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I have been using a Palm m515 for the past several years and was waiting for the honest moment to upgrade. I purchased the TX with some reservations because Palm has had quality issues, and I wanted to avoid the aggravation I initially had with my m515. I have owned my TX for about a month and have no complaints so far.
In reading my review and other reviews, withhold in mind that each person buys this unit with different expectations and uses, and what matters to one person may be irrelevant to another. With that perspective in mind, let me go over the features that I like.
The TX has a nice feel and appearance;the stylus is nicely weighted and fits snugly in the slot. The color cover is radiant and gorgeous to scrutinize at. I read literally dozens of e-books each year, so cloak resolution and brightness are critical to me. The TX excels. Even when the brightness is dimmed to the lowest setting, which I sometimes do when reading in bed at night, reading is very easy.
Wi-Fi access is effortless. I took it on vacation and had no difficulty using the wireless network at the resort where I was staying. The same is lawful when I consume it at home. I purchased the Handmark Pocket Explain software, which comes as a trial version, which I acquire a very convenient contrivance to maintain up with the news, sports, stocks, weather etc. when traveling. Even in my acquire house I employ it since it is often easier to approach for my Palm TX rather than my laptop or go to my desktop. I have also ordered a cable from SupplyNet to connect my TX to my cell phone(I don't have a bluetooth phone) when wireless is not available.
I absorb an ipod mini, and found that trying to employ the TX as an mp3 player was not worth the bother compared to the ease of exhaust with my ipod. There is a reason that Apple dominates the mp3 player field.
Downloading photos is easy, but they don't witness as luminous and enchanting as I would have liked, though the quality is peaceful acceptable.
As other users have pointed out, the power button is too recessed and can be a bit of a nuisance to exercise. I seldom bother with it anyhow and expend a free program called Off-It to turn the TX off, and one of the buttons at the bottom to turn it on.
When I upgraded from my m515, I did hasten into some compatibility problems, but this is no different than buying a unusual computer(and the TX is indeed a computer) and trying to download programs that are several years mature. For programs that did not wind up on the TX after I synced, I simply beamed them from my m515 to the TX; some worked and some did not. I also had to beam my contact database and datebook database because for some reason they did not hotsync. I strongly recommend a free program called FileZ that enables you to manage your files, and beam databases. If you are upgrading from an older handheld, get positive that you have it installed in case you bustle into a dilemma, as I did, during the hotsync process.
Graffiti 2 is a bit different than the fresh Graffiti, but not a sizable deal to learn. If this is your first Palm, Graffiti 2 is so powerful easier to learn.
The TX comes with VersaMail, which unfortunately does not retrieve Hotmail. But it does retrieve email from most major internet providers, so when I disappear I honest expend one of my other accounts. You do need a bit of technical knowledge to configure your mail settings, but once that is done, sending and retrieving messages is effortless so long as you don't need to send or notion attachments, which always has clear problems.
I strongly recommend purchasing an SD card and a well known program called BackupBuddy, which will enable you to schedule daily automatic backups to the SD card(the TX does not need to be left on to do this--my backups are at 4am each day) . When I had my m515, more than once when I was on vacation and not able to hotsync, I had the unit smash and lose all the data, which I then restored from the backup on my SD card.
I exhaust Datebook 5 instead of the built in calendar, and acquire that the version for the operating system on the TX has some nice extra features that I did not have when I former my m515.
For my purposes the TX is perfect, and so far has worked without any problems. You really have to determine what you are looking for in a handheld before making your capture decision. That arrangement you won't be disappointed.
Update January 1, 2009: After three years and a fresh motherboard, my Palm TX needed a recent LCD explain. Rather than spending any more money for repairs or buying a fresh unit, I instead decided to occupy an iTouch 16 GB second generation. I have written an extensive review showing how the iTouch can be venerable as a pda in status of a Palm TX.
Update November 1, 2009: I have had a mammoth experience using my iPod Touch as a PDA in situation of my Palm TX. Unless there are specific applications that you need (such as medical applications) and which exist only for the Palm TX, I would definitely NOT pick a Palm TX as a PDA, especially since the sign has increased dramatically even though no improvements have been made to the OS. The iPod Touch is unbiased a agreeable product in so many ways.
Without being aware of its original unveiling, I impartial bought a Palm T/X at Fry's, October 15th, 2005. I was looking for a PDA with WiFi to replace my nice and useful but somehow little Tungsten E. I've been using it for honest a few days, so I'm not ready to give it a chunky 5 stars rating fair yet...
First of all, WiFi works really radiant and the Blazer browser is perfect. So I'm tickled with that. Bluetooth I haven't try yet, and probably won't for a while since I have nothing with it at home or at the office.
Second, the form-factor is grand. Having a "retractable" Graffiti spot is really agreeable, since it leaves room for photos or graphs that need better room that the one offered by the previous Palms.
Other things to comment: suited applications, including a nicer Media Player (Pocket Tunes for music) . Sound with headphones is righteous too, although it cannot be compared with my iPod Nano! Even the included Solitaire is nice. Battery is quite apt, long lasting and charges like a flash through the USB cable, even from my frail ThinkPad A21 at home.
And now, for the problems: many apps don't work, thanks to the gigantic improvement, Flash Memory. The modern memory model is not necessarily compatible with many shareware and freeware around, and looks like the SD cards have to be reformatted to work correctly (at least, my passe SD from the Tungsten E doesn't work true) . Many apps do install, but give problems like hanging the PDA, requiring a soft reset; annoying but not actually sinful. A few broken-down apps, like Cesium (mammoth clock/timer/stopwatch) and the classic masterpiece SF Cave work allright.
As for now, I will employ for a couple of weeks before having a positive idea. But the effect is mountainous (299, objective like my first Pilot 500 a zillion years ago!) . One day or the other someone will execute a software add-on to turn it into a USB drive, something more or less certain with honest 100 megs of internal memory.
My only complaint so far: it came with a cherish clock app, that shown the world and the areas at night and with daylight, but it simply disappeared after I sync it with my worn data, going befriend to the useful but not as nice World Clock. Natively, it comes in many languages, so I can consume it in Spanish (translation glorious although it has some typos) . I do recommend it over the more "home-oriented" Palms like the current Zire. Maybe I'll advance in a while to change the rating. And if someone at Palm does read this, please deliver me how to bring the nice Clock assist!
Final update, after almost a year of use: My final view is that four stars are impartial fair. Why? Well, the former two complaints, not large but anyway relevant: tiresome turn ons and dreadful media playing. And the fact that it doesn't really work with a Mac.
It does takes its time to turn on. I don't know why. When using the nifty center button unprejudiced to eye what time it is, the time it takes to indicate the clock is long enough to almost design impossible to gape the hour!
And regarding media playing: I agree with some of the reviewers, the included software is not agreeable enough. I disliked the realone player that came with my Tungsten E, and the Kinoma encoder took ages to compress and re-encode suppose, but at least they didn't force you to expend Microsoft Media Player. This one does. Now I'm using TCPMP although it can be cumbersome to convert video; music playing is glowing but better to obtain a loyal music player, cause playback quality is second-rate.
And the fact that syncing with a Mac is a complicated and uncomplete affair, unless you're willing to remove a $30 software like Missing Link, and add other stuff for AvantGo. Palm software for Mac is unprejudiced adequate if you're using a Palm Pilot! I'm a unusual switcher and I miss the ease and transparent syncing with Windows (actually, the only thing I miss about Windows) .
This is, quite simply, the best gadget I have ever owned, and a miracle of technology. Who needs a laptop, an ipod, and a PSP when you can do it all with one scheme??
NOW WAIT - Before you contemplate I'm unprejudiced advertising for Palm or something, let me deny you this: After I bought the thing, I got so frustrated I almost returned it. Uncommon things would happen: programs would be corrupted, icons would move, and it would constantly go into an infinite reset loop, which is a celebrated complaint around here. After checking with Palm, and searching around, the consensus seemed to be that it was a software conflict (Unlike most older Palms, the TX uses non-volatile memory, so info is not lost if the unit loses all power. But the creates conflicts with some older software) . But I didn't reflect it could be a software conflict, because the problems happened even when I wasn't using any software.
Finally, I found a website that saved my sanity. It has a list of software which conflicts with the TX (something Palm should have attach out) . Previously, I keep the link in my review, but Amazon erased it. I guess I'm not allowed to assign hyperlinks here. Anyway, do a web search, it is worth it. In my case, it turned out the quandary was my AOL palm software. Incredibly, AOL worked exquisite but was causing conflicts with everything else, even when I wasn't using it! I deleted the AOL and everything has been fair radiant ever since!
Some comparisons:
I am currently in Iraq and wanted a portable way to withhold me entertained. I almost bought a PSP, but I'm joyful I didn't. Yes, the TX costs $100 more, but it is level-headed cheaper in the long race because many colossal games for the Palm are free, and even the ones you pay for don't cost as remarkable as PSP games. Some of my friends who got PSPs are jealous of my TX, since it is far more versatile, smaller, batteries last honest as long, I can wirelessly surf the web, and it also has a brilliant heavenly camouflage. But unlike a gaming unit, I can also do office work on it.
I also considered the Lifedrive, but it is more stout than the TX. Plus, with 4gb and higher SD cards now becoming available, the extra memory on the Lifedrive is not quite so worthy of an advantage anymore. The only loyal thing the Lifedrive has over the TX is the screech recorder, something I had no exhaust for myself.
Some indispensable software that's free:
TCPMP (The core pocket media player) will play movies powerful better than the Media player included with the bundled software. To employ it, you will need software to convert your DVDs. If you google, you will regain dozens out there, but VEMode is the best of the free ones. If you pay a minute, you will accept ones that are better at copying encrypted DVDs, and some other tasks.
Blackborder by Canuck - This simply puts a 2 pixel shadowy border around the conceal (as opposed to the default white border) . Suprisingly, this puny change greatly improves the study of the veil and makes the colors stand out better.
FileZ - A file management program, that works like windows explorer. It is powerful better at managing files than the file manager built into the Palm. Its absolutely considerable for seeing everything on your memory card.
