akwarner
06-17-2003, 09:14 AM
I've been using Sony Cliés for the last couple years as upgrades to my trusty m500 and before that a V. I've been trying to figure out what unit I will use to upgrade from my T665c. I looked at Sony's TG50 when it came out but its keyboard didn't do it for me. I figured I just didn't like keyboards. However I took a chance and looked at the Tungsten C when it came out and I think they got (the keyboard at least) it better than Sony did. I liked it enough in the store to purchase one and take it home for a more thorough evaluation. While I love the advances it offers, it has some annoying things that I cannot seem to get past.
I think most everyone here knows of the major "perceived" issues with the Tungsten C. The headphone jack is mono and is the "wrong" size, and there is no built in mic for voice recording. After playing with it for some time I was ready to forgive those issues but I cannot get past the very annoying pop that keeps coming out of the speaker at various random (but frequent) times. The screen, speed and RAM are unsurpassed. The WiFi is stunning. However unless this issue is resolved I cannot stick with the unit.
I've read on here and other places that newer units have addressed the issue so I figured that I would try to get a more recent unit and see if that addressed the issue to my satisfaction. I picked up a second unit yesterday from a different store and it had an insert in the memory card slot. My first unit didn't have one of those and I had heard that the inclusion of one of those is possibly an indicator of a more recent unit in which the pop issue has been fixed. I charged it up and got ready to be impressed. Unfortunately while this unit does seem to not have the pop issue, it has another annoying issue.
While I was playing with the second unit and listening intently for any signs of pops, I didn't hear any but instead heard a high pitched whine coming from the screen. My first unit did not have a whine from the screen but makes the pops, and now this one doesn't pop but the screen whines. Maybe the third time's the charm but I don't really enjoy buying and returning units over and over again and I figure the stores will get tired of my doing so at some point.
The second unit also does not seem to connect to check e-mail via my WiFi network as consistantly as the first unit does. Now that may have to do with my having done a restore to the second unit of the first unit's programs and data. Installing everything from scratch may resolve that issue but it sort of negates the idea of having a full backup on a memory card that I can restore if I have a problem.
I really like the idea of the Tungsten C. It has made me a believer in the fact that I can happily use a PDA with a keyboard. It has gotten me over my bias against plastic bodied units. It got me to accept its larger than the T665c body. It did all of this with the tremendous leaps forward in capability with three and a half times as much useable RAM (51MB vs 14MB), brighter and easier to read screen, better battery life (albeit from a large battery), excellent ability to check e-mail and to do a limited amount of Web surfing via my WiFi wireless network, great capability to wirelessly Hotsync back to my main machine, the tremendous boost in speed of processing and speed of access to the memory card, and the excellent software bundle that Palm has included with Versamail, Web Browser, WorldMate, Solitaire, Documents To Go Professional, Power One Personal, and Kinoma Player. I desperately want to keep this PDA and have it become my primary machine. However I don't want to have to deal with whines or pops.
I may try one more time to get a unit that doesn't have a screen that whines or a speaker that pops. If I am successful, Palm will have succeeded in regaining a customer from Sony. If not, I will have to stick with my T665c and wait until Sony (or whoever) comes out with their competing product. It is a shame for Palm to squander this lead that they have. The Tungsten C had the potential to put them back on top. It is that superior a unit to anything else currently out there. However until Palm can truly address the outstanding whine and pop issues, I cannot give it an unfettered recommendation.
For those who might be interested, my first unit was manufactured on 4/01/03 and the second on 5/14/03.
A.
I think most everyone here knows of the major "perceived" issues with the Tungsten C. The headphone jack is mono and is the "wrong" size, and there is no built in mic for voice recording. After playing with it for some time I was ready to forgive those issues but I cannot get past the very annoying pop that keeps coming out of the speaker at various random (but frequent) times. The screen, speed and RAM are unsurpassed. The WiFi is stunning. However unless this issue is resolved I cannot stick with the unit.
I've read on here and other places that newer units have addressed the issue so I figured that I would try to get a more recent unit and see if that addressed the issue to my satisfaction. I picked up a second unit yesterday from a different store and it had an insert in the memory card slot. My first unit didn't have one of those and I had heard that the inclusion of one of those is possibly an indicator of a more recent unit in which the pop issue has been fixed. I charged it up and got ready to be impressed. Unfortunately while this unit does seem to not have the pop issue, it has another annoying issue.
While I was playing with the second unit and listening intently for any signs of pops, I didn't hear any but instead heard a high pitched whine coming from the screen. My first unit did not have a whine from the screen but makes the pops, and now this one doesn't pop but the screen whines. Maybe the third time's the charm but I don't really enjoy buying and returning units over and over again and I figure the stores will get tired of my doing so at some point.
The second unit also does not seem to connect to check e-mail via my WiFi network as consistantly as the first unit does. Now that may have to do with my having done a restore to the second unit of the first unit's programs and data. Installing everything from scratch may resolve that issue but it sort of negates the idea of having a full backup on a memory card that I can restore if I have a problem.
I really like the idea of the Tungsten C. It has made me a believer in the fact that I can happily use a PDA with a keyboard. It has gotten me over my bias against plastic bodied units. It got me to accept its larger than the T665c body. It did all of this with the tremendous leaps forward in capability with three and a half times as much useable RAM (51MB vs 14MB), brighter and easier to read screen, better battery life (albeit from a large battery), excellent ability to check e-mail and to do a limited amount of Web surfing via my WiFi wireless network, great capability to wirelessly Hotsync back to my main machine, the tremendous boost in speed of processing and speed of access to the memory card, and the excellent software bundle that Palm has included with Versamail, Web Browser, WorldMate, Solitaire, Documents To Go Professional, Power One Personal, and Kinoma Player. I desperately want to keep this PDA and have it become my primary machine. However I don't want to have to deal with whines or pops.
I may try one more time to get a unit that doesn't have a screen that whines or a speaker that pops. If I am successful, Palm will have succeeded in regaining a customer from Sony. If not, I will have to stick with my T665c and wait until Sony (or whoever) comes out with their competing product. It is a shame for Palm to squander this lead that they have. The Tungsten C had the potential to put them back on top. It is that superior a unit to anything else currently out there. However until Palm can truly address the outstanding whine and pop issues, I cannot give it an unfettered recommendation.
For those who might be interested, my first unit was manufactured on 4/01/03 and the second on 5/14/03.
A.