13 out of 13 people found this review helpful.
Not robust. Software issues.
Date of Review: Sep 5, 2007
The Bottom Line: Flimsy. Needs frequent repair. Too many problems for the price. Check out Sony Cleo or other PDA instead.
This is an update: To date I have replaced one digitizer - the screen which accepts pen input, and that is failing after six months. In addition to the concerns below are the truly flimsy nature of this essential part and Palm's lack of willingness to address the issue or to offer a good support system. Those with questions are directed to a user forum, the blind leading the blind, under Palm's supervision. I am a great fan of pen input and of the Palm system as a whole, but this is not a good product.
Stylus based PDA's are powerful tools for anyone needing to access data on the go. A long time Palm user, I replaced a lost T3 with the TX about a year ago. I was disappointed then and find the model increasingly buggy and frustrating.
While stylus entry (grafiti) was initially more reliable than on the previous software version, the TX has increasingly caused problems. Seeking solutions on various forums I find that these seem to be the rule rather than the exception. Palm not only does not admit to them, but does not address them on the suport site. Third parties have developed apps to resolve some of them.
1) Some third party software will not function at all on it.
2) HanDBase, one of the leading database software programs, can no longer be managed using the buttons: Records can only only be managed by stylus, a far more cumbersome process. Other software programs probably behave similarly.
3) Palm did not have a driver for Vista at the time of purchase, and did not have a driver for XP 64. I have successfully synced via bluetooth only once. It is possible but complicated and time consuming, as the TX is picky about virtual ports required for the process. It is also slower. Palm may have a Vista driver by now, but from what I read not yet. They will not have an XP 64 driver.
4) The Mad Digitizer: This is the name given to a common problem which prevents the screen from being calibrated via a few stylus taps. Instead an endless loop of tapping and tapping again brings no changes. A software fix with the removal of the updates supposedly resolves the problem, but this requires syncing (see above). An uncalibrated screen cannot be used for stylus entry, which renders the PDA virtually useless.
5) The TX is frustratingly sluggish. When it was possible to write to the screen, I got up to three characters ahead of the display.
When the TX works, WiFi and bluetooth are very handy. The screen is clear and can be read, if not easily, outdoors in daylight. Palm did not include a voice recorder, unfortunately, but battery life is longer than in previous models.
Support is generally not good. Better repair resources can be found by cruising Palm forums, as Palm repair costs make buying a new PDA, even at the high prices Palm charges, pretty attractive.
Before buying this model I suggest googling TX and screen problem to gain an idea of the extent of the issue. I fear that Palm is not paying any more attention to pen based entry and putting all of its developmental efforts into phone models. If this one cannot be fixed, I will begin looking at Sony PC handhelds.
Note: On the recommendation page there is no option not to recommend this product. I absolutely would not advise anyone to buy it.
