Palm drops Zire, Tungsten names

Palm updated its Zire and Tungsten handheld devices on Wednesday as part of a rebranding strategy that will now emphasize its Palm name over all others.

The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based PDA maker said its new handheld organizers, dubbed Z22 and TX, are available now on its online site as well as at some retail locations. Priced at $99 and $299, respectively, Palm is positioning the handhelds to sell to consumers looking for an easy entry into the PDA culture.

"Now that we own the Palm brand again, we are more focused on promoting it. People know us more for Palm than they do for Tungsten or Zire," Palm product line manager Raj Doshi said.

Palm will keep the LifeDrive and Treo names but will refer to it as the Palm LifeDrive and Palm Treo, Doshi said.

One of the main improvements for the TX is that it includes Wi-Fi access, making it only the third Palm device to do so. The first was the Tungsten C, which originally launched in April 2003, followed by Palm's LifeDrive, which debuted this summer. Palm is partnering with T-Mobile for a free 30-day subscription to entice first-time users.

The TX runs on an Intel XScale 312MHz processor and also has Bluetooth capabilities. The device also has the option to access your files from your PC via third-party servers from Avvenu as well as multimedia file viewing from the MobiTV service.

Doshi said Palm is comparing the attributes of the TX along the same lines as Hewlett-Packard's rx1950, priced at $299, and Dell's X51, priced at $399 before rebates.

The Z22 replaces the Zire 21 as the least expensive Palm device. Now with an Intel processor and a color screen, the Z22 weighs a little more than 3 ounces and is about the same size as a deck of playing cards.

The new Z22 also runs on Palm OS version 5.4.9 (also known as Garnet) instead of the previous 5.2.8 version.

The company also reduced the price of the Tungsten E2 handheld by $50 to now retail at $199.

Palm's recent decision to use Windows Mobile software will not extend to the Zire or Tungsten lines--at least not in the near future, Doshi said.

"Everything we want to run on the Z22 and TX can run on Garnet, so that is just fine for us," Doshi said, noting that Palm has extended its partnership with PalmSource until 2010.

But the company is expected to look hard at the next version of the Palm OS, which is expected to include code from the Linux kernel as Palm OS purveyor PalmSource is currently in negotiations to be acquired by Japan's Access.

[Migraine]

a Name Change will not save Palm

I had a Palm Zire 71 it was fine!<br /><br />Till the battery would not keep a charge and palm wanted 129$ to replace it...Thats al most half the price of a new one!<br /><br />I tried ording a battery from laptopsforless.com just 46$ but after finaly getting my zire71 open I found that the battery was sodered to the Motherboard... <br /> <br />So I cut my losses and Bought a Pocket PC,<br />The dell Axim x50v ...It is 10 times bette r than a Palm will ever be!!! <br /> <br />Just like my PC, easy to replace battery, grate display... <br /> <br />Even if you don't get a x50v get a Pocket PC!<br /><br />Please not e that not all Pocket PC's have a user replacable Battery, so make sure the model u get does have such a feature... <br /> <br />But NONE! of the palms have one and as far as I know Palm still want s a tone of $$$ to replace it every year! <br /><br />So Again I say avoid the Palm Battery scam Get a Pocket PC!

Don't write off Palm yet

Well, I recently moved from Palm to Pocket PC, lured by GPS navigation software and a feeling that Palm had lost the battle and all of the interesting programs were being written for Pocket PC.<br /><br />Within a fortnight I am back to using my Palm Tungsten E and I just use the Pocket PC (a Mitac MIO 168) for Tom Tom Navigator. Here's why:<br /><br />- The Pocket PC PIM software is useless. Full stop. The Palm is built from the ground up as an organizer, not as a cut down PC with some PIM software hacked on.<br /><br />- The Palm is much easier to use. It has a simple clean interface and all of the important software is easily accessible via one click.<br /><br />- The Pocket PC has a faster processor but the OS slows it down so much that the Tungsten E is faster in use.<br /><br />- The screen (320x320) is much sharper and more readable than QVGA (320x240).<br /><br />- The build quality is 10 times better. The case is made of metal, not plastic. I don't know how many times the Palm has fallen on the ground but it still works.<br /><br />- The Palm is smaller, lighter and more portable. I use it with Pocket Tunes as an MP3 player when on my bike.<br /><br />- The Palm integrates better with Word and Excel using the included DocumentsToGo software.<br /><br />- The Palm synchronizes with a Mac and with Linux.<br /><br />- The Palm works out of the box and comes with all necessary software. Pocket PC doesn't even have the battery status visible on the main screen - you need to look in settings to see how full your battery is! - or buy Battery Pack Pro - $29.99.<br /><br />Anyway, the list goes on...<br /><br />As soon as it settles down in the market and is a supported platform for Tom Tom Navigator, I will buy a Palm Tx. Then it's goodbye Pocket PC - and good riddence. From reading comments posted on the internet, I won't be the only one making the step back to Palm.<br /><br />By the way, I also had a problem with the battery of my previous Palm (m505). I took it to an independent repair centre and got it replaced for $30.

[ackmondual]

many people don't really *need* replaceable battery

Most ppl just use their Palm PDAs and other PDAs for light travel. To work, school, and short trips. User replaceable ain't really needed. If you're on a long trip, then yeah, you'll need portable chargers which can be a hassle.<br /><br />As far as life cycle of li-ion batteries, soundls like you simply got a lemon or defect in worksmanship. Otherwise, devices with non replaceable rechargeable batteries usually last at least 2 years, and some up to 3 or 4 years. By then, many ppl upgrade and buy a new device.<br /><br />If you want to put a new battery in there, then just pay $50 for your own battery, find online instructions, and do it yourself.<br /><br />$125 for Palm ain't anything new. Apple charges at least $100 for battery replacement on all ipods (materials and labor) and PPC manufacturers w/o replaceable batteries do the same thing.

[thedreaming]

Thanks Palm

Just bought a zire 31 in an auction on ebay. Now, I find that not only are they dropping the zire name, but their new model, the z22, does everything the zire 31 does and has more memory and I could have bought new for a few bucks more than what I paid for the zire 31. Thanks palm!

[ackmondual]

z31 still geared for advanced users one level up from z22

sarcasm here? I always have a hard time telling.<br /><br />The z22 isn't better. They have trade offs.<br /><br />z22 has more RAM and probably a better quality screen.<br /><br />z31 has an SD card slot and faster processor.<br /><br />Having more RAM is definately useful on pOS handhelds, and despite what some critics say having a large SD card isn't always a substitute for lesser internal RAM (20MB+ user RAM should be the minimum for most mid level users). But an SD card slot is definately needed for those above the entry level category. It would be like a PC w/o a DVD-ROM drive or USB ports.<br /><br />U can stuff lots of apps, games, reference material on SD cards. The z31 also lets u play mp3's on sd cards as well, and since it's been out awhile, it's about the same price as a z22.