Used Vx or New Zire 21?

[Pekoe]

I'm looking on EBay for a PDA under $50. I had a Vx and liked it. What are the reasons to buy a used Vx or New Zire? They show up around the same price on EBay.

I understand the risk of buying used - I'm more interested in the functionality, such benefits of newer OS, etc.

Thanks

Barry

[JohnKes]

Vx:
You can upgrade to OS3.5 for free. Most Palm programs can use 3.5 No need for OS4.1 because there is no memory card slot in a Vx. Lots of accessories for cheap.

Battery will be old. You might have to spend another $40 for a new one. Replacement is tedious if you do it yourself.

Zire21:
USB sync can be set to 115kbps, if not faster!

Some programs won't run on OS5 :( Fewer buttons - not as convenient. No backlight!

I would look a bit higher $ for a Palm m500. It has all the advantages listed above and none of the disadvantages. Plus it has a card slot.

[velo500user]

I actually thought this might have my post when I saw it. I had the same Q's.

I got a Zire 31 on sale for $50 at RShack. I'm much happier with it for $50 than
I was with my free Vx.
Some reasons:

1. Long battery life
2. USB charges battery / fast connection / simpler
3. Color screen albeit limited in its ability to show a great quality image.
4. Color screen is much nicer to work with and the colors actually speed your
computing time at least for me.
5. Faster processor - it has it's advantages :
A. The shortcuts when typing . I have over 200 scuts. The fast CPU helps to sort them and save them. Otherwise instead of 3 seconds to sort it might be 20 seconds.
B. Runs more programs (probably I don't know for sure)
C. That's all I can think of for advantages of faster processor. I'm only typing afterall. But the faster CPU DOES make recognition faster too. THat speeds typing when using
graffitti.

So for $50 I'm very very happy.

TIP:

I found the stylus scratched the screen no matter how much I tried to protect it.
Although I did not use a cover on the screen. (protector).

I ended up using Novus cleaner #1 and polish #2 when it got very bad for scratches.
The scratches cause the screen to be unresponsive to recognition. That's bad because
you push harder and harder then it gets worse.

My advice spend a few $$ and get Novus #1 and use it to keep screen squeaky clean.
Alcohol won't do the same thing. And you'll notice very much improved response.
It can't be worse than a scratched screen. If you plan to use the graffitti a lot and
the Zire a lot then buy Novus #2 also. you'll be needing it.

Tip 2 : Harbor Freight for $8 has a rotary tool that will polish the screen's scratches
out much faster than hand. by hand I spend 2 hours and didn't get as far as I did
in 10 minutes. Plus the results were better.

Tip 3: They say at Palm that the screen is hard coated and not to use a polish / scratch remover. But after the scratches happen what can you do? The response
gets to bad you HAVE to do something. Perhpas just Novus #1 is enough. I
went for removing the scratches too. Although I did see some swirls in the other
parts of the screen where the Novus 2 had cut through the hard coating in places
that were 'OK'. But it's almost like the screen is a disposable...

Tip 4: The problem is the stylus. When I started using a pen that is made from vinyl
the scratching problem went away. Although I do still get great results with Novus 1.
The pen I used is a

Sanford Uniball - colored pen (red, green, purple) The edge of the cap or the body
is very very soft and does not scratch.

Tip 6?: Don't lick or suck on the stylus and then use it. I found that a wet stylus
WILL SCRATCH the screen almost immediately. That's the one from Palm V and Zire.
So I dunno why. It just does.

Andre