Organizer Reviews

This is a good value, but the screen is very difficult to read in less than perfect lighting conditions. Under bright flourescent lights in the office, it is fine. The rest of the time, though, I have a heck of a time with it. The internal memory also isn't really big enough to store MP3s. I decided to go back to paper and pen.

While color is nice, the price of a color iPAQ is not worth it when compared to this unsung model. Often overlooked the 3135 has all of the same features as it color siblings, Excel, Word, IE, Outlook, Calendar, Contacts, MS Money, but albeit with less RAM 16 compared to 32mb or 64mb for the color versions. However with the inclusion of the CF sleeve, which allows you to plug in CF cards from 8 to 256mb, the 3135 is the best PDA bang for the buck. And let's not forget the iPAQ comes with Windows Media Player, making it also an mp3, wma player, and it has the ability to record voice messages. With the CF sleeve and a few flash cards one can literally carry ones music libary with you where ever you go. Compared with the Palm Pilot, and Handspring Visor, this inexpensive jewel is perfect for the enthusiast, student or professional. After spending almost 6 months researching, playing with and talking with friends, neighbors and co-workers about which PDA to get I have yet to regret my decision.

The 3135, monochrome, 16 MB version of the Compaq iPaq (all of the other reviews here seem to be for the 3600 color, 32 MB versions) is still, all in all, a pretty impressive machine.

The 3135 still has the iPaq 206 MHz StrongARM CPU, it comes with the CF flash memory sleeve, for memory/storage/communications upgrades, very fast USB connection for updates (my previous PDA was a Palm III, with serial cable link - daily sync would take 5 min on average; with USB/iPaq, daily sync rarely takes more than 20 seconds), and with Compaq support, can even upgrade its operating system to Linux (Compaq support...). The 16 MB is very limiting, though, so if you get this, plan to also buy CF memory...along with it. The advantages of the 3135 are speed, power, and price. You get a 206 MHz handheld system for [a higher price], compare that to the fastest Palm platform handheld, the Palm OS/Handspring Visor Platinum, [for less] for an 8 MB, 33 MHz unit.

The Microsoft Pocket PC OS (really CE v3) comes with MS Media Player (for MP3s - better get at least 64 MB of flash memory, though, to take advantage of that!), pocket versions of MS Word, MS Excel, MS Outlook - maps VERY well to existing Outlook calendar functions, MS Internet Explorer (with AvantGo for offline web browsing), MS Money, MS eBook Reader, and MS Access. The conduits to convert from 'pocket' versions of files to desktop are built in and pretty transparent to the user. All you have to do to take information with you is to drag your existing files to a Pocket PC 'My Documents' folder which the install program creates on your PC desktop, and ActiveSync does the rest (by the way, if you install Linux, all you have to do is to FTP files into your handheld - same thing).

The killer app for this (for me, anyway) is the MS Reader utility. eBooks are relatively small, and with my iPaq, I can carry a veritable library with me in a device the size of a pager. The monochrome screen of the 3135 is much more readable than its color (and ...more expensive) counterpart - or is this just cognative dissonance on my part? Many free books are available on the internet, from the public domain works available at...sites...I believe that even Amazon.com has an "eBooks & eDocuments" section.

I had an Ipaq 3150 before this unit. That unit was a replacement for my Palm IIIXE. Each time I have changed my Handheld, it has been a step up. Now, going to the 3650 has been a giant step forward.

The color screen is great. It is well lit, easy to read. The programs that come with the unit halp me keep myself organized at home or on the road. I already used Microsoft Outlook to organize everything while at my desk. The Activesync software that comes with the Ipaq automatically found all my appointment, calendars, and contacts and put them into my Ipaq for me.

Sure, it only has 32mb of storage. But I have hundreds of contacts, 40-60 eamails per day, and I subscribe to Avantgo for offline web broiwsing and I never get near the maximum.

If I want to store some music files, I just add a 64mb Compact Flash card and I have plenty of space. That 64mb card can store about 2 and a half albums when compressed into WMA format. I use my Ipaq on planes as a music player similar to an MP3 player (Can't call it an MP3 player if I use WMA files, can I?) All I do is hook up my headphones, turn on the media player (Included with PocketPC software), and put the player in my breast pocket.

The only thing I would like to see is longer battery life. I regularly travel and after 8-10 hours of continuous use, I have to recharge it.

One accessory I would recommend....I picked up a USB Sync cable that also recharges the battery from your USB port. It's great when on the road...one cable both charges and syncs up the Ipaq...

The Ipaq is a great pocket pc overall. The Good and the bad

Bad- With small amount of memory you can sometimes have a problem of certain programs not functioning properly. Since the pocket pc manages its memory automatically you cant always use your on board memory to its full advantage.

The foul part on Compaq is that you must buy accessories for example the carring case you get with it is a sleeve which is tight as hell to pull your pocket pc which means you need to buy accessories and since there is no slot to stick a memory card in you have to buy a new sleeve that allows you to put a memory card in then you got to get the card seperately which all together can run you over another 100 or more which as we know will be more. Which is funny cause you can get a real pc for the price of this.

I guess buy now your wondering what the good is:

Well if your the type like me that has a lot of appointments on a daily basis and keeps forgetting those important meetings than this is definately for you. Its great because you have many programs that interact with your pc like word and excel plus once linked to your pc you can connect through the net download and whatever which is cool. The programs that you can load are amazing like you can turn your pocket pc from a calculator to a voice command gaming system to even a remote control for any tv stero or vcr or dvd player doesnt matter.

I have found it very useful in my newly busy life and a great benefit for reminders. Battery last pretty long even with the color screen I mean if you plan on using it the whole day and plan on doing serious programs on it better bring your charger.

Later

I just purchased the new Ipaq from Compaq. I am upgrading fromthe first generation color Windows CE operation system. I have a Sharp Mobilon (with Windows CE 2.0). The battery lasts about 30 minutes on this bulky handheld device. I needed a newer Power PC that had a longer battery life. Compaq rates the Ipaq as having the longest battery life in this genre (at 8 to 10 hours...guess I'll have to see); I just bought mine tonight. The device was remarkably easy to set up. I already had Active Sync 3.0 installed on my laptop. I just plugged the USB connector cradle in and away I went. I syncronized internet news instantly with Avant Go. The screen is bright and engaging and the device is so easy to use its scary. I quickly typed all my contact into Outlook 2000 and I synched them all into my Ipaq. I highly recommend this device. It's more svelt than the palm and twice as good looking. It comes with a cradle and a housing, as well as an adequate carrying pouch to protect the screen. I bought the 3 year warranty from Staples and it was only $59. The entire unit out the door was under $600.

Randy,

The Palm IIIc organizer is one of the smallest color handhelds on the market, and fits neatly into your shirt pocket or purse. A rechargeable lithium ion battery lasts more than two weeks with normal use, and recharges in your HotSync cradle in just minutes a day... An optional recharger kit is great when you're away from your PC. You can also charge up during auto or air travel, making this the ultimate organizer for road warriors and mobile professionals alike... Keep your meeting times, contacts and other information organized in this elegant device with an active matrix TFT color screen for stunning, full-color data display... The Palm IIIc handheld also supports any of the thousands of applications already available for Palm handhelds, with new color applications available for download every day... Use the HotSync cradle to quickly backup and exchange information between your PC and your Palm handheld, as well as many popular PIMs like Symantec ACT! and Microsoft Outlook... With the PalmModem Accessory, you can access your desktop PC remotely in just minutes using a standard phone line. Now you can check e-mail, access information from the office, or schedule a group meeting... Use the infrared beam to exchange business cards, phone lists, data, memos and add-on applications with other IR-enabled Palm OS devices... 8MB stores approximately 10,000 addresses, 5 years of appointments (approximately 3,000), 3,000 To Do items, 3,000 memos, 400 e-mail messages and lots of extra applications, books, language translators, image viewers, dictionaries, games, and more... Items Included in the Box: Palm IIIc handheld Synchronizing HotSync cradle and battery recharger (120 VAC, 60 HZ), Metal stylus, Palm Desktop organizer software, Handbook, Getting Started Guide, Lithium-ion rechargeable battery (internal), DB-25 adapter, Protective flip lid, Palm III Series Accessory Catalog... A great improvement to an already fantastic device, but can you really justify the drastic price difference between the Palm IIIxe and the Palm IIIc?

The first Palm IIIc that I bought died after about a week of usage - the screen would never fully lighten up but you could somewhat make out the text. I returned it, and since have only had another problem. One day I was using it and then it had a "fatal exception", upon restarting I found that ALL of my data was lost, which was restored upon resync. Apparently I had installed some apps which corrupted the system - beware of what you install.

Despite the first bad two things, I love the IIIc. I find it very useful from day to day, and personally I dont think I could live without the color. It allows me to put things in a different color (Datebk4 or action names) which draw my attention to that particular item... also it makes the PDA easier to read and more like a PC. One comment about the screen is that you can barely see it in bright light or direct sunlight, even with the screen brightness turned all the way up.

So i'd say it's worth the $.. it has PLENTY of memory - i have tons of stuff on there and im only using 4.5 mb...and i love the color..just be forwarned that there might be some kinks.

The Palm IIIc is by all accounts a dinosaur by today's PDA Standards. But there was a time when this was leading-edge PDA technology. Back in 2000, this was Palm's first entry into the Color PDA market (using a Palm OS). In fairness, the market and technology have truly now headed to pace where most consumers can't even keep up. However, if you aren't interested in having the latest/greatest technology, the Palm IIIc may be a true bargain if you are looking for solid PDA technology.

When Palm released the IIIc, it was based on the highly successful flagship PDA - the Palm III. It would contain 8MB of memory - back in 2000 this was very good. It also would make use of a lithium ion battery. No more battery changes - you could easily just place the Palm IIIc cradle and a AC Adapter would plug into the cradle and you could get a charge (and powering on a PC was not necessary). While the standard Palm III had a gray casing, the IIIc was more black. There was a rumor that the color display was a battery hog. I can honestly say in the 3 1/2 years I had my Palm IIIc, I never had an issue regarding the battery. It comes with a sturdy stylus. The OS that comes with the Palm IIIc out of the box is OS 3.5. I never bothered or had a need to upgrade it - it did the job just fine for me. I never had an issue with loading applications. I make major use of HanDBase and AvantGo and all the applications run smoothly with no crashing.

There are two issues I have had with the device. If you are buying this used - you should be aware of them. The first is the cover - the cover is plastic and is essential for keeping your screen clean and scratch free. Twice I have had the problem of a crack in the plastic on the hinge area. I had a heck of a time trying to get a replacement (see my next paragraph on accessories) - I eventually got one used and payed way too much for it on an online auction. That one then cracked as well and this time I resorted to superglue. The second issue is that after 3 1/2 years of use, the writing area has seemed to have worn out and my Graffiti isn't getting recognized consistently anymore I used the Palm IIIc everyday - several times a day. It got a workout, but I still expect that to last longer than it did. It was this problem that led me to upgrade my PDA.

Accessories are in general a consumer ripoff with any product and Palm IIIc is no exception. What I have noticed about PDA accessories - especially Palm ones is that they are way overpriced when they are being sold, but if you wait to long you can't get replacement parts. I thought it was ridicolous how difficult I had to look around for a replacement cover. If you buy this used, you won't have an easy time getting accessories and parts. On the positive side, I did wait and get a keyboard and Travel adapter that was being cleared out in a clearance rack at a rock bottom price ($30 for keyboard and $20 for travel adapter). Just another gripe here -why can't Palm (or anyone else) figure a way to let you upgrade your PDAs and keep all of your same accessories. I think people would be more apt to upgrade their PDAs.

One other note on the color display - it won't give you nearly the same pixel resolution that you can get on today's newer models, but it isn't all that bad.

Look out and you may actually get a great deal and get a lot of use. Ask a lot of questions on the condition of it if its used. I got 3 1/2 years of some of the toughest daily use around. I feel I got my money's worth.

This keyboard turns a PDA into a poor man's laptop. If most of what you need it for is document driven, it's fantastic. I can type almost as fast as on my desktop, and with Wordsmith (an inexpensive but pretty powerful word processing program), I can create full length documents to review. Niceties such as spell checking and grammar (etc) can be done after syncing with a PC. I've been using this as a substitute for a pad at some meetings.

A couple of caveats. I've seen some reviews that say that the Stowaway will work on your lap. I wouldn't advise it. The parts feel rather delicate--particularly the connection point. Use a table or, if you think you'll be doing lots of lap typing, go with GOTYPE. If space is a concern and you normally have meetings at tables, then this should be fine. (Moreover, there's a "gee whiz" factor to consider. The thing is just cool). Second, because of the small screen, one can write long documents, but it becomes tedious to read them. Bookmarking functions ameliorate this problem, but don't cure it.

Still, it's obvious that a lot of thought went into the design of this product, and it pays off. The keys have good tactile response, and the function and shortcut keys were well thought out. If you have the cash and the inclination, definitely worth the money.

I have an old Handspring Visor - the 2MB RAM variety. Buying this keyboard ...has breathed new life into this older hand held. I'm using it to write down short story and novel ideas as well as rough drafts - not exactly light weight typing tasks. The keyboard performs flawlessly and has a great tactile feel. Once I had to do a hard reset of the Visor while holding down the delete key to remove a line of text, but I attribute that to my setting the keyboard repeat rate too high.

What's great is even without the LapTopHack software, there are a lot of operations you can perform without using the stylus. You can launch palm applications, execute OK, New and Cancel commands among others with the provided function keys. Certain applications are designed to take better advantage of these functions, so if you by one, look for software that's designed to work with this keyboard. WordSmith, for example, is fantastic.

I'm pretty utilitarian when it comes to gadgets. Style is at the absolute bottom of my priority list. Still, I have to say this is one very slick, very stylish piece of hardware.

I can't say enough good things about this keyboard. It's taken my Visor from being buried under a pile of paper under my desk to significant daily use. Thanks Targus and Think Outside!

Awesome! Setup is quick. Works great with my ipaq 1910 !!!

This keyboard turns a PDA into a poor man's laptop. If most of what you need it for is document driven, it's fantastic. I can type almost as fast as on my desktop, and with Wordsmith (an inexpensive but pretty powerful word processing program), I can create full length documents to review. Niceties such as spell checking and grammar (etc) can be done after syncing with a PC. I've been using this as a substitute for a pad at some meetings.

A couple of caveats. I've seen some reviews that say that the Stowaway will work on your lap. I wouldn't advise it. The parts feel rather delicate--particularly the connection point. Use a table or, if you think you'll be doing lots of lap typing, go with GOTYPE. If space is a concern and you normally have meetings at tables, then this should be fine. (Moreover, there's a "gee whiz" factor to consider. The thing is just cool). Second, because of the small screen, one can write long documents, but it becomes tedious to read them. Bookmarking functions ameliorate this problem, but don't cure it.

Still, it's obvious that a lot of thought went into the design of this product, and it pays off. The keys have good tactile response, and the function and shortcut keys were well thought out. If you have the cash and the inclination, definitely worth the money.

I have an old Handspring Visor - the 2MB RAM variety. Buying this keyboard ...has breathed new life into this older hand held. I'm using it to write down short story and novel ideas as well as rough drafts - not exactly light weight typing tasks. The keyboard performs flawlessly and has a great tactile feel. Once I had to do a hard reset of the Visor while holding down the delete key to remove a line of text, but I attribute that to my setting the keyboard repeat rate too high.

What's great is even without the LapTopHack software, there are a lot of operations you can perform without using the stylus. You can launch palm applications, execute OK, New and Cancel commands among others with the provided function keys. Certain applications are designed to take better advantage of these functions, so if you by one, look for software that's designed to work with this keyboard. WordSmith, for example, is fantastic.

I'm pretty utilitarian when it comes to gadgets. Style is at the absolute bottom of my priority list. Still, I have to say this is one very slick, very stylish piece of hardware.

I can't say enough good things about this keyboard. It's taken my Visor from being buried under a pile of paper under my desk to significant daily use. Thanks Targus and Think Outside!

Awesome! Setup is quick. Works great with my ipaq 1910 !!!

This keyboard turns a PDA into a poor man's laptop. If most of what you need it for is document driven, it's fantastic. I can type almost as fast as on my desktop, and with Wordsmith (an inexpensive but pretty powerful word processing program), I can create full length documents to review. Niceties such as spell checking and grammar (etc) can be done after syncing with a PC. I've been using this as a substitute for a pad at some meetings.

A couple of caveats. I've seen some reviews that say that the Stowaway will work on your lap. I wouldn't advise it. The parts feel rather delicate--particularly the connection point. Use a table or, if you think you'll be doing lots of lap typing, go with GOTYPE. If space is a concern and you normally have meetings at tables, then this should be fine. (Moreover, there's a "gee whiz" factor to consider. The thing is just cool). Second, because of the small screen, one can write long documents, but it becomes tedious to read them. Bookmarking functions ameliorate this problem, but don't cure it.

Still, it's obvious that a lot of thought went into the design of this product, and it pays off. The keys have good tactile response, and the function and shortcut keys were well thought out. If you have the cash and the inclination, definitely worth the money.

I have an old Handspring Visor - the 2MB RAM variety. Buying this keyboard ...has breathed new life into this older hand held. I'm using it to write down short story and novel ideas as well as rough drafts - not exactly light weight typing tasks. The keyboard performs flawlessly and has a great tactile feel. Once I had to do a hard reset of the Visor while holding down the delete key to remove a line of text, but I attribute that to my setting the keyboard repeat rate too high.

What's great is even without the LapTopHack software, there are a lot of operations you can perform without using the stylus. You can launch palm applications, execute OK, New and Cancel commands among others with the provided function keys. Certain applications are designed to take better advantage of these functions, so if you by one, look for software that's designed to work with this keyboard. WordSmith, for example, is fantastic.

I'm pretty utilitarian when it comes to gadgets. Style is at the absolute bottom of my priority list. Still, I have to say this is one very slick, very stylish piece of hardware.

I can't say enough good things about this keyboard. It's taken my Visor from being buried under a pile of paper under my desk to significant daily use. Thanks Targus and Think Outside!

Awesome! Setup is quick. Works great with my ipaq 1910 !!!

I bought my Palm M130 less than a year ago and it was great. Then one day it wouldn't turn on. I hit the reset button and it was fine for a few months. Then recently it wouldn't turn on again. I tried resetting it in different ways and no luck. Now i have a dead palm and all my phone numbers and calender info are stuck in my work computer! i wouldn't bother buying this product as i am sure it will die on you too :(

After three years squinting at grayscale screens, I finally gave up. The bright color screen of the m130 well worth the extra price. As I compared it against much more expensive models in the stores (Clie for example) the m130 has the most readable screen. The lower resolution compared to the top-end Clie models doesn't hurt much and you save almost 50%. The small screen size doesn't bother me, I suppose because I was used to it from my previous m100.

I considered the Pocket PC devices too but they are triple the price and more aimed at the enterprise. Palm has a wealth of useful software for consumers, much of it free. One of my favorites is AvantGo. Read the news etc. while waiting in line or otherwise bored.

I am having trouble installing the free MGI picture viewer software into my Windows XP computer but otherwise the applications work fine.

I am impressed with the rechargeable battery. Having been used to the two AAA's lasting a month on the grey models, I was worried. But it recharges quickly and easily.

It comes with the world's ugliest PDA coverplate, though. No doubt they are trying to irritate you into buying a replacement cover.

If you are thinking of buying this handheld, make sure you understand what you are getting. It is not top of the line anymore. It does not have a high-resolution (320x240) screen, a super-fast ARM processor, built-in wireless connectivity, and it cannot play MP3's or videos. If you want these features, take a look at the Tungsten models or the Zire 71.

That being said, however, this handheld is simply the best in its price range. Indoors, the color screen is phenomenal and outdoors it is readable except in the most direct sunlight. The battery life is quite reasonable and the battery charges quickly. The m130 comes bundled with DataViz Documents To Go, for easy editing of Word and Excel documents on the go. DocsToGo also lets you view PowerPoint shows. There are hundreds of free games available for download, as well as both shareware (Liberty) and freeware (Phoinix) Game Boy emulators, which further expand the library of available games.

If you ever *do* decide you want some more advanced features, many are available with add-on accessories. The m130 may have only 8MB of memory built in, but the SecureDigital / MultiMediaCard expansion slot provides virtually limitless storage. It may not have built-in Bluetooth, but the Palm Bluetooth SDIO card, which snaps into the SecureDigital slot, provides this capability. The Palm Universal Connector on the bottom snaps into a lot more than just the charger / sync cradle, including wired and wireless modems, digital cameras, keyboards, printers, and GPS units!

If you want an afforable handheld with a high "cool" factor and lots of room to grow, the m130 is the best pick.

I considered a number of PDA's before choosing the Toshiba e310. I am starting a new job and needed something to keep track of appointments, tasks, contacts, as well as documents, and a way to make quick notes. I also wanted a way to lug around texts as e-books (medical dictionaries and the like). Some of the factors that influenced my choice were:

1. Excellent reviews from previous Toshiba e310 users.
2. A very competetive price (after rebates).
3. Pocket PC operating system, instead of Palm OS. This is more intuitive for me to use.
4. Not having to use Graffiti. Instead the Toshiba has handwriting recognition that is quicker and easier (of course you can also use Graffiti if you insist).
5. Large color screen with good resolution: makes it easier to read the screen both indoors and out. You can also download cool skins. I have Nicole Kidman smiling seductively at me every time I turn the machine on. (Okay, this was not really the reason I bought this machine...um...).
6. MP3 and video playing capabilities, so I can use it to listen to music while traveling.
7. Easy one-touch recorder button - this enables you to make a quick note to yourself. You can set the recording level any way you like - stereo or mono, low quality (2k/sec) to very high quality (a whopping 172k/sec).
8. Attractive size - somewhat long, but very thin. Fits nicely in a shirt or jacket pocket.
9. I did not need wireless connectivity - so this downside was not very important to me. Nor did it matter much that (as of yet) there are not many support peripherals. They are coming, anyway.

All in all, I am pleased with the machine. I had some slight problems with Windows Media Player, but a quick hard reset solved it, and all my info was sync'd back to the Toshiba e310 in no time flat. Battery time could be better (3-4 hours) but is tolerable. Syncing is fast and efficient. I am looking forward to a small keyboard (there is one currently available - PocketTop, with a driver now for the e310). Also, since some people have been having problems with memory cards - the Lexar cards work well. I have a 128mb that is running smoothly, and is much less expensive than some others (but avoid SanDisk - the Toshiba reps discourage their use).

What does my title mean? It means the Toshiba e310 is your regular Palm device, small form factor, weightless, looks nice, performs well - but it's only better - it uses the feature rich Pocket PC 2002 Operating System.

When I was shopping for my PDA, I had my eyes on the m505 (from Palm) and then when that was stopped, and the m515 replaced it - I was just a few dollars short of buying it! But, then I discovered this device ... Not only did this device match the m515 in everything, it had SOUND! Something the m515 didn't, I was hoping to use my PDA as a portable MP3 player, and the m515 was just not up to the job!

This thing is a powerhouse! It does everything I need it to do, both for fun and work. I run my own small multimedia business, and the PPC carries all the Excel quote sheets, so I can finally quote on the go! It carries all my partner companies price lists in easy to read Word files.

It can take full motion video - so I am able to plug in an SD memory card and watch my home videos while I'm out and about. And most importantly, it plays MP3s!

However, I've saved the best till last! The combination of this, a bluetooth mobile phone and the bluetooth SD card allows me to send and recieve my email (securely) from anywhere via GRPS! This is what I got my PDA for!

However, a few nags I have with it. The ActiveSync software has a major flaw in it, when you install it, it sets the PPC to "check for connection" every 5 minutes, so therefore, if I leave my PPC in my pocket for an hour, the unit turns itself on every 5 minutes! Wasting a already limited battery life. This can be solved by going into the ActiveSync settings, but the fact remained, it was no where in the manual (which was also very limiting!) and it took me a whole week to figure out what was wrong.

The next biggest gripe I have is (and I only have myself to blame!) is the build quality. It's great everywhere except near the jog dial button, the outer casing creaks and feels very loose around that part.

Also, some MP3s come out with a slight hiss through my headphones, but then, these are just badly made MP3s - but still, the hiss is not present on a decent soundcard.

Overall, I love this device, and give it the highest of recommendations!

EDIT: I've mucked around with sound files and stuff, and found 96K WMA sound files work like a treat through a decent set of headphones... just thought you'd like to know.

Truly a great PDA. The smallest one I've ever owned (3rd, of 4 total), and one of the fastest.

Pros:
-Tiny, light
-Blazing fast
-Long battery life
-Bright screen
-Very loud speakers for the size
-Can run multiple (6-10) programs without major problems
-Expandable through SD slot
-Great for reading E-Books, several included on the CD
-Sync feature is easy to use, yet allows to get contacts, notes, e-mail, even websites
-Sturdy - A high drop (from a shelf in my book-case) did absolutely no damage
-Inexpensive, great value

cons:
-Was hard to find a new unit (bought mine a few months ago, used), Toshiba stopped selling this, for whatever reason
-32 MB means you might want to get SD card if you're going to be watching movies, I got a 256mb card, holds an entire movie in great quality, and still holds a bunch of MP3's
-Doesn't come with headphones

If you buy it, hope you enjoy it as much as I did

I have owned this unit. It's processor was very slow when searching a contact. It took up to 20 seconds. I have always had Casio PDA's, but had to trade this one in for a Toshiba.

This device was designed to be cheaper than a ppc 2002 device therefore it lacks some of the features of the standard ppc 2002 devices. No IR port, no speaker, no StrongARM processor, skimpy app support right now(applications must be ported to the casio overlay on win ce 3.0, and presumably for the MIPs processor). Plusses include the unit is great for wireless networking, including that the built in webbrowser is superior to the pocket IE and that all the memory is flash. So if you happen to run the battery dry as can happen with ppc devices, no data will be lost, this also means when you hit the power button, the unit really is off. The unit has a compact flash type II slot, which supports the IBM Microdrive and other CF Type II devices along with standard CF Type I cards and such. Casio makes a battery backpack and pc card backpack that allows you to use this device with pc cards used with laptops. If you're looking for a handheld that offers mp3 and video playback, uses compact flash storage and has PIM functionality and to play a few hands of solitaire on, check out this unit, at a rockbottom price. The only unit that can compete with this one on price is the older HP Jornada 525, which is much larger, features a slower processor, serial synch, no cover, ppc 2000, and no place to store the stylus on the device. If you only want PIM and games, check out something running Palm OS.

I've seen several reviews complaining about being unable to use activesync with the be-300, this is not true, installing a third party patch allows one to use activesync with your b3-300. I've seen several people complain that it doesn't play mp3's, again not true, included in the bundled software is an mp3 player. I've seen a few reviews saying that it doesn't run windows ce, not true, it doesn't run pocket pc, which is microsoft's "special" version of windows ce run on the higher end models. I saw a review complaining about the lack of a video encoder for the CFM format, not true, included in the bundled software is an encoder for their CFM format. One can also purchase a third party app called PocketTV for the be-300 to play mpeg video. Yes, this device may require you to actually put forth a little effort to get it doing exactly what you want, what doesn't? Visit ... to connect with be-300 users around the world and see what it can do.

This is an excellent PDA.
BUT it stopped working in 3 months but i would still highly recommmend it because i caused the problem and it is very sturdy and the screen quality is great and the mp3 player is nice too!
Plus CompactFlash is a must have!
Buy It!

Nicholas

I have owned this unit. It's processor was very slow when searching a contact. It took up to 20 seconds. I have always had Casio PDA's, but had to trade this one in for a Toshiba.

This device was designed to be cheaper than a ppc 2002 device therefore it lacks some of the features of the standard ppc 2002 devices. No IR port, no speaker, no StrongARM processor, skimpy app support right now(applications must be ported to the casio overlay on win ce 3.0, and presumably for the MIPs processor). Plusses include the unit is great for wireless networking, including that the built in webbrowser is superior to the pocket IE and that all the memory is flash. So if you happen to run the battery dry as can happen with ppc devices, no data will be lost, this also means when you hit the power button, the unit really is off. The unit has a compact flash type II slot, which supports the IBM Microdrive and other CF Type II devices along with standard CF Type I cards and such. Casio makes a battery backpack and pc card backpack that allows you to use this device with pc cards used with laptops. If you're looking for a handheld that offers mp3 and video playback, uses compact flash storage and has PIM functionality and to play a few hands of solitaire on, check out this unit, at a rockbottom price. The only unit that can compete with this one on price is the older HP Jornada 525, which is much larger, features a slower processor, serial synch, no cover, ppc 2000, and no place to store the stylus on the device. If you only want PIM and games, check out something running Palm OS.

I've seen several reviews complaining about being unable to use activesync with the be-300, this is not true, installing a third party patch allows one to use activesync with your b3-300. I've seen several people complain that it doesn't play mp3's, again not true, included in the bundled software is an mp3 player. I've seen a few reviews saying that it doesn't run windows ce, not true, it doesn't run pocket pc, which is microsoft's "special" version of windows ce run on the higher end models. I saw a review complaining about the lack of a video encoder for the CFM format, not true, included in the bundled software is an encoder for their CFM format. One can also purchase a third party app called PocketTV for the be-300 to play mpeg video. Yes, this device may require you to actually put forth a little effort to get it doing exactly what you want, what doesn't? Visit ... to connect with be-300 users around the world and see what it can do.

This is an excellent PDA.
BUT it stopped working in 3 months but i would still highly recommmend it because i caused the problem and it is very sturdy and the screen quality is great and the mp3 player is nice too!
Plus CompactFlash is a must have!
Buy It!

Nicholas