Click to View

Palm, Inc. recently released two new handhelds, the budget Z22 and the more fully-featured TX (see Review: Palm TX - A Slim Wi-Fi Bargain). With the Z22, Palm cracks the $100 price point with an elegant and simple device.

Not bad at all. There are iPod cases that cost more than that.

The PDA pioneer has always understood that more isn't necessarily better, and that a lot of consumers prefer budget handhelds for basic use. For people who have never owned a handheld, but think they need one, it's a lot easier to justify buying a Z22 than a high-end LifeDrive Mobile Manager or a Dell Axim.


Palm Z22

Good & Bad
There are some improvements in the new Z22 over the model it replaces, the Zire 31 ... in addition to a few concessions. The Z22 has twice as much storage—32 MB (20 MB of which is usable) versus 16 MB for the Zire 31—and a higher version of the Palm OS (v5.4, called Garnet). It has the same screen (low-resolution color, 160 x 160 pixel) and processor (200 MHz).

But in order to get the Z22's weight down to 3.4 counes—the Zire 31 weighs 4.1 ounces) Palm had to remove the expansion card slot. That's too major a thing to shrug off. And it means that Z22 owners should be absolutely certain that they're only buying the handheld for very basic tasks, and that they'll never want to go online or turn their Palm into a GPS device, for example.


The Z22 with stylus

This handheld also doesn't have a headphone jack, so don't plan on listening to tunes on it. Of course, without an external expansion card, you wouldn't be able to load many.

Buy for Basics
While it's a stripped-down model, the Z22 is still an excellent buy for basic uses. We like the molded white styling, which makes the Z22 look like the iPod's little brother. It's so light and small (4.06 x 2.7 x 0.6 inches), that you'll forget you're carrying it.

The front holds a power button, calendar and contact buttons, and a 5-way navigation pad. The stylus is in the upper right, and it's a little difficult to pull out—not being spring-loaded like that come with higher-priced PDAs.


The Z22, side view.

There's also a mini-USB port at the top. The Z22 comes with two USB cords for wall charging and for connecting to your PC (either Windows or Mac). It will charge when plugged into the computer, although not as quickly. The battery is good for over eight hours of use.

The software bundle will be familiar to anyone who's used the Palm OS. You get Palm's excellent calendar, contacts, memos, and task applications, as well as ones for viewing photos (it's easy to transfer them with the included desktop software) and tracking expenses.


The Z22, photo app

A handy World Clock gives you a color view of the earth's current sun and shadow position, and should be helpful to frequent travelers and people who have to work with remote offices. Palms don't usually include games beyond solitaire, but the Z22 has a simple time-killer called Crazy Daisy that will do when you're stuck on a train with nothing to read.


The Z22, rear view.

Palm has delivered a basic and easy-to-use PDA at an unbeatable price with the Z22. If you're looking for something simple, or you're trying to convince a spouse to use a handheld for the first time, look to the Z22.