PalmOne m130 Handheld

-Like others, I did a ton of research before buying it. I was mainly deciding b/w the Palm m130 and the Treo 90. I wasn't into all the MP3 player/ digital camera accessories that Sony offered. Treo 90 comes with 8MB more of internal memory, is smaller and has a larger screen, but I chose the m130 because I liked the way it felt in my hand, the long-lasting durability of Palm products in general (the quality of treo's and Handsprings is not very good from some people I heard from), and the construction of it, which seemed very sturdy (made of plastic, not metal or glass) and able to withstand an accidental drop, unlike most of the other PDA's out there. -The screen is very good, being able to show over 50,000 colors. Handspring Treo 90 can only show several thousand, so the m130 is good if you want to hold pictures. -One concern I had was that the m130 only had 8MB of internal memory. I'm in the medical field and being able to run drug databases and references is a must for me. I invested in a 128MB SD card (which is WAY more than you need) and most of my programs can be run off the card. Some programs, like Avant Go can't. From what I hear, most drug programs can run off the card, but some can't, like ePocrates. Others require a portion to be stored on the internal memory. But thus far, I still have plenty of space left on my internal memory, despite filling it with lots of programs. -All in all, it's really quite a fun toy to use. It's been really helpful with my work. With Avant Go, you can get all the latest movie listings, news, sports, etc with a quick HotSync. I also find that it fits nicely inside my coat or pant pocket. -If you don't want to spend an exhorbitant amount and still want a good, decent and durable color palm, go for the m130. If you hate Graffiti, get the Treo 90.... Pros and Cons of the m130 Pros: - good bang for the buck - fits nicely in hand - good color screen - durable design, Palm brand - internal battery that charges to full in less than 15 minutes - takes bluetooth, SD and Multimedia cards - nice hearty software bundle included - good battery life (I don't use the backlight) - nice, loud alarm to wake me up during my naps Cons: - only 8MB internal memory (thus I recommend getting card) - slightly smaller screen than other palms - slightly difficult to put into Sync holder, takes some practice Other issues: - Some reviewers write that the m130 is thicker than other palms. True, but my opinion is that it's designed so that you don't need to buy an extra case or holder to protect it. I know somebody with a Sony Clie who dropped his and now there's a permanent dent in it. Being thicker means it generally fits better into the hand, but not necessarily in your pocket. However, if you're a guy, I don't think this is much of an issue. For the ladies, I can see why having something small like the Treo would be more convenient. - Lack of Flash Rom. Not an issue, since Palm OS 5 won't work on anything other than the newest models (e.g. Tungsten) anyway. - Readability in outdoors. Some people gripe that with a lot of PDA's you can't read them in direct sunlight. Well, if you could, your PDA would need to suck up more juice to make the backlight stronger than the sunlight. For me, it's not an issue since I know I'd use it mainly in the hospital or at home. Hope this helps!!

I've never owned a PDA before but the Palm m130 is a very nice unit and works well. I use it everyday and think it's a wonderful tool to have around. One thing I really like is the ability to sync my MS Money 2003 (on my computer) with the m130 at a touch of a button...nice! So while on the road I can enter items purchased in the PDA and sync it with my computer when I get home. (update) I didn't realize if your battery was dead for any length of time you'd lose all of your downloaded programs. I had purchased several programs for my PDA on the Internet, downloaded them, used them for some time, but after my Palm sat around the house for a few months without use...poof! they're gone. So keep it charged or say goodbye to your after market software!

If you are thinking of buying this handheld, make sure you understand what you are getting. It is not top of the line anymore. It does not have a high-resolution (320x240) screen, a super-fast ARM processor, built-in wireless connectivity, and it cannot play MP3's or videos. If you want these features, take a look at the Tungsten models or the Zire 71. That being said, however, this handheld is simply the best in its price range. Indoors, the color screen is phenomenal and outdoors it is readable except in the most direct sunlight. The battery life is quite reasonable and the battery charges quickly. The m130 comes bundled with DataViz Documents To Go, for easy editing of Word and Excel documents on the go. DocsToGo also lets you view PowerPoint shows. There are hundreds of free games available for download, as well as both shareware (Liberty) and freeware (Phoinix) Game Boy emulators, which further expand the library of available games. If you ever *do* decide you want some more advanced features, many are available with add-on accessories. The m130 may have only 8MB of memory built in, but the SecureDigital / MultiMediaCard expansion slot provides virtually limitless storage. It may not have built-in Bluetooth, but the Palm Bluetooth SDIO card, which snaps into the SecureDigital slot, provides this capability. The Palm Universal Connector on the bottom snaps into a lot more than just the charger / sync cradle, including wired and wireless modems, digital cameras, keyboards, printers, and GPS units! If you want an afforable handheld with a high "cool" factor and lots of room to grow, the m130 is the best pick.

I was a Handspring devotee for years until my Edge unceremoniously died on me a few weeks ago. Rather than spend the [$$$] to have Handspring refurbish the piece, I decided it was time to bail off the sinking Handspring ship. (Sure, Treo may keep it afloat, but it was much more than I was looking for in a PDA). My m130 has made me a convert. This thing is great! The color display is so easy to read--a zillion times better than grayscale. Once you get a color screen you will not be able to imagine how you lived without it. I did a lot of research before I bought this PDA, and I think it is by far the best value for the money for a moderate PDA user. I use mine not only for the calendar/address book features but also to download news via Avantgo and, yes, play a few games. So far this has been perfect for my needs. I love that you can read MSWord and Excel documents on it, although I don't think I will be using this feature a whole lot. I just made an investment in a memory card so that I can add photos, but I haven't received it yet so I can't comment on it. The only negative thing I have to say is that the battery seems to run out much more quickly than on the Visor. Since I Hotsync almost every day, and have separate charging cables at work and home this has not posed a problem. But if I am away from my computer for an extended period of time, I can see the need to purchase a travel charger. Nonetheless, I still give this 5 stars. Plus, it is a snap to transfer your old information from a previous PDA. I loaded the software that came with the m130 and then when I hotsynced all of the data (plus all of the programs!) went right to my new Palm. I am in heaven!

The Palm m130 is the best pocket computer of its time. And still is -- modern smartphones seem to appeal strictly to the new user, and it appears that this aspect is taken overboard. By contrast, the m130 balanced the hardware-to-software love that only Apple has matched with their products, and in all seriousness, the Palm seems to be the only computer that feels like it's not a computer, but an extension. It almost feels lovable. In a sense, the click-wheel iPods felt the same. The flip-top cover with the clock window, the durable case, interchangeable plates, and the streamlined feel are memorable. The universal connector makes it easy to charge, and installing new apps is really easy. Simply purchase what I'd like to label a "mini-floppy" or SD card, and put it into a reader. Download apps and put them in the Palm\Launcher folder. Deleting apps and copying them feels fluid on here, and really, while the Palm was simply viewed as "an organizer" with the "real PCs" being the pocket PCs, the Palm m130 simply works. It does allow making and editing Word and Excel files, for instance, and all the popular features--but it is a full computer. It can run a miniature variant of DOS, iSpin (which emulates a Windows-like desktop right on it), several games, a two-pane file manager, C compiler, and a lot more. Without joking, downloading AudioDriver 1.2 allows it to play simple songs through the built-in system piezo. The old Symbian phones are the only ones that really matched Palm, and while now it is the next generation of handheld and mobile computers that are prevailing, the Palm still remains a missed and great little palmtop....

I ordered a PalmOne and the battery was dead. I returned it and received another. The battery lasts for only a few hours if I am working to add date before it needs to be recharged. My original one had a battery that would last the whole day and more if I wasn't using it. I don't hate anything but I am disappointed in the product that I received.

I got this from a merchant seller who never sent me the original installation CD, so I had to get everything from the Palm website. It worked great every time no problems at all, until one day randomly when I was playing Chess, the thing suddenly went on the fritz, and I had to reset it, loosing all my information in the process. Thank God for the Palm desktop that restored everything when I sync-ed it. Its not like PocketPC. If your a Mac person, go with the Palm OS, if your a windows person... do PocketPC. I wish i'd known the difference when I bought mine.

After three years squinting at grayscale screens, I finally gave up. The bright color screen of the m130 well worth the extra price. As I compared it against much more expensive models in the stores (Clie for example) the m130 has the most readable screen. The lower resolution compared to the top-end Clie models doesn't hurt much and you save almost 50%. The small screen size doesn't bother me, I suppose because I was used to it from my previous m100. I considered the Pocket PC devices too but they are triple the price and more aimed at the enterprise. Palm has a wealth of useful software for consumers, much of it free. One of my favorites is AvantGo. Read the news etc. while waiting in line or otherwise bored. I am having trouble installing the free MGI picture viewer software into my Windows XP computer but otherwise the applications work fine. I am impressed with the rechargeable battery. Having been used to the two AAA's lasting a month on the grey models, I was worried. But it recharges quickly and easily. It comes with the world's ugliest PDA coverplate, though. No doubt they are trying to irritate you into buying a replacement cover.