Palm Tungstenā„¢ E Handheld

Pros: Beautiful screen, memory, software, stylus, Palm OS
Cons: case, power button

I cannot use a PDA with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a camera, or voice recorder. Therefore, my choices were somewhat limited. The Tungsten E packs a powerful punch without those contraband features. It comes with a great software suite and synchronizes with Outlook much better than previous Palm PIMs. It has ample memory and an SD slot for expansion or for listening to mp3s.

The case and mechanical engineering could be better. I am on my second Tungsten E. The first one shorted out while I was trying to fix the broken power button. It is not designed well, as it is cantilevered off of the circuit board without any significant structural support. So, take it easy on the power button or get the extended replacement warranty. That's what I did.

Pros: Good entry level PDA with the ability to synchronize with outlook
Cons: Short battery life and limited memory

Whatever they say first impressions count and as such the Palm Tungsten E really catches the eye. On looks alone this is a winner, but who buys a PDA on looks. Having previously owned (and enjoyed)the impressive T3 I was disappointed by the Es relatively poor memory capacity and by the lack of blue tooth, surely a staple by now. Gone also the robust and very useful docking station, synchronization is now an adequate mini usb cable. However for around £150 your getting a Palm that looks the part, if what you really want is a diary and address book then look no further.

Pros: Useful included software, easy to use.
Cons: No PALM connector, need extras for MP3 playback.

I bought the Tungsten E because it was the only PDA in that price range that could open/create Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files. Being a college student, that was very important to me. It has been great to be able to write papers, and review lecture presentations without waiting in line in the campus computer labs. Having my schedule and to-do list one tap away has been a life-saver as well. One of the best features is size; I can keep it in my hip pocket, and not feel conspicuous or weighed-down.

The biggest problem with the unit has been its lack of the universal PALM connector, present in virtually all other PALM PDA's. Instead, the Tungsten E has a USB port which is basically only for HotSynch-ing, and not for accessories. In addition, one of the most advertised features of the Tungsten E has been its ability to play MP3's. They usually gloss over the fact that it needs a $100 accessory pack to do so.

If you are looking for a PDA to increase your productivity, the Tungsten E's great. If you want a multimedia toy, or want lots of expandability, it's not the best choice.

Pros: Good features for the money
Cons: How many of these do you want to buy each year?

In comparing this device to competitors I thought this was a no-lose situation. Palm name, $199, what a bargain. Well, I didn't really even look at the warranty.

After about a week of it sitting without use, I tried to turn it on. It just wouldn't. Soft reset, Hard reset, battery charger, every possible combination suggested by Palm failed, and the only "damage" to it was that it just sat unused on a shelf for a week. I got about 3 months use out of it. Well of course it hardly makes sense to repair it at $125.

My sense is that many may have this problem but it is hardly acknowledged by Palm. Further insult was that on the Palmone website a technical expert practically sneered at a customer complaining about this issue. The experts response "Looks like its index cards 4 u". Don't think I'll buy another Palm.

Pros: Very slim. Plenty of programs, great speed and great screen.
Cons: After 2 month of use I cannot find anything wrong!

You might require to buy a fairly large additional SD Card (I got a 256MB because I got to have a lot of stuff for work), but other than that you should be good to go if you're interested in having most of your emails, all your contacts, all your notes, all your key data (word, pdf, xls), your calender and more!
It is fast (other said it's not but prior to getting this palm I've tested HP and compaq super 400MHz... and really you can't see the difference), the screen is superb, it is much simpler and straight forward to use than the Pocket PC.
I'm totally satisfied and thought it would be good to publish my opinion (Note: I've spent $180. So that's even a fantastic deal). Hope this help.

Pros: Perfectly fine lower-end color PDA. Operates without too much hassle or difficulty.
Cons: My battery died within 3 months, almost costs as much to repair as to purchase.

Overall, I don't have any real issues with the operation of the E, it functions fine, and sync's ok without hassle. However, the ludicrously short warranty, and known problem with it's internal battery going dead make it a bad deal, even on the cheap.

Pros: professional appearance
Cons: Forced to buy a CD for $15 to synch with Outlook.

When I had my corporate laptop replaced, I couldn't get my Tungsten E to synchronize with our corporate Outlook. Tried downloading the "latest" HotSynch software from the palmOne website, but learned that the downloadable version is NOT the same as the software that comes on the CD with the device. PalmOne forces you to pay $15 to get a replacement CD and claims that the CD version (that allows synching with Outlook) is not downloadable.

Sounds like extortion of the corporate user (who gets regular replacements of their laptops/desktops).

Looks like I'll have to get myself up to speed on a MS based PDA once this Tungsten E dies. There's no way I'm dealing with palmOne any longer than I absolutely have to.

Pros: Clear, attractive and easy to read display when there is power to turn it on.
Cons: Minimal battery life. Immediate data loss.

I do not understand how one reviewer writes about "decent battery life." My Tungsten E dies in less than 20 minutes. It allows me to check a few days of my agenda and maybe 3 addresses. When the battery dies, there is no flash memory so the handheld is blank when I charge it up again. Even if I turn it off the moment the low battery warning comes on, all the data will be lost. The charger is cumbersome to carry and is pointless unless I also carry my computer with me to reload all the data. The metal carrying case is cute, but there is no good way to reach the stylus except by shaking the handheld out of its case (hard to do if you don't have both hands free). I do not bother to use the Tungsten E any more: I keep my agenda on my computer and telephone numbers in my cell phone. My Palm V was terrific, but the Tungsten E is a dud: a misconceived product and expensive at any price. Oh, and I have tried the power saving tips: it powers down in 30 seconds and has all sounds turned off.

Pros: Time management, Very easy to use
Cons: small size may be easy to lose

I am definitely not what flylady would call a BO (born organized). Far from it. I was forever missing appointments and tearing apart my desk for yellow stickies before I got my palm. Now things are different! I have all of my contact information in it for both work and personal - no more missed birthday cards! The calendar function keeps all of my appointments for me. The best part is that you can set an alarm for a certain time before you need to be at an appointment. I always set this function for the traveling time plus a few minutes. An alarm sounds and I know I need to go! There is also a memo function for taking notes. I even put my grocery list in my palm. I can also download Word and Excel files from my computer for easy reference during meetings. The Palm is extremely easy to use, even if you are not techno savvy.

Pros: None. Bad Product
Cons: To many to list. Never buy from Palm.....

I purchased a palm Tungsten E in December. I have had nothing put problems. Today I called the company and was told that the product only has a 90 day Warranty on the screen and digitizer. After a heated conversation with customer relations I was left with a non working product that I spent hard earned money for. In the past I have trusted companies like palm to at least give me a 1 year Warranty. Never will I buy a palm product or recommend them to any of my friend and co workers. Good luck if you plan on buying from Palm. Hope you never need tech support.....

Pros: screen is great, nice scroll button, comes with good stylus,software...documents to go etc.
Cons: mp3 capabilites hard to figure out, graffiti 2 annoying, flip cover is flimsy

we bought this palm pilot about a month ago....we love it! Before this I owned an old Palm III that just basically died on me.

It's a good quality palm with out all the extra frills...no blue tooth technology, no camera etc. Suits basic needs well. For a good price..good for the value conscious consumer

I love the color screen...
The battery is internal..which is very cool...I just charge it once a week or so and I'm good to go.
I also love the documents to go software...I can bring docs wtih me and work on them whenever

Grafitti 2 kind of annoys me however.....since I am used to the original graffitti ...I'm not sure why they changed it. Especially writing t's, k's, i's is really frustrating. I think as time goes on I'll get used to it.


Another downside is the flip cover is really flimsy..you almost have to buy a good case for it to protect the screen...unlike past palm pilots that had plastic flip covers that covered the screen.

Downside...if you want to use the mp3 capabilities good luck! I have had the hardest time figuring it out!

Pros: Software
Cons: Cheap product. Power button failure. Sound doesn't work sometimes.

Overall good, except the device itself is pretty cheap. Problems are sound not working unless you reboot. Also, had 2 of these and the power button stopped working. I couldn't power it on or off anymore. It is a defect that Palm won't admit. Be careful of that because after the 90 day warranty, you're on your own.

Pros: All the features that I need or want at a great price.
Cons: Inadequate warranty coverage.

I specifically wanted a handheld with good image quality for photos, lots of storage and expandability and ease of use. I did not want to pay a lot extra for features that I did not need like wireless or a built in camera. The Tungsten E had every feature that I was looking for and more for the right price.
Until the Tungsten E came out I could not justify to myself why I needed a handheld. Since I bought it I use it almost every day in more and more ways.
The only negative is the warranty. After 4 months the power button has become hard to use. With the 90 day manufacturers warranty, my only option is to live with it and hope that it does not completely fail or buy a brand new unit.

Pros: Price and looks
Cons: Batteries, no power back-up. Lost memory twice. Inadequate warranty coverage.

I bought it in December, but by February it did not power-up, I though the connection to the electrical outlet was broken (I connected every night as I did with my cell phone). I double check the connection and sync it again with the info I had, but after 2 weeks the same thing happen again. A clerk in the store I bought it told me they had many returns with similar problems. THE BATTERIES ARE VERY BAD. WARRANTY IS VIRTUALLY NON EXISTING. Thanks to the Target I was returned the amount I paid for it.
IF YOU STILL BUY IT, DO SYNC IT EVERYDAY.

Pros: Great looks, mp3, good video playback, kinoma player, great price, sharp screen
Cons: Few Accessories that have to be specifically made, build quality, very succeptable to scratches

This is a very solid PDA that can be gotten for a low, low price and is worth picking up.