PalmOne Tungsten C Handheld

Compact and powerful

Palm provides a whole slew of applications including Documents To Go, for working with Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents. This is in ROM along with email software VersaMail and software to set up the wireless networking features and run VPN (Virtual Private Networking) sessions. Connecting to an existing 802.11b network is easy as pie -- and a separate manual walks you though the process if required. Once connected, you can use another ROM-based application, Web, to browse the Web using your wireless modem.

Though designed with professional users in mind Palm has not lost sight of the fact that the Tungsten C will appeal to a wider audience. They provide the Kinoma player for watching movies and Photos for looking at digital images. A key notable absence is any kind of MP3 player.

Palm's addition to the range of PDAs with built in 802.11b is a very impressive one. It has the processing power to cope with wireless activity and the memory to deal with the data you'll download and share while using wireless.--Sandra Vogel

Amazon.com Product Description
Early Adopters Pick: April 2003. Palm's most powerful handheld yet with built-in Wi-Fi, a new, crisper color display, a 400 MHz processor, 64 MB of RAM, and the new Palm OS 5.2.1.

Palm's most powerful and robust handheld yet, the Palm Tungsten C is designed for ultimate performance. Running on an untra-fast 400 MHz processor, the latest Palm OS, and plenty of memory (64 MB), it handles your complex business files with ease.

The Tungsten C handheld's built-in Wi-Fi (802.11b) technology lets you access your business and personal networks, send e-mail and attachments, and browse the Internet with blazing efficiency. You're connected anywhere you have Wi-Fi access--at your office, at home, in airports, hotels, cafes, and more--with the number of access points and Hotspots continually growing.

Display
The Palm Tungsten C features a new easy-to-read, high resolution, 320x320 transflective color screen. Web pages, presentations, e-mails, and more are displayed with vibrant, ultra-sharp clarity.

Expansion
The Tungsten C uses Multimedia Card and Secure Digital expansion cards, which instantly add software applications, additional memory, large databases, and more without taking up built-in memory space.

Operating System
The Tungsten is powered by Palm OS 5.2.1, which provides higher performance, enhanced multimedia features, support for Bluetooth connectivity and networking, and enterprise-class security.

Extra Software
Along with the standard Palm software, you'll receive a Software Essentials CD-ROM containing Acrobat Reader, Copytalk, Infiinity Softworks powerOne personal conlculator, WorldMate, Voice Memo, Printboy printing software by Bachmann, Calligo Calendar, Solitaire by Handmark, Kinoma Player & Producer, Palm Reader, and more.

Compatibility
The Palm Tungsten C is compatible with PCs running Windows 98, NT 4.0, 2000, Me, and XP, and with Macs running Mac OS X 10.1.2 or later.

What's in the box

• Tungsten C Handheld
• Stylus
• Flip Cover
• USB HotSync Cradle
• Power Supply
• Desktop Installation CD with PDF-file Users Manuals
• Software Essentials CD
• Read This First
• Wi-Fi Getting Started Guide
• Palm Accessories Catalog

Screen: incredible, very bright, robust colors - rivals the Clie NX70V, maybe even a bit brighter

WiFi: immediately connected to my home Airport network - range is about 70-80ft - I have been able to connect effortlessly to T-mobile hotspots in several Starbucks

Speed: nothing like it on any PDA - the C truly flies - the browser speed is next to incredible - much faster than browsing on a PocketPC

Keyboard: I have never liked thumbpads, but the one on the C has the keys spaced so they can be accessed via thumb typing - I rarely need to use the new Graffiti 2

Memory: you will not run out!

Battery: very good, I'm getting 10-15 hours

The mono sound issue doesn't bother me at all - I have an iPod for mp3 listening - the C is fine for Audible content - the mono/stereo doesn't make much difference with the spoken word

It would have been nice to have built-in Bluetooth - the only limitation I have found so far.

I would also would have liked to have a travel charger included - it's a pain to have to carry the cradle around.


Highly recommended   April 28, 2003
James F. Strasma (Chicago, IL)
36 out of 37 found this review helpful

I've expected for a year that I would soon purchase a new wireless Palm or Pocket PC handheld, and use it to access the Web. However, as each such device has appeared, I've been disappointed, usually in both the speed of Web access and the very limited number of usable sites. There is also the problem of ongoing cost - within a year, using a wireless handheld for Web access would cost more than buying it.

After recently setting up a Wi-Fi access point in my home, I realized a new Palm Tungsten C might be the solution for me. Five minutes of testing at a local dealer confirmed that access is as fast as my SDSL link, rather than feeling like a 56K modem like the Treo 270, Palm W and Pocket PC cellular-based handhelds I'd tested before. I was also easily able to visit my favorite ordinary Web sites, rather than being limited to the few sites compatible with WAP.

I had no trouble setting the Palm C up for secure access to my home access point, and love the new keyboard even though I'm a quick writer with graffiti.

The screen is much brighter than on the Palm m505 I've used up to now, and Palm claims the battery will last through a full 8 hour day of continuous use.

It's a bit thicker than the m505, and a bit taller, but not enough to bother me. The cover is just like the one on the m505, and works well. The stylus is sturdy metal, and the Pilot pen/stylus from the m505 fits the C, as do all the accessories I have for the m505.

The high speed (400MHz) CPU and large (64MB) memory are real pluses, as is the compatibility with all the Palm software I've purchased over the past decade.

If you must have access anywhere, that is not yet possible with Wi-Fi. But for me, access at home, office, and some nearby commercial hotspot is good enough.


Great Handheld With WiFi!   July 20, 2004
dshaug1 (New York)
25 out of 25 found this review helpful

This is my fifth handheld. My first two were palm, my third was a Sony, and for my fourth I went back to palm. All four had 8MB of RAM and a 33 MHz processor. When I first turned on the Tungsten C I was amazed at how fast it was. When I clicked on an application it would instantly open, without that 1 or 2 second delay seen on older handhelds. This handheld includes 51 MB of memory, which is very nice for storing applications, movies (using the included Kinoma player), music, pictures and just about anything else. The display is one of the best I've seen, and the high-resolution is really nice. I like the Tungsten T3 expandable display, and was considering getting it, but I realized WiFi was too important. The WiFi is one of the best features of this handheld. I opened the WiFi setup application, it instantly detected my home network, I entered my WEP key and it was connected. Browsing the web on the Tungsten C is not anything like on a desktop or laptop. There is A LOT of scrolling involved, and many web pages take a long time to load, even with cable internet. There are also a lot of bugs in the web browser, and I've had to do many soft resets. I've downloaded AvantGo, which can be used as a web browser, and I never have to reset. The e-mail application, VersaMail, works very well. I just entered my POP3 mail account, and it worked. The keyboard is also a great feature. It is much better than Graffiti, and I'll never go back to a handheld without a keyboard. Palm includes Graffiti2, but I don't even bother using it because the keyboard is so convenient. One thing I've been hearing other reviewers complaining about is the mono headset jack. It would be nice to have stereo, but it's not that important to me. If I want to listen to music, I'll use my iPod. It works just fine for audiobooks, though. The headphones (sold separately from palm) look like ones for cell phones, however, they do not work with cell phones. Overall, this is a truly great handheld. It has a few minor problems, but so does any other electronic device. I've compiled a list of pros and cons:

Pros:

-400 Mhz Processor
-51MB RAM
-Built-in WiFi
-Thumb Keyboard
-Excellent Display
-Comes With Good Array Of Applications

Cons:

-Web Browser Has Too Many Bugs
-Mono Headphone Jack
-No Included Headset


Leave the Laptop at Home   October 31, 2003
Joe Bruce (Somewhere)
37 out of 40 found this review helpful

I run my own business and travel about 120,000 actual air miles per year (mainly short to medium haul flights). On a recent trip to Australia I took both my IBM T40 laptop and Tungsten C. Because I fly American Airlines & QANTAS I was able to access the club lounge WiFi networks in Chicago, LA, Sydney, and Perth. In each case the Palm C connected quicker than my T40 and I was able to check e-mail and surf the web. I have had no problems with my screen and invested $30 in a decent padded cover. Functionality is brilliant and my ACT! database (3000+ contacts) keeps in sync with my T40 no problems at all. I occasionally get dropped WiFi connections but believe these are network rather than device issues because my Palm C and T40 both lose connections at the same time. I previously used a printed Franklin planner but this is now collecting dust on my bookshelf. I owned a Palm III previously but tossed it when the screen broke. This time around I take a bit more care but the padded cover seems to handle the rough and tumble. I'm still searching for the best apps to work with for certain tasks but find that the C has a ton of memory so I can try different apps side by side for a while before uninstalling those I don't want anymore. The color screen is brilliant and makes reading very easy. It would be nice if more web sites were optimised for this format because in some cases lots of scrolling is required, however, I imagine that over time this will improve. Overall a very nice little unit - and believe me I have been a sceptic on this technology.


Fixes not mentioned in early reviews   July 1, 2003
dcJohn (Bethesda, MD United States)
23 out of 24 found this review helpful

There are aleady several great, in-depth reviews of this palm, but some of the problems mentioned in early reviews have been corrected.

Palm has released a patch for the Tunsten C that fixes two problems that were often mentioned: screen clicks still occuring when system sounds were turned off, and mac addresses being improperly assigned. You can download the patch from Palm's web site, and it's simple to install.

The criticism that the headphone jack is mono has been handled in some prior reviews, but just to re-iterate, palm is open about this and has explained that that the jack they used will allow for cell phone mic/headphone combinations and the ability to use voice over ip apps when they are released. Personally, I don't care... I don't like to use my palm as an mp3 player.
Unfortunately, there is still no definitive news on if and when this palm will be able to use a bluetooth card.

My own opinion is that criticism of the WiFi range on the palm is unfounded. It has slightly less range than I get with the wifi PCI card in my laptop, but it's very close. A shareware version of net stumbler-like software is available for the Tungsten C, and I'm amazed at just how many networks my palm can "see" and just from the road. On my daily commute from MD suburbs to Washington DC, I pass over 60 networks that the palm can see from my car. Really, I don't think anyone should have a problem in their own home and with a decent wireless router.