Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)On the surface, this is a really good device, but after a while you'll start to notice some real flaws.
What I like about the Zire72:
- The screen is brilliant, photos looks absolutely stunning. (There's not enough variance in brightness, though. I've set it to the lowest settting and it's still a bit too bright for reading under low-light conditions.)
- Voice recording, very handy.
- Buttons and D-Pad feel well and have good response.
- Built-in camera, while limited in functionality, is nice to have.
- Bluetooth works well.
- Battery life is very reasonable - as long as you don't play MP3s continually and keep Bluetooth off when you don't need it.
However, after a few weeks of actual use I've noticed several significant flaws:
- My biggest gripe is that the blue rubber "skin" will start to peel off. On my device this is especially bad near the stylus silo. My Z72 now looks quite worn, as if it's a few years old rather than a few weeks. The rubber skin provides a good grip, that is true, but I'd rather not have it at all when it peels off so easily.
- The Z72 has no attachable flip cover. To protect the screen you have to put it in a separate case. This means you can't just whip out it out to look something up, you have to take it out the case first, which is cumbersome. (Carrying it around without any screen cover is not really an option.)
- The output signal from the headphone jack is *far* too loud. I have to set system sounds to "low" to get a volume that is bearable to my ears. I'd prefer a softer volume, though.
- The headphone jack output produces a clearly audible background "hiss". (I know from reading several forums and reviews that this is a common problem. In fact, every Z72 may have this issue.) The hiss may be caused by the output being too loud in the first place. The workaround is to buy headphones with a separate volume control. This way you can turn up the volume on the Zire to drown out the background hiss and reduce the volume on the headphones to get the volume level you really want.
- The SD slot is recessed too deeply. You have to push memory cards in with your nails for them to be properly seated. If you switch between cards often, this *will* start to annoy you.
On the whole, I cannot really recommend the Zire72. It has many things going for it, but I expect better for a device in this price class. I still like it for the most part and I will certainly continue to use it, but had I known about these flaws beforehand, I would probably not have bought it.
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Product Description:
Building on the success of PalmOne's Zire 71, the Zire 72 is the first Palm-based handheld that can capture digital video with sound and shoot digital still photos. This multimedia PDA also features bright 320 x 320-pixel color screen for optimal playback of video and photos as well as voice recording capability and an MP3 player for listening to your own soundtrack. Other features include Bluetooth wireless connectivity, a 32 MB memory, Secure Digital card expansion, and a fast 312 Mhz Intel PXA270 processor. And, of course, the Zire 72 features Palm's suite of information management applications and the ability to edit Word- and Excel-compatible files and synchronize with Microsoft Outlook (Windows only).
Upgrade Features
The Zire 72 offers the following improvements to the Zire 71:
1-megapixel image resolution (1280 x 960 pixels); the Zire 71 had a maximum 640 x 480 resolution.
32 MB of memory (24.7 MB user available); the Zire 71 had only a 16 MB memory
Video capture with sound; the Zire 71 only shot still images.
Digital zoom for closer image capture and in-handheld editing.
Voice recording capability.
Wireless Bluetooth connectivity (the Zire 71 connected to your PC only via the HotSync cable)
At 4.8 ounces, it's 10-percent less weighty than the 5.3-ounce Zire 71.
Palm OS 5.2.8 (versus 5.2.1 for the Zire 71).
The Zire 72 can easily capture and manage your most important digital files.
Built-in Camera
The back of the Zire 72 holds the built-in still and video camera, which does not require you to slide the back of the PDA to activate it (like the Zire 71 did). You can shoot video with sound turned on or off at 320 x 240 pixel resolution and 15 frames per second. Just use the handheld screen to frame the video, tap the "record" button on the display, then save your video to an optional expansion card after tapping the "stop" button.
For still photography, it features a 1.2-megapixel CMOS sensor with a fixed focus range of about five feet and a 2x digital zoom. It captures up to 1280 x 960 pixel images, as well as 640 x 480, 320 x 240, and 160 x 120 resolution modes. The camera also offers such customized image setting controls as white balance, brightness, saturation, contrast, and sharpness. You can also add date stamp or effects like sepia, black and white, and blue.
Audio
The included RealPlayer for Palm OS enables you to listen to MP3 music files stored on optional expansion cards via the built-in speaker on the Zire 72 or, for stereo sound, using optional stereo headphones or ear buds.
With the built-in digital voice recorder, you can create voice memos, then synchronize them to your desktop PC and email them to friends and colleagues.
Display
The Palm Zire 72 features a 16-bit, 320 x 320 bright transflective TFT color display, which supports more than 65,000 colors.
Listen to MP3 music files stored on expansion cards via the built-in speaker on the Zire 72
Connectivity and Expansion
With the built-in wireless Bluetooth connectivity, you can synchronize the Zire 72 with Bluetooth-enabled computer from across the room (within a range of 10 meters, or approximately 30 feet). But that's just the start. Using a compatible Bluetooth-enabled phone, you can send and receive email and connect to the web, send multimedia (MMS) or text (SMS) messages, and even automatically dial any number in your handheld's Contact's application. You can also synchronize data the "old-fashioned" way via the mini-USB connection at the base of the handheld.
The Zire 72 uses Multimedia Card and Secure Digital expansion cards, which instantly add software applications, additional memory, large databases, and more without taking up built-in memory space.
VersaMail software enables you to access and manageyour personal and corporate emai1 while on the go.
OperatingSystem and Software
The Zire 72 is powered by Palm OS 5.2.8, which provides higher performance,enhanced multimedia features, support for Bluetooth connectivity and networking,and enterprise-class security. It useses the intuitive and easy-to-learnGraffiti 2 writing software to input data into the handheld (as well asan on-screen keyboard). Windows users can synchronize calendar, contacts,tasks and notes with Microsoft Outlook. The Palm OS features the followingorganizer applications:
Contacts: Lets you store several addresses for each contact, and itadds new contact fields for more phone numbers, multiple email addresses,instant messenger IDs, and a website for your contacts.
Calendar: Use the new Agenda view to see upcoming calendar events,tasks due and important email, and color-code your events to providean easy way to reference your Calendar in the
Agenda, Day, Week, and Month views. Take more notes, or synchronizemore details from your desktop, into the larger Memos and Notes fieldson the handheld.
Tasks: Use tasks with alarms and repeating tasks to set reminders forimportant commients.
Graffiti 2 allowsyou to enter data quickly into your Palm handheld but it's even more intuitiveand easier to learn
Along with the standard Palm software, you'll receive a Software EssentialsCD-ROM containing PalmOne's VersaMail, Web Pro, Messages (SMS/MMS), PalmReader, Documents To Go Standard Edition, Acrobat Reader, Solitaire, powerOnePersonal Calculator, and Audible Player for palmOne handhelds (Windowsonly).
Compatibility
The Palm Zire 72 is compatible with PCs running Windows 98, NT 4.0, 2000,Me, and XP, and with Macs running Mac OS 9, version 9.1 or higher, orMac OS X, version 10.2 or 10.3.
Messagessoftware allows you to send and receive text and multimedia messages andinclude photos taken with the built-in camera. What's in the Box
This package contains the Zire 72 handheld, built-in rechargeable battery, carrying case, mini-USB HotSync cable, power cable, stylus, CD-ROM with Palm Desktop 4.1 software for Windows and Macs (as well as bonus software), and printed Getting Started guide. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery that has a battery life of between 3 and 4.5 hours depending on screen brightness settings and usage.
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