PalmOne Zire 21 or 31?

[Lyle]

OK, folks. I don't expect that I'll ever need all of the bells and whistles that the Zire 31 offers. I will probably never have so many appointments or contacts that I'm seriously pushing the limits of the Zire 21's 8Mb of storage. I already have an iPod mini and so I don't really need an additional MP3 player.

Am I really going to miss the color screen, or the 16Mb of RAM? Someone talk some sense into me.

 

[liketom]

neither ! ask yourself what can they do what ur pod can not? lol no really i would go zire 21 cos thats what i got given from work and its kinda ok to use .

 

[Lyle]

neither ! ask yourself what can they do what ur pod can not?

And how exactly would you add a new contact or appointment from your iPod?

I know that I can sync, one-way, from the Mac's address book and calendar to the iPod mini. And don't get me wrong, I was pretty stoked when I discovered that it has that capability. But I do actually need to be able to change stuff directly on the PDA, and sync back and forth between it and my PowerBook.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

All I can say is that I really like my Tungsten E with its color screen. Much easier to read than the mono screens...

 

[Crikey]

I'm not sure which I'd choose. The Zire 21 is a good deal. The Zire 31's color screen, I've heard, is STN rather than TFT technology, so it won't look as nice as the color screens on the Tungstens. The Zire 31 has the updated PIM software (multiple address fields per contact record, and a brithday field that I'm finding pretty useful). I don't think the 21 has the updated PIMware.

I always say with anything portable, anything you actually touch as you use it like a handheld, phone, or notebook, play with them at length before you decide. You can't judge something just on specs; you should heft it and feel it and look at the screens. How does it feel to use it?

And, in your case, how much extra to go from Zire 31 to Tungsten E? The Tungsten E is pretty nice.

Good luck!


Crikey

 

[Lyle]

All I can say is that I really like my Tungsten E with its color screen. Much easier to read than the mono screens...

Aargh! Don't tempt me with an even more expensive toy!

 

[Lyle]

The Zire 31 has the updated PIM software (multiple address fields per contact record, and a brithday field that I'm finding pretty useful). I don't think the 21 has the updated PIMware.

Hmmm, I hadn't picked up on that. Yes, when I look closely at the details on the web site it says that the Zire 21 runs Palm OS 5.2.1 and the Zire 31 runs 5.2.8. Also the application names are different; for example, the Zire 21 has applications with names like "Address Book" and "Date Book", while the Zire 31 has apps with the names "Contacts" and "Calendar".

I always say with anything portable, anything you actually touch as you use it like a handheld, phone, or notebook, play with them at length before you decide. You can't judge something just on specs; you should heft it and feel it and look at the screens. How does it feel to use it?

Yes, you're right of course. Before I buy I'm going to see what the returns policy is and all of that. Ideally, I'll be able to take it home and play with it for a week or so. For what it's worth, it looks like the Zire 21 and 31 have roughly the same dimensions and weight, so it should be a wash from that perspective.

And, in your case, how much extra to go from Zire 31 to Tungsten E? The Tungsten E is pretty nice.

It would be another $50. The Zire 21 retails for $99, the Zire 31 for $149 and the Tungsten E for $199. I really didn't want to go as high as $199 since I don't anticipate being a "power PDA user." I don't feel like I'm wasting money if I go with one of the less expensive models and only use it sporadically, though.

 

[question fear]

zire 31 all the way.
with pda's, go with the most updated....also, even a ****ty color screen is better than mono.