| Like many of you, I’m a big advocate of the Palm / PDA platform. I had read some of the pre-release press on the HandEra 330, and was solidly decided that this was the next PDA that I wanted to seriously consider. I’ve had one now for a few months, and am very pleased with it thus far. I know that some folks swear by the need for colour on a serious PDA, and I guess I’m just not one of them. I’m also pleased with the fact that I can continue to use the accessories from my previous Palm IIIx. I've also had a chance to go back and compare the Palm m500, Palm m505 and various Handspring models against the 330. I remain happy with my choice. A few features that I’ve learned to rely heavily on: - I bought a 32 meg CF card just as the price was coming down, and love it. I’m a big believer in doing regular back-ups, and use the CF card for that. I have also moved less critical apps and games to the card as well, and use AutoCard to get at them. Down the road, when cards using Palm’s SD standard become more available, then I can use them also.
- The speaker on this device rocks! I carry my PDA in a RhinoSkin 1000 case that is always attached to my belt, and it always bugged me that the case muffled the speaker on my IIIx. No worries with this baby! Alarms can be clearly heard. In the event that I miss the audible alarm, the flashing red light reminds me that an alarm has occurred. I know that Palm has added vibrate mode to their newer palms, which is great. I’m curious how noticeable the vibrating would be if the PDA was in a case that was dangling and not snug against the body.
- The ESCAPE and JOG DIAL buttons on the side are very useful. I especially like the fact that the escape button lets you exit an app without having to use the stylus. I don’t use the jog dial button as much, but have found it equally helpful.
- The 330 came with some great apps that use the improved screen resolution & smaller fonts. I’ve really found this helpful. My eyesight is pretty good (my 17-inch computer monitor is set up for 1152 X 864, so I like the fact that I can use smaller fonts and get a more comprehensive display.
My wish list: - More apps that use the improved 330 screen resolution, jog dial and escape button. For example, I’ve not yet found a replacement for the address book that gives me the information I want and uses smaller fonts to do it. Similarly, I’m a frequent user of Avantgo, and can see that they still have a few things to tweak before they fully support the 330’s screen.
- More flexibility with CF card support. Based on my readings and experience, I’m cautious to put any large updateable files on the CF card.
- Rechargeable battery support. HandEra has announced a Lion rechargeable battery that will be available in September. I’m hopeful that it will be available at a reasonable price.
- Better customer communication. The jumper bracket within the battery compartment snapped within about a month of use. Other users on the HandErazone.com site confirmed that this was a manufacturing defect. With some reluctance, HandEra Support also confirmed this, and sent me a replacement. I would liked to have seen a more proactive effort on HandEra’s part to address this matter quickly. I could have lost (albeit temporarily) all my apps and data. I think a more aggressive & proactive communications approach with their customers could also help HandEra to maintain & leverage the enthusiasm that many of us have for this.
In the short time that I've had this PDA, I've come to rely on it far more than was the case for my IIIx. Now if only I had a modem.... |