Third time lucky?
Written: Jan 09 '07 (Updated Jan 09 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Big screen, Wi-Fi
Cons: Battery life could have been better.
The Bottom Line: This one finally fulfills the promises of the Tungsten T and T2. If you liked them you will love this.
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| murgan's Full Review: Palm Tungsten™ T3 Handheld |
You have seen my review of the Tungsten T, and the subsequent review of the Tungsten T2. Now the circle is complete. I finally bit the bullet and upgraded to the T3.
At the time of writing, the T3 is no longer sold by Palm, and has not been for over a year. Palm's current top-level PDA offerings are the LifeDrive and the TX. So why would I buy a machine that is already obsolete? The answer is simple. The T3 has several features that none of the newer models possess:
Voice Recorder - The TT, TT2 and TT3 all have a voice recorder, which is activated by pressing and holding the button on the left side of the machine. This is useful for taking quick notes and observations on the move, as well as recording conversations and phone calls.
Collapsible shell - the Tungsten T-series boasts a slider mechanism that makes the whole thing about an inch shorter and therefore makes it a lot more "pocketable" than conventional full-sized Palm and pocket PC models.
Palm Universal Connector - For several years now, Palm have used the PUC on all of their machines. This meant that chargers, cradles, keyboards and other accessories could be used on all models. Given that several family members have PUC-equipped Palm machines, this was an important factor. The T3 was the last model that used the PUC; subsequent models used a scaled-down version or the mini-USB socket found on most digital cameras.
I consider it the last Tungsten, as any further upgrades would require junking all of my peripherals, and would result in the loss of important functions.
Another major factor is that it was cheap - this one cost less than $130 shipped for a used one in very good condition, with a Hard Case and a WiFi SD Cartridge. A nice leather case cost a scant $20 more. Compare that with the $300+ that a new PDA would normally set you back.
Why upgrade? If you already have a TT or a TT2, why would you want to spend the extra money on a newer model?
More Memory - the TT boasts 16MB of internal memory, the TT2 has 32MB and the TT3 has 64MB. In all cases, the operating system reserves a chunk of this memory for its own purposes.
Bigger screen - most recent Palm PDAs have a 320x320 screen. At first glance this looks to be the same - but open up the case and the screen "stretches" to 320x480 (or 480x320, if you prefer, because the screen also rotates from portrait to landscape at the touch of an on-screen button). This is twice the standard resolution of a Pocket PC, which normally weighs in at 240x320. This also means that the Palm's hardware needs to move FOUR TIMES as many pixels around.
Wi-fi capability - With the addition of a Palm Wi-Fi SD cartridge, this machine can do Internet and e-mail using an 802.11b Internet connection.
Other differences:
1) Voice Recorder and Power buttons are both larger and have a better tactile feel than their T2 predecessors.
2) Documents To Go 6 Professional is already built into the ROM, as are Kinoma (video player) and Realplayer (MP3 Player).
Going from the Tungsten T to the T2 gives you twice the memory, a better screen, Graffiti 2 and... that is about it. It is really just an evolutionary upgrade that gives you more of the same. Going to a T3, on the other hand, gives you access to a host of capabilities that the earlier models simply did not have, such as…
1) The aforementioned stretch-screen functionality.
2) Serious movie-watching functionality. Unlike earlier models, the T3 does not crash/reboot when you try to load a big file into the freeware TCPMP Player, and the bigger screen makes a HUGE difference.
3) Wi-Fi! This little cartridge opens up a whole vista (no pun Nintendo) of functions, including wireless hotsync, AvantGo, and Google Maps, along with those old chestnuts e-mail and web.
There are a few things that I am less than pleased wuth...
1) The Voice Recorder sound quality is not particularly good. It's still good enough for voice notes, but it is noisier than the T2.
2) Palm in their wisdom changed the button layout. The round D-pad has been elongated into a racetrack shape, and the function key buttons have been clustered around it. The result is a layout that looks cool but is, in my opinion, not very ergonomic. A minor gripe.
3) Given that the T3 has 50% more pixels, twice the memory and a CPU that runs twice as fast, it is amazing to me that Palm, in their infinite wisdom, did not upgrade the battery at all. This machine uses the same battery that is found in the TT and T2. This is a mistake that could easily be filed in the "what-the-HELL-were-they-thinking" category. I am seriously thinking of buying and fitting a bigger battery.
Since migrating my stuff, the Tungsten T2 has been untouched. That says it all.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 130
Recommended for: Students - Stylish and a Best Value
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Epinions.com ID:
murgan
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Member: Stephen Murgan
Location: Louisville, KY, USA
Reviews written: 33
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
Fortysomething Computer Consultant, Born and raised in London, England, now living in Kentucky.
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