I bought the item mainly to use as an eBook reader. It will not open the ".lit" formats, which is the Microsoft Reader format. Most other formats require conversion, but the software to convert them is readily available and free. The eBooks open much quicker than on my old PDA, an HP Journade 520, which I bought almost 7 years ago. It is also an excellent MP3 player and has good battery life (after I figured out how to lock the device to keep it from accidentally coming on). The camera is an added bonus and takes good pictures and video, although I seldom use that feature. It comes with all the organizer features (address book, calendar, etc.) you'd expect to find in a PDA, and has a built voice recorder. In addition, it takes SD memory, which is readily available and inexpensive. On the negative side, Palm accessories are famously expensive. The carrying case that came with it is heavily padded and too fat to comfortably fit in your pocket. Also, the paint on the PDA began flaking off almost immediately, which is making me wonder if it's really paint or a scratch resistant protective coating.Read full review
The Zire 72's design is a mixture of professional and fun elements.It is palmOne's first mid-range handheld to include Bluetooth short-range wireless networking. With sleek dimensions(4.6 inches tall, 3.0 inches wide, and 0.7 inches thick (12 cm x 7.5 cm x 1.7 cm), the Zire 72 is comparable to some of its competitors, the Dell Axim X3 and the Toshiba e400. The Zire 72's are big and comfortable to use. It also has a 5-way Directional Pad (D-pad) that lets you do a lot of tasks on your handheld one handed. The D-pad is also great for playing games. The contents of the Zire 72's primary Personal Information Management (PIM) apps -- Calendar, Contacts, Memos, and Tasks -- can be easily synchronized with their Outlook equivalents. One of the biggest things that sets the Zire 72 apart from its predecessor is the inclusion of Bluetooth wireless networking. This allows the Zire 72 to use a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone as a wireless modem. With this combination, you can check your email, send SMS messages, and even do a bit of Web surfing from almost anywhere. There are a lot of smartphones coming onto the market these days that will allow you to do the same things, but the Zire 72 offers a much better screen, plus entering text is much easier. The Zire 72 comes with RealOne Player 1.1, an application that allows you to play MP3 files on your handheld. This can be done through the built-in speaker, but you're most likely going to want to use a pair of headphones. Unfortunately, the Zire 72 doesn't come with headphones, but it has a standard-size jack on its top, so you can easily buy a pair and use them with this handheld. You can play songs in the background while you are using other applications. Or you can turn the screen off and use the Zire 72 like a standalone MP3 player. Turning off the screen greatly increases the battery life. The Zire 72 is the first mid-range palmOne model to come with a voice recorder. The Zire 72 comes with Documents To Go, which allows you to view and edit Microsoft Office files. These can either be transferred from your desktop or come to you through email. As for the battery life, studies have shown that the average user has his or her handheld on for about 30 minutes a day. So if you're roughly average, the Zire 72 should be able to go close to a week between recharges.Read full review
The Palm Zire 72 is a little underpowered by today's standards, but intelligently designed and very useful to me. It is easy to use and the desktop software is great, providing a smart calendar, contact list and to do list. I can read and write WORD documents and EXCEL spreadsheets. I use the camera function a lot. Syncing with the desktop is one-button easy. I would give it an excellent rating if it was also a cell phone so I wouldn't need 2 devices. This palm replaces one I broke. I got exactly the same model so restoring all my files was a snap.
I own several palms of different models. I like the 72 very much because it has the built in camera and voice recorder. And since you can record to the expansion card, both functions are very usable. It also does a good job with photos. The draw back is it uses the older operating system and does not have much memory built in, so it is slower to respond. It has a kind of plastic feel and the blue coating is a disaster. With time, they all peel. Its best that after it starts, just scrape it all off. The first one I had O dropped on a concrete floor from my shirt pocket and it was destroyed. It usually can take a good hit but this one fell just right. Since then I replaced it and I use it every day. It is very handy to record a picture or conversation when you need it.
I have had a lot of PDAs, all but the first were Palms. This is the best one i've ever had. The screen is bright, it runs fast, holds a lot of applications, it's slim, does everything i need, and with the bluetooth and my phone, i go online with it all the time. I got a titanium case for it that fits in my pocket, which makes this the first palm to last me longer than 8-10 months. As usual, i did something to mine early when i got it, and had to send it in. (I think it was because i used a body glove case for it, and doubling as a wallet, it just crushed it in my pocket.) while i waited for it to be returned, i bought another Zire 72. which i don't even think i used, because by the time i decided i couldn't live without it anymore, the old one came back. waste of money, especially since i moved to the other case and have been using the same unit now for about 3-4 years. my only issues with it are that the camera is crap. other cameras of the period (cell phones, pdas) were better. i'm not looking for ansel adams quality, but even as a party camera, it's a little rough. the Zire 71 had a better camera, and Palm screwed up with this one. The video part is just as bad, and the mic gets blown out very easily. So completely forget using it at a concert, unless you hold your finger over the mic and block out as much sound as possible. I will say, though, there is difference in camera quality across the units, when working with the default settings. having owned two, and my primary one just got completely reset (which affected the quality positivly), i can attest to that! And finally, as any other owner of a Zire 72 will attest, the blue coating rubs off quickly. It's a nice touch, having a slightly rubberized feel to it, nicer feel and better to handle. but it comes right off. Palm released a silver edition afterwards, i think they just shipped it without the blue paint and called it "special". all in all, a terrific unit. except for the camera. i would recommend.Read full review
I needed something to become a little more organized. I looked at the Tungsten's, but decided I could use the built in camera more than the wi-fi. When I turn it on in the morning, I see what jobs I have scheduled for the day or the upcoming week. I used to have a pocket full of scraps of paper with peoples phone numbers on them that I would have to sort through to find things. Now it is all in one place where I can easily find things. I can either make a note using the graffiti recognition software which types it out, or I can make a note, which is in my own handwriting, or draw a diagram with it. I can take pictures of my contacts, which will appear by their name, or just take a picture of the job I am doing. There is a lot of software or games you can also download, I have a memory card in it for that. The screen is a touchscreen of pretty nice definition. And it will hot-sync with my main computer so if it gets lost or dropped in the lake, I won't loose my contacts or itinerary. I really like this unit, and wish I had got one sooner. This one came with a protective aluminum case which is important for me, but it makes it a little too big for my shirt pocket, so I have to put it in my back pocket. If it was any smaller, I would probably have trouble reading the screen. Overall, it does a great job of helping me stay organized. I would buy this model again.Read full review
I purchased this because the battery on the Palm I have was going, and was soldered in so it could not be replaced. Well, the Palm 72 is so much more advanced I just love it. It is mostly used as an address, telephone, and notes keeper (no paper to lose) but it also has a camera that takes surprisingly good photos. One can put a photo next to a person's information, and probably do other things that I haven't gotten into yet. Plus there is software to back up the Palm 72 on my computer in case the battery eventually dies; I actually purchased two because they aren't made anymore to my knowledge, and each one had some accessory the other didn't. Also, they accept memory cards where I believe pics are stored and can be uploaded. All in all, a great little gadget that's very easy to use, and durable in it's metal case. Also works with Bluetooth technology.Read full review
i added docs to go om my palm some come with it i can write Microsoft office 2003 or 07 with compatibility mode) great for writers finances and school. i can write papers on it with bluetooth and docs to go that fits in my pocket or bag instead of lugging my laptop. with my wireless keyboard. the blue paint peals off easily mine is fine. palm started making it w/o the blue paint after they found this out. used bluetooth calender addresses. takes pics and vids plays music with good quality (it can't be bose you know) easy sync to your comp, sd memory card color screen you you can adjust your background to fit your style or pics. works with palm reader to use ebooks i have a few books including my handy Bible that my dad relies on highly since he is a pastor he can read from it in church or on the go without carring heavy books. much much moreRead full review
I came from a m100 and the difference is absolute. The Zire 72 has a great perfomance and if you add a 1Gb SD card the possibilities are unlimited. Starting with it´s colour screen and definition. Going through the 1.2 Mp built-in camera and the MP3 player makes this unit a multi task you ever wanted. It has a great perfomance, it is fast, it is nice and can fulfill any requirements you have. You can install many prgograms to fit your needs, in my particular case, I have all my documents ready to go any time. Well known programs to share files from my palm to my desktop PC. I write e-mails on the bus to the office and later I send them directly to my PC or I can choose to send them inmediatelly using the WiFi card. Summing up, this is a Palm that won´t let you down.
On a day not long after writing an ebay review about my Zire 71, I found myself watching it fly down the the concrete stairs at work, in a beautiful arc, coming to a violent end on the landing. It worked, but a long diagonal crack on the display spelled imminent doom. I told myself 100 times to never one-hand it, it was too slipper... I was so careful, all the time... except this time. That is why, when I bought my replacement, the Zire 72, I was delighted at the easy-grip paint job. The Zire 72 is everything the Zire 71 was, and more. Decent camera with more resolution, video capability, 25 MB of usable memory. Voice recording without a headset. A serviceable speaker for playing music when you forget your headphones (no comparison to headphones though). The screen is even sharper. The only thing that is not terrific is the battery life. It fakes you out when you see the battery meter already going down after a few minutes on, but it does seem to hang in there awhile when you think it is close to running out of power. If you actively use the zire, you probably will need to charge it before you hit day 3. With just occasional use, you can make 5 days easy. This is the first palm that I don't use a cradle for charging, and other than the extra wire making my desk look a bit more messy, I like it better. My laptop lacks bluetooth software, so no opinion there, but with the shorter battery life, I would think wireless use would be frustrating. I don't have the optional wifi card, and don't need it. All in all, I still love my Zire 72. At under $100 on ebay, it is the best Palm value. If I throw this one down the stairs too, I will buy me another one. Only a smartphone will ever take its place, and with how cheap I am, that won't be anytime soon.Read full review