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Palm Tungsten E2 Handheld
By: Palm Average Rating: 3.5 Total Reviews: 317
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 On: 2008-07-02
Ive had a Palm 100 since 2001. It is still working, but I knew it would need to be replaced before long. While the 100 lacked many of the luxury features of the E2, it surpassed the E2 I received 7 months ago in ease of use and life span. I was very excited when I saw the color screen. The images are sharp and bright. I found extras that I did not have on the 100. I could put my SD card in the top and view all the pictures on it. Very nice when you can never think to carry pictures with you. However, the pictures are very slow to load. Another treat is that it is slim, came with a nice cover that was easy to move out of the way when I wanted to view it. The other WONDERFUL difference is its rechargeable. I had to keep a close eye on the 100 because, if your battery ran too low, you lost everything. And, if you didnt change the batteries out quick enough (taking out the old and putting in the new) you would lose all your information again.
When I began using the E2, I noticed that I had to touch the stylus under the item in order to highlight it. Im very flexible so I adapted to these dyslexic positions. One area that never quite seemed to work smoothly was synchronizing. Before, my 100 synched beautifully. For the last 7 months, each time I tried to synch, I had to load the program first. Then I would end up with doubled-up tasks. It was frustrating to have to go back in and delete all the duplications.
Two days ago, I stopped the car to look up an address. When I returned to my car, I noticed my E2 was in the street. I picked it up and it didnt come on. To make a long story short, Ive been upset with myself until I came to see about buying another one. After reading several of the reviews, I knew my Palm had fizzled without any help from me. Many of the issues others had had, I did too. Now Ive decided it would not be a wise way for me to spend my money. Ill have to look into other brands. I appreciate all of those who took the time to review the E2. Youve helped me make a better decision.
On: 2008-06-29
While this has all the right features, there are two big problems. First, these palms only last 18 months or so. Then freezes beyond repair. Second, whenever it is on, there is an annoying, constant high pitched buzz. I do not recommend this product.
 On: 2008-06-26
I have been a palm consumer ever since the oldest clie models and have always had pretty good luck. Buy one device, use it happily until it finally gets old and dies. I dont have unreasonable expectations for "life expectancy" of a device I use many times per day. However, I bought this model about 11 months ago and had problems right from the get-go. Within a month, the touchscreen was losing sensitivity and was not aligned right, meaning you sort of had to guess where to tap to actually pull up a certain thing. Tech support not helpful, but still under warranty so was replaced with a "remanufactured" device. (I wont even talk about how that process left me without a device for about three weeks...) Replacement device actually malfunctioned in EXACTLY the same way within one month. So frustrating to see that palm is manufacturing crap and then not taking responsibility when it fails. Especially because I tried to switch to a HP device - which functioned beautifully - and I couldnt get used to the different platform. What happened to my beloved palms??? So disappointed....
 On: 2008-06-24
This is my second Palm (with my first being the Palm E). Because I prefer a device separate from a cell phone and music and game devices, the Palm is a wonderful product! I use it to maintain all of my personal and business appointments, to play games, and to listen to music. I may be outdated in terms of not preferring more advanced hand-held devices, but this product is easy to use, easy to carry, fits easily in my purse, and has a reasonably long battery life before needing to be recharged. I am not disappointed with the E2 at all!
On: 2008-06-20
do NOT buy ... I have had a e2 AND a Palm Lifedrive ... both have had loving care but broke within a year. Customer service will gladly fix it for $150 so unless you plan to spend an adverage of $20 a month for this .. BEWARE and dont buy!!!
On: 2008-06-20
I had a seven year old m500 whose battery, and replacement battery, bit the dust. Ive had Palms since the Palm III days. Theyve worked just fine, although dropping one and breaking a screen has never been pleasant.
However, the two E2s Ive had show all the signs of rotten engineering. The first one ran for 85 days - then, the digitizer went nuts. Horizontal lines drawn across the screen went up, down, sideways, and you name it. The effect was especially notable on the writing area: the "menu" button could not be touched and the "home" button was, effectively, displaced to the very bottom of the screen. Digitizer calibration did not succeed, although, if, in the calibration attempt, one touches points offset from the correct points, a calibration would "succeed" - but the distortion on the touchscreen was obvious.
I called Palm support and they sent me a new one. Here it is, three months later, and the new Palm has started doing the exact same thing.
A search of the web shows hundreds upon hundreds of complaints about digitizer malfunctions on the E2. The old palms didnt do this. I therefore conclude that Palm made a severe design mistake; they get $150 for "repairs" after warranty; the warranty has been shortened up, obviously to get that $150; freeware and costware "solutions" to the problem are cropping up; and the company hasnt publicly recognized the problem.
Dont buy this thing. Its designed bad, from the start. I hate to say this, but Im never buying a Palm again.
Ken Becker
On: 2008-06-20
This is my third palm - the last two have been Tungsten E. They meet many of my organizational needs and is small and easy to carry with me. I only wish that the screen lasted longer than 2 years.
On: 2008-06-14
Im a previous user of tungsten E. When my battery died and I needed to replace the battery or buy a new product, I chose to buy the TX because of the added features. I had problems with the application software for TX virtually from the start. So I returned it for an E2. I have not had a problem from the moment I took it out of the box. I sacrificed some desirable features but its more important to me that I have a reliable access to my data. Im now a happy camper.
 On: 2008-06-08
1 major problem: When I tried hot syncing the data from my old T-E2 to my new T-E2, there was not enough memory to tranfer all the data. On my old E2, I still had memory left. I suspect this was related to the new OS and some programs not included on my 1st E2. I ended up deleting the least important programs; but even with that approach, I dont have much memory left for new application. Also, on some application, scrolling up or down using the slider and arrows on the right side is difficult.
 On: 2008-05-26
Great product! I love having documents at my fingertips anywhere I go without lugging a laptop around. I purchased it mainly for nursing school so I could have a drug book reference. I havent downloaded the drug book yet.
On: 2008-05-24
As much as what I love the Tungsten E2, and as much as it has helped keep my appointments and documents organized, this is unfortunately my second one. After a year of great use it lost its screen callibration which isnt a part of the regular 90 day warranty and neither is tech support. The only reason that I purchased a second one is because of the documents and programs that I use at work with the Tungsten E2. Palm has a horrible warranty policy. With the exception of the screen calibration, it is a great piece of technology to help keep you organized. Palm, get a consumer friendly warranty policy. This is my last palm!!!
On: 2008-05-13
This was my third Palm Tungsten E2. My first Palm PDA, a Palm V, lasted five years. My first Tungsten E2 lasted a little over two years. My second one lasted a little less than two years. This one lasted a whoppin 12 days! All of my Tungsten E2s, even when working, were flaky -- they buzzed, they had to be reset often, their conduits quit working and I could not back them up to my computer. Customer "support," when I tried it years ago, was so useless it was insulting. Im not even going to try for a refund, Im just never going to buy a Palm product again. Unfortunately, none of the other PDAs seem very reliable either. Much as I dislike the bulk and inefficiency of paper, Im going back to it until some wonderful company makes a reliable PDA.
On: 2008-05-12
I love my E2. Since I jumped a year ago from a M105 to this, I really feel this help me a lot at work and everywhere I go.
The only reason Im planning a change is the lack of WiFi.
On: 2008-05-10
I was very excited about this PDA when I first got it. It worked well and did everything I needed it to, including having an SD 2GB maximum card slot for pictures. However, after having it for almost 15 months, I have encountered many problems with it, to the point of now only being able to play Solitare. I would suggest to anyone that is planning on buying that partiular PDA, or anyone for that matter, to purchase a Protection Plan for it. Thankfully I did buy a plan and I have to send it in now to see if they can fix it.
On: 2008-05-07
It is a great buy as all other prices were much higher. Support was excellent.
On: 2008-05-06
I am a person who works each day with lists and the pda has just helped me be more efficient! The yearly reminder for birthdays and other special events is priceless---so much easier than transferring paper data to yearly calendars!! It is so handy to have everything in one place! VERY easy to use!
On: 2008-05-06
This is the fourth pda I have owned. I have never had a problem with the others just a silly need to get the latest gadget.
The Tungsten e2 I ordered only worked for a week. I am a hairdresser and I keep all my appointments for the year in this thing. The pda froze up and will not turn off or on. I have done everything possible, reset the thing reinstalled my software etc. I contacted the seller and they told me to send it back in the original package. The package I got had been opened and no plastic on it just a box. OOPs I never thought I would have to send it back and the package is somewhere far far away recycled. I am just so disappointed. Dont know what I will do but in the mean time I transfered all my data from my computer to paper.
On: 2008-05-05
Ive owned my Palm Pilot Tungsten E2 for around three years now. I love it! It holds my whole life. Ive dropped it a bunch of times. Its gotten wet. Its been very cold and very hot. Its gone dead a few times & Ive reset it and lost nothing. (I also back it up on the computer with the hot sync fairly regularly so that if it ever does go completely tilt-whirl, Ill only have lost a few weeks worth of stuff.) The battery lasts a good long time. Of course, Im not much of a techie & I dont use it for an MP3 player and I never bothered to use the blue tooth stuff as I have nothing else that is blue tooth enabled. But its got my whole calendar (extensive), all my contacts (extensive & detailed), my diet info, my medical info, my personal data is sealed away under password (which really works - I forgot the password for 4 months & could not get in, no way, no how - aggravating but reassuring). I have games to keep me from getting too bored in waiting rooms with three year old magazines. And I love the task reminders and the memo function. I dont need it to be fancier than a basic life organizer, but for that it works absolutely great and is very, very reliable!
On: 2008-04-29
After my first Tungsten E failed due to the power switch, I took the unit apart to see what had happened. This power switch is only attached by two very thin wires to the circuit board. There is no other mechanical support. As such, routine usage of this switch WILL result in one of those wires breaking in time.
My advice is avoid using this switch. Set the unit up so that the keyboard never locks and use the front panel buttons - which are of a much more robust design - to activate the unit.
And if you are having a problem with the speaker not working, it is likely due to the fact that a pressure contact is used to make the connection. Over time corrosion can build up between the spring and press plate and again you will have a failure.
Its unfortunate Palm has not corrected these two obvious design flaws in an otherwise quality unit. I continue to use the unit because it would be too much trouble to switch to another PDA vendor.
On: 2008-04-23
This will be my third Palm (have also had one HP). It is easy to navigate, provides clear screen, and is not too complicated. There was some difficulty in transferring my Outlook information from the computer to my new Palm & in downloading some extra programs.I had to purchase extra Palm software to download my EWallet.
On: 2008-04-14
I love the Tungsten E2. I dont need to get on the web away from home and dont want to pay the monthly fee associated w/ AT&T in order to do that (frugally speaking). So, the Tungsten is just like my old PDA EXCEPT the battery LASTS a LONG TIME and the picture is more brilliant, it feels more substantial in my hands and I love being able to download info on to it, and carry excel spreadsheets with me. A stupendous organizer.
On: 2008-04-11
I purchased my Palm Tungsten E2 in July of last year so I have had plenty of time to see the good and bad. There really hasnt been anything horrible about this PDA. It serves as my appointment book at work and I probably use it 50 times a day while at work to look up clients appointments and times when Im writing paperwork. My E2 runs for a week and a half to two weeks without having to charge it...but I do not charge it until it begins to threaten to shutdown because of no battery power, so this may be helping the battery life. It stores pictures and I even have some audio on it as well...I would never use it as my primary mp3 player...but occassionally Ill listen to some music with it.
The hotsync feature has been great and I find it really easy to use...I read some reviews where people have lost years of information while using this product...just hotsync your info to your computer for a reliable back-up...it hasnt failed me yet.
Now that this unit has come down in price I believe it is an exceptional value for the performance and would recommend it to anyone!
On: 2008-04-10
the hardware was out of order after one week of usage,
very bad experience,
will not recommend t any one
On: 2008-04-06
Great PDA. Instruction manual was somewhat lacking in detail. However, tech support from seller,Richmond Wholesale, was excellant. Highly recommend both product and seller.
On: 2008-04-06
i bought the palm with the sole intention of putting my iv therapy book and my drug book on it for my nursing clinicals. my palm is much more then that. it seemed the first week i kept finding more things on the palm that i didnt know were there. i love it. clinicals are a breeze for me now, much less cumbersome. and the extra things on the palm that i didnt realize it had on it is just a bonus. it is great and i take it with me everywhere.
On: 2008-03-29
Compre esta Palm a un excelente precio por ser Open Box y no me arrepiento, si bien tiene una pequena ralladura no afecta nada la maquina y la compre $100 menos del valor original.
Es un excelente producto y el servicio de Amazon Muy bueno
On: 2008-03-27
I purchased a LIFEDRIVE from Palm and I was immediately thrilled with it and I rated it 5 stars. I purchased a metal protective case for it and I purchased a special remote alpha/numeric keypad. I thought it was the greatest of all the Palm devices I had ever purchased! Having left a positive feedback on this purchase I am no longer allowed to make any further comments for this specific item.
But now I have lost ten years of vital data. The LIFEDRIVE was defective. I had been buying Palm products every since they had a memory of only half a megabyte. Now I have lost all personal and business information that I acquired over all these last ten years. And when I call them for help they demanded money to simply look into the problem saying they would not be responsible for the cost of any lost data.
On: 2008-03-23
I had a Tunsten T before, which worked for three-four years, even survived several drops on concrete floors. Then I had the Tunsten 2E for about 6 months, and it is stuck in the calibration loop with no possibility of exit. I tried soft and hard reset, all to no avail. I searched on the web, and this seems to be a common problem with no real solution. Palm apparently knew about this, yet they did nothing. This is totally different from Canon. I had a Canon digital camera of three years. The display screen went out. When I searched on the web, Canon had issued a recall for this. Canon paid for all the shipping, and repaired or substituted a newer model (in my case) for free. That is good costumer service! Avoid Palm from now on by all means.
On: 2008-03-18
My E2 is one with all the problems you may have heard about. I replaced my E with the E2, despite reading the issues about the digitizer, etc. They were right, the thing is a real lemon. There are goods things, the battery life is great, the screen is bright. But the bad is so bad! The screen wont stay synced very well, it is nearly impossible to use graffiti to write, despite downloading and trying every fix ever suggested. The stylus silver coating wore down to a brass color in only a few weeks, then its tip fell off. After about 6 months I find that unless I really carefully ensure that the charging cable is seated, it wont charge. Palm really blew it with this unit, they cheaped it to death. I really wish I had bought something else.
On: 2008-03-15
I like Palm products, and purchased the Tungsten after I lost my TX. However, after about 5 days of inactivity, my new Tungsten loses its charge completely to the point that it loses the date and time settings. This occurs even though it is not used at all during that time, and the blue-tooth is turned off the entire time. The battery must be recharged every 3 to 4 days.
On: 2008-03-15
Palm Tungsten E2 HandheldThis Palm is user friendly; offers many useful options; has e-mail, phone, the features are endless.
On: 2008-03-08
Having never owned a palm before, I wasnt really sure what I would need. Unfortunately, I have learned the hard way. I have owned this for about 1.5 years, and despite treating it very gently, I have been plagued with hardware problems. It started emitting a very loud, noticeable buzz after about 2 months, then the IR went bad about 6 months ago. Today marks a turning point, however, in that the device has completely, utterly died. Do not waste your money on this thing!
On: 2008-03-08
Lots of features, full functionality, bright screen, cool stylus. On paper (and in pictures) it is a great product. And if you are one of the ones who hasnt had any problems with it, you will probably be happy.
However.... Im now looking for a non-palm product. I had the TE2 for a year. I had to go through many resets early on but eventually stopped loading a couple of relatively small and otherwise safe programs and the resets got better - but never went away. Periodically the only way I could get docs to go to work again was to uninstall everything. Hard reset. Reinstall everything. Im not new to some tech issues and really worked hard at fixing this bug. Latest firmware, latest version of docs to go, completely uninstalling and reinstalling everything, and so on and so forth. Bottom line is this - it was extraordinarily unreliable. And that caused real problems for me at times with primarily medical software and uses.
So, after about a year it started making hissing noise, the screen became less and less responsive, and eventually it just stopped working. Nothing. Dead. Im now scouring the net looking for a reliable one that isnt overpriced or connected to a phone service. So far Ive not seen anything worth buying.
One thing for sure, this item is, at best, a major gamble. Other websites, like Nextag, have far fewer favorable reviews of this product, also.
Id avoid it, obviously.
On: 2008-02-25
The touchscreen is "touchy" and mine never worked right. Warranty is only 90 days. I recommend looking elsewhere!
On: 2008-02-19
I purchased my Tungsten E2 as an upgrade from a IIIxe. I LOVE the color screen and graphics! The software is soooooo easy to use using WinXP . . . interfaces wonderfully. Cant say enough about the contacts, task lists, Calendar, alarm reminders, etc. . . . they more than meet my needs! The simplicity of hotsync-ing with the Palm Desktop is great!
I use Documents to Go (Word) for keeping up to date on a book that I am writing. With the wireless folding keyboard that Palm makes (for only $70), why would anyone want a laptop? Its very easy to use and weighs a lot less!! Whenever I have much editing to do, I just whip out my keyboard and go at it! When I get home, I just put my Palm in its cradle and hit the hotsync button - - and everything is updated to correlate (PC and Palm). I have an older version of Docs to Go, but even with the new version, I suppose the big screen on a laptop would be much better for spreadsheets. Since I dont really utilize xcel on my Palm, Im not bothered about that. Havent used Powerpoint either.
I use my Palm with RealPlayer as my MP3 player with no problem (and have for over a year now). Its so nice to just drag and drop my MP3s to either the Palm install or directly to a SD card (using a card reader)and have RealPlayer play them! You can also make playlists on the SD card using the cardreader, by creating folders and dragging songs to them. I really enjoy being able to make the playlists using my Palm (which even some of the BIG name MP3 players cannot do).
I also use the SD cards to view and edit (add and delete) photos that I take using my digital cameras (saves the camera batteries - the Palm is rechargable). I love being able to use different photos as backgrounds on my Palm, too!
Ive used it from the beginning to load simple games (ie. solitaire, majong, hangman, and word scramble). I have a DS and still end up using my Palm just because its so much easier to carry. There are Many software games out there for the E2.
I recently discovered that I can play videos on my Tungsten E2. It took awhile, but with the help of Catalyst 3 (for multiple device conversions) and TCPMP, I can watch full length movies, or anything converted from a DVD at my convenience! I understand that the E2 is also capable of displaying podcasts and such, but I havent gone there yet! Just another wonderful thing that this little Palm can do!
I will certainly admit that it would be nice to have the E2 be able to recognize a larger that 1Gig SD card, be able to "plug and play" videos (like an IPod), an many more "would be nice" things. . . but for the price, its REALLY hard to beat!! I mean sure, my sons have 30Gig Ipod and Zune, but they cannot carry their worksheets, spreadsheets, or Pdf files (not to mention the option of phone and email services that the E2 is capable of). All they get is video and jpegs! Sure, I could wish it would do everything . . . but I havent found anything on the market that I would trade it for yet! What else fits in your pocket and does all these things????
On: 2008-02-14
Great time in receiving the product. Everything was included (had a little problem with the disc but nothing I wont be able to take care of. Very good response
On: 2008-02-13
Im really glad I got the Tungston. I used to use actual priinted assignment books, and this is a lot more convenient in many ways. It is a little harder to enter in assignments (I could just scribble them down before), but this has so many more features- alarms, setting priorities on tasks, a contact book, and hey, the music player is a great added feature. Other than the fact that entering stuff in is a little slow sometimes (and the feature that supposedly lets you write letters with the stylus and have it transfer that to typed characters is a little glichy), I love everything about it. The notepads great for quickly jotting suff down, and everything is so much more organised. If your the kind of person that needs organization in their life, I would strongly recommend a palm.
On: 2008-02-13
Easy to use and covers all the needs in your life. Can not live without.
On: 2008-02-13
Love the calendar: can set reminder however long prior to appointment - am becoming exceedingly punctual! Can take notes so when apptmt. arrives, know what I want to accomplish. Can add notes after a meeting to that appointment in calendar, so easy to recall what did get accomplished at that time.
Have all my info at my fingertips...
Only regret: should have gotten this years ago!
One note: cant bluetooth with my Imac.....
On: 2008-02-09
I found that the Documents to Go application is the cause of many problems. If you buy the full version it works fine. Other than that I use my Palm for medical uses and it has done that job well.
On: 2008-02-09
This is the second Palm One Tungsten E2 and my first PDA was a Palm Tunsten E. They provide all the capabilty I want in a PDA but my biggest ctiticism is that they only seem to last 2 years and then something goes bad and I have to replace it (as its cheaper than paying the exhorbitant $149 service charge). Also Id complained about the lack of being able to purchase a replacement for the original protective cover which does the job perfectly but being made of a plastic type substance has the hinge fatigue and crack off. I love this model for its slim line and if I wanted a bulkier PDA (which is what you get with any of the other protective covers) then Id have purchased another brand!
On: 2008-02-09
Love it! Needed an upgrade to an older PDA, this is perfect, up to date, color, easy to manage. Able to sync my work & home calendars & contacts so they are always up to date and match each other. This PDA allows multiple categories for multiple contacts. Very glad I purchased it!
On: 2008-02-08
I was so excited to get my new Palm Tungsten and I was not dissapointed. Everything was neatly packed and ready to go. I would definitely buy from that vendor again. Good experience. Everyone should have a Palm Tungsten -- it is great! I have never been so organized and "hi-tech".
On: 2008-02-08
The palm pilot I ordered was shipped and received promptly. There was a question with the order and I received an expanatory email and then a follow up phone call. I would recommend this company. The price was great!
On: 2008-01-29
After having mine for just over a year, it quit working. Palm offered to repair it for $150 and told me that they only last for 3-5 years. Less if it is used more. As you may guess I am very disappointed. It is a nice tool but by the time you buy 3 of these you could by a laptop. Too much money for a disposable item.
On: 2008-01-28
I bought this for my wife as a medical study tool for college in her profession (Nursing) for the software that I installed (PEPID) this works great, very sturdy, bright ,and very fast to use the product itself very slim, light and ergonomics are all a compliment in itself.
On: 2008-01-21
Touch screen keyboard not longer works even after several hard resets. I called Palm and they claim a hardware failure. It will cost $149 to fix it. After complaining they gave me a 25% discount on the repair which brought it down to $111. Even with the discount Im not sure it is worth it. Very unhappy. I feel the warranty should be longer.
On: 2008-01-20
Touch screen keyboard not longer works even after several hard resets. I called Palm and they claim a hardware failure. It will cost $149 to fix it. After complaining they gave me a 25% discount on the repair which brought it down to $111. Even with the discount Im not sure it is worth it. Very unhappy. I feel the warranty should be longer.
On: 2008-01-20
Mistake #1 - I read the reviews and bought the Zire (Z22).
Mistake #2 - Didnt see that the Zire has a tiny screen.
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After owning an IIIxe since 2000 I had planned to upgrade to color, but the Zire had a smaller screen and so I shipped it back.
Now Ive got the E2 and all those other negative and picky reviews are insignificant to the owner pleasure the E2 brings. 1) nice touch screen thats more sensitive 2) no up and down button required just tap the screen 3) relearning a couple new letters not a big deal 4) Seamless Bluetooth sync with my MAC (wow wow wow)
Con - I miss the flip up cover on my E2 (big deal? no.)
On: 2008-01-18
I purchased this palm for my fiance for Christmas after a lot of research. Hes a 23 year old window/siding salesman and its perfect for keeping track of his appointments, plus he installed the documents to go software so he can fill out order forms in excel and get an instant calculation on site! Im glad to see him finally organized. And this is a lot cheaper than the fancy palm pilot he would have purchased for himself. He would have bought a complicated, expensive device thats an organizer, MP3 player, phone, and camera all in one and then hed only use the organizer anyway because he has an MP3 player, phone, and a great camera already! This works perfectly for what its designed to do. Nothing more. Nothing less. And he loves it, which means he loves to use it! Now my sister has one too! Oh, and amazon was great!
On: 2008-01-18
I love the Tungsten E2. Got a great deal through Amazon and was able to purchase a nice leather case with extra stylus and screen protectors(called a Zire Essentials Kit) for what I would have paid at the store as I got free shipping! :) Easy to use and I dont find it a problem to use with the screen protectors as I had read on another review. I am constantly finding out something new that it does to make data entry easier (hint...take the tour first :). It may take you a while to get it all set up with everything (Im still inputting addresses, etc.) but the calendar works great, syncs super fast with my computer and makes our lives easier. The only down side is that you cant print your calendars color coded as they appear on your computer or handheld....but they assure me they are working on an update to fix this. Of the three models Palm offers, this is the middle one. It does what I needed without all the extra gadgetry that I am not up to speed on yet. Maybe I will move up when I get another someday, but for now, this one is perfect for me. Get one!!
On: 2008-01-18
This PDA stores photos, mp3s, and all the information I need in a compact, light package. Excellent value.
On: 2008-01-17
Palm Tungsten E2 - worst purchase Ive ever made. This is the 2nd Palm to simply die. Cant recharge it. Lost all data. Most people are busy enough that daily backups are not reasonable (especially with travel). Tech support basically said there is nothing they can do.
If you need an electronic calender and phone book, its better to go with paper. At least if your dog eats the paper, its partly recoverable.
On: 2008-01-16
Palm Tungsten E2 - worst purchase Ive ever made. This is the 2nd Palm to simply die. Cant recharge it. Lost all data. Most people are busy enough that daily backups are not reasonable (especially with travel). Tech support basically said there is nothing they can do.
If you need an electronic calender and phone book, its better to go with paper. At least if your dog eats the paper, its partly recoverable.
On: 2008-01-14
Imagine this: you go onto your palm desktop to find that the 1,000 contacts you have amassed over the past three years have disappeared. But...you still have your handheld with its memory. So you make sure that the hotsynch is set so the handheld overrides the desktop. You perform the hotsynch and guess what? (I know, youre way ahead of me) everything is erased - on both the desktop and the handheld. Then I go onto their website and I see lots of people with the same complaint - "I lost all my data, is there any hope?" Nope.
On: 2008-01-14
Once upon a time, there was a company that made great PDAs. I purchased a Palm Pilot m200 from them, and it was wonderful. Durable, great screen, solid controls, good battery life. It was stolen one day. I tried to replace it with a Tungsten E2. It turns out to have a cheap plastic case, a power button that eventually stops working, and a touch screen that wears out after a year and becomes impossible to calibrate or use. And the power supply only works with 115V and not 220V. It is really a shame that Palm stopped making good PDAs. I certainly do not recommend the Tungsten E2. Please take my review seriously. I should have listened to the reviews when I purchased my E2.
On: 2008-01-13
Imagine this: you go onto your palm desktop to find that the 1,000 contacts you have amassed over the past three years have disappeared. But...you still have your handheld with its memory. So you make sure that the hotsynch is set so the handheld overrides the desktop. You perform the hotsynch and guess what? (I know, youre way ahead of me) everything is erased - on both the desktop and the handheld. Then I go onto their website and I see lots of people with the same complaint - "I lost all my data, is there any hope?" Nope.
On: 2008-01-13
Once upon a time, there was a company that made great PDAs. I purchased a Palm Pilot m200 from them, and it was wonderful. Durable, great screen, solid controls, good battery life. It was stolen one day. I tried to replace it with a Tungsten E2. It turns out to have a cheap plastic case, a power button that eventually stops working, and a touch screen that wears out after a year and becomes impossible to calibrate or use. And the power supply only works with 115V and not 220V. It is really a shame that Palm stopped making good PDAs. I certainly do not recommend the Tungsten E2. Please take my review seriously. I should have listened to the reviews when I purchased my E2.
On: 2008-01-10
This PDA is disappointing given the price. I used to have a Toshiba that ran on the Windows platform. It synchronized smoothly with my Windows based laptop and all of the programs worked together. The Palm is difficult to set up and has an inadequate user manual that is horrible at explaining how to use the darn thing. I gave mine away and bought an HP IPAQ 111.
On: 2008-01-08
The PDA was delivered w/i days of ordering and well before Christmas, great job.
It looked brand new and it was easy to install and seems to be working find.
I did have one question I emailed them and they responded w/i 12 hours.
Would definitely order from them again.
On: 2008-01-08
This is the 3rd Palm product I have owned. The first was a gift. The second was bought from Palm. Unfortunately I had to return this new Palm as it was obviously not NEW (big scratch on the case) and was not working, it wouldnt even turn on after being charged overnight. I subsequently bought the same item from my local Best Buy. I am very disappointed. This doesnt say much for your quality control.
On: 2008-01-07
My husband and I gave this to his step-mother for Christmas and she loves it. She said it is very easy to use and has everything she needs in a PDA!!
On: 2008-01-07
As a university professor, I find this product invaluable, not only for keeping appointments and addresses, but also for attendance and grades (using Excel-to-Go) and to have necessary reading available in my pocket.
On: 2008-01-07
PDA ARRIVED OK AND ON IME, IN ITS ORIGINAL PACKAGE, WITH ALL THE ITEMS THAT PALM SELLS THEM AND I PAY LESS.
On: 2008-01-07
This is the 3rd Palm device I have owned so I am familiar with the operation and features. This one is a feature rich device. The software included has provided nothing but frustration trying to get the included software to properly sync with the device. I ended up with duplicated contacts in my address book - over 300 of them. Calendars not syncing properly and then the device just locking up which requires a complete deletion of files on the Palm and starting over again. This may be a problem with the MAC operating system, but the prior Palm devices worked with the same OS X system. I have used Palms support and they have offered suggestions - but the problems are still there.
I am sure this will be eventually resolved - it has just made many of the features I purchased this new unit for unavailable.
On: 2008-01-02
My Palm Tungsten E2 will not accept my Expansion card. I called thier support and they said that it only supports up to 1 GIG. I had gone out and purchased a 2 Gig card. IT IS NOT ON THEIR SITE what the device support. It does not say under Expansion Slot only support 1 Gig. Their tech support guy lied or does not know what is on your site because he argued with me about what it supported. So Now I have purchased a card that I can not use.
They do not provide any details about their product and how it works on their site, no manual comes with the device, they phone support is outsourced and VERY BAD, and their tech support does not know what is going on with the device. Buy this product at your own risk.
On: 2008-01-01
Im a digital guy. I use Outlook to organize my life - contacts, appointments and tasks. But when Im on the fly, and someone suggests a meeting or a "to-do," I cant stop, unpack my laptop, wait for it to boot up, and check my schedule. This PDA synocronizes perfectly with my computers Outlook and has all the tools I need to stay organized when Im on the run.
On: 2008-01-01
After being a Palm Zire afficionado, I finally upgraded after a portion of my Zire screen went dead after 5 years of use. I absolutely love the Tungsten E2- it is user friendly, and all of my records synched to the new Palm w/o any problems. They designed the on-off switch to a better postion than the Zire so it doesnt get bumped on accidentaly.
On: 2007-12-30
Loved it initially - lets me store ready-access data (Im an emergency physician and keep the PDR and Tarascon and Merck data on it) and to-do lists and a fair calendar. But when it decides to lock up (about every 2 weeks, have no clue as to why) it takes repeated re-boots to get it to work again. And the battery -- my unit lasts for perhaps an summed hour (at most) of intermittent use. I finally got tired of this, bought a new battery and installed it, and it still drains the NEW battery in an hour. If it leave it sitting in off mode for more than 24 hrs, the battery is dead. In spite of all of this, the thing is still LIGHT YEARS ahead of the HP IPAQ I foolishly bought a few years back.
On: 2007-12-30
Best price around by $50.00
This was a replacemnent for an older palm and it is exactly what I needed for the price.
On: 2007-12-29
Tungsten E 2..does not work!!! it is new
a real LEMON... i hope to get money back Brand New Palm Treo 650, Treo 700w, Treo 700p, Treo 700wx, Tungsten T5, Tungsten E2, LifeDrive, TX Home / Wall/ Travel Ac Battery Charger
On: 2007-12-21
I kept my first Palm for about 5 - 6 years. No problems. I just wanted a simple tool for keeping track of appointments and contacts and a few notes. Has worked well for me for many years. When my old device finally died I went back to Palm for a replacement. No question.
I got a Z22. It lasted almost a year. I was surprised it failed so soon. I decided maybe I should spend a little more money the next time and got a Tungsten E2. This lasted about 5 months, just 2 months past the short 90 day warranty. The E2 had some problems in the last month. I had to reset the date several times and the charge seemed to suddenly disapear. Easy enough to fix. Then it just went blank and could not be revived. It was not as reliable as the others devices. In the end, it failed and repair is uneconomical.
In addition, I note that Palm support is pretty poor these days. There are language problems and a general lack of reasonable discourse with support personnel. The exchange makes me imagine I am trying to talk to a machine. That is not a conversation.
I give up. No more Palm. Palm was a good company with good products. In fact, sadly I may go back to a paper calendar and printing out my contact list. I fear most of the PDA devices have become less and less reliable and support more and more spotty.
Warrantees are short, expensive, and difficult to use.
On: 2007-12-20
The list of things that went wrong since I bought this product is long:
1) As I followed the directions in the manual to install the software on my computer, all of my backup (from my old palm) was erased! Yep, all of it gone! No warning. The manual said it would automatically be transferred. Nope! Its gone. When we called Palm customer service, we were told we were supposed to rename folders before installing but that was not listed in the manual!
2)As I plugged my old palm back in to try to make a new back up, the system froze it. It killed my old palm!
3)It took my husband about 2 hours on the phone, to go through the installation process. Turns out the installation software CD was defective and we had to go through a special online download.
4)I finally start using my palm, knowing that Ill have to reenter whatever information I can retrieve (from my cellphones, etc...) manually. After just half an hour of working with it, I get a fatal alert message,while trying to add a note to a task.
That was the final draw. I returned it and will be looking for something else.
A few other things. Why does the upgraded version of the PALM software not have features that were available in the previous versions of PALM?
the calculator does not work the same.
Dont get me started with Graffiti 2!
And to add a note to a specific event that is recurring, you cant just go to details/add note (that will add the note to all of the events!), you have to go to menu, add note. Why would they change something like this?
Very unhappy with PALM. Very unhappy!
PS: I had been using a basic Zire for the past few years without a glitch, my display suddenly started fading which is why I was looking at a replacement.
On: 2007-12-19
When I purchased the handheld, I knew nothing about them, however as I played around with the device, I found that it is a very useful, compact device. The information it contains is very helpful.
Unfortunately, I purchased a pre-owned unit and did not receive any information with it, but there is a wealth of information on the net to help with the use of this unit. Im looking forward to hours of enjoyment as I obtain the necessary accessories for the unit.
On: 2007-12-14
I have owned the E2 for over a year now and I have not had a single problem with it. I use it for the calender, memos, notes, contacts, and as a bookreader.
In July, 2007 I purchased a new computer with Windows Vista. I installed the original software that came with the E2(not Vista compatable at that time) and after checking compatability mode was able to still use the software. However, now Palm has a compatable version of the software on their website and Im using that with no problems.
The battery is fair and depends on how much you use the device. If its used alot then the battery will have to charged more often then if you only use it once or twice a day. The display is bright and easy to see.
I also have the wi-fi card and have had no problems using that either, as long as I am within range of a signal. I was using bluetooth to sync before I got a new computer but I cant now. However, that is not a palm issue that is an issue with the manufacture of the bluetooth dongle I have.
Overall, I would recommend this product to others.
On: 2007-12-14
i love this product both my husband and I have one and I have a palm smart phone. I love them.
On: 2007-12-07
The unit does what I needed and then some. The only complaint was the earphone connector was broken. I fixed it myself.
On: 2007-12-03
Product does not work, has not worked since i received it. Keeps locking up and giving fatal error messages during hot sync. I have had a Palm Tungsten E for years and wanted to upgrade as my Tungsten E is old. I loaded software and followed instructions to the letter. Still will not work right and I have tried numerous time. I am not very happy and feel I should have received a working product for the money I spent.
Any advice or should I return it.
On: 2007-11-28
I needed something for basic use/functions and this has worked very well. I havent tested out some of the other features yet, such as creating documents, or synchronizing with my computer but if these features work as well as the rest, I am sure I will be pleased with those too. The battery charges easily and quickly, but will wear down in a day or two with constant use.
by: Anonymous On: 2007-11-27
...and 5% in *hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate-hate* with the graffiti update. Even though this PDA allows you to write with "normal" characters (rather than graffiti morphed characters), the panel doesnt translate as liberally if Im not precise (and pressing hard...which makes the stylus slip between my fingers), and I ***cant write as fast as I could with my old IIIc.*** ****Kinda defeats the whole purpose of the entire PDA idea!!****
On: 2007-11-24
I was very excited about Palm products and had narrowed my choices down to the Tungsten E2. I had previously owned a Palm back 8 years ago and was relatively pleased but could see with time where there was room for improvement.
My 1st dissapointment with the E2 was that they tell you its compatible with Vista, this information I got from the Palm Company. After receiveing the E2, I could never get it to work with my Laptop/Microsoft Vista, yet it worked perfectly with my home computer which is windows XP, I was fine with that but dissapointed just the same.
I tried to get versa-mail and was told by tech support, the palm has to be compatible with my existing mail sysytem, which is Yahoo. They informed me that it could work with a Google gmail account. I opened a gmail account with the intent of closing my Yahoo acct., I was still unable to get the acct. set up. And when I worked with tech support because I was unable to get this to work, he said (the guy in tech support) That they were having issues getting it up and running, we were on the phone for at least half an hr and got no where.
The bluetooth feature was not compatible with Verizon wireless, verizon indicated I had to use thier equip. for bluetooth compatibility, so that left me flat in the cold in that area, because my phone svc. is thru Verizon Wireless.
The features mentioned above were primarily why I purchased this product.
I also purchased from Palm software called Ultrasoft Checkbook, when I had problems with that Tech support, sent me to the sellar of the software which I purchased thru Palms website (SWC), after talking to them they sent me instructions on how to touble shoot myself. I finally got the software to work.
The E2 on several occassions simply blacked out on me, I called tech support and they explained that this would occassionally happen, but could give no reason as to why. They also informed me that after 30 days of support on all Palm products, that the were going to start charging 25.00 per phone call, I was appalled as I only had to call them 3 times, in 3 weeks. But the Tech support person explained that this was something new that was being put into place and they were letting everyone know.
I am so disenchanted with this product, I have returned it to Amazon, and would hope that they would not represent Palm products on thier site, but I suppose that is being unrealistic, but I am not pleased with the product in its entirety or the support that they give.
The 3 positives are that the E2 has a long battery life, and that the E2 Palm does hold a large amount of data, and the software they offer is nice, if you order whats compatible and can get it to work.
In my closing, I would like to say that Palm is still rather behind the times in the sense that technologically they have fallen short on compatibility with other applications out there, I feel that this has been a case of bait and switch in the sense that you are promised all of this capability, however once purchased you find that its not as compliant with all of the other applications and you get resistance from Palm when you call them about these issues, I was sent from one person to the next, because no one knew how to fix the problem, and the customer gets quite frustrated. Palm needs to go back to the drawingboard and give customers the aplications they are compliant with and that way thier advertising does not seem so misleading.
On: 2007-11-22
I had a bit of trouble with the hot sync in the beginning, but it has been worked out. Now I love it.
On: 2007-11-19
Pro: If you like using a standalone organizer you will like this device.
Con: Annoying cables, hardware needs updating, no update on the horizon.
I bought this to replace a broken Z22, the entry level organizer. Amazingly it is stupider than a Z22 leading me to believe the Z22 was the last hardware to get an update before Palm lost interest in these devices.
The E2 has 2 cables, one for updating, one for charging. Neither is standard. The Z22 had one cable, a standard mini usb. The E2 refuses to charge off the computer. It will only charge off the 120 V adapter. When powered off a press in the center of the Z22 will show you the time. A press on the Tungsten E2 shows nothing.
In short, if you need the memory expansion slot or any of the extras go ahead and get this. If not, run, dont walk to the Z22.
PS, if youre prone to breaking screens, theres a metal case for the E2. Often you have to do a search on Amazon "tungsten E2 metal case" to get it to show up.
On: 2007-11-18
This does everything I need it to do and is easy to use. I couldnt ask for more.
On: 2007-11-13
I received my Tungsten within the shipping time indicated, it was complete and works perfectly, I will not hesitate to use this supplier for future purchase.
On: 2007-11-13
This is an updated version of my old one. So far I am very pleased. It is easier to read, and has a great feel. The sync cable and plug adapter are smaller than the original and easier to carry/travel with. Very nice improvements.
On: 2007-11-07
The device itself works extremely well. The battery goes dead quickly and the replacement cost is extremly high (About $150) Its cheaper to buy new one.
On: 2007-11-07
Im happy with my purchase of the Tungsten II Palm.....it has all the features I need and its easy to read. I would recommend this product.
On: 2007-11-04
It worked well until it did not turn on 7 months after purchasing it.
The repair charge is $149 for a machine that will cost $180 new.
Unfortunately, It runs software that I use everyday at work. Im purchasing another one because I have no other choice. Very, Very disappointed.
Potential Palm customers. Beware before you invest time and money in this pda.
On: 2007-11-01
Please remember, when the battery dies (and it will die!), there is no remedy. There is no replacement battery and no service department. You are dead and presumably, expected to purchase a new unit. Bull pucky!
On: 2007-10-20
I admit to having seen the positive and negative reviews of this product before purchasing it recently. I may return it - well see.
So far, in my limited one-weeks analysis of this item (and from a non-technical person), I will first mention the things about it that bug me.
1.) Using the stylus. You end up having to go back and forth trying to handprint the darn letter. The screen is not sensitive enough (or is too sensitive and perhaps theres another adjustment I can make in preferences that I have not yet tried). It annoys me that I have to fix "typos" because the screen thought I wrote and "l" and a "c" when I wrote a "k", for example. Theres a handful of letters that this happens with.
2.) The option of using the "keypad" is there, but have you tried to see that keyboard and actually "type" with the stylus? If you have and love it, you have better eyesight than I do. The font is TINY to me. (Though I admit, I need reading glasses.)
3.) There really does exist a high-pitch sound when the unit is on. I would not have noticed it, though, if someone here didnt mention it. Its surely there.
4.) I live in fear of the screen smashing by dropping it, since the insurance is just plain stupid to carry on a system that was only $200.00.
Anyway, the good points so far:
1.) Ive had no trouble syncing my data to Outlook.
2.) Having the "tasks" features, the calendar, and even the calculator is nice. Theres still much more to be discovered, as mentioned, Ive had it only a week.
3.) Seems nice to not have paperwork (bits of paper all around with notes on it). I even keep my grocery list items in it...I jot them in when I run out of something. I plan to sync it up and print it from Outlook for this weekend shop.
I still am on the fence if this was the right system for me. My sister keeps telling me it seems to be more of an aggravation in some ways (having to back it up daily and charge it daily, etc, and that the font is too small, and then theres the issues with the stylus whereby its just not doing its job all the time. Oh, and the delay of WHEN you type in the letter to when it actually appears on your screen can be like watching paint dry.
Having said ALL that, maybe if I get my eyes checked, Id just get used to the small font and avoid the stylus OR double check that Ive got Mr Pointy properly set up.
On: 2007-10-20
I just received my palm a few days ago. Ok actually last night. Just thought that Id pop in here, the place that I ordered it from (I ordered it new from amazon. I recommend it) and give a short and concise review.
First of all, know that I really do like this palm. Once you get past the installing process and get comfortable with it. To any newbies out there, theres a few things that I recommend you doing BEFORE you get your palm.
1. order an expansion card with it, or go to the store and get one. Youre going to need it if youll be working with any extra applications like Documents to Go, Music, etc.
2. Get a wireless keyboard!! If you are going to be typing anything out on your palm like I do (I ordered it so that I could work; I type long stories and need a REAL keyboard)
3. get a cover to go with. Either a leather case or hard case, just go with how much youre going to be handling your pda and how much money youve got to spend. The palm does come with a case, but of course, as usual, its a cheapie so I would say that you should order a new one!
4. Enjoy it! Dont let yourself get stressed out when you get the palm. It will probably not live up to your standards for easy to set up and install, sync, etc. But dont worry, if youre at all techie, then youll get used to it and work out all the kinks. If youre having problems with something, tell someone! Dont just suffer through it. Leave me a comment or go to the palm website. There is a special website that you will be able to find in your installation CD or on the box that is especially for your tungsten E2.
So go live life, and take the other bits of life with you, in your palm!
On: 2007-10-14
You would think by now that Palm would have figured out that Windows Vista is the software that all of the new Windows based PCs are running now. The best they have for software is a Beta version (yeah, giving you nightmares yet?). The Beta version for Vista and the Tungsten E2 does not support many of the items that the XP compatible software version has AND if you have Vista on one computer and XP on another (ergo - XP on my work laptop and Vista on mhy home computer) it will make your life miserable as it just wont work.
I had to dump the Tungstgen E, find and buy the older Tungsten E handheld and install the old version of the software on both computers in order to have my life back again.
On: 2007-10-10
Ive been using the Tungsten E for several years now. It mets my needs for the technology that I am using.
On: 2007-10-10
Very nice product for a first PDA. Easy to use and long battery life are awesome. If only it can support larger SD card and perhaps WiFi or support bluetooth of more cell phone...
On: 2007-10-09
I bought my E2 TWO YEARS ago for the same price! Palm needs to come out with something new, or drop the price.
Other than that, the Palm works great. It sycs with my Mac, helps me keep my appointments, and remeber things. The only other complaint I have is that the software is poorly designed. Particularly the audio software is useless. Also, you have to buy a memory card in order to use it as an mp3 player.
O and by the way, for $400 you can get an iPhone which combines a phone, pda, and mp3 player BEAUTIFULLY!
On: 2007-10-04
This product was shipped defective. After receiving a complete charge to the batteries, it wouldnt turn off. The vendor has quickly taken responsibility and I have returned the product for replacement. It is still frustrating when a product is shipped when already defective.
On: 2007-09-28
This seems to be one of the few palms on the market. Too many people wanting Blackberries/Treo. I had no use for a phone/palm combo, so I opted for this.
PROS: You can put MS Word, Excel and PDF files(conversion step first, but it is simple) on it. The whole setup is very user friendly. Good battery life. Volume for MP3s is good considering the size of the speaker. You can beam files, games, appointments from one Palm to another in close proximity.
CONS: The largest SD card that can be used is a 1GB per the Palm site. I went and got a 2GB card and then found out it wouldnt work. Also, the flap that it came with will work, but you are better off going and getting the Slim Leather Case or Hard Case for it.
The only other thing is that it doesnt come with a WiFi card. However, this can be easily solved by buying one.
All in all the Tungsten E2 is a good overall Palm.
On: 2007-09-21
Bought this device to use for a new job that I have just started. Could not be happier with the unit I received. One thing that I will complain about - when I bought the unit, I also bought one of the Palm 2GB SD memory cards. Only to find out that this particular unit (E2) cant use that large an expansion card. So I ended up returning the 2GB card and buying two 1GB cards instead. I also bought the book, "How to Do Everything with Your Palm Powered Device" - which I found to be very helpful in minimizing my learning curve. I originally bought this device to do the standard business sort of things, but I must confess that since discovering that you can use it to read eBooks AND play MP3s - I now have a hard time going somewhere without this thing tagging along.
On: 2007-09-20
Bought this device to use for a new job that I have just started. Could not be happier with the unit I received. One thing that I will complain about - when I bought the unit, I also bought one of the Palm 2GB SD memory cards. Only to find out that this particular unit (E2) cant use that large an expansion card. So I ended up returning the 2GB card and buying two 1GB cards instead. I also bought the book, "How to Do Everything with Your Palm Powered Device" - which I found to be very helpful in minimizing my learning curve. I originally bought this device to do the standard business sort of things, but I must confess that since discovering that you can use it to read eBooks AND play MP3s - I now have a hard time going somewhere without this thing tagging along.
On: 2007-09-17
I purchased the Palm Tugnsten E2 to use with my Banks diesel tuner program. The Banks software installed correctly and the PDA has provided all of the functions available in the Banks software.
On: 2007-09-13
3/08 Update to this review:
We have now had the E2 in service for some time. Unfortunately, we are experiencing a large number of digitizer failures (many more that the power switch failures that the E model suffered from). I would now rate the E2 much lower than my previous rating. I would say 2 stars as opposed to 5.
_________________
We began placing these devices in service in March of 2005 (initially the Tungsten E, currently the Tungsten E2). We currently have 17 units issued to our staff in the field.
Since these units are used for data collection (data is up/downloaded to our server via Pendragon Forms software) our palm devices are in more-or-less continuous use. A great deal of wear and tear is to be expected.
Surprisingly, of the 17 units deployed we have only experienced three problems: Three Tungsten E power switch failures (all repairable) and an E2 main board failure. (The power switch weakness in the E seems to have been resolved in the E2.)
To me this is pretty remarkable given the 39,857 client contact records handled to date by these 17 units.
I think this speaks very well of the quality of the E/E2 line. I would, accordingly, recommend the E2 for anyone needing a very durable PDA.
On: 2007-09-13
We began placing these devices in service in March of 2005 (initially the Tungsten E, currently the Tungsten E2). We currently have 17 units issued to our staff in the field.
Since these units are used for data collection (data is up/downloaded to our server via Pendragon Forms software) our palm devices are in more-or-less continuous use. A great deal of wear and tear is to be expected.
Surprisingly, of the 17 units deployed we have only experienced three problems: Three Tungsten E power switch failures (all repairable) and an E2 main board failure. (The power switch weakness in the E seems to have been resolved in the E2.)
To me this is pretty remarkable given the 39,857 client contact records handled to date by these 17 units.
I think this speaks very well of the quality of the E/E2 line. I would, accordingly, recommend the E2 for anyone needing a very durable PDA.
On: 2007-09-10
I bought this Palm thinking it would assist me in keeping my life organized.
Mind you, until I installed Windows Vista, everything was going just fine.
Their customer support is beyond pathetic, theyre just about as great as Philips customer support. Both are horrible companies with apathetic people working the phone lines. Youll be lucky if you get to speak to one with intelligible English and not Tagalog.
My screen suddenly wont turn on, and the unit wont respond to any button presses. I can neither soft nor hard reset the device. Ive tried charging it, Ive tried everything.
I bought my Tungsten E2 for $199. Upon calling their customer support, I was greeted with a message saying that phone support would cost $25 unless I was to send it in for repairs. If I should choose to send it in for repair, it would cost $149.
I might as well buy a new Palm. Really? $149 when I bought the bloody thing for $199? Thats absurd.
I tell myself that I should have bought replacement insurance for it, but I realize that I should not have bought the damned thing at all.
Dont waste your time with a product that is meant to become a useless brick in the end. If youre a very delicate user who intends to utilize your device for simple functions, go for it. Otherwise, be prepared to throw much of your money away.
On: 2007-09-06
I am a very busy facility manager, and I need the Palm operating system (OS). I believe the Palm OS is superior to any other PDA OS, and I do not have the time to learn something else. This product is exactly what I need badly, but it is just too expensive to only last from 6 to 18 months. I am painfully aware of this because my fifth (5th) one of these (always purchased new) just quit.
I do not abuse these units! I keep them from moisture, shock, and vibration. All I do is use them gently, a lot. Most of the failures have been related to the beeper which I rely on as a meeting or deadline reminder. Other failures have been battery related. The latest failure is the centering procedure for the stylus operation being off ¼" too high on the display no matter what I do making the alpha-numeric touch screen function impossible to access.
If this product cost less than $50.00 knowing it will only last for months not years, I may again consider it. I guess I am saying it is cheap junk only worth $50.00 at retail.
I seriously considered some of the Sharp and Casio models, but I need a program like Documents-to-Go so I can upload my large database of Excel notes which I can search while away from my office. I wound up purchasing a "like new" Handspring Visor Prism for just over $100.00.
If anyone knows of a (reliable) color PDA that runs the latest Palm OS, and is not expensive, please post or comment to this message. This information would not only help myself, but many others...
By the way, I would not recommend wasting your good money on this unit!
On: 2007-09-05
After working on a B&W Handspring for 5+ years, the move to color with higher resolution is great. Much easier to read. I especially like the non-volatile RAM. Have not tried syncing via Bluetooth but plan to add that feature in near future. Over all, this is a winner. Size, function, speed, display are top notch.
On: 2007-08-31
I have been using a Palm product, T5 or E2s for a number of years and when they work theyre great. However I have been very disappointed in the reliability and quality of each of these products. It seems that after a year, with very limited use, it crashes and burns and youre left with repairing it (which will take months) for more money than you could buy a new one. Each one either just crashed with a total failure or more commonly, the ON/OFF switch on the top would stop working. It has been a very frustrating as well as expensive experience buying a new unit every year. I think Im going to try a different company next time.
On: 2007-08-31
I hae the palm E and was told that all I had to do was load the palm E2 and it would work in about 10 minutes. Simple huh! It would load, it wouldnt sync and it wouoldnt leave my desk top alone. Kept changing the config. I sent it back and will keep my Tungsten E until the bugs get worked out. Amazon took it back without complaints for a full refund.
On: 2007-08-29
I like the Palm handhelds in general and have relied on them for years and this one promised a nice combination of features at a relatively low price.
Unfortunately the device seems to have been rushed to market too quickly. I spend way too much time fighting two awful aspects of the E2 in particular. The biggest pain is that the synch cable is the most poorly designed interface I have ever used on any device, it is almost impossible to keep it plugged in while it is synching. That alone makes the device useless to me on many days.
The other pain is that the new memory feature, while it is a wonderful idea, is not quite ready for prime time. Many otherwise reliable applications crash with the new memory subsystem. It isnt fatal, since the device does successfully keep its memory after the crash, but it is disconcerting and a frequent waste of time.
One odd thing, Ive taken this unit back several times because of a high pitched whine that it makes whenever it is turned on. Every unit I have gotten has this problem for some reason. I eventually just figured I had to live with it. Even the demo models in the store make the sound, so I figured it was just a universal or nearly universal problem with the E2 design.
On: 2007-08-23
Very useful and fairly easy to use, but needs a lot of extras to use all of the capabilities and everything is expensive!
On: 2007-08-20
BUYER BEWARE! Read the reviews before considering buying this. The screws keep falling out on my palm pilot, and Ive found that this is a problem that many people have had (just google "Palm Replacement Screws"). If you buy this, theres a good chance that youll be the next person having the exact same issue - so be warned. It may not seem serious, but screws coming out basically means your unit casing will come off and that leaves the memory and all the important things you write down in your schedule UNPROTECTED.
When I contacted them about the issue, I found out what the Palm company was really all about. That is, getting your money and not looking back. Instead of admitting that their is a serious design flaw with their product, and doing what they could to rememdy the situation....they figure this is another way they ought to try and add to their profit margin. Not very smart. Im not even asking them to apologize for their imcompitant case designs (which would help them save face imho). What really gets me is that theres enough people that have this problem for it to be clearly visible to the higher ups, and some executives at the company actually made the decision that they would trade 75 cents in screws for the loss of their company name. And If the guys running the PALM company are idiots, then its time to look elsewhere.
I cant believe they wouldnt just ship out replacements and try to fix the product designs. But as I reseacrch the net to try and find some decent replacement screws for my own unit in the meantime, I just keep finding more and more stories of good people (who dont have problems with screws coming out of other small electronics btw) who are in the same pathetic PALM ownership boat as me. Am I ever sorry I bought the unit. Besides the screws, it has reset on me on a number of occasions and luckily Im religious about backing up data. Still, you lose some entries and its a major pain. In fact, I did miss a meeting once because I missed reentering it after the unit reset and lost data.
Well Palm wont be fattening their margins on me anymore, and I hope you heed the warning I give. I am in the market for a new Handheld, but Ill NEVER allow myself to get swindled by them again. They couldve used the problem as an opportunity to show their customers that they do value us and score some points. Unfortunately for them and for us customers, the cold response Ive gotten from them tells me that they really could care less and do not have a long term outlook on what it means to sell a business product as important as a scheduling device. Its best to stay away from them. Im through giving PALM any more business. If you find a better company, please do share.
On: 2007-08-15
I have owned two of these in the last two years. Both have died without trauma. The warranty of 90 days is inadequate for a $200 product. It seems their made in china battery suddenly dies leaving one high and dry when you need the palm information the most and the battery will not recharge. It stays totally dead despite recharge. I was able to fix one for now with a new battery from ebay.... for now. I would avoid this product or buy the extended warranty and plan on having it out of service.
On: 2007-08-12
My avocation is birding. On field trips, some of which last many hour and entail miles of walking with an array of optics, camera gear and assorted other accoutrements-field guides, portable CD player and 4-5 CDs. This stuff get heavy. The Tungsten has a memory card slot and National Geographic has developed an SD memory card with their field guide data on it and accompanying bird calls, songs, whistles etc. Not only does the device function as a calendar, notepad etc. it has allowed me to dispense with a book, the portable CD player and several Cds. A great saving of weight and space in the pack. Ive never had the battery run down in the field, but I charge it up prior to the beginning of the trip and carry a car charger with me. The screen protector works well. External speakers need to be used for listening to the songs and whistles, but the Altec iM4 Portable Speakers are clear and have great volume. Very satisfied with the product.
On: 2007-08-10
I really enjoy this product so far. its what I was hoping it would be.
On: 2007-08-09
Not that easy to learn for a first time palm user. However, it works fine once you learn how to use it.
On: 2007-08-09
Try as I might, I cant get this product to synchronize with the PC. Meaning that all of the data input the the Tungsten E2 cannot be copied to any other location or PDA! I need to get another handheld computer that has some connectivity.
On: 2007-08-07
The short of it is that Palm has no functional customer service. If you choose to buy a Palm product, you are buying it "as is", that is you should not expect Palm to take care of any manufacturing defects in in a timely manner - if at all.
The long version: Ill admit Im something of a troglodyte, I bought the Tungsten E2 as an upgrade from my ~6 year old Handspring Visor. And since that old relic was adequate for my needs, I figured the E2 would be everything I might need / want plus the luxury of flash memory, a color screen and expandable memory. And, for the most part, I was not disappointed.
Except - I noticed from the beginning that the headphone jack seemed a little wobbly, not that this was a huge concern since I didnt use it very often. However after about a month and a half of intermittent use, it finely broke. I called Palm and they told me that the repair would take "5 to 7 business days". If I knew then what I know now I would have just blown it off, and never bothered with trying to get it repaired.
I was stupid, I took Palms word that it could be fixed within a couple of weeks and sent it in. Palm has had my E2 for over a month now and while the nice representatives in India have informed that "it should arrive later this week" for the past three weeks, it hasnt actually been shipped yet.
Bottom line, to me, the Tungsten E2 is a great machine, but if it breaks, youre on your own. Unless you can live without it for a month or more, dont bother with Palm repair - youre better off just buying a new unit.
On: 2007-07-24
Ive used a Tungsten T2 for years, which has suited me very well. The touch screen on the T2 failed, so I bought the E2 believing it was the closest match in the current product line. Id still be using that T2 if it hadnt gone south.
The GOOD: I really like the free-format graphical notes screen. No more worrying about my intentions vs. grafitti. Way cool!
The BAD: I have largish hands, and the T2 stylus was a bit of a challenge. The E2 stylus is slimmer yet and does not pop out of the PDA as easily. I find myself using my Dr. Grip pen/pencil/stylus from my shirt pocket (I love that pen!) rather than fight with this slim-jim.
Oh, do I miss the T2s docking station! Id come home from work, drop my T2 in the dock, hit hotsynch and walk off. Now I have to play cable games. Is it hard? No. If I never had a dock, would I miss it? Maybe not. But I sure notice it. I synch with machines at work and at home, so now every synch is a dig-in-the-laptop-bag-to find-the-fool-cable ordeal plus chasing down the charger. Id score this as "inelegant". Im feeling pressured into buying more cables in order to make life flow well.
I also notice that some of my already-purchased applications do not behave well on this unit, especially with regard to the scroll button. Im sure its an OS level thing, but why an OS upgrade should break scrolling escapes me.
And the hard case. The hard case. How can I be polite about this made-in-China piece of work? I guess youll have to read my review over on the hard case page.
Do you want to hotsynch with MS Outlook? You have my condolences! I use Outlook at work because of our MS Exchange environment, but have chosen to use the Palm desktop at home. Palm Desktop runs very well, but I still have yet to experience an error-free Outlook hotsynch after 3 weeks of messing with it. GRRRRR!
Knowing what I know now, I have to say that I appreciate the familiarity of the Palm environment, but I wish Id spent more time researching the options.
On: 2007-07-20
I had a Zire and this one is slower in terms of writing. You have to wait until the letters come out and sometimes I end repeating them. It affects also the games when I play because the movement is not as fast as needed. Besides that, its the same great product as always
On: 2007-07-16
Since I had earlier ordered a Palm Tungsten E2Handheld from Amazon before and it was in working condition upon arrival, I had the confidence that I could do the same for a gift purchase.
However, when I received the product and gave it as a gift, it turned out that the receipient could not use it as the product was defective. The right hand side of the screen did not respond to taps by the stylus and could not scroll easily either. I was embarrassed by this as I had given the product as a gift.
I have since returned the product via Customer Returns last Wednesday and would expect to have a full refund as soon as possible.
On: 2007-07-15
Problems with the digitizer are too common, not long after the short warranty expires. But by now we should not expect very much in the way of quality or reliability or durabilty from anything made in china. And unfortuntely too often there is not much choice about it available in the marketplace.
by: coldwaffle On: 2007-07-12
The Tungsten E2 does everything an iPod can do and more!
Get yourself a big memory card and you can save tons of music, pictures and movies.
Not only that, you have an address book, note pad, games, calculator, calendar and more.
Has built in Bluetooth and you can buy a WiFi card and go online in internet hotspots.
Great value for the money.
On: 2007-07-12
I had thought that the Tungsten line was their top of the line range (now, it seems they only have three products in PDA form). I was wrong. Because of hardware problem, I had to ditch my handy Zire 72S (sob) for this machine. Im sorry I bought it.
Before starting in the rant: the T-E2 is a smart looking machine, it has an MP3 player with a low-end speaker, nonetheless, it has one. The display is sharp, if a bit over-saturated. It has a memory card slot, and about 30 mb of RAM.
Now, the tough part. The machine states that it has 29.7 mb of total space. That would seem plenty. But it seems that if you put large apps on it (DateBk5 or DateBk6, French/English dictionary, TealPhone, etc.) that you will find it takes forever sometimes just to switch to another app. This was never the case with my Zire. I have literally thought that the machine was hung on numerous occasions. It is hard to figure out what the pattern is. But I can now no longer count on being able to have instant access to my data. Sometimes, I get an error when switching apps, and have to reset. Why??
To turn on the machine and go straight into the address book, or any of the four buttons, I find that I have to press the button several times (or maybe I need to wait 15 seconds) before the display comes on.
In STRIP (the password encryption tool), I find that now I can see the screen updates take place. Most all apps seem to behave normally once loaded, but they arent so snappy as they were in my Zire in operation.
I have yet to be able to hotsync to install new software successfully. While it is doing the "clean up" phase, it hangs, and gives me a "reset" dialog box.
This is my fourth Palm OS machine, and it has definitely been the rockiest transition to a new machine. I can only hope that I can get used to having lower expectations from this, since I cant afford to buy ANOTHER Palm right now.
On: 2007-07-06
It is a lifesaver. It may not have the highest end, but it works fantastic. I cant live without it now. It is easy to buy and install programs into it.
On: 2007-07-06
I really like this product. I didnt want too many bells and whistles, so this is perfect. Its just a really good PDA with a great screen. I wish it had a little more memory and that the synchronization cable was a little sturdier. Sometimes it has a problem retaining a connection because of how loose it fits in the handheld.
On: 2007-07-05
This is the first PDA Ive had. I have not been used to an agenda, not even a paper agenda, but this one is so simple and intuitive that I have been enjoying its use.
I found out, however, that you can not use more that a 1GB SD Card which is very unfortunate. It seems that i will have to buy many SD Cards, for my music and videos.
On: 2007-07-05
My prior experience with Palm was always a little frustrating, but since the device I had worked reasonably well (m515), I overlooked their poor customer service. No longer. My trusty m515 had to be replaced because it went missing, and the E2 looked like a good bet for what I needed. Unfortunately, the happy story ends there.
My Palm E2 was in warranty when I got the "grey screen of death". Palm repaired it. It has happened again, but this time, one month later than the additional 3 months warranty they tacked on (within 7 months: total of two repairs/replacements needed). My option -- $150 to have Palm fix "my" problem. I will never buy another Palm. And I wont recommend the devices any longer to my friends and business associates. This company does not back up their products and seems to think they are throw aways. Which is what Im about to do -- throw it away.
On: 2007-06-30
Well I got this device 1 1/2 years ago. I was at first pretty impressed. It worked fine and I had nothing to complain. Then about 6 months ago, the software crashed (and I had no warranty any more). My husband was able to temporarily fix the problem, but it keeps recurring and we need to reset the whole PDA. Maybe I am just unlucky (cause his is fine), but this means that they have some devices out there causing all sorts of problems.
On: 2007-06-13
I carried my new Palm Tungsten E2 PDA with me on my trip to England and New England and used it constantly to play MP3s, keep track of expenditures, write memos to myself, keep track of my medications, and look at pictures of family members back home. It is a definite improvement on older Palm PDA models.
On: 2007-06-10
Great little PDA, fun/easy to use for all our personal and business needs. I am on call 24/7, and the note writing function is convenient where ever I might be. My husband gave his smaller PDA to his daughter, thinking his Q phone would take the place. He found the Palm E2 ease of use to be an advantage....I gave him one as present, now we each have our own. As a note, the portable keyboard accessory has been handy as well. The Sync process is easy/convenient between PDA/Computer or Computer/PDA.
On: 2007-06-08
All I need was a pocket size planner, a photo album, and maybe a game to play with while on the subway. This filled my specs.
Theres a feature or two I havent tried yet which it the reason for four stars. Maybe Ill be Bluetoothed and I can go up to five stars.
On: 2007-06-03
This is the 3rd Tungsten Ive had this year. None of them worked. 3 for 3, thats a pretty bad record.
The installation CDs for the first 2 would not even read on my computer. The new one I have on my desk right now did not install correctly or completely, so the Palm desktop never synced. I uninstalled and removed all the software for this handheld and re-installed. I still get a FATAL ALERT message which totally freezes the thing. Now, I cant even turn it off.
My computer is OK -- just got it out of the shop with a clean bill of health just before I got this last handheld.
Ive written 2 emails to Palm (in fairness, Ive only just written the second so Palm hasnt had time to respond to it, but has had time to respond to the first. No response as of yet).
Why did I get the third handheld? It was a very thoughtful birthday present from someone who knows I use my handheld religiously, but didnt know about the problems Ive been having with Palm products.
Frankly, Im very disappointed in Palms products right now.
Palm used to be a good company.
Im going to look to Palms competitors from now on.
On: 2007-06-01
This PDA doesnt make phone calls, take pictures, or give route directions, but it synchs so much faster, holds its charge so much longer, and has so much more memory than my old model that I am completely happy. Also, I enjoy changing the color scheme on the display (the old model had a black-and-white display).
On: 2007-05-28
My old Tungsten E is beginning to wear out, so I bought an E2. It hot synced one time, when I first started it, but now I get an error message and it does not hotsync. Support answered me promptly, but their suggestion didnt work. I keep trying different things as I get a chance, but so far nothing has worked. It sits in my desk drawer and Im seriously thinking about taking it apart to see if I can use the buttons from it to repair my old one.
I also have a refirbished Palm TX. It just shuts down when I press hotsync. I even used a different computer, thinking that the programs werent compatable. But that didnt work either.
Keep your receipts! It does you no good to try and return someting if you dont have your receipts.
On: 2007-05-25
I am not really a fan of Tungsten as my first Tungsten had several fatal errors which customer service could not help me resolve. I upgraded to a higher Tungsten version and this one mysteriously died. At this rate, I am not too keen in moving into the next generation of palm considering the trouble it has put me through. I only bought another one because it is somewhere I can easily store my data in a portable format. Other reason is that there is no point in buying the next generation as it isnt compatible in downloading prior format Palm data. So far, everytime I have moved up, Palm has made it impossible to retrieve data from the prior format so if they want to shoot me in the foot, I wont patronize them by getting the next generation palm. Unfortunately once you start you are kind of stuck so this is my 3rd purchase of a Tungsten, not for the stellar reasons you might be looking for but its an honest experience.
On: 2007-05-22
Within 3 days of startup the Graffiti 2 help had disappeared and not even a hard restart, wiping all data and third party software, could bring it back. Because this was a company purchase and I didnt actually start using it as soon as it was bought, the 90 day period of actual technical support had expired. Never mind that this feature died in just 3 days of use. I could pay for a technical support call but at this point Im disgusted with them.
I am leery of this PDA now. Even with hot syncing and backups I wonder how much else is going to evaporate off it. While it was nice to have a quick data transfer from my old Palm, I am not so sure I will buy another Palm PDA. The syncing cable looks likely to die in too short a time, for one thing - it has its contacts exposed to dust and corrosion and just lies on my desk like a naked electrical plug.
So, think before you buy, and start using it instantly. That way if some supposedly reliable onboard feature quits within days, maybe you can get some help for it.
On: 2007-05-21
Very happy. They got a battery that works for longer than a few days.
On: 2007-05-15
The Palm Tungsten is quite versatile and easy to use. It is relatively compact and can be hot-synced with cable, IR or BlueTooth. Getting the latter to work was a bit of a hastle and required e-mailing technical support. My only complaint is that Palm has done little to improve the functionality and convenience of the calendar. I found that it took three 3rd party software packages to do what should be done by Palm in the OS. Overall, I find the E2 lived up to its claims.
On: 2007-05-15
Ive owned a number of Palm handhelds over the years, and this one is a great value for the money. Im not looking for a phone or a camera when I buy a PDA, so Im glad that Palm offers this product. Its faster and brighter than the m515 that it replaces. Im very happy with it.
On: 2007-05-13
This is the 1st PDA that Ive owned. I have a Sharp Organizer, but finally outgrew it. The PDA is very intuitive. I would highly recommend it.
On: 2007-05-12
This is my second T E2. I simply wore the first one out. I think it is the best bang for the buck in the Palm line of products. With additional applications it does just about everything you could ask. I even have a GPS cradle for it in my truck. It is a good basic unit which you can modify as you wish or use as it comes right out of the box for all routine functions.
On: 2007-05-09
Theres a high-pitched buzzing sound when the unit is turned on. Ive seen this in other E2s (the Es didnt have this issue) and talked to Palm who said its normal. Otherwise the products great. Fast shipping.
On: 2007-05-08
I purchased this E2 from Amazon for slightly below its $200 list price. I didnt purchase its $50 one year extended warrenty feeling it was too expensive since it was only good for one exchange. It came with a 90 day warrenty for repair, exchange and telephone support. I was loving it until it just stopped working seven months after my purchase. I tried a hard boot, etc. but I couldnt get anything other then a lit up blank screen with a vertical stripe. This was my first AND LAST purchase of a Palm product. My HP PocketPC lasted 3 years until I accidentally broke it.
On: 2007-05-07
For those that want a simple way to keep track of phone numbers, passwords (see Wakefield Software) and other similar items this is a delight. I had a five year old palm handheld and this is a much better device. The battery life is outstanding and the color screen is easy on the eyes. Im not a sophisticated user just keeping track of numbers as I indicated. The device has more capability that I will ever use. However, having important information at my beckon call when I travel gives me a lot of peace of mind. I also like the idea of being able to transfer information back and forth from my computer to my handheld in case of failure of either device.
On: 2007-05-07
Es la segunda palm que compro. Con esta he tenido muchos problemas. Primero empezo a sonar un pito constante por lo cual me la cambiaron por otra sin problema para el cambio. Pero la otra que me dieron se borraba sola y se apagaba constantemente, la cual tambien me cambiaron por otra mas. El servicio de garantia es muy bueno pero esta palm no me salio para nada buena. Ya con esta ultima que me cambiaron todo funciona bien pero decidi venderla.
On: 2007-05-02
I previously used a Treo 650 but found it awkward to use as a phone and PDA simultaneously. I couldnt easly talk and check/update the calendar at the same time. Switched to the KRZR phone and bought the E2 for scheduling. After the purchase I learned what the E2 bluetooth function can do. I now stay up with my e-mail and my banks new mobile web site with the E2 getting online through the KRZR (using a GSM connection). The E2 will also function as a dialer with its utility and through the contacts application. To use the E2 with the KRZR (or RAZR) the E2s software must be updated for use with more recent phones. I could use the current available update even though it came out before the KRZR since the K1 uses the same drivers as the V3 (according to a Motorola tech guy). They work well together for me anyway.
On: 2007-04-23
I bought the warranty after reading that the E2 screen was easily damaged. Mine got damaged right away. After a lot of effort with Palm, I finally got a replacement. But it was obviously a refurbished model that someone else had returned. It never did work right, and lasted only about 6 months before failing completely. A second repair is not covered. Im looking for another manufacturer for a more reliable PDA.
On: 2007-04-19
I have had 2 Palm Pilots. One lasted just under 2 years; the other lasted under 1 year. I am convinced the only person who would write a positive review must work for the company. On top of the disturbingly poor product, the service is even worse. Using the stylus or any other method would not work on the screen. In other words, the product was useless. I tried the method of cleaning out the edge of the screen in case there was dirt between the screen and the edge of the pilot.
I recommend you buy any other product but this one.
On: 2007-04-14
My wife bought me one for my aniversary and I went and lost it. I immediately found that I was addicted and couldnt go without it. I ordered the replacement from an Amazon vender and it was here in just 3 days. It instantly uploaded, from my PC, all of the information I had on my lost unit and is working just fine! I highly recommend this to anyone who has a business or just needs a basic PC with them. It comes in handy for research (I have a number of Bibles and dictionaries on it) as well as addresses, appointments, etc. A great little gadget that will spoil you. Just remember to "Hot-Sync" it on a regular basis (at least once a week) so that if you misplace it, as I did, youll have all of your information up to date if you have to get another one.
On: 2007-04-08
I would like to offer a somewhat different perspective on this product. I am not a business person; my thinking and needs are very different from a business persons. I am a reader, writer, teacher. Moreover, I am a very disorganized person. I thought maybe if I had a device that could centralize all the various elements of my life effectively, I could have some peace of mind. I have never owned an electronic tool of this sort. After reading and investigation on various brands, I chose this one. I have to say, it is one of the easiest electronic tools I have ever used. I didnt buy it for the bluetooth capability, so I cant speak to that. But it is a wonderfully easy and handy tool for keeping apointments straight and having contact information handy anywhere. Reading through the description of the E2, I was initially afraid that I would have to buy Microsoft Outlook in order to be able to have a calendar and appointment capability, but this is not true. The CD that comes with the E2 has those features--and many more--on it. As a writer, I appreciate the "Documents to go" feature. It is so easy to transfer Word documents to the Palm, and I have put several of my favorite poems on it. I have also bought a little keyboard to go with my Palm so that I can work on poems/stories while away. It is so much more compact than my laptop (and I have the smallest laptop that Dell ever made). It probably wouldnt be a good choice for writing the "Great American Novel" on, but for capturing those ideas that just cant wait, and when your brain is working faster than you can write by hand, this is a great device. I write a lot when I travel. I can also put my lecture-PowerPoints on the device so that I can review them anywhere. Finally, with expansion cards, you can also carry music, photos, and video with you. I do have a 60GB iPod, but, frankly, I am reluctant to carry it with me on some of my more rugged road/boat trips. And, as much as I love my iPod, I still find putting photos on it to be a confusing process. (I am not that technically savvy.) But the E2 works like a dream; simply drag and drop the photos, music, video that you want and there it is! The E2 also has a small speaker which works surprising well and I use it for listening to poems. A headphone jack allows for a richer experience for listening to music. The only downside is that the E2 doesnt have much memory and the expansion cards can be expensive. But Ive decided the expense is worth it because now I can carry so many of my precious documents with me in once device which is fairly rugged (at least compared to the iPod which does not have the more stable flash drive that the E2 does). So I can use my iPod to store ALL of my music, to plug into my home speakers, and to take on short, easy adventures. But the E2 can go with me practically everywhere. The E2 is small, light, fast, easy to use. I really, really like it.
On: 2007-04-07
I would like to offer a somewhat different perspective on this product. I am not a business person; my thinking and needs are very different from a business persons. I am a reader, writer, teacher. Moreover, I am a very disorganized person. I thought maybe if I had a device that could centralize all the various elements of my life effectively, I could have some peace of mind. I have never owned an electronic tool of this sort. After reading and investigation on various brands, I chose this one. I have to say, it is one of the easiest electronic tools I have ever used. I didnt buy it for the bluetooth capability, so I cant speak to that. But it is a wonderfully easy and handy tool for keeping apointments straight and having contact information handy anywhere. Reading through the description of the E2, I was initially afraid that I would have to buy Microsoft Outlook in order to be able to have a calendar and appointment capability, but this is not true. The CD that comes with the E2 has those features--and many more--on it. As a writer, I appreciate the "Documents to go" feature. It is so easy to transfer Word documents to the Palm, and I have put several of my favorite poems on it. I have also bought a little keyboard to go with my Palm so that I can work on poems/stories while away. It is so much more compact than my laptop (and I have the smallest laptop that Dell ever made). It probably wouldnt be a good choice for writing the "Great American Novel" on, but for capturing those ideas that just cant wait, and when your brain is working faster than you can write by hand, this is a great device. I write a lot when I travel. I can also put my lecture-PowerPoints on the device so that I can review them anywhere. Finally, with expansion cards, you can also carry music, photos, and video with you. I do have a 60GB iPod, but, frankly, I am reluctant to carry it with me on some of my more rugged road/boat trips. And, as much as I love my iPod, I still find putting photos on it to be a confusing process. (I am not that technically savvy.) But the E2 works like a dream; simply drag and drop the photos, music, video that you want and there it is! The E2 also has a small speaker which works surprising well and I use it for listening to poems. A headphone jack allows for a richer experience for listening to music. The only downside is that the E2 doesnt have much memory and the expansion cards can be expensive. But Ive decided the expense is worth it because now I can carry so many of my precious documents with me in once device which is fairly rugged (at least compared to the iPod which does not have the more stable f | | |
