PDA Reviews

Pros:
compact unit, i like the car kit
i had no problem setting it up with my Palm m130
GPS was very accurate, acquiring took about 10-15 seconds, not bad at all, after that, it only acquired after losing the signal, which wasn't very often.
Cons:
the software! really awful when it comes to giving driving directions. for instance, it told me ways to go which were either impossible (like driving over water!), or using local streets when highways were more appropriate. too bad mapquest can't work with this. looking up the directions on the internet seems to be an unneccesary step, since the maps are already on the CD! highways that wind and curve were a problem, since it couldnt follow that accurately, and said 'off route'. also, a better piece of sotware would help with the refresh rate on the palm, which is ok if you dont load a big map (<100k) it's really a shame, since a better piece of software would make this useful

4 stars since the included SW is so terrible. I bought "Delorme Street Atlas USA 2004 Handheld" to run on my M125. Works great.
Navman does tend to eat batteries, but what Palm add-on doesn't.
Original SW was so bad, it couldn't catch up driving down the road. I had to pull over to let it catch up so I could turn the Palm off.

GPS module works great, but included SW will make you mad.

I think this is fantastic! The only down side that I can think of is having to upload your trips beforehand. But that is a limitation of the handheld, not this device. I took a trip from Upstate NY through Philly to the Jerey shore. And back. Another trip to Washington DC. This performed flawlessly for what it was designed to be. Beeped a little before my turns or exchanges. Tracked pretty well and only lost signal a couple times, ony to regain it moments later. I bought this along with a rebate and the deal was great. I recently bought the laptop version as well. That is how much I like this item. Unless you are nitpicky or expecting something this is not, you'll be pleased.

I've used this product for approximately 12 months. After a period of time my palm stopped accepting entries. I finally figured out that the pressure involved in getting the palm in and out of this product was the problem. Apparently it was causing a small movement between the front panel of the palm and the back panel, creating a loss of connection. No permanent problem was created, but I have had to stop using this product.

I use my bumper for carrying my Palm III around at work for recording data during my plant rounds. It was pretty cheap compared to others I looked at. If you are going to hotsync using your cradle it takes some getting the technique down on removing the palm, but since I use the IR port its not a problem. I highly recommend using this if you can hotsync with an IR device, then the only reason for taking it out is to change batteries.

From other reviews, it seems that many users don't understand the purpose of this case - it isn't waterproof, it isn't svelt, and it isn't lightweight (it will double your Palm's weight and size). What it *is* is industructible (or nearly so). It is made of tire rubber (not kidding), and it will keep your Palm safe from bumps and drops under all reasonable conditions. Awesome for field work, camping, and other abusive situations. It includes stylus holders on each side (although sometimes the stylus pops out), a window for the infrared port, and the attached cover is well-designed (but thin). Getting the Palm in and out to Hotsync is a little difficult at first; although it improves as you get used to it, it will always be a two-hand operation. It is fitted for Palm III, and includes a pad that adapts it to Palm V - no good for Handspring, Palm VII or (according to another reviewer at this site) Palm IIIc. While it has its disadvantages, if you need the kind of protection this case offers, you will find it to be an excellent investment.

Addendum: Nearly two years after I first wrote this review, I still have the same Palm, and the same case, and still love them both.

I thought I would use this pen as a replacement for my Belkin 4 in 1, Bad Bad idea. The black started peeling off within a week of having this stupid pen. Black and Red ink is no good (fade away). Stay away from this pen.

Cons:
- The black paint where you hold the pen peels off, you are leaft with an unsightly yellowish copper color.
- Black and red ink are bad quality and fade in an out. Red in my pen is actually intermittement.
- The cap at he top is too tall and sticks out noticably.

Pros:
- Better than the skinny stylus.
________________________________

Bottom line. I wouldn't buy it again.

Another reviewer indicated that you have to hold this
pen horizonatally to get reliable device changes. This
seems to be the case. My stylus/pen did not have any
mark on the end that you click so I put one on with
a permanent marker. I found that as long as this mark
is "up" with the pen horizontal, I get reliable pen
changes. Perhaps this stylus/pen relies on gravity to
work. While quirky, this is not an issue once you
figure out the trick. I've not had this long enough
for the paint to peel yet. I got this on sale for
$3.99 and I'm happy so far at that price.

On the side of the box:
"Voice Desktop Application to transfer you recording to your PC. (requires Windows 98 or 2000)"

The "Total Recall" worked fine in my Handspring and with its stand alone power source. However, I wasn't able to sync it with my desktop. After doing the normal uninstall/reinstall with no results, I wrote Targus. I also asked about the fine print noted above. They recommended I upgrade my Handspring OS, which I did, but to no avail. Customer Service was responsive, but ultimately unable to help me solve this problem. They eventually sent me a new "Total Recall". However, this time neither the stand alone power source nor the actual recorder worked. Unless you have Windows 98 or 2000, you might end up wasting a lot of time.

Total Recall met all expectations of what I would be using it for when it arrived. I use it to record notes while driving for later use, and in meetings to review in detail those items that may not have been noted with the conventional pad and pen. The 90 minute time limit should be able to last through most meetings. The stand alone unit is small and fits into a pocket easily, and will detach and insert into the Visor readily, notations about content can be attached to "tracks" when in the Visor. I have tried using the Total Recall with only the built-in mic for recording music at a concert, and must say, it recorded the sounds, but this type of recording is better left to an MP3 type unit. I view my purchase of the Total Recall as a sound investment for my intended use.

The Targus Total Recall Digital Voice Recorder is a neat little gadget that adds to the usefulness of the Handspring Visor. (...) it will allow you to digitally record personal memos, lectures, etc. at the tap of the screen. It slides into the module expansion slot of the Visor, but can also be used independently as a stand-alone digital voice recorder. It's easy to use, has good sound quality, and makes life easier, though it is a bit expensive and bulky.

Personally, I find that I under-utilize my Visor. There are always moments when I want to jot down little notes or reminders, but find that writing things out using the Palm graffiti is sometimes more effort than it's worth. This situation is ideal for the Total Recall Voice Recorder. It's always easier to record a verbal message for yourself than it is to write out a long memo. And the Targus Digital Recorder is nicely designed to meet these needs. It's incredibly easy to use and install--just slide it into the back of your Visor and you're off and running. The recording quality is excellent (even on the lowest quality setting or in noisy environments) and you can record digital voice memos for up to 90 minutes (far more than I ever found the need for). Each verbal message is time and date stamped and is well-organized on the Visor screen for accessibility later. I was additionally impressed with the range of Voice Recorder. For recording personal messages, it is always loud and clear. But to my surprise, it was additionally usable for recording lectures from some distance.

There are numerous little features that I had not expected with the Voice Recorder. For one, the unit could be better described as a stand-alone Digital Voice Recorder that happens to also be a Visor module. Just pop it into its "shuttle" and you can record memos for yourself even when you don't have your Visor handy. There are four buttons that allow you to control the unit and record without the Visor. The shuttle operates on 2 AAA batteries. The upside to using the Total Recall as a stand-alone digital recorder is that it's a lot smaller and easier to transport. It can be later attached to your Visor for easy playback and editing. Moreover, using it in this manner will keep it from draining the batteries in your Handspring. The downside to the stand-alone mode is that the same time/date stamp is applied to all of your recordings (i.e. the time it was attached as a Visor module). The other big problem here is that it makes for one additional thing to carry...as if we didn't have enough.

The fact that it can be used with the Visor creates greater functionality and makes it more useful than a conventional digital voice recorder. For example, it is easy to edit messages. At the touch of the screen, you can insert new recordings into the middle of voice message, add to the end of a message, or even place bookmarks into a recording. Additional features on the Targus Total Recall unit include volume control, voice activation (unit turns off after 3 seconds of silence and turns back on when you continue talking), microphone and headphone jacks, and a PC desktop application that allows you to transfer recordings onto your computer

The biggest downside is the cost. Is it really worth (the price)? Despite liking the Total Recall Voice Recorder, I find the price to be a bit much for my needs as a student. However, for what you're getting in terms of portability, usability, and compatibility with the Visor, the cost does seem reasonable compared to other Digital Voice Recorders. The bottom line is that med students are busy people and have tons of information being thrown at them and the Total Recall Voice Recorder has the ability to make life a little easier. If you're someone that's in the market for a Digital Voice Recorder or if you find entering text into the Visor to be tedious, difficult, and slow, then this Total Recall Digital Voice Recorder might be right for you.

Doesn't work, no documentation, no tech support, nobody could help me making this thing connect to the Internet. It's in the garbage.

I had it for about an year. Doesn't work. It shows it is connected, but I cannot browse and websites. I get an error all the time.

I am a network technician at a small, local college and am on the working group to bring 802.11b ethernet wireless to our campus. Xircom was kind enough to give me a beta product for testing. Here are my impressions in a nutshell:

Pros: - - I'm able to check email (POP3 and IMAP4), hotsync to my PC across the network and browse the internet with the included software. According to the manual, those are the only functions advertised. Occasionally, you'll get web pages that, due to formatting, are clumsy to navigate, but you'll find they're good enough to get what you want. Many big sites such as CNN, MSNBC, Yahoo, etc. are making their pages "PDA friendly", and they're actually very readable. - - Contains a signal strength meter that seems to be pretty close to laptops we used for our site survey (and indicator LEDS). It uses a bar graph, but I wish it had a direct numeric read out also. - - Has three different "profiles" settings, making it possible to have 3 different network logins and settings. - - Supports standard 802.11b WEP security (40 or 128 bit). - - Support for Infrastructure or AdHoc mode. - - Supports DHCP and static IP addressing. Both tested fine. - - Battery life is much better than expected. The manual quotes 2 hrs, and that's about what I get using it pretty hard. Because of the high frequency radio waves (2.4 Ghz), it almost gets too warm to hold for that long! Of course, when winter comes here, that will be a plus ! - - Doesn't use battery power from the Visor, instead it has it's own Li-Ion battery and includes a charger. Charge time is about 2 hours. The module has a software battery meter like the Visor does. And will give the user "pop-up" messages when the battery gets critically low. - - Network Hotsync feature works great. As long as I can login into a WAP, I can hotsync, install files, get new meetings and appointments from Outlook, etc. from my desktop PC anywhere on campus. - - Has power management features for auto-logging off after a preset time period. - - Contains a Cisco chipset, but have connected to three different manufacture's WAP's with no problems, getting the full 11 mb/s. - - Range appears to be comparable to other 802.11b ethernet products.

Cons: - - Had a problem with the included browser software "Blazer", but Xircom sent me a patch to gain a user login. There are other browsers you can use, such as AvantGo and Eudora. I like AvantGo, but you have to have connect to a server that is running AvantGo. It does, however, do a nice job of formatting web pages to fit the Palm screen, and you can keep pages "active" by having them cached on your desktop before doing a hotsync. Also, Eudora provides a free PDA internet suite, that includes a browser and email client, sounds good, but haven't tried it yet. - - A little bulkier than the other modules, due to it's battery and antenna. - -My only problem has been logging into my web-based managed network devices or mapping drives. - -Tends to become a "hand heater" after awhile of use (High freq. RF power dissipation for sure!). - - Also even with the fast WLAN connection, I believe due to the Visor Deluxe's slower processor, it acts as a bottleneck for the internet connection. I would probably buy the faster model (Platinum) instead of the Deluxe. There is a noticeable difference in loading pages.

Summary: I LOVE this thing!! I'm able to sit out under a tree and surf the net, send/rev email, check appointments and put it in my pocket when I'm done. Battery power is sufficient for doing all the tasks I needed to. I would have given this device a 5-star rating if it included the ability to use utilities such as Ping and Telnet... (Opinions and comments written here are of my own and do not reflect my employer's policies or opinions.)

Update 7/21: I have recently found several of the tcp/ip utilities I had desired. I am now able to ping and telnet to my devices. The telnet is a little clumsy with the screen format, but it does work! Both of those utilites are easily found on the internet, or send me email and I'll send them to you. The latest test was the ICQ Palm client, which, so far, as also worked well. I have no choice but to give this thing a 5-star rating now !

People who appreciate the funcionality and durability of the Palm unit, rightfully expect that other items put out by Palm (3-Com) should be of equal quality. Obviously, 3-Com is overwhelmed with success and is already forgetting about quality. This pen may look great in the picture, but reality is often stanger than fiction, the fiction being that this is a reliable product. If you want a good pen, look to a quality pen manufacturer like Cross. They have a pen called the DigitalDuo Writer. It is very practical, functional, and durable. 3-Com would look much better if they did their homework before putting out substandard products.

Im not quite sure what palm was thinking when it made this stylus. Although it really looks nice, as a pen it is absolutely lousy. It's not much better as a stylus too.

First of all, the pen itself is mediocre. To retract the pen is quite difficult. I almost broke it just trying to figure out how it worked

As a stylus, its strange how it works. Its slightly off center so its quite disorienting to use. The tip is not where you expect it to be.

Although it was substantially thicker than the stock stylus, it was incredibly light giving it a "flimsy" feel.

Considering all its drawbacks i am almost shocked how much Palm is charging for this thing. Its quite outrageous actually.

However it does have its good points. The clip fits the stylus silo so you can attach it there. With this pen attached to the V series it actually conforms to the overall shape of the unit. It looks really nice. Also the combination of the silver hard case, and this pen looks REALLY good.

Personally i use a multi-pen. It has a 0.7 mechanical pencil, blue pen and a stylus. All on a regular sized pen. I absolutely love it. Its a perfect weight and it looks professional and casual at the same time. Try it out, i promise you'll never use the stock stylus again.

I have used this stylus for the past 2 years and I have to say that I am still impressed with the design. There are countless third-party pen/stylus combo units which might be better pens, but they don't fit nearly as conveniently with the Palm unit itself. The pocket clip will fit right in the side barrel of the V and Vx models . It isn't any longer than the Palm itself so carrying it is easy. A "regular" pen/stylus which must be kept separately defeats the whole point of a "bundled" option. This is a very good alternative to the standard stylus and should be considered...

This case essentially has two things going for it: (1) It provides quite a bit of protection for the Palm and (2) no velcro is required.

I suspect that this isn't the most protective case on the market, but it surrounds the device in a decent protective layer of thick leather. I've dropped mine a couple of times from a few feet up without any trouble. It protects much better than the cheapy plastic flip cover that came with the device.

As for the velcro, I knew when I was looking for a case that most of them require you to put velcro on the back of the IIIc. For some reason that idea didn't appeal to me ($300 electronic device with a velcro sticker on the back?). This case holds the Palm in a tight leather sleeve. It seems to work well, although I've noticed that in the 9 months that I've had my Palm the leather sleeve is starting loosen it's grip. It doesn't seem to make a difference though because of the way the case is constructed -- when the case is open, the other side will prevent the palm from sliding out.

There are a number of drawbacks to the case. For one, it has this silly strap on the back. I think the idea was to have it double as both a carry strap and, if you wanted, a way to fasten it to your belt. Well, the latter idea is a joke; don't even bother trying. You'll just end up either with the case falling off your belt or swinging stupidly from your pants (Depending on how you fasten it). As for the wrist strap functionality, it works fine but I never have the need to carry my case this way. I always carry it in my pocket. They should have never put the strap on.

The second main drawback is that the case is pretty bulky. Considering that the IIIc is the monster of all modern Palms, this is an important consideration. Unless you wear gigantic shirts, you can forget putting it in a front dress shirt pocket. It fits alright in an inside suit pocket or in baggy slacks or jeans, but forget about those skintight I'll-love-the-80s-forever stonewashed denims.

The stylus holder is dandy. There's also a place inside the case to put cards (credit, business, etc.) which works fine, but I wouldn't expect to put a lot in there since there's not much room.

A nice leather case, especially for the price. The ability to clip it on to a belt, etc., is a nice feature. The IIIc is held in by simple friction, but firmly: the roughness of the IIIc's body and the tightness of the frame it slips in to will keep it well in place.

The only bad thing which might be said is about water resistance: it is questionable whether there is any. For the most part it should be all right, but don't expect to be able to keep your palm safe in a deluge without an umbrella. Also, the life of the snap for the belt strap has yet to be proven. For the price, though, this may not be a real concern.

I almost did not buy this product because of the first review, but I looked at all the available products for the IIIc and this one is far and away the best. The Palm slides in and out of the leather holder with ease. The case protects the Palm when I throw it in my truck everyday and from the occasional drop on the pavement. The belt loop is also excellent. It's not for wearing the Palm 24/7, but it's great for carrying it into a store or restaurant with you. It would be hard for it to fall from your belt even if the snap releases because of how it loops over and behind your belt...

I hate this phone!! I have had it about a year and after about nine months half of the buttons stopped working. I would go to dial out and couldn't get make my call. Forget trying to use the automated dialing system where they ask you to push certain buttons or your account number!!! My friend bought one right after I did and the same thing happened to hers.It is a very cheap phone and I would never never recommend it to anyone.

The phone simply died after 7 months. Cheap phone for not such a cheap price!

I have had this phone for 3 years. It has met all my requirements and I have never had any problems. I would highly recommend this phone.

Although this is a usb connection it has to be installed as a serial connection. I am still not able to sync but i keep trying. Do not buy this if you want an easy solution! It is good for charging ONLY.

This really should be a must-have for a Palm V. By using the power in the USB line, you do away with having to plug in an external power source. With USB it *should* be much faster to sync and be instantly recognized. But actually the way they have it set up is the USB connection becomes a virtual serial port. This was done, I think, so they wouldn't have to change Palm's hotsync software and it still thinks it is synchronizing via a serial port (COM 3 or 4). But Handspring works directly with USB and Palm Desktop 4 works with USB. The most irritating part: a serial port manager icon is added to your system tray and always opens in a window at startup so you have to close the window every time you start the machine (by renaming the serial port program I was able to avoid the pop-up window).

I'm hoping Targus will see fit to release drivers that will work directly with Palm Desktop 4 and work around all the serial port funny business so that this will be a true USB device.

Also, by following the instructions I didn't have a problem, but I didn't seat the cable all the way in to the Palm and couldn't figure why the HotSync would start on the PC (making me think the connection was okay), but the user couldn't be identified (causing the HotSync to stop responding). Once I clicked the cable all the way in, it worked fine, but it was very frustrating in the meantime and the manual didn't really help with that particular problem.

i have a similar product that's not made by targus, mine is a generic brand that has a stick-on label in the back that says: palm usb 1041323.

i originally paid $30 for it, and this was before the targus version was available.

when this type of cable (with the hotsync button featured on the cable itself) was first made, there was no official support from palm for usb sync. it therefore required custom hotsync software provided by the manufacturer. this software is very hard to get hold of, but i managed to find an archived copy here;

http://www.targus.com/us/drivers_manuals_archive.asp?SKU=PA260U

it works great under win98, win2k, and winXP.

consider the alternative. I've used this product for over a year now and it's literally saved my iPAQ's screen numerous times, both from stylus scratches and things dropped on the screen. Follow the instructions, clean the screen, make sure it's dust and lint free, start at the top of the screen and work your way down, be patient and work with it. The small bubbles are virtually invisible when the screen is lighted anyway. I've only managed once to completely get ALL the bubbles out but even with a few small bubbles, I wouldn't be without one on my iPAQ.

I have tried other adhesive screen protectors and I always return to this one. With just a little patience (less than 3 minutes of your time) they can be applied bubble free. I have also not found any evidence of the adhesive ruining my screen and I have been using them pretty consistently for 3 years. I do not do much handwriting on my iPAQ and so cannot speak to that sensitivity, but have not noticed problems with sensitivity for other stylus functions. And the image seems just as clear as without the protector. Also, I had no "Fellowes"/copyright label printed on the protectors as earlier reviews had mentioned.

I've been using these for about a year and they work very well, in my experience lasting for several months. They improve the feel of the screen, but I haven't noticed that they improve visibility...on the other hand they don't seem to degrade it either.

In my case they have not damaged the screen in any way, they remove very cleanly so you can use a new sheet.

They take practice to apply, and each of us will figure out our own technique. It's important to clean the screen first, and do the application in a lint free environment like a bathroom as opposed to your computer desk.

Don't panic when you see some bubbles after the application, they will go away by themselves in a few days...but you really should try to get most of them eliminated during the application process if possible.

I'm very satisfied with the product, all things considered.