PalmOne m130 Handheld

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'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!

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've owned an M130 for 2 years; its great when it works, which is sporadic. I owned 2 Palms previously and loved both of them. The M130 has been a disappointment since I opened the box. First, I spent an inordinate amount of days charging it and trying to get it up and running. It would not start. After a call to tech support, I was told this was a known bug, but it was not discovered until after the instructions had been boxed. The fix is to hit the reset button while pushing in the start button for around 20 seconds. It shuts down about every other month (usually if the battery begins to get low). However, now it seems unable to be resuscitated, so I have to purchase another handheld.The cradle was a bit awkward for me to use at first: you push the Palm straightdown, but then to remove it from the cradle, you have to move it forward slightly, then pick it up. I was never able to get the Palm to seat correctly on the serial cradle, but the USB cradle works better.Since the Palm won't work in the serial cradle I have at home, I only charge it on the weekdays. I use the Palm strictly for appointments and phone numbers...no games. However, all my appointments use alarms, and I have a lot of appointments. Unfortunately, this seems to drain the battery very quickly. A long weekend, and my Palm is dead....

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.