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palmOne Announces Tungsten T5

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the everyone-likes-little-computers-right dept.

btornado writes "palmOne has officially announced the Tungsten T5, which is due out in early November. It features 256 MB of flash memory, Palm OS Garnet 5.4 with a 320x480 display, and Bluetooth connectivity with support for the SDIO Wifi card. It is also the first device to support the Multi-connector, which allows you to trickle charge from the USB cable. You can also configure the T5 as a USB drive to transfer files."

26 of 200 comments (clear)

  1. New features? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Charge from the USB connector?

    Oh my, that's what a two yeard old Zire does!

    1. Re:New features? by shellbeach · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Charge from the USB connector?
      Oh my, that's what a two yeard old Zire does!

      And my Tungsten E. What's interesting to me is that in design this looks a lot more like an upgrade of the Tungsten E than the T3: no sliding thingy, the buttons and finish (oh no! you'd think Palm'd learn from their mistakes!) and form appear identical to the TE, and there's no voice recorder, the speaker's on the back, etc, etc.

      So I'm guessing that the T5 uses the same connector as the Zires and the TE. Which has always seemed a great idea to me (I love that the hotsync cable is just a mini-USB cable and I can charge from it), but will piss-off those who like their universal connector products ...

  2. Wifi Support by Metatron · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Support for a WiFi card ... why does it not have WiFi in it ?????

    1. Re:Wifi Support by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Think about how how much wifi has changed over the last 3 years, then 5 years, and for a stretch over the last 10 years. Wifi changes will occur in the future therefore, the component shouild be user upgradable instead of hard built in.

    2. Re:Wifi Support by BorgDrone · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Bluetooth and WiFi are not competitors, but aim at a completely different market.

      I'm very pleased with my TH-55, which has Bluetooth AND WiFi, both of which I use, bluetooth + my T610 on the road, WiFi @ the office.

      Oh, and the TH-55 has a voice recorder too, can't believe PalmOne left that one out of the T5.

      Too bad Sony stopped selling Clié's in US/europe.

    3. Re:Wifi Support by jht · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Well, WiFi is probably more of a niche for a PDA than Bluetooth for the most part. WiFi support (probably just 802.11b) will only get you networking over a short distance wherever a network is available, and it sucks power rather quickly. Odds are, though, that you're more likely to use WiFi with your laptop.

      A PDA, OTOH, needs mainly to talk to it's "mothership" desktop, or to a cell phone, or some other "personal" device. Right up Bluetooth's alley. In fact, probably the best way to think of Bluetooth on a PDA is as an expansion port that just happens to be wireless.

      I use Bluetooth to sync my Palm and my PowerBook, to connect my cell phone to my Jabra headset, to iSync everything, to connect my iMac to peripherals, and in a pinch I use Bluetooth to get GPRS internet access with my cell phone from my PowerBook when I don't have any other form of access available. I also have used my cell phone with the Palm (a Tungsten T) the same way.

      And though I don't use it as much, I have a Dell laptop with Bluetooth, and the cordless phone at my office uses it both to talk to the base station and to sync with a PC.

      OTOH I have a Pocket PC as well (an iPaq 1935), and I use a Sandisk SDIO WiFi card with it. Very rarely. There's just not much I'd do with it that isn't better served by the laptop, and the SDIO card sucks power so quickly you can practically see the power meter drop.

      Mind you, I'm not dumping on WiFi. It's great, and useful, but it's just good for one thing - networking. In PDA's that's enough of a niche compared to what you can do with Bluetooth that I'd rather have Bluetooth in my PDA given a choice of only one.

      --
      -- Josh Turiel
      "2. Do not eat iPod Shuffle."
  3. USB Drive? by el_benito · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Okay, I know that I can navigate to my iPaq's memory (or CF & SD cards) via explorer, but how easily can you access the Palm's memory? Is there any installation necessary on the local computer before you can access this? I'm going to bet that this is more of a marketing ploy than anything. Attach the latest buzz word and hope people snatch it up.

    --
    http://liquidben.com - Aspiring to an 'under construction' gif
    1. Re:USB Drive? by wizrd_nml · · Score: 5, Informative
      From the Brighthand Preview:

      What's most unique about the Tungsten T5 is it can be plugged into the USB port on almost any computer and the 160 MB segment of memory will appear on the computer as a removable drive. The Palm Desktop software doesn't have to be installed on the computer. What's more, if an SD card is inserted into the T5, it will also appear as a removable drive.
    2. Re:USB Drive? by Zugot · · Score: 3, Informative


      Use your handheld as a USB drive.2 When you're away from your own desktop, just turn on Drive Mode, plug the Tungsten T5 handheld into another computer and access your work.

      and


      With the new File Transfer application, you can actually drag-and-drop files and folders from your desktop to your handheld and back again. It couldn't be easier to transfer the files you need from home or your office and access them on the go.

      --
      -- Bryan
  4. Where is OS6? by cgenman · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I remember distinctly that palm OS5 was supposed to be a stopgap measure between the classic OS4 and the modern, BeOS based OS6... Essentially OS5 was OS4 with some badly needed modifications to make it run on faster hardware. And now that we're up to 5.4, the patches keep rolling in and in, as they add more ram and expand the featureset ever towards what OS 6 is supposed to contain, which is supposed to be in parallel development.

    When are we getting the real Palm OS 6, with such badly needed features as multiprocessing and a file system?

    --
    The ______ Agenda
    1. Re:Where is OS6? by Bronster · · Score: 4, Funny

      Imagine a beowulf...

      No, don't. Just imagine running your mp3 player in the background while you actually do something else on the device - then go read up on the difference between multiprocessing and multiprocessor and be elightened.

      Sheesh. I guess IHBT.

    2. Re:Where is OS6? by MadChicken · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I agree with multitasking/threading in a LIMITED way, but certainly not a file system. That's the stupidest contrived need for a PDA I've ever heard of. For those of you with Winboxes, open up your "Program Files" folder. You really want something like that on your limited memory PDA? Yikes. I used an iPaq for a year, and file systems... what a waste (Ever heard of a program called WIMR? Don't need one on Palms). The database idea Palm had 'way back was well ahead of its time... the only thing that was missing was being able to install generic files on that "file system"; like MP3s or DOC files. Nice if/when desktops catch up to that (WinFS?)

      As for Multitasking, again, CE machines are a nightmare of "wanna be a desktop" os overkill. This is a sweet and smart way to do it, instead of "Start | Settings | Memory | Running Applications | End Program" or loading a program to make the close button actually close something.

      My iPaq is now sitting in the cradle, and has been for about 3 months, untouched, while I carry my Tungsten E upstairs and downstairs just in case I need it.

      OK! Ignition started, pour on the kerosene!

      --
      SYS 64738 NO CARRIER
  5. As always, underwhelming by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Palm's announcements are always underwhelming.

    The $400 sounds okay, until you realize it does not include built-in WiFi. The screen is half VGA.

    And it doesn't have the new version of the PalmOS. Instead we get 5.4, which as far as I'm concerned, the entire 4.x and 5.x OS's have been disappointments. The IP stack in the 5.x OS is what I'd consider unstable and unusable. Imagine that when networked apps crash, they actually crash inside the IP stack, not the application.

    Don't get me started on the lack of multitasking.

    Very disappointing.

    1. Re:As always, underwhelming by ceeam · · Score: 3, Informative
      Probably not, when you have a weighted checklist and put "It does what I need" on top. As for other people - there's always Microsoft.

      As for half VGA.. Do you realize that it has the same DPI as 15" panel capable of 1600x1200. Sure, you usually look at it at closer distance, but it's very, very crisp. Doubling its DPI would be an overkill.

  6. Rotate screen by Lurker+McLurker · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Forget the arguments about processors, wireless connectivity and other technical issues, it's little things like this that make me want to buy a device.
    Simple but useful features, that's what makes a product stand out

    --
    Mod parent up!
  7. Power consumption... by blueZ3 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    WiFi sucks power like crazy. It reduces battery life by over 70% if the SDIO WiFi card is any indication.

    And, as another poster mentioned, WiFi seems to change about once a year - and I'd rather buy a new $100 SDIO card than a new $400 PDA.

    --
    Interested in a Flash-based MAME front end? Visit mame.danzbb.com
  8. With these specs.... by ShatteredDream · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Why didn't they just modify BeIA so that it could run on their hardware? BeIA, the stripped down internet appliance version of BeOS, could easily run on their hardware now. I had BeOS running in half that memory on a PII 450 and it was FAST. Whoever made the decision to buy Be's IP and not fully exploit it at Palm should be shot.

    --
    Click here or a puppy gets stomped!
  9. I'm confused by djupedal · · Score: 3, Insightful

    No Wi-Fi built-in... no microphone... no Cobalt...no sliding case - can support stereo speakers and portable file transfers, yet it is targetted at business users? RealPlayer required on it and your desktop machine (ouch).

    Why does it feel like PalmOne wants me to buy a product from another company to replace my m515?

    A review link... - And an accessory list link...

  10. Cheaper T3 by TonyZahn · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I think the real news here is that the price of the T3 has dropped to $350 with the releaase of the T5.
    Another $50 and I'll be all over it...

    --
    - sig? who is this sig of which you speak?
  11. while officially dropping Mac support...not really by adzoox · · Score: 3, Informative

    Actually ... no.

    The address book works with vcards and will still sync bluetooth.

    The unit itself can now just be mounted like a hard drive on the Mac desktop - so you just drag whatever straight into an appropriate place.

    Besides the palmone spec page says - full mac support

    --
    Yell & scream & rant & rave... it's no use... you need a shaaaave ~ Bugs Bunny
  12. Nothing to see here. Move along.... by jbarr · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Really, this is really nothing more than a T3 that can't be "collapsed". It has some "extras" like more RAM, more Flash RAM, but everything else is just software addons that can be found for the T3 in one form or another.

    This certainly is not a revolutionary device, and the lack of WiFi is VERY disappointing. A colleague just bought one of the new HP ipaqs that has a FULL VGA screen and integrated WiFi, and it simply smokes anything Palm has put out. Yes, it was almost double the cost, but still, the T5 is a real disappontment.

    Now, if Sony would have released a UX-50 with either no camera or a removable camera (to comply with many business restrictions) it would be our device of choice...

    --
    My mom always said, "Jim, you're 1 in a million." Given the current population, there are 7000 of me. God help us all!
  13. It's still better than PPC by a_nonamiss · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Lord... The PalmOne crowd will never be happy... Frankly, I an kinda tired of reading people bashing P1 for this unit. Sure, it's not revolutionary, but it's an improvement, especially on battery life. I don't really think the T3 needed a whole lot of improvement, (again, battery life) and I don't think this was intended to "unseat" the T3. I'm in the (seeming) minority of people who don't need WiFi, don't want WiFi and frankly could care less if P1 ever makes a WiFi radio on their devices. I get along just fine with Bluetooth and my Motorola v710. I can browse the Internet, get my email, and do everything I want Internet-wise. I've never been sitting in an airport or coffee-house and said "Damn... if I only had WiFi! Now I'm ruined!"

    I'm willing to admit that Dell devices still may have higher tech specs, but honestly, until they can run PalmOS, I'm not the slightest bit interested. PPC sucks. It's not stable, it's a resource hog. It has more moving parts, and having supported both PPC and POS, can say without hesitation that in my opinion, POS is still far superior.

    In conclusion to my rant, I'm not going to say "Way to go PalmOne!" They made some mistakes. (Plastic case? Oops!) On the other hand, I don't think this is a miserable failure. It's an evolutionary device that is slightly better than the T3. I think that everyone's expectations were simply too high, and mostly unreasonable. If P1 had come out with a device with WiFi, people would complain about battery life. If it had a voice recorder, people would complain that it turned the device on in their pockets. I don't think that Palm could have satisfied people after having such a long break since their last release. And to those of you wondering, I don't work for Palm. Let's just hope that the long-term reliability of this unit is an improvement, because that's where P1 could go horribly wrong. My T3 had far too many hardware problems, and if the T5 exhibits the same problems, then P1 could really be in trouble.

    --
    -Arthur
    Cave ne ante ullas catapultas ambules
  14. Enough to get it? by aussie_a · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The differences are between this and Tungsten T3: * better file transfer * flash memory * favourites view * 102 more MB * USB device only 2 of those features would cause me to even consider upgrading from my Tungsten E, and I'd be more inclined to just get a USB stick. Are PDAs so good that no "wow" features exist for them? Cause they're all looking much the same to me (except for features such as built-in cameras, but that isn't so much PDAs getting advanced features as people trying to converge technologies).

  15. Bigger != better by srussell · · Score: 3, Interesting
    The last really good Palm was the Palm V. If I wanted to carry a brick around, I'd buy a Zaurus and get a real computer.

    Palm has forgotten the mantra of the original developers that made the Palm III such a success -- keep it small. The Tungsten T is just barely carryable, and the newer versions just keep getting bigger. Personally, I'd rather see Palm spend their energy reducing the size of the T series than increasing the features.

  16. Zodiac Rules by computechnica · · Score: 4, Informative

    The Tapwave Zodiac is superior. It has a much nicer form factor, can use 2 SD cards at the same time, Nice loud stereo speakers, a real 3d GPU, and good battery life. It also has several good EMUs for just about every cartridge console system. made.:

    http://www.palmsource.com/interests/emulators/
    http://www.palmemu.com/
    http://www.kalemsoft.com/
    http://www.codejedi.com/

    --
    Science is the Real TRUTH!
  17. What Happened to COLBALT?!? Palm OS 6 by lnewton64 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Palm source released Colbalt almost 10 months ago. I was expecting the T5 to have palm OS6, does anyone know what the scoop is?