Fast, functional, and packed with features! (Palm Tungsten C)

Member Name: t0m101

Product:	Palm Tungsten C
Date:	06/07/05 (246 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fast, huge storage capabilities, wireless internet, great software, easy to use . . . .

Disadvantages: Mono audio

I have been using the Palm Tungsten C for 6 months with exceptional performance and quality. I will convey to you, in my opinion, what I believe are the most important features of the device.

-> Design

To look at the Tungsten C is very sleek. To accomodate the full qwerty keyboard the screen is not the full size of the device but roughly two thirds. The screen is cystal clear and provides exceptional colour even with high definition digital photos. The device is very slim at only just over 1cm thick. There is a slot down one side to keep your included metal stylus, and the other side has a slot for the removable screen protector. At the top of the device is a SD card slot, the infa-red port and a mono (small scale) headphone/microphone aperture. To the bottom is the universal connector which is used for charging and connecting to your PC. The reverse has just the mono speaker, and two slots to allow it to be held in a special case. I personally purchased an aluminium hardcase to protect my Palm and this well worth the extra money.

-> Hardware

The specification for the Tungsten C speaks for itself. The 400MHz processor is more than capable of handling anything I have asked the device to do. My old laptop has a processor of this speed!! From the 64MB ram stated, you get 51MB of storage space as standard for all your applications and files

With respect to the PC requirements almost any PC from the last 5 years, with a USB port, should have no problems connecting to the PDA. The cradle included is easy to install and get you up and running.

-> Software

Included is not only the Palm OS but heaps more software to get you going. Particularly useful is the Documents To Go software. This allows you to create and edit various documents whenever you want - in formats such as the Microsoft Office range (wordprocessing, spreadsheets and presentations). An Adobe acrobat converter and reader allows you a quick and easy way to take important files with you from your main PC. The basic day to day applications such as the address book, diary, and to do list are exceptionally good and incredibly easy to use. Also, to make sure you don't get bored a version of Solitaire is included. All the programs required to get online are included.

There is much more software available than what is included when you buy your palm. With a bit of searching I found a website that listed free programs that you can download. There is so much that you can do with the palm that you will want to keep finding new programs. One program which I did buy is one that turns your Palm device into a universal remote controll using the inbuilt infa-red port. You can teach your palm how to control any device - amazing!!!

-> Wireless Internet

The wireless internet has been particularly useful for me. There are many hotspots available at my University so I can always keep up to date with my email, the weather, sport, or even just chatting on msn messenger. To chat on msn messenger use the web browser and log onto a web based messenging service and away you go. For the secure wireless networks out there you are prompted to input the WEP key before you can connect. The strength of the wireless receiver is limited compared with a notebook PC, however this is acceptable as the battery power is limited. I can access a wireless network on the floor above where the access point is located. I have also picked up many wireless networks when travelling on the bus from surrounding buildings. I think this is great from such a small device.

-> Keyboard

The keyboard is a full qwerty model and has a function key to access numbers and special characters. The buttons are small but with a small amount of practice you become accustomed to this and can type quite freely. There are a few programmable buttons for quick access to programs, and a multidirection selection button so you dont have to use the stylus at all. You can still write on the screen with the installed Graffiti package, which is quite difficult to learn, but very quick once you get the hang of it.

-> Accessories

Not included with the Tungsten C, but a very useful accessory is some headphones or microphone. I tested my device using my mobile phone hands free kit, and was pleasantly suprised with the quality of sound. Please note that for MP3 playback additional software is required. A case of somesort will definatly increase the lifespan of your Palm device. A lot of people reccomend using screen protectors - however in my opinion as long as you are careful and hot heavy handed, the screen is durable and capable of everyday use.

To extend the storage the SD card expansion slot allows you to increase the capacity into the Gigabyte range. I have also seen SD cards that give you bluetooth access which adds further accessability to the device.

-> Battery

The battery is outstanding in the performance it delivers. Even with heavy use I on average only charge once a week. This includes using the internet on a day to day basis. If you are a more light user then I expect the battey could last a few weeks. An important feature of the battery is that it is LiON which means that you can recharge it anytime without degredation. This is great when you know you are going away for a few days and the battery is only half empty. You can plug it in and charge away to give you full capacity for your trip without needing to take the charger with you.

-> Media

I have used my Palm Tungsten C for MP3, picture, and video playback. MP3 requires additional sotfware, but there are many available online. Using a storage card means you can carry whole albums with you wherever you go. The video playback is amazingly good for a device so small. It is capable of full screen video and pictures giving a full media experience. I can take videos with my digital camera, transfer them to the C, and play them back for friends and family. Using additional software you can convert DVD's into small device format MPEG-4 files and store them on an SD memory card. You can then watch full films on your Tungsten C on the bus, train or in the park. The included software allows you to start a slideshow of your stored images and watch them through. The colour and quality is fantastic for both video and pictures.

-> Conclusion

To conclude I really love my PDA. I wanted to find a device that is top of the range, and the Tungsten C certainly is. I find it useful in so many ways. I would recommend one to anyone that needs to stay up to date, on time, free from boredom, or just likes new gadgets. The wireless internet takes the Palm Tungsten C into the next generation of handheld devices and in my opinion will become more and more useful as we expand our ever increasing technological world.

Summary: Easy to use, fast enough for all applications, amazing wireless internet

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