PalmOne Tungsten E Handheld

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Product Details

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• Item Weight: 3 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000DB4D1
• Item model number: P80880US
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (356 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,679 in Electronics (See Bestsellers in Electronics)

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  Electronics > Computers & Accessories > PDAs & Handhelds

• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 29, 2003

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

If you're still tapping away on a Palm Vx, it's time to upgrade to the 21st century with the brightly colorful, expandable, and powerful--not to mention affordable--Palm Tungsten E. Designed for the budget-conscious, yet still stylish professional, the Tungsten E offers several key advances over even the m500 handheld series, including:

• Palm OS 5.2.1 enhances Palm applications such as Calendar and Contacts as well as Java application support.
• Multimedia audio support and headphone jack enables you to use the Tungsten E as an MP3 player
• The zippy 126 MHz Texas Instruments OMAP311 ARM processor induces whiplash when switching programs.
• A 32 MB RAM memory (28.3 MB user accessible) adds more room for applications, while the expansion slot enables access to MP3and video files, e-books, games, and more.

Best of all, the Tungsten E ups the display ante with a bright, crisp, high-resolution 320 x 320 pixel color screen (the m515 only offered a 160 x 160 resolution) that puts it on par with Sony's high-quality Clie screens. Your family snapshot slideshows look sharper, as do graphically intense games such as Monopoly and downloaded video (like the most recent Hollywood movie trailer).

The Tungsten E offers a powerful array of multimedia options. With the included Kinoma Player (and desktop Kinoma Producer software), you can convert a myriad of video file formats (from QuickTime and Flash to AVI and MPEG) to be played on the Palm OS. And now you don't need to fumble between your PDA and portable MP3 player, thanks to the included RealOne Player for Palm. MP3 files are stored on optional Secure Digital or MultiMedia (MMC) memory cards, and we recommend purchasing a 128 MB card if you plan to access a lot of audio. You can listen to music via headphones or relive the '70s using the tinny, AM radio-like built-in speaker.

At 4.6 ounces, the Tungsten E is lighter than its forbearers despite being about the same dimensions as the m515 (4.5 x 3.1 x 0.5 inches). The ultra-slim Tungsten E isn't as curved as its m500 or V series predecessors, but we found the gentle slope near its base to be quite comfortable in the hand. The stylin' case is fully metallic and feels very durable.

The Tungsten E includes the familiar suite of Palm applications (Calendar, Contacts, Memos, and Tasks) as well as a number of third-party software title (ranging from Acrobat Reader to Documents To Go for accessing Microsoft Word and Excel files). Calendar has been given an Outlook-friendly makeover, adding a useful Agenda view that consolidates all of today's appointments, tasks, and new e-mails.

Java has also now entered the Palm OS arena, expanding the application development opportunities. The T3 comes with a few sample applets (including a periodic table that would be handy at our local pub's trivia night), but we'll have to wait for more development before Java becomes a full Palm OS tool.

In an effort to make this package as affordable as possible, Palm includes only a USB cable instead of the standard synchronization/charging cradle. The USB cable is fine (and can provide a low-wattage charge from your PC when needed), but we've become accustomed to Palm's cradles and were disappointed at its omission.

While missing a few key add-ons (the USB cable and expansion card) and not offering such bells and whistles as the Zire 71's built-in digital camera or the Tungsten T3's landscape screen, the Tungsten E sticks to what Palm does best--personal information management. And the Tungsten E packs a lot of powerful Palm tools into an affordable PDA package, one that will keep you connected to your daily calendar and important documents for years to come. --Agen G.N. Schmitz

Product Description

The sleek and powerful Palm Tungsten E handheld comes packed for business and priced for value.Access your calendar, contacts and important information anywhere. Create and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint-compatible files on the run. Synchronize with Outlook's calendar, contacts, tasks, notes and email right out of the box. Stay productive using updated features to Palm's award winning organization software. Listen to MP3s, watch video clips and view photos wherever you go.A powerful ARM processor lets you listen to MP3s while looking up an address or scheduling an appointment. Watch the latest movie trailer or a new sales video. Carry digital photo albums of friends and family, students and co-workers, even the latest real estate listings. Plus it's expandable, and with 32MB of memory there's plenty of room to customize from more than 18,000 applications (sold separately).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

781 of 792 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars you pays your money and you takes your chances, March 21, 2004

By A Customer

There are a lot of reviews accumulating for the Tungsten E, and I agree with most of them. Palm (or now PalmOne) seems to have picked the right spot in the market and hit it pretty well. The Tungsten E is not too expensive, has all the basic functions I wanted in a PDA, and not a lot of frills (except the MP3 player, which was actually what I was looking for when I decided to upgrade my old Vx).

This accounts for the favorable ratings in reviews based on its feature set. While my Tungsten E worked, it worked quite well. Even features I hadn't really been looking for (high resolution color screen, Excel and Word compatibility) were proving pretty useful. It had enough memory to easily accomodate a full collegiate dictionary (I used one from PocketLingo). IR beaming to my Win2K laptop became smoother, which is really handy for transferring individual files without HotSyncing. (It's possible with the Vx, but seems to require tricking the Palm into revealing its presence first.)

Reliability problems started appearing even before the end of the dismally short 90 day warranty.
*The unit would emit an audible whine sometimes while on. Other users have apparently had similar problems with this and other Tungsten models. It seems to be an issue with the display electronics. One side of the display would also sometimes flicker. In my case the problem wasn't severe, and I didn't do anything about it.
*The speaker quit working within about a week, and would come and go intermittently. This was a big problem since it meant alarms didn't sound. Since Amazon's 30 day return period was still in effect and I'd had previous experience with Palm's customer support, I exchanged it through Amazon (whose service was faultless). The problem returned with the exchanged unit after about another week. A little inspection reveals that the speaker is mounted on the back cover of the Palm, and has bare contacts that press against traces on the motherboard when the cover is closed. Apparently the minor stresses of carrying the Palm in my pocket were enough to result in poor electrical contact. Opening and closing the case would restore sound temporarily. Sometimes I could just press on back of the case where the speaker was located, but the problem always came back. I decided to fix this one myself, and soldered a proper electrical connection in place. This fixed the problem and the unit operated well for another 3 months. Draw your own conclusions as to the wisdom of this repair. It was made with usual attention to ESD and thermal sensitivity of the electronics.
*Yesterday the unit died in its sleep. It worked fine when I checked some information in an e-mail. A couple of hours later it wouldn't turn on, respond to any buttons, re-insertion of my SD card, or soft or hard resets. It is now a month out of warranty. PalmOne lists charges of around $125 for service and $40 for an advance replacement unit, which are out of the question given its original price.

Unfortunately Palm has an established history of poor hardware reliability and intolerable customer service. The Vx was teriffic in my experience, except for a faulty power button. Three years ago I returned my Vx under warranty because of the power button, and the new unit developed the same problem, exactly the same dismaying pattern as with the speaker on my Tungsten E.

Despite the many great features of their products, it seems they just can't get everything right at once. The problem is, from reading reviews of their competitors, the other options may not be any better. My wife has had a Tungsten E for about 3 months and hasn't had the speaker problem (though her screen does whine). An extended warranty is a good thing to consider with this PDA. As of this writing, the extended warranty link on the PalmOne support website is broken, so I give up.

363 of 375 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Overall, a wonderful product!, October 11, 2003

By	Eric Lozauskas "[e-mail]" (Fairfield, NJ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As some of you might know, I always speak the truth, so here is my honest review of this Palm Tungsten E.

I purchased this item to replace my old Palm m515 (which had originally replaced my first palm, a Palm V). As you probably guessed, I have to have a small handheld. In my opinion, if it isn't small enough, you won't bring it with you and actually use the thing. I also have been a fond lover of this form factor (very thin and light with double-stylus holder, etc.

Well, they finally listened to us complaining of the previous left side "flap holder" and made the flap slide in from the bottom of the palm as apposed to the top. This was a large problem -- I've had my old palms slide out on me at random by holding it from the flap.

The good: This palm has an astounding display! It literally feels as though you have a small computer in your hand as other reviewers have mentioned. Quality all the way here. Large enough to be easily readable, and a brightness level adjustment that gets quite bright! The buttons on the bottom "mostly" have a positive feedback. I'll discuss the bottom lack of a universal connector last. This palm accepts SD cards and has a headphone jack on the top. Processor is incredible compared to my old m515 and especially the V. Power button is recessed so you can't "accidentally" turn it on as easily as past models.

Honestly, I must mention that I've tried to purchase quite a few MP3 players out there and they have all had quirky problems. I didn't even expect to use the mp3 capabilities of this PDA but look at that -- it works/sounds better than anything I've purchased for the same cost that was dedicated to MP3s!!! I am truly astounded by it.

The bad/interesting: As I mentioned above, the buttons mostly have tactile feedback, but that square ring of a button-pad in the center is a bit odd because pushing down requires quite a bit more force than up and does not result in a "click". Hrm...I guess it just sort of happened because of the small size of this unit (4.6 oz folks - yes you heard me right!).

Finally, that bottom connector issue that has quite an argument brewing. This is the only Tungsten lacking a universal connector on the bottom which means you can't use all those old accessories which utilized that port. Lets look at some other aspects here....It uses a standard USB cable which means you're not restricted to palm to purchase additional hotsync cables. Also, it has a small power cord which plugs in the other port on the bottom. This I think is wonderful because I can actually take the power cable/charger and charge it on vacation or wherever I am. No longer do I have to lug around the cradle in my suitcase!

Finally, the iffy: This palm looks like metal - but alas is made out of plastic. Rest assured it is extremely sturdy plastic -- no creaking or anything Handspring-like and the plastic is actually the color you see -- that silver color. So we shouldn't have to worry about any coating chipping off and revealing an ugly color underneath.

So far, I'm extremely pleased with this palm, and though it has these minute setbacks, I still think it is a wonderful unit especially for the price. I was able to keep my small form factor and get a wonderful display and an overall great feature set. Finally - I must mention that this comes with a LOT of software. Documents to go Ver 6 which allows you to read/write word, excel and powerpoint docs, an mp3 player by realone, photo viewer, and the list goes on and on. Add that to their new personal manager programs like Contact and Calendar and you have a winning combination! If you're on the borderline between this and the new T3 - well, I chose it because I'm not all that trusting of the slider mechanism. I like a palm that sits there with the least amount of moving parts/possible failure points. Hopefully this review helps out in your search for the perfect PDA.

110 of 115 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thanks Palm!, October 10, 2003

By	superman2k3 "superman2k3" (On a sunny beach!) - See all my reviews

T|E is an excellent device with minor problems. For the price its a bargain and will ensure Palm's market share stays high.

Pro's,
1. Its a Palm, with the latest version of Palm OS.
2. Looks good and feels solid in hand.
3. Superb screen and extremely clear.
4. mp3 playback is very good.
5. Uses standard mini USB jack, not propreitary Palm connector.
6. Fast performance. Don't compare raw MHz between PDA's, this one's faster than 400MHz PPC's.
7. About 28MB is available memory, which is a lot for a Palm.
8. Good software bundle and stable OS.
9. Speaker is - suprisingly - good at playing mp3's (64kpbs sounds great).
10. Flip lid and a screen protector are in the box. (I don't buy a PDA without flip)
11. Stylus is superb, thick/heavy/shinning metal.

Con's,
1. Down button is hard to press, ironically that's the most used button on T|E. The 5 way navigator is poorly designed and cheap plastic.
2. Size is bigger than some other handhelds like Clie SJ20.
3. Case is slippery and tough to keep clean.
4. Thread on included flip cover scratches T|E at the top easily.
5. Battery life is just like Pocket PC's, needs charging frequently.
6. Included charger is not a world charger and is bulky.
7. No bluetooth or Wifi but atleast it has SDIO slot (poor Clie fans have to put up with propreitary memory stink slot).
8. Weak alarm sounds (think this can be fixed?) and no vibrate only mode.
9. Packaging in plastic box is tough to open and not eco friendly.
10. Battery is not user replaceable. (dead Palm after 2 years?)

Most of the minor issues with T|E will go away if you spend double and get a T|T3. Overall this is a great Palm at affordable price. Thanks Palm!