Palm Tungsten E PDA - MobileTechReview.com Comparison Shopping

I really like this palm. Its my...

Strengths: Reletively inexpensive, color screen, easy to use, nice metal stylus.

Weakness: Screen could be brighter for use in the sunlight.

I really like this palm. Its my second after I borrowed an old m100 for a few months. The reason I chose this PDA is because I didn't need a lot of stuff to go with it, or added on to it. I don't need a camera, and if I wanted to type, I'd get a laptop. This is not a multimedia center. It will do video, music, pictures, office docs, and games, but don't expect too much. If you're dreaming of all...
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I really like this palm. Its my second after I borrowed an old m100 for a few months. The reason I chose this PDA is because I didn't need a lot of stuff to go with it, or added on to it. I don't need a camera, and if I wanted to type, I'd get a laptop. This is not a multimedia center. It will do video, music, pictures, office docs, and games, but don't expect too much. If you're dreaming of all the "cool" stuff you can do if you purchase one remember what Palm has always done well; a streamlined OS, as well as applications. If you want to surf the web, get a computer. This does business and school stuff very well. I also use it as my mp3 player, and sounds really good, (in some ways I like it better than the RCA lyra RD1021 we have). I used it last semester to keep my school stuff in order (using a program called "Due Yesterday"), and as an MP3 player while I studied. I also use the Word and Excel features often (which is a nice touch).
If you're wanting a PDA for multimedia, I wouldn't recommend a PDA at all, mostly because you'll be diapointed, and the "new car smell" will wear off quickly. If you need to get organized, and have some music, and pictures and stuff along the way, I highly recommend this PDA. Its the best for the money. This PDA although does not fit many of the standard palm accesories. I personally like that I don't have to use one of those lame cradle cords. It uses a USB connection that our MP3 player uses, and so I don't have a ton of stuff on my desk. The USB also will SLOWLY charge it up. I bought a palm because I just wanted it to work, to be small, to play music, have lots of 3rd party apps, and to be expandable (memory -- it has an SDIO slot). I wouldn't hold your breath about internet surfing, checking email is cool, but the processor and screen just aren't big enough for general web stuff.
The color screen is nice, but isn't quite bright enough to use outside or in a sunny window for long periods of time, as the sunlight washes it out. But it works good enough for me.
Again, its great for students, and anyone else who needs to get organized. The contact manager and calendar are really nice, my wife and I are able to coordinate our schedules nicely. Its very thin, and makes a great mp3 player. (And if you use the RealPlayer audio format, it still sounds great and you can fit two to three times as much on your SD card). When I bought it Pocket PC's were still pretty bulky, and so were the Clie's. Things are different now, but this is still a great PDA at this price point.

By brimbleshoes - Jul 5, 2004

The color screen is incredible....

Strengths: color screen, operating system (5.2.1), fast processor, lots of included software

Weakness: battery life . . . battery life . . .

The color screen is incredible. Date/calendar, addresses/contact and todo/tasks applications on this version of the operating system ( 5.2.1) are great compared to earlier Palms. Can load some applications and files directly into an SDIO card (not included with the handheld) via the Palm Desktop (version 4.1.2). Graffiti2 is a lot easier to use then the original Graffiti. Size is small. No way to...
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By williampr - Dec 21, 2003

My previous PDA was an old b&w...

Strengths: Fast, pretty screen, stylish

Weakness: Dead power button, dark screen, non-replaceable battery

My previous PDA was an old b&w Visor, so this color screen is pretty nice. Unfortunately, I've noticed something wrong with it when comparing to my wife's Tungsten E: my screen is very noticeably darker, even at the highest brightness setting. Her screen is much brighter, with very accurate color. With mine, it's darker and everything has a slight tint of yellow on it. My other complaint is the...
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By hmak - Feb 11, 2005

This is my third venture into the...

Strengths: Great color display

Weakness: Poor product support, too many problems

This is my third venture into the Palm line. The first was an M100. I must have exchanged this product five times before getting one that worked - for a while. I then was given a Zire, that didn't work for long either. I only use a PDA for keeping track of my daily schedule and phone numbers. When I saw a friends Tungsten with the color screen, I had to have it! But, just as the others, I have...
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By jimbo1278 - Dec 26, 2004

This is my first PDA. I researched...

Strengths: I know it's an over-used phrase, but the Tungsten E is extremely "user friendly". The screen is easy to see, and the features are very easy to figure out. The alarm sounds are pleasant, as well.

Weakness: Expanding the system, such as to add modem capabilities, can be expensive.

This is my first PDA. I researched online and in-store for a month before buying this one, two months ago. It had all the features I wanted, except the ability to connect to my email accounts right out of the box. I haven't yet bought an expansion card so I can load music, but it's only a matter of time. I like this SOOOO much better than a (paper) day planner, of which I own two and never use....
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By teampati - Feb 11, 2004