PalmOne m505 Color Handheld

Turning it on for the first time, we wondered if we had received the monochrome version Palm m500 handheld--the screen was dark and barely visible in our moderately lit office. We fumbled around for the contrast preference, but couldn't find it. In fact, the Palm m505 has no way to adjust contrast other than to turn on the backlight. Only with the backlight activated could we actually discern the icon and screen colors, and even then the LCD screen seemed muted.

On side-by-side tests with the Handspring Visor Prism, its main color competition, the Palm m505 was lacking in brightness and crispness--despite both handhelds' having 16-bit display support that can show up to 65,000 colors.

The reason for this seems to be that Palm has sacrificed brilliance for energy efficiency. The Palm m505's rechargeable battery does, indeed, keep its charge with "normal" usage (estimated by Palm at 40 minutes per day) for about three weeks. However, with the mandatory use of the m505's backlight, we found the battery needed more frequent charging. Luckily, charge time in the included HotSync cradle/recharger is quite short.

The basic Palm applications in OS version 4.0--Address, Date Book, Memo Pad, and To Do List--remain largely unchanged, with a few tweaks here and there. For instance, the Date Book application now includes a screen view with a list of the appointments and to-do items for a particular date. And like the m100 series, the Note Pad has been added for doodling and scribbling handwritten notes (instead of writing longer tomes in the Memo Pad using the Palm's Graffiti alphabet).

Palm has collected a number of bonus software titles that you can easily add to the m505 without denting much of the 8 MB of memory, including AvantGo, which downloads Web news and content from a variety of sources (enabling us to keep up with Aussie Rules Football scores). The biggest test for the color screen came with PhotoSuite, an image viewing app that displays a range of image-file formats downloaded from your PC. We found the color depth to be quite good, but the screen's lack of brightness made the images look rather muddy.

Additionally, several connectivity applications from Palm's Mobile Internet Kit are provided, including the Web Clipping app for viewing Web content built specifically for Palm viewing and MultiMail SE for accessing e-mail. And, of course, there's the highly touted expansion slot for SecureDigital cards and MultiMediaCards, allowing you to add memory, content, and functionality. Unfortunately, at the time of this review, we were unable to test any of the cards offered by Palm.

With its curved angles, thin design, and light weight, the Palm m505 closely resembles its predecessor, the Palm V series handheld. And like that model, the m505 feels very comfortable both in the palm of your hand and resting in your pocket. Also, with the Palm m505's new 33 MHz Dragonball VZ processor, switching applications seemed much more immediate.

The siren song of the new m500 series is indeed seductive, and Palm has done well to streamline its basic repertoire and add some tasty new notes to the mix. However, the Palm m505 is ultimately a disappointment due to its underwhelming color display. If you're having trouble getting this song out of your head, the Palm m500 handheld (with all the functions of the Palm m505 but with a monochrome screen) should keep your toes tapping just fine. --Agen G.N. Schmitz

Pros:

• Faster processor
• Classic Palm styling--contoured design is comfortable to hold
• Good range of additional software, from Internet connectivity to e-book reader
• New expansion slot takes industry standard SecureDigital cards and MultiMediaCards

Cons:

• Color screen is rather dim and ultimately disappointing
• Backlighting must be turned on to see the color screen, wearing down the rechargeable battery
• Expandability via SecureDigital and MMC cards limited by current offerings

The expansion card slot is a dual-purpose slot that can hold two types of cards: Secure Digital and MultiMediaCard (MMC). Both types of cards are small, inexpensive, and easy to plug in. Much like computer diskettes, they hold information for upload or download onto a handheld. With them, you can instantly add software programs, e-books, large databases, graphics, or even video files to your handheld without sacrificing memory space.

The advanced LCD display delivers more than 65,000 colors for your viewing pleasure--perfect for games, photos, spreadsheets, and even video clips. Sleek and lightweight, the Palm m505 handheld has a shiny aluminum casing and is curved to fit in your hand.

The new native USB HotSync cradle allows you to quickly back up and exchange information between your handheld and your PC or Mac. The Palm m505 handheld also features new vibrating and blinking LED alarms (in addition to the standard audible alarm) to help you stay on top of your busy schedule. The Palm m505 handheld comes equipped with a rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery, which is charged using the HotSync cradle.

The Palm m505 handheld comes with Palm OS 4.0, which provides enhanced security and improved Internet connectivity. Other application features include Note Pad for writing sticky notes, Palm Mobile Connectivity for connecting to the Internet and obtaining e-mail via compatible cellular phones, and AOL for the Palm OS.

The Palm m505 handheld is PC and Macintosh compatible and requires a USB port. It comes with Palm desktop software for both PC and Macintosh. It has a one-year warranty.

What's in the box

• Palm m505
• Stylus
• USB HotSync cradle
• Rechargeable lithium ion battery
• Palm Desktop software for Windows and Mac
• Palm Mobile Connectivity software
• Getting Started guide
• Handbook

I used to have a Windows CE device, the Nokia 9110 palmtop/mobile phone and still have a Palm IIIc. I read a lot of bad things about the M505 color display. After using it very often in the last couple of weeks (car travel, planes, office, etc.) I can't believe that people say the display is a problem. This is far better then my PIIIc. For sure the contrast on the display are less impressive (you getting used to it) but it works in all light conditions. I only use the backlight in about 10% of the time. Sometimes you have to swivel the Palm screen towards a light source to read the display correctly without the backlight (it saves battery).. Outside, this display is incredible clear, with my PIIIc I always had to increase the intensity of the screen to see something.
It is also much faster then the PIIIc, this M505 is really fast. The software included with it is really cool, easy to use Excel and Word document reader. Ebook, Photosuite software to name a few.

Because of the negative commands on this site on the M505 I almost bought a M500. Lucky I didn't do because I heard now that the M500 is slower (It has the same processor but the screen updates slower).

Compared to the PIIIc, I would say the M505 is:

- Smaller with less weight. (it fits in my wallet).
- Faster.
- More software.
- Integrated SD slot is really useful, I never thought it would be (8Mbyte RAM with a few family pictures is could becoming a problem).
- Better display ( better in both very dark and bright light situations). Even in this small size, the battery get me running for longer then 10 hours, thanks to Color LCD technology Palm is using (simular to the PIIIc).
- Now I can write on my palm in complete darkness also because now my Silkscreen lights up.
- This unit is ready for the bluetooth wireless technology, which will be available from Palm at the end of the year.
- Faster USB hotsync transfer. (only important for Aventgo website syncing I found).


M505 Outstanding handheld for a professional Mom   November 18, 2001
20 out of 21 found this review helpful

I recently bought a Palm M505 after my first Palm (b&w) was stolen. I have to say, I love it. It's lightweight, easy to read, powerful, has tons of storage, and with the latest operating system, really, really user-friendly.

I love the notepad feature -- it's great for lists or taking a quick note (by handwriting instead of typing or using graffiti).

In combination with Microsoft Outlook on my home computer, I am set up with reminder alarms, back-up data, and great organization.

I read some negative reviews before I bought this product, and I really don't understand where they came from. I find the screen very easy to view, use the backlight feature about 25% of the time, and the buttons are well-designed for the user. I know however that not all handhelds are right for everyone.


One Awesome Piece of Technology   May 23, 2001
Mark Nelson (Lindon, UT USA)
13 out of 13 found this review helpful

I love this Palm. Its sleek, fast, beautiful, feels solid and is simple to use.

This is my third PDA and my second Palm. I had a Palm Pilot Professional then switched to a Compaq Aero Windows CE Palm PC with a beautiful color screen. But the batteries only lasted between 2 and 3 hours on a charge. Setup, synchronization and installing software was much more complicated than with the Palm. And it was bulky. So I decided to switch back to Palm and got the m505.

After a week of use, I'm extremely happy with my Palm. I think the screen is fantastic. I can use my Palm under any lighting conditions, which is a real plus. Of course you should be able to use a PDA anywhere, but that's not always the case. It is with my m505. I downloaded "glowhack" so that the backlight is on by default (an option the Palm folks should provide--and make the default for shipped units), and I only turn it off if I'm outside in bright light.

The batteries seem to last forever compared with my Compaq. My kids will play games on it for hours on end (with the backlight on), and it'll still have half a charge left. And then it charges up very quickly.

The main functions of the Palm, the calendar, address book, to-do list and memo-pad are very simple and quick to use even if you need to do something a little odd like add an appointment for every third Tuesday of the month. That's another reason I came back to Palm.

The extra software included is very useful and cool. You can put Microsoft Office documents, video clips and pictures very easily on your Palm. You can even run a slide-show showing off your pictures. I didn't use to carry pictures of my kids, but now I do.

The only downside is the stylus is a little too hard to get out of its slot. I'm told that it'll "loosen up" over time, so I hope it does. But it seems like a manufacturing flaw to me. I expect later units will be better in this regard.

Overall, I love this Palm. With its combination of size, speed, style, great battery life with quick charge, use-anywhere screen and Palm simplicity, the m505 is a real winner.


Good Choice For Business   July 4, 2001
15 out of 16 found this review helpful

After trying several early Windows CE HPCs as organizers, I tried a Palm Vx. Everything about the machine satisfied me, particularly the rapid access to my most important information and the tiny form factor. The only complaint I had --- the lack of a keyboard for touch typing --- was neatly addressed with the addition of the Palm Portable keyboard. I replaced the built-in ToDo list with LifeBalance, and WordSmith software rounded the unit out with excellent MS Word compatible word processing. This was an excellent system; ironically, even for word processing it easily beat out an HPC with Pocket Word.

The m505 took a device which had won me over at all levels and added an SD/MMC expansion slot, a faster processor, USB synchronization and a color display.

A single 32Meg SanDisk MMC card, which I chose because it was cheaper than its SD counterpart, not only holds the dozen or so eBooks I've purchased, but also serves as a complete memory backup with BackupBuddyVFS. Each night while I sleep BackupBuddyVFS activates and backs the entire device up to the MMC card.

The faster processor and the color display were bonuses to me. Despite the attention given to the display, the expansion capability and the USB HotSync (which *flies* with Windows 2000) are the features that compelled me to upgrade. I've seen complaints that the display wasn't as bright as this-or-that handheld, but frankly I don't see the problem. The display has better contrast than the Vx it replaced and is far easier on the eyes when backlit at night (and the Grafitti area lights up as well!). Though the backlight is required at times the Vx didn't need it, the display remains readable in any lighting conditions. A color display that doesn't jeopardize the battery life, and costs only $50 more than the monochrome m500... what's not to love?

If bright, saturated colors are the main reason you're buying a handheld, then perhaps Sony's PEG-710C is worth looking at. I haven't seen one of these myself, but I've heard it has a very nice display, with 320x320 resolution as compared to the m505's 160x160. While a bit thicker than the m505, it offers many of the same features and runs Palm software. It also adds MP3 playback capability.

Why not choose a Pocket PC? Shorter battery life, awkward user interface, less stable operating system that needs frequent resets, won't run the huge variety of Palm software available, bigger and heavier... suffice to say I have my reasons. Pocket PCs do offer better multimedia, but how many people really find watching a Star Wars video clip useful in daily business? These units have their uses, they just don't happen to suit my needs.

The Vx was an excellent PDA. Incredibly, the m505 is even better.


Leader of the Pack!!!!!   June 3, 2001
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

I have recently been looking for the perfect PDA. I've tried the Visor Platinum, Visor Edge, Jornada 548, and the Sony Clie PEG-300. This unit seems to me to be faster than them all. I noticed a small lag when switching applications with the other units, but don't notice any using the m505.

The screen is excellent in my opinion. I can easily read it in any lighting conditions with judicious use of the backlight. The other units had useless backlights or were impossible to view in daylight. Another huge bonus with this unit is that the backlight illuminates the Graffiti area. I don't recall any of the other Palm OS units that I tried have this feature.

The new notepad application that the unit comes with is a value added application. Adding the capability to draw and add notes anywhere on the screen is extremely convenient.

And finally the unit comes with software in the box to work with Excel and Word documents, I would have had to purchase this software additionally with the other Palm OS units.

I'm extremely picky about the equipment I buy, and in my humble opinion this is the best unit that you can buy!