MK
23rd February 2004, 08:46 AM
The Palm Tungsten T2 is finally on sale, and we at SPUG have been given the honour to evaluate a set for you. The Tungsten T has been enhanced with a better screen, more memory and more software; it has the following differences over the T:
Improved 320x320 TFT screen
32MB RAM built-in (29.5MB available to user)
Silver body
Graffiti 2
Palm OS v5.2.1
More software: Kinoma Player and Producer, DataViz Documents-To-Go Professional Edition, VersaMail 2.5, and more.
Hardware - What's New
Screen
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The screen is the most important change in the T2. The guys at Palm call it an "Ultra sharp Display"—320x320, transflective TFT. I was confused at first as both the T and T2 are 320 x 320 x 65000. But when I switched on the set, I liked what I saw.
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I placed the Tungsten T2, T, and a Nokia 8310 side-by-side for comparison. The screen is certainly a welcome improvement. It is brighter and works well in both dark conditions and under bright sunlight. It has an excellent wide viewing angle too. According to Palm, it is the same screen that the Zire 71 and Tungsten C use.
The Graffiti area does not light up like the m505 though.
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Battery Life
Does a bright screen like that shorten the battery life? The 900 mAh lithium polymer rechargeable battery lasted 5 hours before the first low-battery warning appeared. During the test, screen was set to the brightest, no application was running, Bluetooth was set as discoverable, andIR was on. The expected battery life is five days for basic PIM usage at default brightness.
Memory
The T2 comes with 32MB (29.5MB useable) of RAM, double that of the T, and that means that users can store more programs, images, documents and presentations. It also has a Palm Expansion Slot which accepts a MultiMediaCard, SD Card and SDIO media for more storage space and additional add-on devices. T2 comes with 8MB flash ROM for future OS updates.
Hardware - What's Unchanged
The Body Tungsten T2 has the same body (102x75x15mm compact, 123x75x15mm extended) and slider design as Tungsten T. The only thing different is the colour of the body -- brushed silver, instead of bluish-grey tone of the Tungsten T. It feels delightfully brighter and is a better match with digital cameras and other silver-coloured gadgets. Even the colour of the voice recording button has been changed.
<CENTER></CENTER>
Processor
The Texas Instruments' OMAP1510 processor combines a TMSS320C55x DSP and TI enhanced ARM925 device.
Audio support
The T2 has a 3.5mm stereo headphone jack. This is the same one used by CD, MP3 and MD players. The audio playback is capable of 44.1 kHz over 8 channels. 8 channels would make more sense to application developers than end-users. There's also has a built-in speaker which offers decent audio playback for small group presentations. And it can do better with a louder speaker at public spaces. Wireless Connectivity
Integrated Bluetooth Technology allows exchanging of files, and playing multi-player games with other T and T2's in the area. It also dials mobile phones and connects to the Internet. There is an Infrared Port which is compatible with previous Palm products and IR enabled mobile phones.
Security
The T2 comes with enhanced security with 128-bit encryption, time-schedule setup for lock-up and password protection.
Connector
The T2 uses the Palm Universal Connector that lets users snap on a range of add-on hardware like Palm's Ultra-Thin Keyboard and battery pack.
<CENTER></CENTER>
5-way navigator buttons
The 5-way (left, right, up, down, and select) navigator button is convenient. It launches applications with ease, look ups addresses and dials numbers via a paired Bluetooth phone, controls volume with the RealOne Mobile Player, and it even turns on and display time briefly when the handheld is off.
One-button Voice record
Hold down this button to record voice memo. Recording stops when the button is released. For extended recording, use the on-screen icon.
Miscellaneous
Vibration, sound and LED alert</FONT>
Software - What's new
<CENTER></CENTER>
Graffiti 2
I found Graffiti 2 to be a controversial change. Back in the days of the Palm III, Palm argued that Graffiti was the fastest way of writing—every character was written in one stroke. In Graffiti 2, things changed. 'i', 't', 'k' (and 'x') are now two-stroke characters. Even 'U' has changed. 'U' now has a trailing tail while 'V' no longer has that. And the full-stop is now just a dot; not double-dot. This means another round of adaptation exercise for BOTH beginner and Graffiti 2 migrants. On the bright side, it is now easier for a beginner to pick up Graffiti 2. But I still wonder why 'F' and 'A' are still single stroke characters.
Others
OS 5.2.1: Updated fonts to allow for higher-quality viewing options, going smaller for more information on the screen at once, or larger for easier viewing. There are also more colour theme options.
DataViz Document To Go 5.0 Professional Edition: Supports Microsoft Office compatibility on handheld.
Palm VersaMail 2.5: Supports dialup and file attachment for documents, photos and voice memo files and PIM data.
Web Browser Pro: Supports HTML XHTML, JavaScript and SSL 3.0.
Palm Phone Link: Simplifies phone setup and linking to Internet. Supports Ericsson T39m, Nokia 6310i, Sony Ericsson T68 and T68i.
RealOne Mobile Player: Allows users to listen to RealAudio and MP3 files (expansion card required).
Kinoma Video Player: Allows user to watch video on the T2
Adobe Acrobat Reader: Supports reading of PDF files.
Package Contents
Palm Tungsten T2 handheld, stylus and protective (clear plastic) cover
USB cradle with AC adaptor for recharging
Installation CD
Software Essentials CD
Read This First document
Multimedia (photo, music, video) Getting Started Guide
Graffiti 2 sticker and tips/tricks sheet
Sample screen protector
User Manuals (PDF files on CD)
Conclusion
Palm Tungsten T2 is a very attractive, executive handheld. The compactness, beautiful screen and integrated Bluetooth stand out compared to other handhelds. Complemented with Palm's Ultra-Thin Keyboard and Battery pack, together with Document To Go and Palm VersaMail, the T2 is able to replace the bulky notebook for business travel.
Likes:
New Bright, wide-angle screen
32MB memory
Wireless connectivity (Bluetooth & IR)
Tough aluminum body
New software package
5-way navigator
Dislikes:
No 480 x 320 screen
No lighted graffiti area
Graffiti 2
Cost
Recommended retail price is $708 with 1 year warranty from date of purchase.
Rating
Review by Ng Pei Sin
23 Aug 2003
Improved 320x320 TFT screen
32MB RAM built-in (29.5MB available to user)
Silver body
Graffiti 2
Palm OS v5.2.1
More software: Kinoma Player and Producer, DataViz Documents-To-Go Professional Edition, VersaMail 2.5, and more.
Hardware - What's New
Screen
<CENTER></CENTER>
The screen is the most important change in the T2. The guys at Palm call it an "Ultra sharp Display"—320x320, transflective TFT. I was confused at first as both the T and T2 are 320 x 320 x 65000. But when I switched on the set, I liked what I saw.
<CENTER></CENTER>
<CENTER></CENTER>
I placed the Tungsten T2, T, and a Nokia 8310 side-by-side for comparison. The screen is certainly a welcome improvement. It is brighter and works well in both dark conditions and under bright sunlight. It has an excellent wide viewing angle too. According to Palm, it is the same screen that the Zire 71 and Tungsten C use.
The Graffiti area does not light up like the m505 though.
<CENTER> </CENTER>
Battery Life
Does a bright screen like that shorten the battery life? The 900 mAh lithium polymer rechargeable battery lasted 5 hours before the first low-battery warning appeared. During the test, screen was set to the brightest, no application was running, Bluetooth was set as discoverable, andIR was on. The expected battery life is five days for basic PIM usage at default brightness.
Memory
The T2 comes with 32MB (29.5MB useable) of RAM, double that of the T, and that means that users can store more programs, images, documents and presentations. It also has a Palm Expansion Slot which accepts a MultiMediaCard, SD Card and SDIO media for more storage space and additional add-on devices. T2 comes with 8MB flash ROM for future OS updates.
Hardware - What's Unchanged
The Body Tungsten T2 has the same body (102x75x15mm compact, 123x75x15mm extended) and slider design as Tungsten T. The only thing different is the colour of the body -- brushed silver, instead of bluish-grey tone of the Tungsten T. It feels delightfully brighter and is a better match with digital cameras and other silver-coloured gadgets. Even the colour of the voice recording button has been changed.
<CENTER></CENTER>
Processor
The Texas Instruments' OMAP1510 processor combines a TMSS320C55x DSP and TI enhanced ARM925 device.
Audio support
The T2 has a 3.5mm stereo headphone jack. This is the same one used by CD, MP3 and MD players. The audio playback is capable of 44.1 kHz over 8 channels. 8 channels would make more sense to application developers than end-users. There's also has a built-in speaker which offers decent audio playback for small group presentations. And it can do better with a louder speaker at public spaces. Wireless Connectivity
Integrated Bluetooth Technology allows exchanging of files, and playing multi-player games with other T and T2's in the area. It also dials mobile phones and connects to the Internet. There is an Infrared Port which is compatible with previous Palm products and IR enabled mobile phones.
Security
The T2 comes with enhanced security with 128-bit encryption, time-schedule setup for lock-up and password protection.
Connector
The T2 uses the Palm Universal Connector that lets users snap on a range of add-on hardware like Palm's Ultra-Thin Keyboard and battery pack.
<CENTER></CENTER>
5-way navigator buttons
The 5-way (left, right, up, down, and select) navigator button is convenient. It launches applications with ease, look ups addresses and dials numbers via a paired Bluetooth phone, controls volume with the RealOne Mobile Player, and it even turns on and display time briefly when the handheld is off.
One-button Voice record
Hold down this button to record voice memo. Recording stops when the button is released. For extended recording, use the on-screen icon.
Miscellaneous
Vibration, sound and LED alert</FONT>
Software - What's new
<CENTER></CENTER>
Graffiti 2
I found Graffiti 2 to be a controversial change. Back in the days of the Palm III, Palm argued that Graffiti was the fastest way of writing—every character was written in one stroke. In Graffiti 2, things changed. 'i', 't', 'k' (and 'x') are now two-stroke characters. Even 'U' has changed. 'U' now has a trailing tail while 'V' no longer has that. And the full-stop is now just a dot; not double-dot. This means another round of adaptation exercise for BOTH beginner and Graffiti 2 migrants. On the bright side, it is now easier for a beginner to pick up Graffiti 2. But I still wonder why 'F' and 'A' are still single stroke characters.
Others
OS 5.2.1: Updated fonts to allow for higher-quality viewing options, going smaller for more information on the screen at once, or larger for easier viewing. There are also more colour theme options.
DataViz Document To Go 5.0 Professional Edition: Supports Microsoft Office compatibility on handheld.
Palm VersaMail 2.5: Supports dialup and file attachment for documents, photos and voice memo files and PIM data.
Web Browser Pro: Supports HTML XHTML, JavaScript and SSL 3.0.
Palm Phone Link: Simplifies phone setup and linking to Internet. Supports Ericsson T39m, Nokia 6310i, Sony Ericsson T68 and T68i.
RealOne Mobile Player: Allows users to listen to RealAudio and MP3 files (expansion card required).
Kinoma Video Player: Allows user to watch video on the T2
Adobe Acrobat Reader: Supports reading of PDF files.
Package Contents
Palm Tungsten T2 handheld, stylus and protective (clear plastic) cover
USB cradle with AC adaptor for recharging
Installation CD
Software Essentials CD
Read This First document
Multimedia (photo, music, video) Getting Started Guide
Graffiti 2 sticker and tips/tricks sheet
Sample screen protector
User Manuals (PDF files on CD)
Conclusion
Palm Tungsten T2 is a very attractive, executive handheld. The compactness, beautiful screen and integrated Bluetooth stand out compared to other handhelds. Complemented with Palm's Ultra-Thin Keyboard and Battery pack, together with Document To Go and Palm VersaMail, the T2 is able to replace the bulky notebook for business travel.
Likes:
New Bright, wide-angle screen
32MB memory
Wireless connectivity (Bluetooth & IR)
Tough aluminum body
New software package
5-way navigator
Dislikes:
No 480 x 320 screen
No lighted graffiti area
Graffiti 2
Cost
Recommended retail price is $708 with 1 year warranty from date of purchase.
Rating
Review by Ng Pei Sin
23 Aug 2003