Palm's Zire 71 handheld has put me on the road to recovery. Just as scientists are positing that E may not equal MC squared, Zire 71 has helped me realize that PDA = FUD could be wrong, too.
I've been PDA-less due to my doubt that a handheld would be handier than a paper alternative and uncertainty that I could use its features without handholding. Zire 71 wiped away the U and D of FUD, but the fear part remains and ... well, more about that later.
Zire 71 is an entry-level handheld, and I couldn't find a single function that wasn't easy to use. Within minutes of opening the package, I 'd used the Contacts, Calendar, Note Pad, Expense, and To Do features, took several digital photos and played and lost at Solitaire. Then, I viewed the trailers for "Men in Black 2" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", listened to a books-on-tape clip from "Star Trek: The Genesis" and played Bejeweled.
This basic handheld is truly pocket-sized, at 4.5 by 2.9 by .67 inches. At 5.3 ounces, it's heavier than some PDAs, but it won't make a shirt's pocket sag. Zire 71 has a recessed itty-bitty joystick, a plus for small-handed gamesters. Warning: Exerting pressure on the case can trigger the navigation button and turn on the unit. Outside the case, it's easy to turn the unit on accidentally, too.
Zire 71 packs enough power to handle its digital camera and audio/video playback multimedia features, but I found myself wishing for more. A decade ago, a handheld device with 144 MB RAM, 144 MHz processor and 16-bit, 65,000-color, 320x320 bright display was science fiction. Today, it's entry level. Fortunately, those wanting more can add an SDIO card module via Zire 71's Palm Expansion Slot.
The Zire 71's major shortcomings are that the screen is hard to read in low light situations, and the battery will hold up for only a working day's multimedia usage.
Loading Zire 71's software and transferring data is a snap. I connected it via a mini-USB cable and loaded the Palm Desktop 4.1 software to my Windows 2000-based Sony laptop without a hitch. From there, I stepped through several tasks quickly. I moved photos to and from the handheld and edited and organized them on my PC using Palm Photo. I moved Note Pad, Calendar and Expense files back and forth. I added some content from the Web, including MP3s and a few games. Then, I played games for an hour or so.
And there's the fear: the fear of my addiction to games. Buying this affordable, easy-to-use PDA may help me organize my life, but only if I can control the urge to play with it!
