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.