PalmOne m500 PDA Review
If computer had started the first revolution, then the PDAs had unleashed the second. They have revolutionised the business world and are now an integral part of every businessman out there. A company that has leading expertise when it comes to manufacturing top class PDAs is Palm. When it introduced the Palm V as a handheld for the elite, its features such as the anodised aluminium finish, small and thin size were supposed to appeal to the upper class of business people. However, there were many people who wanted a small and light device and were ready to pay extra for it. Thus, the Palm V became a top selling handset. Following its success, Palm has decided to stick to the similar form factor and add new features to their latest offering the Palm m500.
A sleek and stylish looking device, the m500 allows one to add memory, store and backup data and even add a camera or a wireless modem. This compact piece has software that allows one to connect to the internet and send emails via cell phone or modem. With a 33MHz Motorola DragonBall Processor and an installed memory of 8 MB, the m500 is well loaded. So will this model be successful too? Does it have what it takes to be a great PDA? Read on to find out.
Design:
Nothing Innovative:
Many users have been waiting for Palm to release a model as a rival to PDAs from Compaq, Handspring etc. While the newer PalmOne m500 PDA features an expansion card slot as well as a host of refinements, it did not have anything innovative as expected. In fact its predecessor the Palm VX at discount rates is a great competitor to the flashy newer PDAs.
Looks similar to the Palm V:
When we first saw it, we could not help noticing that the m500 is very similar to the Palm V. The shape of the m500 does differ from that of the Palm V, but the difference is subtle enough not to be easily noticed. The m500 has sides that have a curve that run along the length of the PDA in place of the slight flare at the bottom of the Palm V. The top of the m500 is more curved too. When it comes to size, the model is as long and wide as the Palm V. The m 500 is slightly thicker. Considering that the difference in between their thickness is in the order of millimetres, these devices look pretty similar.
Build Quality:
The back part of the m500 Handheld PDA is made of plastic and not metal. That perhaps explains its light weight. However, the device still feels solid. The casing does not flex, crack or creak when squeezed. Unlike the Palm V the casing is not glued but is held to the body with the help of 4 screws that can be removed by a T5 Torx driver.
The Buttons:
On the front of the device are 2 application buttons and a power button. The Application buttons on the m500 are slightly larger than the ones found on the Palm V making them easier to press. These buttons also have a better tactile feedback. Also, the buttons sit flush with the casing making it hard to accidentally activate them. The very annoying one piece scroll button has been replaced by 2 small scroll buttons which no longer would press against the fold over cover ( an issue with the Palm V) . The size of these buttons maybe a problem to a person with larger fingers. The power button on the m500 is present on the same location as it is on the Palm V. The only changes being that the button is now translucent and with a bulge making it easier to press. This button also doubles as a battery charge indicator.
Ports:
Both sides of the m500 have silos available. But they are not for styli like they were meant to be in the Palm V. The silo on the left is used as an attachment location for the cover provided. One can also attach a case if necessary. The right side silo is meant for the stylus. The stylus is metal bodied and has plastic ends. It is slightly shorter than the one found on the Palm V. Because of this small difference, the Palm V styli are incompatible with the m500. On the top of the device are the IR port and yes, the expansion card slot. The IR port allowed the m500 to connect to another palm PDA at a distance of 5 feet without any inconsistencies. The expansion card slot allows SD cards or MMC cards. These SD cards allow storing of large files and are a handy way to bring large databases along with you.
Display:
The Palm m500 PDA features a monochrome screen that is comparatively less green that of the Palm V and has a digitiser made of plastic rather than glass. We guess that the plastic version is more flexible and resistant to falls ¬¬¬¬than a glass one. The display quality is very similar to the Palm V and so is the reverse backlight.
Features:
Processor:
The M500 runs on a 33MHz Dragonball VZ processor just like the m505. Most of the tasks were done instantaneously and that was expected of it. However on our Quartus benchmark test, the processor did not do well. It could possibly due to the incompatibility between the application and the new OS. The m500 is as fast as the Visor Edge when it comes to doing tasks or playing games such as Dreadling.
Memory:
The Palm m500 features in built memory of 8MB which is sufficient to store thousands of addresses, appointments for a few years and up to 50 standard applications.
Palm OS 4.0:
The Palm m500 is the first device to feature the OS 4.0 version. But most of the software changes are noticeable only when it comes to performance or are presented as subtle tweaks. The newer additions include a Notepad, a Clock, Card Info and extra security. The notepad can be accessed by pressing the rightmost hardware button. The notepad allows one to scribble a note instead of using Graffiti. Each note is time and date stamped. The memo pad which has been replaced by the notepad is still available as a separate application. The clock program allows users to set an alarm for the current 24 hours. It lacks the feature to set a recurring daily alarm. The Card info is a small application that gives details about the expansion card inserted. While the addition of these applications is welcome, there is nothing really innovative or interesting about them and hence it let us down.
Small Tweaks:
With the new OS, the Palm m500 allows one to call up the onscreen keyboard and use both keyboard taps and graffiti strokes to enter text. This makes entering text faster if you are good at graffiti letters. There is a new screen included that allows one to clear all the alarms at the tap of a stylus.
SD/MMC Slot:
The best feature about the m500 is the SD/MMC slot. As of now, the slot can be used for expanding the memory and running applications. Expanding memory is something which most of us would never need thanks to the in built space of 8MB on the device. When an SD card is inserted into the device, it automatically switches on. When one tries to run an application on a SD card, it is immediately copied into the RAM and run from there. The application runs normally and when exited, it is deleted from RAM.
USB Cradle:
The Palm m500 features a USB HotSync cradle that allows quick and easy transfer between the PDA and PC or Mac. It holds the handheld tightly and the m500 must be removed in a specific way for it to make a proper connection. Near the USB plug at the end of a cord is a power plug where the cradle plugged on to the wall. The USB cradle allows for faster HotSync operations than its predecessor the Palm V.
Vibrate and Flash alarm:
The m500 features a new vibrating and flashing alarm apart from the irritating alarm sounds . It is the first device to feature vibration. While the vibration is not exactly super strong, one can notice it shaking when placed in a shirt or jeans pocket. The flash alarm turns off the sound and has the LED blink, a great feature in case of meetings where you would not want to disturb anyone. All the alarms have a snooze button which is for a fixed 5 minute period. During the snooze, an asterisk blinks in the upper left hand of all applications.
Extra Security:
The m500 has a newer security feature of automatic lock. One can assign a password and encrypt data to keep information safe.
CD Contains:
The CD that comes along with the m500 is bundled with lots of useful software. There is an AOL application that allows one to email and send IM to friends using a data enabled phone or a landline modem. The AvantGo application included is a web channel manager that allows one to sync internet content either wirelessly or through desktop sync. The DocumentsToGo allows one to view and edit word documents and Excel spreadsheets. The Photosuite application is an image and video viewer and supports the following formats : PG, .GIF, .BMP, .TIF, .PNG, AVI, MOV, QT, ASF, and WMV . While viewing videos on the m500 is useless, viewing pictures is not bad. The PowerOne Calculator is handy considering it has useful functions such as tax, tips, percent change and date calculations.
Mobile Connectivity Software CD:
Other than the pretty useful software included in CD, there is another notable addition – Palm’s Mobile Internet Kit.. This helps in transferring email, browse the Web ( using the Web Clipping technology) and uses SMS text messaging on a GSM phone with IR capabilities.
Performance:
When speed is the criteria, the m500 is as fast as the Palm V. But the benchmark tests revealed that the m500 is almost one and half times faster than the Palm V. It is however not perceivable as we could not notice any speed difference between the two devices when launching applications.
Great Visibility:
The m500 PDA was readable in outdoor, indoor and dark conditions. Reading it in outdoors was a pleasure as it was crystal clear. However, it was not so readable indoors or in the dark.
Speakers:
The speaker on the m500 is a tad bit louder than the m100 which itself is slightly louder than the Palm V. While one can use this PDA as an alarm clock while on the move, it is still capable of beeps only and lacks DTMF tone generating capabilities.
What is in the Box?
The Palm m500 comes along with a stylus, a rechargeable lithium ion battery, a USB hot sync cradle, Palm Desktop Software and Palm Mobile Connectivity software, a getting started guide and a handbook.
Battery Life:
The Palm m500 runs on a rechargeable lithium ion battery. The m500 has a decent battery life in spite of being switched on most of the time. Heavy usage would drain it dry but that’s after several hours of usage. The PDA lasts around 30 days with light usage of lesser than one hour a day. It takes about one whole hour to charge it back to full power on the cradle.
Warranty:
The Palm m500 comes with a warranty of one year for its parts and labour.
Verdict:
While the Palm m500 is a great product and a step forward for the Palm line, it is not as flashy or as revolutionary as the Palm V was. The SD card expansion slot, the USB connector, better buttons, great software and the vibrating alarm are things that would standout in the list of pros for the device. However, the OS does not feature much improvements and the device is a tad bit too expensive. It’s a better idea to go for either the next model, the Palm m505 if you are ready to shell out a little more for a colour PDA or the predecessor the Palm V if you think you can do without SD functionality.
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PalmOne m500 PDA – Technical Specification Table
| Manufacturer | Palm |
| Model Name | Palm m500 |
| Dimensions | 114.3 x 79 x 10.2 mm / 4.5 x 3.1 x 0.4 in |
| Weight | 113 g / 4 oz |
| Display type | Advanced LCD screen technology for wide-angle, low-light, and bright-light viewing |
| Display colour | Greyscale |
| Display size | 160 x 160 pixels |
| Backlight | Yes |
| Processor | 33MHz Motorola DragonBall VZ processor |
| Operating System | Palm OS 4.0 |
| Standard Memory | 8MB with flash upgradeability |
| Expansion Slot | Compatible with SD cards and MMCs |
| Requirement | PC: Windows 98, 2000, or Me; USB port; 30 MB hard disk space; CD-ROM drive Mac: Apple Macintosh OS 8.5.1 and above, available USB port, 30 MB hard disk space, CD-ROM drive, 5 MB available RAM |
| Handwriting Recognition | Yes |
| Keyboard | Onscreen |
| User controls | Stylus |
| Memo Pad | Yes |
| Address Book | Yes |
| Scheduler | Yes |
| Yes | |
| Web Browser | No |
| Security | Yes |
| Stereo | No |
| Built in speaker | No |
| Voice Recorder, MP3 Playback, Headset jack | No |
| AC Adapter included | Yes, Via HotSync cradle |
| Battery Type | Rechargeable Lithium ion |
| Batteries Included | Yes |
| Software | CD-ROM with Palm Desktop software for Windows and Macintosh plus Documents To Go 3.0 by DataViz, MGI PhotoSuite Mobile Edition, AvantGo, Pocket Mirror 3.0, Palm Reader, MultiMail SE, and Palm Mobile Connectivity software |
| Warranty | 1 year |
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