DrDrew
12-06-2003, 12:53 PM
Well it has arrived & I've had 3 weeks to play with it.,
I must say I really like my Zodiac. I have had a few problems though. First, I use an iQue for the GPS & at work. Unfortunately the Zodiac Desktop installer will not allow it to co- reside with the iQue desktop. Once I installed the Zodiac, my iQue turned up as an unrecognized device. If I re intalled the iQue the Zodiac was no longer recognized. Even if I inserted my supplied CD ROM in an attempt to install new hardware it didn't work. For me this is a major issue as I need my laptop, desktop & both Palms synchronized. There was no problem when I tried it with a zire71 & Tungsten C.
Cleanup & uninstall manager both resulted in fatal errors & crashes requiing hard resets. SuperUtility seems fine. (I have the most recent versions of all 3) A freeware game Hunter Minesweeper & Archon both also caused fatal resets. Archon is probably not OS5 optimized.
All other commercial OS5 software has run fine.
The graphics are fast & amazing the graphics processor is certainly doing its job!
Ergonomics are first rate - especially for gaming. The home screen is simple and easy although I wish it had options to put games located on my card on the main screen. Instead I have to go to a card sub menu to select the games. Not bad but an extra step & not all games are in the same place.
Overall - a great Palm OS device. With 128MB ram & the graphics processor it is the most powerful out there. Design is wonderful & the horizontal screen layout is the way to go. The speakers actually work. I've had some software issues - but not with any major commercial OS5 programs. The desktop installer which refuses to recognize my iQue is the biggest issue right now & unfortunately their customer support hasn't been very helpful (courteous yes - helpful no)
Is it a keeper? Absolutely yes! Is it my favorite Palm device - yes! That comes from previously owning a Sony nz-90, Tungsten C, Garmin iQue & Palm Zire71 (my son's). No single device is best at everything. The ability to have desktop compatability between multiple devices is a must & hopefully that will be remedied!
I must say I really like my Zodiac. I have had a few problems though. First, I use an iQue for the GPS & at work. Unfortunately the Zodiac Desktop installer will not allow it to co- reside with the iQue desktop. Once I installed the Zodiac, my iQue turned up as an unrecognized device. If I re intalled the iQue the Zodiac was no longer recognized. Even if I inserted my supplied CD ROM in an attempt to install new hardware it didn't work. For me this is a major issue as I need my laptop, desktop & both Palms synchronized. There was no problem when I tried it with a zire71 & Tungsten C.
Cleanup & uninstall manager both resulted in fatal errors & crashes requiing hard resets. SuperUtility seems fine. (I have the most recent versions of all 3) A freeware game Hunter Minesweeper & Archon both also caused fatal resets. Archon is probably not OS5 optimized.
All other commercial OS5 software has run fine.
The graphics are fast & amazing the graphics processor is certainly doing its job!
Ergonomics are first rate - especially for gaming. The home screen is simple and easy although I wish it had options to put games located on my card on the main screen. Instead I have to go to a card sub menu to select the games. Not bad but an extra step & not all games are in the same place.
Overall - a great Palm OS device. With 128MB ram & the graphics processor it is the most powerful out there. Design is wonderful & the horizontal screen layout is the way to go. The speakers actually work. I've had some software issues - but not with any major commercial OS5 programs. The desktop installer which refuses to recognize my iQue is the biggest issue right now & unfortunately their customer support hasn't been very helpful (courteous yes - helpful no)
Is it a keeper? Absolutely yes! Is it my favorite Palm device - yes! That comes from previously owning a Sony nz-90, Tungsten C, Garmin iQue & Palm Zire71 (my son's). No single device is best at everything. The ability to have desktop compatability between multiple devices is a must & hopefully that will be remedied!