'Top of the line' Low End model.
Written: Feb 23 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Handles well, good vivid color, SD/MMC expansion and SDIO abilities, easy to HotSync
Cons: Battery life, customer support, poor for outdoor use
The Bottom Line: There are better options out there for a little more money, but the m130 would be good for those who don't stray far from home.
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| warnie21's Full Review: Palm m130 Personal Organizer |
To be perfectly honest, I'm still relatively new to the whole "handheld" universe. My first PDA was a Palm m125, but I always wanted an earlier PDA, but never felt that I could justify one. The m125 suited me quite fine until I decided I wanted either color or high-res monochrome.
I was torn between a m505 and a m130. After doing my research and finding out about the issues surrounding HotSync with the m505, and after reading the rave reviews on the m130, I decided to pick one of them up.
Now that the initial excitement over having a new toy is over, here's my take on the m130.
Knowing the Graffiti system pretty well, it was easy to start entering things in the m130, and it detected all the contents on my Lexar Media 32MB SD card without a single hitch. The charger and cradle were easy to hook up and I didn't have a single problem using Palm Desktop to HotSync and restore my data from my old m125. The color was bright and vivid. Many people tend to complain that the m130 is bulky, and compared to other models like the m500 series, it is. However, I didn't find this to be a drawback and I suspect the size factor is due to the fact that the m130 is designed for people who would likely be carrying it in their purse or jacket pocket so it has some extra protection from jostling or an accidential drop.
Like my m125, the packaged software allowed me to use Word and Excel documents on my handheld (Documents to Go 4.0) and did so with little trouble. The MGI Photo software was OK, but definately nothing to shout about - fairly easy to use, but the quality of the pictures was poor.
However, after a bit of use, I started running into some limitations, most bothersome of which was the battery life.
The m130 comes with a rechargeable Lithium Ion polymer battery that charges while you have it on the cradle. Palm's documentation states that you should charge it for at least two hours before the initial use, but I'd recommend at least six hours for the initial charge. At two hours, the battery was barely charged to 45%.
However, the most disturbing thing was how fast the m130 drains a fully charged battery. I felt I was having to recharge it almost every day, and I'm not a power user who documents every thing in his PDA. So I decided to run a comparison between the m125 and the m130.
Setup:
m125, two new Energizer e2 AAA batteries, bright backlight off, no SD card.
m130, fully charged battery, bright backlight off, no SD card.
Both systems were left on until the PDA essentially died.
The m130 reached the warning level first, at 3 hours 25 minutes. The m125 hit the warning level at 4 hours 17 minutes. The m130 hit the critical level at 4 hours 8 minutes while the m125 hit critical at 6 hours and 42 minutes. The m130 flat out died at 5 hours 27 minutes, but the m125 kept chugging along until 8 hours 11 minutes.
This shocked me very deeply. The Lithium Ion battery is more ecologically sound, no doubt, but the Alkaline Energizer e2s outlasted the m130s Li Ion by nearly three hours! This, in my opinion, makes the m130 a hindrance to a traveller or to someone who spends any considerable period of time away from their charger. There are charging options for people on the go (car charger, et cetera), but each of these would cost an additional amount just to ensure that your battery never dies.
This caused me to think about the following: Nearly every rechargeable battery I've owned has had some sort of lifespan, meaning a point at which the battery simply can't hold the charge and needs to be replaced. My cell phone, for example, which is also Lithium Ion, states that after 1000 full charges, the battery should be replaced. Nothing in the Palm documentation mentioned this and Palm's website is equally bereft of this information. I tried contacting Palm to see if they could provide the information, but as of writing this I have not heard back from them, except for an automated e-mail telling me to look at the FAQ.
Unlike cell phones, you can't just go into the store and purchase a replacement m130 battery if you need to, so if the battery ever reaches the end of its lifespan, you'd either need to send it to Palm for a costly replacement or use it as a paperweight while investing in a totally new handheld.
At first, having color increased the cool factor, but when I tried using my m130 outdoors, I realized that the cool factor was overshadowed, literally. In the sun, even with the bright backlight on, it was very difficult to see the screen and in some instances, unless you held it _just right_, the screen appeared pitch black. In darkness, the m130's screen was very readable, and I usually didn't need to use the bright backlight in low light situations. Increase the light in the room, however, and the bright backlight needs to come on for easier viewing, but that also means the battery is draining even faster.
One thing I find truly disappointing about the display is that it's still 160x160 Low Res. Sony has gone to Hi-Res with their Clie line and most of the Pocket PCs (if not all) are hi-res, so why is Palm only offering Hi-Res on the Tungsten|T?
Sadly, I find myself using the m125 over the m130 because of the battery life and outdoor use considerations. I'd recommend the m130 for someone who doesn't do a lot of travelling and who doesn't plan on much outside use of the unit.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 199.95
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Epinions.com ID:
warnie21
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Location: Newport News, VA, USA
Reviews written: 6
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
Under construction.
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