RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8100 Smartphone

When my well-used and beloved Sony Clie SJ30 finally gave up the ghost during at the end of a business trip, I knew I needed to get a new PDA ASAP. My wife jokes that it it came down to her or my PDA, I'd probably choose the PDA. Of course she's wrong but it would be a close call. Anyhow, I started to do some online research and discovered to my horror that Sony seems to have gotten out of the PDA business. While I could have found an older Clie through eBay or some other source, I figured that if I was going to get a new PDA, it should offer some advances over my prior handheld. As a result, I had to rethink my options.

First and foremost, I'm a Mac person and always will be so any PDA had to offer compatibility. Despite the tremendous power of the Missing Sync application to connect typically non-Mac systems, like the Sony Clie, to Mac OS computers (I highly recommend Missing Sync - www.markspace.com - to any PDA user by the way!), this need for immediate compatibility ruled out the newest Mobile Windows systems for which Missing Sync does not yet offer a conduit. In the end, my search led me back to Palm, the source of my first PDA six and half years ago. After some research (both here on Epinions as well as other sites), I chose the new Palm TX, which hit the market only a few weeks ago, over the wide array of other options

Some of the key factors in my choice were:

- cost: at $299 it's not cheap but given what it offers and my absolute reliance on my PDA, I think it's a fair value

- screen size: the 320x480 screen is huge compared to my old Clie and offers crisp, clear colors

- integrated WiFi

The TX offers additional features, including:

- Bluetooth (I suppose I'll find a use for it sometime but I'm not really planning to dial out with my Bluetooth phone to get online with the PDA)

- 128MB of memory: I know some people might think this is too little (the TX's predecessor, one of the Tungsten models, had 256 MB of memory) but external SD cards are so cheap, I bought a 512 MB card for $29.99 after rebate and plugged it right in.

Another note re: memory - The system's memory is protected so that if the battery dies, your data survives, unlike on older PDAs in which you would have to do a complete restore or reload all of your software following a power loss.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the Palm TX. The screen lives up to the hype - bright and sharp. Thanks to the dynamic Graffiti structure, what used to be a permanent location for text entry that used up a lot of potential screen space now appears and disappears as needed or, as the display rotates, moves to different locations. The resulting flexibility in display size and configuration is wonderful. To get that screen size does require the PDA to be larger than I'm used to. While only slightly more than half an inch thick, the system is 4.75 inches high and 3 inches wide - still easily slipped into a jacket or pants pocket but a bit more noticeable than the slightly fatter but narrower/shorter Clie SJ30.

To use the system, you enter data using the stylus, either via handwritten text in Graffiti 2 (slightly different from Graffiti 1, causing me to tab when I want to write the letter "t" or have lots of words where the "i" shows up as an "l" but I'm getting used to it) or a digital keyboard that can be called up in place of the virtual Graffiti interface. Four hard button along the bottom the unit provide direct access to applications. While they have icons representing "home", "calendar", "contacts" and "web", they are configurable if you want immediate access to different apps. The 5-way toggle in the center (replacing the old up/down toggle) allows you to move around the screen, select, and launch files or apps with one finger. Well, that's what the literature says but I end up using the stylus most of the time but that's a preference thing. It's like having a choice of tabbing between fields in an online form or using the mouse to jump to the field of interest.

One thing I applaud (and I'm assuming this is standard on Palm OS 5 machines now) is the ability to configure the PDA based on whether you are left or right handed.

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[ADDITION TO ORIGINAL REVIEW]
As a lefty, I definitely appreciate the software flexibility with regard to the interface layout. when I switch from portrait (screen aligned so it's taller than it is wide), the Graffiti area and buttons are at the bottom. When you toggle the "Rotate Screen" option, the interface turns 90 degrees into a landscape layout (wider than it is tall). The default setting is to turn it 90 degrees counterclockwise so that the buttons and 5-way toggle are along the left side while the Graffiti area is presented vertically on the right side. However, that's entirely wrong for a left-hander, who needs the buttons on the right so you can write with your left hand on a Graffiti area on the left side. The "Handedness" setting allows you to switch that alignment so that the interface is optimized for lefties. A NOTE ON THIS - if you ever reset your TX, it seems to return to the right-handed default setting so you'll need to go back in and reset that preference. Even so, this is a great feature and one I appreciate a great deal.

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However, while the software designers were on the ball on this issue, the hardware designers were not. The TX, like other Palms, has a rather flimsy cover that gets inserted into the left side of the PDA while the stylus slides down a slot on the right side. As a result, when I want to use the system and am holding it in my right hand, the cover keeps hitting my fingers and flipping closed. To compensate, I have to open it up and fold the cover around the back. I'm not sure why Palm designers didn't bring the cover up over the top so it could flip up and out of the way. Such a design would make it easy to flip open and simultaneously provide protection for the Power button, SD card port, and audio out jack when you weren't using the PDA. The stylus is thick and relatively heavy but the point feels soft and doesn't raise worries that it will mark up the screen too badly over time.

Sadly the system comes just with a power cord and a hot sync cable (that's two different cables with no connection between them). There's a cradle but it's a $49.99 option. The hot sync cable includes the sync button on the plug where it connects to the base of the TX and I've found that I need to wiggle it sometimes to get it to sit correctly to sync. There's no visual indicator that the connection is good. If you try to sync and it doesn't work, the plug isn't in right so try it again. I did purchase the cradle/power cable system for use in the office. It's adequate though for some reason, it has a bright white light that illuminate the entire base and that remains lit at all times when the power cable is plugged in. Also I do worry about the cradle and the PDA because the plugs don't fit easily into the base of the TX. It's very tight (obviously to keep it from falling off but it's a bit ridiculous) and I'm a bit paranoid that sometime in the future, I might cause some damage inserting or removing it.

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[ADDITION TO ORIGINAL REVIEW]
One additional note on the hot sync cable and the cradle - the pins that connect the cradle or cable to the PDA are completely exposed, which I feel is a flaw in the design. If you try to plug it in too fast or from an awkward angle, I believe there is a good chance that you might bend one of the pins, preventing you from connecting properly and potentially ruining the cable or cradle. In other PDAs and mobile electronics that dock (e.g., the iPod), the connecting pins are embedded in a stiff frame or plastic or otherwise protected. It makes it easier to connect (the frame serves as a guide to help you connect it properly) while protecting both the dock and the electronic device. When I took a close look at the Palm cradle today (as I was trying to get a good connection so it would charge and sync) I was pretty shocked to see how exposed the relatively long pins are. If you're careful, the odds of damaging them are probably low but damage them and you've got a problem. It's an easy issue to fix and it's a bit disappointing that the designers didn't take the extra step.

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The WiFi and the TX's web and mail apps have worked fine for the most part. Simply turn on the WiFi, hit "Scan" and it will find the hot spots near you. Connecting to public WiFi spots (e.g., at Starbucks) isn't a problem and the system accepted my WEP security key for our home WiFi network without a problem. I've configured the VersaMail application (comes standard with the TX) to log in and retrieve my home, and .Mac e-mails. Browsing using the standard Blazer application is straightforward though not all sites will appear or function properly either due to screen size or web architecture and applications (e.g., sites that rely heavily on Flash).

The system also includes the Documents to Go program as standard, allowing you to access, create, or edit MS Word, Excel, or PowerPoint documents on the PDA. I'd used DTG in the past on older PDAs but this is the first one on which the idea of looking at a PowerPoint slide doesn't seem that silly, thanks to the beautiful color screen and landscape view. The system also includes other apps as standard, including a media viewer capable of showing video and still images, and an MP3 music system. I don't bother using the Palm Desktop applications that get installed on the computer - it doesn't look like they've been updated much since I got my first Palm six and half years ago. Instead, I use the easy and free Entourage conduit and sync my Palm with my MS Entourage organizer.

While the sticker price for the system was $299, I did spend the $49 for the extended 2-year warranty. I don't usually do this but I'm pretty demanding of my mobile electronics and it seemed worth it in this case.

I'm still getting used to it and do miss my somewhat more compact old Clie but overall, the Palm TX has performed well and done what I've needed it to do without hassles.