Rating: 
Summary: Very nice device
Review: I bought this device so I could get rid of all those pieces of paper with notes and addresses I always lose. What I like about it:
- It's a Palm, so most things are very easy to use, especially in combination with the Palm Desktop software.
- The color screen is absolutely beautiful. It's a pleasure to read, and it I now always have my favorite pictures with me.
- Good battery life, as long as you top it off every few days.
- It has a fast processor, so all operations are very snappy.
- Expandable using SD/MMC memory cards.
- Has audio out so and (after adding an SD card and earbuds) it makes a very decent MP3 player.
- Comes with a sync/charge cradle.
- Carrying case included. What I don't like about it:
- The connection to the cradle is not very snug, so every once in a while it turns out it is not charging or hotsyncing properly. This is the biggest problem I have with this device. It might be the cradle (included) though.
- The included carrying case might not be for you. In order to keep the device from switching on all the time you can install a free utility like "Disable Buttons". It does protect the Zire71, but most ($...) commercial cases are a lot better.
- The case is somewhat slippery and can be awkward to hold. You have to try that for yourself
- They could have left out the camera and made it a bit thinner. The camera was never a reason for me to buy it, but it has come in handy a few times (copying notes from blackboards, scanning a business card etc). I would have bought the device even if the camera was not part of the package. The processor speed, beautiful screen, reasonable price and audio option by themselves already convinced me.
Rating: 
Summary: Really nice, but expensive
Review: I bought the Palm Zire 71 because I wanted to read emails and listen to MP3s on the morning bus ride to university. The MP3s sounded great and were easy to load onto the thing. Emails were easy to HotSync. The unit itslef is really small and cute, and the color screen looks great! The camera is nice, but not super useful. The pictures are small and don't look good blown up. After two days of trying it out I sold it because it just wasn't worth $$$$. I've since bought a RIO MP3 player for $$$ that I love. I can read emails over breakfast! I guess if you really need the appointment book and contacts list it would be a great thing to have, but it's too much money for a casual user.
Rating:
Summary: Does it all with panache!
Review: For a first time PDA purchaser this device met and exceeded all my expectations. It's versatility is unique, and when coupled with a suitable SD card provides more than enough space for pictures, MP3's, videos etc. Panasonic has developed a 1 gig SD card, although I haven't seen it for sale yet. A 256meg SD can be purchased for around $$$ and would meet most peoples needs for space. The screen is so bright and colorful it's amazing. I don't even need to use my glasses to read. I have had my device for only a week and it's already indispensable. I would like to correct a couple of complaints. Transfering MP3 files to your Palm Zire 71 actually couldn't be much easier on a PC, you just drag and drop them on the quick install application, into the expansion disk catagory, and they will be installed when you hotsync. It's true that WMA files tend to be smaller and are not supported, but you can use the newer VBR format for Mp3's and a slightly lower bitrate setting without much degradation of audio quality. There are other MP3 players available for Palm, with graphic equalizers, skins, etc., and I am sure more to follow. A hack to increase the volume level for MP3 playback would be much appreciated, as the peak volume level seems a bit low. Granted, the camera doesn't take really high quality pictures but it sure can be handy to have with you, and they actually look very good if you can keep your hand steady. Even though I have a quality digital camera it's rarely with me unless I plan to take pictures. The Palm is always with me and ready to shoot in seconds. The stylus that comes with it is a cheap plastic one, which I promptly replaced with a stylus that also lights up. That stylus also happens to stick out of the case a bit, which coincidentally makes it easier to keep from turning on the unit inadvertantly, as the power on button is in the same area, and also on top of the device. However the unit is set to power off automatically after a user set 1 to 3 minutes of inactivity, so even if it was turned on in it's case, it would be only for a short time. I don't think anyone will regret purchasing this device. it's not perfect, but it's close enough for me. You'll love it.
Rating:
Summary: Can't live without
Review: Well first off let me say that this is an amazing device. We have become spoiled and demanding with our technology, but lets just take a moment to look at what this tiny thing can do. The way some people are reviewing this product, you would think they expect it to make them breakfast and drive them to work! Sheesh! Yes, it's [$$] USD, but come on! Personally this little guy has revolutionized my lifestyle. The uses I have found for it are infinite. With 13 MB actual of actual storage capacity it has plenty of room to store a ton of programs and with 144MHz processor, it is downright speedy when loading apps as well performing all the normal Palm tasks. The practical: First and foremost I have organized every event and appointment as well as set alarms to go off before the scheduled events in the task organizer. (I am notoriously forgetful). It takes me about 10-15 minutes to schedule 2 weeks worth of info. I sync it with my wife's Palm to keep abreast of the budget and checkbook balance. I use it to jot down quick notes or reminders. I use it at church to both view my bible AND take notes on the sermon. I use it to play games like Tetris when I have long waits, etc, etc. The fun: With the Palm Zire 71 I listen to MP3's when I ride to work. I take pictures of friends, family members, items I'd like to buy and their prices at different stores, recipes out of books I don't want to buy! I even watch video clips and show them off to friends. Believe me this thing is an eye catcher. The pictures are pretty darn good quality, at 640x480 they look great, I've even blown them up to use as desktops on my 27' flat screen monitor. (check out the pictures I posted of a concert at thecomatorium.com > photos > summer tour 2003 > Denver: gothic theatre). Playback of MP3's sound killer with decent headphones. The display on the whole unit is nothing short of beautiful. I don't care what anybody says, the Palm Zire 71 is amazing and will make you 75% cooler. Cons: Could have come with better carrying case and maybe an extra SD card. More choices for media players (I hate Real player products!) MP3's are a pain if you have issues with a little patience. Video transfers are so-so quality, especially the audio. Would like if it were available in other colors besides blue. Overview: All in all this is a great product all the way around. If you want a flawless camera, you can buy just a digital camera for the same price. If you want more memory, buy a PC! Try hauling those around your pocket.
Rating: 
Summary: Sorely disappointed in multimedia functions
Review: Just bought this Palm for a significant person in my life. Had the opportunity to prep it. The bright color screen is beautiful, and using the built-in camera can't get any easier. The screen feels a little slippery, and Graffiti 2, which still requires you to memorize some weird shorthands, takes some getting used to for people new to Graffiti and also old-time Palm users. Overall I'm still impressed with Palm's simplicity and speed. And I appreciate the ability to sync with Outlook, using an included third-party app. But I'm very disappointed in the way Palm implements multimedia functions. In this area, the Pocket PC is way simpler. Let me expound. To play audio files (only MP3 and RealAudio are supported), you MUST purchase a secure digital expansion card. Of course, given the Zire 71 only has 13MB of user memory, you wouldn't fit too many MP3 songs in the internal RAM anyway if you could. But, still, it would have been nice to be able to carry two favorite songs with me without the SD memory. And had Palm chosen to license Microsoft's WMA technology, we could get the same sound quality at half the file size as standard MP3. So you need to purchase an SD card, and then install RealOne Player from the 2nd companion CD. The choice of RealOne is not a blessing, because Real's software is totally invasive, even more so than Microsoft's. And copying MP3 files from your Windows desktop to the Zire is a total pain: first you have to create a playlist in RealOne, then specify which files in RealOne to copy, and finally copy. With Pocket PC, I just use Windows Explorer to go to the My Music directory on the Pocket PC, and then drag-and-drop MP3 and WMA files. (On the Mac, you'd use Hotsync, which makes it easier than on Windows. It puzzles me why Palm chose not to implement the same technique on Windows.) To play video files, you'd need to install both the Kinoma Player and Quick Time. Then, each time you want to copy a file to the Zire, you must use Kinoma to convert the source file (AVI, MPEG and MOV are supported), a time-consuming process. This is true on both Windows and Mac. If you have a fast P4 the process is not as painful, but still it's totally unnecessary. Again, on the PPC, I just drop-and-drop video files into the My Documents folder (or a subfolder) and voila. So if you are buying the Zire 71 for multimedia functionalities, hold off your purchase and wait until Palm improves this area. If you are buying it for snapping pictures, go for it.
Rating:
Summary: The best Palm OS based handheld for the money
Review: I have owned several Palm OS based handhelds over the years, from the IIIxe (pretty good for its time), to the Vx (great size and rechargeable), to the m130 (an unmitigated disaster), to this one. This is what handheld computing was meant to be. The display is outstanding & a vast improvement over the m130. With SD memory cards at historical lows, go get a 128MB card and any memory issue (only if you like to load tons of aps & games) goes away. The navigation 'stick' is a wonder. The camera is great for simple 'point & click' shots outdoors or in well-lit areas (no flash), and it has a certain 'chick magnet' factor to it ;-). The MP3 player feature works quite well (you need earphones, & the SD card comes in handy here, too, for music file storage). Now that the price has come down, I feel this is the most feature-packed Palm OS PDA for the money.
Rating:
Summary: Sweet Product
Review: Palm gets PDA and mobile devices. While other manufactures tout the hardware specs (microprocessor spend, RAM amount, screen size, etc) of their products, Palm delivers what's important to most of us - functionality. The integrated camera is simply an engineering and ergonomic marvel, which tends to be mutually exclusive on most technology products. And the OS, having used both Palm and Pocket PC devices, is by far the easiest and most intuitive to use. Zire 71 is not prefect, and nothing is. But if you are looking for a PDA without wireless capabilities, Zire is the best there is today.
Rating:
Summary: Overall very nice PDA, with a few caveats
Review: Pros:
1. Incredible screen; best I've ever seen, even vs. Tungsten C.
2. Camera is surprisingly good, considering it's a secondary (and maybe even tertiary) function of the unit.
3. Syncs up flawlessly with old Palm OS data.
4. Very good sound for such a small unit, especially through headphones.
5. Bundled software was better than I anticipated.
6. Did I mention the screen? Wow.
7. Nice value, and good software support from third party vendors. Cons:
1. Included carrying case is worthless, and it seems improbable to add a case or cover that keeps the unit slim like the slick Palm V design. Have to resort to bulky leather cases with velcro. Designers haven't figured out that users want simplicity, or they conveniently forgot after Palm V.
2. Stylus is made of weightless cheap plastic. C'mon, Palm. At least include a decent one for an extra buck or two, like (again) you did with the Palm V.
3. Two-tone silver and blue looks nice, but too much like Sony, and the silver smudges easily. Seems sturdy though. I'd prefer metal (like, guess what: the Palm V!) but for the price, it seems OK.
4. Unit seems wobbly in the cradle, which offers no charge light (no light at all).
5. Unit is fairly fragile. Don't drop it! I dropped mine from about 15 inches onto a chair mat, and something came loose inside. Still works, but now also functions as a baby rattle.
6. Ridiculous packaging -- a nitpicky gripe -- but it's secured in industrial-grade bubble plastic as if Palm anticipates NASA field testing. It took five Linebackers and a Navy SEAL with jackhammers and blowtorches to get the friggin' package open. What happened to the respectable box? Overall: An excellent consumer/entertainment unit for the money. For business types, I recommend the a Tungsten.
Rating:
Summary: LOVE it
Review: I LOVE the Zire 71 that I received as a graduation gift! It is beautiful, simple, and incredibly useful. I am easily intimidated by technology, so I didn't think I could ever wean myself off of the old-fashioned paper and pencil organizers, but the Palm helped make the transition smooth and effortless. The Zire 71 conveniently offers many different features (address book, memo pad, notepad, day planner, expense sheet, calculator) that give you lots of options in organizing your information. The built in camera feature is so much more helpful than I could have ever imagined. I love how it doesn't flash, so you can discreetly take digital pictures in public (I use mine when I'm shopping; I photograph things I'm thinking about buying so that I can compare them when I get home). However, even with the Palm's great self-adjusting lighting, picture-taking abilities are limited without a flash. Also, you have to hold the handheld *perfectly* still to take a decent shot. All-in-all, the Palm Pilot is adequate for my casual picture-taking needs, and I have put off buying a separate digital camera.
Rating:
Summary: An amazing handheld at a great price
Review: I've been using handhelds/PDAs for many years, and I've been a Palm OS user for the last 3 years. When my aging Handspring Visor recently started giving me troubles, I began to casually look around for a decent upgrade. A review of the Zire 71 in MacAddict caught my eye, and a couple of days later I went and bought one. To say the least, I am very satisfied with this purchase. The Zire 71 has a beautiful display, which is very crisp and vibrant indoors. The color is a bit washed out when outdoors in bright sunlight, but it is still quite usable. Multimedia playback works nicely on the Zire, although movies don't play quite as smoothly as I would like. The need to purchase a memory card just to store MP3s is also a bit of a bummer. But then again, the device only comes with 16MB of RAM as it is, so you'd probably end up buying a memory card at some point anyway. The Zire 71's camera takes good pictures, and is very handy for those moments when you don't have a regular camera with you. Granted, the photos are 640x480, there's no flash, no zoom, etc. This is obviously not going to replace a dedicated digital or film camera for serious picture taking. But sometimes you spontaneously need to take a picture or two, and if you carry your handheld with you everywhere (as I do), the Zire's built in camera will no doubt prove useful. My only real complaint about the Zire is the little navigational stick. I like the stick itself, but the fact that pressing it turns on the handheld (to display the time) is troublesome. The included case is a tight fit, and it would always press the nav stick when I was putting the Zire inside. The last thing I need to worry about is bumping the stick while the handheld is in my pocket, and thus wasting battery power. Fortunately, there is a solution: a program called "Disable Buttons" that lets you disable the physical buttons when the handheld is off. You can disable the various buttons (date book, contacts, etc) or just the navigation stick if you want. Search for it on Google or PalmGear.com (it's freeware). To sum up: The Zire 71 is a very capable little machine. It's certainly enough to organize the contacts and data in your life, and the multimedia capabilities are a nice touch. Definitely a worthy successor to my ol' Visor. Highly recommended.
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