This impressive little piece of gadgetry is a marvel. From simple memos and telephone records to viewing photographs and streaming videos and MP3s, this modest looking PDA is on par with most of the Sony?s flashy Cliés. I must first clarify with anyone reading this review, that I received my Tungsten T2 as a Christmas gift. So I unfortunately do not know the purchase price. However I can say (to the credit of the buyer) it is well worth it. In order to increase the usefulness of this review, I am including the price published on Palm?s website.
Palm produced a line of winners with the Tungsten series, proving that Pocket PCs aren?t the only ones with large screens and fast processors. The Tungsten T2 is actually an upgraded model of Palm?s first Tungsten series PDA, the Tungsten T, offering 32 MB RAM in lieu of the 16 MB in the latter. The T2 has some impressive specs, packing a 144 MHz Texas Instruments OMAP Processor, 32 MB built-in RAM, 8 MB ROM and a sweet 320x320 transflective colour screen. The handheld boasts Palm OS 5.2.1 along with a generous bundle of other programs like Documents to Go, VersaMail, Web Browser Pro, Adobe Acrobat Reader for Palm OS, Kinoma Video Player and RealOne for Palm OS... Now on to the device itself.
Design
The dimensions of the unit are as follows,
Height: 4 inches (when closed), Width: 3 inches, Thickness: 0.6 inches
It is quite heavy, weighing in at about 160g (5.6oz).
The Tungsten has a unique sliding design which makes it very compact. The slider opens to reveal a Graffiti writing area. It isn?t necessary to use the Graffiti area only to enter data, as now the entire screen can be used to input data.
The 320x320 colour screen is completely visible even in the closed position. It is backlit and is easily readable outdoors. Towards the lower end one finds the usual buttons for opening the Date Book, Addresses, To Do and Notes and also a very useful 5 button navigator which allows you to scroll in 4 directions: up, down, left & right and also a central button which can be used to make selections. On the bottom edge is the Palm Universal connector, which connects the handheld to the HotSync cradle and other Palm add-ons. Towards the top one encounters an indicator LED and a forward facing speaker and mic. The top edge has the power button, a SD/MMC card slot and the stylus nestled in a silo. In addition, the left margin has a stereo headphone jack and a voice memo record button. With the slider extended, the back of the device reveals a tiny reset button which can by activated by the tip of the stylus. The device feels sturdy in the hand and has a nice silver grey metallic finish.
Screen
The screen is excellent and the brightness of the backlit display can be adjusted to optimal viewing in bright or dark conditions. The device comes with a snap on plastic protective case for the screen. (Can be used only in closed position)
Screen text and images are clear and sharp.
Stylus
The Tungsten T2 has a spring loaded stylus in the silo at the top, and is easily extracted. It is light and easy to grip and use.
Working
Palm OS 5.2.1 comes with all the standard PIM applications, like Address, Date Book, Expense, Memo Pad, Note Pad, To Do List and Voice Memo & World Clock.
In addition to these, there is Documents to Go, a neat application which allows you to convert Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents, worksheets and presentations and view them on the PDA and Acrobat Reader allows you to (you guessed it) view PDF files.
Connectivity options in this device include IR and Bluetooth. Once can connect to a Bluetooth enable cell phone (or terminals) to access email, send SMS and even browse the internet. One can also buy the optional Palm Modem for dial-up connectivity.
IR can be used to send and receive applications, contacts, memos and more form other handheld devices.
The Tungsten T2 has a lot of nice features and customisations. One can configure the device to auto power-on when to slider is retracted and auto power-off on closing the slider. There are several colour themes available for those who get bored with the standard colour theme. One can configure the alarm tone and vibrating alerts.
The 144 MHz processor rips through most applications and games. A few heavy duty applications and games require a little loading/processing time on this device, but all within acceptable waiting limits. Graffiti 2 is very simple to use and is supposed to support more natural style of writing. As mentioned above, one can use the entire screen for data input. Downloaded applications are easily synced and run.
SD cards are very useful in increasing the memory of the device and are a must for MP3s. (I am currently using a 128 MD SD card.) Applications run just as well from the card as from the device?s internal RAM. A number of useful utilities are available as add-ons via the SD card slot as well as the universal connector, including GPS receivers, software, memory and even digital cameras!
Media
The Tungsten T2 comes with Palm Photos for viewing photographs in a large number of formats. (most popular being JPG)
RealOne shipped with the Tungsten T2 can be used for MP3 audio playback. MP3s can be directly played in native format but must be stored on external storage media (i.e. an SD card). Playback uses the forward speaker and is reasonably clear and loud, but for those who want to use the Tungsten T2 as a MP3 player, a headphone set is a must as is improves clarity and volume.
The voice memo function is useful for recording you thoughts when you don?t want to jot them down or even long conversations. The record quality is exceptionally good and so is playback. You can store voice memos on you PC as WAV audio files.
Videos can also be stored and viewed on the Tungsten T2, with the bundled Kinoma player. Video files in MPG, AVI and MOV format must first be converted by Kinoma Player on your PC before being synced to the handheld. They may be stored on the internal RAM or external storage media. I personally found the video playback a tad too choppy and pixels often show up making it quite blurry.
Note:
> The converted Palm video files are often larger than their PC counterparts.
> The version of Kinoma Player available with the Tungsten T2 does not allow a great deal of customisation of video settings (in particular bitrate). For those of you who want to use the handheld for serious video play back, it is highly recommended the latest version on Kinoma Player which improves video playback quality significantly.
Battery
Type: Lithium Ion Rechargeable
Battery life is very good on this device. Low battery does not degrade performance except for lowering sound volumes. (MP3s, videos and system sounds)
Note: Battery is not user replaceable. This means one cannot get it changed at any electronics store, but must approach a PalmOne service centre to do so.
Pros: Excellent 320x320 colour screen, Good MP3 playback, Can play video clips, 144 MHz processor, 32 MB built in RAM, Comes with a very generous collection of software, SD/MMC card slot, Built-in Bluetooth, Voice recording, Good battery life
Cons: No built in camera, No built in WiFi, Battery not user replaceable
All in all the Tungsten T2 delivers all it promises and more. With more or less the same multimedia capabilities than most Sony Cliés, the business professional oriented T2 packs a lot of extra features, which are more than enough for most PDA users and puts it high up in the list of great PDAs. Unless you need a built in camer