Chances are you don't carry a digital camera with you on a daily basis, but your PDA? Yes. What if you happen to find the perfect site for your new business or see your favorite celebrity walking down the street but have no way to document it? We have a solution: handhelds with built-in cameras. While these devices will never replace your standalone digicam or camcorder, they're great for quick snapshots to e-mail to friends and family or to use as a digital photo album. Here are five handhelds that will have you happily clicking away.
Handheld PDA palmOne Zire 72
As the popular Zire 71 goes into retirement, the Zire 72 is here to take its place. Boasting more memory and a faster processor, the PalmOne Zire 72 also lets you take photos and videos, connect to devices via Bluetooth, listen to music, and watch videos. Its eye-catching blue design and its multimedia capabilities will appeal to young professionals who want a device that can get the work done but still leaves room for fun. However, if you're looking for a product with a more business-oriented agenda, the $300 Zire faces tough competition from the Sony CLIE PEG-TJ37, which offers similar features (integrated camera, video and audio playback) and includes Wi-Fi.
Handheld PDA palmOne Zire 72
PalmOne revamped the look and feel of the Zire, giving it a bit of flash with its electric blue color. And forgoing the plastic casing of models past, the Zire 72 comes sheathed in a soft, rubbery material that feels like it could endure some rough treatment. However, if you don't want the color to scratch off, store the device in its case. The Zire 72 has a different look than the TJ37, which is enclosed in a more traditional and businesslike silver-metallic shell. Still, the Zire feels sturdy in your hands, and it's compact and light (4.6 by 2.9 by 0.7 inches, 4.8 ounces), especially for a PDA with a built-in camera.
The Zire sports a beautiful, 320x320-pixel, transflective 65,000-color display. Just beneath the screen lies the five-way directional keypad with a center select button and four shortcut keys to the Calendar and Contacts apps, as well as the camera and the RealOne audio player; you can, however, customize these shortcut controls to launch different apps. Though the design isn't anything revolutionary, we felt comfortable using the device one-handed.
The compact Zire gets flashy with its electric blue casing. |
The Zire's camera is built into the back of the device, where it (along with the expansion slot) adds a bit of bulk to the top of the handheld. Unlike the TJ37 and the Zire 71, the 72 doesn't include a protective cover for the camera lens. Even though the lens is recessed into the device, we're concerned it will get scratched or damaged over time if the cover isn't in place. Also on the back of the Zire is the unit's speaker, which actually surrounds the lens, and a small Reset hole.
The rest of the design is fairly standard. The bottom of the device houses the USB cable and power adapter ports, while a lone voice-record button occupies the left side. Rounding out the Zire's layout are the expansion slot for SDIO/MMC media, the power button, and a stereo jack that accepts Walkman-style headphones, all located on the top. We have one complaint about the expansion slot, however. Like the zira, the Zire 72 has a slot that is deeply recessed into the top of the unit; we found it difficult to insert and remove the memory card.
Take cover. Protect your Zire with the included carrying case. |
The Zire 72 comes with a protective carrying case, but we were disappointed that PalmOne excluded the desktop cradle that came bundled with the 71. At posting time, the company had not made a decision on whether it would offer a desktop cradle for separate purchase. Also, the rechargeable lithium-ion battery is not user replaceable. 
Handheld PDA palmOne Zire 72 Features
Compared to the Zire 71, the Zire 72 runs on a faster 312MHz Intel PXA270 processor, and it has twice the memory, for a total of 32MB (24MB of which are user-accessible). But perhaps the most noteworthy addition to the 72 is the integration of Bluetooth. With this technology, you can engage in short-range communication (around 30 feet) with Bluetooth-enabled devices, such as computers, phones, and printers; surf the Web (requires ISP account); share files; and more. PalmOne even includes some useful Bluetooth utilities. For example, if you have a supported Bluetooth phone with GSM/GPRS service, you can use the dialer function to access numbers straight from your Contacts page, and the PalmOne Messages app allows you to view and send text and multimedia messages. Note: Check the included documentation for compatible phones or download more phone drivers from PalmOne's Web site.
The Zire 72's 1.2-megapixel camera with 2X zoom takes pictures in four different resolutions, from 160x120 up to 1,280x960; in comparison, the TJ37 has only a 310,000-pixel camera with 2X zoom. The Zire 72 holds up to 83 highest-resolution photos, though you can always transfer the shots to a memory card. You'll also find settings for lighting, and you can add special effects such as sepia, black and white, and blue tones. You won't get the same image quality as found on a dedicated digital camera, but the Zire is good for quick snapshots to view on the handheld or to e-mail. You can also switch the camera to video mode and record short clips with audio. Again, it's by no means a replacement for a camcorder, but if you're in a pinch and want to record a scene on the spot, the Zire provides that option. And you'll definitely want to invest in a memory card, as video takes up roughly 2MB of storage per minute of video.
The Zire 72 runs the latest Palm OS 5.2.8 with all the usual PIM apps. We're glad to see that PalmOne updated the Address Book and Schedule apps to the newer Contacts and Calendar, which contain enhanced features and sync better with Microsoft Outlook. The company also throws in a number of other software programs--way more than the TJ37's basic package. You get DataViz's Documents To Go for creating and editing native Microsoft Word and Excel files; VersaMail 2.7 for sending and receiving e-mail; and Adobe Acrobat Reader. But you can't have all work and no play; the Zire comes with Palm Reader so that you can listen to audiobooks (requires separate subscription), as well as RealOne Player and Solitaire.
Handheld PDA palmOne Zire 72 Performance
Armed with the 312MHz Intel PXA270 processor, the Zire 72 enjoys slick operation. In contrast, we encountered delays and "please wait" messages when switching between apps on the TJ37. The new Intel processor also features technology for enhanced multimedia performance; thus, videos ran smoothly, and MP3 playback was impressive, with clear sound and volume, even in noisy environments.
In CNET Labs' tests, we looped a clip using Kinoma Video player and set the screen at 50 percent brightness. The battery ran out of steam after 3 hours, which is slightly better than the TJ37's numbers. PalmOne says the Zire 72 should last about 5 hours with continuous MP3 playback, and our tests found this to be true, with the battery expiring after 4 hours, 40 minutes. With normal use, the Zire should last about a week before needing a recharge, according to the company.
Using Bluetooth, we were able to connect to a Bluetooth-enabled Pocket PC and seamlessly beam data. You'll also find the convenient Bluetooth Manager utility, which lets you turn Bluetooth on or off, set up devices, and connect to network service, all on one screen.
The Zire 72 took decent photos. Indoor shots came out sharp and fairly well lit, but outdoor pictures looked washed out at times. The picture quality deteriorated with video clips; images appeared pixelated, especially when there was lots of movement in the scene, but again, this PDA isn't meant to be a replacement for a video camera. For viewing photos and other apps, the Zire's screen was a standout. It produced bright and sharp images, and it performed well in sunlight. There's no debate that the 72 takes the prize in this category compared to the TJ37, which also displayed sharp images but suffered from a particularly dim screen.
Editors' rating: handhelds
We rate handhelds on a scale of 0.0 through 10.0 (see "What the numbers mean" below). The editors calculate the overall rating from a series of subratings, on a scale of 1 to 10, that gauge key aspects of the product. Each subrating is weighted based on its relative importance. For example, a handheld's performance score counts less than its design score.
The rating criteria with the weightings by class are:
Design
(45 percent of the total rating)
This criterion covers the look and feel of the handheld as well as ease of operation. We consider the size, weight, and shape of the device. We look for intuitive layout of buttons and examine the ease of use of any keyboard or cradle that is included. We also take into account ergonomics, how cool it looks, and how well the implementation achieves its implicit design goals. An uninspiring but functional design will rate a 5. An especially small or lightweight handheld will earn a higher rating.
Features
(35 percent of the total rating)
We rate a handheld's feature set relative to its competitors, looking for that perfect combination of capabilities that matches its users needs. We consider factors such as processor, RAM, and expansion slots. A product that provides just a basic electronic organizer functions will rate a 5. Products with wireless connectivity, abundant software packages, or other, more advanced features will earn a higher rating.
Performance
(20 percent of the total rating)
We evaluate the performance of a handheld in comparison to similar handhelds. We also evaluate battery performance and the quality of the display under varied lighting conditions. A handheld that can perform basic organizing tasks seamlessly will rate a 5. Devices that can perform more sophisticated operations seamlessly will earn higher scores.
What the numbers mean
10.0 (Perfect):
This exceedingly rare score is reserved for a product that is as perfect as it could be. A product that receives this rating could not be reasonably improved upon in any meaningful way. We unequivocally recommend products that score a 10.
9.0 to 9.9 (Excellent):
A product that receives a rating in this range scores high on all of its rating criteria. It succeeds at meeting all of its intended users' needs and has no meaningful drawbacks. It would be difficult, though not impossible, to improve upon a product that scores in this range.
8.0 to 8.9 (Very good):
A product that receives a rating in this range is superior in so many ways that its relatively few drawbacks are not very important.
7.0 to 7.9 (Good):
While the strengths of a product scoring in this range certainly outweigh its weaknesses, it has some faults that certain users should be aware of.
6.0 to 6.9 (Fair):
This range represents a product that is dead average for its market. Its strengths and weaknesses balance each other out, making it adequate for most uses but not a standout. If you can find it at an extremely low price, it may well be worth purchasing, but be on the lookout for a better product.
5.0 to 5.9 (Mediocre):
A product that scores in this range is merely average in the negative sense--in other words, mediocre. These products tend to have enough weaknesses to dampen their strengths. A much better product probably exists in its category, so you should consider others first.
4.0 to 4.9 (Poor):
Products that just don't work well tend to fall into this range. While they may have some positive qualities, the overall package simply lacks the cohesive quality that makes other products successful.
3.0 to 3.9 (Very poor):
You probably should not consider a product in this range or lower. It has few positive qualities, if any, and its weaknesses outweigh them.
2.0 to 2.9 (Terrible):
A product that receives a rating in this range scores low on all of its rating criteria. It does not satisfy any of its intended users' needs and has no meaningful strengths. It would be difficult, though not impossible, to find a worse product in its category.
1.0 to 1.9 (Abysmal):
A product in this range would have virtually no effective or fully functional features. The rare product that falls into this bottom-of-the-barrel range has no redeeming qualities at all.
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