Palm LifeDrive Mobile Manager | 
 enlarge
| Brand: Palm
Category: CE
List Price: $399.99
Buy New: $229.00
You Save: $170.99 (43%)
New (3) Used (7) Refurbished (2) from $145.98
Rating:  186 reviews
Sales Rank: 7124
Platform: No Operating System
Media: Electronics
Batteries Included: No
Operating System: Palm OS
CPU Speed: 416
System Memory: 4000
Memory Type: SDRAM
Native Resolution: 320x480
Modem: None
Display Size: 3.8
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 0 x 0 x 0
MPN: 1044NA
Model: 1044NA
UPC: 805931013767
EAN: 0805931013767
ASIN: B0009JMT38
Release Date: May 2, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| Features:
| • | Built-in WiFi and Bluetooth wireless support so you can easily carry all the essentials of your busy life | | • | 320 x 480 high-resolution, color display with choice of portrait and landscape viewing | | • | Support for POP, IMAP, and Exchange e-mail accounts helps you stay on top of your e-mail at WiFi hotspots around the world | | • | Plenty of room for storage with a 4GB hard drive | | • | Also includes a voice recorder, MP3 player, and photo viewer |
|
| Accessories:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
PalmOne introduces the all-new LifeDrive mobile manager. With a 3.85 gig user accessible hard drive and built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, you can easily carry all the essentials of your busy life and use them as you will. Files and folders from your desktop computer, 300 songs, 2.5 hours of video, vacation photos, and more are right there with you. Quickly drag and drop files from your PC onto your LifeDrive mobile manager. Folder structure remains intact so you can easily locate important information when you need it. Select the files you want to keep in sync, and automatically update them whenever you sync with your computer. Use your device like you would any USB removable drive to easily upload files to any PC or Macintosh. Built-in Wi-Fi 802.11b and Bluetooth v1.1 Access your POP, IMAP and Exchange email accounts via Bluetooth Use Bluetooth to connect to compatible devices nearby-sync with your Bluetooth laptop, wirelessly send a document to a Bluetooth printer or dial a Bluetooth phone. Retrieve documents from your desktop computer with the WiFile software. Use the included web browser, optimized for the mobile surfing experience. Service provider and an ISP, sold separately. Some Wi-Fi hotspots require fee for usage. Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 or VPN may be required. Within wireless service coverage area and requires a connection to the same network that the networked computers are on Support for Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Acrobat More room for MP3 files, photos and video clips Built-in voice recorder Camera companion and camera companion software Expansion possibilities with built-in expansion card slot which supports SD, SDIO and Multimedia Card formats. Optional GPS Road Navigator transforms your LifeDrive device into an in-car navigation tool. Portable wireless keyboard unfolds to full size for work on the go, which is bought separately. Included Addit
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 45 more reviews...
 Great device-- Very pleased! February 26, 2006
Kevin Stinson (San Jose, CA)
38 out of 40 found this review helpful
I've had my Lifedrive for about 3 mos. now and have been very pleased with it. There seems to be quite a few negative reviews about the Lifedrive so I was a little wary at first. Many of the complaints seemed to stem from running older Palm software that didn't operate on the new Palm OS or from people who weren't used to using Palm PDA's. Although Palms are very easy and intuitive to use I think the Lifedrive is a little more complex due to the integrated hard drive, which at first doesn't seem integrated at all.
I didn't reuse any of my older Palm OS software which must have spared me from some of the re-starts and lock-ups some people experienced. Once my unit was charged I started with a new user name (so a new synch profile is created) and then immediately installed the 2.0 software update. I've only had 2 restarts on the device since I started using it, but I use it quite a lot. One restart was apparently due to a poor wireless connection and another I think was caused by Versamail while downloading an e-mail with an attachment. Other than that the device has been very stable and the restarts haven't been repeated.
At first I wasn't very pleased with the new Graffiti II but now that I'm used to it I'll concede that maybe it is an improvement over the older version. Handwriting recognition on Palms has always seemed far superior than on Pocket PC's to me and the Lifedrive's no exception.
Some reviewers have mentioned a "lag" problem when starting a new program. I was a little worried about this before I purchased the Lifedrive after reading it in several reviews. However, I tested a couple of Lifedrives first at electronic stores and didn't really notice any lagging or hesitating. It might have been 3rd party software issues as I haven't noticed this problem-- and I'm very impatient.
www.palmfocus.com has a list of Palm software rated for compatability with the Lifedrive. Before installing older Palm OS software it would be a good idea to check this list rather than struggle with your device. (Any software written for the new OS isn't an issue as far as I know.)
Pros:
+Wireless works well and connects easily.
+Being able to store, view and edit MS Word and Excel in their native format is a plus. (no conversion step as on Pocket PC)
+Store tons of videos, music and photos and take it with you everywhere.
+Synchrone entire folders from your desktop computer (Only folders on the root drive of your device can be synchronized so nested folders won't be synchronized unless you spread them out in the root directory of the drive. This will change the folder heirarchy on your device but not your desktop if you want to keep all the folders synchronized)
+The USB synchronization and connection has been flawless. (This hasn't been my experience with Pocket PC's)
+Very powerful yet elegant PDA!
Cons:
-Battery consumption high when using wireless. Don't leave on any longer than you have to.
-It's a little big and bulky to hang on to compared to older Palm PDA's. (Wish it had a place for a lanyard)
-Working with other applications while listing to music causes interuptions in the music playback.
-Versamail synch setup didn't go very easily for me. Make sure your default e-mail profile on your desktop is Outlook before you even get started with mail sync setup.
I've installed Dataviz Smartlist which is an excellent and fairly sophisticated database application which can sync with Microsoft Access. It works very well on the Lifedrive.
Also installed Mapopolis and it also works well. You must install maps to RAM or on a SD card and not the hard drive.
I'm convinced July 20, 2006
Barbara Vaughan (Corinaldo, (AN) Italy)
38 out of 41 found this review helpful
I've been intrigued by handheld computers for years, but was never convinced that they could be truly useful. Last year, I was thinking of buying an MP3 player, especially for use on long trips. Then I saw some dual-function players that also served as photo viewers, and thought maybe I'd get more use out of something like that. Still, I didn't buy anything, as it seemed as though none of these devices really lived up to its potential.
Then I saw the Life Drive last spring and decided to get one. I have to say that I've got more pleasure out of this device than from any other electronic purchase I've ever made. I can use it to listen to music or to show off photos, but I also have found many other uses for it that I hadn't even imagined. I carry it with me everywhere and use it multiple times a day.
I now use the Life Drive as my only reminder system, keeping it synchronized with Outlook on my desktop. If I'm walking down the street and remember something I have to do, I pull out my Life Drive and enter it in my Task list. The next time I synchronize (recharging the device at the same time), the task gets added to my Outlook tasks. If someone gives me their email address, no more writing it on a paper napkin! I enter it in my Life Drive contacts, and the next time I send an email, it's already in my Outlook address book.
The Life Drive has a 4 gig hard drive, which is a lot of storage. I never used an older handheld, so I can't compare it to what older models had. However, it holds a lot of stuff! I have the Oxford Compact English dictionary on it, a very complete Italian-English dictionary, the Britannica concise encyclopedia, the CIA World fact book, the entire Bible, and my entire recipe collection. (Have you ever been in a supermarket and can't remember what you need to buy to make tiramisu?) There's still plenty of space left! If 4 gigs isn't enough, you can put more stuff on an SD storage card. These come in sizes up to 2 gigs.
The Life Drive comes with a version of Office software, so you can put Microsoft Word files on it, as well as Excel and Access files, and modify them on the road. There is also a version of Acrobat Reader,which has a desktop companion that will convert normal Acrobat files to a format more suited to the small screen.
I didn't think I would like using a stylus for input and was planning to buy a keyboard. However, the Graffiti 2 hand-writing recognition system is very intuitive and quick. I just started writing without reading the instructions for forming the letters, and the only one I had trouble with was the letter "x". I found out on my own that Graffiti 2 will recognize many more ways of writing a letter than they officially claim.
I bought a text-completion program (by Teal) so that it suggests words before I finish writing them. The one problem with this is that I use both English and Italian; the program recognizes both, but I have to manually switch vocabularies before beginning to write, which is a drag. I wish it could figure out which language I'm using and switch automatically, as Microsoft Word does with its spell checker. Teal also makes a useful program (Teal Glance) that displays a daily to-do list with a clock when you turn on the Life Drive. However, some programs override the Teal Glance screen if they were the last program you used before turning it off. (Usually the Life Drive picks up right where you left off when you turn it on.)
For Music, the Life Drive has two programs: Pocket Tunes and Rhapsody. Rhapsody is great for organizing music on your desktop and digitalizing your CD collection, but it has some kinks in it. It also transfers music to your Life Drive, but I find it quicker to just drag and drop the music directly onto an SD card (using a USB card reader). Pocket Tunes organizes and plays the music once it's on the Life Drive. I've noticed that if I'm listening to music and want to use the Life Drive for something else simultaneously, there is a pause or click in the music whenever I touch the menu with my stylus. I had read that this could be avoided by keeping the music on SD cards, but I still hear the click. I also read that installing and updated operating system from the Palm web site would address this problem, but it hasn't. However, that's a minor complaint, because usually when I'm listening to music, I don't multitask.
The Life Drive has both Blue Tooth and Wifi incorporated. I haven't really used either. There is an email package, Versamail, that looks pretty straightforward, and also a web browser called Blazer.
I've also installed a few games to amuse me in the dentist's office and while waiting for trains. There is an enormous amount of stuff available on the web.
I've heard rumours that Palm will be abandoning the Life Drive, or replacing it with something else. I really hope not. One of the things I've heard is that the Treo cell phone will replace the Life Drive. I have no desire for a big cell phone that does everything, and the Treo doesn't have the hard drive. Plus it costs a lot more. The functions that the Life Drive already has are plenty for me. I had been planning to buy a new laptop, mainly for travelling, but I don't think I will need one. If I can find a wifi hot spot, I can check my email with the Life Drive, and also look up train schedules and the like on the web.
There are other features that I haven't used much yet, such as the voice memo. This allows you to dictate a reminder into the Life Drive if you don't have time to jot it down with the stylus. You can later attach an alarm to the memo. I don't know if these can be synchronized with Outlook. You can also use this to record a lecture.
I find that the battery lasts for several days without recharging, more than my cell phone for sure. There is a dual cord that will charge and synchronize at the same time. The only complaint I have is that this cord seems to have a weak attachment. When I press the synch button, sometimes the connection with my computer gets broken and I have to straighten the cord out, press the button carefully and lay the device down carefully. Probably I should get the cradle with built-in cord to avoid this, but it would be nice if the cord that came with the device worked better. Some people complain about the case (or sleeve might be a better word) that comes with the device, but I think it's sufficient and haven't thought of getting a real case.
I can only say that if you're thinking of getting the Life Drive, go for it!
This is a great PDA February 13, 2006
G. Flores (Lake Tahoe - Nevada)
16 out of 16 found this review helpful
I have had the pleasure to own this PDA for about two weeks. I purchased it used and must say I am very impressed. I have been involved in the technology business for about 8 years. I service and repair computer systems and have had to repair many Windows system's. I have heard all the good and bad reviews and understand peoples frustrations with tech products. Now I do not own any of the windows PDA's so I can only review my experience with this Life Drive PDA. I like the storage capacity of this unit, and it's expansion capabilities. I have added 100 photo's, 100 songs, and 2 movies using TCPMP and find the experience to be quite good, especially the sound quality with a good pair of headphones. So I have a multimedia device that works very well in this capacity, and with the ability to switch views from vertical to horizontal, this is very cool, and would not buy any device without this function. I also have a internet device that I can surf the internet and check Email's. Being a tech guy, I just love this ability, though I probably would use my laptop for a truly pleasurable experience. Having said this, I am so glad that Palm put this in the Life drive. I decided to try using just the Palm Lifedrive on a business trip. It worked just fine for my needs. The real reason I purchased the life drive was to get more organized. Well I must say this has a life saver, Such the name Life drive. I have never owned a PDA before and since I needed to take notes on the business trip, I decided to use just this PDA. I could have used the built in voice recorder, which I feel will be a great benefit, but the speaker asked me not to, so I took notes in the notepad. I had purchase the universal wireless keyboard and when I returned to my room, took my handwritten notes and transcibed them to word. When I returned home and networked with my home computers and instantly had backed up all of my work. Since then I have found many more use for this PDA and I am sure have just begun to scratch the surface what this little wonder will do. I hope you don't let those bad reviews, keep you from going out and test the Palm Life drive at a store near you. I must say I will be walking with this device just about every where important I go. I hope this review helps you make the right choice. Like I said earlier, I have only tested Palm PDA's.
Nice first take June 22, 2005
Michael Margerum (USA)
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
I've had the LifeDrive for a few weeks now and I absoulutely love it. The complaints about load delays are way overblown. It's not as snappy as the t5 but we are talking seconds here to swap between apps and as they get cached, there is no delay.
Pros
Beautiful screen. Not quite as bright as the 650 but much
brighter than the t3. The color is better too.
Built in Wifi is easy to configure and along with the browser is very fast.
PocketTunes works really well as an mp3 player. Much better than the Real one from the t3
Versamail is a good email app. I do wish it would load office docs into docs to go though instead of using its viewer.
Drive mode makes it easy to walk up to any pc and transfer files at USB2 speeds.
Hardware button to toggle between landscape and portrait modes.
Battery life seems good. It's not as good as a dedicated media player but this unit does a heck of a lot more.
I like the power slider where you can lock the unit to "Off". i cant tell you how many times i've taken my t3 out of the bag and it was on.
Cons
The mp3 player skips in the background when loading off the hard drive. I hope that PalmOne can fix this with a patch.
The video player should play a wider variety of formats and palm should provide software to convert a DVD to mpeg at the lifedrive screen size.
I wish pocketTunes would play unproteted AAC files. It's a nice codec and much leaner than mp3.
for ~500 they shoulkd have just put 64mb of NVRAM in the unit instead of reserving a portion of the hd for storage. Would have made the battery last a lot longer.
There are a few minor warts but overall i'd say it's a terrific first attempt. Five stars for breaking new ground with a convergent device and getting it mostly right.
Very Useful September 5, 2005
Mr Witt (WA State)
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
I was afraid that this was a gadget that wouldn't live up to expectations but it truly shines. I finally have all of my contacts, documents, and databases (thanks to Filemaker) in my pocket. Even family photos and an episode of Seinfeld are there when I need them. The WiFi connects flawlessly to the internet at work, home, or at the many free hotspots popping up around the country. Bluetooth synching works great with my Powerbook. The display is beautiful and you have a choice of hand writing recognition or typing on a keyboard on the screen in qwerty style or alphabetical. If you're interested in this type of device than the LifeDrive is the way to go!
|
|
|
