PDA Reviews

The picture above shows a bright electric blue. I saw the case and it's a very dark midnight blue, almost black in color. The case looked well made though and appears to be rugged. It's just that the color is so misleading.

The concept is great, and the price is low. But, at least for my Palm m500, the little connector block just didn't stick out of the cradle enough to make contact without keeping my hand on the Palm to press it down.. so I disassembled the unit (5 screws - 4 visible, 1 hidden under the sticker on the back ), used a paper knife to shave away at the plastic pins and ridges that prevented the connector from being repositioned, threw away the two little screws that kept it there, and used a glue gun to secure it just two millimeters or so higher. It works great now.

A minor issue is the light weight, but that is only a consideration when like me you're buying this as an alternative for the heavy official Palm cradle. Since it was meant as a foldable travel cradle, I should not complain.

The case is made of nice material, but I was disappointed with the way that the handheld binds to the case and how the case closes. The mechanism to bind the handheld to the case is a piece of Velcro that permanently sticks to the back of the handheld; the Tungsten C (and other models) has a nice rail mechanism designed to insert/remove covers, so I was disappointed this "executive" case did not use the rail (as the Tungsten C Slim Leather Case does). The case also stays closed by the use of a magnet sewn inside the cover that is positioned directly above the handheld. I suppose that magnets don't bother modern electronics or credit cards that the case is also designed to store?? In any case (no pun intended) this just bothered me.

After reading so many negative reviews for the Tungsten E hard case, I began looking for other options. My search led me to this accessory pack, which does a decent job at a very affordable price.

The case is semi-rigid ballistic nylon with a nice quality zipper enclosure on three sides. My guess is that it would keep its contents safe from moderate shocks or compression (both flat and on the corners). It's also attractive in a low-profile sort of way. On the inside, there are slots for a few credit cards or ID badges as well as two smaller ones for Palm expansion cards. The only two drawbacks are that the case doesn't lie flat portfolio-style when opened (this may ease up with age) and the only method of securing your Palm to the case is an enclosed Velcro sticker. I've never been a fan of attaching sticky items onto electronics, although the case of my Tungsten E is so ugly I may break my policy.

The multi-function pen is not exactly as pictured - it's much bigger than I expected and unfortunately too big to fit in the case. However, there's a lot of functionality in there: a black pen, a pink (!) highlighter, a mechanical pencil and a Palm Stylus. It's lightweight but almost to the point of feeling cheap and it rattles when you write with it. Plus, the method of selecting which point pops out is a little cumbersome and it's probably only a matter of time before I write on my Palm with highlighter. The packaging includes instructions for replacing the ink and pencil, so at least it promises life beyond the initial cartridges.

Finally, the screen protectors are just that. They work - that's about all you can say. I expect that they'll keep me from freaking out when I inevitably highlight on my screen.

So, while the solutions are far from perfect, you'd be hard-pressed to find a package so all-encompassing or budget-conscious. A must-have for a new Palm user, student, etc.

CHARGING CABLE DOES NOT REGULATE THE CHARGE BEING DELIVERED TO THE PHONE. DAMAGE TO PHONE, BATTERY, & PC COULD RESULT.

I was disappointed when I received the organizer and realized I could not store notes or memos with text, only numbers, spaces and the dash. I wanted to store to-do lists etc. I guess only phone numbers need organization.

I thought that this product was going to be a waste of money, but I was recently on vacation and I have to admit that I used it all the time. I also have an HP Jornada which has the Microsoft e-book reader - which to me displays text better.

I can think of worse ways to spend 50 bucks - and think about how many books you can carry with you in just a few ounces..

...I've used it for over a week now but i'm thinking of returning it, because even though it looks very pretty - good quality leather, classy color - i'm not terribly secure about the protection it affords my Palm IIIxe. First of all, i've had to keep the hard flipcover on my Palm on, because the soft leather of the case wasn't enough to protect the Palm from turning itself on if i inadvertantly pressed against it. The loop for the stylus and the slots for credit cards are placed in an awkward position so that they rub against the Palm - and i'm so afraid of scratches on the screen that keeping the plastic flipcover on seems like a good idea anyway. I also don't like the clasp - it's just a belt loop with no real fastening, and i'm afraid that if it ever slips out or even loosens (which it can pretty easily) it'll leave my Palm vulnerable.

I might end up hanging on to this case for business occasions where you want to whip out your best suit and leather briefcase, but for everyday use this isn't a very reassuring companion.

I was pleased with its performance until I realized that Toshiba doesn't offer the upgrade to Pocket PC 2003. Seems like just a ploy for me to sell it and buy the 755, which is the same machine. Needless to say I'm not happy with Toshiba's support of this product.

This is a a great PDA execpt for one thing. It is has NO built-in memory to save stored data. The E 750 took care of this problem and Toshiba essentially stifed the owner of the orignal -including my letter to them which was written before one year warrantee. They never even answered my letter.

Their answer was to give you a $40 credit towards their old defective E740. Good customer relations - Toshiba

I purchased the Toshiba e740 after the screen on my old tried and true Palm 3 went south. I always liked the Palm and it served me well for over four years, so I was a little apprehensive about switching to the PocketPC world. However, I've been blown away by all of the advancements in the PocketPC operating system. It integrated with Word, Excel and Outlook seemlessly and it also offers the Window Media Player and a host of other Windows functionality. Overall a thumbs up on the Pocket PC operating System.

Now for the 740, I like the unit a lot. So here is what I give a thumbs up to: The size and weight is about the same as my old Palm. The color screen is great. Indoors and out it works well. Having a compact flash and smart media slot is the only way to go.

Here's are the thumbs down: The built in speaker is a joke (but who really expects audiophile sound from a PDA anyway. So plan on buying a set of headphones). The voice record button on the side of the unit is way to easy to set off without knowing it (this runs down the battery and gives you a bunch to screwy recording to delete). The main manual is terrible, there is no index in the back to cross reference anything so if you have a problem good luck. Last but not least, the battery life is only average, so if you travel, do yourself a favor and buy a back-up charger.

Overall, I'd recommend this PDA. The features are better than the iPaq. And, you've got to wonder, how long has anybody ever effectively competed with Microsoft. I was a diehard Mac guy and also and owner of a Beta VCR, neither could effectively compete with stronger rivals. This time I didn't want to be the last guy swimming up stream.

I've been a user of Zire 21 for a year and quite<br /> satisfied with it (for a less than $100 PDA!)<br /> until I encountered same thing other users <br /> had encountered: It resets!<br /> Good thing I made sure I do Hot Sync<br /> every other week but still it's kind of<br /> frustrating knowing some data will be lost.<br /> <br /> I noticed that at extreme temperature <br /> (Im barely above freezing point <br /> right now because im on a business trip in Japan),<br /> the Zire21 malfunctions and eventually<br /> caused the reset.<br /> There might be parts (reset IC or the<br /> power supply section) that are not rated<br /> to such extreme temperature.<br /> Other reviews say that reset is triggered<br /> when cellphone rings.<br /> RF (radio frequencies)signals emited by cell sites<br /> or base stations are of microwatt range and if accompanied<br /> by a poor choice of parts, malfunction will surely happen.<br /> I looked at the back of the Zire 21, and I see it was Made in China.<br /> No wonder. <br />

Don't buy this product. I kept my cell phone right on top of it on my desk at work before I found out that this was why it reset itself. Also - after three months of keeping them that close, I can no longer press the bottom half of the screen because it doesn't register.<br /> <br /> I owned this unit 4 months and it never happened until I bought a new cell phone. It's not coincidence - it's a flaw, and I wouldn't pay money for chance.<br /> <br /> You could get a new phone - and bing, happen to you. Analyze your cell phone habits before you stick this one close to your phone in your purse. It's crappy - and Palm does nothing to make it right.

I gave my hardly used Sony Clie T615C to my fiancée and was using my old Palm III until I bought the Zire 21. I realized after owning a Palm III, Handspring Visor, Palm Vx, Sony Clie T615C, that all I really need a PDA for is addresses, notes, and scheduling. I don't need a camera, mp3 player, video player, web browser, etc. So the Zire 21's features and even lack of, were a good match for my needs, especially at the $99 price point.

True, the display is black and white and the 160x160 resolution is inferior to a B&W Clie. But what does that really mean? I have NO problems reading text on the display. It is infinitely better than my old Palm III's screen. The only major drawback to the screen is the lack of a backlit option. Impossible to see in the dark or dimly lit room.

Considering I'm only storing addresses, notes and appointments, 8MB is PLENTY with room for a few extra applications and games. No expansion possibilty however.

The lack of color display vastly improves the battery life of the built-in lithium ion battery. I should be able to go nearly a month or more on a full charge. My color Clie couldn't go an entire week. The USB hotsync cable also acts as a trickle charger. My only complaint here is I wish they would've figured out a way to put the charging cable and hotsync cable into a single cable. Because of the lack of a cradle, I have to deal with two separate cables. However, this is a benefit for traveling. I used to have to take my Clie's cradle and giant power brick with me on trips.

I have not had any of the same problems described by other reviewers regarding random resets, as of yet. And the 90 day warranty is pretty skimpy for an electronics product and reminds me of Sony. It'd be nice if they would stand behind their products, even if it is their entry-level product. Still, the Zire 21 is a very elegant and simple PDA and an excellent choice for those who are looking for a basic Palm powered device. With the upgraded memory, OS and processor, it is much more attractive than the original Zire at the same price point.