Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition

Is it too much to say that WiMAX gives the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet a reason to exist? Nokia's it's-not-a-phone experiment in extreme Linux geekery now lets you surf the Web anywhere, any time, at least in Baltimore where Sprint has rolled outXOHM , its version of WiMAX. (Baltimore is the only place you'll find it, for now.) But the Nokia N810 Internet tablet WiMAX Edition ($449.99 street) still isn't a handheld that's likely to rule the mainstream market.

A quick recap from our original N810 review: This device isn't a phone, it's a Linux-based handheld computer that connects to the Internet via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and now XOHM. The N810 is a pleasure to hold and to use. The 2.8-by-5-by0.55 inch (HWD), 7.9-ounce metallic body feels solid, and the richly colorful 800-by-480-pixel screen slides up to reveal a comfortable thumb keypad. There's a VGA camera built into the side for video calling, and a little stand pops out of the back if you want to prop the N810 up on your desk. A mini-SDHC card can drop into a slot in the bottom. It's an attractive, thoughtfully built piece of hardware.

Besides providing Internet access, the N810 features a media player, an e-mail program, contacts and calendar apps, and other software, but browsing is its real strength. Nokia is the true king of handheld Web browsers—the company's Series 60 phone browser is the best in the business, and the N810's browser renders pages that look just the way they look on a desktop PC, including Flash (but not Java) plug-ins.

There's still no Microsoft Office or PIM support, and the N810 still sometimes stutters when multitasking with music and video. Since our first review, the download servers have been improved, so you can easily grab the various additional apps that Maemo.org has to offer. The site currently lists 256 apps, including a PDF reader, alternative media players, and instant messaging programs.

Of course, the real news here is the WiMAX. I activated the N810 using the XOHM Web site, by punching in the device's MAC address. (It's on a label on the box.) The N810 was working within minutes, and it auto-connected to the XOHM network in Baltimore.

Testing Internet speeds on a handheld that doesn't act as PC modem can be tough, because speed tests are usually restricted by the device's browser or processor, rather than by its modem. (And no, the N810 currently can't tether to a PC as a modem. I don't think that would violate the terms of service; the software just doesn't exist. It might be available in the future.)

I used www.speedtest.net, which is recommended by Sprint. In four tests, I achieved download speeds generally around 1Mbps down and 500 to 800Kbps up—much slower than the results I got with a PC and Samsung's SWC-E100 ExpressCard in the same location. So it's likely the N810's browser slowing things down. The more important test, however, is that Web pages felt fast, maps rendered quickly, and music streamed over the Internet seamlessly.

But when the N810 lost its signal, it had trouble picking it up again. Several times I went to the N810's connection manager after leaving a XOHM dead spot, to find a long list of Wi-Fi networks and no XOHM. When I rebooted the handheld, XOHM reappeared. Nokia needs to make that transition smoother.

The N810 isn't a phone, but it can do VoIP. Gizmo, a free program, worked over XOHM, but Skype didn't. All my Call buttons were grayed out and unavailable, so all I could do was chat. That was disappointing.

The Nokia N810 Internet Tablet WiMAX Edition isn't on the market yet, but the original non-WiMAX model is selling for around $350 or 400. WiMAX certainly transforms this gadget into a more interesting go-anywhere Web surfing device, but I still feel that its primary appeal is to Linux geeks, since it lacks some other key apps and has a relatively high price. Also, WiMAX isn't widely available yet. Today, most people will likely settle on an iPhone 3G, instead. If not, Nokia's own excellent E71, or a XOHM-powered mini-laptop (when those devices are available) are viable alternatives.

SPEC DATA :

Price as Tested: $449.99 Street
Networking Options: 802.11g
Operating System: Linux Internet Tablet 2008
Processor Class: TI OMAP 2420
Type: Linux
RAM: 128 MB
Megapixels: 0.3 MP
Flash Memory Type: Secure Digital

T-Mobile G1 (Google Android Phone)

Call it the T-Mobile G1.0. The first-ever Google Android smartphone is a solid initial effort that, given an open development platform, will grow with time. It's missing a bunch of key features right now—like a decent media player and support for corporate e-mail, for instance. But the G1, manufactured by HTC, is a quality phone with few bugs, and given the open nature of Android, I'm confident that more features are on the way. This makes the G1 a good choice for anyone who wants an expandable phone and is interested in the future of mobile communication.

The 5.6-ounce G1 looks like a grown-up Sidekick. It's a rectangular black phone (4.6 by 2.1 by 0.6 inches—HWD) with rounded corners and a big 3.2-inch, 320-by-480-pixel capacitive touch screen that's bright and responsive. Below the display, there's a trackball; Menu, Home, and Back buttons, and buttons to pick up and end calls. Volume and camera controls are on the sides of the handset, and the 3-megapixel camera is on the back.

Slide the screen up to reveal a comfortable little QWERTY keyboard. The keys are slightly domed and separated. They're not as excellent as, say, the BlackBerry Curve keys, but they're on a par with the keys you'll find on a Sidekick.

The G1 starts up to a configurable home screen onto which you can drop any application you'd like, along with a big analog clock and a Google search box. And, yes, this home screen is completely configurable—you can even throw out the phone dialer if you want. You drag icons around on three virtual home screens, through which you scroll with a flick of the finger, just like on the iPhone.

By default, most of the phone's applications are hidden in a "drawer" that pops open with a single touch. (Again, you can move them to the home screen if you wish.) Working Android apps will be familiar to anyone who's used a touch-screen device before, with two twists: Hitting the physical Menu button brings up context-specific options and you can pull down a "window shade" from the top of the screen at any time to suppress new messages alerts and calendar alarms.

To select items on the screen, you can use either your fingers or the trackball. I found the trackball especially useful in the Web browser, where some links were too small to click with my finger.

A quad-band EDGE, dual-band HSDPA phone (1,700/2,100), the G1 works on T-Mobile's 2G and 3G networks here in the U.S. and on high-speed networks overseas. You can't use this phone as a modem for your PC, at least not yet.

We achieved 600-to-700-kilobit-per-second speeds in the G1's browser on the 3G network, which is fairly typical for a 3G phone. We also connected to our WPA2-secured 802.11g wireless network without a problem, though the G1 doesn't support T-Mobile's HotSpot @Home system for making calls over Wi-Fi. RF reception was decent.

Calls on the G1 sound terrific, at least for the person who's using the phone. Calls on T-Mobile's 3G network in New York were loud, clear, deep, and well-rounded. There's no in-ear feedback of your own voice, but whether that's good or bad is a matter of taste. The speakerphone is loud and clear. But the phone's mic layers your voice in with a lot of background sound on the other end. The G1 made calls with our mono Plantronics Voyager 520 Bluetooth headset but couldn't successfully pair with our stereo Motorola S9 headset. You get voice dialing, but you can't trigger the feature with a Bluetooth headset; you have to tap an icon on the phone. Your MP3s can be used as ringtones.—next: What You Get and What You Don't

SPEC DATA :

Price as Tested: $179.00 List
Service Provider: T-Mobile
Operating System: Other
Screen Size: 3.25 inches
Screen Details: 320x480, 65k-color capacitive TFT LCD touch screen
Camera: Yes
Megapixels: 3.1 MP
802.11x: Yes
Bluetooth: Yes
Web Browser: Yes
Network: GSM, UMTS
Bands: 850, 900, 1800, 1900, 2100, 1700
High-Speed Data: GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA
Special Features: Music
Notes: Price: $179 w/ two-year contract

RIM BlackBerry Curve 8330 (Alltel)

Ah, the joy of a BlackBerry Curve. One of our favorite smartphones ever, the Curve just works—and that goes for Alltel's model too. It's a great buy for anyone who wants a terrific phone with unparalleled messaging, excellent media features, and a bit of Web thrown into the mix. One complaint, though: Alltel could have done a little more to set its model apart from the pack.

The Alltel Curve, in sober gray, looks like a darker, handsomer version of Verizon's model. For a basic rundown of the Curve's design and features, check out PCMag's review of theVerizon or Sprint Curve.

On Alltel's network, the Curve sounds as beautiful as ever. Reception is excellent, and volume is pretty much perfect, with no distortion even at the top level. And the speakerphone is loud and clear. Curves are among the best voice phones we've tested, and this one is no exception. This Curve also got particularly stellar battery life, with over 6 hours of talk time.

Like other Curves, Alltel's has a 3.5mm headphone jack for phone or music headsets and works with mono and stereo Bluetooth headsets. Oddly, I could trigger the VoiceSignal voice dialing with our mono Aliph Jawbone, but not our stereo Plantronics Pulsar 590 headset.

Alltel lets you use the Curve as a modem for your PC (but not for a Mac) on Alltel's EV-DO Rev 0 high-speed network. The carrier provides easy-to-use software that enables a one-click connection—it was a snap to set up. Speeds were slow for EV-DO, though, at around 400 kilobits per second down, but this seemed to be a problem with Alltel's network—our other smartphones ran even more slowly in modem mode.

So what does Alltel bring to the table? In terms of software, the carrier's model falls somewhere between Verizon's sparse offerings and Sprint's richer ones. You get Google Talk and Yahoo! Messenger IM clients but no AIM. The free Google Maps for Mobile uses cell-tower triangulation to get a rough location fix, but there's no bona fide GPS (unless you pay for additional software). Buried under an odd icon marked "Axcess Shop" is an information app, which gives you news headlines, weather, stocks, and traffic information.

You can also buy software for the Curve, and this is where things get interesting. Alltel's MobiTV-based streaming Axcess TV ($9.99 per month) is available, along with Garmin Mobile ($9.99 a month) for true GPS capabilities and DynoPlex MasterDoc ($49.95), which provides enhanced attachment viewing. Shape's IM+ ($49.95) adds MSN, AIM, and MySpace IM to the Curve's list. There are also plenty of games to be had, among them Guitar Hero.

RIM's forthcoming BlackBerry OS 4.5 will include support for Microsoft Office document editing through DataViz's DocumentsToGo program, and Alltel will offer a free upgrade to Curve owners. That combined with the standard Curve features, such as the great camera, including video recording; the terrific BlackBerry messaging, including both SMS and MMS; and the new PC software, which helps transfer music and videos over from Windows XP and Vista PCs to the phone, makes Alltel's Curve 8330 as much a winner as its Verizon and Sprint cousins. We think it's the best balance of smartphone functionality for Alltel subscribers.

SPEC DATA :

Price as Tested: $229.99 - $519.99 List
Service Provider: Alltel
Screen Size: 2.5 inches
Screen Details: 320x240 65k color screen
Camera: Yes
Megapixels: 2 MP
802.11x: No
Bluetooth: Yes
Web Browser: Yes
Network: CDMA
Bands: 850, 1900
High-Speed Data: 1xRTT, EVDO
Processor Speed: 312 MHz
Special Features: Music

Samsung Behold SGH-T919

Samsung's Behold SGH-T919 brings a mix of fun multimedia features to T-Mobile's new 3G network. If you're looking for some 'wow' without springing for a smartphone, the Behold's big touch screen, fun and unusual interface, and 5-megapixel camera might just fill the bill. Just be aware that better versions of each of its individual features can be found other handsets—just not all on a single phone.

The Samsung Behold looks and works a lot like Sprint's Samsung Instinct or Verizon's LG Dare. All three are feature phones with extra bells and whistles; they look and feel a little like smartphones, but aren't as expandable or complex. The 3.9-ounce Behold is a 4.1 by 2.1 by 0.5 inch (HWD) black slab with an attractive plastic back that looks like brushed metal. On the front of the handset, there's a big, 3.1-inch, 240 by 400-pixel touch screen above the Pick Up, Hang Up, and Back buttons. Camera, Lock and Volume buttons reside on the sides of the phone, and a whopping 5-megapixel, autofocus camera lives on the back. One sour design note: the MicroSD card slot is tucked under the battery, which makes getting at it a challenge.

Samsung's TouchWiz interface makes using the Behold fun. Like on the LG Dare, the home screen is highly customizable. You can drag various icons for apps including the music player, the photo viewer, the IM client, and the Web browser from a sidebar and plop them anywhere you'd like on the home screen. I found the touch screen and accelerometer to be responsive.

As a voice phone, the Behold isn't bad, as long as you don't venture into areas with a lot of background noise. Since this is a 3G phone (T-Mobile 3G only, but global EDGE), I experienced the richer tones of a 3G call, without the hiss I hear on a lot of 2G T-Mobile calls. Indoors or in a quiet area, the earpiece volume was fine, and a lot of in-ear feedback made talking pleasant. But outdoors, the earpiece had trouble triumphing over very noisy areas, and a lot of background noise came through the microphone. The speakerphone was loud, if tinny, and also transmitted a lot of background noise. The phone comes with a wired headset for its oddball, proprietary Samsung jack. It also worked fine with our Plantronics Voyager 520 mono and Motorola S9 stereo headsets, including activating the excellent Nuance voice dialing system. Battery life was very good for a 3G phone, at 5 hours and 10 minutes of talk time.

As the carrier typically does, T-Mobile has locked down this phone, prohibiting you from installing your own apps; in all fairness, though, the Behold isn't a smartphone. But this means you're stuck with a mediocre browser, and underwhelming e-mail and IM programs. The IM app handles AIM, ICQ, Yahoo! and Windows Live messenger; the e-mail program supports AOL, Gmail, Yahoo!, and a few other ISPs, but not generic POP/IMAP e-mail. The browser is the popular NetFront 3.4, but with a twist: T-Mobile passes all pages through a WAP-translation portal which makes it easy to read the basic text content from Web pages, but it also mangles their layout. It's safest to stick with mobile-formatted pages on this phone.

The 5-megapixel camera doesn't quite measure up to the one in the Motorola ZN5, still it's a lot better than the 2-megapixel shooters you get on many feature phones. The Behold's camera captured about 25 percent fewer lines than the ZN5's, resulting in fuzzier images. Also, the LED flash is very weak compared to the ZN5's Xenon flash, and shutter lag was disappointing at 1.93 seconds (compared to a snappy 0.45 seconds on the ZN5.) On the positive side, using the Imatest testing suite, the Behold showed low amounts of noise at all light levels, and pictures had cooler tones than the ZN5's. And the Behold has a better movie mode than the ZN5 does, capturing relatively smooth 320 by 240 videos at 15 frames per second. You can store your pictures in the phone's roomy 200MB of onboard memory or on a MicroSD card up to 16GB.

Using the included USB cable or Bluetooth, the Behold syncs with Samsung's free PC Studio 3.1.2 software for Windows Vista. You can also transfer files to and from Macs or PCs with Bluetooth; file transfers were unusually fast for a phone, at around 1 megabit per second, but PC Studio is much rougher than either Nokia's or Sony Ericsson's PC suites. You can copy single contacts, calendar entries, tasks, and notes from Outlook or just type them in on your PC, but you can't select a range of entries or folders to copy. The program imploded when I tried to copy all of my calendar entries back to 2004. PC Studio also lets you copy music and video files over to your phone, but it doesn't transcode them into the right formats for on-the-go viewing. MP3, AAC, and WMA music files are supported, and you can use your own songs as ringtones. The music player is very attractive, displays album art, and supports the typical sorting options. In my video tests, the Behold played a 320 by 240, 30-frame-per-second MPEG4 movie file smoothly in landscape mode, but an H.264 video stuttered badly. You also get TeleNav GPS driving directions software. But since the phone is satellite-only and not AGPS, it had trouble locking on and finding a location when we tried it in two different boroughs of New York City.

The Samsung Behold isn't the best at any one thing, but it offers up a lot on a single device. On T-Mobile, the Motorola ZN5 is a better camera phone, the T-Mobile G1 delivers far superior Web experience, and the BlackBerry Pearl 8120 offers free Wi-Fi calling and syncs with iTunes. But the Behold balances a little of this, and a little of that in a fun device that just might make it worth your $200.

SPEC DATA :

Price as Tested: $199.99 - $399.99
Service Provider: T-Mobile
Operating System: Other
Screen Size: 3.1 inches
Screen Details: 240x400, 262k-color touch screen
Camera: Yes
Megapixels: 5 MP
802.11x: No
Bluetooth: Yes
Web Browser: Yes
Network: GSM, UMTS
Bands: 850, 900, 1800, 1900, 1700
High-Speed Data: GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA

HP iPAQ 910

HP iPAQ 910

HP's venerable iPAQ handheld line has seen its ups and downs over the years. But today, the company's tight enterprise focus distinguishes it from its competitors. Even Research In Motion, the perennial business-handset manufacturer, has pushed into the consumer smartphone space. But HP is sticking to its corporate guns. The unlocked iPAQ 910 is HP's latest business smartphone, and the successor to the company's hw6900 series handsets. The new version comes loaded with Wi-Fi, GPS, and HSDPA data radios, along with a 3-megapixel camera, and good video-playback performance. But first and foremost, HP is positioning the iPAQ 910 as a corporate e-mail device that can access workplace data anywhere in the world.

Despite the iPAQ 910's bulging feature set, it's not ungainly—in fact, it looks much like a BlackBerry 8800 or Motorola Q9c. The handset measures 4.5 by 2.5 by 0.6 inches (HWD), and is fairly hefty: 5.4 ounces. Still, those numbers pin it as slightly smaller and lighter than the Palm Treo 755p—an apt comparison, given the iPAQ 910's 2.5-inch, 320-by-240-pixel touch screen and stylus input. HP packs into the box an AC adapter, a USB synchronization cable, a metal stylus, and wired stereo earbuds.

Fashioned in a glossy black, the iPAQ 910 has a gunmetal-gray chrome surround on the front bezel. With its rubberized back panel, the handset is comfortable to hold and talk into. Control-wise, the iPAQ 910 is the anti-iPhone: neither sleek nor minimal, and covered in buttons, dials, and ports. On the front panel, there's a five-way navigation key in the center, with four buttons to either side, which perform various functions. The left-hand side of the unit houses a hardware volume control, a voice-control button, a mini USB port, and a microSD slot. The right-hand side, meanwhile, contains a scroll wheel—more on this below—along with OK and Camera buttons. On the back of the handset, you'll find the camera sensor and flash, a small self-portrait mirror, and the phone's mono speaker. My preproduction review unit had a troublesome rubber port cover on the left side. Whenever I pressed down one side, the other side popped up. HP claims that final retail models wouldn't have this problem.

The QWERTY keyboard deserves special mention. Given the constraints of smartphone design, no cell-phone keyboard is going to be roomy or comfortable to use for long periods. But the iPAQ 910 excels here, with properly spaced keys, just the right amount of resistance, and a muted click response. There are even dedicated comma, period, and question-mark keys along with the standard issue Backspace and Enter buttons. I found I could type paragraphs at a time without getting frustrated or feeling fatigued.

So about that thumb wheel: It's like the one found on older 8700 series BlackBerrys. But this one is positioned higher up on the right-hand side of the handset. The touch screen is picky—all Windows Mobile touch-screen devices are. But the net effect of the abundance of controls is easy operation, even with one hand. It's probably the most successful implementation of Windows Mobile I've seen in this regard, and speaks volumes to the idea that Apple doesn't have a monopoly on control schemes. If you're familiar with Windows, you'll fly on the iPAQ 910.

Voice calls sounded crisp and clear in both directions, although the sound in the earpiece was a little colder and tinny-sounding than I preferred. Reception was strong enough to pull in weak 3G HSDPA signals in a rural area northwest of Boston, consistent with the reception of other HSDPA phones I've tried in the same location. When paired with an original Aliph Jawbone, the iPAQ 910 sounded spectacular in both directions. But a Cardo S-800 Bluetooth headset exhibited a high level of hiss and even a slight buzz in the background on all calls. (This headset sounds fine when paired to other models). Disappointingly, the iPAQ 910's mono speaker was far too weak for even indoor voice calls, much less outdoor calls or listening to music.

The iPAQ 910 is a tri-band UMTS/HSDPA device with support for 3.6/7.2-megabit-per-second HSDPA data networks. It also works as a broadband modem for a laptop. The built-in Wi-Fi radio connects to 802.11b/g networks with up to WPA2-level security. It also supports Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR. At the iPAQ 910's heart is a 416-MHz Marvell PXA270 processor, 256MB of flash ROM, and 128MB SDRAM, with 76MB free for running programs such as Oracle or Salesforce applications. Those are relatively powerful specs—although HP's PDA-only iPAQ 210 sports Marvell's next-generation PXA310 CPU, which performs better at the same clock speed and also has built-in graphics acceleration. Still, the iPAQ 910 felt reasonably fast in operation, just a tad sluggish compared with recent BlackBerry and Palm OS devices.

Since the iPAQ 910 is a Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional smartphone, it comes with Microsoft Office Mobile, which lets you view, edit, and create Word and Excel documents out of the box. It can also view (but not edit or create) PowerPoint documents. The handset can synchronize e-mail, contacts, and calendar data with Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Exchange Server. Windows Mobile 6.1 also includes numerous security and encryption enhancements, along with somewhat improved Internet browsing using Internet Explorer. The included MSN Messenger is a plus, but it's not an IM account aggregator, which you can get with many other handsets.

HP throws in a copy of Cyberon's Voice Commander & Recorder, which let me dial contacts without having to train it first. It also lets you respond to e-mail messages by voice. The GPS chipset works with the built-in Google Maps for Mobile; there's also a hidden jack at the top of the handset to add an aftermarket antenna that HP claims will boost its GPS reception fivefold. Finally, HP includes Enterprise Mobility Suite, which is invisible to the user but gives IT departments remote wipe, software provisioning, camera disable/enable, and other management tools.

As a media device, the iPAQ 910 achieved only mixed results. Its processor is fast enough for smooth full-screen playback of properly encoded video files. The microSD slot is easily accessible, and although HP claims it works with cards up to 4GB, I had no problems reading and writing to an 8GB SanDisk microSDHC card. Music tracks sounded very poor over the included set of wired earbuds, and upgrading would be a pain owing to the mini-USB connector. Music fared better, with much more bass, over a paired set of Etymotic Ety8 Bluetooth stereo earphones, but these still lacked the richness of a wired set.

The iPAQ 910's 3MP camera includes autofocus, but you'd never know it: The indoor shots were soft, with dull color and blown out highlights. (It fares much better outside.) The weak LED flash is an all-on-or-all-off affair—there's no auto mode; it had virtually no effect on photos, though, so you might as well leave it off, or just use it as a flashlight. The unit records middling QVGA video files, and there's also a direct Snapfish upload feature. Battery life was average for the class at 9 hours 13 minutes of continuous talk time.

The $499.99 (direct) price may sound expensive to those accustomed to subsidized handsets. But for an unlocked smartphone, HP's pricing is pretty aggressive. For comparison, Nokia's E61i, a previous Editors' Choice winner in this category, costs $450 and is far less capable, as it lacks 3G, GPS, and document editing. (The brand-new E71 looks spectacular, but an early review unit turned out to be too buggy; we're still waiting for a final review version.)

The HP iPAQ 910, with its business-focused Windows Mobile design, has a completely different mission from the Nokia N82, our current Editors' Choice for unlocked smartphones. Since we can award our Editors' Choice to only one product in the unlocked smartphone category, we're now giving it to the iPAQ 910, which is hard to beat when it comes to business-class devices. But that in no way diminishes the N82, still the top pick for anyone who wants a stellar multimedia phone with one of the best integrated cameras you can get. Despite very different target markets, you can't go wrong with either one of these top-quality smartphones.

Benchmark Test Results

Continuous talk time (GSM): 9 hours 13 minutes

SPB Benchmark: 365.14

CPU index: 1634.1

File system index: 146.39

Graphics index: 4953.37

SPEC DATA :

Price as Tested: $499.00 Street
Service Provider: AT&T, T-Mobile
Operating System: Windows Mobile Pocket PC
Screen Size: 2.5 inches
Screen Details: 320x240, QVGA, 65K colors
Camera: Yes
Megapixels: 3 MP
802.11x: Yes
Bluetooth: Yes
Web Browser: Yes
Network: GSM, UMTS
Bands: 850, 900, 1800, 1900, 2100
High-Speed Data: EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA
Processor Speed: 416 MHz
Special Features: Music

The PC Edge / Datawind Pocketsurfer 2

A good idea that's oddly executed, the $299.99 (list) PC Edge is a small handheld device for on-the-go Web browsing, and it pulls up full, desktop-style Web pages quickly and clearly. Unfortunately, its many eccentricities make it difficult to recommend.

A wide, slim (6 by 4 by 0.6 inches HWD, 6.1 ounces) palmtop that browses the Web over a proprietary thin client system, the PC Edge uses T-Mobile's GPRS (not even EDGE!) network to connect to the Internet. It's not a phone; it doesn't have a user-accessible SIM card; and there's no onboard storage. When you press a key on the keyboard, the device links up with Datawind's servers in Canada, which push down highly compressed images of Web pages that are updated several times a second. The device is basically a remote-desktop client for Datawind's browsing servers.

The upside is that sites load faster than on any GPRS device I've ever seen. It's a true technical feat. Pages appear within a few seconds, though as you scroll down, the pages then pause to draw additional chunks. You get all the Web elements you would see on a desktop PC, including Java and Flash—though anything that shifts or changes can do so only once or twice a second, making animations mostly useless.

There are plenty of downsides, though. Graphics aren't sharp. Standard mode dithers pictures down to 16 colors, though you can push it up to 256 colors with relatively little cost in download speeds. If you click on any user elements (such as pop-up menus) on pages, it takes a while for pages to respond. And there's a long delay while typing into some AJAX-based text-entry boxes, such as in Google Docs or Yahoo! Mail. The Edge is sending each character up to the server as you type. In more traditional HTML text-entry fields, the PC Edge lets you type locally and then bundles your text together before sending it up to the central server. There's no sound and, because of the slow frame rates, no video.

The device is pretty, but it's also a bit odd. It uses a bright but washed-out 5-inch, 640-by-240-pixel passive-matrix display and a flat, backlit keyboard with a bunch of mysterious function keys. These keys control functions like zoom, navigating the Web browser, double-clicking, and activating the built-in GPS, which works with Google Maps. (Or at least it's supposed to; my device thought I was in Florida instead of New York.

The keyboard is just a bit too wide to hold comfortably for thumb-typing, and the Edge's hinge won't let you sit it on a table as a mini-laptop, either. You navigate around pages using a virtual pointer on the screen, which is controlled by a cursor pad on the keyboard. It's a little awkward, especially because my cursor would sometimes run right off the screen and disappear.

The Edge offers a bunch of links to Web applications, including an e-mail client that runs on Datawind's servers, so it's faster than just navigating to your webmail client. You also get Web-based office suites, LogMeIn.com, and an online storage system (25GB). Because it's a server-based thin client, the Edge doesn't have any onboard storage. Google Docs ran slowly, because of the Edge's delay with entering text. LogMeIn.com wasn't very usable because my desktop image was so zoomed out that I couldn't read the names of icons.

My sample device had some build problems and some mysteries. The keyboard was slightly separated from the case on the left-hand side, and the device had a mysterious rubber-covered slot next to the power adapter that wasn't mentioned in any of the documentation.

Ultimately, the PC Edge is a solution to a problem that's swiftly disappearing. At $300 (plus $20 or $30 per month data plan—depending on whether it's on sale at the moment), this device is the same price as a16GB Apple iPhone 3G , which is not only slicker but does a lot more. Yes, the Edge can handle aspects of Web pages, like Flash, that most handhelds fail to do. But navigating the Web and entering data is much easier on other mobile devices. Graphics look awful with the Edge's compression. And the Flash advantage is partially canceled out by the Edge's slow frame rates.

I can't deny the technical feat Datawind has pulled off here. The Edge is slim, and it loads Web pages quickly using an unusual tactic that represents desktop pages with great fidelity. But should you buy it? I'm not sold. For simple Web surfing, I suggest getting a Nokia N810 Internet Tablet or even an ASUS Eee PC 2G Surf instead.

SPEC DATA :

Price as Tested: $299.99 List
Type: Other
Screen Size: 5 inches
Network: GPRS, GSM
Bluetooth: No

Palm Tungsten T, Zire

As a replacement for the Palm V series and the short-lived m500 series, the Palm Tungsten T ($400 street) is a rugged and high-powered PDA that's well suited for mobile professionals. The device is collapsible, and the compact case fits easily in your hand or shirt pocket.

You can slide the case open to expose the Graffiti area—an effective space-saving design for a device that is used more often for data viewing than for entry. A removable, clear plastic cover protects the 320-by-320 display—a vast improvement over earlier Palm units—and a five-way button enables one-handed navigation.

For business users, the Tungsten T comes with Palm OS 5.0, and a 144-MHz Texas Instruments CPU that supports wireless connections and multimedia. It also has a built-in Bluetooth radio for short-range wireless connections.

Thanks to the processor and OS, the Tungsten T is the first Palm PDA designed from the ground up to handle multimedia. It performed well compared with the other Palm OS devices on our audio and video tests, although it's not as good for entertainment as the two high-end Sony models. The Tungsten T is a good choice for mobile professionals and reasonable for entertainment, too.

Combining low cost ($100) and the simplicity of Palm OS, the Palm Zire is a very attractive entry-level PDA. For consumers who want to carry their contacts, appointments, and to-do lists electronically, the Zire is an excellent first PDA purchase and earns an Editors' Choice.

But you get what you pay for. The plastic case is not sturdy, and the device is not designed for multimedia; it has a monochrome screen and no audio capability. It runs only the simplest games. You can't expand it with an add-in card, and don't even think about using it for Internet connectivity or e-mail.

Printed documentation is limited to a brochure, although full manuals are available on CD and online. A removable, rubberized, translucent flip cover protects the screen and flips back easily with one hand, but it tends to fall right back down over the display.

We are pleased to find a rechargeable lithium ion battery in a model this inexpensive. If you're looking for a PDA with easy-to-use applications—and plenty of third-party software—you can't go wrong with the Zire, as long as you don't mind its limitations.

T-Mobile Sidekick LX

The summer 2008 software update for the Sidekick LX handheld fixes some of our top complaints about the device. But at the end of the day, the LX is still really bulky and doesn't have enough storage for text and e-mail messages. If you're an existing LX user, download the free software, but if you're in the market for a new device, get the new Sidekick 2008 or a BlackBerry instead.

The Sidekick LX, which we reviewed when it first launched last October, is a messaging limousine, a gigantic device that's 5.1 inches long with a 3-inch, 400-by-240-pixel screen. Its 1,540-mAh battery lets it run for almost 11 hours of talk time. Compare that with the new Sidekick 2008, a more compact model, at 4.7 inches, that has the same 400-by-240-pixel resolution on a 2.6-inch screen and achieves about 8 hours of talk time on its smaller battery.

Check out our original review for the basic details of the Sidekick LX. We'll focus on the 2008 improvements here.

We dinged the Sidekick LX for not supporting stereo Bluetooth for music, video recording and playback, or Yahoo! Mail. All those features are here now. The LX paired easily with our Plantronics Pulsar 590 stereo headset to play unprotected AAC, MP3, and WMA files. The LX also plays small video files—like the ones sent in MMS messages. It doesn't do a good job of playing larger files, though; even our relatively undemanding 320-by-240, 15-frame-per-second 3GP test file was jerky and choppy.

Video capture is strictly for picture messaging, but it's here. The LX now takes wobbly, pulsing, and grainy 176-by-144 videos of up to 20 seconds in length and stores them on a memory card. Our 8GB SanDisk microSD card worked fine as a source and destination for music, photos, and videos.

Yahoo! Mail has joined the e-mail client, and now there's spell-check too, but the LX still has a major, potentially fatal flaw common to all Sidekicks: a way-too-small mailbox. With space for only 6MB of e-mail and 100 SMS messages, you'll be cleaning out your inboxes frequently.

A few minor changes to the Web browser are pluses, but they fail to make the browser desktop-quality. You can now zoom out to see everything on a page before zooming in on a particular part of the page, and you can save images from pages to your memory card. But many pages still display awkwardly, especially if they use JavaScript or DHTML.

A neat new feature, Quick Find, lets you search all of the phone's databases for a name or date from the home screen.

We can't see many advantages the updated LX has over the new Sidekick 2008, which is smaller but still has an excellent keyboard and a sharp screen. Its features are very similar to those of the LX (they're running the same version of the OS), but a lousy 2-megapixel camera has replaced the LX's 1MP model. More exciting for the average Sidekick user, the new 2008 model features completely user-customizable cases, which the LX lacks. The update also still doesn't put the LX ahead of the BlackBerry Curve 8320 which does pretty much everything the LX does, just better.

SPEC DATA :

• Service Provider: T-Mobile
• Operating System: Windows Mobile Pocket PC
• Screen Size: 3 inches
• Screen Details: 400x240, 65k-color TFT LCD display
• Camera: Yes
• Megapixels: 1.3 MP
• Flash Memory Type: Micro SD
• 802.11x: No
• Bluetooth: Yes
• Web Browser: Yes
• Network: GSM
• Bands: 800, 900, 1800, 1900
• High-Speed Data: GPRS, EDGE
• Special Features: Music

PalmOne Zire 72

The palmOne Zire 72 is palmOne's latest model in the consumer Zire line with a heavy emphasis on multimedia. The handheld brings built in bluetooth wireless, new features, enhanced software and many other improvements over its predecessor the Zire 71.

Design
The Zire 72 looks much like a traditional handheld, with its square display and silkscreen input area. The Zire 72 does not share the sliding mechanism found on the 71. The camera is now always exposed on a slightly raised portion on the back of the device. It also has a new application button layout and a tungsten like 5-way navigator. The new Zire 72 and Zire 31 are also the first handhelds to be launched with the palmOne logo.

The casing is predominately made of plastic. The handheld has an attractive blue color, that is unofficially called "Zapphire." The blue sides of the handheld are a new rubbery like paint that has a very good, non slip gripping quality. The unique rubbery finish is a "next-generation" Velecron finish from PPG Industries, the Zire 72 is one of the first commercial products to use it.

On the top of the handheld from right to left is a clear green LED for alarms and indicates charging, that unfortunately does not turn off when fully charged. On the immediate top is the SD expansion slot with a built in dust cover, the IR window, power buttons and 3.5mm standard stereo headphone jack. The right hand side holds the exposed stylus silo, while the left is smooth with a small flush button which is set to activate and launch the voice recorder.

The back of the Zire 72 contains the Camera sensor, speaker and microphone all encased behind a aluminum metallic mesh plating. Below that is a sticker full of serial numbers and logos. The bottom of the unit has a small center protrusion that contains the mini-USB port and the separate power connection.

Its dimensions are 4.6 in. x 2.95 in. x 0.67 in. (116 x 75 x 17 mm). The 72 weighs a pocket friendly 4.8 ounces (136 g). The build quality is solid with no creaks or rattling loose parts.

The included stylus is a solid black and plastic. It is a decent thickness and weight, but is nothing fancy. The small reset button on the back is large enough to be conveniently activated with the stylus tip. palmOne does not include a cradle. Since this unit lacks the Universal Connector, separate mini-USB and charging cables are provided. A soft felt slip case is included in the box, while it may prevent exterior scratches it does not offer much protection.

Hardware
The Zire 72 runs Palm OS 5.2.8 and uses the new 312MHz Intel PXA270 processor. The processor automatically manages voltage and frequency changes for additional power savings. It includes 32MB of RAM (24MB user-available), double the amount of the Zire 71. The memory expansion slot accepts MMC, SD and SDIO cards.

The processor is pretty snappy and has good multimedia performance. In my standard torture test, I was able to surf the web over Bluetooth while listening to a mp3 in the background with no noticeable slowdown.

Screen
The display is a square 320x320 pixel transflective TFT color display that supports over 65,000 colors. The display is very bright and quite vivid, even at lower brightness levels. The display is the same type as the highly praised screens found on the Zire 71 and Tungsten C. The colors are accurate with excellent contrast and viewing angles and is consistently backlit without any shadows or bright spots. It has an on-screen slider to set the backlight brightness. The screen fades and slightly washes out in direct sunlight, but is still useable. The screen has a neat little fade out effect when it is turned off.

Camera
The Zire 72 has rear mounted built in 1.2 megapixel digital camera. The camera can capture images in up to 1280x920 resolution and has a 2x digital zoom. The camera can also capture videos at up to 320x240 resolution with audio. The camera can be launched from the dedicated application button. The camera app can be controlled one handed with the 5-way navigator, and photos are snapped by pressing in the center button.

The camera has automatic and customizable controls for white balance, low light, contrast, brightness, saturation and sharpness. There are also 3 photo effects, black & white, Sepia and Blue. Pictures can automatically be saved to photo albums to either the handheld memory or an SD card. Pictures taken at the maximum resolution are roughly around 450K file size per photo.

The quality of the photos is much better than its predecessor and many of the current VGA cameras built into handhelds and phones today, though it likely won't replace your dedicated camera. The new camera will take much larger and more detailed photos which is better for printing. The main problem with the new sensor is that colors seem dimmed and washed out and certain objects will tend to be fuzzy and out of focus. palmOne includes a neat new feature that lets you draw or write over a photo and then save it before syncing or emailing it. Below are a few full size, unedited photos taken with the Zire 72 in various conditions.

Bluetooth
The Zire 72 has built in bluetooth for wireless networking. The Bluetooth software has been updated to make setting up connections to a mobile phone, computer or access point much easier. With Bluetooth you can dial out contacts from your address book, send and receive files, sms and photos wirelessly, hotsync, and connect to the internet from a bluetooth mobile phone, computer or a bluetooth access point. The software was able to automatically configure itself to recognize my Sony Ericsson T610 and use it's GPRS connection without any complicated setup.

A new Bluetooth icon is available in the launcher, which acts as a shortcut to the Bluetooth preferences and connection controls. A small Bluetooth logo now appears beside the battery meter in the main launcher when Bluetooth is turned on. palmOne has also added a Bluetooth shortcut to the command bar, so you can jump to the Bluetooth prefs from any application.

Audio
The Zire 72 has a rear mounted speaker in the metal mesh below the camera lens. The speaker is quite loud and mp3's and voice memos sound very clear, though most will opt for using headphones (not included) for listening to music. For listening to music files, the Zire 72 ships with the RealOne player. The microphone is also hidden behind the rear grill, which is used for the voice and movie recorder.

Even with the updated audio and speaker capabilities, palmOne is still using the same DateBook alarm sounds that debuted on the original Pilot 1000. While there are many third party replacements, these are so very overdue for an update!

Battery Life
The 72 has a 950mAh rechargeable lithium ion battery. According to the palmOne specs, assuming normal usage (~30 minutes of use a day) the battery life will be about one week. For continuous MP3 playing, the battery life will be about five hours. I found I was able to get about 5 hours off of a full charge, with heavy camera and bluetooth use. More typical use may yield a longer battery life.

Software
Updated PIM apps
The Zire 72 inlcudes the new palmOne updated PIM suite that debuted on the Tungsten T3. The suite has a number of enhancements over the standard Palm OS PIM applications. First of all you may be confused at first because all of the names have changed. DateBook is now Calendar, Address is now Contacts, To Do List is Tasks, and Memo Pad is now Memos. The changes were made based on user feedback and research and also to more closely resemble Microsoft Outlook.

Calendar
Calendar sports a redesigned Agenda View that lists your most recent upcoming appointments, tasks due and email. New on the 72 is the ability to select a background image for the agenda view. It can use any of the photos taken with the camera or added to the handheld. You can now assign colors to different categories, appointment location details and a new year view. Palm also made it possible to have events spanning midnight, separate calendar support and the ability to beam multiple appointments and categories.

Contacts
Contacts has a number of visual and structural improvements. You can now have multiple contact addresses, such as work, home, other. The are new contact fields for more phone numbers, email addresses, website and instant messaging accounts. There are now nine custom fields and a new birthday field, that will keep track and remind you before an approaching birthday (Palm calls this the marriage saving feature). The Zire 72 also adds the ability to assign a picture to a contact taken with the camera.

Memos and Tasks
Many will rejoice that you can now have memos larger than 4k, the new app has a 32k maximum memo size. They have also added repeating tasks and new views for To Do items.

The main application launcher also shares the new ability to add a background image behind the program icons. You can select a camera image, or select any image file from the Media application. There is a build in control to fade an image for better blending visibility.

One the desktop side of things, palmOne includes their Quick Install program for Windows. Quick Install simplifies installing programs and converting documents and photos for handheld use. Users simply drag zip files, prc application files, photos, videos and even MS office files into the app and it will preform the necessary conversion and install the the files on the next hotsync. The software CD includes the Palm Desktop for windows and Mac as well as the palmOne Outlook Conduit.

Documents to Go
palmOne bundles the latest version of Documents to Go standard edition on the CD for Microsoft office compatibility. Docs to Go 6 supports native Microsoft Word and Excel files, no conversion is necessary. You can use files received from Email, Bluetooth or and SD card.

The Zire 72 includes Web Pro v3.5 for web browsing and VersaMail v2.7 for email. VersaMail is an excellent email application that supports both POP3 and IMAP mail servers. Web Pro is a proxy and proxyless web browser. It does a good job of rendering most websites and seems a bit faster than its earlier versions. palmOne also includes a single Media application that handles both photos and movies. Also on the CD are versions of palmOne Messages (sms/mms), Expense, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Solitaire, PalmReader, powerOne personal calculator, Audible player and a Java J2ME runtime.

Conclusion
The Zire 72 is a fun excellent multimedia machine and power organizer with a great screen. It improves upon and corrects a number of issues and shortcomings with the Zire 71. The new top of the line Zire has a lot to offer hardware wise with an excellent balance of quality software.

Palm Tungsten C

Business users will find everything they need in the Palm Tungsten C ($500 street), a powerful PDA with built-in Wi-Fi (802.11b) networking that provides wireless access to corporate applications, a desktop PIM, e-mail, and the Web. This latest addition to the Tungsten line incorporates a 400-MHz Intel XScale processor, the latest Palm OS (5.2.1), a backlit 320-by-320 screen, a 64K color display, an integrated QWERTY keyboard, 64MB of RAM (with 51MB available for user storage), a rechargeable battery, the Palm Universal Connector, and an SD I/O slot. The end product is a well-designed mobile productivity tool that stacks up against other PDAs in its class.

The Tungsten C runs in close competition with the Sony Clié PEG-TG50, which is Sony's best model for mobile professionals, and the Palm Tungsten T (both $400 street), the Tungsten C's predecessor. The Sony Clié PEG-TG50 offers the same screen technology and an integrated keyboard, runs Palm OS 5.0 on a 200-MHz processor, provides 16MB of RAM and a voice recorder, and wirelessly connects via a Bluetooth radio. The compact Palm Tungsten T, another Bluetooth device, shares the screen technology of the Tungsten C and the PEG-TG50, provides 16MB of RAM and a voice recorder, and runs Palm OS 5.0 on a Texas Instruments OMAP1510 chip, but lacks a keyboard. The Tungsten C, with its faster CPU and more than three times the user memory, is more powerful, and the integrated Wi-Fi is more useful than Bluetooth for connecting to the Internet and corporate LANs.

With its side-flip cover installed, the 6.8-ounce brushed silver Tungsten C is 4.8 by 3.1 by 0.8 inches (HWD), which fills a small hand. Lacking a jog dial on the side panel, the device isn't conducive to one-handed operation, but we like the keyboard's tactile feedback and the placement of the five-way navigation button with the four application-launch buttons below the keyboard. There is an integrated mono speaker for audio, but no microphone, requiring the use of the $15Palm Tungsten W and C Hands-free Headset (also mono) for making voice recordings.

In addition to the standard Palm PIM (VersaMail 2.5) and Web browser applications, the latest Palm OS offers useful improvements, such as color themes, the optional capability to use the full screen for handwritten input, and the PC Quick Install HotSync program that simplifies synchronization of multimedia and zipped files. The Tungsten C's impressive third-party productivity, communications, and entertainment software bundle includes Bachmann Software's PrintBoy for printing Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files from DataViz's Documents to Go 5.0 Professional Edition. You'll also find Solitaire, the Kinoma Player PDA video application with the companion Kinoma Producer for the desktop, and Colligo Meeting for WLAN, which maintains joint schedules between two WLAN-enabled Palm PDAs.

Palm's Wi-Fi Setup application requires only four screen taps to discover and connect to an existing public or unprotected private Wi-Fi network, such as a network with WEP turned on. We established a connection to our home office network in 9 seconds. Mergic VPN, a separate app that's also accessible from Wi-Fi Setup, lets you enter VPN information for a secure connection to a corporate network.

Built-in Wi-Fi connectivity versus the less practical—and less expensive—Bluetooth connectivity justifies the Palm Tungsten C's price tag for Palm devotees who want a versatile and powerful PDA to boost their productivity.

Palm Tungsten T3

The Tungsten T3 takes its place as the flagship among Palm's PDAs. With its 400-MHz Intel XScale CPU and 64MB of RAM (52MB available to users), the T3 is easily the most powerful Palm-branded PDA yet. It's a bit larger and heavier than the T2, measuring 4.3 by 2.9 by 0.6 inches (HWD) and weighing 5.4 ounces.

Most physical features carry over from the earlier models, although the application launch and five-way navigation buttons have changed. They are now bigger and hence easier to use. The T3 uses the same slider design as the earlier T models. But in this instance, instead of exposing a Graffiti area, the case opens up to show more screen (for a total of 2.1 by 2.9 inches).

That bright, transflective TFT display has 320- by 480-dpi resolution (half VGA). This increased screen resolution is stunning: The display seems to pop right out at you. And by tapping one button, you can switch from traditional portrait orientation to landscape.

The company positions the T3 for professional and enterprise users, in part because of its Bluetooth wireless capability and support for SD I/O. A new Socket SD Wi-Fi card will also be supported, but it was not ready for our testing. The lack of integrated Wi-Fi holds back the T3 somewhat, although the Tungsten C is available with Wi-Fi built in.

The closest Sony model that corresponds to the T3 is the Clié TG50 ($350 street), which lacks Bluetooth and has a smaller display with lower resolution. In the Windows Mobile world, the closest competing model would be the HP iPAQ h2215 ($400 street), which has a similarly rated CPU and RAM amount, integrated Bluetooth, and a CF II slot as well as an SD slot.

The h2215 is about the same weight and just a bit larger than the T3, but it has a lower-resolution display. Unlike any current Palm OS models, however, the h2215 can keep multiple applications running—still a Palm shortcoming. The T3 and the h2215 are equally impressive. Your choice should be dictated by your OS preference.

Product: Palm Tungsten T3

Street price: $400

Company Info: Palm Inc., 800-881-7256, www.palm.com

Sony Clié PEG-T615C

Enhancing its entertainment-centric PDA line, Sony's elegant Sony Clié PEG-T615C ($400 street) is a sleek device with a high-resolution, 16-bit color display, 16MB of memory, a Memory Stick expansion slot, a USB connection, and Palm OS 4.1. A quick comparison against Palm's flagship Palm m505 ($400 street), with its 8MB of memory and lower-resolution color screen, leaves little doubt that the PEG-T615C can take the lead in the Palm OS PDA competition. Unless you need wireless e-mail and Web functions (delivered by the Palm i705, reviewed on page 56), this Sony model is the PDA of choice.

Available in either shiny silver or royal blue, the PEG-T615C weighs 6 ounces (including its black leather flip cover) and measures 4.8 by 2.8 by 0.6 inches (HWD).

The PEG-T615C shares most features with the monochrome PEG-T415 ($250, reviewed in First Looks in our issue of January 15, 2002), including a jog dial for easy navigation, a universal remote-control functions for running some home entertainment devices, a generous software bundle, and a lithium ion polymer battery (rated at 12 days per charge).

The best part of the PEG-T615C is its gorgeous color display. The 320-by-320–resolution backlit TFT display is great indoors and fantastic outdoors, even in direct sunlight. Coupling the high-resolution display with 16-bit color, applications such as the included PictureGear Pocket image viewer from Sony become a lot more impressive to use. In fact, all of the included applications are easier and more enjoyable to use with the color display.

We wish the PEG-T615C came with a standard travel charger instead of requiring you to use the docking cradle to recharge the unit's battery. And if you often play MP3 files, the Sony Clié PEG-N760C ($450) is probably a better choice. With the PEG-T615C, you'll need to add the Sony PEGA-SA10 Audio Adapter ($130 street). Still, in the Palm OS PDA world, the PEG-T615C is unsurpassed.

Product: Sony Clié PEG-T615C

Street Price: $400

Requires: 233-MHz Pentium CPU or better; 64MB RAM; 128MB hard disk space; Microsoft Windows 98, 98 SE, 2000 Professional, Me, or XP

Company Info: Sony Electronics Inc., 888-315-7669, www.sony.com/clie

Garmin iQue 3600

Add-on GPS units were among the earliest and sexiest accessories for PDAs. A GPS could help you find out where you were and track your progress on trips, using the PDA's display and software downloaded from a host PC. But adding GPS capability typically requires a bulky add-on or a CompactFlash card.

Now Garmin, one of the most respected names in the GPS industry, has entered the PDA market with an intriguing convergent device, the Garmin iQue 3600 ($590 street). While the Palm OS 5.0–based iQue 3600 isn't inexpensive compared with many conventional PDAs, it's cheaper than buying a PDA and a GPS add-on.

The iQue 3600 has 32MB of RAM for map data and other Palm applications. Conveniently, an SD card slot lets you save map files (which can be large) separately. The 6.6-ounce device has a 2.2- by 3.2-inch 320-by-480 backlit 16-bit color display.

The GPS unit itself is a WAAS-enabled, 12-parallel-channel receiver with rated GPS positional accuracy within 15 meters and rated WAAS accuracy within 3 meters. The GPS antenna fits into and folds out from the top of the back of the case. Close it and it turns off, conserving battery power. If you're going to use the iQue in your car for long trips, it's probably a good idea to buy the optional 12-volt car power adapter ($30 direct).

The iQue includes a vibrating alarm and an MP3 player function, but its primary function is as a location and navigation device. Bundled software includes Garmin's GPS clock, address lookup, mapping, tracking, trip computer, router generator, and turn-by-turn voice guidance programs. On our tests in the Hartford and New Haven, Connecticut, areas, the iQue 3600 performed as well as any add-on GPS unit we've tested.

During installation a base map of major cities, roads, and state and county boundaries is loaded on the PDA. A license is included to use detailed map and POI data from a two-disc MapSource City Select.

The iQue's applications use moving maps; just move the cursor to any edge and the map moves to the next area. You can also easily zoom in or out for more or less detail. We tested routing to locations in the Hartford area, and the software quickly showed us the best way to get to our favorite pizza places.

Integration with the Palm address book is helpful: Tapping the "Route to" button automatically generates a route to any address on your contact list. And the mapping feature quickly shows you how to get to the next appointment on your calendar.

If you often travel in new areas, Garmin's iQue 3600 is a handy single-device combination. Use it as a regular PDA when you're not out and about, but when you need directional help, flip up the back panel with confidence.

Sony Clié PEG-NX80V

If you've been wanting a general-purpose digital camera but what you really need is a PDA, Sony seems to have the answer—the Sony Clié PEG-NX80V ($600 street). The NX80V is the most highly evolved of the Clié NX series, with a large 320-by-480 display, a usable (but not lovable) QWERTY keyboard, a Sony Wireless LAN CF slot, an MP3 player, a voice recorder, AV remote control, and saving the best for last, a truly usable 1.3-megapixel camera.

The Palm OS 5.0–powered NX80V uses Sony's Launcher application instead of the traditional Palm home screen—a more graphical interface that is better looking and easier to use. The image-friendly Clié has a 200-MHz DragonBall CPU and 32MB of ROM and RAM. The 8 ounce, 0.8- by 2.8- by 5.25-inch (HWD) NX80V uses the now-famous swivel screen, so you can use the PDA in clamshell format, exposing the tiny—albeit functional—round-keyed keyboard, or you can spin the display 180 degrees and fold it flat so the whole unit resembles a conventional PDA.

In addition to the Memory Stick slot, the NX80V has the same proprietary CF slot found on several other Cliés (such as the NX70V and NZ90, for example). The CF slot is primarily for the $150 Sony Wireless LAN card. Other Wi-Fi cards, which are usually a bit cheaper, will not work. Some other CF memory cards will work, but not all. We had success using a Lexar Media card but could not one from Viking Components. And despite the CF capability, you can play MP3s stored on Memory Stick or MagicGate Memory Stick media only.

We had the most fun using the NX80V's integrated camera. Located in the hinge, the camera swivels to protect the lens and lets you capture images in front of or behind the PDA. A software button turns on the capture light, located just to the left of the lens. The light, which stays on until you turn it off, isn't powerful enough to take pictures in a darkened room, but it can brighten the scene in a normally dim room from up to 12 feet away. Another software button controls the 3X digital. An integrated filter will cut the light in overly bright scenes such as those with full sunlight.

We found the camera easy and pleasant to use. Images take about 1 second to record. The video recording mode has a low resolution of 160-by-112, with playback of up to 320-by-240. The best feature of the camera is its 1.3-megapixel resolution. Once you've captured your images, you can display them on the PDA, edit them with Sony's useful but minimal Photo Editor software, or transfer them to a conventional PC for further editing and for printing.

For those who don't need to print pictures but like the other NX80V features, the similar Sony Clié PEG-NX70 ($500) has a more common 640-by-480 camera with no light. The NZ90 has a 2-megapixel camera with a more conventional integrated flash, but the 10.4-ounce PDA is heavy, and at $800, costly. $600 for the Sony Clié PEG-NX80V isn't a giveaway, but considering that you get a truly usable digital camera in addition to a great PDA and an MP3 player, this new model should find plenty of acceptance.

Palm Tungsten W

Mobile professionals who need both a PDA and a cell phone in a single device should consider the Palm Tungsten W ($549 list), a tri-band GSM/GPRS world phone that is relatively rugged, has an integrated keyboard, and offers an SD expansion slot. It has outstanding battery life (10 hours talk time, 240 hours standby time), six-party conference calling capability, and an impressive bundle of portable-office, communications, and e-mail software. It doesn't have a voice recorder or speakerphone, however, and you have to use an external earphone for voice calls.

The Tungsten W is a bit of a handful because of its 3.1-inch width, but its keyboard works well for two-thumb typing. And the excellent Jot software can capture handwriting anywhere on the screen. The integration of the address book with the built-in telephone streamlines phone calling.

The 320-by-320, 16-bit color display is a real standout—a significant step ahead of Palm's earlier wireless-enabled PDAs, and the best among the PDA/phones we looked at. The Tungsten W uses Palm OS 4.1 and a 33-MHz Motorola DragonBall VZ CPU, which is fine for everyday PIM functions but not for multimedia.

Palm Tungsten E

Remember when business buyers had unlimited budgets for technology? Well, we can't, either. Enter the new Tungsten E, the spiritual successor to the popular Palm V and m500 series. It's built for business but equipped for multimedia as well, though playing MP3s requires a memory expansion card.

Weighing just 4.6 ounces and measuring 4.5 by 3.1 by 0.5 inches (HWD), the sleek Tungsten E has a remarkably bright 320-by-320 transflective display. It's ready for all standard Palm business applications. With the addition of an MMC or SD card to store media files and a pair of stereo earphones (neither is included), it's suitable for on-the-road entertainment purposes.

The $200 Tungsten E is the same price as the entry-level HP and Dell Windows Mobile PDAs, which are larger and heavier. It also goes up against the Sony Clié SJ33 ($220 street).

The Tungsten E's 126-MHz CPU and 32MB of RAM are about twice the speed and capacity of the Sony Clié SJ33. It comes with the newest Palm OS and PIM software, but the Sony unit has the advantage of the much-appreciated jog-dial, plus Sony's excellent proprietary interface and applications. But all in all, the Tungsten E offers a great value in a powerful and highly mobile business device.

Product: Palm Tungsten E

Street price: $200

Company Info: Palm Inc., 800-881-7256, www.palm.com

Sony Clié PEG-NR70V

With full-blown laptop PCs now selling for $899, can you justify spending $600 on a PDA? If it's the new Sony Clié PEG-NR70V ($600 street) you can.

Sony has stuffed its new Palm OS handheld with some mouthwatering goodies including a color screen capable of displaying more than 65,000 colors, a built-in keyboard, a digital audio/video player, and a low-res (100,000-pixel) digital camera, all neatly packaged in a cool clamshell case. Another new Clié, the PEG-NR70, is available without the camera for $100 less. The only features missing from our wish list are integrated wireless communications and voice-recorder functions.

We tested all of the new Clié's features on a near-production unit and were extremely impressed. The PEG-NR70V uses a 66MHz DragonBall Super VZ processor—twice as fast as the CPUs in other current Palm OS models. The extra processing power comes in handy for multimedia files, but even normal applications pop up on the screen unlike any other Palm OS PDA we've tested. The new handheld also has 16MB of internal RAM, a Memory Stick expansion slot, and Sony's ever-convenient jog dial and back button for one-handed navigation.

At 5.3 by 2.8 by 0.6 inches (HWD) and 7 ounces, the new PDA packs all these standard features into a case that is just slightly larger and a bit heavier than the company's previous flagship model, the Clié PEG-N760C. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides about 10 days of normal use (figured at 30 minutes per day) according to Sony. If you use the multimedia features, battery life will be much shorter, of course.

The screen on the PEG-NR70V is built into a rotating flip cover that opens in clamshell fashion to reveal the integrated keyboard and traditional Palm OS application launch buttons on the device's bottom panel. The 3.8-inch (diagonal) LCD has a resolution of 320 by 480 pixels and delivers great visibility inside and good (but not great) visibility outside.

If you don't want to use the keyboard, you can twist the cover around by 180 degrees, and fold it down over the keyboard. The screen will be upside down, but the image flips automatically. In this compact orientation, the Clié resembles a typical Palm OS PDA and has a virtual Graffiti area at the bottom of the screen.

The QWERTY keyboard on the bottom half of the Clié clamshell has 7-mm center-to-center key spacing and 42 tiny, round protruding keys. Too small for normal typing, the keyboard is fine for two-thumb use. The contrast isn't great between the dark gray labels and the brushed silver keys they're printed on, however, and this somewhat diminishes the keyboard's appeal.

The swivel camera is conveniently built into the unit's hinge and is usable with the cover open or closed. There are three ways to take a picture: You can press the center of the jog dial, tap the software button, or press the shutter button located on the hinge. Image resolution choices are 320 by 240, 160 by 120, and 88 by 88 pixels. The camera has selectable white-balance levels, brightness settings, and special effects (black and white, negative, sepia, and solarization).

The camera is incredibly easy to use, and images can be stored internally or on a removable Memory Stick. Image quality is suitable for display on the device or for e-mail, but don't expect it to be suitable for printing.

The bundled AudioPlayer application plays MP3 files, and the included Sound Utility allows you to import MIDI and WAV files from a PC. The sound from the speaker on the back of the device is pleasant, but, as we expected, not loud or rich. Plug in the included earbud headphones, though, and the stereo sound and volume are as good as any mobile digital-audio player.

The package includes a USB docking cradle, AC adapter (but no travel charger), headphones, and a wired remote (for controlling the audio features). In addition to the standard Palm OS PDA applications, the rich software bundle includes PictureGear Pocket (for organizing photos), DataViz Documents To Go 4.0 Standard Edition, Intellisync Lite, gMovie, three games, and demo versions of Amy Reiley's Pocket Gourmet and Rand McNally StreetFinder.

It's not cheap, but the Sony Clié PEG-NR70V combines usable entertainment and image-capture features in a versatile PDA, clearly making it the best Palm OS device yet.

Sony Clié PEG-SJ20

The best 16MB entry-level Palm OS PDA around, the Sony Clié PEG-S360 ($180 street), has just been replaced by an even better model, the Sony Clié PEG-SJ20 ($200). The PEG-SJ20 offers a higher-resolution monochrome screen (320-by-320 versus the PEG-S360's 160-by-160) and enhanced white-screen backlighting, making it equally usable indoors and outdoors. The 16MB Handspring Visor Pro is comparable in price to the PEG-SJ20 but doesn't offer the enhanced display technology. And Palm's only 16MB PDA, the Palm m515 ($400), costs more than the PEG-SJ20 because of its color display.

At 4.0 by 2.8 by 0.6 inches (HWD), the silver PEG-SJ20 is not as tall as its predecessor, and it weighs slightly more, at 4.5 ounces. The PEG-SJ20's internal, rechargeable lithium battery is rated for 15 days of use.

You can easily operate the PEG-SJ20 one-handed with the jog dial, Back button, Scroll button, and four application buttons. When we first depressed the device's Power button, it stayed depressed until we pried it up; then it worked consistently. You'll get a reasonable but not rapid response from the 33-MHz Motorola Dragonball VZ processor.

The PEG-SJ20's Memory Stick expansion slot opens the door for add-on storage and accessories, such as the Sony Memory Stick and the Sony Clié Memory Stick Camera Module PEGA-MSC1. The unit has no external keyboard, which is typical of an entry-level device, but you can add the Sony Clié Compact Keyboard PEGA-KB11 for $90. A USB travel cable is included, and an optional cradle accessory, the Sony Clié USB Cradle PEGA-UC50, is available for $30.

You can synchronize the PEG-SJ20's standard Palm OS Software 4.1 PIM applications with Lotus Organizer, Microsoft Outlook, or Palm Desktop using the included synchronization conduits. The unit also includes a host of bundled utility, productivity, travel, health and leisure, and gaming programs, which could take hours to explore. For example, Sony includes five Memory Stick utilities and a handful of software, including DataViz's Documents to Go Standard Edition 4.0 (for viewing and editing Microsoft Word and Excel files), Franklin's Mobipocket Reader, and Vindigo 2.0 (a group of city guides).

The PEG-SJ20 can run Palm OS–compatible games such as Astraware's Bejeweled. Its excellent display, easy navigation, and Memory Stick storage all benefit gamers. The latest Sony PDA accessory, the Sony Clié Game Controller PEGA-GC10 ($40), can boost the gaming features in the PEG-SJ20. Another entertainment option is the Sony Clié Audio Adapter for PEG-T Series PEGA-SA10 ($130), which converts the PEG-SJ20 into an MP3 player.

The Sony Clié PEG-SJ20 is the front-runner entry-level Palm OS PDA, not only because of its included features and software but also for its ability to work with an appealing array of accessories. For only $20 more than the previous model, this package provides an excellent value to consumers.

Product: Sony Clié PEG-SJ20

Street price: $200

Requires: Pentium/133 processor or better (Pentium III/450 or better recommended for Windows XP); 64MB RAM (128MB recommended for Windows XP); 128MB hard drive space; CD-ROM drive; Microsoft Windows 98 SE, 2000 Professional, Me, or XP

Company Info: Sony Electronics Inc., 888-315-7669,

Palm m125, m505

Palm's latest entries—the m125 and the m505—incorporate integrated SD/MMC expansion slots, Palm's Universal Connector, and Palm OS 4.0. Palm is still the major force in the PDA market and offers models for many market sectors, but its innovations are trailing those of HandEra, Handspring, and Sony, the leading Palm OS licensees.

The m125 is the high end of the m100 series and may be beyond the purse strings of its intended consumer market. The cute, tapered design feels like a small spiral notebook, with a digital clock viewable through a window in the flip-top lid. No other PDA offers consumers as much customization potential, with 19 cover colors and textures ranging from dull gray to leopard skin. With third-party covers available too, you can personalize an m125 whether your taste runs to Beacon Hill, the boardroom, or South Beach.

The Universal Connector supports true USB connections (unlike earlier Palm devices) and lets you connect fast I/O peripherals to the m125. According to Palm, all future models will include the same connector, which should improve the availability of cross-model accessories. These two devices handily outperformed all other Palm OS PDAs on our performance tests.

Like the m500 series, the m125 has an SD slot on the left side. But when an SD or MMC card is inserted, it protrudes slightly and feels more vulnerable than a top-panel expansion slot design would.

The backlit monochrome screen is reasonably visible both indoors and out. When you use the Palm Reader application, you can view text in either portrait or landscape mode, but we found the screen too small to read text comfortably even in the largest font.

There is no audio or upgradable flash ROM in the m125, which limits its appeal for mobile professionals. Consumers looking for a bargain have other, less expensive options from Palm. And from other manufacturers.

On the other hand, for mobile professionals who want a sure thing, there is little risk in choosing the Palm m505. Nearly identical in size to the extremely popular Palm V, the m505 adds a color screen, the Universal Connector slot, and an SD/ MMC expansion slot. The m505's side-lit, reflective color display isn't as bright as the Palm IIIc's when inside, but outside it's equal even to the Compaq iPAQ's screen, which is as good as it gets. Unique to the m500 series is the backlit Graffiti area, which helps you see the icons on the sides of the area but doesn't illuminate your Graffiti strokes.

Relative to some of its competition, the m505 is light on bundled software, sharing the productivity and entertainment applications of the m125 and adding only the Expense application and Infinity Software's PowerOne Advanced Calculator. Unlike the m125, the m505 does have rechargeable batteries and includes a flashable ROM for future OS upgrades. Like previous Palm models, the m505 does not have a microphone, speaker, or headphone jack, limiting its value as an entertainment device.

Sony Clié PEG-TG50

We love everything about each successive Clié PDA that Sony releases—except for the mounting prices. But the new Sony Clié PEG-TG50 ($400 street) gives road warriors a host of features at an affordable price.

With this model, you'll find a built-in keyboard, integrated Bluetooth wireless, a voice recorder, and the excellent proprietary interface Clié Launcher, which is integrated with the underlying Palm OS 5. The PEG-TG50 lacks the swivel display and camera that are prominent in the more expensive PEG-NZ90 and PEG-NX70v models. But its features set bests others in its price class. For example, neither the HP iPAQ Pocket PC h5450 nor the Palm Tungsten T has a built-in keyboard.

The PEG-TG50 weighs 6.2 ounces and measures 4.9 by 2.8 by 0.6 inches (HWD) with its protective flip-cover installed. The PDA's application launch buttons and scroll dial are conveniently located directly below the excellent 320-by-320 backlit color screen. Because the jog dial, action dial, and Voice Recorder button are on the left panel, you can easily operate the PDA with one hand.

The unit comes with Picsel Viewer for Clié to view Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word files. There's also the Clié Remote Commander utility to convert your PDA to a remote control for consumer electronics.

With a Bluetooth connection to a compatible GSM phone, you can browse the Internet (with the included Access NetFront 3.0 for Clié browser) and send and receive text messages with the built-in SMS application. In testing, the flashing LED in the PDA's hinge quickly confirmed our Bluetooth connection between the PEG-TG50, a Sony Ericsson t68 phone, and an HP Deskjet 995c printer.

For multimedia applications, you can transfer files using a Memory Stick (not included) and the PEG-TG50's expansion slot. You can view images and videos in Sony's Clié Viewer and Movie Player apps and listen to music with Sony's audio player.

If you've been longing for the Clié platform's unique mix of productivity and entertainment applications but couldn't justify paying $800 for other Clié models, the Sony Clié PEG-TG50 could be just what you've been waiting for.

Product: Sony Clié PEG-TG50

Street Price: $400

Requires: 400-MHz Pentium II CPU or better (500-MHz Pentium III recommended); 96MB RAM (128MB recommended); 200MB hard drive space (350MB recommended); Microsoft Windows 98 SE, 2000 Professional, Me, or XP

Company Info: Sony Electronics Inc., 888-222-7669,

Palm m130 Handheld

Overview

The m130 is Palm's new color mid-range model from Palm. It offers a fast processor and an SD/MMC slot for memory expansion. It is the first non-high-end Palm model to have a color screen.

It is basically an m125 with a color instead of a monochrome screen. But what a difference that little change makes.

Exterior
The m130 gets most of its external appearance from the m100 series. It has the same curvy shape. It is small but not super-slim by any stretch of the imagination. If you want the exact dimensions, it is 4.8 by 3.1 by .9 inches, which is exactly the same size as the m125. It weighs 5.4 ounces, just slightly heavier than the m125.

I think there is an important tradeoff that gets overlooked in handheld design. What fits best in your pocket generally isn't what fits best in your hand. The m100 series sits in my hand much better than any other handheld. But much slimmer handhelds are easier to carry around. The m130 goes much better in a backpack or purse than it does in a pants pocket.

It can use the removable faceplates designed for the m100 series so it can be personalized to fit your taste. There are quite a few of these available, from very conservative to quite outrageous. The faceplate that comes on the m130 is in the conservative category, being a silver with blue around the edges.

The Power button is at the top in the middle.The hardware buttons are nicely sized and neither too easy nor too hard to push. They help makes this a decent handheld for playing games.

Alone of the Palm OS licensees, Palm still hasn't embraced the jog wheel. Maybe someday...

Screen
The m130's screen gets maligned because it is a bit smaller than the standard. It has the usual 160 by 160 pixels; they are just packed into less space. I don't think it deserves a bad rap. The slightly smaller screen actually makes fonts look a bit better because the pixels are smaller and closer together. This means letters look less bitmappy. Of course, this assumes you have good eyesight. If you regularly use reading glasses, smaller fonts are probably not something you are looking for.

The screen absolutely depends on having a backlight. Without one, the screen is utterly unreadable. In fact, there is no way to use the handheld with the backlight off. It has two settings, high and low. Holding down the Power button toggles between these. The only time the backlight is off is when the handheld itself is off.

Indoors, the screen looks very good. It displays colors well, and, even with the backlight on low, it's brighter than an m505. Contrast is excellent so reading text is a breeze. The screen does have a slight bluish tint to it.

The image on the right shows an m505 and an m130. The picture was taken in low light. The sidelight for the m505 is on and the m130's backlight is on low.

Unfortunately, I can't say many good things about how the m130's screen looks outdoors. Like I said, the m130 depends on a strong backlight and if the ambient light is brighter than the backlight, it is difficult to read the screen. I'm not saying the screen is unusable outdoors. If you needed to look up a phone number, you could. But you won't be lying out in the hammock reading an eBook.

This is about the only real flaw in the handheld. While I realize that this will kill the deal for some people, I don't think the typical user regularly uses their handheld for long periods of time outdoors.

Even indoors, the screen suffers from "ghosting". Moving items, like in games, leave a trail behind them. This sometimes makes it difficult to read moving text but that doesn't come up very often.

The Graffiti area isn't backlit.

Battery
In any review of a handheld with a color screen, battery life is an important issue. In an earlier review, I tried to get a feel for battery life with a very unrealistic torture test, where I kept the handheld on continuously. This isn't the way most people use their handhelds so this time I came up with a much better one to test the m130's internal Li-ion rechargeable battery..

I loaded onto it an app called Uptime 1.3.1. Among other things, it tracks how much time a handheld has been on. Its timer stops running when the handheld is off.

Then I just used my handheld normally. I played some games, I read AvantGo channels, my alarms went off as normal, etc. while the app was tracking how much use the handheld was actually getting. This gave me a much better picture of actual battery life than keeping the m130 on continuously.

First, I used it with the backlight on full power. After almost exactly 4 days since its last recharge, I got my first battery warning at 5 hours and 32 minutes of use. I got another warning after 5 more minutes of use and after about 5 hours and 45 minutes it shut itself down.

Next I set the backlight on dim. This gave me 10 hours and 20 minutes of use before the first warning but didn't shut itself down until I had used it for 11 hours and 11 minutes. This took almost 5 days of heavy use.

In case you are wondering, a full charge is 4.21v. I have it set to give its first warning at 3.74v and shut down when it gets below 3.72v.

SD/MMC Slot
One of the best features of the m130 is the expansion card slot. This allows huge amounts of files and applications to be stored and available for use relatively easily.

The support for memory cards built into the OS is decent but not outstanding.

When an SD or MMC card is inserted into the handheld, a new category is created in the Launcher. This is named the same as the expansion card. There is no way to create sub-folders or different categories of apps on the SD card; they are all listed together.

Some applications can be run from the card but what really happens is the app is copied into RAM, run from there, then deleted out of RAM. This won't work for large apps that are made up of several different parts, like AvantGo.

Before you experts fire off an angry comment, I'm talking about what is possible in the Launcher built into the Palm OS. There are quite a few applications out there that allow expansion cards to be much more useful. Going through the whole list is way beyond the scope of this review but I suggest McFile for moving files around and Launcher III for launching apps. They are a good place to start for beginners.

An odd fact about the m130's SD/MMC card slot is that it is on the side of the handheld, not the top as we have come to expect from other handhelds with expansion slots. For most people this won't be a problem, as regular memory cards fit fine. But SD Input/Output devices, like the Bluetooth card, will extend well beyond the confines of the slot itself. Users of these will pretty much have to remove them before putting the m130 away.

I can tell you I carried an m130 around in my pocket for almost two weeks with an SD card in it and never had a problem.

Before I move on, I want to point out that you remove an SD or MMC card from the m130 by pushing it in, then letting it pop out a bit. Do NOT yank it out of the slot with main force. You will break the slot, requiring your entire handheld to be shipped off for repair.

Rugged
Unlike most handhelds, the m130 has actually been designed to survive the conditions handhelds are regularly put through. The casing is larger than many other handhelds because it kind of has a built-in hardcase. Also, the screen is plastic instead of glass to make it much harder to break. This makes a heck of a lot of sense to me. While many high-end models may get carefully coddled in expensive hard cases, most low- and mid-range ones get jammed straight into book bags or purses. Palm was smart to design this series so that it doesn't need any extra protection.

Take a quick look around and you will find all kinds of cases for handhelds but you'll find very few designed for the m100 series. That's because the people who make cases understand that these models really don't need one very much.

Internal
The m125 runs OS 4.1 on the 33 MHz Dragonball processor. It has 8 MB of internal memory, which is about half what I think it ought to have. Palm really should have gone ahead and put 16 MB of RAM in this. This isn't a critical lack because expansion memory will help compensate but 16 MB is what we expect these days.

One feature that is controversial is its lack of flashable ROM. This means the OS can't be upgraded. This probably isn't as big a deal as some people think it is. There isn't going to be another major OS upgrade that the m130 could run even if it did have flash ROM. Palm is working now on OS 5, which is designed for handhelds running ARM-based processors. There's no point in making an upgradable handheld if there probably won't be anything to upgrade it to.

But that doesn't mean the m130 will be junk in six months. Palm OS 5 will be backwards compatible with current apps so m130 users won't suddenly be unable to use all the new Palm apps. Keep in mind, though, there will almost certainly be high-end apps out late this year that this mid-range model won't be able to run. But it is only the very high-end ones that this will be true of, like some games and video players.

Software
Of course the m130 comes with a bunch of useful applications but the most significant of these is DataViz' Documents To Go 4.0 Professional Edition. This allows users to transfer Word and Excel files onto their handheld and work with them there. On the next HotSync, the original document or spreadsheet on the desktop gets updated with any changes made. Docs to Go is neither my favorite word processor nor spreadsheet app but it is hard to compete with free. And it does a very good job of updating the Windows files without losing any formatting. I've read several reviews that said Docs to Go is better than Microsoft's Pocket Word. Windows users can view Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, too.

It also comes with MGI PhotoSuite for displaying pictures. These look good on the m130's color screen and it's handy to always have the pictures from your last vacation with you.

They updated the Note Pad for this model, too. This is the little app that lets you draw notes to yourself, rather than having to write them. It has come in handy for me plenty of times. Too bad the changes they made to it are almost useless.

They added the ability to change the color of the the background and line color for all notes, but not each individual note. So you can make the background on all your notes green but you can't make the background on one green and another blue.

Universal Connector
The m130 uses the Universal Connector, first seen on the m500 series. This allows the m130 to use most peripherals designed for the m500 series that connect to the HotSync port.

For example, I never even bothered to connect the m125's cradle up to my computer; I've been using the one for my m505 with no problems. I've also used it with my Stowaway folding keyboard and the Kodak PalmPix camera that have the UC.

I think Palm's move to standardize on the UC is one of the best moves the company has made. I've heard so many complaints from people who don't want to upgrade because they would have to buy all new peripherals. Palm will be using the UC for at least the next couple of years so you can buy your peripherals with confidence that you'll be able to use them on your next Palm model, too. Unless you are waiting until 2005 to buy it.

I wish Palm would let other companies use the UC, too. It would be great for peripheral makers if they could make one keyboard or GPS module and know that everyone can use it, whether they have a Clié, Visor, or whatever. It's not too likely, though. One of Palm's big advantages is there are far more peripherals for its models than for its competitors.

While the m130 can use many of the same peripherals as the m500 series, this means it can't use the ones designed for the m100 series. This is going to cause confusion for buyers. Packages that say "Works with the Palm m100 Series" are all going to have to be changed. It might have been simpler if Palm had just called this the m305 and pointed out that it can use some m500 peripherals and some m100 ones.

I'll try to help clear some of this up. The m130 can use the faceplates and flip covers for the m100 series. It can't use the m100 series styli. It is slightly thicker than the m100 series, which means many cases won't fit, either. Anything that needs to connect to the HotSync port, like a modem, needs to use the Universal Connector.

Of course, some products don't say they use the UC; they just say they are for the m500 series. And some that have been designed for the m500 series won't work with the m130. See why I said this is going to cause confusion? If there is any doubt, contact the manufacturer or visit their website to find out if the product is m130 compatible.

Tis is going to get a little easier as the older m100 series models, which don't have the UC, get discontinued. As it is, any peripheral that works with the m125, also works with the m130.

Infrared Port
Of course, the m130 has the standard infrared port that is on all Palm powered handhelds. It also comes with the Mobile Internet Kit so if you have a mobile phone with an IR port, you can use it to wirelessly access the Net. It uses Palm's Web Clipping technology to get information from websites. I had to install it from the CD first, though. I then loaded the Palm Infocenter Web Clipping app onto the m125 to try it out and had no problems.

Plus you can use the IR port for the standard stuff, like beaming apps and files to other handhelds.

Peripherals
The flip cover has the same general design as the one from the m100 series, but isn't exactly the same. It is made of a semi-rigged plastic. It has a clear window in it and an opening for the Up button. This allows you to use the m130 as a pocket watch. You can pull it out of your pocket or purse and without opening the cover, push the Up button to display the time and date in the window. Very convenient.

The stylus is particularly cheap. It is essentially a solid bit of plastic. There is no reset pin built into it.

The cradle is the same one that ships with the m500 series. It has been described as looking like a slipper and I think this is accurate. Like I said, I used the cradle from an m505 without a hassle.

While I'm on the topic of cradles, I ought to point out that I've never heard of a case of the m130 or m125 suffering from the USB problems some m500 series models do.

Conclusion
At $280, I think the m130 is an excellent deal. It is the least expensive color Palm OS handheld you can get.

I think this is a good handheld for a high school or college student. Of course, students aren't the only people who might like an m130. It is right for anyone who wants a color handheld with a lot of storage who doesn't want to spent $400 to get it.