Palm Tungsten E: for those who like to count money

If you've ever traveled by plane, you probably know that the most expensive seats in first class, and the cheapest - in the economy (charter flights I did not take into account:). You need an exquisite dinner or drinks during the flight, and you're willing to pay for it - perhaps in the first class, and if you have more modest needs - your place in the economy class. There service is worse, and the menu is not as varied as in the first, but is not the case. The main thing is that you, as well as first class passengers, flying on the same plane and, finally, safely reach their destination. Likewise is the case with handhelds. The company makes different Palm PDAs. For those who want a faster processor, more memory and wireless communication interface is the Tungsten T3 (TT3), for the more modest needs - cost-effective solution - Tungsten E (hereinafter - TE). But the "budget" does not mean bad. Remember about the plane? The main thing that you fly:)

Design

Cost-effective solution series Tungsten, PDA with index E, unlike its more expensive counterparts does not have overtaken the gate and looks a lot like PDAs Palm 500 series. Remember the 505 and 515 models? Only the style of a modern - smooth lines and no sharp corners.
Palm Tungsten E: for those who like to count money
Housing new items made of silver material and feels very much like aluminum. However, I have a great suspicion that, as a composite material of plastic stands, however, a very high quality and durable. But that inserts on the upper and lower ends of the casing are made of plastic, no doubt. The dimensions of this handheld little more than everyone else in the series Tungsten - 115mm long and 79mm in width, but the thickness of the smallest in the family - just 12.7mm. Weight in this case is 131g. Just as computers are 500-series machine sits in your hand as poured, although slightly worse than the T2 or T3. On the front panel, directly below the display is a physical area of ​​graffiti. And just below it four application buttons and a navigation key, is almost the same as the T3, just a little smaller and pokvadratney.
Palm Tungsten E: for those who like to count money
On the top panel is a slot for SD / MMC card with support for SDIO, so you can use peripherals that format.
Palm Tungsten E: for those who like to count money
There is also the IR port, headphone jack and power button. At the ends of the PDA is not placed in any government. On the right side by "integrated stylus holder, and the left - to mount a protective cover.
Palm Tungsten E: for those who like to count money
Perot Tungsten E, unlike other PDA stylus in this series is not telescopic (sliding) design and a little shorter. Its upper part unscrew it, and underneath is a thin plastic needle to press the reset button, which can be found on the rear panel. There's also placed the speaker.
Palm Tungsten E: for those who like to count money
Hole for the reset button could be done and more. It is clear that during normal use need to overload does not occur too often, however, during testing, is fraught with all sorts of surprises, the procedure of untwisting / twisting of the stylus is tiring.
Palm Tungsten E: for those who like to count money
Protective removable cover that covers the screen news, obviously borrowed from the good-old models of the 500-series. Just made it in black and gray in tone with the body. Actually, you should recognize that the Tungsten E has inherited much from the legendary "ancestors". However, there was his "relationship" with the later TT and TT2.
Palm Tungsten E: for those who like to count money
Palm Tungsten E: for those who like to count money
But such a permanent attribute of Palm-like computers Universal Palm Connector can not look - it really is not. Stead TE cnabzhen connector standard mini-USB, as well as a port for connecting a network adapter. Cheated model and cradle. True, to worry about it not particularly worthwhile. Although those for whom the TE will not be the first machine may periodically have a desire to "hot-Sinco to determine the CPC to" crib "...
Palm Tungsten E: for those who like to count money
This is the second computer is a family of Palm, which is equipped with standard USB-connector. The first was the Sony UX50. Likely to be caused by such a move savings. But it seems to me that here we can speak about the trend: vendors move to ordinary USB-connector, having forgotten about the special Palm or Sony connectors. Decision is likely correct, a PDA - it is the same external device, camera and peripherals can be connected via USB and wirelessly. Only here the wireless interface (besides the usual infrared, of course) from Tungsten E, because of its budget, no.
Palm Tungsten E: for those who like to count money
Most convincingly about the "social class," says packing CCP, which is a plastic blister, like the first Zire - camyh inexpensive handhelds in PDA history. The package includes TE AC adapter, USB cable, 2 CD ROM with software for both Mac and Windows, the protective cap and paper description.

Iron

Processor

Budget model - the budget processor. True, not Motorola, but one of a family of Texas Instruments - OMAP 311 clocked at 126MGts.

Memory

Computer is equipped with 32MB SDRAM-memory, from which the user is available only 28.8 MB. Increase may be due to SD-card format, which supports the Tungsten E.

Display

Y TE beautiful high-contrast display with transflective backlit. Others seem to already do.According to the magazine "Consumer: computers and software, which has developed a special, original method of measuring the quality of displays, handheld computers, the maximum brightness of the matrix Tungsten E was 86.5 cd/m2. This is 10% brighter than the recently tested T3. For comparison, the closest in brightness to the Tungsten E are the HP iPAQ h1945 and Sony PEG-NZ90. This is certainly commendable that the display of the budget Palm'a such as bright as that of supernavorochennoy Conki, but it is not clear why. In fact, the brighter the display, the less battery life, and this PDA is created in order to work, work and work ... As with all the latest models from Palm, backlit display our hero does not turn off. Her minimum level of brightness quite high - 21.5 cd/m2 (= Rover PC P3). This level is quite enough for comfortable operation in any ambient light. The display provides high contrast image, as in the office or on public transport or on the street. Typically, a transflective display with the work on the street, the situation is not very good, but Tungsten E in this regard was a pleasant exception - a contrast with the strong sunlight of about 3.5, which is even better than the TT3. Yes, yes, the display Tungsten E is more suitable for outdoor use than the matrix naneshney flagship model. And it is frankly happy:)
Palm Tungsten E: for those who like to count money
The brightness changes in 16 "steps."

Multimedia

Microphone in our guinea unavailable. Of all the multimedia widgets, there is only a headphone jack, but mono speaker on the rear panel. The speaker is, frankly, so-so, aesthetes immediately recommended to buy headphones. Included software has a player Kinoma Player 2.0, and RealOne MP3 Player, so listen to music and watch video on a typewriter can be.

Keypad Lock

Palm Tungsten E: for those who like to count money
This PDA has a function key lock. About it, we talked in some detail in the review of T3. One has only to note that when the keypad is locked the display is switched off and the computer stops working. So no book to read or listen to music.

Communication capabilities

According to the communications part of the new computer does not cilen. Because the model budget, then about any Bluetooth or Wi-Fi adapters are not talking. And because the computer is denied and the Universal Palm Connector'a (palmovy modem is now not connected), the only way a wireless connection - it was a good slow-IR. Not a lot, but "what do you want for 30 cents":) However, the slot PDA that supports SDIO, you can connect a Bluetooth-module on the card, but it's going to cost some money.

Runtime

As is the case with TT3, it is impossible to understand the TE been charged or not. True, the situation is even worse than the T3. If he still has a no indicator, our hero is nothing like a trace. Understand the charges whether your computer can only turn the display back and look at the battery icon. A small recommendation - put the CPC on the night of charging. Then in the morning you just put it in his pocket ready to everything fresh TE. Real-time charging - about 2,5 hours. Battery life was measured by a standard technique in several modes: