Palm - Tungsten E2 Handheld

Palm doesn't seem to put out new products now since this E2 has been on market for 2 years now without significant price drop, maybe due to lack of consumer interest. The market of these handheld PDAs are shrinking due to manufactures begin to push sales on new more powerful yet smaller portable notebook like those Samsung Q1 or whatever product. But I still found these handheld devices are the right size to carry, and powerful enough to keep your life organized. Spec wise, the CPU inside E2 is kinda out dated, but it can handle some intensive task such as mpeg1, xvid, divx playback and play 2D/3D palm games. Expandibility, the SDIO slot only supports upto 1GB SD card, there are very few none standard 2GB SD card can be used on this machine. Personally I don't find any use for the Bluetooth, I have a mac which is Bluetooth enabled, but cannot manage to share internet with it after lots of reading on the net... The infrared port, you can use it as a remote control after installing 3rd party software, but that costs a forturne, and you can eventually buy an entry level Logitech Harmony remote for that price... or you can transfer files on infrared enabled computers, but the transfer speed is upto 4MB only... So the only good thing about the device is the organizer, address book, memo stuff, I found them really useful. The Graffiti input software is OK, need a bit memorization for shortcuts on cut, paste, change line stuff and some time to get used to the recognition errors. The office software suite comes with adobe reader and DataViz documents To Go. It's not very comfortable to read complicated format documents since you'll lose quite a bit info via conversion. Picture viewing is all right, you cannot expect too much on a 3.5in screen, all the functions you need are there and the loading time is OK. As an mp3 player, it gets the job done, but not on par with real players, the included realone player reads a specific location on the SD card... For videos, I'm using TCPMP, it's amazing at playing back xvid/divx files, but you have to convert them to a 320*320 compatible resolution and keep the framerate @15fps. There are some games worth playing, I have a sudoku game currently on it. The synchronizing software is dumb, it synchronizes everything every time even if you just want to download a PDF or *.doc file, my suggestion is synchronizing once after you set the whole thing up, avoid using the software, go get pilot install, that's much efficient in downloading software. Don't know what else to comment. I wouldn't recommend this kind of device to average people, since a cellphone and ipods seem to be dominant.

I was not very pleased with my first Palm Pilot but bought a second one anyway so the data could be transferred. I am very happy with this newer model. The battery retains its charge much longer. It is easier to use and read in strong daylight. I have only average computer skills but I had no problem installing the software and setting up the synchronization process on my desktop (Windows XP). Do not buy this product if your operating system is XP Media Center. I am very disappointed that I am not able to synchronize the PDA with my laptop which is running XP Media Center. I checked with Palm Pilot website and found that this model is not compatible with XP Media Center Edition.

I replaced my Palm Vx with this and couldn't be happier. Using the calendar to store all of my birthdays, anniversaries, meetings, etc. (alarms can be set to warn you days, hours or minutes ahead of the event) and the contact list to keep not only my acquaintances but all of my on-line account passwords... this Tungsten has become my supplemental brain. I've purchased several additional applications (including a remote control program that allowed me to program ALL of my tv's, vcr's, dvd players, other electronics.... ~sweet~ ... and a suite of games to play while waiting for a cab or bus or in a doctor's office) that have made life so much better. I can read books without losing my place, and so much more. Did I mention it also works as an mp3/real media/wma player? I'd buy another one in a heartbeat should this one begin to fail. One note, though. I'd highly recommend purchasing a hard case and screen protectors (film covers,) particularly if you travel with this and/or use it frequently. Mine has bounced off of subway (concrete) floors and carpet and continues to work flawlessly. I'm giving it a '4' due to its high cost (I bought mine over two years ago at the SAME price it runs now) and limited memory capabilities.

The E2 is a versitile handheld. Whether you have meetings and appointments to keep track of or just a lunch date or grocery list to remember, the E2 does it all with style and ease of use. The screen is large enough to clearly see notes, pics and even games. To store lots of big files, like pics to show everybody, however, you need to add an SD memory card to store them, but those have come way down in price. The colors and display are dramatically better on the E2 than even the last generation Tungsten E and the OS and packaged software offer a variety of views and opptions. It;s handy to have and easy to carry. All around, a good investment.

I use this to keep track of my schedule, appointments, phone numbers, and other important information I may need quickly. Synchronizing is quick and simple and can even be done with Bluetooth enabled. It also comes in handy to keep a list of your CD or DVD collection, or to stay up on current news. Navigation is simple and the buttons help when accessing frequent programs such as the calendar or address book.

I've owned the Tungsten for just over a year now and use it with an expansion slot card for MP3s. It is my first, and in my opinion is a good purchase for a busy admin assistant. I initially received the Z22 as a gift from my employer but took their option to upgrade. I upgraded to have the Documents To Go abilities which seem to work well. When I do use it, these features reduce the need to retype meeting minutes, allow you to view and edit expense reports, etc. I don't use the Bluetooth yet, but should for syncing with web-based contacts and email. The sync with outlook isn't what I am used to. I'm still in transition from being stuck to my desktop and using paper. The downsides: - Battery runs low quickly. It requires being plugged in at night which I often forget to do. Using a cradle charger/sync might solve this problem and is probably not so much a manufacturing issue. - MP3 use is not this product's prime function. Get an ipod if you want heavy music usage. - Writing with the stylus is a little tricky. The touch screen tends to be finicky. If doing a lot of text-heavy note taking or minutes, consider purchasing a keyboard accessory.

Overall, I am happy with my Tungsten. You must purchase a decent cover immediatley to protect it - the flip cover that it comes with provides no protection. I also recommend a screen protector right away. I purchased the E2 to replace my Tungsten T that was dying. The display on this one is much brighter, the resolution crisper. It plays mp3's with good sound quality using earphones - through the speaker is just ok. You can set your own backgound image. It takes a little getting used to using Grafitti 2 if you are used to the original Grafitti writing (basically it uses lowercase letters instead of uppercase). I also find the calendar function more useful with several day's upcoming events and that day's "to do" list displayed. Overall, a nice step up for those using an older palm product, and still reasonably priced. If you want to use more advanced applications or games, you will want to seriously consider the TX with more internal memory. But if your main purpose is keeping information and records readily accessible (calendar, phone info, to do lists, memos, pictures, music, documents) with an occasion game for a break, this is the perfect palm product for you!

This is a really great device for anyone looking for a PDA that isn't packed full of unneeded features. If you're a college student and need a PDA to simply write your homework or create a schedule, the Tungsten E2 is perfect. The ability to expand the memory and also get a wi-fi card is terrific for those people who need a lot of storage or simply want wi-fi abilities. The only complaint I had with this product is that the sound on my Tungsten E2 functions when it wants to. I contacted Palm about this, and they were really helpful and told me to do some resets, but the problem came back a little while later. If you twiddle around with the sound it'll work eventually, but it can be irritating at times. Overall, this PDA is still a great device that I would definitely recommend.