The cheapest PDA on the market (Palm Z22)

Member Name: xcorlett

Product:	Palm Z22
Date:	19/03/09 (143 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap, reliable, well built, simple

Disadvantages: Too simple for many, lags far behind other technology

This is an interesting product as it is right at the low end of electronic personal organizers but is very well made. Most people are now using their mobile phones for organizing themselves as mobiles have come on a long way in the last few years. I was bought a Palm Z22 by my boss so that I could keep myself organized and get everything done as it needed to be done.

For the first few months, I was eager to use it. A few years ago I had a Handspring Visor and thought it was the coolest tool. Brushed metal casing, large screen, responsive and easy to use. Well, it's been a number of years since that product and I would have expected the cheapest of the new models to be pretty good. Well, it has less features than the handspring that I used to have. The screen is a little higher quality, the colours are bright and the unit is extremely responsive. But it doesn't really do very much more than be a calendar and note taker. There is very little room for expansion. You can download extra applications, but a lot of applications require a more high powered unit to work properly. The screen resolution (160x160) is just appalling and you certainly shouldn't bother to use to to store and show your picture collection. I stopped using it because I just became increasing dissatisfied with the user experience.

In many ways, the unit is excellent. It does its calendar and note taking job very well, with either an on screen keyboard or handwriting recognition used to input text. Both work just fine, but the handwriting recognition is based on special characters that you have to learn. The battery life is superb, presumably because the unit is rather simple. It is cheap, well built and relatively sleek (if a little too plastic).

I'd recommend it for anyone who wants an electronic personal organizer without the extra features that would probably go unused in a more expensive unit. So, the older generation might appreciate this. It's certainly very well built, the contrast is pretty good and it feels good in your hands. The price is relatively good, ranging from 50 to 100 pounds depending on where you look. Some people over here in the states hate the product shortly after buying it and it ends up on craigslist selling for $10-$25. A total bargain at that price if you can find it.

Summary: Excellent for those who want a simple PDA. Not for anyone else!

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