Brighthand Reviews the Palm TX -- Part 2

This is Part II of this review. Part I should be read first.

Software

The Palm TX comes with a very complete suite of software. This allows you to do the vast majority of tasks that people typically use handhelds for.

For most people, handhelds are personal organizers. Naturally, this model comes with applications to keep track of your schedule, your address book, and your To-Do list.

This information can be easily synchronized with what you have stored in Microsoft Outlook. In you aren't an Outlook user, Palm also provides the Palm Desktop, which performs many of the same functions.

When you're ready to move beyond the most basic functions of a handheld, you'll be happy to know that the TX also comes with Documents To Go, a suite of applications that lets you work with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files in their native formats.

This allows you to see most of the files that people back at the office are emailing you, and also come up with your own.

Many people use their handheld as a way to show people their pictures from their latest vacation, baby, or whatever. Considering the TX's 320-by-480-pixel screen -- as well as a decent photo viewing application -- this is easy.

You can also listen to audio files in a variety of formats. If you want to use this device is an iPod substitute, though, you should strongly consider getting the biggest SD card you can afford.

Of course, this software is just the beginning. There are tens of thousands of applications created by third-party developers you can get. These cover the gamut from games to medical references to... Well, trying to describe them all would be an impossible task. Trust me, if there's a task you want a handheld to do, there's probably an application out there for you.

Performance

Some people have expressed concern that the Palm TX has only a 312 MHz processor, which slower than the ones in this company's more expensive models.

Some reviewers would talk about benchmarks at this point, but I'm not a big fan of these. I don't think they accurately portray real-world performance.

That's why I did some tests in which I compared the time it took the TX and a LifeDrive to perform some common tasks: working with large files in Documents to Go and downloading complicated web pages.

Despite the fact that the LifeDrive has a significantly faster processor, the TX was quicker in every test I did.

Battery Life

I ran the TX through my standard battery test. This means that I didn't torture it, I used it as my regular handheld while I kept track of how long it lasted on a single charge. This involved some -- but not constant -- WiFi and Bluetooth use.

In my test, the TX lasted for just about 5 hours of use. This isn't great, but it's pretty darn good.

For comparison's sake, in a similar test, using just Bluetooth, a Tungsten T3 lasted only 3 hours.

And what should give you a lot more confidence is the fact that this device has NVFS technology. This means that you can drain the battery until it's empty and you won't have lost any of your data.

This allows you to safely use your handheld for much longer than you otherwise would.

Peripherals

The Palm TX comes with a flip cover, which is something I'm strongly in favor of. These protect the handheld's vulnerable screen without making the device too unwieldy.

Naturally, if you want something more protective, you can get it from a hardcase maker.

Not surprisingly for a mid-range model like the TX, you don't get a cradle. Still, you do get all the cables you need to keep your handheld charged and synchronized.

The stylus that comes with this device is nicely sized, unlike far too many others that come with painfully thin styli.