Palm LifeDrive Mobile Manager
by Palm
|
List Price: Our Price: $299.00 You Save: $100.99 (25%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $34.40 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
|---|
Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Palm LifeDrive Mobile Manager
Customer Review: Great Device with Tons of Storage
Summary: 5 Stars
I have had this item for about 2 weeks now, and I love it! I can place hours of music, a couple of movies, and still have over a gig of storage for my doc files! (I currently have 700 MB of music, a 700 MB movie, two 175 MB TV shows (converted from DVD), over 400 pictures from my honeymoon and 1 yr anniversary vacation, and a couple of documents with 1.7 gigs free! Some of the issues noted (squealing while listening to MP3s and stability) have been updated by Palm as of Dec 1. You will likely have to do the update when you get it, but it's worth it!
One thing to note, be very careful when installing 3rd party apps. I have had 2 apps crash my system causing me to do a hard reset (erase). As well, sometimes those apps will corrupt your sync login. If you create a new sync account, and copy your contacts, etc. over to it on your PC, you can sync back up just fine. So be careful, not every piece of available software will work on this machine. Of course the software titles I am referring to are freeware apps found on the net.
Other than the 3rd party software issue, this machine has been stable for me, I even dropped it from about 3.5 ft while the HD was spinning! It still works. The lag doesn't bother me so much, but that's probably because I didn't come from using another PDA, and it's really not that bad. I tested another Palm product in the store just to see, and it didn't seem that much faster to me. I don't know how long a PDA's battery should last, but mine lasts me all day listening to MP3s and 2 days if I just use it. Palm reccommends 30 minutes of charge everyday anyway, so I usually use it enough to run it down and let it charge overnight, although I haven't done that everytime.
I highly reccomend this device, but be sure to download the update before doing anything else with it... it will make your life easier.
Customer Review: Different Reasons
Summary: 4 Stars
There are a lot of reviews about the Lifedrive that focus on its quirks. My reason for liking it are not because these quirks aren't there, they are, but because of its physical design.
My previous experience with Palm powered PDA's began about three years ago with an inexpensive, monchrome CLIE. No connectivity except for PC serial synchronization. Not very useful, and I gave up on it quickly.
Late last year I read about the Palm T|X and purchased one for myself for Christmas. The main reason I bought it was that it has WiFi and Bluetooth and didn't cost the $500 the Lifedrive did at that time. I figured that if it turned out to be as worthless as my previous PDA experience, I wasn't out that much cash. To my surprise it did fill a need, and really well. I began trying to find software that would allow me to leave my laptop at work when traveling and rely on the T|X, and I did!
Then the LD started to come down in price. I saw one, and I was hooked. There's nothing sexy about the T|X. It's really very ugly. Also, it's hardware buttons are fairly useless because of their size and position. The LD is thicker, but it's sleek silver metal. Its hardware buttons are larger and much more useful. It feels better. I had to put the T|X in an aluminum case for protection. That makes it much larger than the LD. Anyway...the LD feels like a much more serious device, a keeper.
That said, all told, the T|X performs better. It's faster in all ways. It has more RAM. It doesn't have the LD's 4g HDD, but now that SD cards are cheap, you can get a T|X and a 4g SD for less. However, I still perfer the LD.
For reference I also prefer Apple laptops over Dell...similar kind of thing.
Customer Review: New Era
Summary: 5 Stars
The LifeDrive is the beginning of a new era in PDAs. It is the first pda to have an integrated hard drive. Thanks to this fact, pdas can now become true mobile media units. If you are only going to listen to MP3 formated songs, there is no need to get an MP3 player in addition to this unit. The integration of the PDA and the MP3 player is now beginning.
If you care about why this is took so long, read the following paragraph. Otherwise, skip it.
Many are wondering why it took this so long to happen when the ipod has been out for years. Well, almost the entire ipod is made up of the hard drive. On PDAs, this space is needed for the processor, RAM, the screen, ect. Recently, Toshiba and other companies have introduced a .85 in. 4 GB microdrive that has been small enough to fit in PDAs. This has allowed the creation of the microdrive and will undoubtable filter down into other PDAs from both Microsoft and PalmOne.
In addition to the hard drive, PalmOne has included bluetooth, wi-fi, a 320x480 hi-resolution screen, and a 416MHz XScale processor. Bassicly, this PDA has just about everything you could want or need. Some may want am integrated keyboard or have other design complaints, but this is a mater of personal preference.
Now the only place left to go is to integrate a hard drive into a new design of the palmone treo. We should probably expect to see this sometime in the 4 quarter of this year. This would spell the integration of PDA, MP3 player, and phone, which is ultimatly where we are heading.
If you don't need an integrated phone, then this is a wonderful choice. I however will wait on the hard drive to be brought to the PDA phones out there.
Customer Review: Excellent PDA with some (minor) flaws.
Summary: 5 Stars
Having been using this for about 2 weeks, i began to see what a great mobile manager this is. Its great becuase i can put all my contacts in here, knowing therye all safely stored. Movie and sound quality is great but i REALLY reccomend getting a headphone. Having the Dialer is great becuase i can phone anyone on my contact listt and yes it does cost becuase your using it through your original phone. Playing games is excellent - I have all the emulators Snes,Gameboy,Gameboy Advance,Sega Genesis - All work fine again though you need a programe called UMDH.
The LifeDrive is very easy to use, first time i was able to know how to do everything - but i suggest reading the manual (I don't)becuase there are some neat tricks to learn.
The LifeDrive programe is great! unlike other PDA's - instead of hotsync - now you can drag all your favourite files without a sweat!
I was dissapointed with the WiFi (Wireless Internet) use at first but i found out there was an update that fixes the problem now it works great and looks great too, but don't except to use it too much as its a battery eater.
Speaking of battery, without using Bluetooth or WiFi it runs about 6 hours, With Bluetooth and WiFi its about erh 2 hours (Yes its that much of a killer).
Yes its true there is like a 2 second freeze when you open a programe but its not THAT bad - Can't you guys wait. I cant see why people have reviewed it badly - i really don't, i wonder if they actually owned the device...
Overall i would suggest this device to those that are constantly on the go - Either at Work or College, this device will be the other Foot of your body. It will carry you throughout the day.
Customer Review: BEYOND disspointed
Summary: 1 Stars
Of the 60 days I have had this unit, it has been functional perhaps 20. Starting right off, it crashed constantly, I had to reload the desktop software four times when the conduits to Outlook 2003 failed. About 3 weeks ago, the unit froze. No power off, no reboot, nothing. Calling palm, after a 30 minute wait, yielded no help, and I had to return the unit. At my own expense. Now one would expect that after paying $499 plus S+H.. I would be entitled to advanced replacement, or at least pre-paid shipping.
Anyhow, I sent the unit in, waited 2 weeks, and it finally arrived yesterday (No signature required I might add). Today, in a fit of patch management, I decided to load the new 2.0 updater. Unlike normal, I actually read the instructions, and followed them to the letter. I NOW have a $499 paperweight!!! If you have a LifeDrive DO NOT LOAD THE 2.0 UPDATER!!!
Yet another call to Palm, an even LONGER wait (seems quite a few people are having the same issue as I) and guess what? I have to ship the bloody thing back, AGAIN. At least this time they are paying the inbound shipping. However I would say it's a good guess that by the time I see a replacement, it will be out of phone support period, will most likely be a beat down re-furbished unit, which will STILL take 5 to 7 business days to send back to me.
I have been a long time user of Palm devices from the days of the PalmPilot Personal. Most recently I had a Tungsten C, Treo 600, and Treo 650. If there were a way for me to return my LifeDrive back to Palm so they can complete the beta process on it, you can believe I would.
In short, Great Idea, Crap implementation, infuriating service and support.