tapwave zodiac vs. palm zire 72

[jimmyy]

thanks for taking the time to read this. my palm zire 71 has died. time to purchase a new pda. was impressed with the specs of the zire 72. then i saw the zodiac. now i'm not sure. use is 90% work related 10% fun. specs say the zire 72 has the fastest preformance. i would use the unit for games but that would not be the deciding factor. the "peeling paint" issue with the zire 72 worries me. would like some guidance on which unit to go with.

thanks in advance

[Elfyn]

The Zodiac is faaaast! Don't just go by the specs. The Zodiac is a great PDA and a great gaming device. Do you need the camera that is on the Zire 72? WiFi is already available for the Zire 72, but is coming probably by Christmas for the Zodiac. The screen on the Zodiac is huge and beautiful! It's great if you read lots of ebooks. I have a Zodiac and I LOVE it!

[jimmyy]

i already have a digital camera so the camera issue is well, not an issue. i assume most or all the programs i bought for my zire 71 will work on the zodiac. like i mentioned before, the peeling paint has me concerned in regards to the zire 72. i like the looks of the zodiac. do you find the shape tough getting use to compared to a typical pda?

[Elfyn]

I love the shape of the Zodiac. I've never seen a Zire 71 or 72 in person so I can't commment on the size comparison. The Zodiac isn't much bigger than some of the larger Clies like the NZ90 or NX80.

[CliePet]

See my general advice on Tapwave, shape etc here:
http://www.1src.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68126
FWIW: I don't like the zodiac shape when in portrait mode.

Stating some obvious differences and choices:
The ZIRE 72 screen is only 320x320 ($300 retail)
The Zodiac I is 320x480 (rotatable, also $300 retail)
The 320x320 camera equiped CLIE TJ27 is $200 retail (no wireless)

[jimmyy]

camera and wireless aside, do you think the zire 72 is the better choice for a pda? for me the games are gravy. a nice thing to have for "down time".

[CliePet]

If the only two choices are the Tapwave Zodiac-I or a Zire 72, and you don't need a camera - I'd get the Tapwave for the bigger screen.
They are the same retail price ($300, Zire lower street price)

However if you don't care about camera or wireless and can live with a 320x320 screen THEN:
For $100 less you can get a CLIE TJ27 (with camera) or the Tungsten "E" (no camera)

There are many factors in deciding what is the best PDA for you.
For the most common game playing (tetris-style) almost any PalmOS 5 PDA will do.
For common PDA features almost anything will do. Write down any non-standard features you absolutely need (eg: camera, CF/SD/MS storage, bluetooth/WiFi/both, minimum RAM size, ...) and decide accordingly.

[unreal8350]

i have a zire 72 and it is great! the paint peeling is just a minor thing. i used some extra fine steel wool to remove the paint and it looks gorgeous! im not a fan of the 320x320 screen though...ITs FAST and the screen is really good. its a great palm all around, voice recorder, camera(video camera too :D ), 25mbs of memory are available to use, and it has bluetooth. if you use froogle, you can find them for $250 or less. its really nice! seeing that you are more business, i would recommend it over the zodiac.

[Elfyn]

i have a zire 72 and it is great! the paint peeling is just a minor thing. i used some extra fine steel wool to remove the paint and it looks gorgeous! im not a fan of the 320x320 screen though...ITs FAST and the screen is really good. its a great palm all around, voice recorder, camera(video camera too :D ), 25mbs of memory are available to use, and it has bluetooth. if you use froogle, you can find them for $250 or less. its really nice! seeing that you are more business, i would recommend it over the zodiac.If you think so highly of the Zire 72 why did you post this question

What is the best palm all around for under $450? not including pocket pc's or smart phones. only clies, palms, or tapwaves. thanx!in every single device specific forum on this site?!?

[hamsammich]

LOL!

Anyway, I agree with Elfyn. Don't go simply by processor specs. The Zodiac has a separate graphics processor (ATI Imageon graphics accelerator), so graphics are rendered very quickly, especially with gaming.

I just re-ordered a Zodiac 2 due to the fact that it has been one of the three best PDA's I've ever owned. I thought I'd try some others after I initially owned a Zodiac, but I have come full circle and am sticking with the Z. It boasts a big 480x320 screen, landscape/portrait orientation, analog stick (very cool addition to a PDA, I must say), Yamaha stereo speakers, vibration function, svelte metal body, 128MB of internal memory (32MB for the Z1) and two SD slots. Not many other PDA's can put up those kinds of numbers.

I've owned the Zire 72 (several times, actually), and it is a good handheld. I just couldn't get over the smallish screen. Really, though, you have to look at what your needs are. If the Zire 72 fits your needs, then by all means get it. To me, however, all the extras the Zodiac offers are well worth the price...a price which competes insanely with not only the Zire 72 but all Palm OS PDA's.

My 2¢
:D

[hamsammich]

HERE (http://www.tapwave.com/comparison.html) is a good comparison of some Palm OS PDA's, a Pocket PC and the Nokia NGage.

Good info.

[jonestkbz]

I have owned multiple PDAs myself. Casio WinCE, Visor, Ipaq, Casiopeia E200, Zire 71,Sony CLIE NX80V, Tungsten E, Zodiac 1. Zodiac 1 and NX8OV are tied for my favorite. First of all, I will not go back to anything less than 480x320 screen. So, right off the bat I would not recommend the Zire 71.

Second, I used to say that games were not a factor.... We the are. Look at how many Palm and PockPC games exist. So, here is a test to determine if you "need" a Zodiac. Do you own more games for than business apps? Are any of the games action oriented (shooters, driving, space sim etc..)? If you answered "Yes" to both of these questions, then wait no longer. Buy a Zodiac and become one of us.

I would recommend the Z2. I bought the Z1 and a 1GB SD card. I can get by with it, but more memory would have been nicer. :)

[JohnKes]

The Zire72 is a bit shorter and narrower than a Zodiac, and basic usability (one button push to the hard buttons to get to an app) is a bit better than a Zodiac. Still "I will not go back to anything less than 480x320 screen". I am now too spoiled and maybe getting too old to see things on a smaller screen. ;)