Hey– did you hear that palmOne shipped the Zire 72 today? Thought so. Here are the features, in case you didn’t actually read them:
- bright, 320×320 transflective TFT color display supports more than 65,000 colors,
- 312 MHz Intel PXA270 processor, Palm OS v5.2.8, 32 MB RAM (24 MB actual storage),
- integrated 1.2 MP digital camera that also shoots video,
- expansion slot that supports MMC, SD, and SDIO memory cards, and
- Palm Desktop Software for Windows and Mac and Software Essentials CD included.
Here are the highlights from the sites that actually got review units:
- InfoSync World:
The Zire 72 inherits almost everything we liked about the Zire 71, and improves in a number of areas. The software integration, especially of the multimedia features, is solid throughout. The inclusion of previously Tungsten-only features, such as Documents To Go, VersaMail, and the new PIM suite, is very welcome. Add to that the most well-rounded Bluetooth support we’ve seen on a Palm OS device and the Zire 72 adds up to one solid handheld.
- PCWorld:
The 72 improves on the 71’s built-in VGA still camera, which can capture images of up to about 0.3 megapixels, with a 1.2-megapixel, 2X digital-zoom camera that can capture short video clips.
- Brighthand:
In the bad old days, getting your mobile phone and your handheld to work together was like trying to get a golden retriever and squirrel to cooperate. This certainly isn’t the case with the Zire 72. Honestly, palmOne has made this about as simple as possible. There’s a program that asks what country you’re in, who your wireless service provider is (Verizon, T-Mobile, etc.) and what model of phone you are using. Once you have provided those three pieces of information, the rest of the process is automatic. I was connected with my AT&T Wireless account in less than 30 seconds. No fooling.
- TechTV:
… by far, palmOne does the best job integrating the PDA with your desktop. The Media tab in Palm Desktop keeps track of all your photos and videos. Voice memos are neatly organized in their own tab, too.
- BargainPDA:
There are two things that hold me back from really letting go and raving about the Zire 72. The first is the lack of the Universal connector. I’d even feel less inclined to complain about this if PalmOne would just get it together and make a cradle for the mini-USB models. It isn’t that hard, and it would eliminate one of the primary gripes about them. Beyond that, I may not be thrilled with the setup, but it looks like PalmOne is committed to using the mini-USB connectors on their mid and low-end units, so I’d better get used to them. The second is the quality problem with the camera. I hope, I really do, that my unit just has a random issue, because otherwise the 72 is a very fine unit, admirable not only as a Palm but as a very basic digital camera and camcorder.
- CNET:
Armed with the 312MHz Intel PXA270 processor, the Zire 72 enjoys slick operation. In contrast, we encountered delays and “please wait” messages when switching between apps on the {Sony Clie} TJ37. The new Intel processor also features technology for enhanced multimedia performance; thus, videos ran smoothly, and MP3 playback was impressive, with clear sound and volume, even in noisy environments.
- PDA Buyer’s Guide:
Building on the remarkable success of the Zire 71 released a year ago, the Palm Zire 72 is all things that the 71 was and more. For the same original list price as the Zire 71 you get a much better 1.2 megapixel camera, 32 megs of RAM, Bluetooth, Documents To Go and a faster processor.