Since Palm's last evolutionary offering in the world of PDAs, the Palm VII, people have been left wondering where the company would go next. With increasing competition from Handspring and Sony, Palm has finally answered back with their m500 PDAs. And to satisfy the masses who want color, they gave us a m500 with a color screen: the Palm m505. Now was it worth the wait?
Design
The m505 is housed in a metal frame that is shaped very much like the thin, sleek Palm V series of PDAs. The only difference in the units is the m505 (and m500) have rounded edges -- a moot aesthetic point. The unit is ultra thin and lightweight (4.5 x 3.1 x .5 inches, 4.9 ounces as per Palm's website). While the unit is metal, it feels... different. The Palm V feels like cold, hard metal. The m505 doesn't give me that same sense of security. It does not feel like plastic, but it does feel cheap, very much unlike the Palm V.
New to the m500 line is the LED/power button, located on the top of the unit. The m505 lets you set up silent alarms. The m500 line also features a louder speaker than its predecessors. Considering that the alarms in previous units was barely more than a whimper, this is a nice improvement. I still do not think that that alarm is loud enough for me to use it consistently as an alarm clock, but it is loud enough to get my attention in most cases.
The m505 uses the Dragonball 33 MHz processor and the latest in Palm OS (ver 4.0). The hardware in the unit makes it equivalent in speed to that of Handspring's Visor Platinum and Visor Edge PDAs -- the fastest on the market to date. It also features 8 megs of base memory and 2 megs of upgradeable Flash ROM.
The m505 has a built-in Lithium polymer battery that is conveniently recharged when you put the unit in the cradle. It is tough for me to judge how much life you get out of a single battery charge since I keep my PDA in the cradle when not in use.
Color?
Unlike its brother m500, the m505 comes equipped with a 16-bit color LCD with backlighting. This screen is touted to be capable of displaying more than 65,000 colors.
Now, everyone has been making a big deal about the color screen. Yes, it does appear relatively darker compared to the Palm IIIc and the Handspring Visor Prism. Most of this is relative to where you are and what kind of lighting is available. On a bright sunny day, the colors on the m505 appear very sharp and vibrant. However, indoors under normal lighting conditions, the screen appears darker and more difficult to see. People familiar with Nintendo's Game Boy Color handheld will have a good idea of what the display on the m505 will be like. The color screen is tolerable to look at, but it feels like a complete let down given all the hype.
Expansion at last!
Much like the idea behind Handspring's Springboard modules, the m505 allow you to expand your PDA via SD or MMC cards. The expansion cards snap in nicely into a slot on the top of the unit and do not intrude on the slim design (unlike in the Visor Edge). While it is unlikely that Palm will release SD/MMC cards that can single handedly convert the m505 into a modem or a MP3 player, the expansion slot does offer Palm more versatility than before.
The programs on the cards are very easily accessible. The Palm immediately turns on once you insert a card. The m505 organizes these programs into a special Card category (denoted with a little card icon) that become instantly accessible.
The m505 expansion memory card allows you to copy programs from the unit's base memory to the card. A Copy program appears in the main menu when the card is in the unit. The updated Palm Desktop software also allows you to transfer programs from your PC directly into the card. This is especially nice if you do not have enough room in the base memory. With the new Desktop software, you can cut out the middle man and place programs directly into the expansion card. This was a significant problem with the Handspring 8 meg Flash module since you always had to go through the PDA memory before accessing the module. Palm has delivered a nice solution to this.
Backwards compatible... I don't think so!
The m505 is the second Palm to have USB support (the m500 being the first). The difference in HotSync speed between the m505 and Palm III (which uses a serial connection) is very noticeable.
While the m505 looks like the Palm V, it is not compatible with the cradle or any of the accessories for the V series. The m505 features the Universal Connector, a new port design on the bottom of the unit. I fail to see the reason for switching to this Universal Connector except that (1) it may have been necessary to enable USB support and (2) it forces everyone to buy new Palm accessories.
While on the topic of having to buy new accessories, the grooves on the sides of the unit differ from that of the Palm V. These slots are used to hold the cover/case and hold your stylus. The stylus and the cases for the Palm V do not fit well in the m505, so you cannot readily transfer those accessories to the new unit.
The packaged goodies
The unit comes packages with a USB HotSync cradle (with battery charger), a "protective" flip cover, and a CD-ROM with the Palm Desktop software. The flip cover is almost as bad as the plastic covers Handspring includes with their older Visor units. It slide into a slot on the side of the unit and folds over to cover one side almost completely. The cover itself feels sturdy, but, in effect, it only protects the screen.
The m505 comes with all of the basic PDA software that you would expect, and then some. It has the classic notebook, datebook, alarm clock, memo pad, and to do list programs. Then Palm threw in AOL for Palm OS Handhelds, AvantGo Web Channel Manager, Dataviz Documents to Go (for editing MS Word and Excel documents), MGI Photosuite Mobile Edition (for viewing images and video clips), and Palm Reader (for eBooks). Wow! That is a lot of software for your PDA.
Featuring the tried-and-true Palm OS, the m505 is incredibly easy to use -- as simple as tapping on the screen. The unit acts quickly and accurately to your commands. The Grafitti system for inputting text takes some getting use to, but it quickly becomes almost second nature to jot down your thoughts with the stylus.
Other Pitfalls
There is a limited selection of MMC cards to choose from at this point. Palm itself has released three expansion cards to date (the GamesPac, 16 Mb expansion card, and a Travel Guide to U.S. Cities). On a similar note, there are few accessories compatible with the Universal Connector. Given time, however, the m500 line will gather more and more support.
The new Palm OS may not be fully backwards compatible with your favorite Palm software. Unfortunately, it is relatively hit-or-miss whether your favorite Palm programs will work under the new OS. However, this problem should correct itself in time as programmers get adjusted to the new OS.
Competition
The main competition against the m505 comes in two forms: Palm's earlier units and Sony's and Handspring's thin PDAs.
Shortly after releasing the m500 line, Palm has slashed the prices of their PDAs. Those looking for at the slim, sleek Palm Vx can now find it for $199. Those who want color can get a Palm IIIc, also for $199. This competitive price cutting causes a dilemna for people looking at the m505. Is it worth the extra $250? Yes and no... it really depends on how you plan to your PDA. The m505 gives you the slim, metal design of the Palm V and the color capabilities of the Palm IIIc. Plus, it gives you USB support and the possibility of expanding your Palm via SD or MMC cards. In short, it is a unit geared more towards the high-end user who wants all of the latest advances and will take advantage of them. The casual PDA users may find themselves fully satisfied with the 8 meg, older generation units.
Compared to the Sony Clie, the m505 pretty much wins in all categories except for price. The m505 offers a faster processor, color screen, and expansion slot can be used for more than just boosting your storage capacity. The current Clie cannot match that.
The Handspring Visor Edge also loses in a head-to-head race with the m505. While the Springboard modules for the Edge offer more versatility than the SD/MMC expansion format of the m500 line, using these enhancements compromise the slim design of the unit. The Springboard attachment adds almost 50% more bulk to the unit! Memory enhancements for the m505 are significantly cheaper as well; Palm's 16 meg MMC card retails for $49.99 compared to the $79.99 8 meg Flash module from Handspring.
While new, very impressive PDAs are on the horizon (Sony'n new Clie and the Handera), neither are available in the U.S. market yet. For now, the m505 lies ahead of the competition.
Final Thoughts
The m505 is a very welcome addition to the Palm line of PDAs. It takes the ultra thin design of the popular Palm V line and evolves it into a powerful PDA. The SD/MMC slot adds much potential to the unit as well as giving the Palm users a fix for their memory woes. The software bundle is incredible, probably the best offered with any PDA straight out of the box. While the color screen could have been better, but it is serves its function. The Palm m505 with all of its features is a must have for any Palm enthusiast.
If you are interested in reading reviews about the m500, the Visor Edge, or Handspring's Flash module, please cut and paste the following links:
Handspring 8 Meg Flash Module
http://gorocco.epinions.com/cmd-review-1473-4B0D7D3A-3A5A300A-prod3
Built-in 8 MB memory stores thousands of contacts, appointments, to-do items, and notes Displays over 65,000 colors--view photos, video clips, and mor...More at Amazon Marketplace
The new Palm m505 handheld opens a world of possibilities. It has rich, 65,000 color support and is completely customizable, thanks to two expansion f...More at eBay
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