2 new innovative handhelds from Palm

In a bid to increase its share of the handheld market and inject innovative communication and productivity features to its product line-up, Palm Computing has launched two new models – the Palm Zire 71 and Palm Tungsten C – aimed at the consumer and professional markets that it once dominated.

The Tungsten C, which is positioned toward power users and executives, boasts of a powerful 400Mhz Intel processor that features the Xscale technology, a large step from most Palm platform handhelds that run at either 33Mhz or 66Mhz.

The Tungsten C also comes with the most on-board RAM in any Palm handheld – a hefty 64MB as opposed to the current standard of 16MB to 32MB found in competing PDAs.

Another major improvement is the Tungsten C’s 320x320 color screen which, coupled with the speedy new processor, can handily run multimedia features such as audio file playback or even video playback.

The unit’s biggest draw, however, is its built-in Wi-Fi (802.11) capability that enables it to access websites as well as e-mail accounts wirelessly within proximity to a LAN or hot spot. Other PDAs can access Wi-Fi but need expensive add-on components.

This feature makes the Tungsten C a complete handheld solution that does not only organize and allow users to take documents with them but also aid communications via its wireless capabilities.

The Tungsten C also has a built-in keyboard and a five-way navigator which doubles as a mouse-type device. In a product demo, which took place at Restaurant 12 in Greenbelt, Makati City, one of the growing number of outlets outfitted with Wi-Fi connectivity via airbornaccess.net, users were able to surf the Internet and check their e-mail.

According to Elbert Cuenca of Microwarehouse, Palm’s local distributor, a number of Wi-Fi hot spots are expected to rise in commercial areas such as coffeeshops and airport lounges.

For a nominal fee, these hot spots would allow users with Wi-Fi laptops or PDAs instant high-speed access to an Internet line.

On the other hand, the Palm Zire 71, a new entry in the consumer organizer market, comes with a color screen and a built-in camera, which retracts from the body similar to Nokia’s popular 7650.

Palm already offered a digital camera as an option in its Palm III line several years ago by way of an add-on from Kodak, called the PalmPix. The difference is that the Zire 71’s camera is integrated and the viewing screen is in crisp color.

The Palm Zire 71 also doubles as an MP3 player as long as users purchase an additional memory card for storage.

The Zire 71’s specifications are just right for regular users who don’t require connectivity or large storage capacity. It comes with a 144Mhz processor and 16MB of RAM and has an easy-to-use, five-way navigation button.