PDA Reviews

Almost after a year Palm launched the m505 PDA, which was the first handheld device to be having a color display, it released the new m515. This model has been launched to replace the flawed m505, realizing the fact that it is better late than never. This handheld has retained the display that everybody were looking forward with its predecessor, has added in more memory and maintains the original sleek design and surprisingly retains the old price too. So that is all about the new Palm m515 PDA, which has turned out to be the delight for the Palm lovers.

Same sleek design with a better and brighter display:

Design wise the m515 looks a lot like the Palm V with similar buttons and quite a comparable layout, but this one weighs a little heavier at 4.9ounces. Though some of the latest Palm OS based devices have got scroll wheels and built in keyboards, palm has decided to keep things simple in m515 Handheld. The device itself looks like a classic and with its metallic finish, it turns out to be one of the slickest PDA in the market. M515 has got a 2″ 16 bit active matrix LCD display of resolution 160 x 160 pixels and supports 65,000 colors. The display has been made brighter and they can be adjusted to display at low, high and no brightness levels with just a tap with the stylus. It has got stunning reflective qualities that allows you to view the display in a variety of lighting conditions, even in bright sunlight, however, the display itself is bright enough.

Stylus:

The Palm m515 Handheld PDA ships with a metal or plastic alloy stylus that fits into a silo on the right side of the device, and a side-swivel hard leather flip cover that fits into a silo on the left side of the device. Unfortunately, unlike the Palm V series, the silos are not the same size so the device cannot be reversed for left-handed users.

Palm m515 Accessories:

Coming to the accessories, the Palm m515 comes with a detachable leather flip cover that is the reminiscent of the Palm V’s. The package also includes a power adaptor, USB docking cradle for recharging the device and to make connectivity with your system.

All accessories that worked with the m505 and m500 are compatible with the m515. And hence, no re-accessorizing is required if you are upgrading between m500 models

Basic features of m515:

As in the case of most of the other PDA devices in the market, PalmOne m515 has also chosen to run on the 33MHz DragonBall VZ processor at its core. This model also comes with Palm 4.1 OS that supports USB connectivity and in addition to this the operating system has got a lot of enhancements such as vibration alerts, flash alerts and even the ability to write graffiti and use the virtual keyboard simultaneously.

Memory:

As in the case of its predecessor, the m515 has 4MB of flash ROM for the sake of upgrade the OS if required, in future. There is a small slot in the rear of the PDA in order to add a postage stamp sized memory card. The memory cards supported are MMC and SD. The bottom part of the 515 has got a Palm Universal Connector that allows you to connect some of the add-on accessories like modems, cameras, and GPS receivers too. And hence, the only major difference between the m515 and its predecessor the m505, is the addition of an 8MB RAM, which makes 16MB in total for you to store data and third party applications. This is not the first PDA to have 16MB RAM , Sony and Handspring have already done it. Nevertheless, having twice the memory is more than welcome.

Software included in m515:

Talking about the software, the m515 has got all the signature applications such as the contacts book, calendar and notes. Palm has added a few more applications as bonus. They include Palm connectivity software which connects the handheld to your mobile for accessing the net. The MGI PhotoSuite Mobile Edition allows you to play the photos and video clips in your mobile and directly from memory cards. This software supports formats such as .JPG, .TIF, .GIF, .PNG, .BMP, .MOV, .AVI and .WMV. The DataViz Documents To Go Professional Edition for viewing Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files. Includes a desktop application which is used to transfer files to the handheld. Files are automatically updated with each synchronization. The Palm Reader helps to read the ebooks on your Palm handheld and the device itself includes two ebooks called “The Empty Chair” and “STSCE4 Interphase” in English. AvantGo Mobile Internet Service which allows the users access web content wirelessly or via desktop synchronization. Palm has also included the PowerOne Personal Calculator which is an improved version of Palm OS original calculator.

Playback performance:

Though the m515 can playback videos, it does not have the capability to play sound and so, you will end up watching silent movies. The photo playback is decent. Palm had included a shooting game, its version of Serious Sam, which ran impressively without a hitch. The high resolution graphics is not as good as the ones found in some of the other latest PDAs.

Battery:

The Palm m515 comes with a Lithium Polymer rechargeable battery. We had mentioned the display of the m515 is bright enough but this comes at the cost of it battery life. The battery life is quite low. On using the device normally, for about 40 minutes per day, with the display on its brightest setting, the device will require a recharge on the end of the fourth day.

Warranty:

Palm supports the Palm m515 with one year limited warranty for parts and labor.

Verdict:

Plam has done a great job with the m515, it has made it everything its predecessor failed to be. The super compact design, highly improvised design and the expansion slot has all given some happy success to the PDA. Yet, it lacks a clear competitive advantage over Sony’s high end CLIEs. Many current Palm owners may be wondering if the m515 is worth upgrading to from their current device. It is a minor upgrade, but if you are carrying around a Palm V still and want a new PDA, the Palm m515 would be a significant and worthwhile upgrade.

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Technical Specification Details of Palm m515 PDA

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