PalmOne i705 Wireless Handheld

• Integrated wireless connectivity in a slim package
• Send and receive corporate and personal e-mail and get access to the Web without an external modem
• Stay in touch with AOL Instant Messenger
• 8 MB memory stores thousands of contacts, appointments, to-do items, and notes
• Built-in Secure Digital expansion card slot

This is an early look at the i705, which I have only used for a short time so far (I have been fortunate to receive a loaner, but haven't purchased one yet). If you need a primer on why a basic Palm is useful, check out reviews of some low-end models (I own and reviewed the Vx). The i705's form factor is good certainly less bulky than its predecessor VII and just a tad thicker than the sleek V model or m500. It feels fine in my hands. The built in wireless antenna is not obtrusive in the least and frankly, adds some style to what has been a fairly mundane look for most Palm devices. You still subscribe to the Palm.net service on which the ill-fated Palm VII operated. But it runs on the same network (Mobitex) as RIM's Blackberry, so reliability/consistency of access should be as high as that device. So far, access has been fairly quick and readily accessible. You can set the wireless capability to either an "always on" setting or one in which it will only receive/download emails during a desired time period (though you can set a new email alert to run 24/7). It also natively supports AOL Instant Messenger, which is nice I've IM'd a few times and it works, though it's not as quick as your desktop. Battery life is good, even with the device set to its "always on" mode others who have had the device longer indicate that it's still good for a week with pretty heavy usage and longer if you turn it off overnight. The expansion slot is long overdue. Many enhanced applications are conveniently preloaded my personal favorites include AvantGo and DataViz, though the Palm Reader should be increasingly valuable over time. I'm wondering if the 8 meg memory will be enough over time, given the multiple data-heavy applications this device is designed to address. However, I've only filled about 1 meg in my Vx with about 18 months worth of usage. So, 8 megs, plus extra strorage capacity through the expansion slot, would seem to be sufficient. I've tried the keyboard takes some getting used to, but should be faster than graffiti for instant messaging/email. Pricing of the service is very attractive. It's priced per kilobyte. I'd blow off the low-end plan ($$$.../mo. for 100kb). That's only going to get you maybe 40 text emails. Go with the $$$.../mo unlimited kb plan, prepaid for a year, once you're sure you'll keep it.

The one nagging issue for me with all Palm devices is the rigid interaction with the stylus. It has always been awkward to draw the stylus out of its holster (you have to use your thumbnail) and if you don't click it in all the way when you're done, it's still loose enough that it will fall out. Of course, it has never been comfortable to use either. The Handspring Visor's stylus glides in and out effortlessly and the slightly fatter head makes control of it much easier. Too bad Palm is still making otherwise functional devices with this deficiency.

So, the good news is that with this device, Palm has finally gotten over the hump of just being a scheduler/organizer. I think this device may finally allow Palm to become more standardized in corporations and it will definitely be attractive to high-end consumers. Unfortunately, the power applications for this device are yet to come. You cannot download email attachments yet (that will come in the May/June time frame). It will also not be voice-enabled (GPRS) until the Fall, so the Handspring Treo, despite its bulkiness, is about the best combined solution right now. And Palm seems non-committal on when it will offer a color version, which I think is a near-necessity if you're going to surf the Web or read Excel, PowerPoint and Acrobat attachments. In the end, it's a great improvement over what Palm offers today. But I think it would make sense to wait until some of the features mentioned above become available.

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As a blackberry user for over a year and a half and a hard-core Palm junkie, I was eager to have a shot at carrying an all-in-one device rather than two devices which don't talk to each other. Plus, for the same price, the Palm.net service offers more (web clipping and web browsing without usage quota) than just always-on email.

I have been very pleased with the device itself in the month plus I've used it. It has the merely adequate grayscale palm display we're all used to by now, but rewards you with phenomenal battery life (20 minutes on the cradle a day keep it charged, even with wireless usage) and an eminently light and pocketable form factor. It is really quite amazing what they fit into such a slim little package, with an SD/MMC slot to boot!

If you haven't used a wireless device like a blackberry, you really don't know what you're missing. Instead of having to take time out of your routine to check your email a dozen times to see if an important message came through, you just go about your business until you either get beeped, buzzed, or flashed (your choice of nothing or any combo of the three). During a heated game of scrabble, just fire up the 705 with the Merriam Webster PQA (a sort of web shortcut to their site which avoids slow graphics/ads....see palm.com for details) and use their dictionary, which is far larger than what will fit on any PDA, to solve the dispute. Wondering what the population of Brazil is? Go to brittanica.com with their PQA and have the answer in 30 seconds. It makes firing a computer up seem like a waste of time.

The main shortcomings of the device center around the screen, but the battery life vs. full-time sidelit screen (like the Clie 760c) debate has been beaten to death. But the bottom line is that until the battery and screen technology progresses further (the organic LEDs, perhaps?), you're not going to have a wireless PDA and a dynamite screen in this kind of form factor. And I really don't think that I could go back to a Clie after getting used to full-time wireless access.

The other issue is that of the network the device uses. While the Mobitex network doesn't set any speed records, it is a) fairly responsive, b) rock-solid reliable (Sept. 11 didn't cause so much of a hiccough in the NYC area network), c) has better coverage than GPRS or 3G will have for quite a while to come. And since Voicestream's throughput-based data fees are not attractive (what's the fun of a wireless toy if you've got to watch the clock?) to the average user, Mobitex wins in my mind.

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I have been very happy with my i705 and agree for the most part with the other reviewers. The form factor is quite fine, and the device seems to be (so far) very dependable. If you need wireless web or e-mail capability, the i705 is a bargain at its price.

The biggest single problem with the i705, in my opinion, is the rather pricey PalmNet service that you must subscribe to if you wish to take advantage of its wireless capabilities. Palm's "associate plan" is for all practical purposes a joke and if you get more than ten e-mails per month it's not worth the money. Unlimited service costs considerably more and if you're a heavy e-mail user, it might be worth the cost. Personally, I think it is not.

The i705 is a quality product and in my opinion is infinitely more dependable than the M500 I owned before it, but unless you really need wireless capability, live in an area covered by PalmNet, and don't mind being gouged by their obscenely high subscription rates, I'd pass on this one.

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As a New York Criminal and Divorce attorney, I swear the 1-705 is

guilty of being the best friend you can have out there in the field. The ability to read Excel & Word docs is a godsend, and between the power to remote access the internet, and the freebie downloads available for a palm, who needs a laptop? This beauty and a cell phone, and you've got all the equipment you need to be a successful road warrior. You are hereby summoned to appear with your i-705 and run your business on the run.

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Being a user of the VIIx, I anxiously awaited the arrival of the i705. I am not in any way disappointed.

The 705 has all of the usual stuff we have come to expect from Palm OS devices: easy to use, fairly good battery life, and loads of add-on software. The only real objection is that you really can't visit web pages with the Palm...you need to use the Web Clipping apps which are a good substitute IF the site/service you want provides a clipping app. The vast majority of them do, so don't worry. A color display would have also been nice, but the drain on the battery would have been too great.

The addition of the blink/buzz notification of incoming mail is useful and the SD slot is a godsend. The processor seems to be a bit more peppy than in the VII series as well.

No complaints about the wireless service. It works in every city I have been in and even works well in wine country in Northern California and other "rural" areas I've been to. You won't set any speed records but it is bearable.

Outlook users should take care to find software that lets the Palm sync with Outlook for tasks, contacts, and calendar BEFORE using the unit heavily. I can speak from experience that synching a Palm to Outlook after both of them have been used for contact tracking is a royal pain.

Overall, unless you have a deep-seated need to use Pocket PC 2002 the Palm remains the best bang for the buck for wireless handhelds and the best overall solution for a mobile professional. It may be the case that a Pocket PC comes closer to replacing a laptop, but the prices on decent units plus wireless modem plus wireless service puts them on par with a refurbished laptop. The Blackberry is nice, but limited.