Palm Delivers Affordable Wi-Fi With New Palm TX Handheld

[Joel]

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 12, 2005--Large Bright Display, Integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and Powerful Document Management -- All for $299. [details (http://www.1src.com/?m=show&id=1268)]

[JAmerican]

I've officially decided to NOT get the T|X. After reading about the battery life not being that great especially for a device with 1400mah is kinda rediculous. At least in my POV. I know underclocking is an option but after forcing myself to write in Graffiti mode only on my UX, I experienced a great difficulty. I've decided to keep using my WiFi-less UX. I just order a new battery for my UX (900mah one) and going to test it and give a review of it in the forums when I get it. :) I guess it was the hype that got me into the mood but when it comes down to it, I can't give up the keyboard. I might reconsider the Treo as well but for me to do something like that, I have to get either an iPod video (which should come out today) or something to hold my videos. Not considering the Treo 650 but possibly the Treo 700w or 700p.

JAmerican

[JAmerican]

OMG, Palm TX got an 8.0, the LD didn't even reach 8. None of Palm's products except the Treo got an 8 or more.

http://reviews.cnet.com/Palm_TX/4505-3127_7-31546759.html?tag=bv

HINT HINT: TH55 received same rating.

BTW, remember the names some people gave their TH55s once landscape came out. One was TX55. Interesting how this all worked out.

JAmerican

[KevinL]

So, once again us folks in New Zealand get screwed over by international pricing. According to the Palm NZ site (www.palm.com/nz/) the RRP for the TX is NZ$599 locally. In other terms, that's US$415.13, which is over US$100 more than the US retail price.

For reference, at present the LD retails for US$553, the T5 for US$484, the E2 for US$276, and the Z22 for US$127.

I mean, it doesn't cost -that- much to ship stuff down here. The fact of the matter is I'll buy a TX anyway to replace my smashed TH55 (and I'm sure I'll be able to get it somewhat less than the retail price), but the pricing still sucks.


KevinL

[Joel]

Welcome to 1src, KevinL. Sorry to hear about the pricing schemes. We have a similar situation here in Guam so what I do is to buy my PDAs from the US mainland.

[JAmerican]

I noticed that. If you look on FNAC, you'll see the TX priced at 349 Euros = 423.8256 U.S. dollars

This is not affordable. Its a rip off. I guess its affordable*

*In America

JAmerican

[JAmerican]

So, once again us folks in New Zealand get screwed over by international pricing. According to the Palm NZ site (www.palm.com/nz/) the RRP for the TX is NZ$599 locally. In other terms, that's US$415.13, which is over US$100 more than the US retail price.

For reference, at present the LD retails for US$553, the T5 for US$484, the E2 for US$276, and the Z22 for US$127.

I mean, it doesn't cost -that- much to ship stuff down here. The fact of the matter is I'll buy a TX anyway to replace my smashed TH55 (and I'm sure I'll be able to get it somewhat less than the retail price), but the pricing still sucks.


KevinL

Don't think we have it easy here. We have to pay extra for devices like the imate JASJAR and JAM. :(

JAmerican

[JAmerican]

There was some confusion with what BT version the TX had, Palm's website says...

Bluetooth® 1.1 wireless technology

JAmerican

[Luminous]

Hi Kevin,
Yes, Kiwis do tend to get screwed over price-wise. And we have to put up with Renaissance Ltd, surely one of the worst primary distributors of Palm product in the western world?

I just checked the Australian palm site and they're selling the TX for AU$499 (NZ$549 or US$378!)

An alternative is to try expansys.co.nz. Though the new models aren't yet on their site, they tend to undersell bricks and mortar retailers by a significant margin and I've never had any problems with delivery. Usually takes only a couple of days - about the same time as bleedin' Dick Smith Electronics take to get product in!

[madmaxmedia]

The price is nice, and the unit seems pretty good. But it seems awfully late, almost a year after the T5 and much longer after the TH55...

They had a TC so long ago (2.5 years!) with 400MHz CPU, lots of RAM, great screen and keyboard. I don't think they need to release models every 90 days like Sony did. But when you do update, make it a nice beefy update!

Maybe they ran out of areas to innovate. But then users run out of reasons to upgrade.

[HBL]

I had a quick look at the specs at Palmone (oops! that's Palm again) website. TX looks good to me. At least on paper. It just might get this T3 cultist to upgrade. :)

I'll have to wait and see what the first bug reports are like.

[LupeValenz]

There better not be bugs! Its just recycled T5 with wifi added >_< This should be more stable than the other devices.

[ziggy]

So, once again us folks in New Zealand get screwed over by international pricing. According to the Palm NZ site (www.palm.com/nz/) the RRP for the TX is NZ$599 locally. In other terms, that's US$415.13, which is over US$100 more than the US retail price.



And another rip off in the UK as well: it's listed for £250, which is about US$435!

[MikeC]

I fell in love with Palm OS when I got a Sony Clie NX70V - I REALLY want the OS to do well, I would love to buy a high spec Palm device but it seems they just don't exist. I thought the LifeDrive would be the one - 4gb storage nice! But then I discover all the problems with that device - bugs, slow response time etc.

So I look forward to the TX and its *almost* there but there are a few reasons I won't be getting it.

Its not got a VGA screen

Battery not user swappable - I don't understand why Palm say that such a thing would make it less compact. I have a X50v PPC that has user replaceable battery and its plenty small enough (much smaller than my Clie for example).

No dual slots - dual SD or 1 SD and 1 CF is what I want. I have 4gb of storage on my X50v - as much as the Lifedrive - thanks to dual slots.

312Mhz?? It seems that Moore's law has been reversed and high end handhelds are going slower.

If these issues were addressed then I would buy Palm again - I much prefer the OS to windows Mobile but thanks to lots of low spec and buggy machines I am currently forced to stick with it to satisfy my gadget lust.

Come on Palm - my NX70V isn't gonna last forever and I have spent a LOT of money on Palm software. Give me a Palm device that will make me put the PPC on ebay.

Just my opinion,

Mike

[The Palmster]

So...has PalmOne officially dropped the PalmOne File Transfer system? Looks like the TX has added a few features and removed others. I wonder if the PalmOne File Transfer software would work on the TX to access the memory card? Obviously the internal drive of the T5 is gone entirely based on the specs of the TX.

Is this an upgrade or a downgrade? I guess it depends on whether you're a wi-fi power user or not. I'm glad I have my T5 and will wait for the next release by Palm to upgrade.

[feed_sheep]

The TX is almost my dream device, however, for one glaring omission. The T5 has a program called Files which allows you to browse both the segmented internal RAM (which I know the TX does not have) and, if you have one, the SD card. You can then open .jpgs, Word and Excel files. I like this interface MUCH better than DocstoGo. But I cannot find anywhere that it is included.

Is there some freeware/shareware file-management-type program that will allow you to open Word and Excel files from its interface?

[SuperSaiyan]

Is this an upgrade or a downgrade? I guess it depends on whether you're a wi-fi power user or not. I'm glad I have my T5 and will wait for the next release by Palm to upgrade.
Agreed, happy to have my T|5. This certainly wasn't aimed at enticing T5'ers to upgrade. Lower price was obviously the driving force here. I'm guessing this is the last of the T series.
Hopefully 06 will bring back that lovin' feeling. ;)

[rpayne]

For me upgrading to the TX from my Clie NX60 is a no brainer for $299...

Here's how I see it...

I gain ... a faster processor, about 90mb internally (is the memory the flash type that doesnt lose the data from a hard reset?) , integrated wifi (instead of my memory stick wifi card), powerpoint portion of docs to go, bluetooth, landscape mode, better form factor AND not having to repurchase/replace all my software for another platform.

I lose ... an integrated keyboard, CF slot (this is huge), voice recorder, having to spend money on SD card, and the Clie Launcher interface which I thought was the great.

But, I personally grapple with sticking with the Palm OS. I like the Palm OS better than WM, but dont believe the Palm OS has a bright future...just my opinion.

[Papageoff]

Well, for my dollar the TX isn't much of an upgrade. But, it does make me appreciate my T5's internal memory a little more. I am just wondering, if there is no distinction between what used to be the internal mem and the internal drive. can you still put files on it the os doesn't support like AAC's? I think it is a shame they went with less memory. But I can understand. I am probably the only T5 user who can fit enough music to satisfy me (most of the time) on my internal drive. So, for that a card becomes almost manditory. It would be nice to have the internal Wi-fi though.

Geoff

[ucfgrad93]

Looks great and at $300 I think it will do well. Unfortunately, I just got a T|5 a few months ago (which I love!) and can't justify the added expense.

[tk_421]

The TX is almost my dream device, however, for one glaring omission. The T5 has a program called Files which allows you to browse both the segmented internal RAM (which I know the TX does not have) and, if you have one, the SD card. You can then open .jpgs, Word and Excel files. I like this interface MUCH better than DocstoGo. But I cannot find anywhere that it is included.

Is there some freeware/shareware file-management-type program that will allow you to open Word and Excel files from its interface?



Try Resco File Explorer. It can do all of these things. There is even a little docs to go icon next to word and exel files, and it can open them directly. It's the best file management system out there. No need for the palm program, really.


So now I guess you have your dream device. ;) I wish it had a Voice Recorder. Then I'd have something pretty close to a dream device. Hopefully the screen quality will be like the T E2, which is not great, but passable.


The TX is a getter, for sure. Can't wait to have J-OS and Russian Piloc for it though. With a Canon SD30 camera, I have a pretty good office on the go.

[SuperSaiyan]

Try Resco File Explorer. It can do all of these things. There is even a little docs to go icon next to word and exel files, and it can open them directly. It's the best file management system out there. No need for the palm program, really.

I second that! You can associate any file with any program on your device and add new associations! I also love opening music files directly from Explorer. You can set it to open to a very cool mini Pocket Tunes or open the full app. Best $14.95 I ever spent.

[JLCarneiro]

I noticed that. If you look on FNAC, you'll see the TX priced at 349 Euros = 423.8256 U.S. dollars
I don't know what you're complaining about. Here in Brazil, on FNAC, the Lifedrive is priced at BRL 2.199,00, about 880 USD. And you are talking about overprice? :(

[Blue Knight]

There better not be bugs! Its just recycled T5 with wifi added >_< This should be more stable than the other devices.
I came back from a business trip today and flew into Philidelphia. There is a Palm Kiosk(?) and they had a TX box. I spoke to the rep briefly, (My wife was picking me up), and he said it is basically a T5 with Wi-Fi.

I am going to take a look at it. I had a Th-55 until I dropped it in the cat's water bowl. I have a Tungsten E, and while I have been quite happy with it, I miss the big screen and Wi-FI.

[EdFrmBrighthand]

Guys, guys, guys! What's with all the negativism? Let's not turn this into PIC.

I'm well aware that the Palm TX isn't an upgrade for the T5. It isn't meant to be, which is why it isn't called the T6, and why it costs much less than a T6 would have cost. If you want to upgrade your T5, take a look at the LifeDrive. (But wait until the ROM upgrade comes out.)

What this is is a handheld that provides most of the functionality of the T5, but at a significantly lower cost that its predecessor debuted at.

Honestly, it's the first Palm model in too long that can compete price-wise with the latest Pocket PCs.

The Bottom Line

If you already have a T5, and you don't need WiFi, then this model isn't for you.

But if you're one of the millions who have bought a Tungsten E, E2, or any of the Zire models and want to step up to a more serious handheld, then the Palm TX is what you've been waiting for.

High-end features at a mid-range price. That's the Palm TX.

[jjesusfreak01]

I've officially decided to NOT get the T|X. After reading about the battery life not being that great especially for a device with 1400mah is kinda rediculous. At least in my POV. I know underclocking is an option but after forcing myself to write in Graffiti mode only on my UX, I experienced a great difficulty. I've decided to keep using my WiFi-less UX. I just order a new battery for my UX (900mah one) and going to test it and give a review of it in the forums when I get it. :) I guess it was the hype that got me into the mood but when it comes down to it, I can't give up the keyboard. I might reconsider the Treo as well but for me to do something like that, I have to get either an iPod video (which should come out today) or something to hold my videos. Not considering the Treo 650 but possibly the Treo 700w or 700p.

JAmerican
I am still waiting for someone to test Dmitrys dynamic clocking app on it. Because it instantaneously clocks up and down as needed, it should boost the battery life incredibly. Thats just my guess though. We'll see.

[pruss]

I have some questions, in case anybody has one:

1. Does it have the DriveMode library, at least, even if it doesn't have the app? (The Simulator doesn't.) If it has the library, I have a beta test of MyInstall that would enable DriveMode.

2. Does the palmOne File Transfer program that comes with the T5 work with the TX?

3. Is there a good way to transfer files over WiFi? (I suppose one could set up a web server on one's PC and browse to it, but that's kludgy, no?)

4. What is the bus speed? (The bus speed is more important than the CPU speed for some applications, like video playback.)

[SonyStyle]

excellent pricing, it would be a hit. but..palm's R&D development shoudll consider a more "appealing" design. sony still wins! lol

[SuperSaiyan]

excellent pricing, it would be a hit. but..palm's R&D development shoudll consider a more "appealing" design. sony still wins! lol
Very true.
The price is the big winner here.
It's basically not a new Palm.....more a recycled one but cheaper - which is still good.
But the last Palm device that wowed me was my UX-50 which was swiped from my office last year....grrrrrrr :mad:
I may still grab one from ebay if Palm fails to impress this coming year.

[eccleshill]

Guys, guys, guys! What's with all the negativism? Let's not turn this into PIC.

I'm well aware that the Palm TX isn't an upgrade for the T5. It isn't meant to be, which is why it isn't called the T6, and why it costs much less than a T6 would have cost. If you want to upgrade your T5, take a look at the LifeDrive. (But wait until the ROM upgrade comes out.)

What this is is a handheld that provides most of the functionality of the T5, but at a significantly lower cost that its predecessor debuted at.

Honestly, it's the first Palm model in too long that can compete price-wise with the latest Pocket PCs.

The Bottom Line

If you already have a T5, and you don't need WiFi, then this model isn't for you.

But if you're one of the millions who have bought a Tungsten E, E2, or any of the Zire models and want to step up to a more serious handheld, then the Palm TX is what you've been waiting for.

High-end features at a mid-range price. That's the Palm TX.


Quite agree with you, Ed - but not with one point. Price (at least, in the UK). At today's exchange rate $299 = £170. Add 17.5% VAT (a tax we have to pay in the UK) and that takes it, near as dammit, to £200. But the Palm site has it at £250! In other words, close to $500!!! Would you consider that to be a fair price? To be honest, though I've been lusting after a Lifedrive (well over $600 in the UK!) I simply can't afford it, and the TX is cheaper. But I ain't buying till the price drops.

[jjesusfreak01]

I have some questions, in case anybody has one:

1. Does it have the DriveMode library, at least, even if it doesn't have the app? (The Simulator doesn't.) If it has the library, I have a beta test of MyInstall that would enable DriveMode.

2. Does the palmOne File Transfer program that comes with the T5 work with the TX?For 1 & 2, I have no idea.

3. Is there a good way to transfer files over WiFi? (I suppose one could set up a web server on one's PC and browse to it, but that's kludgy, no?)It comes with WiFile LT, or you can use Avvenu, which only allows one way transfer though.

4. What is the bus speed? (The bus speed is more important than the CPU speed for some applications, like video playback.)I could be wrong, but I dont imagine this is something they would skimp on, since, as you say, it is vital for certain apps.

On another note, I want to ask if it has the border blanking API that the LifeDrive has?

[Jonavin]

The Canadian price is $399. At today's exchange rates it's $50 too much compared to US prices. I might just pick one up in November when I'm in San Diego. The battery on my T665C is near death and I've been looking for an upgrade.

It's still missing proper alarm sounds and vibrating alerts but I guess I'll have to live without those. Hopefully a new DateBk5 will be released that's compatible with this model (if it isn't already).

I wonder how good the video (DivX) playback will be on this.

[pruss]

On another note, I want to ask if it has the border blanking API that the LifeDrive has?

As border blanking works on both LD and T5, it should work here...

[The Palmster]

The Canadian price is $399. At today's exchange rates it's $50 too much compared to US prices. I might just pick one up in November when I'm in San Diego.

If you're looking to match the exchange rate, try buying on-line at www.softmagic.ca. The Palm TX is selling for $345.00. That beats the exchange rate by $5.00.

Here is the direct url:

http://www.softmagic.ca/index.asp

Bought my T5 from Softmagic and all of my accessories. Never had any problems. Very reliable service and, eh, it's Canadian owned and operated.

[this_way_up]

has this got the same form factor as the T5?
ie, are current cases compatible?

[ziggy]

Quite agree with you, Ed - but not with one point. Price (at least, in the UK). At today's exchange rate $299 = £170. Add 17.5% VAT (a tax we have to pay in the UK) and that takes it, near as dammit, to £200. But the Palm site has it at £250! In other words, close to $500!!! Would you consider that to be a fair price? To be honest, though I've been lusting after a Lifedrive (well over $600 in the UK!) I simply can't afford it, and the TX is cheaper. But I ain't buying till the price drops.

The TX now is available through Dabs and Expansys for £215 (about $380). A bit better than Palm's own price, but still too expensive compared to the US.

[eccleshill]

The TX now is available through Dabs and Expansys for £215 (about $380). A bit better than Palm's own price, but still too expensive compared to the US.

Thanks, Ziggy. I'll check that out. Every little helps! :)

[Luminous]

Well, I mistakenly thought it was just those of us in the antipodes who got screwed by Palm's pricing, but reading some of the posts on this thread shows me otherwise. What I don't understand is why Palm does it. With comparative shopping requiring just a few clicks on a web browser, their gouging of international customers is very obvious to anyone who can use a calculator and it's really annoying. Since when has making your customers feel second-rate been good business?

I understand how a free market works and accept that I can try to shop around, but the fact remains that Palm chooses to OFFICIALLY gouge its international customers for no good reason. Charging US$50+ premiums is indefensible and does NOT reflect the cost of distributing their products around the world. Especially when nearly all product (whether sold in the US or anywhere else) originates in China!

I won't speak for other markets but I can tell you that despite the extra charge, Palm's agents in Australia and New Zealand add NO value to the products in either presentation or support!

[PatrickS]

If you're looking to match the exchange rate, try buying on-line at www.softmagic.ca (http://www.softmagic.ca). The Palm TX is selling for $345.00. That beats the exchange rate by $5.00. They don't have it yet, but when they do you can bet that www.cendirect.ca will beat out softmagic's price. Just take a look at the E2 which is currently at CAD$229 through cendirect.

[Luminous]

has this got the same form factor as the T5?
ie, are current cases compatible?

Yes - yay!

[aspidoras]

The TX is almost my dream device, however, for one glaring omission. The T5 has a program called Files which allows you to browse both the segmented internal RAM (which I know the TX does not have) and, if you have one, the SD card. You can then open .jpgs, Word and Excel files. I like this interface MUCH better than DocstoGo. But I cannot find anywhere that it is included.

Is there some freeware/shareware file-management-type program that will allow you to open Word and Excel files from its interface?


There is a much better app that every PalmOS user should have. It's Resco Explorer. Although its not freeware its only $14.95. It is a fantastic program as are all the Resco apps. http://www.resco.net/default.asp Another fantastic app is Resco Backup at $10. I also have Resco Viewer ($24.95) as its the only one I know that has animated GIF support.
Palm's be with you.
KevinN

[Gero]

Well, I mistakenly thought it was just those of us in the antipodes who got screwed by Palm's pricing, but reading some of the posts on this thread shows me otherwise. What I don't understand is why Palm does it. With comparative shopping requiring just a few clicks on a web browser, their gouging of international customers is very obvious to anyone who can use a calculator and it's really annoying. Since when has making your customers feel second-rate been good business?

I understand how a free market works and accept that I can try to shop around, but the fact remains that Palm chooses to OFFICIALLY gouge its international customers for no good reason. Charging US$50+ premiums is indefensible and does NOT reflect the cost of distributing their products around the world. Especially when nearly all product (whether sold in the US or anywhere else) originates in China!

I won't speak for other markets but I can tell you that despite the extra charge, Palm's agents in Australia and New Zealand add NO value to the products in either presentation or support!


Well in defence of palm and as a londoner living in the Uk ofcourse, i cant thjink of a single US produce that is the same price in the UK as in the US.

I boughta miniipod in the states last year for $200 .. at the time that was roughly £100 , yet in the Uk at the same time, the mini ipod was £179.99

i dont ever remeber an electronics produce in the uk for the same price as the US... so i guess palm is no different from anyone else.. i think its simply economics.. and i think the more competitive marklet of the US. Although the exchange rate is around $2 to the pound sterling, $200 gets you a hell of alot more in the states than £100 does here in the UK.

Gero