(Revised 11/17/05) Zire 71-Almost a total multi-media PDA
Written: Oct 23 '03 (Updated Nov 17 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Built in camera for quick pics, fast processor for apps, sharp, colorful display.
Cons: Slippery casing, no bluetooth, vibrate, voice recorder. Internal cable problem may occur.
The Bottom Line: For the decent price, the Zire 71 offers a lot of value and features compared to others in the same price range. It is afterall, a PDA first and foremost.
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| maceyr's Full Review: Palm Zire™ 71 Handheld |
(Added Nov 17, 2005)
I have created a Palm blog focused originally for Palm newbies and those curious about what Palms can do for them. Originally, the posts will first discuss why a Palm is a better organizer than the usual paper organizer, then later focusing on the default Palm application programs that are included in the device. There will be Flash simulations to better show how each program works and how easy it is to set up a new appointment, change it and delete it, etc. Later on, I will be focusing on discussing third party application programs that unleash the powerful capabilities of the Palm. It's not the old monochrome digital addressbook Palm Pilot that you once thought it was anymore! Check out maceyr's Palm discovery blog:
http://maceyr.blogspot.com
(Added Feb 6, 2005)
Zire 71 Internal cable problem
About 6 months after my purchase of the Zire 71, I experienced something that most likely plagues most Zire 71 users at some point: the dreaded internal cable problem.
The cable that connects the Zire 71 to the universal connector which not only charges the Palm but also allows the transfer of data is already quite bent up inside the Palm to begin with. Since the only way to turn on the camera in the Zire 71 is to slide out the camera, the internal cable will eventually make a crease inside, at places where the cable gets bent. That's where the problem comes. With frequent opening and closing of the camera, the cable will get bent further, until parts of the cable will break off, and there's a loss of electricity flowing through some parts of the cable. This is somewhat similar to bending a plastic card back and forth until it eventually breaks due to the stress. And, with that, you will notice that you no longer can HOTSYNC by pressing the Hotsync button on the cradle. Eventually, you'll find out that it doesn't charge either, even when the Palm is sitting on the cradle.
If you're still under warranty, you may be able to get it repaired or replaced at PalmOne. If not, you can try opening up the Palm and soldering parts of the broken cable. There's a posting at Brighthand forums by a member named junglemike which details the procedure.
http://discussion.brighthand.com/palmhandhelds/showthread.php?s=&threadid=62728
If you don't want to open up your Palm, you may still be able to charge and Hotsync the Palm. If you try sliding the camera out a bit while it's sitting on the cradle, you may be able to notice that the lightning bolt (charging indicator) comes on. And, you can Hotsync if there is the connection by going into the Palm's Hotsync app and tapping on the Hotsync icon. I have been doing this ever since I experienced this internal cable problem and it's working for me. Sometimes, you may have to open and close the Palm and redo the sliding out to get a connection. But once you have the connection, you should be able to hotsync and charge. But this is only a temporary solution, since you are still continuing to bend the cable and maybe making new bending creases too. So, eventually, you may run out of areas where you can still get a connection.
For more information on the Zire 71, please check out the Zire 71 FAQ posting. From time to time, I periodically update whatever info I know so to make it helpful for others:
http://discussion.brighthand.com/palmhandhelds/showthread.php?s=&threadid=42028
Also, I have created a Palm blog that's originally focused for new Palm users and those still using paper daytimer organizer to help them make the jump to a Palm. I have outlined my reasons and thoughts why I changed from being a paper organizer to a Palm and why I think it's the best decision I ever made. The posts will first focus on the paper organizer vs Palm debate, then discuss the default Palm applications with flash enabled simulations and screenshots to help a new Palm user or anyone get a better idea and feel of how it works. Later, I will focus on third party programs that truly enhance the Palm device and experience as well as tips and tricks I've discovered.
http://maceyr.blogspot.com
(Added April 18th) Solution for the internal cable problem
I have discovered a way to still be able to use the Zire 71 camera without physically opening the camera slider. This problem as I've discussed before has plagued me April 2004 to now. What I end up having to do now is to permanently keep the camera open. I have found a way to launch the camera without moving the slider. So once I've launched the camera application, I can do everything just like as if I've physically opened the camera. So, I can change the contrast, brightness, resolution, etc. And, the best part is that I can still use 3rd party applications that required launching the camera app. So I can now take videos with the Palm/Zire Movie Maker and time lapsed photos with Fun Cam. Check out my posting at PalmAddicts
http://palmaddict.typepad.com/palmaddicts/2005/04/keep_using_your.html
or via my updated and detailed posting at Brighthand forums which has more info that didn't make it when I originally wrote my posting at Palm Addicts.
http://discussion.brighthand.com/palmhandhelds/showthread.php?s=&threadid=77094
All I can say is that all the time I've spent searching for a camera hack/app has finally paid off. I am now able to keep using the camera without worrying about further damaging the internal cable as well as being able to launch the other 3rd party camera apps.
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Almost a total multi-media PDA for the price conscious consumer
With the additions to the Palm family of handhelds such as the Tungsten T3, E and Zire 21 (at the time I wrote this review), it was inevitable that the existing line of Palms would drop in price to make it competitive to the newer models. I took advantage of the price drop in the Zire 71 and snapped up the Back to school package which bundled extra software such as the DataViz Documents to Go 5 and Handmark's Road Scholar back in October 2003. On the front of the package it says that it contains $275 Cdn value of software bundled but if it's just these two, they could maybe amount to $100 Cdn. But still, free is free. Originally I was looking at buying the Zire 71 from Staples, since there is a $50 coupon that I could apply to the purchase but when I noticed Futureshop selling the bundled Back to School package with the extra software, I wanted that instead, but didn't want to pay the going price of $449 for it. Then, with Palm announced the new handhelds, the Canadian MRSP of the Zire 71 dropped to $399. Still, I wasn't happy and searched through the net looking for a good deal. Sure, the package includes the extra software and just getting that, I'm already getting some kind of deal compared to buying just the standalone unit. But I was hoping to find ways to maximize my savings. Eventually, my hard work paid off and I found an online store in Canada that sold the Zire 71 Back to School package for a very good price. I ended up taking advantage of a price match policy of Futureshop to Price Match the online store so that I could buy the Zire 71 at 10% less than the cheaper online store (due to the store 110% price guarantee). You've got to love price match policies. For those interested, the Palm product number for the Back to School package is P80721US. There are several product numbers for the standalone Zire. Usually, it is P80720US. There is also the Multi-Language version and a French version (for Canadians) available as well.
Sure, the Tungsten E is newer, has double the RAM of the Zire 71 and obviously it is cheaper so why didn't I get that one instead? Well, the main thing I didn't like about the Tungsten E is that it doesn't have a universal connector which many other Palms have. The universal connector is where you can attach other accessories such as keyboard, GPS connectors, Palm modem, and many other accessories. To charge and connect the Palm to the computer, you only have to connect the Palm via the UC whereas with the Tungsten E and similar Palms, you'd need to connect a mini-USB port and an adapter for the charger. When travelling, that would mean more stuff to bring with you. And, I wanted the built in camera that the Zire 71 has, so that I can take advantage of special moments, or to snap a quick pic of whatever it is so that I can look back. Those doing house shopping would find it very helpful because if you've ever done some house shopping, after a few, you're almost too bloated with info and might have details all jumbled up. And, you can also jot down notes on the home as you're going through it which can be very helpful. I didn't want to get a Tungsten E, T (discontinued), or T2 and then have to get a camera attachment because I'm one of those who are worried about how easy it can be to break attachments. And the looks of the Zire 71 with the attractively colored blue casing really appealed to me.
So, I get the package, which is essentially a bubble plastic pack that contains the Zire 71, a black plastic faux leather type carrying case with a velcro tab, 2 software CDs (Desktop Software CD 1 and Software Essentials CD 2), USB HotSync cable, HotSync cradle, power adapter, Read This First booklet, Graffiti 2 stickers showing how to use the Graffiti 2 handwriting recognition software, Graffiti 2 instruction booklet, Software license agreement, BoomerangIt Lost and Found 6 month trial card with sticker, Palm Worldwide Support numbers card, Palm Limited Warranty booklet and a card that informs Win 95 & NT users that they'll need the Palm HotSync cradle for serial connectivity since the cradle enclosed uses USB. Remember that the package I'm discussing is the Back to School package so there may be some differences in what's included compared to the standalone unit package.
Software Essentials CD1 contains the software to install Palm Desktop Software which makes moving files from your computer to the Palm via Hotsync easier, by making it very Windows oriented.
Software Essentials CD2 contains the following software:
Productivity
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Acrobat Reader ( http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readerforpalm.html )
PalmOne Personal (calculator)(trial version) (http://www.infinitysw.com/palm )
Communication
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PhoneLink Updater (updates phone drivers for your cell phone) ( http://www.palmone.com/us/support/downloads/phonelink.html )
Telephony/SMS (updates drivers for cell phone SMS)( http://www.palmone.com/us/support/accessories/sms.html )
VersaMail (email app to transfer email from Outlook or other Windows desktop mail clients ( http://www.palmone.com/us/software/versamail25/ )
Entertainment
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Audible Player (audio book program) ( http://www.audible.com/software )
Kinoma Video (video player) ( http://www.palmgear.com/index.cfm?xyz=46904 )
Palm reader(now eReader)(ebook reader) ( http://www.ereader.com/ )
Real Player (mp3 player) ( http://www.real.com/realmobile/palmone.html )
Solitaire (card game)(trial version) ( http://www.handmark.com/products/detail.php?id=24 )
The majority of the software on the CD are freeware and I've provided links for those who are interested in downloading them if they've somehow lost their CD.
Included in the Back to School package is the DataViz Documents to Go 5 and the Handmark Road Scholar software. They are individually included and packaged in their CD sleeves with registration cards that you can send in the mail or you can register online.
The Documents to Go bundled with this special package is an excellent software which allows you to create Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint (not available with the basic package) in your Palm, or import existing MS files into your Palm to be used in your Palm. And apparently, this software works much better than a similar software for the Pocket PC! That was also the other reason why I chose a Palm over a Pocket PC, for the selection and efficiency of Palm OS software. I didn't want to run bloated software that takes forever to run and load and with Palm OS, they seem to be quite small in size and a zip to run. And I've been using the Sheets to Go for the spreadsheets for comparison shopping. It's been a major timesaver! If your Zire 71 package doesn't include it, you might find that you might want to shell out the money for it because it's very useful. I'm just glad that mine came with it because I use it often.
The Road Scholar package is obviously geared towards the Student since it has the Student 4.0 software which helps track grades, course, etc. But there are other software that non-students could find useful such as the Wordsmith software which is a document editor and ebook viewer, DataViewer which has many facts, statistics that anyone might find useful, etc. Since it's included in the package, I can't complain.
There are no headphones included in the package but that's not a big deal since most headphones that come with walkmans and stuff are cheap ones anyways. You can just plug in your own headphones into the 3.5mm stereo plug and it works fine. There is a mono speaker located at the back of the Zire 71, but mind you, it is a mono speaker and even at full volume, it isn't that loud. But, it's nice to have if you don't want to put on headphones and just want to be able to listen to your audio book or mp3 by placing it on a table while you do whatever you need to do without having it with you.
One of the main things I got this Zire 71 over other Palms and even cell phones (ie.Nokia 3600/3650) is the built in 640x480 resolution digital camera. Sure, the camera isn't great quality compared to a lot of higher end digital cameras and the picture can be a bit grainy and fuzzy but I like the built-in feature, which makes it less likely to physically break, like it can potentially do so with camera attachments for the Tungsten and other Palms. And since I have two cell phones already, getting another cell phone, namely the Nokia 3650/3600 for the camera with limited PDA capabilities is probably a waste of money. So, instead, I got the PDA with the camera, since my phones doesn't have data transfer capability and doesn't have bluetooth. So, for me, it was probably a better choice. And, the camera really appealed to me because sometimes I really wished I had something to record what I see when I'm out shopping or comparing something. Sometimes, writing it down doesn't help especially if I forgotten what something looks like. And having it on the PDA, in case I have to leave it at the door (as many places like health clubs, night clubs, etc do now), I guess I'm less likely to let it go compared to a cell phone since you never know if I get a call.
The picture quality, as discussed isn't great quality at a maximum resolution of 640x480, which is webcam quality. Without zoom or flash and with a second delay before the Zire 71 takes a picture, it does take a steady hand and target and a bit of practice to get a decent picture with the Zire 71. But, if you're patient enough to adjust the settings such as the contrast and lighting, you might end up with a semi-decent picture. Originally, it was general knowledge that the Zire 71 wasn't capable of recording video but was limited to just snapping pictures. I got a time elapsed automatic picture snapping sofware called Fun Cam ( http://www.net-cell.com/funcam/ )and was happy with it. That was, until I found out that someone did the impossible of creating a software that could record segments of video (obviously without sound since there's no voice recorder in the Zire 71). It's called the Zire Video Recorder ( http://dmitrygr.palmz.ru/index.htm ) or ( http://dmitrygr.titaniumhosting.com ). There's a converter software that converts the movie.zmm file into an avi file and a desktop viewer program. The only problem with the video recording is that it requires the onboard free RAM on the Palm to store the temporary video and then it will pause the video recording for a brief period for the video processing. All the clips are stored as the movie.zmm file until you either rename the file to something else and start out with another movie.zmm file. In order to get the video file out of the Palm into your computer, you'll need a card reader to transfer the file out. The software works great and nice to know that I can now do some video recording with my Zire 71. I have purchased both the Zire Movie maker software and the JViewer converter software and I'm quite satisfied.
(Added June 17, 2004)
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I've just discovered yet another program that takes advantage of the camera capability of the Zire 71. This one actually provides webcam capability to your Zire 71. It's called the Palm Webcam. ( http://www.clievideo.com ) Download the file at: ( http://www.clievideo.com./downloads/palmwebcam/download.html )The current version is 1.0 and from what I've noticed it works great. Obviously, with webcam capability, you can use the software to turn your Zire 71 into a webcam and have interactive webcam chats on your IM (if it's supported). So, now, rather than relying on typing texts at ICQ or MSN Messenger or Yahoo Messenger, you can now talk to them. Cool. You can use the software to view whatever the Zire 71 camera is viewing, which makes it a great monitoring device. If you already have a webcam, you can easily use the webcam capturing and saving software that's provided with the webcam to capture and save your video. Otherwise, you can download a such software on the internet. I've gotten AmCap (free) from this site: ( http://noeld.com/programs.asp?cat=video )
Now that there's a software that does what I really wanted to do, I'm very happy. I can now take videos when I'm travelling with the Zire Movie Maker and when I'm at home, I can take videos with the Palm Webcam. And, I can use it as a Webcam and have an interactive chat with friends. What more could I ask for?
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Added Feb 6, 2005
Sandisk has finally created a Wi-Fi card that can be used on the Zire 71. The Sandisk Wi-Fi card (SDWSDB-000-A10M) and only this particular product number is confirmed to work on the Zire 71. After months which turned to years of rumors of a driver that will enable the Sandisk Wi-Fi card to work on the Zire 71, it has finally happened. The package includes a mini-CD that you can install the required drivers and software. Once properly installed, you simply pop in the Wi-Fi card into the SD card slot of your Zire 71 and you can try detecting 802.11b network signals and surf the internet. It works fine, although the card drains the battery quickly. So, you may want to consider getting something like an emergency 9 Volt charger connected to the Z71 or the Power to Go sled (P10906U).
More information on this can be obtained again from the Brighthand Z71 FAQ posting:
http://discussion.brighthand.com/palmhandhelds/showthread.php?s=&threadid=42028
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One thing I noticed about the Zire 71 is how the unit doesn't fit that well into the cradle. Many people have already complained and noted this but for me, I didn't know that I had to make sure that it was fitted in well for it to charge. So imagine my surprise after 2 hours (the recommended time for the initial charge) that the unit wasn't charged. So, I slid the unit and ensured that the unit wasn't just touching the cradle but was actually fitted onto the connectors. Once it fitted in and the cradle was plugged in, the Zire 71 will make a soft beep. Duh! Like many other users, I think Palm should really try to improve on that and make it easier to fit into properly and make some kind of light indicator that shows that a connection is made and that the unit is "charging". So, after an hour of charging, I left the Zire 71 on the cradle and let it continue to charge and tried to use it. But, you should wait for the full two hours of charge before you turn it on because there is a possibility that the battery life might be adversely affected if you don't let it fully charge initially. And after an hour, it works fine. I was quite amazed about the clarity and color of the Palm, probably because it was set at medium contrast and brightness but still, it looked beautiful. I left the original plastic protector on over the display and even through that, which is quite thick, the Palm with the graffiti 2 software didn't have any problems recognizing the taps and selections. Each time I tapped the Palm, it would make a soft beep which might be nice or annoying. You can change the sound settings to disable it from making any sounds. For someone who has never owned a Palm or used the graffiti 2 software, it took a bit of getting used to. Those who are used to Graffiti 1, because they find that the required 2 strokes for letters like "t" and others is annoying, can find a solution to go back to Graffiti 1. Here's a link to an article discussing this:
http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_story.asp?ID=5830
FILE TRANSFER
The main way to transfer files, documents, or install software onto the Palm is to have it on your computer's hard drive first and then transfer it via the USB cradle. So, when installing the software such as RealOne Player, Adobe Acrobat Reader, etc, you have to put in the CD, let it install on the computer and then do a "HotSync" by pressing the button on the USB cradle which makes the the Palm Zire 71 synchronise with the desktop and transfers the files and programs over to the Palm. Since the Zire 71 does not contain an SD (Secure Digital) expansion card (there is just a black piece of plastic in the shape of an SD card in the slot), you are truly limited to about 13MB out of the 16MB onboard. Once you start installing most of the software that the Software Essentials CD contains, you're practically left with hardly any space to put anything else in your Zire 71. The best suggestion is to first go out and buy an SD card and get one that you can afford. Currently, a 256MB SD card costs hardly much more than a 128MB SD card so if you can afford to get a 256MB SD card, go for it. Nowadays the 512MB SD cards are starting to get much cheaper so I'd suggest going for that now. Then, you can transfer files over to your Palm to be stored on the SD card. There have been discussions in the Palm forums that you can free up some of the onboard RAM by running the applications and software directly off the expansion (SD) card rather than running it off the onboard RAM. There are even launcher software that loads the required program into the RAM off the expansion card and then when you're done, unloads it off the RAM to free it back up. The most popular one is called Power Run. And other software that frees up the limited onboard RAM in other ways, like creating virtual RAM, much like Windows does. If you are someone who wants to listen to mp3s on your Zire 71, you might want to invest in buying a card reader since doing the HotSync via the cradle to transfer lots of files can take a while. If you have other digital products such as digital cameras, camcorders, etc, get one of those 6-in-1 card readers which reads all 6 different formats of cards: SD, CF, Smart media, etc. Now, you can just use one reader for all the different card formats. I recently bought myself a card reader that also doubles as a portable thumb drive called the Lexar JumpDrive Trio. I've written a review on it and here's the link: http://www.epinions.com/content_141916212868
Another way to do so is to purchase and install a software called Card Export II. http://www.softtick.com/cardexport2/ . What it does is it allows you to access the files on your Palm as if the Palm was a temporary virtual drive on your computer, just like a thumb drive. You merely install the app on your Palm, connect to the computer and you can then, drag and drop whatever files you have on the Palm to the computer.
Looking at the physical features of the PDA, you notice that it is in a light blue casing at the front and surrounded by a smooth metal sheet at the side and back. At the top, there's a slot for the insertion of the Secure Digital expansion card, the infrared port where you can "beam" your info to another infrared capable peripheral, the power button and the black, flexible, plastic stylus which fits right into the Zire 71.
Three quarters of the display is used as the main viewable area, to display icons, files. It is also there where you can use the stylus to tap at specific locations of icons or lists or files to select/deselect or run applications or tasks. The bottom one quarter of the display is the graffiti writing area where you input the characters, numbers, or symbols.
The graffiti area is divided into two sections. The left section is to input characters such as those from the alphabet. The right section is for inputting numbers. On the outer edges of the graffit area are four large icons: Menu (looks like a house), menu (drop down of windows), star (for favorite apps), and search (magnifying glass). Within the edges of the graffiti area, four smaller icons at the edges: clock for displaying time, ABC for alphabetic keyboard, sun for brightness control, 123 for numeric keyboard.
Underneath the graffiti area, there are four rounded almost square buttons. The first one on the left is the Date Book button with a clock symbol and something like a windows or cells. Next to it is the Address book button with a symbol of a person's head and shoulders and 3 lines next to it. Next to it is the navigator button, which is like a mini joystick that you can move in many different ways like a joystick, especially for playing games and also could be used to move your selections from left to right, up to down or vice versa. Also, if you push directly on it at the middle, it takes it as a "select" button. Next to that is the Photos button with two "v"s upside down like a set of mountains. Next to that is a the Note Pad button which is represented by a squiggly scribble that is a cross between a number 6 and and a small "e" with an accent stroke.
At the very bottom of the Zire 71 is the universal connector port to connect to various Palm accessories such as keyboard, USB cradle, etc. If you hold the Palm holding it by the back and side and then pushing up on bottom, you will notice that the Palm will slide upwards to reveal a rectangular button on the front and a hidden camera at the back. Once the internal hidden camera is exposed, the display will show the image of whatever the camera sees, although a bit fuzzy, especially if you're moving the Palm around. To snap a quick picture, you could either press on the rectangular button at the bottom of the Zire 71 or press the navigator button. But mind you, there is a few seconds of delay before the camera actually "snaps" the picture so if you or your camera subject is moving, then the picture may not turn out very well. This is one thing that will also take a bit of getting used to, especially if you want to take desirable pictures. Once the picture is taken, it will show up on the display for a few seconds and then the display will default back to showing what the camera is currently seeing. If you want to view the picture or pictures you've taken, you'll have to close up the camera by pushing the top part of the Zire 71 down to close the camera. Then, you can tap on the pictures to view them or select them or have it show a slide show of the pictures.
The default for the datebook and week view is to have Monday as the first day of the week. I have always been someone who's used to having Sunday as the first day of the week and in order to change it to having the calendar view start with Sunday, you have to go to the preferences and make the change or it will annoy you to no end. Well, at least it did for me. Click on the Preferences icon. Select Formats. Under Week Starts, select Sunday on the drop down menu. Click Done. And it's done.
In the Address book, I have set up a special Category called Friends which I sort all my friends and frequently called contacts. By default, whenever the program is launched, it will just go to the "All" category which lists all the contacts in all categories. Since I prefer to view the most commonly used contacts, I have set the preferences to remember the last category I have viewed so that it launches back that category. To set that up, you have to open up the Address book, Options, Preferences. Check "Remember Last Category". Done.
One of the main annoyances of the Zire 71 is that there isn't a software that allows the Palm user to change the backlighting. The default Palm OS has the brightness setting, and even if you set it down to the lowest, is still very bright, and being that most of us are battery conscious, would like to be able to maximize battery life by being able to lower the brightness even more. Thankfully, there are some freeware applications out there that will do the job. I have a freeware installed on my Zire 71 called BL OFF, which allows me to tap to change the intensity of the backlight to a level I want, even to the point where I can't see anything (very useful when listening to mp3s and I don't need to waste more battery by having the display light up). But, you are limited to only stepping up on the backlight until it totally changes to no backlight after it has reached full backlight intensity. There are many other backlighting apps such as AutoDimmer (freeware)( http://www.geocities.com/nagamatu/AutoDimmer/index-e.htm ) or Energy Dimmer (not free) ( http://www.79bmedia.de/content/view/22/57/ ) which allows you to set your own customized backlighting intensity.
Another annoyance would be that the Zire 71 has a tendency to turn on if any of the buttons are pressed, even accidentally. Thankfully, there is also a freeware program that will help disable the turning on of the Zire 71 when such accidental pressings occur. The program is called Disable Buttons. Although it isn't perfect, it does disable the turning on of the Zire if I accidentally press the navigator button. Or, you can invest in a hard shell case so that you not only protect the Palm from accidents or accidentally turning it on. And, with many people complaining how expensive it can be to replace the glass screen display, it may be worth it to spend some money protecting the screen from damage.
Yet another annoyance or shortcoming of the Palm OS is the lack of a file listing software much like Windows explorer which you can view the files that are currently in the expansion card and move, copy, paste files much like Windows. And yet again, there's freeware that addresses that issue. The one I'm using is called FileProg. It allows me the ability to copy, delete, move files much like Windows explorer, which is especially handy if I want to do a backup of the files and programs that are on the RAM in case of emergency, like the battery goes dead and everything that's in the RAM is completely gone. Unlike a hard disk, the Palm Zire 71 runs on RAM and is not a physical hard disk or drive. And with RAM, everything is loaded into memory. When there's no electricity, the storage of information is wiped out. So, don't ever let your battery drain down to nothing because if it does and you don't do a backup, you've lost everything. Actually, it's been written that you shouldn't even let the battery drain down below 80% because some say that it puts too much stress on the battery. So, you can use either FileZ or FileProg and copy every file from your handheld to say, a folder you call Backup. And if anything goes wrong, you can always copy them back to the handheld.
In that respect, I'd suggest buying a backup software like BackupBuddy ( http://www.bluenomad.com/ )or BackupMan ( www.bitsnbolts.com/backupman.html )which will create a backup of all files onto your SD card, which, in an emergency, you can easily restore back onto your palm should the need arises.
Most of the Palm software I've discussed and other similar ones can be obtained at FreewarePalm ( http://www.freewarepalm.com ).
The package includes a 6 month trial for the BoomerangIt registration service. Basically, BoomerangIt is a worldwide lost and found registration service which registers your item and should someone who recovers the item wants to claim a reward, can return it back to you. Of course, you are liable for the shipping charges to ship the item back to you but paying it may still outweigh having to replace your Palm or lost item. For USD $9.95, you can register your Palm for 10 years (plus the 6 month trial). And they've even tacked on an additonal 6 items (6 stickers) which they send to you upon receipt of your registration, allowing you to register 6 additional items for 10 years as well. That translates to 7 items for 10 years. Not a bad price for peace of mind. And supposedly, the stickers aren't very easy to remove without damaging or defacing the unit, which is usually a deterrant to thieves from trying to sell your stolen item. I have not attempted to remove the sticker but have decided to register it just in case. And, to maximize the extra 6 months, I decided to just register and take advantage of the 6 months trial first before paying for the service.
One of the many things I like about the Palm Zire 71 is the ability to download news and articles off the internet via a free service called Avantgo. There, you can select up to 2MB of information from various sources of news such as ABC news, CNN, Bloomberg, etc. The service is free for up to the first 2MB and you can opt to get more by paying for a subscription ($19.95 for 8MB). You can customize the channels you want to receive and once you've installed the software and do a Hotsync, the information is ready to be read offline on the Palm. This is very handy for those who wish to take advantage of getting news on their Palm to read at their leisure without having to rely on a wired or wireless internet connection. It's available at: http://my.avantgo.com . Just register and select your channels, download the software and then enjoy your offline reading.
If you want to free up your onboard RAM, you can have Avantgo store the channels and info on your SD card. If you currently have it stored in your onboard RAM, make sure you first clear out all the channels first so that you free up the RAM and then set up the channels on the SD card.
To do so, first open up your Avantgo program on your Palm. Go to the Menu (tap on the top left corner), under Channels, select Channel Manager. Here it will list all the channels you are subscribed to. Go down to the bottom of the page. Click on the Select All. Then click on the Clear button. Wait until all the channels are zeroed. Then, go back to Home. Now, all the info on the channels are cleared and you have freed up the RAM that Avantgo takes up. So, you can always clear out the channels after you've read them so that you free up some RAM.
Now, here's the procedure to have Avantgo downloaded onto your expansion card rather than on the onboard RAM. Select Menu, Options. Server Preferences. Go down and click on the Settings... button. At the very bottom, check off the Use Card: checkbox. Select Ok. Ok. And from now on, when you Hotsync and download Avantgo channels, it will be loaded on the SD card. But, the first time when you do download, it will take a while. Just be patient and eventually, everything will get loaded. I currently use the 32X Lexar 256MB SD card so the downloading isn't too bad and doesn't take too long, although you will notice the difference between downloading on the Palm and on the SD card.
Or, rather than using Avantgo, you can use a something like Plucker (also free) which will extract the web pages and allow you to view it offline, very much like Avantgo but there's no storage limit like Avantgo has. I have used Plucker and it works well too but it does take a bit of time to do the conversion on your Windows computer so you still use up some time. But, unlike Avantgo, you aren't limited to the size of the channel or website. iSilo is another similar software but it's not free. I have not tried iSilo.
And the final way is to get something like PowerRun or LauncherX which allows you to run programs on the SD card and temporarily load whatever is needed in RAM when you're running the program and release the RAM when you're done. Here's an article on this method:
http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_story.asp?ID=2218
Those who need to feel connected to their emails will love the VersaMail software since you can download your emails from the internet on your PC and then transfer them to your Palm. Now, you can always have your essential emails with you to catch up on even if you're not physically connected to the internet. And, you can compose and do your replies while on the road and set VersaMail to update and send them out when you next do your HotSync.
And if you prefer to enter your address book entries via the PC, since you have a full keyboard, you can open up the Palm Desktop program and just enter or edit the information in the address book and when you next do a HotSync, the address book in the Palm will be updated as well.
Things that the Zire 71 does not come with:
-no flash for the camera, which would have been helpful
-no zoom for the camera, which also would have been helpful but at 640x480 resolution, it wouldn't have helped much. But you can use software such as AcidImage or RescoViewer which can zoom into the picture once it's taken.
-no vibrate feature, for those who like to be notified of alarms with a vibrate feature
-no voice memo or recorder option
-no onboard integrated Wi-Fi capability although Sandisk has come out with a SD Wi-Fi card ( SDWSDB-000-A10M )that provides Zire 71 with Wi-Fi access. This is the only Wi-Fi card that will work on the Zire 71. Other Sandisk or PalmOne Wi-Fi cards will not. One problem with this is that you've lost the expansion card slot by having the Wi-Fi since it takes up the SD card slot. There is a portfolio case by Enfora that connects to the universal port/connector that allows you to access the net via Wi-Fi.
-no onboard internet access. You can connect to the internet via a Palm modem or data connection via your cell phone. It's not like a Tungsten W which you can just surf the internet by turning it on.
-no onboard keyboard. It's not like a Handspring Treo, or a Tungsten W or C with a set of onboard keyboard keys. If you want a keyboard, you'll have to buy a portable keyboard and connect it via the universal connector port or get a keyboard that connects via infrared. Currently there are a few different brands out there made by Belkin, Palm and Targus.
-no bluetooth support. There is infrared capability, which allows you to beam data and info from your Palm to your computer, or to another Palm. Remember those commercials where two people beamed their address info by pointing their Palms towards each other? It works like that.
I recently bought a case made by Targus, a univeral Pocket handheld case which has a velcro held belt holder. Since I'm always paranoid of losing anything after my last lost wallet incident caused me such a nightmare. I wanted a case that attaches to the straps on my fanny pack. This fits perfectly and can fit all type of Palm and pocket PC handhelds. It holds the handheld much like most holster cases and attaches closes and attaches to a belt via velcro tabs but the main thing is that I can now have it securely without worrying about leaving it somewhere or dropping it. Sure, it's not a hard case but since I fit my Zire 71 with the original case inside this Targus case, I'm getting double protection. I have also created a hard card board case that fits in the Targus case but allows me to slip and remove my Zire 71 in it without much problems. This has made my case even more secure.
Also, I currently leave the original plastic stick on screen protector on my Zire 71 and it detects the stylus no problem. So, for me, I won't be spending any money on the sheet protectors until this starts getting ripped. Most likely, unless I'm really not careful, I don't think I will be buying any. Although the sticky plastic cover isn't a very smooth surface to write on and there's air bubbles, but at least the Zire detects the stylus. I still have my cellphone's plastic protector on the display and it's still fine and I've had that for close to 6 months now. As for the stylus, sure it may look cheap but it does the job. Until I break it, I won't replace it. No point spending more money unless I need it. Many people have commented that Brando screen protectors work great and to stay away from the Palm branded ones.
There is no handbook included in the package. The handbook is available from your CDs or via the web.
Zire 71 handbook:
http://www.palmone.com/us/support/handbooks/F03/Media_F03_ENG.pdf
To find out the amount of RAM you've used and how much remaining since you only have about 13MB RAM available before you started installing software and programs. Click on the top left hand corner and you'll get a pop up menu. Select Info. If you need to delete some apps from the RAM, go to the Apps Delete menu. Click on the top left hand corner and you'll get a pop up menu. Select "Delete". Then choose the app that you want to delete.
Programs in the Zire 71:
Address
Audible Player
Acrobat Reader
Calc
Card Info
Date Book
Documents
Expense
Graffiti 2
Hotsync
Kinoma
Memo Pad
Note Pad
Photos
Prefs
RealOne
Solitaire
To Do List
VersaMail
World Clock
In my package of Road Scholar 2003-2004:
PrintBoy - Print documents from your Palm directly to your printer through an infrared, serial connection, bluetooth or "network" connection.
Student 4 - Student organizing software for tracking coursework, class information, and grade tracking
Checklist - Manage checklists such as for grocery shopping, weekly chores, trips, etc.
MagicDogs - several solitaire card games
Midway Arcade Classics - 10 game trial
Mobile DB 3 - Database software to view and edit any list, table or spreadsheet-like information.
Monopoly Win - 10 game trial
PDA SafeID - Personal identification organizer that encrypts and stores all of your personal id information.
Scrabble Win - 10 game trial
Super Solitaire - 10 game trial
Super Utility - Software allows you to view, edit, delete, move, copy or beam files located in RAM, SD/MMC or Memory Stick expansion memory. 15 Day trial
Town Compass Dataviewer - A mini-encyclopedia of facts and information.
Tetris - the classic arcade game. 10 game trial.
Wordsmith - Document editor and ebook reader. Includes Thesaurus and Spell Checker.
Imagimath - Mathematics suite which allows graphing capabilities, statistical, algebraic and financial calculations.
FindIt! - Complex thinking games to stimulate the brain.
Dropbook Win - converts a text file format into a Palm OS .pdb file which can be read by the Palm Reader application
eBookStudioDemo - creates eBooks that can be read by the Palm Reader software.
Palm reader - a viewer application for the Palm OS .pdb file
Quizzler - Take and create quizzes to challenge your knowledge for school.
Periodic Table - A table of the Periodic elements with a tool for calculating molecular mass
Software that's not in my package compared what's listed on Handmark's website:
PDA Photo, Fling It!, PicoMap, Sketchy.
Overall, I am very pleased with my Zire 71 handheld. The extra software, especially the Sheets to Go, is especially useful for me, because I use that for comparison shopping, listing and calculating the prices of things I usually buy. As well, the address book, datebook is very useful, especially with the alarm feature to notify me of tasks and reminders, even when the Palm is turned off! Just make sure you make the alarm as an appointment in your date book and it will turn on and ring the alarm even if the Palm is off. Otherwise, some people have complained that the alarm doesn't turn on if they just start writing graffiti and make a datebook entry that way. My only gripe about the datebook is that Palm did not include the usual holidays in their datebook, which I had expected any datebook to have. If you use MS Outlook, you can easily import your address book and datebook from Outlook to your Palm, which many users love. Also, the same holds for previous Palm users. You can easily move data from old Palms to the newer Palm without having to enter them all over again.
The camera, mp3 player, audio player, and games are obviously extras which I find very nice to have and certainly helps when I'm bored. The ebook, which many Palm users have raved about is a feature I have yet to really try. There is a full ebook of "The Last of the Mohicans" (all 2051 pages) loaded with the ebook reader software. So, when I finally get around to it, I'll try out the ebook and probably will be hooked like many other Palm ebook readers. Apparently, you can have multiple bookmarks, write notes and many other features. And, of course, no lugging a few more pounds of a book with you. Great for long hauls on flights or commuting to work, school. Book lovers and bookworms will love the Palm for this reason alone. Once you're hooked, you can get tons of ebooks at Palm's ebook site:
http://www.palmdigitalmedia.com/
Or get lots of free ebooks at:
Project Gutenberg
http://gutenberg.net/
and there's some free ones at other commercial sites:
Memoware
http://www.memoware.com
Fictionwise
http://www.fictionwise.com/
Mobipocket
http://www.mobipocket.com/
Or, if you're more of an audio book person, there's the Audible software which you can listen to your favorite audio books. There's two excerpts of a Robin Williams skit and an audio book to "Getting to Yes" included in the software. You can also download a trial audio book as well at the Audible website. They are currently offering new Palm owners with either a 3 month audio digest subscription to the New York Times ($39 value) or a 1 month free trial of their SmartListener program of 1 digital audio book and 2 audio periodicals ($60 value). I have yet to sign up for that since I recently just started getting a promotional audible trial via Mypoints where I get Mypoints and a trial audible subscription (but only 1 audio book and 1 audio periodical). So far, it's been great to be able to listen to my morning version of Wall Street Journal. I've been listening to it while I do my chores. Depending on how I feel, I may or may not get an audio subscription. They are very nice, though. Easy integration and download onto the Palm makes loading new audiobooks a breeze.
http://www.audible.com/palm
I did ended up trying and subscribing to Audible for a few months and have written a review on that. http://www.epinions.com/content_121368252036
My only gripes about the Zire 71 is that 16MB RAM is not much but with a RAM emulating software, launcher programs and other techniques, it hardly makes the Zire 71 less desirable. Also, the Zire 71 only has a mono speaker, located at the back of the unit and the sound isn't great. But, you can plug in your stereo headphones and enjoy the music, audio instead, which is probably better when you're in public. The Palm can be quite slippery and be careful when handling it or you might accidentally drop it. I usually keep it in its case so it's quite safe that way. And I have bought something called egrips which sticks onto the Zire 71 and has a rubbery, grippy texture and aids in keeping your grip on it. But, I have noticed that over time, the egrips tend to come off.
There are lots of software that's either commercial, shareware or freeware that works on the Palm 0S 5 platform. There's picture viewer software such as Acid Image or RescoViewer which enhances the the picture by allowing you to manipulate the brightness, contrast, turn the picture over, etc. Lots of mapping software that works with GPS navigation tools such as Mapopolis, or Navigator. Video player software such as Kinoma or MM Player which allows you to play movies on your Palm. Utilities such as PowerRun which lets you run applications off your expansion card rather than take up valuable RAM on your handheld and other launcher programs. Like I've said, there's lots of programs out there that works on the Palm. Most Palm software can be found at sites such as Handango ( http://www.handango.com )or PalmGear ( http://www.palmgear.com ) . So, if you love discovering new games or software, you'll love getting a Palm because there's tons of stuff you can do with it. Here's some of the software I currently have loaded on my Zire 71: AeroPlayer, Aqua, Audible, Avantgo, BLOff, Cleanup, DataViewer, Deflater, Dictionary To Go, Docs To Go, FileProg, FileZ, Fun Cam, HandyShopper, MobileDB, Monopoly, (Zire) Movie Maker, NoviiRemote, PalmReader (now eReader), Plucker, PocketLingo, PowerRun, RepliGo, RescoView, Slap, Switch5, Tetris, Timing, Today, TomeRaider, Uninstall.
There are other hardware accessories that you can buy for your Zire 71 such as iRock FM radio transmitter, Enfora Wi-Fi portfolio, Belkin wireless infrared keyboard, GPS with mapping navigator software (ie.Mapopolis) and many other fun toys.
If you are looking for a modestly priced handheld which gives you a lot of features, and bluetooth connectivity isn't that much of a concern, give the Zire 71 a close look. But, remember that the OS is not upgradeable so you're pretty much stuck with the OS 5. But then, I know many people who still use their old Palm Pilots or Palm IIIs and find that it still works for them.
And here's the link to Palm online support for the Zire 71:
http://www.palmone.com/us/support/zire71/
Lastly, I have created and periodically update my postings for the Zire 71 FAQ at Brighthand forums. You may wish to check it out:
http://discussion.brighthand.com/palmhandhelds/showthread.php?s=&threadid=42028
Thanks for taking the time to read and rate another lengthy review of mine.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 225
Recommended for: Students - Stylish and a Best Value
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Epinions.com ID:
maceyr
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Location: Canada
Reviews written: 127
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About Me:
I hardly have time for Epinions anymore but do try to read and rate.
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