Customer Reviews

Palm P10952U Wi-Fi Card

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

This works fine and I was happy with the speed at which I was able to do a Google search with the bundled software WebPro. Downloading email using the IMAP server was a little slower than using the web, but it worked out quite well using the T3's VersaMail email software.

There are two minor downsides though:

1) The range is about half that of a laptops WiFi card. But it's still good enough that if you're inside a Cafe or on the sidewalk outside a WiFi hotspot, you'll have no problems.

2) It uses a lot of juice... But that's to be expected for something like this. Realistically though, you probably won't spend as much time surfing the web with this device as you would with a laptop. You'd do the occasional quick surfing, as well as downloading email, so battery life is probably acceptable for a majority of users.

If you do need WiFi on your PDA, then you'll be very happy with this.

Installation was trivial, worked first time. From reading earlier reviews, I was aware that this thing uses a lot of power -- not a big deal for my situation.

Minor quibble: It would be nice to have a plastic container for the card, to protect it when not in use. It's larger than a "normal" SD card, and needs a custom container.

I plan eventually to get a hiptop (Oqo, Flybook, or the like), once they settle out, probably a year or two. In the meantime, the Zire 72 with WiFi and a big memory card fills the bill.

Overall, I'm very happy with the money I spent on getting a WiFi card for my Zire 72s. Prior to getting the card, I got very little use out of web-pro and had no "on the go" access to the files that folks emailed to me. If you use your web access for emails, stocks, maps, and to check the weather; then getting this WiFi card may be for you. The best thing about this capability is that I can browse the web while lying down on my couch or getting ready to drift off to sleep. Browser can be a bit slow, but is adequate for most applications. While I recommend this card to anyone who has a Zire 72, it does have some unique features that you should be prepared for:

SIMPLE TO INSTALL: OK, this is a good feature. The included CD-Rom is great. It answered all my questions during set-up. I was able to pull the PDA right into my encrypted, "invisible" WiFi network at home. Have not personally used the remote "synch" function or the VPN, but the instructions on the CD-Rom seem great.

FATAL EXCEPTION ERROR: It does happen from time-to-time when using the WiFi card or switching back forth with a normal memory card. Not a show-stopper. Tap the reset button in the back and everything goes back to normal. I only lost data once, a quick resynch when I got home restored the data effortlessly.

DRINKS ELECTRICITY LIKE WATER: After about 20 - 45 minutes, your battery will be dead. However, I only use it for convenience around the house or to check email while at the local coffee shop, so I can live with that problem. When I go on travel, I intend to take a travel cord so I can use the PDA vice a laptop to check my email while on the road, especially if I can get one of those hotel rooms with built in WiFi access.

UNUSUALLY LARGE CARD: There is just no way around this. I agree with the other reviewer who recommended that PALM make a special plastic case for this. Otherwise, when you switch to your normal memory card, you don't have a convenient or comfortable place to put your WiFi card.

In summary, this card will increase your productivity and make it easier to keep in touch when you travel without lugging around a laptop or spending the cash for a higher end PDA or wireless solution like a Blackberry or TREO.

In terms of installation and function, this card is great. Unfortunately, the battery in my T3 was in the critical zone after playing with it for about 45 minutes. Looks like any extended use will require that the unit be plugged in while you are surfing.

I set up a Wi-Fi hotspot in my home. Now I can pull up the Internet from my PDA anywhere inside and outside the house. For example, I was putting up a tree swing and needed to know how to tie a knot. I pulled out my PDA with the Wi-Fi card and Googled a site on knots. I followed the directions without having to go inside and look it up.

The card is a battery hog, but it does have a feature to shut itself off after a period of time.

Unfortunately, the card malfunctioned just past its warranty date. As usual, I couldn't get a response from Palm. I think my next PDA will not be Palm. They may have grown too big too fast and have forgotten customer service.

I purchased the Wi-Fi card for the Tungsten E2. It works great. I'm now able to access the internet from any wireless hotspot and check my e-mail. The only downside is that you cannot use a memory card at the same time that you are using the WiFi card.

The card is spectacular and fast with great range. One reviewer has mentioned that the range is half that of his laptop. My card, for whatever reason (maybe I'm a giant antenna or something) gets better range than my Lucent/Orinoco 802.11b Wi-Fi card, so range is pretty comparable to most laptops in my case. The card is a snap to use, installation is great.

Pros:
Fast, easy to use, great for quick emails and light internet browsing (WebPro 3.0 is a little slow on graphics rendering, so stick to mainly text sites and don't try e-bay'ing with it)
Cons:
Drivers are goofy (if you get "Fatal Exception" errors you have to hard reset the handheld according to PalmOne), sometimes the VPN drops out or doesn't connect, drains battery juice pretty fast (Palm's Power To Go thing has been suggested to me by other users)

All in all this is well worth the cost and definately worth the other $40 for the Power To Go. Too bad the browser is so slow, but AOL Instant Messaging is very fast and great for college students (I'm a graduate student and use it to IM a lot).

I own a Zire 72 PDA, which is great (if you're in the market for a PDA, DEFINITELY give this one a look). Unfortunately, the Zire 72 doesn't have built-in wi-fi--something I majorly underestimated the importance of. Anyway, here's a breakdown of the wi-fi card:

The good:
1. Dummy-proof setup. It took me less than 2 minutes to have wi-fi installed on my PDA.
2. Ease of use. Click one button and it will immediately find and connect to a wireless network.
3. Relatively fast speed. Not quite as quick as the broadband on my laptop, but darn near.
4. 3 different viewing modes--Palm (a converted version to make viewing webpages easy), Normal (the actual dimensions of the webpage), and small (I haven't quite figured out the purpose of this way zoomed-out view yet).
5. Wireless will time out to preserve battery life--after it times out (after so long of inactivity) though, you can connect again and pick up right where you left off.

The Bad:
1. Sucks the life out of my battery. Not too bad for about 30 minutes and under, but I wouldn't use a whole lot more than that if you still want some battery for other things.
2. Not a great range. Doesn't pick up access points as well as my laptop, but if you're in a place with strong access (like a cafe), it doesn't really matter.
3. Oddly shaped card. Card is longer than the typical Palm expansion card and doesn't come with a carrying container. Doesn't fit in the storage slots in the Palm hard case.
4. Can't have the wireless card in and use the MP3 player, video recorder, or camera (since use of these requires the expansion card to be inserted).

Overall, I would highly recommend this card for the Zire 72. It's great being able to check and send e-mail on the go, check the stock market, or even the weather--oh, and it's also great to instant message my friends while sitting through college lectures :)

I installed the card on my Zire 72, but sadly I can only use it withou recharging the Palm for about 10 minutes to 15 minutes.

The plus is that you can check your e-mails in less than a minute (the time it takes to power on the Palm, enable the Wireless, and log on to your e-mail server). This is much faster than turning on your lap top, entering password, loading windows, etc...

So I still give it 5 stars.

This is a really nice product. I have had my Palm Tungsten T3 for about a year now, but I kept putting off getting this Wi-Fi card until now. I purchased it because I was going out of town and wanted to have access to my email without lugging around a laptop. I really had no problem setting the card up and learning how to use it. And with the addition of more free Wi-Fi Hotspots popping up everyday, I had no problems finding some place close by to utilize a connection. A helpful tip might be to bookmark some PDA and phone optimized websites when you set this up initially. The card also drains the PDA's charge pretty quickly so I ended up buying an AC charger also while I was out of town.