|  | | PalmOne Zire 72 Handheld | | Manufacturer: PalmOne |  | | | | Price: | Too Low To Display | | Availability: | Usually ships in 24 hours | | | New & Used from $249.99 | | | Media: | Electronics | | Features: | Bright, 320x320 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
Palm Desktop Software for Windows and Mac and Software Essentials CD included
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| |  | | Accessories for PalmOne Zire 72 Handheld
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| | | | | | Product Description
Building on the success of PalmOne's Zire 71, the Zire 72 is the first Palm-based handheld that can capture digital video with sound and shoot digital still photos. This multimedia PDA also features bright 320 x 320-pixel color screen for optimal playback of video and photos as well as voice recording capability and an MP3 player for listening to your own soundtrack. Other features include Bluetooth wireless connectivity, a 32 MB memory, Secure Digital card expansion, and a fast 312 Mhz Intel PXA270 processor. And, of course, the Zire 72 features Palm's suite of information management applications and the ability to edit Word- and Excel-compatible files and synchronize with Microsoft Outlook (Windows only). Upgrade Features
The Zire 72 offers the following improvements to the Zire 71: - 1-megapixel image resolution (1280 x 960 pixels); the Zire 71 had a maximum 640 x 480 resolution.
- 32 MB of memory (24.7 MB user available); the Zire 71 had only a 16 MB memory
- Video capture with sound; the Zire 71 only shot still images.
- Digital zoom for closer image capture and in-handheld editing.
- Voice recording capability.
- Wireless Bluetooth connectivity (the Zire 71 connected to your PC only via the HotSync cable)
- At 4.8 ounces, it's 10-percent less weighty than the 5.3-ounce Zire 71.
- Palm OS 5.2.8 (versus 5.2.1 for the Zire 71).
The Zire 72 can easily capture and manage your most important digital files.
| Built-in Camera
The back of the Zire 72 holds the built-in still and video camera, which does not require you to slide the back of the PDA to activate it (like the Zire 71 did). You can shoot video with sound turned on or off at 320 x 240 pixel resolution and 15 frames per second. Just use the handheld screen to frame the video, tap the "record" button on the display, then save your video to an optional expansion card after tapping the "stop" button. For still photography, it features a 1.2-megapixel CMOS sensor with a fixed focus range of about five feet and a 2x digital zoom. It captures up to 1280 x 960 pixel images, as well as 640 x 480, 320 x 240, and 160 x 120 resolution modes. The camera also offers such customized image setting controls as white balance, brightness, saturation, contrast, and sharpness. You can also add date stamp or effects like sepia, black and white, and blue. |
| Audio
The included RealPlayer for Palm OS enables you to listen to MP3 music files stored on optional expansion cards via the built-in speaker on the Zire 72 or, for stereo sound, using optional stereo headphones or ear buds. With the built-in digital voice recorder, you can create voice memos, then synchronize them to your desktop PC and email them to friends and colleagues. Display
The Palm Zire 72 features a 16-bit, 320 x 320 bright transflective TFT color display, which supports more than 65,000 colors. | 
Listen to MP3 music files stored on expansion cards via the built-in speaker on the Zire 72 | Connectivity and Expansion
With the built-in wireless Bluetooth connectivity, you can synchronize the Zire 72 with Bluetooth-enabled computer from across the room (within a range of 10 meters, or approximately 30 feet). But that's just the start. Using a compatible Bluetooth-enabled phone, you can send and receive email and connect to the web, send multimedia (MMS) or text (SMS) messages, and even automatically dial any number in your handheld's Contact's application. You can also synchronize data the "old-fashioned" way via the mini-USB connection at the base of the handheld. The Zire 72 uses Multimedia Card and Secure Digital expansion cards, which instantly add software applications, additional memory, large databases, and more without taking up built-in memory space. | 
VersaMail software enables you to access and manage your personal and corporate emai1 while on the go.
| Operating System and Software
The Zire 72 is powered by Palm OS 5.2.8, which provides higher performance, enhanced multimedia features, support for Bluetooth connectivity and networking, and enterprise-class security. It useses the intuitive and easy-to-learn Graffiti 2 writing software to input data into the handheld (as well as an on-screen keyboard). Windows users can synchronize calendar, contacts, tasks and notes with Microsoft Outlook. The Palm OS features the following organizer applications: - Contacts: Lets you store several addresses for each contact, and it adds new contact fields for more phone numbers, multiple email addresses, instant messenger IDs, and a website for your contacts.
- Calendar: Use the new Agenda view to see upcoming calendar events, tasks due and important email, and color-code your events to provide an easy way to reference your Calendar in the
- Agenda, Day, Week, and Month views. Take more notes, or synchronize more details from your desktop, into the larger Memos and Notes fields on the handheld.
Tasks: Use tasks with alarms and repeating tasks to set reminders for important commients. | | | Graffiti 2 allows you to enter data quickly into your Palm handheld but it's even more intuitive and easier to learn
Along with the standard Palm software, you'll receive a Software Essentials CD-ROM containing PalmOne's VersaMail, Web Pro, Messages (SMS/MMS), Palm Reader, Documents To Go Standard Edition, Acrobat Reader, Solitaire, powerOne Personal Calculator, and Audible Player for palmOne handhelds (Windows only).
Compatibility
The Palm Zire 72 is compatible with PCs running Windows 98, NT 4.0, 2000, Me, and XP, and with Macs running Mac OS 9, version 9.1 or higher, or Mac OS X, version 10.2 or 10.3. | 
| | Messages software allows you to send and receive text and multimedia messages and include photos taken with the built-in camera. | What's in the Box
This package contains the Zire 72 handheld, built-in rechargeable battery, carrying case, mini-USB HotSync cable, power cable, stylus, CD-ROM with Palm Desktop 4.1 software for Windows and Macs (as well as bonus software), and printed Getting Started guide. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery that has a battery life of between 3 and 4.5 hours depending on screen brightness settings and usage.
| | | | Spotlight Reviews
 Fine basic functionality. Some weak points.
The basic Palm functions are familiar and run fine on this machine. The processing speed is much faster than earlier Palms and Sony Clies I've owned. Walt Bilofsky's excellent Tide Tool freeware runs dramatically faster. Sync to a Mac under OSX 10.3.4 is fast and reliable. Palm finally has given Mac users some support.
The camera is the poorest excuse for a digicam I've used. Pictures are extremely contrasty, and color balance is usually way off. The lens vignettes, causing severe shift toward green at the corners of the frame. The Zire 71 camera, although lower resolution, had better color balance and more manageable contrast. The audio player quality is not nearly as clean as an iPod, but good enough to be listenable. The output jack has surprisingly high gain. There's no equalizer, i.e. no tone control. The voice memo recording feature works well, and its audio quality, while not hi-fi, is good enough for guitar practice. Downloading audio files to the Zire 72 via USB hotsync is unacceptably slow-- several minutes per MP3 track (this is acknowledged in the manual). I bought a $20 SD card reader and copied the files to the card directly. This is many times faster. The case supplied by Palm for the Zire 72 is a bad joke. It's bulky, and the fit is overly tight. Earlier Palm models had convenient flip lids that attached directly to the machine. I don't know why Palm has retreated to this Mickey-Mouse approach. Also, the case supplied with my unit, when taken out of its plastic bag, had a powerful chemical or solvent smell (some sort of artifact of the manufacturing process?). All in all, a powerful machine, a reasonable value, but not a masterpiece. Good device, good value... but
I am a LONG time PDA user and have owned several models- spent WAY too much money in this area, but that is a different story! The Zire 72 is a decent device for the average user. 'Power users' or business users may want the increased memory and slightly more stable operating system of the PalmOne Tungsten T3, and WiFi users may want to consider the Sony TH55 or something, but the average user will love the Z72. Still camera, movie camera, MP3 player, voice memos, AND the entire suite of Palm OS features in one package for under $300? Wow! Bonus- GREAT controls! Much better than the Zire 71 joystick! OK, the thing is a little buggy. SOME programs (both new and old) don't run well on it. There is a bug or glitch if you use the 'quick unlock' AND 'lock at a pre-set time' features together. There are not a lot of accessories out yet (and with the proliferation of new devices, this is becoming a real problem for manufacturers!), and the non-standard connectors mean all of your old Palm Universal Connector stuff will not work (but this is only a problem if you have any of it!) I would rate this a 5 IF it was more stable/less bugs, had a better battery life, and was not quite so... 'toylike' in the color and design. A perfect 5 would also have included a larger software package and a better case (the nylon/Velcro pouch is nice and well made, but to dig a PDA out of a pocket or bag, then dig it out of a pouch is a violation of the 'Zen' of Palms!) Not too shabby...
The palmOne Zire72 doesn't look too bad...the con that really irritates me, is that 98% of consumers said that the paint chips off. If I get this, I'm considering(after the paint flakes off) on re-painting it with nail-polish. Perhaps I can find a similar-colored nail-polish of the original painted face, and create a "refurbished" Zire72! It certainly wouldn't hurt to try...anyways...I'm assuming, since it was not listed otherwise, that the Zire72 does not play movies. Bummer. I hope it does, even if it does eat up the battery life...I also hope that people are exaggerating about the camera.....oh, well, I'll just have to see it for myself! | | | | Listmania!
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