Rating: 
Summary: Palm did it's homework
Review: Finally a Palm unit that rivals the best from Sony. The screen is incredibly bright, so much so that I had to bring it down almost completely to the left and it's still so bright. Think of it as exactly opposite of the M505 turkey. It comes with a camera that's pretty much basic but is good for that spontaneous photo while on the go.
The included memory, advertised at 16 mb is actually only 13.8 mb. The Palm OS 5.2.1 is a welcome relief over past attempts but, alas, some apps won't run on it yet. I expect upgrades from the authors will be coming shortly. The unit is really well made and has a solid feel. The included carry case is black and fashioned after the original blue zire case. It's OK but I am going to upgrade to something nicer.
The price is about right for a unit that takes acceptable pictures, plays MP3's, has the new OS and acceptable ram and a killer color screen. Oh, and did I mention that it's soo....... bright. Sort of payback for the 505. Enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: Camera actually IS useful and a big selling point
Review: There are so many diffrent types of palms out today that you don't know what to get. I consider myself somewhat tech-savvy so i was torn between the Zire 71, Tungsten T, and Sony Clie. In doing my research, the Tungsten's most attractive feature was the keyboard, but let's face it: are you going to be typing long documents via the mini keyboard? For hard core typing, i prefer using my actual desktop computer where i don't have to strain and punch tiny keys with my thumb. And Bluetooth? None of my wireless tools are Bluetooth enabled, and very few on the market are right now unless you seek it out. Finally i chose the zire 71 b/c of the camera. Everyone says that the digital camera on the zire 71 is useless due to its low rez. True in one sense; after all, i have a REAL digital cam for great photography. But you know what? This mini cam actually is a fantastic addition b/c it allows you to take VISUAL MEMOS. This can practically eliminate graffiti (or mini keyboard) when you want to type in the latest cd on your wish list. WHy scribble when you can take a snapshot of it? you don't need major megapixels for that, and it proves to be a very useful tool. I work in a visual/creative environment, so it's indispensible. All around town (and i live in NYC)i take visual memos with my zire (I'll be in the record store and take pix of cds i want, i'll take pix of furniture at Ikea to later look at in the comfort of my home to rearrange furniture, I'll take pix of the latest restaurant review instead of dragging the entire magazine around or tearing out the article, i'll take pix of business cards or store hours or anything that i need to quickly refer to. It makes me increasingly paperless. And when i do need to type actual text (even tho i hate graffiti), I just download Tealscript (it's free) to create my own custom graffiti so I don't have to adhere to Palm's rigid strokes.
Rating: 
Summary: Great but battery sucks
Review: as well as the hotsyncing with xp.
The hotsynching although frustrating is dealable. I mainly only have trouble when I am trying to hotsync something that is online. Offline problems are less common, but then again most of my hotsyncing has been online so I am not sure how it would be offline.
My biggest problem is the battery life. I was told the battery is not replaceable. I think that sucks considering the price of something like this. Cell phones and gametoys are another thing their battery life may be short too but as far as phones go every year or two most companies give u an upgrade anyway (before battery totally dies)
Palms can be used everyday and the more on it (cameras, mp3, games etc) you use it even more and longer amount of time. Who wants to worry about the battery totally dying on you in a year. Palms are are like computers you get a new one and you have tons of info you have to reprogram and that is a major pain. Who wants to be forced to buy a whole new computer every year. I have had my palm for less than a year and battery life is getting bad. I have to do a overnight recharge everytime I look at it. (I am afraid to turn it on anymore so when I do happen to turn it on it battery is half gone) I dont use the camera much nor the mp3 player. I probably would use them alot if it wasnt for the battery. And like another reviewer said about this thing accidently turning on this thing is probably on a lot more than I think it is causing my lower battery life.
Rating:
Summary: Great Product
Review: This is a great product and very helpful for college students. I have never had any problems with mine. It connects to my computer great(XP). The camera is the best feature this palm has to offer. It takes great pictures. I would highly recommend this product to everyone.
Rating:
Summary: Few shortcomings, but still a nice PDA
Review: I got the Zire71 to replace a Handspring Visor Neo which still works, but has a faulty universal connector after 2 years of reliable and dependable use. Hotsyncs half the time, but my Stowaway keyboard won't work at all. I figured I may as well upgrade to color as well as to other features. =====
5-way navigator 4/5
+nice "No stylus required" interface to your PIM/software apps, as well as for gaming (for apps that support this anyways)
+it's not That much worse for productivity than a D-pad -VERY HARD to get diagonal movement out of it Luckily, I don't play a lot of games, and most of the games that I do play either don't require diagonal movement or use the stylus instead/as well. I would've preferred a directional pad to the joystick, but I've gotten used to it. When I play Zap2016, I used to end up accidentally pushing the blue portion of my Zire71 up (launching the camera app) when moving up on the joystick, but I've learned to be more graceful about this. =====
Internal Memory 3/5
+it's NOT a measly 8MB -16MB is kind of stingy for a multimedia PDA I can fit most of what I need on internal memory. For the rest of my stuff, games are almost exclusively on my SD card and one app, a Chinese-English dictionary has the app on handheld memory, but the 2.6MB database files on expansion card. If I did have 32MB like many other comparable PDAs, I'd definitely be making good use of that extra memory. 16MB may seem like a lot for people who've used 4MB or 8MB models, but keep in mind: It's 13.8MB of user available RAM and you're down to about 10.3MB after you install all the "essentials" from the optional 2nd CD that's included with your handheld. You can tailor this and not install what you won't use. For my case, I was down to 11.7MB by not bothering with putting any communications applications and AudiblePlayer on my handheld. Keep this in mind when you decide what kind and how many apps will be on your next handheld ===== Battery 3/5
+works fine so far
+seems to charge quickly
+ under lighter use (just looking up info, short gaming sessions, or quick data entry), the battery can go for awhile before you see a dent in the gauge meter - depletes more quickly under "heavier use" (playing music and/or videos, or using for hours per day)
-leaving the SD card in and accessed seems to deplete batteries quicker (and also slow down the charge cycle) I've only used this handheld for less than a month, so I really can't say much more about the battery other than it isn't stellar and is absolutely pathetic compared to monochrome devices. You can probably push it to 2 days MAX under medium use (see descriptions above) on a full charge, but under heavy use, I'd say get a portable charger for a whole day's of use away from your cradle. =====
Expansion: 5/5
+more popular SD/MMC/SDIO, high capacity formats
+can support most apps to be run right off the card -the VFS filing system won't allow you to create categories for apps that use them (not without 3rd party 'tweak'), like Palm Photos or for any apps that are stored and run directly from the card
-although cheaper than ever, they're still relatively expensive I especially like the part about being able run most apps right off the card. I can put LOTS of games and other less important software on the card without taking up any valuable internal memory. Truly the best of both worlds. =====
Screen/images: 5/5
+bright screen
+readable in normal to pitch black conditions
+high resolution, high color -images look faded under direct sunlight (turn brightness to max to offset this somewhat)
-it really does make a humming/buzzing noise High resolution and high color screen are great for viewing pictures, videos, running games, and productivity software that make use of those settings. If you have sensitive hearing, then the buzzing noise may be irritating. I only notice it when I put my ear to the device, so it doesn't bother me. =====
Audio/Music: 4/5
+polyphonic sounds
+speaker alone is enough to listen to MP3 music
+easy enough to transfer and play MP3s -rear mounted, monaural speaker
-speaker is kind of tinny and has virtually no bass behind it
-only MP3 and Real Audio formats are accepted
-requires expansion card to listen to music
-without an SD card reader, you get SLOW transfer rates Polyphonic speaker is nice for general usage, speech enabled software, and games with enhanced sound. As for listening to MP3s, you'll want headphones anyways, as even a cheap $15 pair gets you better bass and sound in general. If you plan on updating your music library often, I HIGHLY recommend that you get an SD card reader. Not only is it literally 15x - 20x faster than hotsyncing the files onto the card (for USB 1.1 and 2.0 connections respectively, but you won't have to install RealOne on your desktop to transfer music. =====
Camera: 3/5
+useful for visual memos (like store hours and scenery), archiving and email photos of important people in your life -no flash or zoom really limits its practicality =====
Video: 2/5
+easy to convert and play video -not a lot of formats supported
-Divx as well as a lot of the more popular encodings isn't supported Either shell out extra money for 3rd party players and utilities if you want more format types and features, or find a place to download pre-formatted clips. Conclusion: I'm really enjoying my Zire71 because all of the functions that I use (PIM manager, music/video player, and camera) are all integrated into one device, with a beautiful screen, and improved OS functionality.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Handheld!!!!
Review: I am sorry after reading these reviews I had to take the time to review this product, because the ZIRE 71 is getting a bad rap. This is an EXCELLENT handheld. I upgraded from a Palm M125 and I am so glad that I did. Here are my responses to some of the negative reviews. 1. If you charge your Zire EVERY NIGHT you will not have a low battery problem. 2. If you invest in a better case then you will cut down on your chances of cracking your screen (I mean you must use common sense also, when carrying/handling your handheld). 3. I have XP and have yet to run into any problems. As stated before this is an EXCELLENT handheld I would recommend it highly.....
Rating:
Summary: Powerful color palmtop
Review: *NOTE: This review is from itreviews.co.uk*
The original Palm Zire was aimed directly at the first time user, with just 2MB of memory and a monochrome screen. However, the Zire 71 is a completely different animal; fast, with an excellent colour screen and packed with features, it offers a good alternative to either the mid-range Sony Clié or a Pocket PC equipped PDA. It uses the same basic specification as Palm's Tungsten T; 144MHz Texas Instruments OMAP processor and 16MB of on board memory (only 13MB of which can be used for applications or data). So the Zire 71 may not be the fastest Palm-based unit out there, but it's still fast enough for everyday use. The one thing that left the early colour Palms lagging behind the Clié, the screen, has been rectified. The Zire 71 comes with a beautifully crisp 320 x 320 pixel, 16-bit colour screen. Being transflective it is very bright indoors and can be used in direct sunlight. Sliding open the blue part of the stylish cover reveals the shutter release for the integrated 640 x 480 digital camera - the lens is built into the rear of the unit. Ideal for spur of the moment snaps to view on screen or send by e-mail, the camera takes a bit of getting use to as it doesn't take kindly to movement, either from you or from your subject. If you have nothing else installed in the memory, it can hold up to 200 photos, but in reality it would be better to invest in a memory card. Despite the presence of the camera, the Zire 71 is a compact unit measuring 7.4 x 11.4 x 1.7cm and weighs in at a respectable 150g, giving a nice solid feel in the hand. It has an SD slot built into the top, a stereo headphone jack and a mono speaker. Unlike the Tungsten T it doesn't have Bluetooth built in, but should you need it there is an SD Bluetooth card available as an option. Gone is the old style navigation button; in its place is a joystick-like button, which takes a bit of getting used to, but on the plus side there are no control buttons on the side of the Zire 71, so there's no fear of accidentally pressing one. The Zire 71 comes with Palm OS 5.2.1 installed and along with all the usual Palm utilities there are some useful additional ones. There is Graffiti 2, Palm Photos, Palm Reader, and Adobe Acrobat Reader for Palm. If you want to use your Zire 71 as a multimedia platform, you get RealOne Mobile Player for music files and Kinoma Video Player and Producer for video with sound, although the latter isn't the full version so some advanced video compression options aren't available. A CD supplied with the unit contains the latest versions of Audible Player and VersaMail, which requires a subscription before you can listen to audiobooks, newspapers etc. With a 900mAh Lithium Polymer battery, battery life was reasonable, especially for a coloured screen PDA. Tested playing a video with screen brightness set to half-way, the Zire 71 had a battery life of just over five hours, which increased to just over ten with the backlight turned off, playing MP3s. Verdict: With a great screen, built in camera, MP3 support and an SD slot, Palm's Zire 71 is more than a match for the current range of mid-price Sony PDAs and offers a good alternative to those who want to stick to the Palm OS rather than migrating to Pocket PC.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent color, ok pics, HORRIBLE Battery!
Review: My Zire 71 was a gift (August 03), and a welcome color upgrade from my Handspring Neo. I enjoyed having the handy ability to take pics on the go (furniture shopping, out with my young kids, etc.). I used the pics mostly as digital "wallet" photos because the digital quality is fair at best, but looks great on the Zire itself. I think I had a lemon from the start, but Palm support wouldn't go for an exchange because I had no receipt (gift). My unit had a strange and random "click" sound when in use that couldn't be explained by the regular system sounds (it happened even when the unit was "silenced"). That wasn't a big deal, but may be part of what was behind my troubles. My Zire would completely crash whenever I used the search function (the magnifier button) and would stop working and had to be hot synced as if brand new. (By the way, another reviewer said it didn't hotsync well with XP. I have XP and never had trouble hotsyncing. Thank goodness because I had a lot of crashes and completely drained batteries to sync after!) I learned to live without the ability to search. A MAJOR flaw was the battery dying, and I attribute this in part to the little joystick. It is easy to move by accident, just the slightest touch turns it on and even with it in a protective case sitting in my purse I would often notice a glow that meant my Zire was on. It also sometimes would come on at night with nothing touching it! (I used it a few times as an alarm clock on my bedside table.) I was almost asleep one night and the light came on suddenly and woke me up - weird! Today was the final straw. I like to pass time waiting on carpool by playing a little Bejeweled on the Zire. Of course, the darn thing was completely dead. Again. I really have come to rely on my PDA alarms to get me to my appointments on time, and I just can't take another day of a dead Zire! I am now about to buy a Tungsten E from Amazon. The price is right, with free shipping! If you must buy a Zire 71, do yourself a favor and buy it from a local store and KEEP your receipt and original packaging! And I wish you better luck with yours. It could be a great little color PDA - if only it were reliable and glitch-free!
Rating:
Summary: Features good but Battery Life Bad
Review: My only complaint with this is its battery life. It is designed in such a way that if any button is pressed, it turns itself on. And then the battery drains. You need to be careful when carrying in yout pocket or bag. If anythin presses the buttons, it will turn itself on. Also if you use it for more than 20 minutes, it startes lossing battery life. You might want to buy the hard case for this. Buy the other models.
Rating:
Summary: A Short Life...
Review: I purchased my Zire 71 in July. I have had several pda's... the Palm Professional (remember that one?), the Palm V, the Sony Clie, and most recently, the Zire. The resolution was great, nice functionality, etc. Unfortunately, 2 months shy of its 1st birthday, it locked up & died.... This is my second Palm product where the system has just locked up and stopped working. A very serious design flaw. Too bad....
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