The 65,000-color, 320 x 480-pixel TFT display is crisp and vivid. The edge of the screen has a taskbar that provides quick access to frequently used applications, including Home, Find, Full-Screen Handwriting Input, and the clock. The taskbar is locked, however, so third-party developers can’t add buttons for their software. That may change in future versions.
Two of the nine buttons are especially noteworthy. One is Rotate Screen, for switching between portrait and landscape modes, and the other is for Bluetooth. The T3 doesn’t have built-in Wi-Fi or cellular, but Bluetooth and infrared provide the next best thing.
In addition to the stylus, the T3 has a five-way oval navigation button that’s big enough for the fattest thumbs. It’s surrounded by the Calendar, Contacts, Note Pad, and Tasks buttons, but there’s enough spacing to avoid slipping and launching the wrong application.
The top-mounted expansion slot uses flash memory in the MultiMediaCard, SD, and SDIO (for plug-ins like digital cameras and Wi-Fi cards) formats, and has a spring-loaded door to keep dirt out when a card isn’t plugged in. The T3 ships with Documents to Go 6.0, which eases transfer of Excel and Word documents without throwing their formatting out of whack.
The T3 features Palm OS 5.2.1 running on a 400-MHz Intel XScale processor and 64MB of RAM, 52MB of which is user-accessible. Performance is impressive, judging by our tests using the RealOne Mobile and Kinoma Video players, which are built into the ROM. Our review unit’s SD card was loaded with two Terminator 3 trailers—a fitting choice—and the processor didn’t struggle noticeably to render the nonstop action. The resolution is good, though not DVD-quality. The front-mounted speaker provides moderate audio; the headphone jack offers better sound.
The T3 features enhanced PIM features. The calendar uses color coding, and contact information includes more fields in each category for multiple e-mail addresses and IM IDs. The overall look is similar to Outlook, which is a good thing.
The impressive mix of features is complemented by a finish that shows the 5.5-ounce T3 is aimed primarily at jet-setting execs. The sleek metal case slides open easily, but solidly, and locks into place. The metal stylus feels more like a Cross pen than a toothpick, and it’s nestled in a spring-loaded compartment for easy removal. A lighted stylus is optional.
The T3 offers a good mix of features, performance, and looks, and the $399 list price is reasonable for what you get.
-- by Tim Kridel
Palm Tungsten T3
Rating: 4.5 stars (out of five)
Price: $399
advertisement
