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FISTFULS OF POWER & SHOPPING TIP
Posted Date: 22 Mar 2008 Resource Type: Articles/Knowledge Sharing Category: Computer & Technology
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Posted By: arunkumar Member Level: Gold
Rating:  Points: 5
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It was one of those mornings where you
get up feeling something essential is
missing. I checked to see if all my
appendages were in place, they were. My
trademark goatee then? No, that felt right
too. Then suddenly I hit upon it, I didn't
have a handheld! Oh the
shame of it all, me being a
techno-geek and all that.
Of course, I did need it for
the practicality of being connected
to my data and information
wherever I went, but that’s secondary.
A handheld I want and a
handheld I shall get. First
stop, to the bank. Turns
out I have just enough,
so off I go.
Before I
indulge myself, I
chalk out the list
of functions I intend
to use my new toy for.
Hmm, I need it for reading
my e-books and Web pages,
and it must have good
organisation capabilities to
make sense of my chaos. A
little ability to synchronise with other
external applications wouldn’t hurt
either—all this at the lowest possible
price, of course.
The most affordable device in the
market right now is the Palm m100 priced
at Rs 6,000. Though its specifications are
showing signs of age—2 MB of memory
and a basic monochrome screen doesn’t
really allow much, but is suited to textbased
applications. Placed a notch higher
is the Palm m105 with 8 MB of memory,
costing Rs 8,500. But there’s a new kid
on the block, the funky Palm Zire made
for first time users. However, none of the
dealers I spoke to in Andheri, Mumbai,
would give away its price.
Next up, I spotted the Palm m125
monochrome with expansion slots for
MMC and Secure Digital cards. This one
had 8 MB of memory and came with the
mandatory set of organisation software
and synchronisation via infrared and USB
connectivity. The Palm m130 is also similar
but it has a slightly bigger colour
screen. The Palm m125 uses AAA batteries,
while the Palm m130 uses rechargeable
Lithium Ion batteries and has very
good battery life. The m125 costs around
Rs 11,000, while the m130 is priced at
around Rs 13,500. The
prices are about Rs
500 to Rs 1,000
more in the
white market
and you get the
advantage of a
solid warranty
and a boxed
package.
Still higher are
the popular 500-series
Palm devices. The
Palm m500 has a
sharp monochrome
screen with 8 MB of
memory, a faster
processor than the
m1xx series and is
one of the lightest
devices available.
The colour device
in this range was
the Palm m515,
which has 16 MB of memory and uses a
rechargeable Lithium Ion battery with
Flash ROM upgrade capabilities. The m500
is priced at around Rs 18,000 while the
colour m515 comes in at around
Rs 23,000. On the higher end, the new
Palm Tungsten T device has an ARM-based
processor and a crisp colour display. It runs
the latest Palm OS 5 software and is packed
to the gills with features such as 16 MB of
memory, Bluetooth, voice memo, headset
jack and even cellular phone capabilities.
All these features obviously mean a high
price, but here too, none of the dealers had
any information.
I even checked out the Pocket PC
arena, but most the dealers stocked only
the Compaq iPAQ series of handhelds,
with the iPAQ 3800 being the most popular
choice. It comes with 64 MB of
memory and runs Microsoft Pocket PC
2002. With full multimedia capabilities
(yes, it can play back MP3s as well as
movie clips), a full colour screen and
plenty of application and organisation
software, it does full justice to its price
tag of Rs 33,000. Similar in capabilities
are Pocket PCs from other brands such as
Toshiba, Casio, HP, etc. However, none
of them came lower than Rs 25,000.
Oh well…
Acknowledging that the world of
Pocket PCs held nothing for me, I settled
for the Palm m125. It suited my needs
quite well and left me with enough
money to get back home.
SHOPPING TIP
¦ Memory: Depending upon
the types of applications you
plan to use, a handheld’s integrated
memory could run out
faster than you would imagine. You
will need at least 4 MB of memory for
text-based applications and 16 MB for
storing media files.
¦ Compatibility: Your handheld should
support your applications and be able to
exchange information with your desktop
PC and other handheld devices.
¦ Expandability and upgradability:
Choose handhelds that allow the OS to
be upgraded. Look out for ones that
allow the firmware to be upgraded
through Flash programs.
¦ Screen size and resolution: Monochrome
screens are suited to most
applications; colour screens are for
those who intend to work with graphics
and video files. Look for a colour screen
with good resolution, clarity and brightness,
and one that is clearly legible in
the dark as well as in bright light.
¦ Battery life: Rechargeable Lithium
Ion batteries are preferable for longer
on-road life. Even if it uses conventional
alkaline batteries, make sure it has a run
time of at least 10 hours.
¦ Integrated features: Opt for devices
with additional features such as a cellular
phone or camera only if you are
going to actually use them. These frills
add significantly to the cost.
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