediately, whereas e-mail messages can be queued up in a mail server for seconds or using an AOL (A division of Time Warner, Inc., New York, NY, www.aol.com) The world's largest online information service with access to the Internet, e-mail, chat rooms and a variety of databases and services. client. Installation is a bit tricky--only because the app isn't installed by default--but chatting with friends via a PDA is definitely cool. The thumb keyboard A miniature keyboard designed to be used with the thumbs. See thumb culture and mylo. is similar to the keyboard you get on a Blackberry device in that you can type last, enable caps lock The caps lock is a key on a computer keyboard. Pressing it will set a keyboard mode in which typed letters are capitalized by default and in lower case when the shift key is pressed; the keyboard remains in this mode until caps lock is pressed again. , use symbols effortlessly, and generally create quick messages and type memos faster than you ever could before on a Palm. When I got used to the circular scroll button situated just below the keyboard (called a 5 way navigator), I came Io prefer it to the side-scroll wheel you find on Pocket PC devices. The 5-way navigator lets you quickly scan through Web pages and e-mail text by pressing down on the wheel, as opposed to using the stylus. In some ways, the stylus becomes less important to handheld operation; I used it primarily for starting applications. Other notable features on the C include a whopping 64MB of internal memory. You can add even more if you buy modules for the proprietary expansion slot A receptacle inside a computer or other electronic system that accepts a printed circuit board. The number of slots determines future expansion. See PC data buses. (hardware) expansion slot - A connector in a computer into which an expansion card can be plugged. . The device has a vibrate option to notify you when you receive e-mail. The device's 128 bit encryption lets enterprise workers transmit sensitive information to corporate servers securely. I'm not impressed with the multimedia features on the device but, again, it's intended for business workers. The speaker is inadequate for listening to MP3 files (using the third-party Kinoma player). There's a headphone See headphones. jack, which sounds incrementally better. UpShot For anyone who needs quick access to datebooks and contact lists, a nice color screen for playing the occasional game while traveling, and Wi-Fi capability for connecting to e-mail and Internet, the Internet, the, international computer network linking together thousands of individual networks at military and government agencies, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, industrial and financial corporations of all sizes, and commercial enterprises Palm Tungsten C is a perfect fit. BUSINESS BENEFITS The Palm Tungsten C is a perfect match for mobile workers because it includes integrated Wi-Fi, boasts a crisp color screen, and runs legacy Palm apps. (+) Wi-Fi lets you surf and e-mail with ease (+) Color screen for eye-popping visuals (+) Price (+) Number of applications available for the Palm (-) Not as fast as some handhelds (-) The 5-way navigator takes practice (-) Multimedia features are unimpressive (-) Wi-Fi connection seems unreliable Palm, Inc. http://www.palm.com Tungsten C US$499 DIMENSIONS: 4.8" height; 3.07" width; .65" depth WEIGHT: 6.3 oz RESOLUTION: 320x320 DISPLAY: 65,000 colors OS: Palm OS 5.2.1 PROCESSOR: 400MHz Intel PXA255 Processor MEMORY: 64MB (51MB storage Capacity) INPUT DEVICE: Keyboard, stylus, 5-way navigator INTERNET: Yes APPLICATIONS: There are a wide range of Palm applications available CONNECTION: 802.11b DATA SPEEP: Up to 11Mbps John Brandon is a freelance writer from Buffalo, Minnesota Buffalo is a city in Wright County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 10,097 at the 2000 census, and the city has experienced rapid growth since that time. It is the county seat of Wright County 6. . Before starting his writing career, he worked as an IT manager with a large consumer electronics retailer. His areas of expertise include handheld computers, notebooks, smartphones, wireless technology, displays, and any other computer-oriented device, jbrandonbb@hotmail.com. |
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