CNET Editor's rating: 8.0 out of 10
Reviewed by
Bonnie Cha
Review date: 10/11/05
Release date: 10/12/05
The good: The Palm TX comes with integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, a large, bright screen, and solid battery life. The sleek and compact PDA can also play back music.
The bad: Unfortunately, the Palm TX's battery is not user replaceable.
The bottom line: The Palm TX offers a winning package of wireless connectivity, productivity tools, and fun for users of all kinds.
When Palm released its LifeDrive in May, we were thrilled that the company finally integrated Wi-Fi into one of its PDAs. Unfortunately, when we saw the wallet-stretching price tag, the celebration was short lived. Now, it appears we can put our party hats back on, because the new Palm TX offers a more affordable solution ($299) that should please a wide range of users, both professional and casual. Aside from built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the TX crams a long list of features and solid performance into a sleek package that can go head-to-head with its Pocket PC counterparts, such as the Dell Axim X51 and the HP iPaq rx1950. In other Palm news, the company dropped the price of its Palm Tungsten E2 to $199, so if you don't need Wi-Fi, the E2 is a good option.
Intro:
The Palm TX is a Palm OS-based, consumer-oriented handheld device.Compared to other consumer-oriented handhelds on the market, it is relatively inexpensive at around $285.You can expand the memory of this unit using Secure Digital (SD), or MMC media.
Noteworthy Features:
Has a 320x480 screen resolution, which is higher than some similarly priced handhelds.
Weaker Features:
None noted, given available product data.
Suitability:
Built for someone who wants basic PIM functions.Also, this handheld should be good for viewing color images (given that it supports 64,000 colors at a resolution of 320x480).You can use the Bluetooth capability of this device to connect to cell phones and other devices that are similarly enabled.This handheld will also store and play back MP3 audio files that are stored in the system's memory.This PDA includes Wi-Fi (802.11b) compatibility and can be used to access the internet at various wireless enabled "hotspots".
Value:
Given its relatively inexpensive price, this handheld has great features for the money.Nonetheless, take note that about $250 is the estimated street price of PDAs with similar capabilities.
Suggestions:
(1) If you think you'll enter large amounts of data, consider purchasing an external portable keyboard for your PDA.(2) If you want to synchronize your documents with a Windows PC, consider a third party application such as Documents To Go.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular From Palm to PocketPC, and back to Palm! The TX is awesome!
Let me preface my commentary on the Palm TX by saying that my last PDA was an iPAQ 1940, and ...
Let me preface my commentary on the Palm TX by saying that my last PDA was an iPAQ 1940, and as a result I've used PocketPC extensively. I found that PocketPC adds significant extra processing time for the simplest of tasks and introduces a *LOT* of instability, while reducing the number of apps I can use. Seemed like I was always resetting from some random lockup. In addition, due to ActiveSync's requirement for Internet Explorer and therefore MS Windows (grr!), sync-ing in Linux is still under development and more hassle than it's worth.
The Palm TX suffers from none of those problems and adds things I wondered if they'd ever implement on any PDA. (Example: It will pair with your Bluetooth phone and do the dialing for you right from your address book!) I swore I would never purchase a unit without a user-removable battery, but the TX is so superior in every other way it was impossible to resist. This unit is just outstanding all-around! It's extremely intuitive, with all of the most used functions available through unobtrusive one-click icons at the bottom of every screen. Wifi and Bluetooth setup were a snap, and you can keep multiple profiles for networks away from home. All functions are very fast.
Because for me the organizer features are crucial, I live out of my PDA. So, I like a compact one I can take everywhere. I had bought my iPAQ 1940 because it was the smallest on the market at the time. I feared that a feature-packed replacement with a nice big screen would be comparatively huge. But while the TX's screen is about 1/4" taller (same width) with much better resolution than even the current PocketPC models I compared, it really only adds a smidgen to the width and less than 1/4" to the height of the iPAQ (same thickness).
My biggest secondary reason for wanting a PDA is being able to browse the web and check e-mail any time without lugging my laptop everywhere. The combination of that gorgeous screen, one-touch switch to landscape mode and ability to reduce font size, along with superb handling of wifi networking and associated power management, make this the most painless PDA web-browsing I've seen yet!
8 out of 10 - Excellent Great PDA! One of the best for 2003!
It's too bad that the Palm T|X was announced the same day as the new iPod which plays ...
It's too bad that the Palm T|X was announced the same day as the new iPod which plays videos, but the Palm is a much better video player than the iPod is due to its larger and higher resolution display, better support for file formats people actually USE (divx, xvid, mpeg 1 and 2, etc.) via TCPMP, and much better battery life for watching videos (more than twice the battery life of the new iPod).
The T|X would be great if you did nothing but watch movies on the go on it, but of course it also has WiFi so you can surf the web (surprisingly good in landscape mode), check your email in a cafe, and of course you can run all sorts of other programs, games, keep track of your schedule and contacts, and more.
I know it's supposed to be a "business class" device, but the multimedia capabilities of the T|X are phenomenal, and at $299 it's cheaper than most PVPs on the market, with a better screen and smaller overall size. This thing is just plain SLEEK.
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by jough (see profile) -
October 13, 2005
10 out of 10 - Perfect Almost Perfect when compared to the other PDAs.
If you are looking at this review then you are wondering the same reason why you would want this cool ...
If you are looking at this review then you are wondering the same reason why you would want this cool toy. Yes, I did say toy because it is just amazingly fun and almost addictive. I just can't seem to say enough on this so instead of typing a long paragraph hear are the highlights listed below and then a long book:
PROS: + Big Screen + Palm OS Reliablity + Wifi (Easy to Configure) + 1GB SD Card Compatible (Transcend 80X) + 128mb Flash ROM (Good if battery dies) + Watch movies on it + Stream LIVE radio through Pocket Tunes + Builtin speaker + Hotsync through Wifi or USB + Check Email with Ease + Converts Office Documents
CONS - Battery (Should be removable) (3rd party?) - Slow Syncing via USB - No Flash Media Player Support - No Windows Media Video Support (3rd party?) - No Quicktime Support (3rd party?) - No Realplayer Support (3rd party?) - Cheap case cover included - Lack of Bundled Software - Tries to convert your videos when syncing - No Voice Recorder - May not like your old palm programs - Low static noise in headphones when nothing is playing
Those are just a few things and even though I did list quite a few negatives it is only to nitpick. If you compare it for the value and to what everyone else is offering then this isn't so bad.
I've tried quite a few handful of PDAs and the Palm OS is the way to go. Sure Dell has something like this but it is bulkier and built with the unreliable windows sytem. Sure the battery does die rather quickly but what do you expect with a product with wifi enabled, an external speaker and video capabilities? Just would be nice if they let you easily remove the battery for replacement.
Though there is a way around this and there are devices that will charge your items via USB. For about $15 you can buy a USB battery Extender and plug in Four AA batteries and then charge your Palm TX back up. So that is an alternative to that problem. Just like the IPOD I am sure you can also replace the internal battery as well so I don't find this that big of an issue.
I've been successful in converting and watching a movie (isn't dvd quality but not bad for the size downsampled to 200KBPS to 300KBPS) on this but you definitely don't want to use the built in feature because it is extremely slow so get a Transcend 80x Secure Digital Card, USB 2.0 Card Reader (If your system supports 2.0), and visit "The Core Pocket Media Player" website and become enlightened. This is the fastest way to do it. I converted a 20 minute video in about 4 minutes and transfered it on to the SD card in about 30 seconds roughly. Only COMPLAINT is sometimes you may hear some static which disappears when playing music, videos, or games but if you just have your headphones plugged in you will hear this faint static noise which could be just electronic interference or I just have good ears. Again something that doesn't have much weight to not to like this TX.
The other thing I have noticed is that syncing is kind of slow and you might want to try the wifi connection instead of the usb. It seems that the wifi connection is faster than the USB but I haven't timed it. It easier than plugging it into usb, all you do is click sync on the TX and it does the job wirelessly which I think is pretty cool.
Now for web browsing it surfs the web pretty well, I was even able to surf CNET considering the load cnet puts on its pages. Though the key is telling the FONT TO BE SMALL which will make webpages look the way they should and the factory DEFAULT is LARGE. Just a little tip. The other bad part is that I have looked around and can't seem to find any Flash player support so any website that required macromedia flash or shockwave, well you are SOL. As for different movie formats, well when you get this with the standard software, you will be disappointed. Sure it can convert movies but takes a long time and that is why you will need to get a 3rd party program to play your videos. The free stuff out the such as TCPMP and converts are actually pretty good and you might be disappointed with the ones you pay for. So give the free guys a shot first and read your reviews before you buy any palm software because some of those guys are just copying the beta programmers.
So have I overloaded you with information? Probably I have and I have so much more to comment about which I may update in the future but I wanted you readers to see what this baby can do. It can do a lot for the money and is pretty close to having a laptop in your pocket. Still ISN'T it but VERY CLOSE. I have been looking for something like this for awhile and I have to say this is a great laptop replacement for information on the go.
Surf the net, Open office documents, pdfs, music, movies, get directions, gps capable, bluetooth can hook you up to your phone, save other file formats on to the SD card via wifi or usb and take your stuff home. It is just an all-in-one solution which is probably what most of us need and could finally ditch the laptop at home and only use it for actual work.
Oh and as for my rating of 10, I actually rate this an 8 but I don't think it is fair for people to rate this a 1 so I am just evening it out. This isn't perfect but I doubt you will be dissatisfied with this product. Especially if you try your best to learn about it and what you can do then this product becomes 10x better than what it is, it all depends on your own effort.
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by wavek9 (see profile) -
January 6, 2006
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Fantastic PDA from Palm
I debated between the Dell X51v and the Palm TX. I decided on the Palm for the best buy. The ...
I debated between the Dell X51v and the Palm TX. I decided on the Palm for the best buy. The biggest problem I had was to physically hold and compare the two. Most retailers do not have the TX on display yet. Dell does not have retailers. I read many reviews,compared with my friends and decided on the Palm. I was very impressed with the color screen. The Dell has 640x480 vs Palms 320x480. This worried me until I had a chance to see the Dell and Palm side by side. The Dell won this battle, but not by much (Remember, the Palm is less expensive). The Dell has an external battery, but needs this since the higher resolution screen will drain the battery sooner. The Dell also wins the memory issue (256 vs 128), but this was not a factor for me since I would add a flash card to either unit. The Dell also has a faster processor, but the Palm seemed faster to me since the Palm OS is less taxing on the processors. The Palm won the larger screen issue. The Documents to Go does a great job with the Word and Excel (I believe it is better than Word and Excel on the Dell). The WiFi worried me from the reveiws, but my connected with no problems. It actually connects in areas that my laptop won't connect in. In summary, the Palm TX is an awesome PDA.
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by sbaughn1 (see profile) -
November 26, 2005
21 out of 21 users found this user opinion helpful.
1 out of 10 - Abysmal customer support a misnomer
Nice device ruined by lack of any responsibility by Palm of their products. They advertise using the Universal Wireless Keyboard ...
Nice device ruined by lack of any responsibility by Palm of their products. They advertise using the Universal Wireless Keyboard with the device, but when you buy it and try and use it you discover that they have no driver for it. You contact them and a strong hint of how customer unfriendly they are comes back in the language at the bottom of their message from customer service that the message cannot be reproduced on message board, etc. In other words, we don't want others to know what we say. What they say is that they can't even tell you if they will have a driver. That you should keep visiting the web site to look for updates. That the fact that there is no driver has been forwarded to their research developers. Might want to also forward it to sales and marketing so the company isn't selling something that doesn't work with the products it's being advertised with.
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by jferstle (see profile) -
November 3, 2005
5 out of 10 - Average More gadget than serious business tool
I bought the Palm TX to upgrade from a Palm m515 that I had for three or four years. I ...
I bought the Palm TX to upgrade from a Palm m515 that I had for three or four years. I upgraded because I?m opening a solo law firm, and I wanted the capability to send/receive email, and occasionally access the web. The larger screen of the TX also looked like a plus, but as I?ll describe later, the screen isn?t larger when in actual use.
I rely heavily on internet reviews now before making purchases. In that spirit, I wanted to pass along my experiences to other people who may be considering the Palm TX. You?re going to see that I repeatedly compare the m515 to the TX because I found the m515 to be a very stable and reliable PDA. I?ve now been working with the TX for the past few days and I?ve really tried to be fair in understanding that it will take a while to get used to the TX.
Pro: The screen is backlit and beautiful. Although my m515 was also backlit, there are more colors available on the TX, and the screen can also be flipped to let you look at things with a landscape portrait. Pictures look better than ever.
Con: The screen is so crowded with buttons and menus, you actually have less viewing area than on previous Palm PDAs. Palm has also put a virtual writing area on the TX screen (as opposed to the permanent grey writing area on previous models). The people at Palm thought this was clever, but it?s very annoying. You find yourself having to constantly open and close the virtual writing surface: Opening it to write, closing it to view things, then opening it again and clicking on a different button to access the little keyboard, etc. It?s tedious. The keyboard also has buttons in odd places (every time I try to press the ?shift? button, I accidentally hit the button to access the international keyboard). Palm has also made their graffiti language much more difficult to write. On older PDA?s, you wrote in the number column or the alphabet column. Now, you still have to use the separate columns, but you have to write capital letters in an area overlapping the two. If you miss the totally unmarked area, who knows what character will come up. Palm also thought it was cute to get rid of the idea of a ?Caps Lock? button on the keyboard. So if you want to quickly type something in all caps, you have to use a whole different keyboard. It gets very old, very fast, and it makes you wonder if tech companies are still using focus groups to test products. The new interface was designed by a sadist-- a slow and unproductive sadist with carpel tunnel syndrome.
Pro: As with previous models, Palm gives you some decent software on an install disk.
Con: It took me longer to setup and install the Palm software than it took to completely setup my new Dell laptop received the same day. The Palm software has become a little clunky and sketchy. It used to be the most reliable software on my PC, but now I question it. As of today, Palm doesn?t even technically offer software for the TX that is compatible with WinXP. I had to go to the Palm website and ?pretend? I was using Win98 in order to download a version of Palm Desktop. Why would a company sell a product incompatible with the software running on most personal and business PCs!?
Pro: The TX allows you to check email and access the internet. The email and internet access really does work as advertised and are pretty amazing. It?s like something out of future. Unlike the main Palm Desktop software, the setup of email and Wi-Fi was painless and very quick. I was surprised.
Con: Internet access is much, much slower than using Wi-Fi on a PC/laptop, and the tiny screen of the TX makes navigating most webpages an effort in futility. That being said, there are some websites with dedicated PDA/smartphone versions, and they work well. I have already used my TX to look for directions, the Yellow Pages, and the latest news. However, in all seriousness, it would be faster for you to call the ?movie line? to get showtimes for a movie, or to call a specific business and get directions, than to try and look them up on the TX using the internet.
Pro: The TX has a compact and streamlined USB HotSync cable, and a separate power cable.
Con: Syncing the TX is much, much slower than Syncing my m515. Although I am really only using my TX for the most basic functioning at this point (tasks, contacts, and calendaring), it still takes three times as long to Sync my TX as it did to Sync my m515. This should not be the case.
Pro: The TX came with a free screen protector.
Con: Palm needs to figure out a better system for installing screen protectors, or design replaceable screens. If you don?t get the screen protector on just perfectly, you?ll have fingerprints and/or bubbles under the plastic layer, and you?ll be unable to view or access parts of the screen. It?s a miserable experience that mimics putting a condom over your cell phone, and then trying to dial using buttons you can?t see.
Pro: The TX has a central ?navigation? button.
Con: The navigation button is almost totally useless. In almost every Palm application, you need the stylus at some point. Having the navigation button doesn?t speed anything up. I would prefer that they have used the space for an additional button to allow quick access to the tasks/to do lists.
Pro: The TX allows you to listen to music and view videos.
Con: There is no voice recorder so there is no way to record a short memo while driving, or record a meeting. Palm deliberately left this out as a marketing tool to force people into the more expensive LifeDrive. Also, with respect to the MP3/video player, I bought this as a business device and I?m not going to sit like some idiot and listen to/watch rap or techno all day. Even if I did so choose, I would buy the Apple iPod Shuffle because I would want the simplicity of the Apple user interface. What are you going to do: Put the TX in the sweaty pocket of your running shorts and then stop every block to pull it out and wade through endless menus and toolbars with the stylus to select new songs? Good luck.
In a nutshell, I would recommend the TX only because it?s a decent PDA with email and internet access for under $300. The internet and email functions really do work as advertised, but the classic Palm PDA is nearly dead. The interface is cluttered and confusing and I?m not just throwing that out there as if I?m some 80-year-old technophobe curmudgeon. I like useful technology to the extent it makes me more productive. But I sincerely miss the absolute simplicity, reliability and sheer effectiveness of previous Palm PDAs. I remember having the m100 and even today it would do 90% of what I need a PDA to do. If you are on a budget, or can live without Wi-Fi and email, I would highly recommend you select an older Palm PDA.
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by micromano (see profile) -
April 6, 2006
8 out of 10 - Excellent Welcome back Palm! Builds on successful Palm V/Vx
I owned one of the first PDA's to hit the market - the US Robotics Pilot 1000 (great great-grandfather ...
I owned one of the first PDA's to hit the market - the US Robotics Pilot 1000 (great great-grandfather to current TX) and the reason why those initial devices caught on seem to be increasingly forgotton. They were great at keeping your calendar and contacts, allowing quick PC syncing and had extraordinary battery life (months) on a single AAA battery. The V/Vx built upon that legacy with a very slim form factor, rechargable battery (that still lasted weeks) and a night-view mode that helped with seeing the screen in dim environments.
After that, it's been mostly downhill.
Now the typical Palm PDA requires almost daily charging and offers little else in terms of value-added usage. Sure the color screen is nice for pictures, etc. but the tradeoff in battery life is staggering. Wifi is also nice add-on for this model, but how often do most people surf the web on their PDA screen? I've done it on my Treo 650 via Cingular's EDGE service and it's not a great experience - sucks up battery life like there is no tomorrow and most web pages aren't formatted to be PDA-viewable.
That said, the TX seems to be a capable performer that makes strides to return to Palm's successful roots while still offering the dazzling array of PC-like features people have come to expect in every device. If you want a basic organizer, search for the Zire replacement or buy a used Vx on ebay. However if you feel compelled to have the latest bells and whistles and don't mind carrying a PC-like device (with ample charger) in your crowded pocket with your cell phone and iPod then this fits the bill.
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by madman99 (see profile) -
October 14, 2005
9 out of 10 - Spectacular Nice PDA with great color and WIFI...
I've been using a Sony Clie 350 for a few years so I'm familiar with the Palm OS. ...
I've been using a Sony Clie 350 for a few years so I'm familiar with the Palm OS. I was actually at the store to purchase a Tungsten E2 when I saw this baby for $100.00 more. The WiFi feature is incredible. I'm on the second floor of an office building and the wireless router is a floor below me yet the TX picks up the signal lovely. The screen is nice and vibrant. The MEDIA software displays beautiful pictures and slide shows. Comes bundled with Documents to Go which is a must have. Bluetooth and InfraRed work like a charm. It's a really cool PDA with a classy professionl look. I sync with Outlook and have no problems. Versamail has a get button that when pressed automatically searches for a wireless connection and then downloads your email. I wish it had a scroll wheel on the side like the Sony's for a real one handed experience. Overall it's a great buy.
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by illmagnetic (see profile) -
October 18, 2005
9 out of 10 - Spectacular My new Palm TX
Just got my new Palm TX! Always had Palm products, tried Pocket PC, and returned to Palm. This new TX ...
Just got my new Palm TX! Always had Palm products, tried Pocket PC, and returned to Palm. This new TX unit has great features, the best is its bright colourful display, easy to use. The battery life is GREAT, the Wi-Fi set up is very easy to use. I have added the GPS software (TomTom) to it! It's a breeze to use and set-up. This new unit is very slick, it can be used portrait or landscape. I recommend it strongly, if you're a Palm lover.
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by benzlover (see profile) -
October 28, 2005
9 out of 10 - Spectacular For people who actually use their PDA's for real work, this is the perfect weapon of choice
First of all, let me preface this by saying I rely on my PDA for actual work. I run an ...
First of all, let me preface this by saying I rely on my PDA for actual work. I run an Engineering Department on a Navy Warship and I don't have much time for leisure. Videos, music, games, etc., are not what I use my PDA for. If I had time for leisure, I'd probably be out doing something else rather than playing around with a handheld. That being said, the Palm TX performs exceptionally in every application I can think of, including multimedia. The best thing is its form factor and speed of use. I keep it in my breast pocket and as soon as I get information I must take action on or must record, I can access it in a flash and enter the information with minimal fussing. The TX essentially answers every problem I've had with other PDA's I've owned.
Some things that could be improved: 1. An even bigger screen. I don't mind a larger form factor, as long as it is sleek and flat, not bulky, like those Pocket PC's. It would be nice to be able to view the equivalent of a single paperback book page. 2. Vibrating alarm. I miss the vibrating alarm on my T3. I bring my Palm with me everywhere, including meetings, and a vibrating alarm would prevent disruptions. 3. Steel body. While I like the form of my TX, I'm a little worried about its plastic build. In my mind, the Palm V/Vx/m515 were the best Palms ever made. They took a good beating. The TX has the same plastic body as the T5, E2, etc. Even the T3 was flimsy compared to my Palm Vx. 4. Support for even smaller fonts without having to download Fonts4OS5 or FontSmoother. 5. A better power and synchronization connection. It feels as if I'm going to break the plug everytime I connect it to my Palm.
A handheld is nothing more than a glorified "wheelbook" unless you use it right. I can honestly say that my TX has significantly increased my productivity at work and in my life. Here's how I use it: 1. Graffiti 2 is slower than the original Graffiti because it requires two strokes for some letters. While it takes some time to learn Graffiti 1, it is very fast and accurate. I rely on speed of entry without having to look down at my PDA. Information comes at you from all angles and it doesn't wait. I found a way to get Graffiti 1 onto my Palm TX instead and I have noticed a huge speed improvement. (see link: http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_story.asp?ID=5830 ) 2. Battery life can be short if you leave WiFi and Bluetooth on. I keep them off. The only time I use them is when I'm synchronizing with my laptop. 3. There's a great program called Fonts4OS5 (in conjunction with FontSmoother) that allows you to shrink the text so you can view more information at once. It works great, however, the status boxes in the Task List don't display properly when using smaller fonts. The bottom edge of the boxes disappear. 4. I used to use the Franklin Covey PlanPlus software with my PDA, however, whenever I'd synchronize with Outlook, I would have to spend 20 minutes deleting duplicate entries. That's ridiculous. Not to mention Franklin Covey's poor support with regard to that problem or their abandonment of loyal customers when they went from Franklin Planner v8.0 to PlanPlus without an upgrade promotional. Well, I found this program called Natara Bonsai (see link: http://www.natara.com/Bonsai/index.cfm ) which is an outlining program on steroids. I figured out a way to organize tasks and daily notes using this program with all the functionality of PlanPlus (all for $15). Furthermore, my Bonsai generated tasks link to the built in Task List, which synchronizes to Outlook through the included conduits. 5. I bought a reusable "Clarivue" screen protector. It is similar to the X-Brite displays on the newer Sony monitors. It does not "fog" up the screen like other protectors do. In addition, I noticed I do not have to press down on the screen with my stylus as hard anymore. It's as if my Palm is more responsive.
Anyways, if you're into something pragmatic, not just one of those fat, plastic Pocket PC toys that play music and videos, the TX is the perfect weapon of choice.
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by alexmabini (see profile) -
April 16, 2006
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