Palm unveils Tungsten T3, E, and Zire 21...!

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Palm's latest trio of handhelds brings long-awaited features to its product line, and brings many existing features to a new low price.

Palm today officially announced their three latest handhelds, each targeting a different segment of the market with an array of new features at new prices.
The T3 is the first Palm-branded handheld with virtual handwriting and rotation
The first new model is the high-end Tungsten T3. The T3 combines the form factor of the previous Tungsten T line with the horsepower of the Tungsten C, as well as introducing new features. It uses the familiar collapsing case design, albeit with a new front button layout, and is backed by a 400 MHz Intel XScale processor, 64 MB of RAM (52 MB user accessible), and Bluetooth connectivity. It also supports for the first time from Palm a collapsable handwriting area, allowing the user to minimize it out of the way for 320 x 480 pixels of screen real estate. It also supports screen rotation. It sells for $399 USD.

The Tungsten E is Palm's new entry-level business handheld. Running on a 124 MHz TI OMAP processor and backed by 32 MB of RAM (28 MB user accessible), the TE has the normal 320 x 320 color screen. Very svelt at only 12.7 mm thick, it is modeled on the m500 series case and is built from an attractive silver metal and includes a rectangular 5-way Navigator. However, it foregoes the Universal Connector in favor of simple mini-USB and mini-AC connectors, much like the original Palm Zire. It sells for $199 USD.

Both the Tungsten T3 and Tungsten E run Palm OS 5.2 with Graffiti 2, and come with an impressive software suite. Palm Photos, Kinoma Player, and the RealOne player provide multimedia support, while business users get VersaMail 2.6 and Documents To Go 6. VersaMail now supports full arbitrary attachments, while Documents To Go 6 supports viewing and editing Microsoft Word and Excel files natively without conversion. Both devices also include telephony support and SMS applications, although only the T3 includes the updated version of Palm WebPro. The new WebPro supports both proxied and proxyless connections, as well as the T3's new screen.

Both Tungstens also include Palm's new PIM applications, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, and Memo. All four are modest upgrades to the normal Palm OS PIM suite, which has remained largely unchanged since 1998. Notable improvements include 32 MB note and Memo fields, additional fields in Contacts, and a new Agenda View in Calendar that is for all intents and purposes a Today screen.

Over in the Zire line, Palm has introduced a new entry-level handheld. The Palm Zire 21 looks at first glance like the original Zire, with 160 x 160 grayscale screen, two application buttons, and white plastic finish. However, the Zire 21 is powered by the same 124 MHz TI OMAP processor as the Tungsten E, and sports 8 MB of RAM (7.3 MB user accessible). That makes it the first grayscale or low-res Palm OS 5.2 ARM-based handheld. According to Palm, more entry-level users were installing applications than they expected so the Zire 21 includes a new OS and more RAM to support that, as well as additional bundled applications, although it does not include the new PIM suite. It sells for $99 USD, the same price as the highly-popular original Zire that it will be replacing.

All three models are available now.

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palm zire 21 ~> reviewd ~>

The original Palm Zire brought the Palm OS to a new low price. Larry Garfield looks at the Zire 21, which brings ARM processors down to double-digits.

Palm's original Zire, released in fall of 2002, broke no molds except in price. That was enough, however, to quickly make it the best selling and fastest selling handheld in history. Now, Palm has followed up with a revised version, the Zire 21, which keeps the extreme simplicity and price of the original Zire while improving the specifications.

Design

The Zire 21 is, at first glance, nearly identical to the original Zire. It measures the same 111 x 73 x 15 mm and weighs a mere 107 grams. The casing is smooth white plastic in front and gray plastic in back with a tapered top and bottom, for the same attractive "kitchen magnet" look as the original Zire. It is quite comfortable to hold as well. Even the included green rubber flip cover is the same. The differences are virtually all internal.

The Zire 21 offers a non-backlit 160 x 160 grayscale display, somewhat smaller than standard screen dimensions. Unlike its predecessor, however, the Zire 21 is ARM-based with OS 5, so it uses the new PalmSource screen API. Ironically that actually does cause a few issues with programs that assumed Palm OS 5 meant 320 x 320 displays, including our battery test program Atom Smash which ran perfectly well but only the top left quarter of the image was visible, filling the whole screen.

The device includes only two application buttons, Date Book and Address Book, and two directional buttons on the front. The power button is also located on the front. The top of the device includes the standard infrared port as well as mini-USB and mini-AC jacks for HotSyncing and charging, respectively. The stylus is also the same simple plastic as the rest of the Zire line.

Connectivity

Aside from the aforementioned infrared port, the Zire 21 has no connectivity options. Even the Palm Universal Connector is absent. That is not surprising for a handheld in this price range, but still disappointing.

Specifications

It is the internals of the Zire 21 that separate it from its predecessor. The Zire 21 is powered by a 126 MHz TI OMAP311 processor, the same processor as used on the new Tungsten E. It also includes 8 MB of RAM (7.2 MB available to the user), smaller than most Palms today but four times that available on the original Zire. According to Palm, many more users were installing 3rd party software on their Zires than they had expected, so the memory was upped to accommodate that.

The faster processor does impact battery life, but the Zire 21 still lasts a long time. In our standard Atom Smash battery run down tests, the Zire 21's Lithium-Ion Polymer lasted 6 hours, 42 minutes before giving a low battery warning and then finally shut off after 7 hours, 36 minutes. In an era when battery life is continually decreasing in favor of faster processors, brighter screens, and wireless capabilities, it's refreshing to see a device that is so power-conscious.

The power cord is still the same adapter-on-plug brick as before, much to our disappointment.

Software

The software on the Zire 21 is fairly basic, although Palm does now bundle more applications. As an ARM device, the Zire 21 runs Palm OS 5.2.1 without most of the trimmings. Palm has also made the default font larger in order to increase readability without altering the screen itself.

The PIM suite is the same as Palm has used for years. Although there are only two application buttons, all of the PIM programs (Date Book, Address Book, To Do, Memo Pad, and Note Pad) are included. Also available on the included CD are powerOne personal calculator and Palm Reader. Palm has also included Handmark's Mobile DB and PDA Money programs, as well as a few games.

Availability

The Palm Zire 21 is available now for $99 USD.

Conclusion

For most users, the Zire 21 has the same advantages as the original Zire: Price, battery life, and price. We liked the original Zire for it, and we like the Zire 21 for it just the same. We still feel that a backlight should be included, but the increased RAM for programs should appeal to many users. The ARM processor seems a bit out of place at first without any multimedia functions to use it, but it should come in handy should the user ever get into database applications that require lots of cycles to sort and process data but don't have fancy multimedia output. In all, a modest but worthwhile upgrade to the entry-end of the handheld spectrum.


What's positive: Price, battery life, price
What's negative: No backlight, poor connectivity

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Review: Palm Tungsten T3

Palm's latest high-end handheld extends the now-familiar Tungsten T line even farther. Larry Garfield looks at Palm's first virtual Graffiti handheld.

Although Palm has been making strides in the past few years to beef up its product line, many users have felt that Palm was still missing essential features. Among them were faster processors, a virtual handwriting area, more RAM, multimedia features, and better Microsoft Office compatibility. All of those issues have now been addressed by the third iteration of Palm's Tungsten T line, the Tungsten T3. Despite a few unexpected caveats, the T3 delivers one of the slickest experiences to date.

Design

The T3 uses the same basic design as its predecessors. Slightly longer than the Tungsten T and T2 at 109 x 76 x 16 mm when closed and weighing in at 155 grams, the T3 uses the familiar collapsing design of its namesake. The light gray brushed metal case is clean and attractive, and the sides are now taped slightly to better fit the hand.

Opening up the T3 reveals the first of its notable features. The device uses the same sharp transflective TFT as Palm's other recent handhelds, but this time sports the first collapsable handwriting area on a Palm-branded handheld, supporting 320 x 480 resolution. (HandEra, Sony, and Garmin already have handhelds with virtual handwriting areas.) Using the new standard developed by PalmSource and already seen on the Garmin iQue 3600, Palm's implementation is the most featured we've seen to date. More on that later.

All of the familiar buttons are present, although redesigned. Sadly this is one place where Palm appears to have dropped the ball. The front panel buttons have been reorganized around an oval-shaped 5-way Navigator, with the four oddly-shaped application buttons arrayed around it. While slightly cooler looking, we found the new design to be considerably more cramped and less usable than the previous Tungsten T layout, which is our favorite front panel design to date. We wish Palm would have left well enough alone in this case. Similarly, the power button, on the top left of the device, is flush with the case making it harder to push than on earlier models. The record button on the left side, however, is the same familiar design, and the power button now also doubles as a key-lock button for people with violent pockets.

In a more positive upgrade, the T3 foregos the plastic clip-on cover in favor of a new flip-over leather cover that attaches to the top back of the handheld. It is the same removable design as used by Sony on several of its CLIEs, and we find it much more convenient (and harder to lose).

The audio jack on the left side of the device and telescoping stylus remain unchanged from earlier models. Also still present is the front panel speaker and top-mounted low-power infrared port and Secure Digital card slot. The SD slot also now sports a small hinged door on the inside to protect the device when no card is inserted. Sony has had that feature for some time, and we have been waiting for it on a Palm-branded device for years. There is also a vibrating alert feature.

Connectivity

As mentioned, the T3 includes the usual low-power IrDA port and SD slot, as well as the Palm Universal Connector. And as with the rest of the Tungsten T line, it also includes a built-in Bluetooth radio. Although some of the Bluetooth software has been beefed up internally, the T3 still includes only the same limited profiles as earlier models. Sadly that leaves users with the same makeshift serial loopback access if they want to use a Bluetooth-enabled laptop or desktop for Internet access or HotSyncing.

Specifications

The internals of the T3 are very similar to that of the Tungsten C. That includes a 400 MHz Intel XScale CPU and 64 MB of RAM (52 MB of which is user-accessible).

All of that power, of course, does impact on battery life. In our standard Atom Smash battery rundown tests, the T3's Lithium-Ion Polymer battery lasted 2 hours before throwing its first low power warning, then shut off after 2 hours, 7 minutes. That is with the backlight on full brightness and the case open. (The handwriting area is not lit when the case is closed to conserve power.) That's one of the shortest battery lifespans we've seen from Palm. Fortunately the screen is clear enough that it can be run with the backlight on low for better battery life.