Product Requirements:
Windows 98/ME/2000/XP
Mac 9.1 or higher/Mac OS X ,
version 10.1.2 to 10.2.6
Close to one year ago, Palm introduced us
to the Tungsten|T, their first
hi-resolution (320 x 320 pixel) PDA. Both Judie and myself were impressed
enough to make this squatty Hobbit of a device, our ‘daily driver’. That was 11
months ago… Not only has Palm changed their name to PalmOne, now Judie is
using the Sony CLIÉ NZ90 and I have recently migrated back to the Pocket PC and
am using the HP2215. I held on to the
Tungsten|T a little longer than Judie did, but in the end, we both wanted more.
More what? Mostly, more screen real estate.
Palm has had to play catch up to the Sony CLIÉ for 2 years now. Sony
released the first 320 x 320 pixel PDA way back in 2001 with the 710C. Then last year, they introduced the NR70V, the first Palm OS PDA with a 320 x 480
pixel display, soft graffiti area and an integrated camera. Well, here we go
again folks! The Tungsten|T3 is Palm’s first PDA with a 320 x 480 pixel
display, and virtual graffiti area! All I can say is about time!
While Sony tends to be the gee whiz king of PDA innovation, Palm has always
been much more conservative. The rivalry between them is reminiscent of the
Tortoise and the Hare. Will slow and steady win this race? Read more about the Tungsten|T3,
and decide for yourself…
Hardware Specs:
Processor: 32bit, 400MHz Intel Xscale
Operating System: Palm OS software version v.5.2.1
Memory: Total 64 MB (51.6 MB available)
Display: TFT color display with backlight, 320 x 480, 65,000 colors
Interface: USB (for HotSync® operation), Infrared, Bluetooth™
Dimensions and Weight: 4.3 (closed, 5.2 open) x 3.0 x 0.66in, 5.5 oz.
(including stylus)
Power: 120VAC, 60Hz
Battery: Lithium-ion polymer rechargeable battery (internal – non user
removable)
Expansion: SD card slot (Secure Digital), supports MMC and SDIO cards
Impressions:
Included in the Tungsten|T3’s packaging is the handheld itself, the charger
cradle, AC adapter, leather screen cover, installation CD-ROM, and instruction
manuals.
When I first opened the box and removed the T3, I thought it looked thinner and
felt smaller than my T|T. I also thought the lighter silvery color was attractive.
The T3 is indeed a little thinner than the T|T, but it is also longer than the
T|T. In hand, it feels solid and comfortable and has the same heft as the T|T,
which I like. When I performed my standard creak test on this new unit, I did
notice some flexing and creaking around the hotsync port on the back of the
device. I notice this same slight flexing every time I pick the T3 up. Most
people will probably not notice this though, as I tend to be extremely picky.
Top to bottom: Tungsten|T, Tungsten|T3
The physical design of this new PDA is very similar to the T|T and T2, but
with a few subtle and not so subtle differences. Like I mentioned above, the T3
has a silver metallic shell. My guess is that the material is aluminum. The
finish has a matte texture which thankfully does not show finger prints or
smudges when handled.
The most notable physical difference between the T3 and previous
incarnations is with the new application button / navigation pad layout. The
buttons are now arranged in an oval configuration around the 5-way navigation
pad. The buttons are a nice size, easy to press and have good tactile feedback.
The navigation pad is no longer round, but oval. The select button in the
middle is now larger, which is nice. But the outside 5-way pad feels a bit
awkward to me. Pressing left or right isn’t a problem, but when you press up or
down, you do not get much tactile feedback as the button doesn’t have as much
travel. For me, this makes action game playing somewhat difficult. I really
prefer the old style button layout looks and function.
The left side of the PDA has the voice recorder button, microphone and
earphone jack. Although this layout is the same as the T|T and T2, the voice
recorder button on this new model is larger and not as recessed. Where I never
had a problem accidentally activating the button on my T|T, I seem to continually
do on the T3. Luckily, a new HOLD feature has been added to the OS. This will
allow you to lock all buttons automatically or manually depending on your
preference.
Sound quality on the T3 is actually very good through earphones (sorry, Palm
didn’t throw in a free pair of ear buds…). Volume levels through the speaker
are VERY loud. No one should sleep through an alarm on this baby! However, I’m disappointed
yet again that Palm failed to allow for polyphonic alarm sounds. I was really
hopeful when I heard the new ‘improved’ deedle-dee sound upon my first hotsync.
But then my hopes were dashed when I saw the same boring 6 alarm choices to
pick from. Come on, it doesn’t take a lot to make me happy! I just want to hear
some funky alarms!
The top of the T3 is basically the same as the T|T, with the power button,
stylus silo, IR port and SD card slot. IR strength appears to be stronger than
previous models. I was able to beam addresses to my Tungsten|T up to 8 ft. The
SD slot is an SDIO slot which means you can use SD accessories other than just
memory cards. The stylus is the same as the T|T and T2. It’s actually my
favorite PDA stylus. The weight and size are perfect for me.
The bottom of the T3 has the familiar universal connector, so all the
standard accessories, cables, keyboards, etc. will work fine with it. The same cradle
that ships with most Palm PDAs is also included with the T3.
The back of the T3 is slightly different than the T|T. There are now two new
attachment points for the included leather / suede screen cover. I was
disappointed that Palm decided to ditch the plastic snap on screen cover. I
don’t care for the leather cover as there is nothing to keep it from flopping
open. Actually, mine won’t lay flat at all. It totally reminds me of my old Sony CLIE T615C.
One thing missing from the back of the PDA which I really wish had been included
is access to the reset hole while the PDA is compressed. Like the T|T, you have
to slide open the bottom of the PDA to expose the switch.
Like the T|T and T2, the T3 has the same slider mechanism. The slider on the
T3 is slightly stiffer than my T|T. I doubt if there is anyway it would fall
open or closed on its own. With the previous models, the slider was used to expose
the silk-screened graffiti area. Not so with the T3… this model does not have
a dedicated graffiti area. Instead has a soft input area that can collapse out
of the way to reveal the new 320 x 480 stretch display. Of course, Handera first
introduced the soft input area in their 330 model over two year ago.
Left to right: Tungsten|T, Tungsten|T3 both set and highest
brightness setting
This is Palm’s first PDA with a 320 x 480 pixel hi-res display. And what a
gorgeous display it is! It makes my old T|T look murky and tiny. When the
slider is open and the screen is completely exposed, it is 3.25 x 2.20in with a
diagonal of 3.87in. 50% larger than any Palm branded PDA
to date. It is extremely bright and crisp with vivid colors. At the half
brightness level it is very comfortable to read. Heck, even turning the
brightness completely down to the lowest setting is adequate in most light. Maybe
I missed it, but I was surprised to find that I couldn’t turn the backlight
completely off. Even in the RealOne Player application, you have to give it a
timeout period before the screen blanks. I’d rather have a button press option.
More about the new display features in the software section of the review…
The battery life on the T3 is less than my T|T. I guess with the faster
processor and larger, brighter display, there had to be a catch right?
life isn’t dismal, but from my brief testing, I could get 3 – 4 hours of use
from one charge. That was without Bluetooth and the screen brightness turned down
to 25%. This will be a PDA that you’ll want to charge every night before taking
it with you the next day.
As far as over all system performance, the T3 is a regular speed demon. So
far, I’d have to say that it is the fastest Palm OS PDA that I’ve used to date.
With its 400mhz processor, I don’t think anyone will have any complaints about program start up time with
this device.
Hardware-wise, I’m satisfied with the T3. I’m not overjoyed though. I can
live with button layout and battery life, but I’m personally tired of the
slider. I want to have access to the full display ALL the time. That’s really why
Judie went to the Sony CLIE NZ90. I was very tempted to do the same thing, but
the price and bulkiness of it were prohibitive to me, so I want back to the
Pocket PC. Don’t get me wrong, the T3 is cool, very cool… But I would just
rather have a solid non-expanding PDA.
That said; let’s go on to the software part of the review. Not only did Palm mix it up with some new
hardware features, but they also added quite a few goodies to the OS to enhance
them even further.
Software Specs:
The Palm OS version on the T3 is v5.2.1. This version includes quite a few
updates that Palm users have been waiting a long while for. The applications
included in ROM are:
Core
Functions
Contacts – This used to be called Address Book, but the name has
changed to better match the same PIM applications in Microsoft Outlook. I think
Palm realized that a large percentage of their user base syncs with Outlook and
not their own desktop application. Some of the changes in this new version of
Contacts include the addition of a website field, instant messenger name field,
work and home addresses, and a birthday field with a reminder option.
Calendar – Of course, this used to be called the Date Book. Some of the new
features include an updated Agenda view that looks very similar to the Today
screen on a Pocket PC. It lists your upcoming appointments, Tasks and Email
info. The month view now includes small views of the previous and next month
(in full screen mode). Events can now be categorized, categories have their own
color bullet next to them in the date view, and you can add a location for an
event. Also, events can now span
Tasks – Was the To Do List application. Not much has changed with this
application except for the addition of alarms per task and the ability to view
by due and past due settings.
Memos – Was Memo Pad. Can I get a drum roll please? Ok everyone, hold on to
your hats… Are you ready for this? I’m
warning you, this will come as a shock… Palm FINALLY fixed the 4k size limit on
memos! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Better late then never right? Other than that major
change, the Memo application (not sure why they didn’t name it Notes to match
Outlook) remains unchanged.
Calculator, Expense, Hotsync, Note Pad, World Alarm Clock, Voice Memo – Remain
unchanged from previous OS versions.
Card Info – Displays data about the SD memory card in the slot.
Still missing from the core apps is a file manager and a backup / restore
app. Come on Palm!
The other major changes to the OS have to do with the new hi-res screen and
soft input area. The input area is collapsible in most, but not all views and
applications. Along the bottom of the display there is a new status bar with
several tools. The rightmost button is the one that will allow you to collapse
the screen. From left to right, the buttons are: Home, Find, Menu, Time, Attention
Manager, Bluetooth, Full-screen writing, Screen rotator, Soft input toggle.
The Home button will take you back to the application launcher window.
Holding it down will popup a pick list of the last 6 applications that were last
accessed.
The Find button is the same finder dialog box that we all know and love. The
Menu button function is the same as always too.
The Time button is a new addition. Clicking on it will bring up a status
window that shows you the time, battery level, available internal and SD card
memory, screen brightness level, and volume level. I like the volume level
adjuster as it gives you a quick way to silence all alarms. This is a great
option to use right before going into a meeting.
The Exclamation button is the Attention Manager. It gives you fast access to
alerts.
The Bluetooth button gives you quick access to the Bluetooth radio settings.
The Full-screen writing toggle button gives you Jot or Graffiti Anywhere
features. When it is turned on, you can write anywhere on the screen instead of
just in the soft input area.
The Screen rotator button is one of my favorite features. A quick tap will
instantly rotate the screen clockwise or counter clockwise depending on your
handedness setting. Landscape mode on the T3 is wonderful, especially in
database and spreadsheet screens.
Communications
Phone Link, Dialer, and SMS – Mobile phone apps.
VersaMail – Latest version allows you to view Word and Excel attachments (up
to 5mb in size).
Multimedia
Kinoma – Video player. I’m still not as impressed with Kinoma as I am
Media Player on the Pocket PC. I don’t care for the fact that I have to convert
the movie to a different format before being able to play it. Kinoma movies are
still not as smooth as MPEG movies on a PPC.
Photos – Slideshow application. Pictures look great in full screen mode!
RealOne – MP3 player. Does the job, nothing fancy.
Productivity
Documents-to-Go – Word, Excel and PowerPoint viewer and editor.
With the landscape feature, you can see quite a few more rows in an Excel
spreadsheet.
Bonus Software (included on CD)
Java 2 Micro Edition – Run java apps on your PDA.
Adobe Reader – PDF file viewer.
Palm Reader – My favorite e-book reader! Now with the larger screen, it feels
like I’m reading a real book. Landscape mode is especially nice.
powerOne Calculator – What the built-in calculator should be.
BlueBoard, BlueChat – Bluetooth apps.
RealOne Desktop
Kinoma Producer – Desktop application that allows you
to convert your favorite home movies and animated videos – MPEG-1, QuickTime, AVI – to a format you can view on your handheld.
Solitaire – The classic card game from Handmark that
we all know and love J
Web Pro – Web browser.
Conclusion:
The Tungsten|T3 is the nicest Palm OS PDA that I’ve had the pleasure to use for
any length of time. With its fast processor, gorgeous display, solid software
package, and decent price, it is almost perfect. If I were in the market for a
new Palm OS PDA, and definitely needed the larger format display, this would be
one that I would take a long hard look at before flashing my credit card.
That said, as both a product reviewer and a consumer, it sometimes feels like
technology is moving quickly and slowly at the same time. No sooner does my bank
account recover from buying one new PDA, when yet another batch of devices are
unveiled with enticing features that beg the question: Should I upgrade?
That’s the quickly aspect of the equation… On the other hand, time continues
to drag on as I wait for that one PDA which will incorporate all the features
important to me, making it my perfect device. For me, the perfect Palm OS PDA
would be a T3 that doesn’t hide half of its face under a slider mechanism, has
128mb of RAM, WiFi and a better battery. The T3 comes close, but I think I’ll
continue the wait a little longer…
Price: $399
Pros:
Virtual Graffiti area – finally
Hi-res screen
Fast processor
Easy screen rotation
Cons:
Have to open the slider to see full screen
Lack of file manager application
Product Information
| Price: | 399.0 |
| Manufacturer: | Palm |
| Pros: |
|
| Cons: |
|
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It is June 29 2020 and I just rediscovered my T3 after years of storage and have it charging nicely in my retro G4 Lampshade Mac. Covid 19 has had me doing some household thinning but the I stumbled across this long forgotten treasure.
Thanks for posting about your experiences with the T3 some 17 years ago. Keep happy and thanks for this. Stay well. – Scott from Canada
Hi Scott,
That’s fun! Let us know if you end up doing anything with it other than just a quick tour of the interface for old time sake. 🙂
Palm claims that the MP3 player “Requires expansion card, sold separately”. Are they just recognizing that there isn’t room for many songs without add-on memory, or is there really some special add-on hardware needed?
Also, does the RealOne™ Mobile Player play only MP3, or can it also play WMA or AAC?
Do all the Palm supplied apps seamlessly handle the change in screen size and orientation? How well do third party apps handle these?
From other reviews I have read…
If the program supports it, it will switch from 320×320 to the 320×480 and back again. However, this MUST be coded by the programmer, else it won’t make a difference. 🙂
You didn’t say anything about it but the new version of Documents to go creates native Word and Excel files. It’s functionality far exceeds anything on the Pocket PC. I bought the T3 and am very impressed with it but the slider bugs me. I just bought a T2 several months ago so I guess it’s going on E-bay.
I have read that you cannot store MP3’s in the built in memory but I haven’t tried it. I have an ipod so I could car less about MP3s on my PDA. There are other Palm MP3 players that are better and with more features than the Real Player.
The screen on the T|3 I tried in the store looked kind of “watery” to me. What I mean by this is when I touched the stylus to the screen, the screen behaved like a laptop LCD does when you push your finger on it.
I have never seen this on any other PDA. Does your model do this, Julie?
Great review as always.
Julie wrote:
“Calculator, Expense, Hotsync, Note Pad, World Alarm Clock, Voice Memo – Remain unchanged from previous OS versions.”
I have noticed the following changes from previous versions:
– the calculator, when the slider is extended shows the calculation history on screen as a running list;
– the Note Pad supports full screen;
– the Voice Memo button when pressed while the Voice Memo program is running will toggle betweent the card category and the All category.
As to the requirement of a card to play MP3s, the Palm OS does not support such files in internal RAM, these files are only supported if stored on an external media such as a expansion card. This is true for MP3s, OGG/Vorbis, JPEG and even native Word files that are support by DocsToGo must be stored on an expansion card.
I was really excited about this device too… but the horrible battery life is extrememly disappointing and seems like a trip back in time to the bad old days when colour palms first came out…
One of the things I loved about my Vx was that I can leave it alone for a month and it would still work.
Unfortunately this issue became the deal-breaker for me…. guess I’ll wait some more
jiraffe:
That is correct, you can’t store MP3’s in the Palm’s internal memory. I think the problem lies in the file system. Palm really doesn’t let you easily get into the guts of the file structure. RealOne Player supports MP3s and RealAudio files.
As for how well different applications support the full screen mode and / or rotating, I had no problems with all the programs that I tested. Like aybara said, the programs have to be written to allow for the full screen mode. Otherwise, they just show up in 320 x 320.
tthiel:
The updates to Docs-to-Go are great. I really like the fullscreen rotate feature. Judie is green with envy as she wants that for her Sony CLIE NZ90. As for the ability to read / write native Word and Excel files, I agree that this is a major step in the right direction. I have read, but not verified that there is still some work to be done as far as ’round tripping’. By that I mean, if you copy a Word or Excel file with lots of special formatting to the PDA, edit it, and then copy it back to the PC, you’ll lose some of the formatting. I ran out of time during the review and didn’t try this myself. I really need to do that.
forrester:
The screen on my T3 eval is not ‘watery’. However, you can barely see the stylus depress when you touch the screen. When the stylus depresses, it does not alter the image on the display.
Ronin:
I totally missed the fullscreen Calculator feature you mentioned! Cool! 🙂
The slider bugged me alot at first but I was so impressed with this device that I bought one anyway. Now it’s going back. I just find the slider too annoying and the battery life is to short. Too bad. Its a major advancement in many other ways. I just couldn’t justify the $430 with tax when I just bought a Tungsten 2.
Other reviews indicate that the battery life is slightly better than a T/T2, provided you don’t use Bluetooth a whole lot. And what of the AC adapter? Does that not mean that you can travel with it and use the unit plugged in (as many do with a laptop)? I keep saying to myself that I need Wifi, but in fact I have never used it. How important, in your view, is it? radleyp
I’m really glad to see that Palm’s finally gotten the virtual screen gimmick working. Great for those of us that go for reliability in one’s gadgets.
I will *never ever ever* buy a Clie. Absolutely never. They’re as unstable as WinCE for me – I’ve had demo units crash on the store shelves! Sony seems to subscribe to the idea of “throw in the feature now, actually get it RIGHT later”, and while that might work for someone who wants a new toy, I actually need to get serious work done with a PDA now and again. (shock!)
(There’s also my paranoid fear of Sony as a corporation and the whole Memory Stick proprietaryness issue, but those are really secondary.)
Handspring had similar issues. My Visor, with or without Springboard modules within, would crash constantly. Constantly. It got to the point that I kept missing appointments because I couldn’t trust the thing. 😛
Whenever I’ve bought from Palm, however, I feel like I’m getting something that’s not going to explode on me. My m130’s crashed, oh, maybe three or four times in the six months I’ve owned it so far; I had similar reliability (if a little better) with a Palm III, a Pilot 5000, and a PalmPilot Professional upgrade (anyone remember those? 🙂 ). My Visor crashed that often every *week*. One Clie (the NR70V, if I recall correctly) crashed almost that much for me (twice) in LESS THAN ONE HOUR.
Of course, Windows also loves to explode around me, and even Linux can’t handle the sheer level of entropic bit rot essence that seems to surround and enfold my person. But that just means I need devices that are that much more reliable.
The point of all this? The fact that Palm’s coming out with the T3 suggests to me that they’ve finally got virtual graffiti stable enough that I might actually be able to use it sometime. That’s pretty damn cool, if you ask me. 🙂
You can not plug the AC adapter directly into the PDA. It actually plugs into the cradle.
WiFi is important to me because I have a WiFi network setup in my home and the office in which I work.
Not speaking for or against either Sony or Palm, everyone I know with a Clie has had no problems with them. And I had to keep returning Palm Vxs to Palm until the 4th one worked (except for the fact that the digitizer never remained stable).
I think both Sony and Palm produce pretty good, but not great, quality PDAs.
I’ve heard that the RealOne player is stored in the ROM now. Yes?
Are there any conflicts with it and, say, AeroPlayer? Have you tested any other audio player on the handheld?
One more query. On a Sony it is possible to “mount” the Memory Stick, as I am sure you know. You open the unit in MSImport, and the MS shows up on the desktop as a “removable disk” drive. I can then drag and drop files from my hard drive to the MS. Is there such a feature on the T3, or is hotsyncing the only way to transfer data? radleyp
onestar:
Yes, RealOne player is now in ROM. I haven’t tested Aeroplayer or Pocket Tunes with the T3, but I doubt if there are any conflicts. I had all three installed on my T|T at one time…
radleyp:
The T3 doesn’t come with an application that will allow it to function as a card reader, but I think I recall seeing such an app on PalmGear…
I just updated the review with screen shots that actually show the soft input area and task bar. Thanks to LinkeSoft for working with me to update their Screenshot program.
http://www.linkesoft.com/
I had the chance to play with a Tungsten E today (I persuaded someone else to buy one, then installed it for them) and I must say it’s fantastic.
This is a total home run for Palm. This is their best feature set, for the price. Anyone who was considering a Zire 71 but didn’t want/like the gimmick of a camera can now get exactly what they need for $100 less.
I predict these will fly off the shelves this holiday season.
It’s basically the best reason Palm has come up with yet to upgrade from your old Palm V/Vx etc.
I hope a review is forthcoming soon – apparently i couldn’t wait until there was one to post this message.
Hope no one minds 🙂
Sorry. Either I’ve not been getting enough, or played to much Quake, but when I was reading your review I couldn’t help reading T|T as…um…well….tit.
Great review, but makes for some funny reading out loud. T|tillating even.
e.g. first opened the box and removed the T3, I thought it looked thinner and felt smaller than my T|T.
or: In hand, it feels solid and comfortable and has the same heft as the T|T, which I like.
or: It makes my old T|T look murky and tiny.
Sorry. That was neither here nor there.
Julie,
Given that the T|3 is a bit longer than T1 or T2, will there have to be T3-specific cases made for this device or will the T1/T2 cases work for the T3?
I can understand being bored of the slider. But for those of us that do not carry purses the extra space it creates in your pocket is invaluable. Especially since I carry my wallet, GBAsp, TT, cell, a pen, keys and spare change all in my pants pockets.
forrester:
Unfortunately, the T3 won’t be able to fit in T|T or T2 specific cases.
From your Tungsten T3 Review:
“For me, the perfect Palm OS PDA would be a T3 that doesn’t hide half of its face under a slider mechanism, has 128mb of RAM, WiFi and a better battery.”
Have you looked at the Tapwave Zodiac Z2?
Anodized aluminum housing
200MHz Motorola i.MX1 ARM9 processor
ATI Imageon W4200 graphics processor
128MB of RAM
320×480 with soft graffiti
Bluetooth.
Built-in stereo speakers,
2 Secure Digital/MultiMedia Card (SD/MMC) slots
2 Li-Ion batteries (16 hours estimated life)
And it retails for $399!
Tapwave Website
PDABuzz Preview
Palm Infocenter Story
Gendou:
Judie and I both have pre-ordered the Zodiac 🙂
Its too shiny, the buttons are lousy, and it does not have a universal connector. I was not impressed.
I’m now the owner of a Tungsten T3, my fifth PDA since 1995 (the first was some sort of Sharp date-book). I’m quite impressed with the T3. To give you a sense of what kind of user I am, let me say simply that I stick to the core Palm applications, a doc reader, MyBible (five distinct Bible versions!), a time-card keeper, a dictionary (PocketLingo), and SmartList, perhaps some games. With 28 MB left over, I’ll explore some other applications, but as you can see, I keep it mainly for data.
This replaces my Sony Clie T615C, which replaced my Palm Vx, which replaced my Palm V–the last two PDA’s were purchased in quick succession, so I never really used the V.
My first impression when I saw the T3 was, gee, it’s smaller than my Clie. That was a pleasant surprise. The T3 has a nice feel, a great screen, and a great new operating system.
51 MB of usable space is plenty for my use. The battery is adequate. But the main selling point is the screen. I absolutely refuse to switch to a Pocket PC–I simply own too much Palm software to justify the switch–but I was just sick of the small screens of most Palm OS devices. I was looking at the newer Sony’s, but I really don’t need a digital camera, especially at 1.3 or 2.0 mega pixels; I didn’t like the keyboard on the Sony’s (I use an collapsible keyboard); and the twirly screen seemed a bit too delicate. The price tag on the Sony’s was also a major turn-off (yikes!).
I think the tortoise is winning out. I actually used my Palm Vx for about two or three years, well in the the color-screen revolution. (I still use it as a back-up PDA and think it the smartest looking PDA ever). The T3, at $399, is just the king of PDA’s. Really, folks, if I’m going to spend $600-$700 on a PDA I might as well buy a cheap laptop!
The slider is actually quite cool. I really like having a full screen and large buttons, which coupled with the slider leaves the unit quite compact and functional. I have some difficulty pulling it out of the charger as the slider usually opens up, but if I pull from the bottom everything is fine. I like that when you open it up, the unit turns on.
The T3 is plenty fast. Running MyBible, the T3 simply flies.
If you want a PDA, the T3 is the unit to buy. I haven’t been this enthusiastic since the Palm V/Vx.
P.S. When and why did they change to graffiti 2?
Too shiny? I was looking at the screen, not the color – and besides, can things really be too shiny? 🙂 And I like the new iteration of the central control but – updown/leftright center much nicer than say the Zire series, most sony’s (lousy buttons indeed). Truth is, i dont think they’ve EVER got the buttons perfect, but these, i could live with.
As for a universal connector – Palm have been screwing around with their connectors since the palm v – i wasn’t as surprised as you too see a change, however, its nice to have just a usb cable – at least its a (cheaply) replaceable item.
As regards buttons on the Tungsten series, they rock. I never realized how much I hated the Sony buttons until I bought the T3.
Well here is something I discovered – you can hold down on the silk screen buttons and up will pop a screen and you can select the “button” or application that you want to have launched based upon that silk screen button. It changes the icon and then your good to go so besides being able to adjust the “hard” buttons you get to map the 4 silk screen buttons in each corner.
Cool touch!
Julie,
I have a Clie 70Nx and the following apps works at 320×480 mode
but does not with the T3. Can you also confirm or do I have to get the correct Palm version?
1) BugMe
2) Repligo
3) iSilo
4) Memo Plus
5) TealDoc
6) Mobipocket
7) Neocal
8) Contact4
9) BDcity
10) Many games eg Billiards, etc.
Obviously quite anxious to get these Apps working on the T3 at full screen mode as they did wonderfully with the Clie NX70.
The Clie has a Flash Player – what about Palm ?
It would be nice to do a comparison of what the T3 can do vs the Clie NX. One Big plus is the landscape mode for the T3.
Anyway, I am enjoying both these machines.
I inquired with few software companies and as the T3 is a new release, some programs are not yet ready for the full screen mode, but a few indicated that they will release full screen versions too. I guess the Sony and Palm full screens operate differently.
Sorry Patrick, I can’t test out the applications that you listed. The T3 that I have is already boxed up and ready to go back to Palm.
I bought a TT3 during a long wait at the airport on Friday evening.
Currently a TT1 user I was attracted primarily by the improved on-board memory; improved screen and performance were also factors.
My first impressions are these:
Good things:
– as noted elsewhere the screen is superb vs the TT1; even with the brightness turend right down to conserve battery it is still better
– the minimenu at the bottom of the screen is very useful
– as far as possible I will work with the slider in, to which end the write anywhere option on the mini menu is a big help
– the Bluetooth on/off on the mini menu is also good, but I will still use Peter Easton’s BtToggle which is even easier as it turns Bt on/off as required
Things which annoy me:
– Palm Reader does not recognise when the slider is in so the bottom portion of each page and the reader menu is hidden; in short, you must have the slider out to read
– the side recesses into which the old plastic screen used to clip have gone which means my favourite Covertec case no longer works
– I have grown very used to the short/squat form of the TT1 and find the increased length of the TT3, especially with slider out, rather clumsy
Hi all,
Since Julie has the T3 packaged and almost out of her hands, I am asking the question to all that have the new T3: When the T3 is closed, can you choose to have the virtual graffiti area open itself up while the slider is closed?
I am asking this question since it would make sense to me to save having to slide open the unit for every little thing, as opposed to smaller screen resource but being able to graffiti short sentences at (fast) will.
Thanks for all possible answers.
I’m very impressed w/ the T-3:
Construction is solid (not wobbly or loose). The slider is firm – much firmer than the T-1.
The screen and colors are the best I’ve seen in any handheld.
For the first time, upgrading from the T-1 to the T-3 was easy, complete and totally painless. I was utterly amazed by this.
I do like the slider because it reduces the overall size of the unit whilst allowing for a larger screen (portrait or landscape) if necessary.
Graffitti 2 takes a little getting used to, but it’s easier than the original.
The extra memory and the free software that comes with the unit are excellent.
Bluetooth works well with my cellphone so I can easily download emails and surf the web.
All in all, the T-3 a first rate unit at a very reasonable price and I highly recommend it to everyone.
I had been interested in the new Sony (UX50), but found it way too expensive and also it requires the docking unit for charging. I found its screen and text somewhat small. Nevertheless, it is a snappy looking unit.
Cornelis:
When the slider is closed, you can not view the virtual grafitti area. BUT, you can now write grafitti anywhere on the screen, so you really don’t need to open the slider unless you really want to.
Yes, since you can write anywhere, I don’t open the slider every time I need to write, which is quite cool: full screen (closed slider), no graffiti area–just great.
Take the Zodiac, shave off about an ounce, and you’ll probably have something close to Julie’s perfect PDA. I know *that* would be my perfect PDA.
10basetom:
We’ll see what happens when Judie and I finally get the units that we pre-ordered 😀
how about the SD card discussion at Palminfocenter. It appears that the Tungsten series fries sandisk sd cards and maybe other brands
:rolleyes: That’s interesting about SanDisk cards. I just bought a T-3 and it fried (??) my SanDisk 256MB card – disabled it totally, everything lost, unable to reformat. I thought something was wrong with the card, but perhaps it was the T-3. I’m using an older SanDisk 64MB card and it works well, so far…
Any details about what causes the problem? Is Palm going to fix it? Which cards work with the T-3?
According to PalmInfoCenter:
The majority of problems appear to be with Sandisk SD cards and cards larger than 256MB.
See http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_story.asp?ID=6086 for more details.
I have a sony clie 665, and I must say I’ve been pleased with it. Are the new Palms superior in some way? I too felt that Palm abandoned its Palm V users with that digitizer defect that Palm never admitted to nor repaired. If one were buying another PDA, as for a friend or relative perhaps, would you get one of these new Palms, or a sony 665-like device…?
Julie,
You mentioned that your flip cover would lie flat on the unit. This will resolve itself after a few days of use. Once the leather “hinge” softens up, it will lie flat just fine, as mine did.
I used to have the 665. I went to PPC because you could get a large color screen in a small device.
Features the T3 has that the 665 doesn’t: larger screen, better video playback, SD slot (vs MS), audio recording, faster performance, more software in ROM. The 665 is thinner and weighs a little less. If you have run any specific system hacks that you need, you should see if there are equivalent DA-apps (OS5 will run DA apps, but not system hacks).
I switched back to Palm with the T3. I’m very happy with it. What I originally considered to be the T3’s biggest drawback has turned into one of my favorite features: the slider. It allows for a large, hi-res screen + functional button layout in a small package. It’s implemented extremely well on the T3 thanks to the fact that it displays more than 320×320 when closed. So the menu is always visible, allowing you to quickly change orientation, toggle on-screen input, check status, search, and go home. And being able to turn the device on and off with the slider is a great option.
The battery life has been fine for me, though I got the low-battery warning one night after a day of unusually heavy use (I was still able to use it without any problems). Just so I won’t have to worry about it, I picked up a cheap USB charge/hotsync cable and AA-battery-charger on Ebay.
My only concern is with the reports of SD problems. My Lexar was manufactured by Panasonic, so I’m probably not affected… however, I have my card write-locked until more information becomes available. It’s not actually a big inconvenience as my laptop has an SD slot.
If you get an SD-equipped device, avoid Sandisk cards.
Too shiny in that it looks unprofessional and colletcs fingerprints like crazy. Bushed aluminum would be better. lack of a universal connector is an unforgiveable marketing decision by Palm used to get people to buy higher end units. Their connectors have not changed that much and Palm made a big deal about how the UC would be a standard for years to come. They lied.
OK, I changed my mind:) I bought a T3 from Office Max for $350 and also get a $40 gift card which brings the price to $310.00 I can sell my T2 on e-bay and get close to that.
Some asked earlier: “When and why did they change to graffiti 2?”
It was the result of a patent infringement lawsuit with Xerox.
I think Palm is doing themselves and their customers a bit of a disservice with accessories for this device.
In stores that I have seen (CompUSA, BestBuy, OfficeMAx, OfficeDepot, Staples, Circuit City, and RadioShack), the T3 has been on sale but no T3-specific accessories have been available.
What is worse is the TT and T2 accessories are almost always marked “For T-Series Handhelds,” which is misleading, since the size of this device is different from the others, something that will undoubtedly cause some headaches for both consumers and the stores having to handle returns.
I, for one, would like to be able to walk into a store and get everything I need for my handheld in one place, rather than having to buy a case and screen protection online, wait for them to arrive, and then go to a store and buy the PDA. I guess I could just order all 3 from Palm, but I like buying from a brick-and-mortar store.
Maybe I am weird. Just my .02.
Keyboards, styli, and other add-ons made for the Tungsten line work with the T3. The only accessories that you would need to look at for fitting right would be cases. 😎
And screen protectors. The T3 screen is 5mm longer than T1 & T2. 🙂
and screen protectors 🙂
Having owned and used a Palm T3 for nearly 2 weeks…
It rocks for a start!! Having owned a Palm III, V, Vx, Sony NZ90 and now this, I still think the Vx was the best device – for shear lightness, length of time between recharges, but this is close (without even taking into account all the extra functionality). Its only drawback is battery consumption. But when you look at why it consumes battery – stuff you just didn’t have in the Vx world, it hard to really knock and easy to work around as below
Pluses:
– I love the slider: a bigger screen when you want it, a small compact device when you close it (and yes I did open and close it about 30 times in a row with no problems!)
– all the old apps work great in full screen mode (memo, notepad, contacts, calendar, tasks)
– the virtual graffiti/keyboard screen works great. You can set it up in one of 3 modes: a keyboard, the classic old Palm graffiti screen mode and a new mode called wide which has capitalized letters, uncapitalized and numbers as 3 separate columns. I’ve just left mine in keyboard mode which lets you just forget about graffiti!
– the new toolbar along the bottom works great
– the slider works great (you can even set it to power on when you open it and power off when you close!)
– SD cards are no problem. Check out Costco for 256mb cards
– one handed navigation with the buttons works well
– nice solid stylus
– blowing the 4k limit on Memo. You can slap much bigger docs into memo now (I think limit is 32K now). Very noticeable. Means it really is useful with the Palm keyboard (the ultra thin keyboard also has a universal adapter and works great with the T3. It doesn’t have any batteries while the wireless keyboard has a battery. I don’t even notice the ultra thin keyboard in a jacket pocket – so it lives there now)
– the new security app allows you to assign buttons on the device for unlocking and it masks the sequence. It also provides encryption options e.g. delete all private records if 10 consecutive failed attempts are made to unlock the device
Drawbacks:
– third party apps which don’t support the higher resolution i.e. above 320 x 320 will bring the virtual keyboard/graffiti area up e.g. Bejewelled or Avantgo. Switching back to a built in Palm app will require you to click on the bottom right hand corner of the screen to lower the virtual keyboard, when the slider is open (which is what you must do to get at the virtual keyboard/graffiti area up) . However if you were just switching between the built in palm apps and any other apps which support the full screen mode/slider open mode, none of this would be a problem: the virtual keyboard/graffiti screen will stay down
– yep if you want to listen to MP3s, with screen brightness cranked and play graphic intensive games its going to burn through battery. Solutions:
1. Battery conservation: turn screen brightness down as far as you can tolerate (shouldn’t be a problem it really is a bright screen), turn off Bluetooth (turn on when needed), set RealOne (the bundled MP3 software) to blank screen after 30 seconds, etc
2. Grab a travel charger: leave your travel charger at home or work (whichever is your secondary location) and take it with you when you travel. If you’re going to hit the MP3s heavy your going to need it. If usage is light your definitely OK for a few days at a time: I’m consistently heavy so I don’t really know how long it would last on light usage! The Palm universal adapter charger plugs right into the T3 (i recharge many a night this way)
The only bit of software I had some early hiccups with was RealOne (any heavy users of RealPlayer probably aren’t surprised!). Whn I get round to it I’ll probably look for an alternative.
Grab the security app that Palm has posted for this (http://www.palmone.com/us/support/downloads/tungstent3/security5_update.html)
Avantgo doesn’t display full screen on the T3, but given that Avantgo updated their software for the NZ90 I would expect they will do the same for the T3.
Man: they got this right. I’ve gone from Sony NZ 90 to this. If you don’t care about the camera, and you do care about quality of integration of hardware and software then the Palm is way superior. Unfair to knock Sony when they got their device out 6 months ago, but, Palm has learned and has just got this right.
John M
johnm,
Thanks for the oh so useful post. The added information left me with two new questions.
When the unit is slid down to compact size, I assume the Graffiti area is hidden down below. Is this correct?
Starting with the T3 is in 320X320 mode (slid in), then switching from a hires+ app to an old app, and then switching back to the hires+ app, and then sliding out (to 320X480 mode), does the hires+ app fill the full screen without the Graffiti area?
To answer your two new questions, hopefully :
Yes, when the unit is slid down to compact size the Graffiti area is hidden down below i.e in effect underneath the 4 app buttons and navigation button
Starting with the T3 is in 320X320 mode (slid in), then switching from a hires+ app to an old app, and then switching back to the hires+ app, and then sliding out (to 320X480 mode), does the hires+ app fill the full screen without the Graffiti area? I just tested this (started with the built in Tasks app, switched to Bejewelled, switched back to Tasks then slid out the slider: and yes it was in hi-rez mode i.e. full 320 x 480!!.
A twist on this if you repeat this but you start out with having last used the Grafitti area, just before closing the device, if you then repeat this you will end up with the grafitti area when you open up the slider at the end of this sequence.
Curious. I certainly find thegrafitti area isn’t annoying like it was on the NZ 90 i.e. the darn grafitti area was always popping up when I didn’t want it and there was no nice way to keep it down (i asked Sony support as well).
John M
as far as I know any type of user is buying a computer or a pda for ONE reason :
USE SOFTWARE !!!!
and what surprises me (once more) is that all the reviews about the new T3 seem not to care about this.
So let’s say it, MOST OF THE SOFTWARE are not taking advantage of the main feature of this new model : the big screen (480*320)!
And we all know it ‘s gonna take a big while till they do (many of them will probably never)
If I could read in a review that AGENDUS, SMARTLISTTOGO, MIND MANAGER, etc, almost ALL of the soft I use, don’t work on he T3 big screen, even if they DO work on a SONY big screen, I’d never buy this marvellous low battery model.
in addition AGENDUS for Windows does’nt work at all with the new adress database design, Launcher X gives a fatal exception, FUN SMS is crashing sometimes, and my mind also…
PLEASE, INCLUDE THE MAIN SOFTS IN YOUR REVIEWS….
As with software on any operating system, poorly written software will crash. Hacks and other poor quality Palm software can make a Palm as bad as a PC! A better question to ask might be “I want to use X software on Y device, does anyone have any experiences with this?”
Regardless software installed on my Palm T3 (which I’ve used enough to know works well or not):
Avantgo, Bejewelled, Calc, Calendar, Card Info, Contacts, Documents to Go, Expense, Hotsync, Keyboard (for ultra thin keyboard), Memos, Note Pad, PalmReader, Photos, RealOne, Shadow, Solitaire, SunCompass, Tasks, Tide Tool, World Clock
RealOne is a bit dubious (as all Real software I’ve ever touched). It works OK, but when I get time I’ll look for something else, I will: partly prejudice agaisnt the general quality of Real’s software
Lexar SD cards appear to be fine, I don’t think I’d purchase a Sandisk SD card again (some early poor experiences)
Shadow provides some T3 enhancements released by Palm to developers (AppSlipRotate v1.1 and StatusBarLib.prc). I’d suggest staying away from these till Palm officialy releases them: my Palm does does a couple odd things since installing them (artifacts being left on the screen)
RealOne is the only software which has casued a reset to be required on my Palm.
Hope this is useful
John M
Julie,
You wrote:
And I agree completely that this is the most annoying feature of this machine, adding two more steps to every use. Moreover, the mechanism tends to decay — I know from my Tungsten T. It must add weight, definitely thickness, and also cost.
The dream would be very close to the form factor of the Tungsten E, with the virtual Graffiti area. On the latter, I agree on saying “Finally!” Microsoft got it right from the earliest “Palm-Size PC” as they used to be called.
The concept of input panel is gradually making it with the Clie NX80, the Garmin, and now the T3 (in addition to the now defunct Handera). Four machines and four incompatible ways of implementing it. Four mostly undocumented ways also, to make our life as developers more difficult — and Costly. We finally made it for Fitaly on the T3 (not on the Garmin):
http://www.fitaly.com/board/palmfitaly/posts/4076.html
(Yes life is simpler on the Pocket PC side where we can target an operating system and not incompatible machines.)
Back to the T3 after this digression, a minor annoyance is that side button that is so easy to push in my pocket (yes women may carry it in a bag but men are more likely to have it in a pants pocket where the button will get accidentally pushed and drain the battery). Here the Clies with their lock button have done it right.
Jean Ichbiah
Textware Solutions
http://www.fitaly.com
I would be concerned if the slider decayed over time, but it works well on my T3 (1 month old). I actually think its a bonus: the device is small for portability (so I can carry it easily on a belt clip) but can be easily be lengthened. Plus you can set it to power on with lengthening, so that reduces turning the device on to just 1 step
There is a software setting under Prefs on the T3 (Prefs->General->Keylock), which can be set to off, automatic (when handhold is turned off) or manual (press and hold power off for 2 seconds). Personally – and I carry my T3 everywhere – I haven’t had a problem with it, so I haven’t bothered using Keylock
John M
Quick question on video playback,
how nice is it? im after a pda mainly for video playback (video is my main industry) so if I have to encode for it, thats fine (as it comes from uncompressed sources, so its not re-encoding)
can this unit handle 320x480x25/30fps playback? (Mpeg1 is fine)
I dont mind losing heaps of space for the video, so the less compression the better.
is it truly full screen playback? (so hopefully I can get a pixel for pixel 320×480) I cant find any info on playback specs, video res’s etc.
cheers
James,
I personally think that video on any Palm device so far (I’m anxious to see the Zodiac) is a horrible experience. Granted, I’ve only viewed movie trailers and short snips through Kinoma. I found them to be no where near as smooth and crisp as video on a current generation Pocket PC.
Hmmm, I haven’t tried video on it. If you want to point me to a video clip you think would be a good test, I’ll try it and report back
John M
and before you install the Palm T3 update…
1. disable AvantGo before you back up (i.e. otherwise you risk blowing the daily 2mb limit and hence AvantGo content won’t come back unitl you next sync on a subsequent day)
2. Disable security or know that you will have to reset it i.e. if you have set the device to lock every X minutes of inactivity (that is you have the T3 Palm security update installed) then this will be disabled
3. I’d backup your hotsync log if you want to keep it. It appears, but I haven’t bothered to verify this, that this update may hose your hot sync log. It appears to leave you with a blank hotsync log.
All easy to workaround. I must admit I’ve never seen a Palm OS update this big. I wonder what other fixes they’ve quietly hidden in this!
All works well with this update: apart from the above minor suprises I didn’t notice anything else. I’m not a big SD card user so I don’t really have a sense of how its changed things in this area (the primary intent of this update).
Enjoy!
John M
I am about to buy a T3 for replacing my good old day Palm IIIxe. I am very concerned about the battery life of T3. Could anyone here give me real use experience on that? (please be specific with number of hours…)
Thanks,
:confused:
Hmm.. seems interesting. I just got the T3 last nite!!
For me, the ability to close the T3 and put it in my lab coat or even
my back pocket (w/ aluminum Proporta case) is key.
The Zodiac looks a lot like the old Sega game system, doesn’t it?!
Also, seems a bit big & bulky? Anyone have some exact
dimensions and comparisons with the T3??
😡 😡
Maybe stupid question..
How exactly do I “disable AvantGo” ???
It sounds like I need to reformat my SD card? I have to move a bunch of DocToGo files to my T3 Handheld, then do the T3 Update, and then reformant? Any tips before I do this?
Thanks!
> Hello,
> a few questions.. I’m using a Tungsten T3 and
> plan on getting a 256 or possibly even a 512 card.
>
> I have used JFile in the past for keeping track of
> patients of mine, and surgical procedures log. Is it
> possible to have a database program where there is a
> drop-down field listing procedures. I click on the
> procedure, and then automatically, a numeric code for
> that particular procedure is filled in to another
> field? I know this can not be done with JFile. I’m
> thinking of trying HanDBase, but I want to know for
> sure before downloading a trial version and cluttering
> my computer and Palm with it. Also, are these database
> records easily searchable using the native FIND
> command?
>
> Also, I’d like to enter A LOT of text into my PDA.
> I’d like it to also be easily searchable. Right now,
> I’m starting with DocToGo. I’m doing a lot of
> cut/paste
> from a CD that contains a 4volume reference text. It
> would also be helpful to get some of the pictures,
> line
> drawings, graphs, etc.. I was wondering if it would be
> easier to do it all on my computer in MS Word and
> convert it into a huge eBook or an Adobe PDF? I think
> for search purposes, having it broken up into hundreds
> or even thousands of smaller topics/chapters might be
> more versatile and searchable? What do you think?
>
> Anyways, thanks in advance for any input. Your site if
> great!!! Take care and Happy Holidays.
Late to the party, but figured I’d add my comments. 😀
The T3 is my most recent PalmOS PDA in a long line going back to the Pilot 5000. And I think it’s a real winner. I’ve had mine since 9/26 (yes, prelease date) and have been extremely pleased with it performance. The only minor annoyance is the battery life, but I’m usually close to a power outlet and can charge up right away. For the rest of the time, I’ve just purchased a Power to Go Sled on ebay. I’m getting about 4 hours of uptime (based on Battery Graph) and that’s with the brightness at about 20%, beam receive on & a lot of BT activity (SMS, WebPro connected to my T610).
Right Click on the Hot/Sync icon.
Goto Custom
Find Avant Go in the list of operations, double click and disable it.
Avant Go synchronization will be skipped for one Hot/Sync operation and will then re-engage.
Tech Center Labs has a Power Adapter for Universal Connector Palms that allows you to charge your T3 with your wall adapter without the cradle… http://www.talestuff.com
Gary
I’ve had just the opposite experience. Every single of my Sony PDA’s have been rock solid, and have never crashed on me. They may’ve run slower than others with some of the background software I run, but they have never out-and-out crashed. All of the PalmOne models I’ve tried have been nothing but headaches. I started with the Tungsten series. Three of three T|Ts had dust under the screen and/or dead pixels, two of two Tungsten|Cs had problems with light coming from the bottom of the screen and keyboard issues, and all of the four different display models of the T|3 I’ve seen in four different stores all have an annoying screen whine to them.
Now, with Sony pulling out of the US PDA market it looks like my choice for an upgrade are limited. I was going to wait until this fall to see if Sony came out with a new model with Bluetooth. I use Bluetooth all the time to share data and “stuff” with coworkers, and the WiFi in the TH55 is not a practical solution for me. I also don’t care for the TH55 design. The TJ series don’t have a very user friendly jog dial/jog wheel layout (no f**king back button!), and the UX50 does not have a portrait screen mode, or use the standard T series connector (I have two additional cradles).
Right now with very few non-PalmOne Palm OS PDAs out it looks like my choice is with the Tapwave Zodiac or with, well, with the Tapwave Zodiac.
For those who are really desperate to store MP3 files on your PDA’s internal memory let me tell you there is a very handy program I found 3 days ago and has worked perfectly for my new T|X, it’s called Card Export (can be found at http://www.softick.com). Once you install the file, you can immediately store whatever file you want on your expansion card and the manually pass it to the internal memory with a file manager (most of us have one). The tricky part is that you don’t have to hot sync, you just plug your PDA into the USB terminal and your PC will emule it as a USB flash memory. Once you copy the files you need (MP3 for instance) you just move the files from your expansion card to the internal memory, as simple as that. This way you don’t even have to carry a USB flash memory with you, since your palm will work the same way. Just give it a try, you won’t regret it!