Palm M505 Handheld Organiser

Download Palm M500 Series Manual

Palm's simple yet elegant operating system has long been a shining light in the world of PDAs. The good news on the Palm m505 is that the Palm OS still offers a wide array of tools to gather your personal and business data in a great computing environment. Unfortunately, the most touted aspect of the Palm m505--its color screen--is a disappointment.

Turning it on for the first time, we wondered if we had received the monochrome version Palm m500 handheld--the screen was dark and barely visible in our moderately lit office. We fumbled around for the contrast preference, but couldn't find it. In fact, the Palm m505 has no way to adjust contrast other than to turn on the backlight. Only with the backlight activated could we actually discern the icon and screen colors, and even then the LCD screen seemed muted.

On side-by-side tests with the Handspring Visor Prism, its main color competition, the Palm m505 was lacking in brightness and crispness--despite both handhelds' having 16-bit display support that can show up to 65,000 colors.

The reason for this seems to be that Palm has sacrificed brilliance for energy efficiency. The Palm m505's rechargeable battery does, indeed, keep its charge with "normal" usage (estimated by Palm at 40 minutes per day) for about three weeks. However, with the mandatory use of the m505's backlight, we found the battery needed more frequent charging. Luckily, charge time in the included HotSync cradle/recharger is quite short.

The basic Palm applications in OS version 4.0--Address, Date Book, Memo Pad, and To Do List--remain largely unchanged, with a few tweaks here and there. For instance, the Date Book application now includes a screen view with a list of the appointments and to-do items for a particular date. And like the m100 series, the Note Pad has been added for doodling and scribbling handwritten notes (instead of writing longer tomes in the Memo Pad using the Palm's Graffiti alphabet).

Palm has collected a number of bonus software titles that you can easily add to the m505 without denting much of the 8 MB of memory, including AvantGo, which downloads Web news and content from a variety of sources (enabling us to keep up with Aussie Rules Football scores). The biggest test for the color screen came with PhotoSuite, an image viewing app that displays a range of image-file formats downloaded from your PC. We found the color depth to be quite good, but the screen's lack of brightness made the images look rather muddy.

Additionally, several connectivity applications from Palm's Mobile Internet Kit are provided, including the Web Clipping app for viewing Web content built specifically for Palm viewing and MultiMail SE for accessing e-mail. And, of course, there's the highly touted expansion slot for SecureDigital cards and MultiMediaCards, allowing you to add memory, content, and functionality. Unfortunately, at the time of this review, we were unable to test any of the cards offered by Palm.

With its curved angles, thin design, and light weight, the Palm m505 closely resembles its predecessor, the Palm V series handheld. And like that model, the m505 feels very comfortable both in the palm of your hand and resting in your pocket. Also, with the Palm m505's new 33 MHz Dragonball VZ processor, switching applications seemed much more immediate.

The siren song of the new m500 series is indeed seductive, and Palm has done well to streamline its basic repertoire and add some tasty new notes to the mix. However, the Palm m505 is ultimately a disappointment due to its underwhelming color display. If you're having trouble getting this song out of your head, the Palm m500 handheld (with all the functions of the Palm m505 but with a monochrome screen) should keep your toes tapping just fine.

Pros:

* Faster processor
* Classic Palm styling--contoured design is comfortable to hold
* Good range of additional software, from Internet connectivity to e-book reader
* New expansion slot takes industry standard SecureDigital cards and MultiMediaCards

Cons:

* Color screen is rather dim and ultimately disappointing
* Backlighting must be turned on to see the color screen, wearing down the rechargeable battery
* Expandability via SecureDigital and MMC cards limited by current offerings

Download Palm M500 Series Manual

Palm M505 Product Features

* Built-in 8 MB memory stores thousands of contacts, appointments, to-do items, and notes
* Displays over 65,000 colors--view photos, video clips, and more
* SecureDigital/MultiMediaCard expansion slot for additional memory and functionality such as a dictionary/thesaurus, games, and more
* USB cradle allows faster HotSync operations
* Windows and Macintosh compatible--includes desktop software for both platforms

Download Palm M500 Series Manual

Palm M505 Technical Details

# Standard memory: 8 MB with flash upgradeability
# Maximum memory: 72 MB (with optional 64 MB expansion memory card)
# Expansion slot: Compatible with SecureDigital cards and MultiMediaCards (MMCs)
# Display type: Advanced color LCD screen technology for wide-angle, low-light, and bright-light viewing
# Display colors: Over 65,000
# Display size: 160 x 160 pixels
# Display backlight: Yes
# Processor: 33 MHz Motorola Dragonball VZ processor
# Operating system: Palm OS 4.0
# PC compatible: Yes
# Mac compatible: Yes
# PC system requirements: Windows 98, 2000, or Me; USB port; 30 MB hard disk space; CD-ROM drive
# Mac system requirements: Apple Macintosh OS 8.5.1 and above, available USB port, 30 MB hard disk space, CD-ROM drive, 5 MB available RAM
# Handwriting recognition: Yes
# Keyboard: Onscreen
# User controls: Stylus
# Memo pad: Yes
# Address book: Yes
# Scheduler: Yes
# E-mail: Yes
# Web browser: No
# Security: Yes
# Stereo: No
# Built-in speaker: No
# Headset jack: No
# Voice recorder: No
# MP3 playback: No
# Audible content playback: No
# AC adapter included: Yes, via HotSync cradle
# Battery type: Rechargeable lithium-ion
# Batteries included: Yes
# Average battery life: Up to 3 weeks
# Desktop import/export formats: CSV, tab delimited, TXT, vCard, and vCal; direct export to Microsoft Word and Excel
# Serial port: Yes; Macintosh serial adapter sold separately
# USB: Yes
# Infrared: Yes
# Wireless: Yes, via compatible cellular phones using Palm Mobile Connectivity software
# Docking cradle: Native USB cradle with battery charger (120 volts AC, 60 Hz)
# PC cable: No
# Software: CD-ROM with Palm Desktop software for Windows and Macintosh plus Documents To Go 3.0 by DataViz, MGI PhotoSuite Mobile Edition, AvantGo, Pocket Mirror 3.0, Palm Reader, MultiMail SE, and Palm Mobile Connectivity software
# What's in the box: Palm m505, Stylus, USB HotSync cradle, Rechargeable lithium ion battery, Getting Started guide, handbook, Palm Desktop software for Windows and Mac, Palm Mobile Connectivity software
# Width: 3.1 inches
# Height: 4.5 inches
# Depth: 0.5 inches
# Weight: 4.9 ounces