Handera 330 Author: Drew Lanclos Date Posted: March 5th, 2002 SLRating: Bottom Line: Given the amount of development between the TRGpro and the HandEra 330, I'm *extremely* excited about this new upcoming handheld. If you can do without the color (Count on it adding $100 or more to the sticker price), then I definitely suggest you consider the HandEra 330. It's both evolutionary *and* revolutionary. Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 >> Discuss This Article

Disadvantages

I've certainly spent a while glowing about the features of the HandEra 330, and there's a lot to be happy about. Let's summarize and state some of the problems or downsides of this device, though. We've already touched on the battery pack issue, and application compatibility with the screen scaling.

I tore my heart out deciding on the HandEra 330 over the Sony CLIÉ N760...I really wanted a PDA that could function as an MP3 player, but the Sony is the only one on the market with that capability. Other Palms have the option of an add-on MP3 kit, but generally these kits have gotten poor reviews, and so I had long since crossed out that option. This may actually be something that we'll see more of with the forthcoming introduction of PalmOS 5. Even though the OS won't have native support for MP3 playback, it'll have support for other processor architectures outside of the Dragonball line, and so we might see strong enough Palms to handle the playback in software.

The placement of the shuttle dial is a bit troublesome. On the one hand, it's great for using the screen in its regular rotation...on the other hand, its placement is highly illogical for anyone who uses the screen rotation tool. I almost never used screen rotation though, so this wasn't a big deal for me.

Size may be an issue for some people. The HandEra 330 is about the same size as a Palm III, but thicker. To some people, this may be an issue, since it will bulge in your pocket a bit, but those people have probably already gotten a Visor Edge. I did have a hard time finding a good carrying case for the HandEra though - Every one I found was lacking in some way - Usually they just didn't fit. I'd like to see a metal case similar to the ones that are popular with the Palm V series. I use the shuttle and auxiliary button infrequently enough that I don't think I'd have a problem with limiting their access. On the other hand, if I were to get a WiFi card, then I'd have to store it outside the HandEra, since it wouldn't fit fully in the slot. And similarly, the case would have to be able to hold my memory cards and expansion cards.

The HandEra doesn't feature a color screen. This is negligible to some people, but, after seeing a friend's Visor Prism, I quickly became jealous. Color apps are being developed much more quickly than high-res apps, it seems. The problem here is that the intended market for HandEra users (Business execs and IT people) generally doesn't require color screens, and thus HandEra chose battery life over color. However, HandEra has told me that a color unit is in development right now.

Pros & Cons/Conclusion

Article Options    Post/View Comments    Find Lowest Price    Print This Article    Read/Write User Reviews    E-Mail This Article

Article Navigation Introduction/Features Software/Interface Hardware More Features Disadvantages Pros & Cons/Conclusion

	If you liked this review, you may like... Handera TRGPro Review Compaq iPaq 3635 Review Handspring Visor Edge Review

Hardware Reviews, Articles, News, All Reviews...	Gaming Reviews, Articles, News...
	Regular Sections A Guru's World, CPU/Memory Watch, SLDeals...
SLBoards Forums, Register(Free), Todays Discussions...	Site Info Search, About Us, Advertise...