Pros: Excellent screen, expanded memory, useful camera
Cons: Limited memory, no bluetooth
The Bottom Line: The Zire71 is an excellent buy. It includes many new features introduced with Tungsten T (high resolution screen, OS5, multimedia capability) and new unique features (Graffiti2, built-in camera).
Backstory
I was shopping around for a replacement PDA when my Palm m505 started losing battery life. I was initially looking at the Tungsten T when Palm launched the new Zire71.
This model caused a surprise among many who previously thought that the Zire brand was for entry-level, or low-end models. Palm has since clarified that Zire is the consumer model while Tungsten is the business model. It is possible that we will see Zire models which are more expensive than Tungsten models.
What's in the box?
- The Palm Zire 71
- Stylus
- AC adaptor with worldwide plugs
- Cradle
- 2 CD (Palm Desktop and Palm Software Essentials)
- Quick start guide with Graffiti 2 stickers in many languages
- A slipcase
General Look and Feel
Following an unwelcome tradition set by the original Zire, the Zire 71 is also packed in a plastic packaging that is a pain to open and dispose. You need to use scissors, and you can't reuse the packaging later. Palm uses the same colour scheme for the branding – orange, grey and white.
At first glance, the Zire71 has more in common with Palm m5xx series and Tungsten series than the original Zire. It is able to share most of the same accessories through the Palm Universal Connector.
The Zire71 feels good in the hand. It has an all plastic case, even though the silver back looks metallic. The fake-metallic portion picks up fingerprints very easily. The front portion is an attractive blue colour. The cover can't be replaced with other snap-on covers.
Compared to the original Zire, I'm glad to see that Palm decided to put the four basic application buttons back. A pointy-stick button (official name : 5-way navigator) replaces the up-down scroll buttons found in previous Palms. The stick is not very comfortable in heavy use, especially while reading e-books. Palm should have stuck with the D-pad of the Tungsten series.
The Zire71 comes with a cheap plastic stylus. Unlike Tungsten, you can't use the tip of the stylus to reset the unit. There’s no built-in reset pin in the stylus handle either. You still need to resort to the paper clip for resets.
The included slipcase is a welcome addition. It adequately protects the Zire71 during day to day use; however you can’t use it while it’s in the case.
The Screen
If you thought that the screen on the Palm Tungsten T was good, wait until you see the Zire71. The screen really has to be seen in person in order to be fully appreciated. This is considered the best screen ever to come from Palm. All the newer Palm models come with this screen, including the Tungsten C and T2.
This transreflective screen is clear, sharp and very bright. Even at minimum brightness, the backlight is far brighter than my m505. Indoors, at maximum brightness, the background is almost paper-white. Transreflective screens are typically much brighter indoors than outdoors. Outside, in bright direct sunlight, objects on the screen is clearly visible only at high brightness.
The high resolution (320 x 320 pixels) screen makes viewing graphics and e-books a more enjoyable experience. Text is really easier on the eyes, and Palm includes a few sample images that really show off the screen well. Most applications and games now feature hi-res modes.
Memory and Expansion
The built-in16MB (around 14MB free) feels roomy to me, since the last PDA I had was the m505 with only 8MB. However, since the Zire71 comes with Palm OS 5.2.1 which is supposed to be the first OS version to break the 16MB barrier, I feel that Palm should have included more memory. In comparison, the Tungsten T2 has 32MB of memory, while the Tungsten C has a whopping 64MB!
Unlike the entry-level Zire, Palm has wisely kept the standard dual expansion options for this model. You can use the SDIO slot for memory (SD and MMC) and IO cards and also Palm Universal Connector (PUC). However, at the moment there are no Palm OS 5 drivers for the Bluetooth cards. Most cables and accessories that use the PUC should work. I use a USB Sync and recharge cable with no problems.
A minor disappointment is the lack of built-in Bluetooth capability. Some entry level PDAs from HP (HP1930, 1940) include this as a standard.
The Camera
The Zire71 is the first Palm-branded PDA to come with an integrated camera. Previously available on Sony PDAs, this is a great consumer feature. The camera is limited to 0.3 megapixels (640x480) which means the images taken are excellent for email and the web, but not so good for printing. You can probably be satisfied with 3R prints but not anything larger.
The camera itself cleverly hidden at the back of the Zire71. You need to slide down the back cover to reveal the lens at the top and the camera button at the bottom. Once open, camera is activated and the Zire71’s excellent screen makes a big, clear viewfinder. You can adjust brightness, contrast and white balance or opt to have these settings done automatically. You can also add date stamps and choose to save photos on an MMC or SD card. Photos are saved both as .pdb and .JPG formats. At maximum quality, the JPGs are typically less than 60K in size. The included Palm Photos software makes it easy to organise and edit photos, even create slideshows!
While I initially thought that the camera would be a seldom-used, novelty feature, I have been proven wrong. This has proven to be an exceedingly addictive feature. To date I have taken literally hundreds of pictures. It has been useful in everyday situations. For example I never get lost when parking any more. In 10 seconds I can keep a visual record of my car’s immediate surrounding, the lot /space number and the level/floor number.
Power & Cradle
The included cradle is made almost entirely out of plastic. It is very light, unlike the earlier cradles for m500 series which had a metal base. Taking the zire71 out of the cradle is easy. You no longer hear the cringe-worthy cracking sound, as was the norm with the m500 series.
I miss the direct charging of the Zire. If you do not want to drag around the cradle and AC adaptor everywhere, then I suggest buying a travel charger or a USB Hotsync/Charger cable.
The battery life is good. After taking around 70 photos on a full charge, the battery only dropped by 10%.
Bundled Software
E-books
Both Palm Reader and Acrobat Reader are included on CD. There is also one free sample e-book from Palm Digital Media. As I mentioned earlier, reading e-books in high resolution is a pleasure. The other e-book readers that I use are Mobipocket (for books from Fictionwise and Knowbetter Lending Library) and Cspotrun, which is a fast, small (19k!) reader.
Multimedia Software
This is the first truly multimedia Palm targeted towards consumers. Hardware-wise, it does not feature a separate DSP (Digital Signal Processor) chip or voice recorder as in Tungsten. It has a good, loud speaker that can play normal audio, not just beeps as in older Palms. There is a standard 3.5mm connector for headphones for full stereo output.
The Zire71 is bundled with the following :
- Realone Audio Player for MP3 and Real formats
- Kinoma Player for videos
- Audible Player for Audio Books
The Realone Audio Player offers good quality playback, though not as good as other MP3 players such as Pocket Tunes and Aeroplayer. You can only store songs (MP3 and Real format) on an external card. However, transferring large files can take forever over Hotsync. If you plan on using SD/MMC cards a lot, I recommend getting a card reader for fastest results.
The included Kinoma Video Producer (both Windows and Mac versions) is a limited edition, meaning that some features are missing. There is a very simple interface. You can choose to convert between normal ("small"), large ("widescreen") and full screen. You can sync directly to the handheld, to an SD card in the Zire71, or to an SD card in a card reader. To test the software, I converted some movie trailers to Palm format. It produces good quality video, complete with audio.
Palm OS 5.2.1
There are only a few new noticeable features and enhancements in the new OS. Among them are :
- nicer icons for built-in applications
- a redesigned preferences applet
- colour themes (check out the nostalgia theme, you will get a laugh if you had one of the older Palm Models)
- Graffiti 2
After 5 years of using the original ("classic?") Graffiti, the new version is very frustrating. Some letters ( k, t ) take more than 1 stroke. Punctuation and symbols (except for period) require additional command strokes. Most of the time, it is quicker to use the on-screen keyboard. There are good points - the option to write anywhere on the screen. You can opt to see your strokes on the screen as you write them. Also, if you write at the center of the graffiti area, you get all caps.
Conclusion
The Zire71 includes most of the new features introduced with Tungsten T (high resolution screen, Palm OS 5, multimedia capability) and improved or further added on them (Graffiti 2, built-in camera). At an affordable retail price of $299, it is excellent value.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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