Customer Reviews

PalmOne Tungsten C Handheld

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(25)

 

 

I bought my Palm Tungsten C two days ago and am writing this review on it. Which shows its pluses and its limitations.

Its pluses? I've got a wireless network (apple airport) at home and at the office. I've been able to launch the web browser on the PDA, log onto amazon using my email and password, find this page and start writing my review.

I'm also typing this on a keyboard (well, kind of!), which is a huge improvement on the old grafitti system, which is of course still included for those who got the hang of it. I'm also able to surf and type on a colour screen that is as good as anything I have ever seen on a PDA.

Checking emails and going onto the internet is extremely straight forward - the only hitch I encountered is down to Apple not palm - you need to select network password equivalent in the airport configuration to get the letters and numbers that make up the key you need to log into an encrypted network.

And though I've seen the reviews questioning the wireless range of the tungsten c, I found that I was able to log onto my network at home and collect my emails two rooms and one hallway away from the airport base station. Not as good as my airport enabled ibook, but comparable to the cordless phone I have at home.

The downsides? Other reviewers have already questioned the lack of bluetooth and if I didn't have wi-fi at home I'd be taking this product back. When you spend this sort of money you really have to be sure you are getting the most out of it.

You also need to be realistic. Yes I've been able to connect and access every site I want but as with any PDA the experience is not anywhere near what you get on even the smallest of notebooks. Having to scroll backwards and forwards to read what is on the screen can be a pain in the backside. As is typing in several hundred words, something that I am doing now. Sure it can be done but it will take you twice as long as on your PC, though I suppose it does teach you to be brief!

I've not played around with the documents to go feature just yet, but I would think it's the same there as well. Use it to write or amend short presentations or documents, but don't write your board report on it.

In summary this is a great product, light years away from the psion and handspring I owned previously. Just be realistic what you are going to be using it for and the limitations of a tiny screen and keyboard.

The Tungsten C stands out for me because of 2 things: (1) A nice bright screen and (2) Simple hookup to WIFI (and very good battery life to boot - was surfing about 4 hours last night and only drained half way-- my ipaq 5455 would have been retired after an hour).

The WIFI hookup is simple - as easy as click and surf. Sometimes when I turn the unit on and attempt to access the web after not having used the device for a while it seems to hang as if it cannot find a WIFI connection. In those instances I manually search for a signal -- however I would definitely like to see it automatically attempt a lockon to the last signal it used.

The things that are puzzling are: (1) Device lacks stereo output so if you want to listen to MP3 it has to be mono (2) Uses a cell phone headset jack versus a standard stereo headset jack (3) Makes an odd crackling/popping sound when you use the stylus on the screen [this HAS been widely reported by other users] that resembles static electicity (4) The keys are NOT backlit (5) The email won't display HTML (6) On my initial device the case in the lower right corner by the power button was loose, wiggled and applying pressure to it actually started activating some buttons [have seen this reported by other users though does not appear widespread].

I would rate this higher but for $... I think Palm should be able to get these relatively simple issues corrected. You may be able to live with them. Might think they are no big thing. My point is for the kind of cash these companies charge we shouldn't get something with these types of issues.

Just my .02 - with these types of quality / functionality concerns I hope nobody at Palm is sitting around wondering why future sales are down...

I've owned several PDAs over the years and had abandoned the Palm platform for Sony Clies - the Clies were faster, more stylish, had more features and fantastic screens. I was intrigued by the features of the Tungsten C and tried one out at a local store and immediately purchased one online. In short, the C is a power user's dream PDA. My impressions after 3 weeks of use:

Screen: incredible, very bright, robust colors - rivals the Clie NX70V, maybe even a bit brighter

WiFi: immediately connected to my home Airport network - range is about 70-80ft - I have been able to connect effortlessly to T-mobile hotspots in several Starbucks

Speed: nothing like it on any PDA - the C truly flies - the browser speed is next to incredible - much faster than browsing on a PocketPC

Keyboard: I have never liked thumbpads, but the one on the C has the keys spaced so they can be accessed via thumb typing - I rarely need to use the new Graffiti 2

Memory: you will not run out!

Battery: very good, I'm getting 10-15 hours

The mono sound issue doesn't bother me at all - I have an iPod for mp3 listening - the C is fine for Audible content - the mono/stereo doesn't make much difference with the spoken word

It would have been nice to have built-in Bluetooth - the only limitation I have found so far.

I would also would have liked to have a travel charger included - it's a pain to have to carry the cradle around.

On first impressions the Tungsten C is awesome. The display is the best I've ever seen on a handheld and the keyboard, although small, is well laid out, very easy to use and responsive. The software that comes with it is very good and the overall feel of the unit is one of quality. The WIFI capability was great and I had it connected to the Internet via my home wireless network in about two minutes or maybe less. It is very fast. Everything happens almost instantly. The 400mhz chip is probably overkill in a unit like this, but it sure makes handling pictures and other processor hungry tasks an absolute breeze. Lastly, I was impressed with the battery life. Palm have done a great job of squeezing so much life out of the rechargables.

Unfortunately, after just one day of using it my initial joy had turned to frustration. It wasn't really anything particularly big, just an accumulation of little niggles. You'll have read some of them in other reviews as they are things that everyone seems to have noticed. I find it very strange that the designers of the product didn't uncover them in beta testing.

To start with the clicking noise that seems to appear randomly on certain key presses becomes pretty annoying. At first I thought it was a setting in the preferences so I had a look and made sure the "click on key press" option was off, but I still got it. Then I switched the unit to completely silent, but it still didn't go away. It's only a little click, but once you've noticed it you can't help but think it is getting louder and louder. I've never encountered it on any other Palm device.

Another major gripe is the silly mono connection for the headset. This just seems absolutely crazy. Not only is it mono, but it is not even a standard headphone connection - it is one of those plugs like you get for a mobile phone headset. Granted, this is probably what Palm were thinking of when they put that kind of socket on the unit, but a little user reacher would have told them that anyone buying a machine with 64 meg of onboard RAM and the ability to plug in addition SD memory are likely to want to use it to listen to music or audiobooks from time to time (in my case that means ALL the time). This is a MAJOR glitch and one I am sure Palm will look to amend in a future model - at least I hope they will.

Lastly, although the unit has WiFi, which worked well for me, I felt that for the money there should also be built in Bluetooth. I was used to this with the Tungsten T and just assumed the Tungsten C would include it and so was disappointed to discover it didn't.

I've given it 3 out of 5 because it does have its merits - a lot of them, but unfortunately the clicking, the silly mono socket, and the lack of Bluetooth really let it down badly. I'm going to be returning mine tomorrow and sticking with the Tungsten T.

I've expected for a year that I would soon purchase a new wireless Palm or Pocket PC handheld, and use it to access the Web. However, as each such device has appeared, I've been disappointed, usually in both the speed of Web access and the very limited number of usable sites. There is also the problem of ongoing cost - within a year, using a wireless handheld for Web access would cost more than buying it.

After recently setting up a Wi-Fi access point in my home, I realized a new Palm Tungsten C might be the solution for me. Five minutes of testing at a local dealer confirmed that access is as fast as my SDSL link, rather than feeling like a 56K modem like the Treo 270, Palm W and Pocket PC cellular-based handhelds I'd tested before. I was also easily able to visit my favorite ordinary Web sites, rather than being limited to the few sites compatible with WAP.

I had no trouble setting the Palm C up for secure access to my home access point, and love the new keyboard even though I'm a quick writer with graffiti.

The screen is much brighter than on the Palm m505 I've used up to now, and Palm claims the battery will last through a full 8 hour day of continuous use.

It's a bit thicker than the m505, and a bit taller, but not enough to bother me. The cover is just like the one on the m505, and works well. The stylus is sturdy metal, and the Pilot pen/stylus from the m505 fits the C, as do all the accessories I have for the m505.

The high speed (400MHz) CPU and large (64MB) memory are real pluses, as is the compatibility with all the Palm software I've purchased over the past decade.

If you must have access anywhere, that is not yet possible with Wi-Fi. But for me, access at home, office, and some nearby commercial hotspot is good enough.

This is my fifth handheld. My first two were palm, my third was a Sony, and for my fourth I went back to palm. All four had 8MB of RAM and a 33 MHz processor. When I first turned on the Tungsten C I was amazed at how fast it was. When I clicked on an application it would instantly open, without that 1 or 2 second delay seen on older handhelds. This handheld includes 51 MB of memory, which is very nice for storing applications, movies (using the included Kinoma player), music, pictures and just about anything else. The display is one of the best I've seen, and the high-resolution is really nice. I like the Tungsten T3 expandable display, and was considering getting it, but I realized WiFi was too important. The WiFi is one of the best features of this handheld. I opened the WiFi setup application, it instantly detected my home network, I entered my WEP key and it was connected. Browsing the web on the Tungsten C is not anything like on a desktop or laptop. There is A LOT of scrolling involved, and many web pages take a long time to load, even with cable internet. There are also a lot of bugs in the web browser, and I've had to do many soft resets. I've downloaded AvantGo, which can be used as a web browser, and I never have to reset. The e-mail application, VersaMail, works very well. I just entered my POP3 mail account, and it worked. The keyboard is also a great feature. It is much better than Graffiti, and I'll never go back to a handheld without a keyboard. Palm includes Graffiti2, but I don't even bother using it because the keyboard is so convenient. One thing I've been hearing other reviewers complaining about is the mono headset jack. It would be nice to have stereo, but it's not that important to me. If I want to listen to music, I'll use my iPod. It works just fine for audiobooks, though. The headphones (sold separately from palm) look like ones for cell phones, however, they do not work with cell phones. Overall, this is a truly great handheld. It has a few minor problems, but so does any other electronic device. I've compiled a list of pros and cons:

Pros:

-400 Mhz Processor
-51MB RAM
-Built-in WiFi
-Thumb Keyboard
-Excellent Display
-Comes With Good Array Of Applications

Cons:

-Web Browser Has Too Many Bugs
-Mono Headphone Jack
-No Included Headset

I have had my T/C for 8 months now. It has been a great handheld, but I wouldn't buy another, and wouldn't recommend anyone else buy one.

The Good: Excellent thumb-board has led me to largely abandon use of the stylus. Fast processor, great screen, and WIFI mean you can actually surf the internet if you are near a hotspot (but only if you buy WebProV, the included web browser is poor). I always synch with my wireless LAN rather then the cradle, because it is just as fast. The battery is huge; I usually only charge the unit once a week, and I am a power user; using it for hours every single day.

The bad: construction quality is poor, and there is little quality control (a "refurbished unit" I was sent arrived nonfunctional, with the case not snapped completely together). There is a class problem with LCD screens breaking with little or no torture to the unit (this is my 4th PDA, and the first I have broken a screen on). The PLASTIC case creaks when you push it and the palm flexes; the halves are not well fastened together (which might cause the screen breakage). There is a gap at the bottom of the screen where the case does not touch the screen. The screen emits a high pitched 400 Hz hum, which has got steadily noisier the longer I have owned the product (to the point where I can hear it at arms length). About 40% of all palms developed a software glitch which caused the bottom 20-30 pixels of the digitizer to fail after a few months of use (possibly corrected with a new firmwear upgrade this month). The silver paint on the case scratches and wears off easily. The headphone jack is a 2.5 mm mono jack for use with a headset to allow for future VOIP, unfortunately, standard cell phone headsets will not work, as they swapped the connection terminal order on the jack.

The Ugly: Palm customer service. I paid $40 for an advanced exchange to fix the problem with my digitizer (covered under warranty). It was very painful: 1 defective advanced exchange, 1 promised advanced exchange that never happened, 1 advanced exchange shipped to the wrong address, 2 more promises of advanced exchanges that did not occur, 1 attempt to charge me an additional $40 for another advanced exchange, 3 emails threatening charges to my credit card of $550 weeks after tracking info on airborne express website indicated Palm had received the returned handhelds at least 7 days prior, 2 promises (not fulfilled) to charge back my credit card the $40 due to poor service, 7 long distance phone calls totalling 129 minutes. Every call to Palm was the start of a brand new conversation: their system of keeping track of customers does not work. And 2 weeks after I finally got a functional T/C, the screen broke (and I hadn't even dropped it).

My advice? As a user of both palmOS and PPC, I prefer the palmOS (as long as it has a high-res screen and a fast processor). I am not a fan of their construction quality or customer service process. If you need a keyboard (and I do), buy a Sony UX. If you want a good screen, buy a sony TH55. Stay away from Palm T3 and T/C.

I run my own business and travel about 120,000 actual air miles per year (mainly short to medium haul flights). On a recent trip to Australia I took both my IBM T40 laptop and Tungsten C. Because I fly American Airlines & QANTAS I was able to access the club lounge WiFi networks in Chicago, LA, Sydney, and Perth. In each case the Palm C connected quicker than my T40 and I was able to check e-mail and surf the web. I have had no problems with my screen and invested $30 in a decent padded cover. Functionality is brilliant and my ACT! database (3000+ contacts) keeps in sync with my T40 no problems at all. I occasionally get dropped WiFi connections but believe these are network rather than device issues because my Palm C and T40 both lose connections at the same time. I previously used a printed Franklin planner but this is now collecting dust on my bookshelf. I owned a Palm III previously but tossed it when the screen broke. This time around I take a bit more care but the padded cover seems to handle the rough and tumble. I'm still searching for the best apps to work with for certain tasks but find that the C has a ton of memory so I can try different apps side by side for a while before uninstalling those I don't want anymore. The color screen is brilliant and makes reading very easy. It would be nice if more web sites were optimised for this format because in some cases lots of scrolling is required, however, I imagine that over time this will improve. Overall a very nice little unit - and believe me I have been a sceptic on this technology.

There are aleady several great, in-depth reviews of this palm, but some of the problems mentioned in early reviews have been corrected.

Palm has released a patch for the Tunsten C that fixes two problems that were often mentioned: screen clicks still occuring when system sounds were turned off, and mac addresses being improperly assigned. You can download the patch from Palm's web site, and it's simple to install.

The criticism that the headphone jack is mono has been handled in some prior reviews, but just to re-iterate, palm is open about this and has explained that that the jack they used will allow for cell phone mic/headphone combinations and the ability to use voice over ip apps when they are released. Personally, I don't care... I don't like to use my palm as an mp3 player.
Unfortunately, there is still no definitive news on if and when this palm will be able to use a bluetooth card.

My own opinion is that criticism of the WiFi range on the palm is unfounded. It has slightly less range than I get with the wifi PCI card in my laptop, but it's very close. A shareware version of net stumbler-like software is available for the Tungsten C, and I'm amazed at just how many networks my palm can "see" and just from the road. On my daily commute from MD suburbs to Washington DC, I pass over 60 networks that the palm can see from my car. Really, I don't think anyone should have a problem in their own home and with a decent wireless router.

I've tested Tungsten E, Tungsten T3 and I own a Tungsten C. My favorite is the T|C model, due to following features:

1) The keyboard is excellent. The keys are very customizable and it supports accents thanks to its integration with the 5-way navigator.

2) The battery lasts forever, even when I am online (unlike T3).

3) It supports DHCP with 802.11b wifi, detects SSID and all the necessary configuration automagically. Connecting to the Internet has never being so easy!

4) The 320x320 transflective display is the best of its kind.

5) It is small and lightweight comparing to the competition (like Ipaq and Zaurus equivalent models)

However, it has its disadvantages. The lack of stereo support is the most remarkable one. I find the design very poor (the plastic feel to it), but it's a problem with all Palm models. The software is very outdated, it's easy to update it but for a cost. The wifi range is very short. Some acessories don't work with it for some strange reason, like some USB sync cables and the VEO camera that works specially slowly on this device.

If cost is not a big problem this is the Palm for you, as it is the most powerfull of all Palm models. If you must consider cost-benefit, I'd recommend T|E.