PalmOne Zire 71 Handheld

Keep phone numbers and addresses on hand. Write to-do lists. Take notes in meetings. The Zire 71 handheld helps you do it all - and keep it all organized. The joystick-like 5-way navigator gives you quick, one-handed access to your information. Want to capture a spontaneous moment? Simply slide your handheld open to expose the protected, hidden camera. Then point, shoot and share with friends and family. Take your favorite MP3s, video clips and audio books with you wherever you go. It is a snap to organize and move files from your handheld to your desktop and back again. A new, high-resolution color screen vibrantly displays images, graphics and type. Rechargeable batteries give you plenty of time to enjoy the action. An ultra-fast ARM processor handles the most demanding media tasks with blazing efficiency. Plus, 16 MB of memory gives you plenty of storage space for digital photos, games and applications.

Palm’s Zire brand is designed primarily for consumers rather than for professionals. The first Zire was a low cost, entry level machine, this one, the second in the range, is a multimedia extravaganza. The most eye catching feature of the Zire 71, after you’ve noticed the sleek rounded blue casing for the hardware, is the built-in digital camera.

The Zire 71's built-in digital camera

You need to slide the upper and lower body apart to reveal it, and when you do so the Zire 71’s screen automatically turns into a viewfinder. Click the button that is also revealed during the sliding process, and you can take pictures, at resolutions of 160 x 120, 320 x 240 and 640 x 480.

Palm has even produced a new version of Palm Desktop to help you make the most of managing digital images. This includes a nice viewer and some editing tools. Palm Desktop also, incidentally, has a new installer which is more efficient than before when it comes to selecting multiple applications to send to your Palm. The Zire 71 runs version 5 of the Palm operating system, which has improved sound features. Install the provided copy of the Real One player and you can play MP3 music through headphones. Gaming is assisted by a joystick style navigation button that sits beneath the screen. But when you want to use the Zire 71 for more traditional personal information management tasks you can tap the application shortcut buttons to launch Date Book, Address Book or Note Pad. The fourth button takes you to your digital photo library. As usual these buttons can be reallocated to other applications if you like.

Only 13MB of to the 16MB of memory on board is actually available for applications and data, but an SD card slot means you can add to this easily. The screen is a superb transreflective TFT type – it is the best we’ve seen on a PDA from Palm. The Universal Connector means existing peripherals like keyboards which support this should work without problems with the Zire 71. The Zire 71 is a great multimedia PDA which finally puts Palm in a position to rival Sony for its Multimedia crown. --Sandra Vogel

Early Adopters Pick: April 2003. First handheld under $300 to have a built-in digital camera.

The Palm Zire 71 handheld helps you organize your life on the fly. View your appointments and addresses on an outstanding high resolution color screen, or capture pictures with its unique hidden digital camera. Listen to MP3s, watch video clips, and enjoy the Zire 71 handheld's long-lasting rechargeable batteries.

Built-in Digital Camera
The Zire 71 handheld features a built-in digital camera with 640x480 (VGA) resolution, auto exposure, and automatic white balance control. To use the camera, just slide the front down to reveal the lens, point and click, and you've captured the images to share with your friends and family.

Display
The Palm Zire 71 features a 16-bit, 320x320 bright transflective TFT color display, which supports more than 65,000 colors.

Expansion
The Zire 71 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.

Operating System
The Zire 71 is powered by Palm OS 5.2.1, which provides higher performance, enhanced multimedia features, support for Bluetooth connectivity and networking, and enterprise-class security.

Extra Software
Along with the standard Palm software, you'll receive a Software Essentials CD-ROM containing RealOne Mobile Player for MP3s, Kinoma Player for video, Audible Player for audio books, RealOne Arcade, Palm Reader for eBooks, Solitaire, Adobe Acrobat Reader for Palm OS, powerOne Personal Calculator, Phone Link Updater, Telephony/SMS, VersaMail 2.5, and more.

Compatibility
The Palm Zire 71 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 X, 10.1.2 or later.

What's in the box

Zire 71 Handheld
Protective Carrying Case
USB HotSync Cradle
Power Adapter
Stylus
"Read This First" Document

Palm Desktop 4.1 for Windows, which includes:

Palm Quick Install for easy transfer of Palm OS applications, photos, audio files and more from your computer to your handheld.
Palm Photos for editing and emailing photos from your desktop
Palm Desktop 4.0 for Mac

Software Essentials CD-ROM

RealOne Mobile Player
Kinoma Player & Producer
AudiblePlayer
Handmark's Solitaire
RealOne Arcade
Palm Reader
VersaMail
PowerOne Calculator
Acrobat Reader

1 Good for 18 months, then went belly up.
The Zire 71 was a pretty good PDA for the first 18 months of its life. The camera was kind of a "wow" feature when I first got it, but the picture quality is poor. I haven't found much use for the camera, but overall the Zire 71 worked pretty well.

The problem is that the touchscreen has gone haywire. It no longer responds appropriately or predictably to the stylus and the PDA has been rendered useless by this problem. Unfortunately it is not worth the $125 that palm charges for non-warranty repair.

2 terrible software and terrible support
I am quite pleased with the handheld itself and have never had any major issues with it. The desktop softare, however, is downright terrible. I can't switch to a yearly or monthly calendar view without having it crash. I have reinstalled several times to no avail.

I contacted tech support but they never seem to understand the problem, insisting I reinstall their software even though that is what I have already told them I've been doing. I filled out a survey telling them I was unhappy because they hadn't been able to solve my problems and never heard from them again.

If a decent competitor arrives on scene with better software, and better tech support, palm will quickly be a thing of the past.

3 FRUSTRATING!!
I loved this when i got it for xmas 2003-- then about a year later, the trouble started.. i had many problems hotsynching with my mac at work, finally worked that out, and then the battery must have been running by being in my purse (the joystick must have been pressed in) and i lost everything on my palm. i had backed up fairly recently and was able to convert alot of my info back on to the unit... then the fun really started! some phantom appeares to be playing with my palm, i will hear click click click and it will be in a loop of toggling beetween functions, or in the calandar it will highlight an event over and over again, and i can not get it to stop. I will turn it off and turn it on, and still the same issue - we did a restart and now it is unusable- the stylus will not respond and it just clicks all over and it is a waste.

I am sad because i really enjoyed the camera function and used it a lot for quick pics to friends and family via email of things that were new in my life.

i will have to find a new pda, and i do not see myself getting another one of these, beware!!!

4 Palm has a dirty secret...
This was my first venture into the PDA world and I am sorely dissapointed. For starters the unit is rather large in terms of thickness and adding a protective case only makes it worse. Also the built in software is almost useless, necessitating 50-100 dollars worth of software purchases just to get this thing to do what you want. And lastly, the dirty little secret is that all your data, programs, everything is lost when the battery dies and doing a hotsync will not restore your programs you have to reinstall them from scratch. There is no backup battery!!! I must have lost my data five times before giving up on this piece of trash. Even when the PDA would warn me about power consumption I would turn the unit off and plug it in the next day only to have my data whiped again. I am very surprised that there are no class action lawsuits over this, as I would never have purchased the unit had I known of this flaw.

After having this unit for a month I went out and bought a Dell PDA and have never looked back since. Unlike the Zire it does have a backup battery, so my data is safe for extended periods. I will never buy another palm product again.

5 Good handheld.... poor design
The design flaw on this handheld could be the cause of the Zire 72. The Zire 71 has a little joystick to navigate. The issues is that when it is in the slim carrying case and in my purse, the joystick gets pushed and the handheld comes on and stays on. This has run my batter down so many times. When the battery is totally dead, you have to reboot which is kind of a pain and you have to reset some options. My advice is to HotSync often to save valuable information.

Other than this flaw, I have loved my Zire 71. I have almost had it for a year. I have purchased the dictionary/thesarus card and a memory card so that I can listen to MP3s.

6 Horrible unsupported product
I had the same experience as many with the screen intermittently freezing up just after 1 year. I never used it ruggedly and it was protected in a hard case the whole time.

If the product didn't have mechanical problems it would be ok but these seem to be quite frequent on this model and from what I've heard on many of the other Palm brand models as well.

7 Zire 71 is Junk
I bought my Zire 71 back in march and the thing is junk. It's a good palm if you only have it in the sync cradle on your desk. They have no belt clips and with in the first 2 weeks the palm froze and I lost all info. It still does this periodically and the screen does not respond just the buttons. After a few weeks of jumping from program to program and freezing it will work well for another month and then do the same. I will not buy another palm. PalmOne service is not good and takes forever to send and receive for repairs. I plan to only have this expensive ball and chain for a year. All the accessories are expensive but made cheap. I paid 25 bucks for a leather belt case from Palm for the Zire and the rivets holding the loop ripped within a month. As I speak the digitizer is jumping all over the screen and I can't even hit the dot with the stylus to tap the target! I got ripped off!!

8 Makes a nice paperweight.
I've had this product for less than a year, and have babied it carefully. I purchased a nice "rhino skin" hard case, and I've never dropped or abused it. At about 6 months old, the screen intermittently freezes up and either won't take input, or the input is goofy - as if the digitizer is waaaaay off. I sent it in to get repaired, but I wonder if they even looked at it. When I got it back, it does exactly the same thing it did before sending it in.

This is the second palm product that has given me close to the same problem. I will never buy Palm again.

9 speaker
everything is cool except for the speakers. after a while it doesnt seem to make any kind of noise. only when i put in my headphones i can hear the noise. is there anything i can do to fix it???? somebody help!

10 Good, good...
I'm a medicine student in S�o Paulo, Brazil and I've been using my Zire 71 for 1 year. I've got no complains about the product itself. It's 13mb of memory aren't enough if you are a heavy user (as I am), but a memory card can solve this problem (I've got a 128mb card and it isn't full yet, even after 1 year of use).
I'm running Zlauncher and Documents to Go and the pda never (and I mean NEVER) crashed. I can put all my medicine books inside the pda (most of then as iSilo databases) and read it anywhere. The screen is somewhat sensitive and it scratches if you are not careful (or if you don't use a protection plastic).
The camera doesn't take good pictures but it is really useful to capture some images (saw and interesting X-ray image? You can take a picture of it and see it again later). You can't use as you use other digital cameras. Come on, it's not a Sony Cybershot but it can be useful sometimes.
I once had a problem with the internal speaker of the device and the technical support was perfect. Believe me, a good technical support is something you don't see everyday in Brazil. It took only 10 days to get the palm back fixed (and that's really fast for a brazilian customer).
Why not a five stars rating?
The software package is poor. Documents to Go should be inside EVERY pda that wants to be taken as a serious portable computer. It lacks a good file manager too (and Zlauncher has a good one inside). The camera should be better, etc. It is, also, a bit expensive in Brazil (I payed about R$1800 on it, that's almost US$600!).

11 Doesn't Last
I bought this hand-held around last September. In August, it started having problems of freezing up and not recognizing anything on the screen. My husband managed to get Palm to take it back since it was still on warranty. I don't know if they sent me a new one or redid the old one. It is now October (one month later) and the new/refurbished one has the same problem. I've given up on it and Palm.

I have owned three Palm products in the last 4 years and each has lasted only about a year. Their products appear to be too unreliable. I am now looking at alternatives.

12 It stops working just after the warranty is over
After one year and two months of little and careful use, my Zire 71 stop recognizing any touch on the screen. I researched in the internet and discovered that a lot of people who bought a Zire 71 around the same date have the same problem as I do. PalmOne just said that I would have to pay 1/3 of the purchase value if I wanted to get it fixed.
So, do not buy anything from a company which does not respect your rights as a customer. This is obviously a project flaw or a defect in production batch, but they do not admit it. Ethics? I do not think they know this word...

13 Buy from Overstock.com, it's cheaper and shipping only $1
Buy from overstock.com, it's cheaper and shipping is only $1 for a limited time period. KM Electronics don't communicate well and they are very RUDE!

14 WHEN it works, I like it...
I've had this faulty piece of technology since June of '03 and it's been really great for me in that it has forced me to use my own mind to remember things. Palm may just be getting kick backs from 3M Corp. since I can't be the only one forced to use a copious amount of Post-Its to manage my schedule.

Bottom line. When you go to look up a number, expect to call 411. Not only is the info inaccessible, all the data is g o n e. Guess it's the battery issue that has been mentioned repeatedly.

BTW, this is my 3rd one from the manufacturer - and the same problem presents itself sooner or later.

After investing an additional pretty penny on a pretty case, and on the screen savers, I'm out a chunk of dough with the whole deal. Feel very ripped off.

Anyone up for a class action lawsuit? We could get Palm to make appropriate remedies annnnd maybe get an apology for all the grief countless people have experienced!!!

I'm throwing in the Post-Its once I investigate and purchase a handheld I can actually TRUST (does one exist?)!

15 thanks
thanks for being such a great company i got exactly what was described with fast shipping their was nothing that i dint like a bout you service i will by from you again and so should anyone else thanks

16 Really bad design flaw
The Zire 71 was an excellent device when I first got it 14 months ago. The camera, though not top-notch, is decent for quick snapshots, and the media player, though not loud enough for good use on the subway, plays music okay. The standard Palm OS organizer apps are everything I expect them to be, and the screen is bright and crisp.

Unfortunately, I only just discovered -- well after my warranty expired -- that the Zire 71 is prone to an inherent design flaw owing to the camera "slider," which I use *a lot* -- as in every day, several times a day, for my photoblog. It turns out that frequent open-shut use of the camera slider gradually frays the internal hotsync/charge cable, so that as time goes on, the device suffers HotSync failures more and more often, until finally it refuses to sync via USB altogether. I haven't yet reached the stage where battery charging becomes a problem, but I hope to have gotten a new unit by then.

See [ http://www.1src.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60940 ] for some guy's photos of a Zire 71 taken apart, showing the cable damage and how to repair it by soldering.

Oh, one more thing: the screen, while bright and clear, may produce a high-pitched whining noise. It doesn't bother me when the Palm is directly in front of my head, but when I turn my head a few degrees, the whine hits my ear like a cyborg dog whistle. I imagine it must annoy people who sit beside me on the train.

My advice: don't get the Zire 71, even for cheap, unless you're an avid handheld modder with lots of tools and a soldering iron. As of this writing in mid-2004, the newer Zire 72 is probably a better bet.

17 Palm Zire 71--best yet!
Okay, so......I wanted a zire 21 at first, then I also wanted a digital camera......I couldn't afford both, but then I found this little puppy. The camera is great! Better even than regular ones because the viewer is much larger. I also got an expansion card, and was able to put my CD collection onto it and listen to it whenever. The graffiti 2 system works well, and I am pleased with all of its regular features. I also downloaded audible, and can now listen to audiobooks. I also like eBooks, but I prefer the smell of regular paper. But having games on is a problem......the game cards are overpriced. But realArcade had free demos of games that expire after 10 uses. But you can just keep downloading the demos instead of paying 10 bucks for the game....Definitely worth it, this zire is great for those people who would like a 72, but can't afford it...

18 PalmOne gets cheap.
OK, the people that designed this baby, should be fired, or given a crash course on not getting cheap with a product of this price.

I love this little baby; mp3, buttons, video fx, pictures (fair at best,). But, I have my distaste for certain things which may sound trivial, but are important to many of us.

1-Can't Palm supply this expensive device with a quality belt carrying case? I paid 20 bucks for mine at Staples, and the button is starting to become loose. A 4 dollar product for Palm, if they decided to buy them and including them with the product. Instead, they give you this piece of crap cover, which is the most impractical case you can see.

2-The blue paint on the side, peels like a banana. What the hell is that made of?

3-The power on button is awkward, somtimes turning on when the case touches it out of random motion. Couldn't have placed it on the bottom of the unit?

Apart from the aforementioned, the unit is pretty good. But why would Palm get so cheap, and not address these petty problems which could of been rectified with some practical designers?

Next time I buy a PDA, I will do my homework, and see if the competition can offer a solution to these petty problems.

Otherwise, I'm somewhat satisfied. I hope not to encounter the battery life nightmares that some people have. Not able to replace the battery, is like spending $$$ on a car, and not being able to replace its battery. Makes you wonder if Palm wants you to replace them every year.

Disposable Palm is what the message is conveying.

19 sync conflict
I have a Lexmark printer that has a card reader built into it. Problem: When I have the printer hooked up it won't let me sync it keeps saying "USB DEVICE NOT RECOGNIZED". So, I just pull my printer out of the USB port, and press the hotsync button and it works fine. That is the only problem I have ever had with my Zire71. It's the perfect Palm! The Zire72 is supposed to be better, but why would I trust something that doesn't protect the camera lense as well as the 71? THERE IS NO COVER FOR THE 72 THE LENSE IS ALWAYS EXPOSED! Sure, you lack the extra RAM, but a cheap 128MB SD card does wonders.

20 it keeps breaking!
I got my Zire 71 as a Christmas Gift. I absolutely loved it, however, it malfunctioned in March (a problem with the digitizier). I had barely used it and it stayed on my desk for the most part. Palm sent me a replacement unit because it could not be repaired. In May it malfunctioned the exact same way again! Once again, Palm is sending me a replacement unit.

You do have to be careful with the power button...the battery drains very quickly. The case it comes with tends to turn it on when you slide it in.

I wish I could get a refund...I will never buy another Zire again. I asked Palm for a refund and they told me "a refund is not an option."

21 Great PDA
I think this is a great upgrade from my Zire. I've used it for photos, MP3s, Audible, DocumentsToGo, Avantgo, as well as the regular Address Book, Calendar, etc. With additional memory and expansion cards, I find I also use it much more than I did my original Zire, which I used a lot!

22 NICE LITTLE PDA
Not wanting to spend almost three hundred bucks on a PDA and wanting some "golly gee-wiz" I opted for the slightly older Zire 71 rather than the 72.

I'm giving it a 4 because I've only had it a short while. But I think it'll be a five after I've used it and all its interesting features.

The camera feature is quite impressive. I took with me to the beach on a slightly overcast day and shot some driftwood. The photo came out remarkably clear and sharp.

This camera feature sold my husband on one and he's got a Zire 71 on order as I write! He needs to do quick documentation photography and the camera does reasonable close-ups as well.

I've already moved out of my big daytimer book and love not having to schlep that monster around. Everything that was in my daytimer is in my Zire 71.

So, save yourself some money and get the Zire 71!

23 Great product for certain types of people
Great basic Palm with a bright screen. The camera is not a gimmick! Though it does not produce digital camera quality pictures, it is very handy. Looking at kitchen cabinets and want to show someone the style? Have an accident and want to document something? Something funny at work? Looking at real estate and want to remember what the rooms look like? See a dress you like and want to think about it? I documented a ceiling leak which had not been fixed for 6 mos and sent it to the person in charge-it was fixed that day. A picture is worth a thousand complaints! Extremely easy to email pictures also.
I keep mine in a Franklin planner which has protected the screen successfully for 9 months.
I agree with other writers that it does not fit firmly in the cradle and battery life could be better. The new graffiti is a pain- but they had to do it because of a patent infringement I was told.
The expansion slot is also handy- you can put an Encyclopedia, dictionary, family pictures, or whatever on the card and pop it in. I use the Encyclopedia Brittanica card a lot.
If you plan to listen to music or use multimedia files, it seems from the other reviews that this is not the Palm for you.

24 Features good but Battery Life Bad
My only complaint with this is its battery life. It is designed in such a way that if any button is pressed, it turns itself on. And then the battery drains. You need to be careful when carrying in yout pocket or bag. If anythin presses the buttons, it will turn itself on.

Also if you use it for more than 20 minutes, it startes lossing battery life.

You might want to buy the hard case for this.

Buy the other models.

25 A Short Life...
I purchased my Zire 71 in July. I have had several pda's... the Palm Professional (remember that one?), the Palm V, the Sony Clie, and most recently, the Zire. The resolution was great, nice functionality, etc. Unfortunately, 2 months shy of its 1st birthday, it locked up & died.... This is my second Palm product where the system has just locked up and stopped working. A very serious design flaw. Too bad....

26 Battery is replaceable
The battery of Zire 71 is actually replaceable. The replacement batteries can be purchased from third party on-line stores, not from Palm.

27 Best Palm ever!
I have owned a Palm V, a Sony Clie 760C, and a Handspring Visor Deluxe. I also currently own a Dell Axim which is good but my Zire 71 is my main PDA. I carry it with me all of the time. If you see the screen on it, how it seems like it's right up against the glass it has the best LCD that I have ever seen. The screen is also very bright. I set the brightness almost all the way down because it's so bright. On the dark it can light up a . room. The camera is good for quick pictures. It's not for high quality picture taking. Battery life is pretty good. It also let's you play Mp3's. I bought a 64MB SD card and installed real player for palm. Then I used the quick install software to download mp3 files to it. I was amazed at how great it sounded. I recommend this palm 100%. Palm will have a hard time trying to out do this Zire.

28 was dubious, but am thrilled
I was very reticent about upgrading to the Palm Zire 71. Having been more than comfortable with my previous Vx and m515, I was nervous because of the reviews on Amazon. But I took the plunge, being a technology freak who has to have the latest of everything, and am thrilled that I did! It's the best looking unit out there as far as I'm concerned- sleek blue, with changeable color schemes, smaller than a lot of PDA's. While the battery must be charged far more frequently than my previous Palms, nearly everything about the Zire 71 is an improvement and fun to use. The camera, while by no means high resolution, is perfectly suitable for fun and quick snapshots while you're out doing whatever. The pictures don't blow up terribly well, but if you keep the prints below 8 x 10, you should be fine. It's a snap to use, and everyone is impressed with it. I've even used it on vacation when I don't feel like lugging a camera separately. The only major complaint I had with the Palm Zire 71 is that the camera, which is activated by sliding the top of the unit upward, doesn't really snap back into deactivation position that well. Because of this problem, I actually had to return my first Palm because I'd discover that, while in the case, in my bag, the camera had activated and my power had drained. But Palm warranties them for 90 days, so you have three months to make sure your unit works well.
The standard Palm organizer features are pretty much the same as on the m515- and I find it does pretty much everything I need it to do. The expandable memory card is a real help, and I have yet, even keeping Documents to Go on it all all times, been able to use up the space on the 64 card it came with. YOu can even get the ultra thin palm folding keyboard to go with it which turns this baby into a little computer! When I bought the Zire they had a promotion going for the free MP3 kit- not being a fan of walking around listening to music, I didn't think this would ever come in handy, free or not. But having recently become addicted to audio books, I am able to not only listen to my latest download with ear phones, but the Zire also has a pretty good speaker built in so I can listen to it without headphones.(in the car, or whatever.) It's really great.
No Palm is perfect. The battery needs to be charge pretty much every other day and I have learned the hard way that you must back everything up by doing frequent hot syncs with your computer. It runs great with a Mac, too. Only recommendation I have is that the Zire must be kept in a case that zippers closed because, especially when playing MP3's- the touch screen is EXTREMELY sensitive- the more protection you can give the Palm, the better. Overall, it's the most fun Palm I've had ever and a really good deal for the money. If you are a sucker for PDA's, you'll have fun with this. I would pay more for it than I did and still be happy.

29 Great For a beginner
The Zire 71 is my first PDA. It is easy to use. I use the camera a lot and love that I can email pictures to friends and family. I have not broken down and purchased a digital camera so I really appreciate this feature. I wanted a PDA that I would use and I use this one daily.
I too had the screen crack spontaneously. When I called Palm they said there was a problem with a batch of screens and replaced it free. Then the replacement started to go dead very within a day. I found that it was the appointment cards in the cover pushing the joy stick. I removed the crds and it has been fine since. My battery lasts a long time, even when I play a game on it.

30 Bad Luck To Some!
I think that for the features you get with the Zire 71 it is an excellent product. Camera, PDA, MP-3, audio books, games, books etc.

(...) The Zire 71 is light-years ahead of my old 130.

The only drawback are problems with RealPlayer Plus and downloading music. Their security codes tend to make the system crash alot.

As far as the negative comments- I have no problem with XP, syncing or any other problems associated with the negative reviews.

If you are looking for a PDA with more bang for your buck you can't beat the Zire 71.

31 Excellent Handheld!!!!
I am sorry after reading these reviews I had to take the time to review this product, because the ZIRE 71 is getting a bad rap. This is an EXCELLENT handheld. I upgraded from a Palm M125 and I am so glad that I did. Here are my responses to some of the negative reviews. 1. If you charge your Zire EVERY NIGHT you will not have a low battery problem. 2. If you invest in a better case then you will cut down on your chances of cracking your screen (I mean you must use common sense also, when carrying/handling your handheld). 3. I have XP and have yet to run into any problems. As stated before this is an EXCELLENT handheld I would recommend it highly.....

32 Few shortcomings, but still a nice PDA
I got the Zire71 to replace a Handspring Visor Neo which still works, but has a faulty universal connector after 2 years of reliable and dependable use. Hotsyncs half the time, but my Stowaway keyboard won't work at all. I figured I may as well upgrade to color as well as to other features.

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5-way navigator 4/5
+nice "No stylus required" interface to your PIM/software apps, as well as for gaming (for apps that support this anyways)
+it's not That much worse for productivity than a D-pad

-VERY HARD to get diagonal movement out of it

Luckily, I don't play a lot of games, and most of the games that I do play either don't require diagonal movement or use the stylus instead/as well. I would've preferred a directional pad to the joystick, but I've gotten used to it. When I play Zap2016, I used to end up accidentally pushing the blue portion of my Zire71 up (launching the camera app) when moving up on the joystick, but I've learned to be more graceful about this.

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Internal Memory 3/5
+it's NOT a measly 8MB

-16MB is kind of stingy for a multimedia PDA

I can fit most of what I need on internal memory. For the rest of my stuff, games are almost exclusively on my SD card and one app, a Chinese-English dictionary has the app on handheld memory, but the 2.6MB database files on expansion card. If I did have 32MB like many other comparable PDAs, I'd definitely be making good use of that extra memory. 16MB may seem like a lot for people who've used 4MB or 8MB models, but keep in mind: It's 13.8MB of user available RAM and you're down to about 10.3MB after you install all the "essentials" from the optional 2nd CD that's included with your handheld. You can tailor this and not install what you won't use. For my case, I was down to 11.7MB by not bothering with putting any communications applications and AudiblePlayer on my handheld. Keep this in mind when you decide what kind and how many apps will be on your next handheld

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Battery 3/5
+works fine so far
+seems to charge quickly
+ under lighter use (just looking up info, short gaming sessions, or quick data entry), the battery can go for awhile before you see a dent in the gauge meter

- depletes more quickly under "heavier use" (playing music and/or videos, or using for hours per day)
-leaving the SD card in and accessed seems to deplete batteries quicker (and also slow down the charge cycle)

I've only used this handheld for less than a month, so I really can't say much more about the battery other than it isn't stellar and is absolutely pathetic compared to monochrome devices. You can probably push it to 2 days MAX under medium use (see descriptions above) on a full charge, but under heavy use, I'd say get a portable charger for a whole day's of use away from your cradle.

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Expansion: 5/5
+more popular SD/MMC/SDIO, high capacity formats
+can support most apps to be run right off the card

-the VFS filing system won't allow you to create categories for apps that use them (not without 3rd party `tweak'), like Palm Photos or for any apps that are stored and run directly from the card
-although cheaper than ever, they're still relatively expensive

I especially like the part about being able run most apps right off the card. I can put LOTS of games and other less important software on the card without taking up any valuable internal memory. Truly the best of both worlds.

=====
Screen/images: 5/5
+bright screen
+readable in normal to pitch black conditions
+high resolution, high color

-images look faded under direct sunlight (turn brightness to max to offset this somewhat)
-it really does make a humming/buzzing noise

High resolution and high color screen are great for viewing pictures, videos, running games, and productivity software that make use of those settings. If you have sensitive hearing, then the buzzing noise may be irritating. I only notice it when I put my ear to the device, so it doesn't bother me.

=====
Audio/Music: 4/5
+polyphonic sounds
+speaker alone is enough to listen to MP3 music
+easy enough to transfer and play MP3s

-rear mounted, monaural speaker
-speaker is kind of tinny and has virtually no bass behind it
-only MP3 and Real Audio formats are accepted
-requires expansion card to listen to music
-without an SD card reader, you get SLOW transfer rates

Polyphonic speaker is nice for general usage, speech enabled software, and games with enhanced sound. As for listening to MP3s, you'll want headphones anyways, as even a cheap $15 pair gets you better bass and sound in general. If you plan on updating your music library often, I HIGHLY recommend that you get an SD card reader. Not only is it literally 15x - 20x faster than hotsyncing the files onto the card (for USB 1.1 and 2.0 connections respectively, but you won't have to install RealOne on your desktop to transfer music.

=====
Camera: 3/5
+useful for visual memos (like store hours and scenery), archiving and email photos of important people in your life

-no flash or zoom really limits its practicality

=====
Video: 2/5
+easy to convert and play video

-not a lot of formats supported
-Divx as well as a lot of the more popular encodings isn't supported

Either shell out extra money for 3rd party players and utilities if you want more format types and features, or find a place to download pre-formatted clips.

Conclusion:

I'm really enjoying my Zire71 because all of the functions that I use (PIM manager, music/video player, and camera) are all integrated into one device, with a beautiful screen, and improved OS functionality.

33 Lasted only one week
Unit went totally dead after only the first week of use. All data gone. Now I'm stuck having to do it all over again, but this time, I'm shopping for another brand of PDA.

34 DON'T DO IT! RUN!
I just read a review about the lack of battery life. This is my reality as well. But mine never kept a charge beyond 2 days, and now it is dead every morning when I get to work. I was a Handspring user for years, with NO problems. None. I am sick knowing they sold out to Palm, (I hope they made tons of money and are on a beach somewhere!) as I would love to go back. And on top of this, I just read that it doesn't interface well with XP...to which my company just spent $$$ on getting us up-graded to. grrrrr, time to pitch it and move on.

35 Cracked Screen Times Two
When my palm was just two months old, I had my first cracked screen. How did it crack? I'm not sure. I was listening to music on a cross-country flight, with my Zire 71 resting on the seat beside me. After some time, I picked up the unit, and the screen was cracked. Palm replaced my unit (I did have to pay a bit, but not the entire cost of a new screen).

Ever since the first time the screen cracked, I have babied this unit, always keeping it in the provided protective case. Yesterday I went shopping with my wife, carrying my Zire 71, in my pocket, in its protective case. A few hours later, I pulled it out to check my schedule, and behold, the screen had cracked, WHILE IT WAS IN THE PADDED PROTECTIVE CASE THAT CAME WITH THE ZIRE 71.

I'm not sure what palm intended this unit to be used for, since it is not pocket or airplane safe. If you are looking for a portable PDA that you want to leave on your desk, in it's cradle, and never take it anywhere, then this is the unit for you. It comes with a cool pop-up camera, so for taking pictures of your office this unit might come in handy, but don't even THINK about putting it in your pocket so you could take pictures somewhere else. Your screen might crack.

Move over Palm, I'm headed to Pocket PC. And goodbye to all the cash I wasted on software for this unit. :-(

36 Great Product
This is a great product and very helpful for college students. I have never had any problems with mine. It connects to my computer great(XP). The camera is the best feature this palm has to offer. It takes great pictures. I would highly recommend this product to everyone.

37 Great First PDA
This is my first PDA and I had heard many stories from people who had purchased PDA's and then never utilized them. I was determined to find one I could use and this one has been great.

I bought it basically for business names and addresses and the date book, but have found other neat uses - the photo capability has become my traveling photo album - not only does it take pics, but you can crop and store other pics for "show and tell". At first, I was disappointed in the "Audible" feature, but it has since been upgraded and I use it for listening to books. I did have to buy an expansion card but I have a lot of info in here.

No problems hot-syncing and my battery lasts quite a while - depends on how often you use it, but when using the audio features, the light goes out to conserve battery life. I don't use it for games so I can't comment on that.

Overall, it's been a great first PDA for me and I recommend it.

38 Great but battery sucks
as well as the hotsyncing with xp.
The hotsynching although frustrating is dealable. I mainly only have trouble when I am trying to hotsync something that is online. Offline problems are less common, but then again most of my hotsyncing has been online so I am not sure how it would be offline.
My biggest problem is the battery life. I was told the battery is not replaceable. I think that sucks considering the price of something like this. Cell phones and gametoys are another thing their battery life may be short too but as far as phones go every year or two most companies give u an upgrade anyway (before battery totally dies)
Palms can be used everyday and the more on it (cameras, mp3, games etc) you use it even more and longer amount of time. Who wants to worry about the battery totally dying on you in a year. Palms are are like computers you get a new one and you have tons of info you have to reprogram and that is a major pain. Who wants to be forced to buy a whole new computer every year. I have had my palm for less than a year and battery life is getting bad. I have to do a overnight recharge everytime I look at it. (I am afraid to turn it on anymore so when I do happen to turn it on it battery is half gone) I dont use the camera much nor the mp3 player. I probably would use them alot if it wasnt for the battery. And like another reviewer said about this thing accidently turning on this thing is probably on a lot more than I think it is causing my lower battery life.

39 I get my money's worth everyday
This is one awesome pice of electronics. It's more than just a really great organizer that awesomely syncs to my microsoft outlook.It's a really cool digital camera that takes good pics(great for e-mails) not the best but I don't think it takes horrible pics.The battery life is awesome I have to recharge it about every three days not everyday like some of the other reviewers.I don't have the mp3 player attachment since I already archive my music through mini disc so I can't comment on the media player.One of the features I do get a lot of use out of is the palm reader which I think is so cool when I have time between classes and at work.It seems
as if everyone who sees me using it wants to get one and I think you sould too.The only thing I reccomend is treating it like an expensive thing so it dosen't get broke and you have to complain about it on amazon.com.I recommend the rhinoskin case for the zire71, screen protectors, palm reader, agendus, and a protection plan.I didn't think I'd use this that much but I end up using it a little bit more each day and I feel that I have gotten my money's worth.

40 Excellent color, ok pics, HORRIBLE Battery!
My Zire 71 was a gift (August 03), and a welcome color upgrade from my Handspring Neo. I enjoyed having the handy ability to take pics on the go (furniture shopping, out with my young kids, etc.). I used the pics mostly as digital "wallet" photos because the digital quality is fair at best, but looks great on the Zire itself. I think I had a lemon from the start, but Palm support wouldn't go for an exchange because I had no receipt (gift). My unit had a strange and random "click" sound when in use that couldn't be explained by the regular system sounds (it happened even when the unit was "silenced"). That wasn't a big deal, but may be part of what was behind my troubles. My Zire would completely crash whenever I used the search function (the magnifier button) and would stop working and had to be hot synced as if brand new. (By the way, another reviewer said it didn't hotsync well with XP. I have XP and never had trouble hotsyncing. Thank goodness because I had a lot of crashes and completely drained batteries to sync after!) I learned to live without the ability to search. A MAJOR flaw was the battery dying, and I attribute this in part to the little joystick. It is easy to move by accident, just the slightest touch turns it on and even with it in a protective case sitting in my purse I would often notice a glow that meant my Zire was on. It also sometimes would come on at night with nothing touching it! (I used it a few times as an alarm clock on my bedside table.) I was almost asleep one night and the light came on suddenly and woke me up - weird! Today was the final straw. I like to pass time waiting on carpool by playing a little Bejeweled on the Zire. Of course, the darn thing was completely dead. Again. I really have come to rely on my PDA alarms to get me to my appointments on time, and I just can't take another day of a dead Zire! I am now about to buy a Tungsten E from Amazon. The price is right, with free shipping! If you must buy a Zire 71, do yourself a favor and buy it from a local store and KEEP your receipt and original packaging! And I wish you better luck with yours. It could be a great little color PDA - if only it were reliable and glitch-free!

41 Get a Dell or viewsonic pocket PC
Great little PDA with a fatal flaw. The little joy stick protrudes so it gets turned on in almost any case you may have, this runs down the battery. Also very fragile just a short drop and the screen will break. The camera is a gimic cute at first but pictures are really to low quality (mainly from camera shake, who can hold the thing still) to be more than a curiosity. Pocketpc's are coming down in price and have surpassed the palm os. The Palms time has come and gone. If you you buy a Zire 71 you will be happy at first but sad later. Fred Frader

42 Zire 71 - Disappointed
I am very disappointed with my purchase. The battery lasts less than a day. I am now on my second Zire, and it is doing the same as the first. I think Palm is going to have to figure out how to fix this if they want this product to be a winner. Right now, it's been of no use to me.

43 Very Unhappy!
In early January I had purchased the Palm Zire 71. As soon as I brought it home the darn thing broke. So I returned it for the same model. Again, when I brought it home it broke. The problem was that on the screen nothing would register as I would touch it. On both PDA's the same problem occured. I had it with Palm! So I purchased a Sony Clie and I love it!!

44 Life is Better with a Zire 71
I did a lot of research on the internet and at the stores. I looked at the array of Pocket PC and Palm models out there. Since I am a stay-at-home mother, price and functionality is really important to me because I can't afford to upgrade each year. I chose the Palm 71, and it has lived up to everything I hoped I could find in a handheld and more.

I am a busy mother with two young children. This little gadget has made me more productive in the three months that I have had it. I don't waste time trying to find a note or phone number. I can book activities ahead of time with the confidence that I can handle it all. I love the camera... if my child does something cute, it's on my 71 ready to show everyone. I have also used the camera while shopping, if something is of interest, I can take a picture and attach a note to it. I wanted a handheld that did a little bit of everything, and this one does it all very well. I use it with Outlook and it transfers and updates my calendar and contacts easily and in a matter of seconds. I am also pleased with the MP3 player, though I don't use it much.

The cradle was an important feature with the 71 that Palm has dropped with their newer Tungsten series. I like having a specified place to put the 71, so it can recharge and download-upload. I have never had a problem with the Hot-Sync, and it beeps to tell me that I've plugged it in correctly.

The Palm 71 comes in a close second next to my microwave in conveniences I can't think of doing without.

45 Eats power and freezes without warning
This device eats through power like there is no tomorrow, and generally needs to be recharged every 2 - 3 days. Make sure you have a charging cable with you if you travel, otherwise you'll be stuck schlepping around the heavy and bulky hotsync cradle all the time.

I've had the unit for about 6 months, and it has recently decided to freeze on. None of the buttons work, it will not shut off, and resetting the palm with a paper clip (both soft reset and hard reset) only makes it get stuck on the introductory flash screen. The only way to fix it is to let the rechargable battery drain completely, then reset the system.

I'm off to buy a new handheld computer -- probably from a competitor of Palm. I've been using Palm products for several years, and am sorely disappointed with this one.

46 The best PDA I've ever owned
I had a Palm Pilot years ago (I can't remember the model number). When my dog chewed it up, I bought a Handspring Visor. After three years, it was on it's way out, so I bought the Palm Zire 71. It is fantastic. Going from a monochrome screen to color is great; the speed increase from the Visor (144 mHz from 16 mHz) is fantastic. I mainly chose the Zire 71 for the camera. No, it's not a full-fledged camera (no zoom, flash, etc.); but it serves my needs. It does great closeups, too.

My only complaints are: 1) It has a metal back, it's slick, I'm afraid I'll drop it; 2) it has no hard cover like my old Visor. But, all in all, I'm happy, that's why I have it 5 stars.

I synch it with my Mac OS X (Panther) computer, no problemo.

47 Now it Froze!
I wrote a review below called "Doesn't Hot Sync with XP". I took the Zire 71 back to [local store] and they offered to give me a new one (actually I had to buy the new one to transfer the data, then return the first one after I cleaned out the data). I was happy with this, but now my second Zire 71 is 3 weeks old, and suddenly Froze, completely. I called Palm Support (they're all my familiar friends across the globe by now) and resetting in a variety of ways didn't work. I was told what to do (I should know in 5-6 hours if it works) but this entailed losing the data in the handheld and I hadn't Hot Sync'd in a few days. This time I bought a service contract, so I guess I'll just get a third new one since December, if this doesn't work. I generally have decent luck with these things, but I think my Zire 71 is jinxed. Stay Away.

48 Design Student's Best Tool
As a fashion design student in New York, I use this thing all day long. I listen to music on the bus & subway. I keep my schedule. I take notes (in Memo Pad)- using grafiti for quick notes and the folding keyboard (sold seperately) for long lecture classes. I put my homework assignments in my to-do list. I take pictures of my professors' examples, my own work, or anything that inspires. I even use the camera instead of the photocopier in the library! I have great maps of the city in it so I don't get lost in the fashion district. It amazes me that not only do my classmates not have one, but most of them have never used a palm. It's a definite edge. The only place where it does not adequately replace paper is with quick sketches & diagrams. Sure, you can use Note Pad, but then there's no way (that I know of) to attach that to the relavent notes that go with it in Memo Pad. I'm sure there's some more sophisticated software to be had for this purpose that I haven't investigated & invested in yet. Overall: it's the next best thing to the French curve.

49 Great value for the money - not for hardcore nerds
This is a great device for those who want to stay organized, listen to some mp3s, watch some home video clips and BEST OF ALL, take quick snaps with the camera and display them to others.

Pros :
- Screen - bright, crisp, probably the best among handhelds after comparing with my coworkers.
- Camera - ultra convenient and an easy way to carry pictures around and show them off to others. better quality than most stupid camera phones with up to 640x480 resolution
- ease of use - amazingly easy and natural to use - anyone from computer illiterate to ultra nerd will enjoy the ease of use and navigation. most of the controls are intuitive including the joystick thing in the middle - although sometimes i think it'll break
- graffiti 2 - very good handwriting recognition - i've never used a palm before and i had no problem getting used to it. some characters are not the way i usually write, but no biggie.
- tons of accessories - thanks to palm that is...
- stay organized with the palm desktop and the to-do list - great and easy to use and sync up with the PC.

cons -
As my title says, this is NOT for the hardcore nerd. For the true nerd, you might want to stick with a zaurus or a pocket pc. here's why :
- no wireless connectivity - as of this review no 80211 wireless connection is available - therefore it's difficult to surf the net at all....
- no CF slot - only 1 SD slot - so I can't use all the nifty CF gadgets like an 802.11 card, etc.
- great organizer, but not a laptop or pc replacement at all. at least the zaurus and pocket pc have similar features to what you might expect on a laptop.
- everything is pretty much proprietary... to play mp3s you have to use real one software ... i haven't seen anything else good. and i swear real one degrades the quality of the mp3s so that it can play faster on the palm... AND once i load the songs onto my palm, I cannot download them back my computer (probably RIAA mandated). They're stuck on the palm - I can only delete them...
- I cannot use the SD card (easily) as a removable storage device - meaning like a floppy where it just holds files. again, everything is a bit hokey under palm and so files have to be proprietary.... i can't just drag and drop onto my palm and vice versa to my pc. each file has to be associated with some software program. Using some freeware, if i load a jpg onto the palm, the picture view software sometimes cannot recognize it. mp3s, avi, etc are the same.
- to watch videos using the free kinoma software, i have to convert the mpg to some uncompressed format. again to compensate for the slower processing of the palm.
- not enough ram... 16 mb is measley.... at least for what I want to do with it...
- oh yeah, the camera can adjust for low light but it's really still grainy and not high quality. with enough light, the picture is decent. good enough to view on the palm - but not good enough to print. also, there's no flash so indoor photography is not that great.

Some of these complaints may be due to the palm OS software and not the zire... i like it a lot and since it's from my wife... i love IT! :) Also, for this price, it's hard to beat... however, i think i'd get one with wireless connectivity next time.

enjoy.

50 In regards to hot syncing with xp
There was no problems hot syncing with my xp machine and palm does a great job updating their software. The camera can slow down quite a bit once software is added. The movie and mp3 support comes in handy, but does not have built applications I can recommend. The basic features are nice and the layout is very comfortable and functional. I recommend this handheld to anyone looking for a great deal. But if you want top of the line and the big price tag I would look else where.

51 Most fun I've had with a PDA Yet!
I purchased the Zire 71 as a going back to school present. It was brand new at the time, and such an improvement over Palm's older models (M500 series).

They fixed their lackluster screen problems. This model is bright and clear, and the battery doesn't die nearly as quickly as it did with the m500 series.

This palm is multimedia capable, AND a digital camera! It came in handy in class whenever my teacher drew a diagram, and even during concerts where "cameras" aren't allowed this thing is allowed through! Of course it doesn't have a flash and the resolution is limited, but then again you'd look sort of weird whipping out a high res camera to take photos of a diagram in class.

The camera is hidden inside of the palm, it has a slide-open case to reveal it. With memory cards you can take hundreds of photos. It uses SecureDigital cards, which I have found to be very durable.

Even special software has been released for this Palm. The joystick on the bottom of it make it fun for playing the new Sega Sonic The Hedgehog games, as well as flipping through your information with ease.

Some of the nitpicking I have seen on this site regarding the case being "slippery", and the buttons too easily turning the unit on - I do not think the palm is slippery, and it's thickness actually makes it feel much more sturdy to me than other PDA's. I dropped my Zire a few times and it never even had a scratch on it. As far as the buttons, if you try to jam it into it's included case, you will get that problem. Maybe the same people jamming it in are also the same people reporting it being "slippery"?

The only thing I can complain about on this unit is the RealOne Software. I was never able to sync my mp3s through that software, however palm's desktop software will allow you to also put MP3s on the device so it wasn't as big a deal. If you plan on using it as a full-time MP3 player, I recommend getting an empty jump drive to connect your memory card directly to your PC for faster transfers. Those are only about $17 and definitely a good investment.

There are no WiFi capabilities with this unit, but that's normal for this price range. But for the money, this is the best Palm PDA out there!

52 A Poor Purchase
The joystick on/off button has been a nightmare. Whenever I store the PDA in my briefcase (even when the PDA is in its case) the jostling of briefcase contents eventually depresses the joystick (or possibly the top on/off switch, which protrudes above the top of the PDA) and turns on the Palm--which then STAYS ON due to the pressure of the PDA case against the joystick. Within a short period of time the battery runs out and all of my data is wiped out of the PDA memory. As a result, I cannot use the PDA again until I have taken it to work and re-loaded all of the data from my pc (a relatively time-consuming and annoying process). Needless to say, this is a major inconvenience, especially over the weekend or when I am away from the office for a few days (vacations, seminars). For example, I was stranded in New York recently without any of my business phone numbers--so much for getting work done while at the seminar! Less troubling but still annoying is the thickness of the PDA. I didn't think the bulkiness would annoy me as much as it has--the PDA is just too thick to comfortably fit in a ladies' suit coat pocket. Finally, it seems to me the screen on which you use your stylus is not as responsive as the older screens--I definitely make mistakes in entering letters more often than I did with my old PDA. Although that could be a function of the new Graffitti program, not the PDA.

53 Great product... save for the battery life
I was overall very pleased with this Palm. It looks great, is easy to use, and the camera works suprisingly well. After using it for a few months now, I've run into some serious battery problems. If the Palm runs low on battery, it will lose data. This is a serious pain; you'd think there is some kind of backup, even graphing calculators have a small battery reserve so memory is not lost. Considering you can run out of battery life in 24 hours with consistent use, this Palm is certainly not for active PDA users or professionals, as I am sadly learning.

54 Doesn't Hot Sync with Windows XP
The handheld is great, but after 6 weeks, it suddenly stopped Hot Sync-ing with my computer. Many hours and 3 days later on the phone with Palm Support and I've been told "sometimes this happens with Windows XP". I'm still at it, currently downloading all sorts of updates to Windows and Drivers for the USB Port (my computer is about 14 months old). I've been told to "take it back" if it doesn't work, but all my data that I rely on is there in a form that can't be backed up or transferred. Despite the fun with the camera (I'd email a photo, but I can't upload those either!) the Palm is essentially worthless. Even if I do get it to HotSync, it's been many hours on the phone with Tech Support and many more hours of aggrevation. How can Palm sell a product that can't work on XP? I've been a huge Palm Fan for years, but I may be back to pencil and paper from here.

55 Great product
I have had mine for a few weeks now. It is great. It is as simple as my old m100 (which i liked very much) but has that extra coolness factor. The camera is OK. It dosnt deal with motion very well, but if you are taking landscape shots it is good. I agree with the reviews i read that said it turns on to easy. If you are carefull it is fine, but it is very easy to press down the joystick. Overall i am very hapy with the performance of my 71 and would strongly suggest it to anyone looking for a pda.

56 Camera actually IS useful and a big selling point
There are so many diffrent types of palms out today that you don't know what to get. I consider myself somewhat tech-savvy so i was torn between the Zire 71, Tungsten T, and Sony Clie. In doing my research, the Tungsten's most attractive feature was the keyboard, but let's face it: are you going to be typing long documents via the mini keyboard? For hard core typing, i prefer using my actual desktop computer where i don't have to strain and punch tiny keys with my thumb. And Bluetooth? None of my wireless tools are Bluetooth enabled, and very few on the market are right now unless you seek it out. Finally i chose the zire 71 b/c of the camera. Everyone says that the digital camera on the zire 71 is useless due to its low rez. True in one sense; after all, i have a REAL digital cam for great photography. But you know what? This mini cam actually is a fantastic addition b/c it allows you to take VISUAL MEMOS. This can practically eliminate graffiti (or mini keyboard) when you want to type in the latest cd on your wish list. WHy scribble when you can take a snapshot of it? you don't need major megapixels for that, and it proves to be a very useful tool. I work in a visual/creative environment, so it's indispensible. All around town (and i live in NYC)i take visual memos with my zire (I'll be in the record store and take pix of cds i want, i'll take pix of furniture at Ikea to later look at in the comfort of my home to rearrange furniture, I'll take pix of the latest restaurant review instead of dragging the entire magazine around or tearing out the article, i'll take pix of business cards or store hours or anything that i need to quickly refer to. It makes me increasingly paperless. And when i do need to type actual text (even tho i hate graffiti), I just download Tealscript (it's free) to create my own custom graffiti so I don't have to adhere to Palm's rigid strokes.

57 amazing
im amazed that such a good product can be sold so cheap

58 Palm Zire 71--The good and the bad
Positive:
Having purchased the Zire 71 in early December, 2003, I am quite satisfied with it. I have an MP3 player, video player, camera, and anything else the older palms had all in my pocket. I originally bought an m125 with a monochrome screen, now the color hi-res is a big jump. I'll keep the m125, but I shall never again buy a monochrome screen. Camera is ready whenever I need it. Note that it won't work if you run the battery down to about 15%, but who'd do such a thing? The screen shuts off at my programmed time while listening to MP3 and I can continue listening. Hours of music and hardly a dent in the power reading. Mono speaker sounds great! Can't hear it too well in a loud room, but if it is quiet, it is loud. 5 way joystick is an improvement over the 2 scroll buttons in older palms. 16 MB of RAM is great, but I feel the near future would make 32 ideal for the knowledgeable pda user. The SD/MMC slot is a must have anymore, and that was wise to include. OS 5 permits better games such as the Sega Classics card, Atari Retro card, and Astraware is also up to something... It may seem deceptive, but if the battery were to fail, which it likely would in the years to come, it CAN be replaced. Just look for the battery, instructions and tools included. It recognizes screen inputs better than the m125. Infrared can beam pictures and any other file to your palm and pocket pc friends, or enemies. Memo pad files and pictures are two types of files that I know are inter-compatible. Fast processor, I like it. My Zire 71 loads from the card in a fraction of the time that it took my m125. I do not understand some peoples' complaint about this palm not synching with Windows XP. I only used Windows XP (Home Edition) to synch this palm and it worked flawlessly every time.

Negative:
Don't get me wrong this is a nice palm, but it does have setbacks. First, the case, what were they thinking?? Every time the palm is inserted into the case, it comes on. Problem solved, free button disabling software. The case is now my friend rather than enemy. Still, not too brilliant. The camera is nice, but resolution is not so great. I'd still recommend the camera. The software for the camera is poor. You can view the photo, rotate it, or copy it to the card. I do not need any enhancements, that can be done on the laptop. However, it would have been really nice if I could have magnified the picture. Good 3rd party programs with this feature generally want your money. OS 5, isn't it wonderful, guess again. Palm's bluetooth card for upgrading palms with expansion slots does not support OS 5. (I read the specs thoroughly before doing anything, so I did not fall into owning a useless card.) Some programs, make that quite a few, do not support this newer operating system. You CAN use Wi-Fi wireless radio, but I shall get to that later in my neutral section. You can use it as a remote, but would need a separate program using the infrared. I had a little fun turning on televisions with it, but the developer wants my money for me to keep using it. Palm should include a universal remote application like HP does.

Neutral:
Standard organizer features included with this palm. Unlike my other palm, this one wasn't dropped like 3 times on a hard floor, so I do not yet know how it handles to that. If it is like the other palm, it should be quite durable as the other one works perfect. Price seems about right compared to other current palms. Battery is rechargeable, seems properly suited to the palm's power need. Universal connector, a must have, assuming you would like to expand to a keyboard, modem, extra battery, or other components sold by other companies. Wi-Fi, THIS JUST IN, you CAN expand to Wi-Fi via the universal connector at the bottom. Go to http://www.enforawireless.com/shop/detail.aspx?ID=1. But this Wi-Fi upgrade is going to cost about $170, yet it does provide Wi-Fi, battery, and a nice case for the palm. Compact Flash isn't really necessary, so it is logical to do without. This palm packs features, but seems a bit thick compared to the Tungsten E, which is no problem to deal with. Blue color is a variety from the grey tones of the tungstens. It has Graffiti 2, sure it is an adjustment from the original, but it is not bad. I personally prefer the original Graffiti, but not much anyone can do about it in any newer palm, although I did hear of 3rd party apps for this...my guess is they would want your money though. Don't see how Tungsten C users can enjoy using that thumb board. Free palm programs including the button disabler available at www.freewarepalm.com To buy a replacement battery for this or another palm try www.palmbattery.com. Site also has nice pictures of this palm disassembled. Lithium-ion batterries are rated for a shelf life of 7 years. (Don't expect daily use and a life of 7 years, though)

59 Perfect for a Newbie
My husband gave me the Zire71 for Christmas. It is the first Palm I have ever owned and I love it! It is so easy. The display is wonderful and I am having so much fun finding reasons to use it. I am using it for personal reasons and as a teacher and was able to import my sub plans using Documents to Go. The camera is okay, a nice feature but I have a digital camera I use all the time. I like the fact that I can listen to music while using the other applications. I think this is perfect for the new user.

60 Better than the rest
I got this Zire 71 for Christmas 2003, and I am really enjoying it. It takes pretty high quality (at least I think so) images, plays mp3s, and (with the right software, such as Documents to Go) lets me carry a copy of my resume around with me, should anyone ask for it... :)

The only downside of it would be great if WMA files were supported, and that there were more onboard memory.

I was debating whether to get the zire or a Sony Clie, but the Sony models in my price range were kinda blah. Other than the two cons, it's worth the buy, especially over the Sony models!

61 Cool PDA for the money
I have had the Zire 71 for 2 weeks now, and I am very satisfied with my purchase. It is definitely one of the best PDA's for the money.
I know there are other PDA's with features like Bluetooth and WiFi. However, Bluetooth is only a convenience feature because USB already does everything as long as you have a cable. Also, you don't need WiFi to access e-mail if you have a GPRS phone, and most of us don't rely on our Palm pilots to surf the web. Notebook computers are much better for that.
The built-in camera is great (WOW! factor). It doesn't replace a digital camera, but it's always available.

Pros
-Bright, clear, vivid 320 x 320 resolution screen.
-Accepts SD memory cards. I also have SD cards for my camera and camcorder. In my opinion, SD rules!
-Universal connector for cradle, charger, and hotsync. All of those functions are working fine.
-Ability to run almost any software designed for Palm OS. I have yet to see a piece of software I want that requires a better Palm.

-Speed. I know there are faster Palms and Pocket PC's out there (for more money), but for the applications I run, I can't imagine why I would need anything faster.
-Joystick (great for games).

Cons
-Only 13 MB of memory for applications. You can solve this problem by purchasing a high capacity SD card.
-Kinoma player does not convert Windows Media or RealPlayer formats.
-Joystick (not so great for productivity applications).

Tips
-Get a high capacity SD card (at least 128 MB) ASAP. Use it to store all your pictures and movies.
-If your movies are in a compressed format (ie. Windows Media, RealPlayer, Quicktime) convert them to AVI or MPEG first. Then convert them to Kinoma format. I use Windows Movie Maker to convert my Windows Media files to AVI.
-Get a hard case specifically designed for this model. With a hard case, I can put my Zire 71 in my front pocket and not worry about damaging my Palm.
-If you want to use e-mail, get a GPRS phone.

62 POOR DESIGN
This is an extremely poorly design piece of technology. If you plan on keeping this in your pocket, be prepared to buy a new screen for it often. My fiance has been through TWO screens because for no apparent reason (ie: he hasn't run into anything), while in his pants pocket the screen has cracked. Overall, Palm was blind when designing this--they should have come up with a HARD cover or case to protect this little investment.

63 i smell a class action lawsuit
Someone should start a class action lawsuit against Palm (and perhaps Apple as well) for selling Palm products without any warning that the Palm 4.1 HotSync software does NOT WORK with OS X 10.2.X software ...........rendering the Palm product USELESS!!!!!! No matter how many checks and uninstalls and reinstalls, the HotSync ends in "Conduit Manager is locked" or "Conduit Manager unexpectedly quit."

Palm says that they are "working on a fix," but it has been a few months since they've been saying that. Not to mention that their Tech Support is not well informed to this problem. It took me 3 emails before they even acknowledged this problem, but simply directed me to Apple.com Discussions.

How is it that a manufacturer can get away with essentially false advertising (marketing that a product will work fine with latest Apple software) and apathetic accountability?

64 For the money, Palm finally beat Sony!!!
I've been a Sony NX series owner for a few years. With the latest Sony's going for $500-700, I new I was getting into ridiculous price ranges.

So I gave the Zire 71 a try. It is great. The camera is better than Sony's NX70V, and the UX series. Plus, its soooo much smaller. I can really take it anywhere.

The MP3 player is RealOne, and its quite functional. You can add songs through Hotsync or through your computer's RealOne player. Or, if you got the $99 audio kit, its even easier (mine came free!!)

Although the MP3 player could use a bit more volume, the whole package is definitely worth the reduced price tag of $249. In fact, the Sony's that are comparable are almost twice that much!! Plus, the Smart Media cards are really affordable, compared to Memory Sticks (256mb for only $80!)

This is definitely my favorite palm yet (even more user-friendly than the T3- which I ended up returning for the Zire 71!)

Totally the best value out there right now!!

65 Palm71 Dead in a Purse
It's ironic that something that is supposed to make life easier is a constant frustration. If you are a woman and considering purchasing this product you need to know that if you are carrying this item in a purse your life will be consumed with pulling it out of your purse to retrieve information and not being able to access the info because the "71" is dead. I'm back to paper and pencil.

The majority of the carrying cases are soft and when the Zire71 is compressed by things in the purse the buttons at the bottom are pushed in and cause it to stay on in your purse until it is dead. The auto off mechanism doesn't turn it off because compression keeps the buttons, particularly the center knobby one, pushed in preventing autooff to work. Palm has come out with a hard plastic carrying case but it is still not hard enough to solve the problem.

66 Coolest PDA
I've recently bought the Zire 71 and I must say this is really serious PDA for the price.

The most impressing feature of the Zire 71 is its crisp and bright screen, I've never seen such an oustanding display on a PDA.

Though very similar to Palm OS 4, Palm OS 5 is way quicker and more handy. In addition to all classic functions of a PDA (calendar, datebook, notebook and co on), the Zire 71 has also unexpected features...

I love the built-in camera (that is nicely hidden behind the sliding back of the Zire 71) though it may disapoint those who are looking into the Zire 71 just for its built-in camera. The quality of pictures taken with the Zire 71 is in no way comparable to pictures taken with a digital camera. However, I disagree with reviewers who critizised this feature. The Zire 71 does not claim to rival with 5 mega-pixel cameras! The Zire 71 built-in camera is perfect to take pictures of those unexpected moments you'd like to keep a souvenir, while on the go, and exchange them through email. You can even choose among several settings on your PDA to improve the quality of your pictures, which come at a really decent quality on your computer for that type of camera.

The MP3 player is very simple to use and the sound is great. Loading your PDA with music is really simple but may take time if you don't have a USB SD card reader/writer connected to your computer. Those are really cheap and can be found in all electronics stores, so you've got no reason not to get one if you plan to listen to lots of music on your PDA.

For this price, you won't probably find any other PDA packed with so many features.

The only things Palm could have improved is the back of the Zire 71 which just seems to attract all fingerprints around (though this may be considered as a minor inconvenient), a built-in micro, and the possibility to shoot small footage.

67 Low Quality ! Very Bad Service !
I only had this Palm for few weeks, then it stop working, sendback for repair, it took 3 weeks !

Then after 3 months, wane it's stop working again, Palm want me pay $20 to get a RMA number, or go by email service only. so make sure you you buy the service plan from your store.

68 Low Quality - Short life
I have purchased my Palm Zire 71 in June 2003.

In less than six months, The camera is not
working, the full level of battery drains
after a night although the machine was off,
followed by a reset and losing all the data.
Consider a long business trip.

It was my first Palm and seems like the last.

The international warranty is not wide enough,
so even the Palm is replaced with a new one
post charges will cost me as high as a new device.
a new dvice but never Palm again.

69 TOTAL JUNK
It being a Palm Zire 71. DON"T BUY IT !! Real Fragile piece of JUNK! It has the durability of a saltine cracker.

When I originally purschased this I was quite impressed with the displays resolution,built in camera,and decent operating system. However, if the thing would stop cracking the screen it might actually be a usefull piece of equipment. I don't know about anyone else but I expect at least some durability in the products I purschase. The first time the screen broke I have absolutly no idea how it happened. I put in the the center console of my car, took it out and POP the screen was cracked. The seccond time the screen broke was because I dropped it. It fell from a whopping height of 3 feet from my desk onto thick carpeting and POP the screen broke!!

So to conclude things. If you are somewhat like me and expect to actually use it and perhaps expect it survive an occasional drop (yes it does and WILL happen) then stay far far away from the Palm Zire 71.

Ps It's time to start expecting more from manufactures. It's our hard earned money and they CAN produce a better product.

70 Not too shabby
I bought the Zire 71 6 months ago and have not been disappointed. The colors are great and it's zippy. It's met all my needs. I've added Quicken. I do wish it were thinner and less expensive. I knew the camera wasn't high quality but have been pleasantly surprised by the quality of the random pictures I've taken. I've had one major crash and was disappointed to find out it costs $25 to call Palm. Luckily the device restarted after 1/2 hour and I had backed up my files. I recommend this device to individuals looking for a fast, color device with a few extras.

71 A Few Minor flaws...but lots of fun too!
Overall, I really enjoy my Zire 71. It's got so many fun functions and the Palm OS makes everything pretty simple. It's very cool to be able to watch little movies on the very bright and clear color screen. I'm very impressed with the display. Also, the way the camera is hidden in the PDA is pretty clever...that always gets "oooohs" and "aaaahs" when I show people. The hot synching always works great, and I've never had technical troubles with it at all.

Three flaws, in my opinion:
1) THE BIGGEST...the darn thing turns on VERY, VERY easily. Often, I take it out only to find that I've drained the battery. I know I put it away off, but just slipping it into the included soft case apparently is enough to turn it on sometimes. I'm very careful now, but it still happens.

2) The audio and video set up takes a little work. Nothing earth-shattering,but basically, you're installing several different pieces of software to make it all work. But they do work easily and simply once done.

3) I wish I hadn't been required to buy a Secure Digital card right off the bat in order to listen to mp3s. After dropping $300, who wants to drop $20 more for an SD card?

Also, I wish there were more colors and a beefier speaker, but that's nit-picking.

You'll be impressed with this sucker. Not only does it provide all the features of a good PDA, its very nice screen and multi-media add-ons make this fun for killing some time. Mine goes with me everywhere. Yours will too.

72 Best Palm Yet
After having a original Zire and being fed up with it, I bought the Zire 71, which i MUST say is much improved. The color screen is awesome, compared to the original grey. The only cons I can think of is that the battery only lasts about 5 hours. Buy it, you wont regret it.

73 Cool PDA!
This little gadget is better than other PDAs. Because it has a built-in digital camera. You can take a picture of up to 640x480 pixels in resolution. Then I can bring this to school everyday and taking pictures of my friends. I also heard this PDA has a built-in MP3 player. Then I can have both iPod and Palm Zire 71 to listen to music, and I will donate all of my portable CD players to The Salvation Army. The price is kind of expensive. But I still can afford this little fella. I got my own job. And I got my own allowance. Then I don't have to ask my parents to buy it for me. Everytime I go to CompUSA, Circuit City, or Office Depot, I practice Graffiti on the unit. Right now I did pretty well on the letters, numbers, symbols, and the accented characters. But I still have to practice the special characters. You should buy this model other than the Tungsten Series.

74 Kinda disappointed
This is a bit pricey but I was intrigued by the slick little camera and tired of the size, weight and poor battery life of my Dell Axim, so I got one. As another reviewer pointed out, the camera is just a toy. I was hoping to at least be able to take the occasional throwaway snapshot to e-mail to someone, but it's unacceptable even for that. Routine PDA functions like calendaring, contacts, desktop synchronization and such are fine, and the screen is good. Don't know what I'll replace it with, but it will probably be sooner rather than later and I've only had it a couple of months. Too expensive for what you get.

75 Go buy this!
I am a PDA fanatic. Actually, it's a illness. I've owned ten PDAs and I must say that I love my Zire 71 best out of all of them--Pocket PC or Palm.

Let me state this now--you will NOT find a PDA that sports a built-in digital camera at this price. Granted, it's not a megapixel camera, but it's good enough for websites and to take pics of possible gift items and bring home to your spouse for review. It's not a necessity in a PDA, but it's a very nice convenience, and it actually does come in handy for those times when you wouldn't have a camera on you.

As for more realistic uses, I didn't have any problems inputting phone numbers, memos, creating Word and Excel files (I bought Docs to Go separately), or listening to MP3s. Everything went smoothly and without pauses or glitches.

Here are some of the minor qualms I first had with my Zire 71, but quickly got over. Learning Graffiti 2 stinks once you've gotten used to the original Graffiti, but for new Palm owners, it won't be a problem. The Real audio player works fine, but without any equalizer settings, you would probably opt for a 3rd party MP3 player (like I did), and the bundled Kinoma Producer for the PC lacks quality settings that you would need to play high-res movies (so you'll have to buy it separately, if you want better quality). Again, all small problems. I'm just picky.

What I like about it:
-Beautiful, crisp color display (even better than my Clies)
-Built-in MP3 playback (Can also play video with Kinoma Player)
-Zippy TI OMAP processor (Makes my Clie SJ30 seem like a snail)
-Built-in digital camera
-Cool slide open design
-Takes SD cards to store pictures, MP3s, video clips, etc.

What I don't like:
-Back housing is a fingerprint magnet! (I hate fingerprints!)
-Isn't able to download pics from my Casio wrist camera or my Nokia 3650 phone. (IR problem or OS 5.1? I think it's OS 5.1)
-Huge, brick-like cradle/AC adapter

Okay, my only serious complaint was the compatibility issues with my phone and watch. Other than that, this is an awesome PDA that will fit the needs of any working professional, student, or techno-geek.

So I give it a 4-star rating, only because it's not compatible with my phone and watch, even though all my other Palm OS 4 devices and Pocket PC devices had no problems with either. As a side note, I own a Japanese Sony Clie PEG-TJ25, which uses Palm OS 5.2, and it works with my watch and phone, so it might be an OS 5.1 issue (or is it just because I bought it in Japan?), which is why I'll keep my 4-star rating.

76 QUITE SIMPLY AN OBJECT OF DEZIRE
Despite Sony's slick Clies banging on their hood, Palm has not exactly been known to be very friendly in the bargain department. The Zire I at its low pricetag was an initiate's machine in the Low-Cost-Low-Features bracket. Surprise surprise -- the Zire II, er, Zire 71 not only packs a full punch at 300 US$ but also ups the ante on multimedia handhelds!

THINGS TO NOTE:

1. Comes (finally) with OS 5.2 and its sharp fonts + cool icons/themes.
2. Sleek glossy blue skin
3. A light 5.3 ounces in weight
4. A 320x320 screen sporting 65,000 colors screen
5. An awesome VGA (640x480) digicam, but be prepared for a 1-2 second
delay in shutter click. To its credit though the viewfinder software appears very quickly.
6. A revamped PalmDesktop with a conveniently integrated photo-management module, which makes it a snap not only to load pictures onto your handheld, but also to view, organize, and even e-mail those you've taken with it. Also includes basic image-editing features like cropping, rotating, and red-eye reduction.
7. And the AudiblePlayer that enables you to listen to the huge library of spoken-word content from Audible.com
8. A better handwriting recognizing software Graffiti 2
9. A joystick type navigation "nipplehead"
10. Out of the box MP3 support (RealOne Mobile Player)
11. Above all, a snazzy "Kinoma Producer" software to produce movies specifically for your handheld, in 4 easy steps

CAVEATS:

1. No bluetooth (not that I'd need or use it but would have been cool. HP 5455 has both WiFi and BT!)
2. No With all this multimedia doohickey, a voice recorder wasn't much to throw in
3. Only a 16 MB of ram, kinda low for a device with this target market
4. Lack of a good screen cover
5. Digicam pics may be a little slow to save to memory

IN SUMMARY:

Despite the few minor grouses, a great offering from the Palm camp for entertainment junkies packing in mp3 player, audible player, movie player, camera and an Clie/iPaq type screen. May not be a great reason to upgrade if you already have a PDA, but if you are in the market for a new one, this is a superb buy.

77 Totally unreliable manufacturing
The Zire 71 concept may be good, but its manufacturing quality does not stand to the Palm reputation (I have previously owned a Palm III and a Palm IIIxe). My first unit stopped HotSync-ing after a couple of months of use. I sent it to Palm's after-sale service for a replacement, but 10 days later they sent me back the same unit, plus several scratches on screen and body. While waiting for a second (and actual) replacement, the photo shutter button stopped working too. Once that second replacement arrived, I have just found that the leftmost hardware button (DateBook) does not work at all, and the rightmost one (Notes) fails more often that works. I guess the sliding shell design may be more tricky than Palm expected. My suggestion is: forget the built-in camera and go for the (cheaper, but no moving parts) Tungsten E.

78 Too thick for me
This is a great Palm however, it wasn't what I was looking for. I bought it as a replacement for my M500. I should have been patient and waited until the Tungsten E came out.
The Z71 is much too thick and bulky for me. I usally keep my palm in my suit pocket, but I ended up carrying the Z71 most of the time.
The camera is a toy. Don't expect much from it and you won't be disappointed.
I still long for the days of 2 week batttery life of the VX and M500 as opposed to 2 days with the Z71. I read a lot of books on the palm, so the battery runs out quickly even at the lowest brightness setting.
I have since bought a TE and gave the Z71 to my wife. She loves it. Now everyone's happy!

79 Okay
Recently I bought a Zire71 but I ended up returning it because it had some bad system files. I found the camera not to be really worth the extra $100 when you can buy the new Tungsten E without a camera for $199. When playing movies such as movie trailers the sound wasn't the best but the picture was pretty good. I would not recommend this Palm for playing games because the 5 way navigator isn't the best for this use.

80 Screen broke with 2 months; Palm very very poor support
Screen broke within 2 months of owning; did not drop or mishandle. While at work, the screen popped and that was the end. Was under warranty; returned to Palm to be fixed and shipping agent lost unit. Palm said they investigated the event and agreed to ship me out a new unit. Three months later I am still without a Palm. I continue to get the "give us 48 hours to look into it" story from Palm representatives. I paid near $300 for an e-toy that doesn't work...and I don't even get to keep it for a paperweight. Pocket PC is my next purchase..will never buy another Palm.

81 mixed feelings -- only fair support from Palm
I bought the Zire 71 for my wife. After using it for less than a month, it developed a bizarre problem. It would sometimes go haywire and open/close items in the address book at random, without any user input whatsoever. Palm support insisted that it was due to 3rd party software that we installed (we hadn't installed any programs). Finally they had me do a hotsync, followed by a hard reset of the zire. The hard reset cleared the zire, but the problem still continued. It was sent back to Palm for service. Upon return, the hotsync would not retrieve any of the stored files from the backup pc. The files are still on that machine, but sync can't get them back. I called tech support at Palm to ask them how to get everything restored, and they basically said that I was now out of my warranty support window, and for $25 they would tell me how to get my data back.
All in all, I can only give the zire 2 stars. It's a nice product, but to fail within a month, and then require the customer to pay for an incident call to help retrieve data after factory service, is poor customer service in my opinion. I would not purchase another product from Palm.

82 Love my Zire 71
Although this is my first PDA, I've wanted the the Zire 71 from the moment it was introduced onto the market. I finally got it and I am so happy with it. I'm getting up there in age (I'm in my mid-thirties, now :-)) and I really needed something to jot down important thoughts before they scampered away... and there I would be, standing in the middle of Target wondering what in the world I came for. This PDA has everything you need and more; a gorgeous color screen, a convenient camera that takes decent pictures and I was able to add some great software to keep my thoughts, and my business, straight. By the way, AvantGo is a great (free) addition to this PDA. Makes you feel like you have the internet with you. I would highly recommend this product!

83 Still 5 Star's after 4 months of use.
I have had this Palm Pilot for 4 months and still think it is great. I bought the expansion card and now use the MP3 player, works great. The camera takes good impromtu type photographs for situations where you don't need high quality. I recently took it to visit my dad in the hospital, took some pictures and was able to show them at home to my kids. The calendar, address book, and ability to synchronize email work good. I highly recommend this product.

84 Handheld for a dummy
I am not tne most techno person. I have never had a Palm before. This has been a Big help. Instead of having # in 7 different places. They are now all in one. The Camera is a little tricky to use but I am getting it figured out. A god item to have.It is very helpful for work.

85 A Great Upgrade and a Great Buy
Losing my Palm m105 was upsetting, but having read about the Palm Zire 71 I decided it was a good excuse to upgrade. The built in digital camera and the ability to expand it to play MP3's, plus the color display, convinced me it was time to make the jump. I'm glad I did.

I was a little thrown that there was a new version of Graffiti to contend with, but Graffiti II is somewhat easier to use than its predecessor, so that wasn't a problem. The larger display area is a plus too.

The digital camera is decent enough quality for taking quick pictures and emailing them or sharing them online. To do more than that you'll need to have the ability to do some tweaking in PhotoShop or another graphics program, but you can't beatthe convenience of the combination.

The package I brought came with all the necessary software, including a Palm version of RealPlayer so that all I needed for MP3 play was an expansion card and a pair of earphones. Putting songs on the expansion card couldn't be easier. My only complaint is the volume. Maximum volume on this player isn't quite loud enough for me, but that's just a matter of personal preference.

Mine came with a carrying case that is a bit of a tight fit, and just serves it's purpose. If you want a better carrying case, get the Zire 71 Essentials package, which has a case that you can also wear on your belt for carrying your Palm around.

So, a few minor complaints aside, the Palm Zire 71 is more than worth the price. If you're upgrading from an older Palm, you won't be sorry you got the Zire 71.

86 Best PDA ever for the price...
This is the best PDA in the market -- quality/price wise that is. It has a digital camera that works excellently -- well, of course, you should not expect cyrstal-clear 1200X1200 resolution pictures from it! It is a PDA, not a digital camera! Also, if you purchase a SD Memory Card along with your Zire71 you will not only be to store more pictures, data, etc. in for your Zire but also listen to music: MP3s to be more precise! Frankly, if you are a first-time PDA user, Zire71 has everything for you -- even more than you are probably expecting...I say go ahead and buy it!

87 Don't Give Up Your Paper Calendar
Buyer please beware: Palm Pilots crash repeatedly for no apparent reason. I bought one last year with the hopes of retiring my paper calendar. But I had so many crashes and I spent so much time performing the 'hot sync' function that it was not cost effective to use an electronic calendar. I don't think that I had a defective unit because I've heard similar tales from other Palm customers.

88 cannot install on an athlon motherboard
my system has an amd athlon motherboard with via kt133 chipset. or so I am told. The palm absolutely refuses to load on my system. It works great with my husband's system, a P4 with a slightly different via chipset. This does me absolutely no good. We have upgraded the bios, the usb drivers, and received absolutely no help from PALM. I think this is their problem, and they should fix it. We had one long telephone conversation and then no follow up on their part.

89 I think this is the best PDA on the market for the price!
If I lost my Zire 71 today, I would go out and buy another one. This is my first palm so I don't have much to compare it to but I LOVE it. I'd like to say that I researched the product before I bought it but the truth is, I had thoroughly researched the M130 and that is what I was intending to buy. When I went to the store the sales guy was showing the Zire 71 to someone else. It had twice the memory as the M130, all the same features plus more. Of course it cost more but you get soooooooo much for your money. I just love it. I purchased a 128MB SD card which was necessary. You can read e-books, listen to comedy routines, mP3 music, and the cutest feature of all is the camera. You can take a picture and hot sync onto your computer and in an instant send someone the picture. I have added a lot to my Zire 71 so now I have spent twice what I paid for it. I wondered if I could have done better buying a Pocket PC, but if I did, I'd be missing out on the CUTE camera. And remember since this is a Palm product almost all downloads are compatible with the device. You always see special instructions for Sony, etc. The only thing I didn't like was the case it came with so I bought another one. Programs I have purchased that are wonderful - Connected TV- hotsync up to two weeks of the tv guide and train a remote to use your Zire as a TV/VCR remote, Holidates - add selected holidays to your datebook up to year 2007, Pocket Quicken, Quickoffice, and Splash Wallet. Free downloads were Acrobat Reader for OS - download pdf files and read them on your Palm and purchase e-books online from Amazon and other bookstores, Advantgo - turns your palm into a mobile internet -hotsync updates your webpages. For instance I have Hollywood.com downloaded that shows me movie listings and times for my chosen theaters (you can buy an upgrade) but the free one is very useful, Filepoint (organizes your files) I received it free when I purchased something (I don't remember what). The software that comes with the device is also wonderful. As you see now my life is in my Palm and I REALLY love it!

90 All hail King Zire!
There are not enough superlatives in the English language to describe how good this Palm Zire 71 really is. It has a gorgeous, bright, crisp screen. It's fast. It has a built in camera. It's fast. It's running Palm 5 software. It's fast. It has a 144 MHz ARM processor. Have I mentioned it's fast?

I cannot believe the difference in speed between the Palm M515 and the Zire 71. It's like hopping out of a Pinto and into a Corvette. The performance is really that different. It's the difference between "Oh, yes!" and "OH, HELL YES!"

Pictures cannot do the display justice, but the display does do the pictures you take with it justice. Don't let anyone kid you, this will not take the place of your digital camera - what? Are you kidding me? It's 640 X 480 for crying out loud! But it is perfect for those "need-a-quick-and-dirty-snapshot" situations. And if you do as I did and slap a 256MB SD card in the expansion slot, you will have room for about 4,000 pictures!

In short, this is one incredible long, hard, going-way-back home run for Palm. Now if only ALL the Palms could be this good. I wouldn't hesitate for a minute to buy this Zire 71, but with two caveats :

1. Don't even think about buying it WITHOUT ADDING MEMORY! Get at least a 64 MB card, and if you drop a 256 MB card in like I did, you will be in heaven.

2. DO NOT buy the Palm essentials kit for the Zire/Zire 71. The case that comes with the Zire is better than the one in the essentials kit. Also, you get three not-for-the-Zire 71 stylii, and three FOR the Zire 71 in the package. What's up with that? They do the same thing with the screen protectors - 2 for the M100, 2 for the Zire 71. What the hell were they thinking? Why not just give me 4 screen protectors for the Zire 71, and 6 stylii for the Zire 71? It's a no brainer - just separtate the products into separate packaging! DUH!!

Recap - Buy the Zire 71. Buy extra SD card memory. DO NOT BUY the Essentials kit.

'Nuff said.

91 Very Good Buy
I bought my first HandHeld in July just to see if I would use one and would it be worth the money. I found one marked down (no box and no manuel) for a very, very low price. Anyhow, by August having seen the Zire 71 with the digital camera and having an expansion slot I was impressed. So, I started shopping around and found one right here on Amazon for a great price and super fast delivery and no shipping charges. Since I had a Palm I knew how to work the Zire and found it was a great buy for me. I did have a little trouble with the RealOne set-up for transfering MP3's to the expansion card but now have it conquered. The digital camera is easy to work and the Palm Desk Top program works great with syncronizing. I haven't printed any pics out but have a good digital camera for that plus a 35 mm camera with zoom lense. The music comes through great with the earphones. I used the ones that came with my portable DVD player. Works great! Had to buy an expansion card. Look around for good deals because you can save $10.00 to $15.00 if you go to the right place so shop around. Over all I am pleased for what I wanted this for...pleasure only!!!

92 No voice memo - big bummer !
They put so many things into this small piece and didn't include so important tool as an organizer - VOICE MEMO !
What a big bummer ! I consider it as a pinnacle of
a idiosynchrocy and stupidity.

93 A Great Upgrade
The Palm Zire 71 is a great upgrade from previous models. I have owned the Palm IIIxe and Palm M505 and decided that I liked the additional, improved features that the Zire 71 had to offer. The digital camera is one of the nicest additions to the device. No, the camera is not for those of you who require near perfect quality photography but Yes, it is for those of you who like to capture images on the spur of the moment and e-mail them off to family and friends. The most noticeable improvement is with the screen clarity and color images. They actually look like colored items now which I could not really tell with my M505. The processor is significantly faster then the others aforementioned and hot syncing seems to move along a lot faster. The new grafiti2 takes a little adjusting to if you are a long time Palm user but is a minor distraction. If you use the original fold out keyboard, you will need to remove the old driver from your old Palm before upgrading the desktop software otherwise it will install on your new Palm and not work. There is an updated driver for the keyboard at Palm.com which corrects this problem. If you don't remove the previous keyboard driver, you will need to perform a hard reset in order to remove it from the Palm as using the delete feature does not work. The accompanying case is something to be desired and its design is pathetic. Whenever you put the Palm into the case, the power or an application comes on and remains on until the auto shut off kicks in. I was surprised to see such a poorly designed case from an otherwise great device.

94 Great Item
My wife was one of the first adapters of Palm, she was very happy to lose the old "Black Bible" and upgrade to a Palm.

When she lost her Palm, she needed a new one ASAP, and we purchased the Palm Zire.

She loves the color upgrade, and the speed in which this unit performs at. The camera is a nice added feature to take low resolution pictures.

This is a great little item that is not too expensive. So if your looking to buy your first, or upgrade your original, this is The Palm for you.

Harry T.

95 Defective product
My new Zire 71 has had a problem with the battery since I purchased it - it loses charge rapidly and unexpectedly and causes all data to be lost. In calling Palm support to get it repaired I was told there is a huge backlog for this repair. It seems to be a very prevalent problem so be aware that if you buy the Zire 71, and need it repaired (which sounds like it is likely to happen), it's going to take awhile.

96 SO GLAD I BOUGHT IT
After using my Palm 125 extensively for 2 years, I longed for a color screen and rechargable battery. Imagine my surprise when I found this one with a camera in it as well! After weeks of delilberation, I finally decided to do it. This is incredible! The screen is large and has wonderful resolution. The camera works fine (not a super quality digital camera but loads of fun) and is very handy. The graphics are terrific and the screen is very touch receptive. The 5-way navigation is great for one-handed operation. The calculator is configured so that you don't even need to take out the stylus. It recharges right in the hot-sync cradle. The only thing I don't like is it is without a permanent screen cover (like my flip up palm125) so it a bit cumbersome to get it out of the provided case. But there are many cases out on the market with easier accessibility.

Added note Feb/2004. I still love the Zire 71 and keep finding new things to do with it. If you are a middle of the road nerd, like myself, you won't be disappointed.

97 Amazing PDA worth a lot more than $300
I bought this just over a month ago, skeptical of the features because of the low price for what this PDA says it offers. Nonetheless, I was still excited when it arrived in the mail. It was amazing. Only a few minor issues but not anything significant that would make me lower the rating.

Camera:
The camera takes good quality pictures but a zoom feature would have been nice. Also, The shutter speed is noticably slower then a normal digital camera and it takes a few seconds to focus. This would be a big camera issue but it takes great pictures and the only other PDA with cameras on the market cost somewhere in the range of $600.

Mp3 Player:
Although Palm advertises this feature heavily, you never know that you need to buy an expansion card to listen to Mp3's until you open up the box. The Mp3 player works well once you buy the expansion card. I would have dropped my rating except for the fact that the Mp3 player works very well once you buy the expansion card (Which costs an extra $30-$70). Mp3's don't work because there isn't enough room to store them on your Zire 71's built-in memory.

Company Helpfullness:
Although I didn't make it affect my rating this aggravated me beyond belief. The instruction manual basically tells you how to plug the USB Cradle in and then transforms into a self-advertisement. Their troubleshooting website is useless, and there tech support number isn't even toll free. It's like they're trying bother me.

Storage Capacity:
The Zire 71 only has 13.6 Megabytes of usable space. Palm really should have included more. Luckily, you can get a 64 Megabyte expansion card for $30. You don't really need to buy it unless you plan on taking 200+ photos, listening to Mp3's, or loading your PDA with games and software.

Overall Value:
An High-level PDA at Mid-Level Price, you should defitely consider purchasing this. This would have been a 5-star rating if not for the fact that the Zire 71 doesn't work with alot of old software, which makes upgrading from an old palm and trying to keep the software you bought or dowloaded impossible in many cases. This PDA has amazing graphics, the most advanced Palm OS made to this date(OS 5.21), a digital camera, an improved version of graffiti, and a convincing price. I cannot see any reason not to get this wonderful device.

98 what a screen!
The screen alone is keeping me from being able to even look at my old Palm Vx again. So bright and easy to read. This unit does everything that my old unit did and more (pictures and music). Palm hit a home run.

PRO'S:
Beautiful screen
Fast processor
Tidy package (works in front pants pocket)
Camera especially great for email and photo album of my daughter
I like the ability to enable writing on the screen

CON'S:
Graffiti 2 a pain (even after a month)
Joystick should have been similar to Tungsten 2 layout (I'm finally used to it)

99 GET THIS PDA!...
I have had my Palm Zire 71 for a month already. And, for the price, I think its worth every penny.

The Palm is suppose to keep you organized and it does keep you organized with the date book program, todo list, expense program, and much more. But the zire 71 keeps you organized and entertained on a beautiful color screen.

The palm has a 65,000 color tft screen which makes videos and pictures very realistic like your viewing it on your home computer. Like all colored screens (Cell phones, laptops, PDA's), viewing the screen directly in the sun is not so rich with color, but its usuable.

The zire 71 has a great mp3 program. Palm has a RealPlayer program which plays the songs you install in your pda and the speaker is so so, but plug in head phones, and WOW.....
They put a good head phone system in the zire 71.

It also has a camera function that is very good to take everyday pictures and email them. I would not print them out and send them, but, it comes in handy when you want to take quick pictures. You can store up to 290 photos (normally with out adding more memory). You can also store jpeg photos on your zire 71 and view them in the photo program.

But, whats really tops the Zire 71 off is the Kinoma player. You can download mpegs and movies and convert them to play on your zire 71. It comes in handy when your board and want to watch a mpeg video.

With the SD slot, you can buy as much memory a you want.
SO, get the Zire, organize your day, take pictures and email them to freinds and family, view photos, watch movies, and listen to music.

All that for 299 dollars. In the Pocket PC, thats a good deal.

100 Great PDA for organizing anything!
The Zire 71 is a great PDA. I would be clueless in school without it. The Date Book stores my schedule for the week. The Calculator helps with math. The Address program is great for storing important numbers or other information. I use the To Do List for writing down assignments. The Note Pad is great for jotting down things when you don't want to use Graffiti 2. The World Clock is helpful because my school's clocks are messed up. Here is a good trick. If on the home screen Preferences it says remember Last Category, pressing the scroll button will give you the current time. Finally, the camera is great for capturing a funny moment. I am getting Documents to Go so I can start my homework in class and finish at home by HotSyncing. The Zire 71 gets four stars for not putting that program in. Also, the case is very bad. Every time I put it in my backpack, it turns on. I fixed that by putting it into a spare book cover. This is a great organizer. I recommend it to anyone who needs to keep track of their life.

Belkin ClearScreen Overlays for Palm Zire