Palm Z22 Handheld
by PALM
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Our Price: $179.99 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $30.00 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Palm Z22 Handheld
Customer Review: GREAT CONCEPT - AWFUL QUALITY!
Summary: 1 Stars
I've owned Palm handheld PDA's for years. I have loved them and recommended them to everyone...until this past year. I bought a Tungsten E2 which suddenly died after 5 months (no warranty coverage - $200 down the drain), then the Z22. It was o.k. for about 2 weeks, then suddenly it would get stuck on a screen and I couldn't get out, or it wouldn't turn on, or I'd get "fatal error" messages and have to reset it. I returned that one and got another. It was even WORSE!! It lasted me a total of 30 minutes! Suddenly, I couldn't turn it on AND I couldn't reset it. I love the features of the Z22 - the Splash Shopper is a fun addition that makes shopping easier and more fun! The Z22 is a great concept and I feel I can't live comfortably and conveniently without a PDA like it, but I am reluctant to get another! The quality of Palm products has decreased dramatically over the past several years and I can't say I would recommend this product, as my luck so far has been 2 out of 2 lemons...I'll be getting another replacement for this one and I'll see what happens next. It is hugely inconvenient and also scary to be so unsure whether the thing will work when I go to use it...I've got important information on it that I'd hate to lose. Better luck to others who try the Z22. My experience has been a huge disappointment. P.S. My husband also had a Z22 which he had to return for similar problems - screen locking up, not able to access different functions, having to reset it all the time, etc. If he hadn't had such a bad experience, too, perhaps I could attribute it to an isolated incident of bad luck. I'd be interested to see what the other positive reviewers would say after they've had the Z22 for awhile -whether they've had problems with it. My understanding is those reviewers can't post other reviews of the product later. I would have given this a 5 star review in the beginning, but products should last longer than 30 minutes to 2 weeks!!!Customer Review: I love, Love, LOVE it!
Summary: 5 Stars
As a former PocketPC user, I had my doubts about buying the z22, because I was afraid that something so (relatively) inexpensive would be a piece of trash. However, this little handheld is absolutely wonderful. I've customized it with software that allows me to do far more with it than I would be able to otherwise. Right now, not only do I use it for my contacts, calendar, etc (and the color coded calendar is a VERY nice feature!) but I also have a searchable database of my library so I know which books I need to buy when I go shopping, a program that keeps track of our car's performance and alerts me when it is time for routine maintence, as well as keeping a log of mileage, fill ups and history, a program that lets me work on documents on my handheld and then transfer them to my computer for printing (very useful for a busy student), a program that allows me to keep track of how much money I have in the bank (no more overdrafts for me!), a shopping program that lets me keep track of what I need to buy for gifts as well as groceries, AND, as a voracious reader, I have two ebook programs which let me download books from the web - and our local library (I have 6 books in there currently). All that in the z22's memory - it may not be expandable, but it sure holds a LOT!
The best thing about this little pocket-gem is that it doesn't lose its memory when it runs out of juice, which is the problem that, along with the lack of available software, made me stop using the PPC. And, as I said before, the color coded calender is a wonderful addition that the PPC lacked. The amount of software out there for the Palm is great, too. Something for everyone, which makes the z22 very customizable.
I only wish they'd made it so it could be used to surf the web. That would've made it perfect, but also probably far more expensive.
What more can I say? Oh yeah - I just bought one to give my mom for her birthday!
Customer Review: great for what it is
Summary: 5 Stars
Please note that I have given the Z22 five stars taking into account the relative value of the price and features. Obviously this is a low-end device, so it is rated accordingly.
I bought one of these for my mother, who is still using a heavily erased and crossed-out address book and paper calendar. She has been reticent to move to electronic organizers, and I eventually decided to get this one for her partly because of the following features:
1) it has NVFS, which means that when my mother invariably forgets to charge it she will not lose all of her information.
2) it is small, light, easy to use and has a color screen.
3) it is a palm, which i've used for years and can easily show her some helpful usage tips.
One feature that I didn't know the Z22 had, and have found to be the real 'hook' as far as my mother is concerned is the ability to add images to contacts. Now my mother has pictures of each of her children and grandchildren, which are linked to their contact info. For her, that was the clincher. I think she will finally now give up her address book.
The Z22 has a great form factor, and it resembles the ipod in appearance and size - but the Palm is lighter. The screen isn't hi res, so don't expect hi definition with your photos - but it gets the job done. And the processor is certainly speedy enough.
One other nice touch is that a screen protector is included in the package - which I put on first thing. The software is pretty basic, and it includes a silly game called Crazy Daisy which will not likely get any usage.
There is one thing that I found frustrating, but it has to do with the packaging. They must be using a heavier gauge plastic for these packages, because it took me ten minutes to carefully cut through and open it without damaging the contents. Be sure you have a heavy duty exacto knife handy or a very large pair of shears.
Customer Review: more than handy
Summary: 4 Stars
These days it's hard to imagine someone not having at least one important document they need to refer to in pdf format. I'd been looking for something capable of making my pdf's more accessible, plus I'd been eying a pda for its spreadsheet capability for some time. I did a little research and ordered one of the Z22's, still not 100% sure if it would fit my purpose totally. One of the first things I did when it came was to set it up to read pdfs. It does, and I'm pretty impressed with some, but not all, of the quality my pdfs retain when ported to the device(you need a download from adobe on your desktop, which converts the files to handheld format.) One thing I have noticed is the desktop program from Adobe for doing the conversion requires most of my system's resources--a 1.4g AMD opteron. I'm not sure of the program's actual requirements, but it is worth checking. As far as the rest of the features in this PDA, I can tell you I recently had my PC repaired and needed to reinstall OS and applications. A little device like this is really helping smooth out the rough spots as I find them and make note of them on my PDA. So far the PDA has been a dream come true. Only two negatives, both I can live with. The first is the menus within the program sometimes just don't offer what seems like a necessity, but keep poking around and you should be able to find something helpful(the programs are simplified in many cases so use your imagination to employ them.)Second, when installing programs(and deleting them) it's hard to say what belongs to what program(google them if you have to)because the programs files are all dumped into one category pretty much. If you do google this, you'll see where people have been obsessing about all the cryptic files on their device. One more thing is I haven't been able to find a good password manager in the default programs, had there been one this reviewer would have rated five stars.Customer Review: A perfect PDA for a beginner
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this PDA for my wife as she wanted one instead of having to deal with a hefty paper calender. She wanted something that was basic without all the extras such as a camera, or internet access that add $'s and can become confusing. After a little research I found this was the best option for its price.
The Palm Z22 has a great color screen and is super easy to use. Even after playing with it myself for 5 minutes I was comfortable with the stylus tool and was able to write very easily. My wife stores everything she needs on it and is VERY happy with it. The device is very easy to set up and the software is easy to install on your PC. The sync-ing between the PDA and PC is fast and easy as its through a USB port. Entries can be input on either the PDA or by typing on your PC and then sync it with the PDA. I think one of the best features for such a basic model is that you can transfer photos and veiw them. The quality is fairly low but its nice to have them on hand. I downloaded various extra programs for the PDA from the internet and they installed quickly and easily.
The only complaint I have is the quality of the materials. The plastic casing feels a little cheap, but you are paying base price for a PDA with a color screen. Also the rubber case that comes in the box is annoying to get on and off. This didn't stop me from buying the PDA though as I had read planty of good reviews about the actual PDA itself. Unfortunately there is a very limited selection of cases that support this model. A friend gave my wife a nice leather PALM case to keep it protected but its too big for the Z22 so it falls out easily. The only option as of now is a clear hard case.
Overall my wife is very happy, which makes me happy. So I would recommend this to any beginner wanting a basic PDA to keep track of their calendar, contacts, photos etc. but not want anything more.