KP wrote:
> I am not totally convinced that I should even get a T5 since my trusty
> M500
> still does the job well enough.
That's a very good point. My Tungsten is not used (in practical day-to-day
routines) for anything that I could not do with my M130. Simplicity is
king. I do, however, enjoy using it as an MP3 player, which makes up the
only exception to my statement.
> But, I really would like to be able to do
> a few extra things like use a real contact manager, link with my PC
> version of
> Quicken and read e-mail on-the-go.
I think you can use Palm Mail with your M500 to do the latter task.
> But mostly I want a faster unit that
> has a good color display.
What do you need to speed for? Only heavy application require it. Will you
run resource-consuming applications? My experience has shown that it is
unnecessary with a PIM.
> I am really interested in the vanishing writing area since most of the
> time I am just looking something up that was entered via a PC anyway and
> could use the greater screen area.
Date Book, Tasks (AKA ToDo) and other 'essentials' do not exploit a
high-resolution display. Agendus, which is a commercial substitute, will do
that, but it's costly and different from what you are most likely used to.
Do not expect any gain from high-resolution dipslays if you use it primarily
as a PIM. I gave away my M130 only because the digitizer was knackered and
the Graffiti area was worn out.
> Web browsing is not necessary but it would be cool.
I know what you mean. It is cool for a day or two. Afterwards, you might
never use it. It's a like a toy to a 5-year-old.
> Can you sync using
> Wi-Fi?
Yes, but unless you have a WiFi HotSpot nearby or you go away for entire
days at a time, it is very impractical. You might also need to leave your
computer on and on-line. I synchronise (back up all data which resides on
main memory) to a small SD card using a free application called Red Feline
Backup. I only do this if I am away for days. I never had to restore any
data though. Palm have proven to me that they offer great reliability. Data
durability seems amazing.
> Can you send and receive e-mail using Wi-Fi (through a wireless
> router directly to the Internet)? Does the Wi-Fi card actually work at
> all?
Find out about HotSpots near you.
http://www.wifimaps.com/
You can receive E-mail indeed. Writing is rather slow however, so do not
expect much in terms of productivity. It depends on how crucial E-mail is
to you. If you get rapid status messages (e.g. if you are a Web host), this
can be very useful, but not if you correspond.
> How about battery life?
A newer device means a fresher battery. Consider how good/bad the current
life of your battery is. Also, how much of a battery lifetime do you
require? Do you charge the device often enough?
> Is Bluetooth enough if you don't want to browse
> the web?
I have Bluetooth which I have never used. No HotSpots, no gain from a
wireless connection and no fun surfing the Web on a tiny screen when you
can walk to a full-sized machine.
Hope it helps,
Roy
--
Roy S. Schestowitz
http://Schestowitz.com
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