Please help - Question about Z72 - Never owned a PDA before

[mcuna7]

I have never owned a PDA, but plan to buy one soon. Overall, I really like the Z72; however, I have a couple of concerns.

First, I know that the battery is not replaceable. Should I be concerned about this?

I wish it would do portrait/landscape, but I know it can't.

The voice recorder seems nice. I tried one in the store and the speaker seemed pretty loud. How long of a voice "memo" can you record? What format is it in? Can you put it on the computer and then save it on a CD in a format where you could play it just by putting it in a CD player?

I know it does not have built-in wi-fi. I'm not sure how much I would use wi-fi anyway, but I know you can buy a $129 card to do that, but that it takes up the card slot. - Do you use wi-fi much? It'd be a pretty small screen. I can't imagine trying to use that for anything except MAYBE IM, but you can do that on cell phones pretty well.

It seems very user friendly so far, from my visits to test the display in Office Depot. I like the buttons along the bottom -- and I understand that you can re-program them.

What about tech support? What about repairs? What about the battery?

Does the unit feel good in your hand?

I like the T5, but it does not have a voice recorder.

A lot of questions, I know.

Thank you in advance!

All help is greatly appreciated!!

[vmark]

Originally posted by mcuna7
First, I know that the battery is not replaceable. Should I be concerned about this?

The battery is replaceable, but the procedure isn't for the faint of heart. It involves disassembling the Zire and replacing it with a compatable battery you can order from different sites on the web. The answer you probably want is that in most cases the battery will probably outlive your use of the PDA. The key with Lithium Ion batteries as used in the Zire 72 is to top off the charge frequently and try to avoid letting it drain all the way before charging which is the custom for older Nickel Cadmium batteries.

The voice recorder seems nice. I tried one in the store and the speaker seemed pretty loud. How long of a voice "memo" can you record? What format is it in? Can you put it on the computer and then save it on a CD in a format where you could play it just by putting it in a CD player?

The voice recorder saves to WAV file format, you can import these to most any CD burning application to burn CD-Audio discs compatable with any player.

I know it does not have built-in wi-fi. I'm not sure how much I would use wi-fi anyway, but I know you can buy a $129 card to do that, but that it takes up the card slot. - Do you use wi-fi much? It'd be a pretty small screen. I can't imagine trying to use that for anything except MAYBE IM, but you can do that on cell phones pretty well.

I recently got the Wi-Fi card. While it's not what I'd call "infinitely useful" it has come in handy on a few occaisions and I've only had it for two weeks. The built-in browser works well enough to check movie listings, online prices etc at most sites.

It seems very user friendly so far, from my visits to test the display in Office Depot. I like the buttons along the bottom -- and I understand that you can re-program them.

Definitely. You can reprogram all 4 buttons on the bottom, as well as the Voice Memo button on the side and the Star shaped "button" in the silkscreen area. They can all be set to run any installed program you want.

What about tech support? What about repairs? What about the battery?

Thankfully I haven't had to take advantage of tech support yet. I've heard some stories that it's not that great. Hopefully I won't have to find out. As for the battery, palmOne will probably replace it under warranty, or for a fee out of warranty. I know if it becomes an issue for me, I'll probably go the DIY route.

Does the unit feel good in your hand?

It has a satisfying solid weighty feel to it for it's size. You should be able to determine this at Office Depot's demo area.

I'm glad I got the Zire 72 (even better that I received as a gift). I recently "had to" peel all the blue coating off of it since it was starting to flake off in a few areas. Underneath you'll find a very nice brushed aluminum finish similar to the area around the bottom buttons. If you can, I'd advise getting the newer Zire 72s which comes without the blue because even the newer paint seems to have problems (I got mine this past Christmas).

[mcuna7]

Do you find that most pictures fit on the screen without looking too "squished"? My impression from looking at the store model is that as long as it's just 2-3 people, it is pretty good.

Anyone think the T5 would be worth the extra money?

[StevenColorado]

If you don't need the camera, I'd recommend looking into the Tungsten T2, if you can find one for sale.

[mcuna7]

Thanks to everyone who has responded. I placed my order on the Internet yesterday. I can't wait for the Z72 to get here.

I have been told that PDA batteries need to be "conditioned." I'm not sure what this is. How long should the inital charge be before use? I don't want to do anything wrong.

Also, I had thought I should buy some screen protectors. However, I have read a couple of things online from people saying that they could not find screen protectors to fit the Z72 and that screen protectors can actually DAMAGE the Z72, especially if not done "just so."

These two issues concern me.

If anyone has any help on these matters, that would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!

[Dick Tracy]

Welcome to Brighthand mcuna7 and congratulations on your purchase.

If you follow the directions that come with your new handheld you will have no problems. The initial charge takes about three hours. This is the perfect time to install the Palm Desktop, visit the PalmOne website and download any software updates for your model, and to read the Handbook. If you use Windows 2000 or XP, here are some tips: be sure you have disabled the Windows firewall and any anti-virus software when installing the Desktop. If you share your computer with someone, be sure your Windows User has administrative priveleges and don't use Switch User as it doesn't play well with the Desktop software. We'll look forward to your questions about what software to get.

As far as screen ptotectors go, the better ones are removable and washable and do not leave adhesive residue on your screen when you change them. Of the better ones, the most frequently mentioned are Martin Fields, Boxwave and Brando. You'll have to decide if you want anti-glare or crystal clear ones. I'd recommend anti-glare if you expect to use your handheld often while outside.

A couple more tips: sync frequently, keep your battery charged, get a case, and think about backup software if you plan to have a lot of data on your SD card.

Enjoy!

[mcuna7]

Regarding:
<<If you use Windows 2000 or XP, here are some tips: be sure you have disabled the Windows firewall and any anti-virus software when installing the Desktop. If you share your computer with someone, be sure your Windows User has administrative priveleges and don't use Switch User as it doesn't play well with the Desktop software. >>

I have cable DSL Internet and I think there is a firewall installed. I really don't know anything about it. The cable people came and set it all up. - They said it was important, though.

Running Windows ME.

Thanks.

[Dick Tracy]

Ok, you don't have the Microsoft Firewall that came with XP Service Pack 2, which has been known to cause problems. A hardware firewall will not interfere with the software installation; I've had one for years. You're good to go.

[vmark]

Just want to mention this here while it's on topic.

Unlike previous rechargeable battery technologies, Lithium Ion (as used in the Zire 72 and many other recent portable electronics) batteries function better and last much longer if you don't allow them to drain all the way before charging them.

They will last much longer if they are just "topped up" daily since they don't suffer from the oft disputed "memory effect" of Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cad) batteries.