Rating: 
Summary: Great for wireless email - sllloooooow connections
Review: ...That said it does work - except in my office! And I don't work in a protected building - I have to go up to the roof to get a connection. I have tried it over the last week while travelling in Houston, Phoenix, LA and Las Vegas. Worked fine on the road which is the main reason I got it. The email connection is painfully slow - it reminds me of computers from the 80's and the bitty modems. Painfully slow. Attachment downloads are just not worth the wait and many times just failed. Better to embed the document as text in the email. Wireless email is what makes this usefull for me so for that one reason it was worth the expense.
Rating: 
Summary: As Good as Wireless Gets....For Now
Review: As a blackberry user for over a year and a half and a hard-core Palm junkie, I was eager to have a shot at carrying an all-in-one device rather than two devices which don't talk to each other. Plus, for the same price, the Palm.net service offers more (web clipping and web browsing without usage quota) than just always-on email. I have been very pleased with the device itself in the month plus I've used it. It has the merely adequate grayscale palm display we're all used to by now, but rewards you with phenomenal battery life (20 minutes on the cradle a day keep it charged, even with wireless usage) and an eminently light and pocketable form factor. It is really quite amazing what they fit into such a slim little package, with an SD/MMC slot to boot! If you haven't used a wireless device like a blackberry, you really don't know what you're missing. Instead of having to take time out of your routine to check your email a dozen times to see if an important message came through, you just go about your business until you either get beeped, buzzed, or flashed (your choice of nothing or any combo of the three). During a heated game of scrabble, just fire up the 705 with the Merriam Webster PQA (a sort of web shortcut to their site which avoids slow graphics/ads....see palm.com for details) and use their dictionary, which is far larger than what will fit on any PDA, to solve the dispute. Wondering what the population of Brazil is? Go to brittanica.com with their PQA and have the answer in 30 seconds. It makes firing a computer up seem like a waste of time. The main shortcomings of the device center around the screen, but the battery life vs. full-time sidelit screen (like the Clie 760c) debate has been beaten to death. But the bottom line is that until the battery and screen technology progresses further (the organic LEDs, perhaps?), you're not going to have a wireless PDA and a dynamite screen in this kind of form factor. And I really don't think that I could go back to a Clie after getting used to full-time wireless access. The other issue is that of the network the device uses. While the Mobitex network doesn't set any speed records, it is a) fairly responsive, b) rock-solid reliable (Sept. 11 didn't cause so much of a hiccough in the NYC area network), c) has better coverage than GPRS or 3G will have for quite a while to come. And since Voicestream's throughput-based data fees are not attractive (what's the fun of a wireless toy if you've got to watch the clock?) to the average user, Mobitex wins in my mind.
Rating:
Summary: WHAT'S A LAPTOP?
Review: As a New York Criminal and Divorce attorney, I swear the 1-705 is
guilty of being the best friend you can have out there in the field. The ability to read Excel & Word docs is a godsend, and between the power to remote access the internet, and the freebie downloads available for a palm, who needs a laptop? This beauty and a cell phone, and you've got all the equipment you need to be a successful road warrior. You are hereby summoned to appear with your i-705 and run your business on the run.
Rating: 
Summary: Good enabling device, but expensive.
Review: At first I had a terrible experience with the Palm i705. When i got it home, it would not activate over the wireless network for the longest time. I even went outside and saw that it had a full 5 bars of signal strengh, but then it kept going down to zero and disconnecting. It finally activated and then I drove to many different areas of town (all showed as having excellent coverage on Palm's coverage area map) and the same thing happened-it would be a full 5 bars and then when I would to go online, the unit would cut down to zero and flash red (no signal). Very frustrating! I returned the unit for another one and the new one works fine and as it should. As others have said the Blacberry devices is more suitable if you get a lot of emails since that's what's primarily geared and designed for. I agree, but ended up returning my Blackberry in favor of the Palm i705 for several reasons. Firstly, the there is a lot of development on the Palm platform. A lot of people write cool and useful programs for the Palm that you can download and intall. Also, the contact management and calendaring are way better with Palm. Additionally, while the Blackberry can do web browsing, it's WML (WAP) only, whereas the Palm can actually browse with full graphics and simple HTML. Another cool thing about the i705 is that it can run AOL Instant Messenger. Now I can chat with my friends in real time from virtually anywhere and I don't even have to be near a computer. As far as email, the Palm i705 is sufficient. It can POP into my home ISPs mail server and retrieve email. I can either do this manually or I can set up a rule to have it done on a periodic schedule. I chose to do it manually since I don't need the Palm notifying me (beeping or vibrating) with every single email. With the Palm service, you also get a Palm email address. Anytihng sent to this address automatically goes to the i705 (you can mute notifications if you want). You can alter your reply-to address so that when you send an email from the i705, it comes from another address. This is handy since when I send a message, it comes from my normal email address, rather than the Palm one. The MultiMail email softare that comes with the device is very faulty, difficult to use and understand and basically really bad. Since there is so much development for the Palm, I recommend you use a third party application. Corsoft's Aileron 4.0 is a great email program and it works wonderfully reliably on the i705. Compared to Palm's MultiMail, Aileron is a joy. It's a shareware program ... In all, after my initial shock at the sticker price and the defective unit, I am relatively happy with the i705 and the service. The unit feels a bit like a plastic toy, and I would have liked it if it were metal or a more rugged feeling plastic like the Blackberry. On the other hand, the i705 is light. It is slightly bigger than I would like (I prefer the m500 series size) but it's not that big considering the fact that it has a wireless radio built into it. I don't miss a color screen at all. I had an m515 previously and I actually think the black and white screen on the i705 is easier to read text on (once you adjust the contrast). And, I think that a color screen combined with the radio features of this unit would be a serious battery drainer. As is, the i705 battery really lasts a long time, even with heavy online usage. It's so nice to be able to be connected to the 'net and email from anywhere, without having to be tied to a home or office computer. Really quite freeing. I can be reading and responding to emails while in line at the Post Office or looking at the latest news at the DMV. This is the wave of the future and you can have it now, at a cost. The i705's built-in web-browsing functionality leaves much to be desired. Again, there are several third party browsers available and Palm is supposedly working on their own browser which they will be releasing soon. I use a shareware browser called Vagabond, in combination with the MyPalm application that came on the Palm. Keep in mind that websites with heavy graphics are not made to be accessed via the Palm. PS-the Palm Mini keyboard accessory for the i705 is not very good. It has a weird yucky feeling when you type on it. I much prefer the foldout Palm Portable Keyboard, which has a great feel to it and is a full sized keyboard when it folds out. I'd rather use the stylus than have to use the Mini keyboard.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty much the best option for wireless and Palm
Review: Being a user of the VIIx, I anxiously awaited the arrival of the i705. I am not in any way disappointed. The 705 has all of the usual stuff we have come to expect from Palm OS devices: easy to use, fairly good battery life, and loads of add-on software. The only real objection is that you really can't visit web pages with the Palm...you need to use the Web Clipping apps which are a good substitute IF the site/service you want provides a clipping app. The vast majority of them do, so don't worry. A color display would have also been nice, but the drain on the battery would have been too great. The addition of the blink/buzz notification of incoming mail is useful and the SD slot is a godsend. The processor seems to be a bit more peppy than in the VII series as well. No complaints about the wireless service. It works in every city I have been in and even works well in wine country in Northern California and other "rural" areas I've been to. You won't set any speed records but it is bearable. Outlook users should take care to find software that lets the Palm sync with Outlook for tasks, contacts, and calendar BEFORE using the unit heavily. I can speak from experience that synching a Palm to Outlook after both of them have been used for contact tracking is a royal pain. Overall, unless you have a deep-seated need to use Pocket PC 2002 the Palm remains the best bang for the buck for wireless handhelds and the best overall solution for a mobile professional. It may be the case that a Pocket PC comes closer to replacing a laptop, but the prices on decent units plus wireless modem plus wireless service puts them on par with a refurbished laptop. The Blackberry is nice, but limited.
Rating: 
Summary: Nice try, but not yet ready for prime time...
Review: For getting information and e-mail on the go, you can't do better than this. Too bad. The i705 is a viable optoin for the business user or high-end (i.e. rich) home user. It sports always-on Internet, a battery that lasts a lot longer than most cell phones, and some text-based web access (although still limited by the small screen). The main advantage is that you know instantly when you receive an e-mail, with either a flashing light or a buzz signaling to you. I can imagine for a corporate exec, this would be particularly useful for trading messages with your mistress while sitting through another long, boring, inane meeting about network synergy from a high-priced, high-snooze factor consultant. But there are some big drawbacks that have to be solved before Palm will be able to sell these en masse to the consumer market. Price, for starters. The Palm.net service costs about the same as my cell service or high-speed home internet, equalling the cost of the unit after about 15 months. This is just text, folks. A low-bandwidth solution. Prices must come down. Because Palm needs to sell a bunch of these to convince investors to stay with its stock, expect the prices to come down, and fast. Mark my words, this product will be half what it is today by next January. They could even offer it for free with a two-year Palm.net commitment. Second, for the price they are charging, you would expect at least some color. Nada. Third, unless you are going to use the e-mail and Internet functions A LOT, you should consider the larger form factor of this device. It is significantly bulkier than the Palm Vx/Palm 500/505/515 family, yet unlike the Handspring Treo, it doesn't replace your cell phone. Fourth, this device is essentially trying to keep up with the Blackberrys, but the i705 should have been released two years ago. It already looks and feels dated. All you have to do is head down to your local electronics store to see all of the fancy Palm OS/PHONE devices that are going to be far more useful for most people. Most of them are cheaper than this device (you can get some major deals from the cellular companies), include color, and save you major pocket space. Also, don't be surprised if in about six months you start hearing about Palm's likely next promise to try and keep its long-suffering shareholders from jumping ship: A Handspring Treo-like device with a color screen, better battery, Palm/Phone that is smaller, sexier and sleeker than the i705, for probably the same price. Do you really want to shell out major dough for a device that will be state of the art for zero months? If you do, more power to you. In a year or two, the i705 will join your collection of TI Sinclairs, Commodore 64s, Amigas, brick-phones from the 80s, and $20K plasma TVs (that are now $5K?). And, to tell you the truth, there isn't much that's revolutionary here anyway. Palm already had the Palm VII (which you can find for, oh, about zero bucks used) and the Palm Vx/Phone solution, and Handspring will sell you a Visor Deluxe with phone attachment for a fraction of the I705's price. These are a bit less elegant, but who wants to pay several hundred bucks for elegance? If the answer is you, more power to you. For the rest of us, we will just have to wait a while longer.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not good enough
Review: Have had a baseline Palm for a while and eagerly awaited the 'mobile/connected' evolution. The i705 sounded perfect. After using it for a while I have come back down to earth and think it's close, but not yet. Palm positives are: nice quality feel, Palm compatibility, comes with scratchpad software and documents to go.
Mobile positives are: always on, nice multimail client, AOL Instant Messenger Palm negatives are: same old palm, low res screen, no color, low light, no jog dial, few new applications, same old buttons. Essentially [more expensive than] a basic palm with same features (except for mobile). The keyboard was kinda cool as an optional plug in but I see it more as helping someone decide which paradigm they want (pen or keyboard), and then buying a PDA with that integrated in, like a treo.
Mobile negative: Mainly cost and performance. You have to go to the [more expensive monthly] plan to avoid overcharges and that is about 2x what you should pay. Next problem is the performance. It's an older, slower technology. Even in my large city, it worked only OK for emails, but AIM was unusable as it is too sensitive to dropped packets apparently (seems so). And lastly of course, no voice phone ala treo (I know, not supposed to be). But if one was really connected, one uses it (like voice over MS Instant messenger). Last whine is that the email really won't work with corporate email. this is not a surprise, but limits the real usefullness of the device for professionals, until/unless their company agrees to support the thing. Bottom line...an expensive offering that only melds a standard palm with a SMS-level email service for public internet. A great attempt and nice to try, but my [money] will go elswhere...
Rating:
Summary: A nice handheld
Review: I bought the i705 on 12/5. So far, it's met all my expectations. The wireless access has been decent - not super fast, but sitting at a stoplight getting mapquest directions was pretty neat. The usual bundled apps are great. The palm desktop has been much improved since the Vx(my last palm). I thought the 8MB would be a limitation but I haven't come close to 8MB yet. And if you do, pop in a SD card. One problem I have with the i705, that surprised me, is the unusual Internet access setup. It seems I can't download a palm telnet client and connect to the Internet. Same applies with ssh. Seems palm implemented some funky Internet setup and IP isn't supported directly on the palm? Not sure about the details, but web/email works like a champ. Overall, it's nice, but it would have been better with an ssh client...
Rating:
Summary: Cannot compare to palm Vx w/omnisky service
Review: I have been using a Palm Vx with omnisky service since july. I bought the palm i705 because of all the reviews and ease of use. I was working with both units side by side for two days. I returned the palm i705 because: The screen is very bad and service not as good as omnisky. The screen is basically the same as the original palmpilot professional which I still own (I also own a palm III and a palm m505). Reading messages on the palm i705 was difficult unless you are in perfect lighting. I can't believe palm would allow that having given us a Palm Vx or the far superior palm m505. The backlighting is non existant unless you are in a darkroom. As far as the service, I found the omnisky service definitely faster time and time again. Whether I was downloading mail or surfing the web. I like the omnisky mail program better than multimail. It not only retrieves the email address headers but also the first part of the actual message which is extremely important because you know when you really haved to retrieve the balance of a long message or not. I know this is just a software issue but palm should ask it's current omnisky or go america users what will make a perfect wireless device. If you don't have any wireless device yet and want to try the palm i705 you will love it because you don't know any better. On the positive side the size is good. it is not too big. Also having just one unit instead of carrying around two units(palm+modem)is nice. I am just going to have to wait for the next model and hope they improve on the screen and mail program.
Rating:
Summary: Palm i705 and Palm.net
Review: I have been using my i705 for 3-4 months. Initially, there were glitches between AOLIM and Palm.net that left users disconnected. They seem to have been resolved. If you travel to heavily or even moderately populated areas, and if you have a need for instant text only communications, then this device is sufficient to meet your needs. If you travel to the same geographic areas frequently, check the coverage map at their website to see if you will have coverage before purchasing. If you deal with huge file attachments, this will not help much. I travel the country in my line of work and the travel experience has been great! I can easily send an email from a remote (not near internet connection with laptop) location and get answers back much quicker. I do find the Palm.net service to be pricey ($40 monthly currently if you select the lowest priced unlimited option). If you intend to use the AOL Instant messenger services, it can eat up your available time/bankdwidth at the lower rate and then you end up paying a higher per unit fee. If the mono color display doesn't bother you, then you will be happy. I use a Compaq iPAQ as my other device for travel, but the i705 is mainly for communications.
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