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Photograph: Rick Rizner
Palm Zire 72
| Ease of use | Very Good |
| Features | Very Good |
| Input method | Stylus |
| Resolution | 320 by 320 pixels |
| Weight | 4.8 ounces |
| Battery type | Fixed lithium polymer |
| Internal memory | 32MB RAM |
| Expansion slots | SD/SDIO/MMC card slot |
| Wireless communications | Bluetooth |
| Processor | 312-MHz ARM processor |
| Dimensions (length by width by depth), weight | 4.6 by 2.9 by 0.7 inches 4.8 ounces |
| Audio | Built-in speaker and microphone, headphone port |
| Camera | Yes |
| Bundled software extras: Applications in addition to the standard PIM apps included with Palm OS or the Windows Mobile OS. | Palm Voice Memo, Expense, Dialer, Media, VersaMail, Web Pro, Reader, SMS Messages, RealOne Mobile Player, DataViz Documents to Go Standard Edition, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Solitaire, Infinity Softworks PowerOne Personal Calculator, JVM, Audible Player |
| Bundled hardware extras | Charging cable, USB HotSync cable, carrying case |
| Support policy score | Good |
| Support policy details | One-year warranty, 14-hour weekday plus Saturday and Sunday toll-call support |
PalmOne Zire 72
June 7, 2004
PalmOne's $299 Zire 72 was obviously the brainchild of a committee in which everybody got what they suggested. The slim, royal blue-and-silver device is so jam-packed with hardware and software features that it's the PDA for all reasons. For business, there are the usual Palm organizing apps, plus DataViz's Documents to Go for viewing and editing Microsoft Office documents and spreadsheets, Adobe Acrobat viewer for Palm, and other apps for recording voice memos and accessing the Web and e-mail. For leisure pursuits, there's a built-in camera that takes photos and videos with sound, plus a RealOne MP3 player and stereo headphone jack.
The Zire 72 feels lightning-fast: Tasks like syncing and downloading apps took just a few seconds, and screens refresh snappily, without the noticeable pause we've experienced with other Palm models. The rechargeable lithium polymer battery lasts for about a week's worth of use on one charge--even when the Bluetooth receiver is left on. Palm promises about 5 hours of uninterrupted MP3 music playback per charge. Of course, taking photos and video will consume battery life faster--as will viewing your creations on the Zire's bright, dazzling color screen.
Voice memos are easy to record and play back on the Zire's monaural speaker, which sounds more like FM radio than AM--we didn't hear any static from it. You could play MP3s through the speaker, but they sound much better coming through a pair of stereo headphones (a port for that purpose is on top of the unit). You'll have to supply your own headphones, though; they're not included.
The Zire 72's Bluetooth port instantly recognized my Canon i80 printer, but would not connect until we supplied a security passkey. Only by digging into the Zire 72's manual on the software CD could I find the passkey. (Tip: The default Bluetooth device pass code is 0000.) That done, wirelessly printing from the Palm via Bluetooth was a snap, as was data syncing without the USB cable.
The 1.2-megapixel camera has a 2X digital zoom, and its lens is mounted on the back of the unit. It takes fairly sharp photos as large as 1280 by 960 pixels. Alas, its shutter lag time is one to two seconds. It's off-putting at first, but once you learn to compensate for the slowness (by holding the PDA still until you hear and see that the shot's been taken) you can get fine pictures. Without a cover, the camera lens would seem to be unprotected, but it's recessed to prevent abrasion, and unlike with many other Palms, a case is included in the package.
The RealOne MP3 player has a dedicated button on the front panel, which is new in this hardware design. Using the player was simple, but you can't use the music player at all without an SD memory card (you also need one to take photos and videos).
Upshot: Considering the many features packed into its diminutive chassis and its snappy performance, the Zire 72 is a bargain at $299.
Michael S. Lasky
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User Reviews
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User Reviews From Around the Web
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Reviewed by: BryanFRitt
Strengths: Agendus (buy separately), has a camera (ok quality if perfectly still), has SD slot.
Weaknesses: poor error handling, poor AC recharge connection, sync can be confusing.
Overall: Agendus for Palm(sold separately) is one of the better organizers I've seen. It?s as good/better than the desktop ones.The Camera is okay for still pictures; sometimes it can take a few seconds to take.If there is an error on the Palm, the display gets stuck on on, if you?re not there to look at it to turn it off, the battery will drain very quickly.Sometimes the AC connection doesn't work well, and you have to play with it to get it working. Mine recently quit working even with playing with it.To play mp3 files you have to use RealPlayer to load them onto the card.The sync install can be confusing. The install that comes with the disk has Microsoft spyware built in that will crash once a month on computers with anti-spyware installed, and will require a reinstall. Download the newer Palm Desktop to fix. (Also, get the MS Outlook 2007 update, and the Vista update, if they apply to you)The dimension not seen when looking straight on is larger than I'd like, but ok.Has a small buzz (just noticeable) sound when the display is on, and not being written on.Overall, this would be ok, if I can get the AC connection working.
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Reviewed by: jpharoldson
Strengths: excellent screen, very functional, size is good
Weaknesses: HIGH PITCHED TONE, became slowed after a few applications were added, battery life
Overall: This was a great PDA and I used it daily and thought the world of it until it started emitting a constant, unbearable high pitched tone whenever I turned it on. The screen looks great and programs have been too, but I'll never buy another Palm because when I went to troubleshoot at Palm's web site I found that many people have this problem after some time has passed and it isn't exclusive to this model. I'm switching to pocket PC once I can afford another one because of that.
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Reviewed by: luvaboxer
Strengths: This is a great PDA. Comes with all the bells and whistles.
Weaknesses: Needs a better case than the one that comes with it.
Overall: This PDA suits all the needs on a daily basis and is a great addition for a gadget junkie! The 32 mb of memory is a good start and can eaily be upgraded with expansion cards. The Palm One hard aluminum case is a good investment over the stock case. This PDA gets an A+.
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Reviewed by: LittleBlue
Strengths: Color Display & Brightness, Ease of Use andNice add on software
Weaknesses: Camera could take better pictures
Overall: Upgraded from Palm Vx because of the fantastic display and ability to see and use it even in the dark.From past experience of Palm turning on in my pocketbook, I purchased the hard case and problem has been solved, that is really the way to go (as this also adds extra protection to the camera lens).I purchased mine from the Palm One site where they offered a limited edition Silver Metal model which I chose as I had heard about the problems of the blue paint chipping. I would reccommend this Palm to everyone.
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Reviewed by: lnstrong
Strengths: Color display, mp3 player, camera, ease of sync
Weaknesses: no flash for camera, tone controls for mp3 player, cover for power, usb expansion card slot and ear phone plug
Overall: As a former Zire 21 owner, this was a major upgrade for me. It took me about a year to exceed the memory capability of the Zire 21 and with no expansion capability, I wanted something that has become very helpful in organizing my work, home and son's hockey activities. I didn't want to pay the amount ($299) for a PDA but with the $50 rebate, free 512MB SD card (with a $15 rebate) it was very hard to pass up. I have become a power PDA user, taking it everywhere with me. Having schedules, appointments, work documents to review at home, not to mention games and music all in one very conveient piece of electronic is simply fantasic. I really do not know how I ever got along without it. The built-in feautres and software alone is worth the price. Plus the combination of freeware and purchased software has satisfied all of my business and personal needs. I have looked and compared many of the Palm and PockePC PDA's and believe me, the color screen, sharpness and crispness of the characters will truly amaze you. And the ability to listen to music while you play many of the games available for the Palm or review my email and other documents from work has me patting myself on the back for purchasing the Zire 71. For the price, you can be a power PDA user without spending $400 of more.
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