Rating: 
Summary: Big disappointment
Review: This is the fifth palm I've owned in about as many years - I'm an early adopter and want the newest of everything as soon as it comes out. I'm contemplating some Windows CE device now. I like to show my new toys off, I'll keep this one hidden.Complaints: 1. Screen is too dark for color to be of much use. You need to use the backlight, can't adjust the contrast. Without backlight, screen brightness is about the same as my old Palm Vx, UNDER DARKEST CONTRAST. 2. The left side slot running down the entire handheld is a different shape/smaller than the Palm III and Vx. That means, if you are upgrading, that none of your Palm Vx covers/cases will work with the m500 series - even though they are the same size. To me, this seems an intentional move by Palm to make me purchase an entire set of new accessories. 3. The Power Charger/Hot Sync cable interfaces at the bottom of the device are completely different also. If you have a Travel Charger and/or HotSync Cable for the Vx, it too is not compatible with the m500 series. Once again, Palm is just forcing you to purchase an entire new set of accessories. I am very disappointed and feel like Palm is taking advantage of me as a loyal customer of each product they have launched so far. The screen is a disappointment, but more disappointing is the fact that they have designed the m500 series to force me to purchase a new case, a new travel kit (which apparently won't even ship for another month), and heaven forbid I should try and hook up something like an OmniSky modem made for the Vx series. I'm the COO of a technology company and can see no technical reason why Palm couldn't have made this backward compatable with Palm Vx accessories. The left side cover/case attachment slot is only a matter of shaping the plastic for compatability for goodness sake. Shame on you Palm.
Rating: 
Summary: great for an organizer, poor for a gameboy
Review: I'm glad to own the m505 personally. I agree that the screen is less vivid than some other color handhelds, but its bautiful in direct sunlight, also unlike some other handhelds. It looks sleek and refined, and unlike the prism it doesn't look like a glorified gameboy. While the contrast of the screen could have been made adustable, i like everything about my m505 so far... especially its performance and price (at $100 less than the new clie)
Rating: 
Summary: Works fine for me
Review: What's the big deal about the color? I don't see any problems with this handheld at all. I also have a Handspring Visor Deluxe and when you look from one to the other, the Visor display is green and faded and makes me sick now. The white background and crisp coloring and contrast really work for me. I've had my m505 for a month now and have no complaints about it. The price is kinda steep and may be a big investment for newbies that aren't sure what they want to do.... Although I love my m505, I am still kinda kicking myself for not being patient enough for the new Sony Clie (supports mp3 playback and memory sticks).
Rating: 
Summary: M505 compared to the Palm V
Review: I have been using a Palm V for 2 years, so the following is largely a comparison with the new M505. Overall I was pleased to have color but really disappointed that Palm, rather than just building on its strengths, has added new weaknesses: - Touch screen: Very disappointing on the M505. It is squidgy (you can see the whole screen distort when you touch it), poor quality in my opinion. I am having to change the way I input and my accuracy is right down. To me this is the most disappointing change, I have been using the M505 for 2 weeks now and still find the touch screen a problem and the reason I may ultimately abandon the M505 for an alternative. The included stylus may be related to the input problems I am having. - The M505 has different sized slots for the stylus and the cover. So now I not only cannot use my old stylus (a really excellent device from Japan) as it does not fit in the new slots but also with the M505 I cannot put the stylus in the left hand slot which is annoying. I cannot imagine why Palm have done this, not only unecessary but also alienating to a customer base. They had it right before, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. - Display: Very reflective! I do not understand why no one has been able to address this, it was the same with the Palm V. Furthermore it seems not possible to have the backlight come on by default, and it is a bit dim compared to all competition I have seen. - Base: No place for a stylus, there was with the Palm V base. - Faster: The M505 is definitely faster so full marks for that. - Included cover: The Palm V's cover was far superior to the cheap and nasty thing they now include. - Software: Some improvements but nothing that stands out as significant. I still find that the synchronisation with Outlook is poor in that not all fields from Outlook get translated. I love being able to add video though it is a bit of a gimmick. - One thing that impressed me was that I was able to upgrade and get going on the new M505 with all my old data and programs in much less than 30 minutes. Campare that to a day with a new PC. In conclusion I am thinking I should have waited for the new Sony color model or maybe given the Handspring devices more consideration. What I really want & need is a combination of a color Palm and a Blackberry. I also have a new HP Pocket PC but the software ruins those class of products, Palm is way ahead.
Rating:
Summary: Seems good to me
Review: I dont understand the reviewers complaints about the screen. I find it to be perfectly acceptable. The contrast and lighting is less intense than say the IIIC or the IPAQ, but that is a GOOD THING. THe IIIC's colors for example have a terrible tendancy to 'drip', making it a very messy screen in general. The IPAQ screen is beautiful because of its higher resolution, but i found that in both cases i had a headache after about 30mins use : these screens were much too bright. At least with the 505 i could switch off the backlight and in normal lighting condition could fool around endlessly without going into furiously heavy blinking mode after 20mins use. The rest is standard Palm : synchronising is perfect, AvantGo is brilliant for those of us wanting web content on the go, and the expansion slot is a bonus. Add the fact that you can upgrade the OS, and its the smallest color PDA on the market, makes it for me the clear winner !
Rating:
Summary: Better than the Prism
Review: I returned the Prism and bought the m505 and I'm very satisfied. This is a fantastic device. Its very fast. So easy to use. The screen is very nice. Because its not backlit the m505 batteries last much longer than the Prism. The case is very sleek and feels really comfortable in your hand. Its much smaller than the Prism. It's definitely worth the extra $50 for the color screen. The expansion slot works flawlessly. Just insert the card and the machine recognizes it immediately.
Rating:
Summary: What a Huge Disappointment
Review: I was waiting to spend an Amazon gift certificate towards a new Palm. My old PDA died months ago and I dropped to paper for a few months anticipating the new speedy, colorful,lots of memory Palm. I struggled with the screen on the old monochrome. So Color was the only way for me. UGH!!! Even with the backlight on it's barely acceptable. Palm has pulled a hoax on the public. The picture of the Palm 505 in their brochures is far brighter than the actual Palm. If it matters that you can see the screen, don't buy this one.
Oct. 2003... I can't believe Amazon lets you edit your reviews. I finally ditched the 505 for a new Tungsten C. Palm finally got this one right. It colorful, bright, fast, lots of memory and with the wireless router in my house I can sit at the kitchen table and drink my coffee and read my e-mail before leaving the house.
Rating:
Summary: Leader of the Pack!!!!!
Review: I have recently been looking for the perfect PDA. I've tried the Visor Platinum, Visor Edge, Jornada 548, and the Sony Clie PEG-300. This unit seems to me to be faster than them all. I noticed a small lag when switching applications with the other units, but don't notice any using the m505. The screen is excellent in my opinion. I can easily read it in any lighting conditions with judicious use of the backlight. The other units had useless backlights or were impossible to view in daylight. Another huge bonus with this unit is that the backlight illuminates the Graffiti area. I don't recall any of the other Palm OS units that I tried have this feature. The new notepad application that the unit comes with is a value added application. Adding the capability to draw and add notes anywhere on the screen is extremely convenient. And finally the unit comes with software in the box to work with Excel and Word documents, I would have had to purchase this software additionally with the other Palm OS units. I'm extremely picky about the equipment I buy, and in my humble opinion this is the best unit that you can buy!
Rating:
Summary: solid product
Review: I've had the m505 for a little while now and I have to say it is a very solidly built product, and the size is great. Everyone complains about the screen, and I have to say it isn't breathtaking, but it is very useable. I've had no problems using it in different lighting conditions, and battery life has been great, even with extensive use of the sidelight. Overall, a solid machine for the money (considering the Vx was $400 not too long ago), especially with the included software.
Rating:
Summary: The Best PALM
Review: I like this model, the colors, the alarm clock, Palm OS 4, .... I had had a V & IIIc , my son has a palm 100, so, if you want to have the best pda , buy a M505. But remember, people that use a PALM must learn to write again. By the way, I hate Pocket PC PDAs.
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