PalmOne E2 vs. Zire 31

[Dave00]

My wife has been eyeing my Sony Clie for some time now, and I'm thinking of buying her one of the two above-mentioned PDA's. She's never tried Graffiti, and I'm not sure she's patient enough for it, but she loves the idea of having all of our contacts, etc. in one place. She'd also like to play some games on the morning train. The E2 seems like it has a much better screen (320x320 vs 160x160, TFT vs STN), and also has bluetooth, wifi, and 32mb vs 16mb. Naturally, it costs more as well ($188 after rebates, vs. $124 for the Zire.) I'm wondering if anyone who's used these models could comment. I'd especially like to hear about your experience if you're a relative novice to using these, or if you've bought one for someone who's a relative novice. Finally, anyone had any snags sync'ing these with your mac?

Thanks in advance.

Dave

 

[kanpachi]

Hi Dave,
Based on what you said, I would recommend getting the Palm E2. I bought the Zire 31 for my Mom and she likes it, but she only uses it for storing her contact information so speed and screen quality is of no importance to her. If your wife is going to play games, the *much* nicer screen on the E2 (and faster processor + more memory) would make her a lot happier. I think that the screen on the Zire 31 is inferior compared to the E2, as the color quality is quite poor. Also, connecting the USB connector to the Zire 31 is a pain since you have to connect this small connector to the side with an annoying flap that covers it -- there is no dock. I'm not sure if there is a dock for the E2, though, but I would think there is one because of the higher price point.

About connecting it to a Mac, I don't have any experience with this as my Mom uses a PC at home.

Given that there is only a $60 difference between the E2 and Zire 31 (according to the prices you listed), I would definitely recommend the E2 over the Zire 31.

Good luck!

 

[GimmeSlack12]

I got a Zire 31 for graduation last year and it's a nice PDA. Basic PDA, the color screen is a nice touch. I did notice it is hard to look at though when you're outside, on a sunny day at least. It doesn't much use though and if you want you can buy it off me. PM me if you want. Oh, I got a 64mb stick for it too.

 

[Dave00]

I got a Zire 31 for graduation last year and it's a nice PDA. Basic PDA, the color screen is a nice touch. I did notice it is hard to look at though when you're outside, on a sunny day at least. It doesn't much use though and if you want you can buy it off me.

Appreciate the offer! Unfortunately the wife's birthday is this weekend and I'll prob'ly have to buy it a little sooner than that. It's a tough call, because I have no idea whether she'll actually use it. As for games, she'd probably only use for low-maintenance games like solitaire, etc. But she might use it even less if she can't see the screen. Hmm, decisions decisions! I suppose I'd just look at them side-by-side in the store, but one store has one model and one the other! Huh.

Dave

 

[AstrosFan]

I recently got the Tungsten E2 and have been VERY happy with it.
The screen resolution is excellent; I don't have many games, but I do have bridge & solitaire which have very good picture quality.
Also, I LOVE the bluetooth - I am able to wirelessly sync with both my PowerBook & iMac which is quite convenient.
I am an experienced Palm user, but the setup is fairly self-explanatory.
Also, I've had good experiences with the Palm support when I have had to call them.
I don't have personal experience with the Zire 31, but I definitely think the E2 is worth it.

Hope that helps - good luck!

 

[Dave00]

Well, I went ahead and ordered the E2. There's a $50 rebate currently, and amazon had it for base price of $220. I like the idea of sync'ing with bluetooth. It will be nice to finally be able to sync with my mac again. For some reason my clie just refuses to sync with the mac anymore; I have to use my work PC as the computer end.

Thanks for all the tips!

Dave

 

[Mood]

go here http://www.pdareviewspot.com to get extensive reviews by consumers (with pictures)

 

[DCBass]

Zire 31 not so bad

Hello Dave,

My wife recently got a zire 31 and she loves it. She syncs it both to her pc at work and to my powerbook at home without any problem. She also has downloaded some simple, free games like memory, solitaire, and the like that she enjoys quite a bit.

The screen can be hard to see in direct sunlight (not sure how the E2 fares), but I'm not sure how much that bothers her.

The only thing that she would like on her palm is a bigger screen with better resolution just for general viewing pleasure (that grainy background pic is sure bothersome to look at for very long IMO).

If you've got the budget for it, I'd say E2.

-DCBass