Palm Z22 Handheld
by PALM
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Palm Z22 Handheld
Customer Review: An eBook reader with benefits!
Summary: 4 Stars
A tale of a Mac, Mobipocket, and a mama on the go....
Despite my love of gadgetry, I've resisted the lure of the PDA for nearly a decade, even when I was working as an info systems analyst and had a slew of site visits, meetings, deadlines, vendors, etc., to track. I preferred to pull out my Game Boy Color or Tamagotchi when all the other guys were showing off their Palm Pilots, Handspring Visors, and tiny StarTac phones, LOL (yes, it was the late 90s). But stay-at-home-motherhood and health issues changed my mind.
I bought the Z22 in January 2007, so I've been using the PDA for just over a year. I'd originally purchased it to replace my beloved, but archaic, Franklin eBookman 901 (an eBook reader). The main appeal of the Z22 was its light weight (3 oz. vs. the 6 oz. eBookman), since I have carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists. I already had an iPod and cell phone, and didn't want a "loaded" PDA or smartphone; my last cell phone (LG VX7000) weighed almost 4 oz., and was literally burdensome to use. The simplicity and compactness of the Z22 greatly appealed to me.
My other criteria for a PDA included affordability, Mac compatibility, and Mobipocket Reader capability. Most of my eBooks are in Mobipocket format, so I needed a PDA that worked with my Mac and Mobipocket Reader. The Z22 fit the bill, even though I can't use the Mobipocket Reader Desktop software on the Mac.
The Z22's screen is about half the size of the eBookman, so it took a little while to adapt to the smaller display when reading eBooks. At least MobiPocket lets you page up/down using either the touchscreen or the Palm's navigator buttons. The resolution isn't that great, especially for photos (very grainy), but it's adequate for an eBook reader, especially if you adjust the Mobipocket background color to a pale blue or green to reduce eyestrain. I usually have 15-20 eBooks loaded on the Z22, and rarely use more than half of the available memory.
I'd gotten spoiled by the Franklin eBookman software, which would automatically convert files (text, HTML, etc.) to the appropriate format, so it took a little research to figure out how to do the same with the Z22 and OSX. I use an app called Pordible to convert files to .pdb format. It's a fairly easy process, although HTML eBooks usually require some manual clean up, in order to render them readable.
I'd switched to a Mac (OS 10.4.11) prior to buying the Z22, and never used Outlook for my contacts, so I basically had a fresh start with this PDA. I opted to use the Palm software for my contacts and calendar, and haven't had any major issues with syncing data. I also haven't had any problems with the unit freezing, except with certain Mobipocket eBooks; a soft reset has always resolved the matter.
The calendar feature was more of an added bonus, since I initially planned to use the Z22 just for reading eBooks. However, I found myself using both the Palm Desktop software and the PDA versions quite often. It's been useful for keeping track of my husband's schedule, my medical appointments, bill payment due dates, my son's activities, family birthdays, etc. I especially like the ability to color code categories. I actually use the calendar as a quasi-diary, also, to record certain day-to-day events.
The Z22 is bundled with a handheld-only trial version of SplashShopper. I tried out the program, and created several shopping lists, plus a list of all the Thomas & Friends DVDs and wooden railway toys my 4 year-old son owned (or wanted). I no longer had to worry about forgetting handwritten grocery lists, or trying to figure out if my son already had a particular Thomas train or DVD, while at a store. I liked the program so much, I forked over $14.95 to SplashData to upgrade to the full desktop version. It's much easier to create and modify lists using the software on the Mac, rather than manually input data on the PDA.
Since I use the Z22 heavily as an eBook reader, the battery no longer seems to hold a charge quite as efficiently as when new. I do keep the brightness on a low setting, so that helps conserve battery life (and preserve eyesight). I have the Flexi-Case for my Z22, and it's been fine for my purposes. I usually stash the PDA in a pocket of my bag when I go out, and it hasn't suffered any ill effects.
Overall, I'm quite satisfied with my Z22. It was worth buying just to avoid the dreaded eBookman OS vanishing act (from merely changing the batteries). I bought one for my husband for Christmas, since he finally decided his FiloFax had outlived its usefulness. Now I can beam grocery and "honey do" lists to his Z22. If my Z22 ends up dying (as seems the case with many people who have owned it for over a year), I'd likely replace it with another one, unless Palm comes out with an updated version.
Customer Review: Great value! Awesome PDA for this novice!
Summary: 5 Stars
I recently purchased my Palm after reading about the benefits of such a device in a parenting book. I thought for the price, and after reading all of the reviews online, it was worth trying. I am so glad I did.
Transitioning from paper was much easier than I had expected, especially with the Z22. Perhaps it is because of the limitations (memory capacity, no internet/email) that I found it to make my life easier, not add work to my day. Often times in an effort to get the most value for my dollar, I purchase items with features I think I might use. This ends up creating more work, or creating the sense that I spent too much for something that I didn't need. Not the case with the Z22. A wonderful intro to the PDA world!
The setup could not have been easier. After charging for three hours (per the directions), I found that the programming of the Z22 was far simpler than anticipated. No problems with installing software or Hotsyncing (Dell E510, Windows XP). I had entered in Excel contact information in anticipation of the purchase and found while the Z22 instructions did not spell out specifically how to import, the Desktop software and online support forums had plenty of direction. Importing into the calendar was a bit trickier, but with Mobile DB (included software on my Z22), I found a way, which proved helpful when I wanted to input holidays I had entered into an Excel spreadsheet. *Note: Holidays are not included on the calendar & will need to be entered, via manually or freeware/shareware online.
The included software has proved to be a great balance of tools to streamline life's details in a compact, aesthetic, user friendly package. There's the Calendar, Contact/Address Book, Task List, Memo, Notepad, Expense tracker, and Calculator which seem to be standard Palm OS programs. Additionally, my Amazon purchased Z22 came with Splash Photo, Splashshopper, and eReader (there are others, but I have not tried them). There are also many resources to find Palm OS programs and books to fit many needs. I found more than enough capability to customize programs where needed.
Before the Z22 purchase, I never considered how traumatic it would be to lose any one item, like the day planner, the address book, or my To Do list. How wonderful to have inherent in the product a backup. Also, security features are a bonus I hadn't considered. The last thing one would want to do is to recall the names and contact info of people in your address book to mention that their details (potentially unlisted & private) are in the hands of someone who may have lifted your purse/briefcase. As a novice, I am reluctant to keep too much in the way private info, such as passwords, ss#, or credit card numbers, but there are many programs out there for this purpose, if one is so inclined. Photo view is fine. Graffiti 2 was simple to learn, but would probably have been more of a challenge if I had to relearn a program from a previous version or device. I'm also using an Air Case and screen protectors and am please with both, though the screen protectors took a while to figure how to apply without bubbles. I am using the Palm OS Calendar, but from what I have read, the Palm OS works seamlessly with minimal setup adjustments to interface with Outlook.
Clearly, I'm glad I made the jump to the Palm world with the Z22 and would recommend this model to those considering the change to a PDA as well.
Customer Review: The best PDA ever (almost).
Summary: 5 Stars
After 10 years Palm have finally returned to their roots and released
a PDA. Not a wannabe phone/walkman/portable dvd/game console/wireless
web browser/photo album/book. It's an actual, honest to God, Personal
Digital Assistant. Yes, it can do some of those other things too, but
I'm not having to pay for expensive features like bluetooth and hifi
quality audio.
The Z22 is being marketed as an entry level PDA. But that's wrong. I
am a long time PDA user who has owned, among other devices, a Palm
Pilot Professional, an m505, a Zire 71 and a Tungsten T3. But this is
my favourite device of all. For a start it's the best looking PDA ever
sold. Palm must have taken a leaf out of Apple's book. When I look at
my Z22 I think it could have dropped out of the clean futuristic sets
of movie like 2001. This is the future that Stanley Kubrick promised
us and never arrived. But at least my Palm looks like it's from that
future. It's also light due to not being weighed down by a metal case
and a ton of hardware I don't want.
It does all the usual PDA stuff well: Calendar, Memos, Contacts and so
on. 32MB is completely adequate for these tasks, even if you decide
to add photos to your contact list. For these tasks the hardware is
completely up to the task.
I also use my Z22 for reading eBooks. It's great for this. 160x160 is
enough for completely clear text. Unfortunately I do miss one feature
of my T3 - the SD card slot. Without this I can't use my unabridged
Webster's dictionary that weighs in at 37MB. But the 10MB Webster's is
good enough for most tasks.
One place where I feel Palm have cut corners is the display. There are
sometimes unsightly vertical streaks in it, I'm guessing due to using
a poor digital-to-analogue converter. For most tasks this isn't an
issue. Photos can look a little ugly however and you often see aliasing
artifacts. One place where the poor display quality is visible is when
you read books in autoscroll mode. The display really isn't fast enough to
keep up with scrolling text. But hey, this device costs $100 new!
The device has only 2 application buttons instead of the usual
4. Surprisingly I haven't noticed the loss at all.
There are a couple of other annoyances that are common to almost
all current PDAs so I'll just list them quickly: difficult to replace
battery, display not visible in sunlight (unlike my Palm Pilot), use of
Graffiti2/Jot making reliable text entry next to impossible (Palm won
the lawsuit, bring back Graffiti 1!).
Palm have dropped the universal connector in favour of a new small USB
port. That means I can't use my old peripherals. I do hope I can use my
wireless keyboard however, when Palm release Z22 drivers.
By paring down the PDA to its essentials Palm have made a winner. But
there's one feature I would have liked to have kept - the SD card
slot. Providing such a slot would at least have given a choice about
how much to spend on storage. But like I say, apart from the dictionary
I don't miss it that much. (Hmmm...I have to admit that I did enjoy
playing Infocom games on my T3 using Clifrotz too, but I'll survive...)
Customer Review: I love, love, love my Palm Z22!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my first PDA and now I wonder how I lived my life without one. I'm a stay at home mom with plenty of responsibilities to take care of. I never realized how helpful (and how enjoyable) this tiny device could be even for my home life.
I understand that this is a basic featured (but still fabulous) PDA without all the fancy bells and whistles - that is absolutely fine for me. All the bells and whistles just add up to distraction for me. This properly featured yet powerful Z22 helps keep me focused on the tasks on hand.
I love that it's attractive and diminuitive. It easily goes everywhere with me. I just wish I could attach a wrist strap. I do keep mine in a protective Flexicase, which has worked out great for my needs.
I LOVE that the Palm Z22 can be used as a e-book reader. The Palm Software CD comes with the E-reader software you can load onto your PDA if you want it. By far, it is my most favorite program on my PDA. Now wherever I go, whether I'm across the house or outside my home, I keep a library of books with for me to read.
I love how I can write down my thoughts at anytime. The Graffiti 2 handwriting recognition program is quite easy to learn and, when in a pinch, I can alway easily use the onscreen keyboard. Overall, very easy to use. The amazingly easy-to-use touchscreen technology makes these PDAs a gem.
The internal battery in the Z22 lasts a long time and quickly recharges either by using a wall plug or when synching with the PC. Palm includes a power-off feature which will shut off the Z22 automatically unless you purposely deactivate it when you turn it on. It also shuts off after so many minutes of inactivity. No worries about it accidently turning on or forgetting to shut it off draining precious battery power. So when I'm taken away from my task because of my toddler or other family necessity, I don't worry about the power draining.
The included Palm desktop program also makes it easy to keep my Z22 updated. No grievance there. The hotsync feature sometimes doesn't always connect the first time, but it's not a consistent problem. The desktop program also is programmable for different users of different palm products. So while I can use it for my Palm Z22, I can also use it to program my young son's M100 PDA without our files getting crossed. (I'm getting him started early - laf! Plus they're cheap and work great. I keep kid-friendly programs on his.)
The internal 32K (?) memory is sufficient for Z22. It's plenty enough to add several extra programs (my favorites: e-reader, handyshopper, listpro), keep lots of data, and store several e-books. I still have plenty of room left to work with.
The size of the screen is also not a problem for me. I'm not always crazy about the resolution, but again, I got my Z22 to be my PDA workhorse, not a movie theatre.
I have absolutely no regrets getting my Palm Z22. It frees me from being tied to my computer. It frees me from cluttered thinking. Not a day has gone by since I've gotten the Palm Z22 that I haven't used it. I've been very grateful to have it. Thank you, Palm, for making such a great device that is powerful yet affordable.
I love my Palm Z22! It's helping me change my life. :)
Customer Review: Busy mom? College Student? Don't have tons of $$$
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great litte PDA for organizing your life. I got it because I wanted to move to an electronic organizer, I got tired of shelling out $30 ~ $50 a year for organizer pages.
I needed an easy way to keep track of my work schedule, class deadlines, and task list.
My work schedule changes from week to week and I can keep this with me while I work. If someone needs to trade a shift I can quickly look up my hours to see if I can trade with them. Plus I can see what else is on my schedule, to check for other conflicts. Plus I can keep track of schedule changes easily and still have a hardcopy to refer to, if needed. Also when I am writing my schedule down it is nice not to have to scramble to find a piece of paper and try to keep track of it. I just pull this out and tap in the information. And Hey presto! I am good to go for another week. I snyc this with the Palm software provided. From that I am able to print out my schedule and share it with my family.
The task list is handy. I have a very long list and I tend to forget things, I don't know what I would do without it. I also use the shopping software that came with it to making my shopping lists. It is very easy to add new items to those lists. I have shopping lists set up for Office Supplies, Groceries, School, etc. I like the fact that I can keep my contacts listed in it, even though I don't access it day to day.
I purchased a Holiday program from the Palm Store for $10.00 to keep track of Holidays. That is the only thing I would fault computer organizing software on, there are no Holidays listed anywhere. Though my experience is limited to the Z22 and MS Outlook.
I like the fact that I can import pictures. I run a small business and it is nice to have some pictures on hand to show people what it is I do. While the picture quality isn't that great, it is nice to have some pictures handy. I can change the background picture to that of my neice, how cool is that? It's an added bonus.
I have also discovered that I can purchase ebooks and read them. Since I like to read this will be handy for me not to have to carry 4-5 books in my lap top case when I travel. Plus ebooks are usually cheaper.
This is an entry level PDA - That is all it is, people need to remember that. It does what it says it does. I have never had mine crash. If you just want to move from a paper day planner to an electronic day planner this is the one.
I needed something to keep track of my work hours, school deadlines, business deadlines, shopping, and to-do lists.
Don't ask this device to do more than what it is designed to do.
I think Palm was marketing this Device to Busy Moms and not Business Professionals.
I purchased mine in Novemember 2005 and have never run into any problems. Well worth the money.
I would also recommend the air case, the extra stylus, and screen protectors. I bought all of this at the same time and spent about $125.00.