PDA died--should I change PDA brand and model?

[Alex Ethridge]

I've had my Palm TX for about a year and am satisfied with its performance and ease of use. I have not liked the Palm service. The touch-screen sensitivity began to drift and there were two things about the service I didn't like. One was that it took three weeks for it to be returned and the other is that, although my unit was only three months old, they replaced it with a "refurbished" unit.

The second time it needed in-warranty service, it was received by them on the ninth of the month and shipped back to me on the twenty-ninth. That's three weeks in their hands and in my opinion totally unacceptable. To be clear, it didn't arrive back to me on the twenty-ninth; it was shipped by them on the twenty-ninth and was in their hands almost three weeks, lacking only a day. Anything over five days is unacceptable.

They say the unit is unrepairable because it has water damage. Frankly, I think if there is any evidence of water, it got in there before they sent the "refurbished" unit to me the first time. I have been too careful to have been the one who got water in it.

Again, I like the design, functionality and stable Palm OS; but, should I consider changing brands? And, if so, what should I go to?

PS: I do not want a phone in it, just a PDA. The only thing I would add to the TX's features is maybe a voice recorder; but, I would not give up any of its other features to get it.

[BrentDC]

I hear you about the Palm service, they refused to send me a new unit even though mine was only 3 weeks old. I even went to the length of talking to managers, corporate, you name it I talked to them, but they still refused to send me a new unit. They told me it was "not palm's policy" to send new devices, and I don't think that's going to change anytime soon. Even considering I still think the Palm TX is the best PDA on the market. I have not heard good things about WM devices, Nokia's Internet tablets, or others. If the lack of a mic is a problem you can get an external one for $20. (And you can get the free SoundRec for recording voice notes).

[DanT]

Have you ever consider Sony CLIE TH55? You can read about it in one of my TH55 sold in eBay: Item number: 120120065180 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=002&sspagename=STRK%3AMESO%3AIT&viewitem=&item=120120065180&rd=1&rd=1). Here is a thread comparing both PDAs: TH55 vs TX (http://www.1src.com/forums/showthread.php?t=120205&highlight=TH55)

[Alex Ethridge]

Thanks for the replies; I'm looking them over.

Boy, changing is gonna' cost me. I just remembered I have a Palm keyboard, a seventy-dollar Piel Frama leather case and a 4-Gig SD card.

[Alex Ethridge]

Tell me more about the external mic. Where does it plug in and any additional info will be appreciated.

[Iamaboff]

Here is an in depth review of the new bud mic for the Palm TX:

www.palminfocenter.com/.../palm-tx-minibud-mic-review/ (http://www.palminfocenter.com/news/8976/palm-tx-minibud-mic-review/)

[Dick Tracy]

Believe the warranty does not promise brand new units as replacement. Most warranties on electronics don't.

More on external mics here: http://forum.brighthand.com/showthread.php?t=222044

[Silly Rabbit]

One was that it took three weeks for it to be returned and the other is that, although my unit was only three months old, they replaced it with a "refurbished" unit.


Believe the warranty does not promise brand new units as replacement. Most warranties on electronics don't.

More on external mics here: http://forum.brighthand.com/showthread.php?t=222044

DT is correct. Many years ago, my new Ditto Zip drive crapped out & was replaced with a refurbished unit. Last year, my ~7 month old iPod died & was replaced with a refurbished unit. In both cases, the refurbished units ended up performing longer than the new unit they were replacing.

I've been (mostly) happy with the four Palms I've had. (Ok, I thought the Zire I had should have been labeled "Fisher Price", but...) However, if I was in your shoes, with two severe problems within a year, I'd definitely not consider another Palm. (shrug)

[Alex Ethridge]

I know that--now.

I came up in the old school when a new replacement was the norm. So, a repaired replacement (i.e. someone else's problem/reject) for a unit just under three months old came as a big disappointment.

[braj]

I personally trust refurbs more. They usually have had much more QC attention than a new device ever would. Refurbed from the manufacturer that is, not someone swinging something on eBay ;)

[Alex Ethridge]

I look at it a different way. Many times a "refurb" isn't really a refurb. It is a product that has a sporadic or intermittent problem that the repair center has not been able to duplicate because their time with each device is limited to a few minutes, where the time the previous owner has is days to cause the problem to recur.

The rapair center may then check it out for the few minutes they are allowed, cannot reproduce the problem in that few minutes and then gives it a clean bill thinking the original owner just didn't understand the product.

Being in the computer and network service business, I have seen that a lot with "refurbished" products, especially "refurbished" motherboards and hard disks.

Notice I use the quotes around "refurb" a lot. My attitude is that the term is used as a claim more than an actual fact.

Too many people/businesses overwhelming greed have given me too many reasons not to trust.

[MD_Brite]

All I can say, buyer beware about refurbed devices. I have had a few that have been very bad from the beginning, but most of the ones I have had were exactly as described. On another note, the reason why I have not given up my Sony TH55 or Palm T|C is that they seem to be a better quality than what Palm is cranking out now.

[Alex Ethridge]

I don't want used, especially at the prices people want for used and I don't think they make the TH55 any more.

[Adam Helberg]

I recall a few years ago Palm had an option of sending a refurbished unit and when you receive that you send yours in, in the box. So you're never without a unit. Do they still have such a system? I used this a couple of times with the old Palm 3 and was pleased with it.

Adam

[Alex Ethridge]

I asked and at the times I needed service, they said they were too short of replacement units to do that any more.

[Alex Ethridge]

I've found an "open box" TX at Best Buy for $210. It comes with all the warranty a new one comes with so I might go for it. At least I have a year for anything wrong to show up and if I get it on American Express, they double the warranty.

So far, what I've seen as possible replacements are much more expensive than the Palm's $299 retail price and I just don't see anything out there at those higher prices that seem to be worth the difference.

[Alex Ethridge]

Well, it looks like there may be a thief in the Palm repair center in Pharr, Texas USA. A unit was sent to me on 05/29 (not my unit but a dummy substitute intended to fool me, I believe). Since the unit I sent was unrepairable due to Palm claiming water damage, it should have been the same unit (and Palm agrees); but, I have strong evidence it wasn't the one I sent--AND someone stripped the serial number from the case to make it unidentifiable. Also, the battery was missing.

I think someone in the repair center absconded with my good internal circuits, stole my battery and what they sent back to me was not at all anything that belonged to me. The only reason I can figure anyone would strip the serial number from the case is to make it difficult to trace the theft back to any particular repair person (i.e. the thief).

Can anyone think of a legitimate reason anyone would ship my unit back to me stripped of the battery and the serial number identification? I certainly can't.

Read more details here:
http://www.1src.com/forums/showthread.php?p=993323#post993323