Palm Zire

So bought what pda's were really about... a simple to use
device to store my addresses and reminders.... this device
has made my day. It is so simple:

1- easy to hotsynch and backup by pressing one button
2- low memory use, I have loaded all my addresses and games and still have 1.4 meg left. So who says 2meg is
not eneough.
3- no backlight, has'nt stopped me looking at it in low light, when are you ever going to be in a totally pitch black room.
4- used it for 4 hours each day for 3 days and still 100% battery, this is so important, the ipaq used to last 2 or 3 hours before the battery warnings came up. I can happily leave this unit away from the charger for over a month and still have 80% battery, cos unlike the ipaq it does not eat at your batteries even while switched off.

5- pda's were mainly for address book and calendar reminders, this does it via 2 buttons on the front panel.

6- I used to take my ipaq out occassionally cos it was expensive and bulky, i take my zire out everyday in my shirt pocket, cos its light and small.

7- another best is, while i am plugged into the usb port
this actually trickle charges my zire, what a simple but effective function. To date i hav never had the need to use the power supply adapter supplied with the unit.
I even took it on a weeks holiday and still had no need for it. The usb port is at the top, making it ideal for me to use and view my ipaq when plugged in.

8- Alot of people moan about the plastic cover, well i like it, cos its simple, does the job and even more important it is a non slip rubber unit, which when flipped back it acts like a tilt and view facility allowing you to view your ipaq while connected to your usb etc.

9- If you are looking for something cheap, easy to use, and will require minimal power source over a period, then surely this has got to be the one. How many times does mr.average use excel, word, media player, TV on a pda, why waste £400 - £500 on it, when all it will do is look good when you show it to your friends.

Having been a ipaq user for 2 years, I wish i had made the jump sooner. My 64meg on the ipaq was full of short movies just so that i could show off to friends. At least the 2meg on the zire is being utilised for me personally.Even though I have only used 0.4meg and thats only because i loaded 10 extra games for my kids when driving around, still have 1.6 meg for me, but i have already inputted all that i need, so how much more memory does a person really need.

The games are brilliant, okay i'm not going to get playstation 2 quality, but hey what do you get for [the price].
Do you really need a ipaq/sony clie... okay it looks sexy, but then thats about it.

Speaking from experience, most people will use a pda for contact details, online pin numbers, bank account details etc.. and reminders for birthdays, anniversaries etc..

Good luck and go for it !!

Pros:
Easy to use
Good design (very compact)
No fancy extras
Great battery time
Palm OS 4.1

Cons:
No backlight
No cradle
Only two buttons
Slow processor