Palm Z22

[+imajeep]

We decided to go paperless last week, so we purchased a Palm Z22 and CacheMate to hold cache data in the field. The bid advantage to the Z22 is its price--less than $100 new. It worked pretty well, too--we think its a pretty good solution to the problem of carrying cache data without consuming paper and ink.

 

As you can see from our stats, we are pretty new to the game, and we typically go after a few caches at a time. In other words, we aren't numbers people, and we don't normally deal with a large volume of data before we go out on a hunt. A cacher who goes after forty or fifty at a time may come to different conclusions than we have.

 

The best thing about the Z22 (besides its price) is its size. It fits easily into a shirt or a jacket pocket. The worst thing about the Z22 is its readability in direct sunlight--we had to find shade to be able to read the screen. Another minor drawback is the lack of a case for the unit--it is susceptible to scratches in the field. We've ordered a flip-top case for the Z22 to solve both problems.

 

CacheMate worked fine for us in the field. Very easy to learn (we are both Palm OS veterans) and very easy to use. Our only complaint is the limited number of prior logs--we can only get the five most recent logs on a cache. But that's not a limitation of CacheMate or the Z22--it's a limitation of the Pocket Query feature of Geocaching.com.

 

Since we have both used the Palm OS over the years, using the stylus to enter notes for our log presented no problem. If you haven't used the OS before, there is a learning curve to writing on the screen.

 

The Z22 has a smaller screen than some other PDAs. We didn't find this to be a problem--in fact, we like the small size of the unit. But if you load dozens of caches into the unit, you could find scrolling around to find the next cache to be a bit of a chore. CacheMate does include a "find next nearest cache" feature that might alleviate the problem.

 

All in all, we are pretty pleased with the Z22. It's relatively easy to get data into the unit, and it works well in the field. We're planning to use it as our main data source in the field.

[+wiseye]

Thanks for your post. I use a Z22 with the aire case. Based on your post I ordered the flip case I exspect I'll be pleased I did.

[+supertbone]

We decided to go paperless last week, so we purchased a Palm Z22 and CacheMate to hold cache data in the field. The bid advantage to the Z22 is its price--less than $100 new. It worked pretty well, too--we think its a pretty good solution to the problem of carrying cache data without consuming paper and ink.

 

As you can see from our stats, we are pretty new to the game, and we typically go after a few caches at a time. In other words, we aren't numbers people, and we don't normally deal with a large volume of data before we go out on a hunt. A cacher who goes after forty or fifty at a time may come to different conclusions than we have.

 

The best thing about the Z22 (besides its price) is its size. It fits easily into a shirt or a jacket pocket. The worst thing about the Z22 is its readability in direct sunlight--we had to find shade to be able to read the screen. Another minor drawback is the lack of a case for the unit--it is susceptible to scratches in the field. We've ordered a flip-top case for the Z22 to solve both problems.

 

CacheMate worked fine for us in the field. Very easy to learn (we are both Palm OS veterans) and very easy to use. Our only complaint is the limited number of prior logs--we can only get the five most recent logs on a cache. But that's not a limitation of CacheMate or the Z22--it's a limitation of the Pocket Query feature of Geocaching.com.

 

Since we have both used the Palm OS over the years, using the stylus to enter notes for our log presented no problem. If you haven't used the OS before, there is a learning curve to writing on the screen.

 

The Z22 has a smaller screen than some other PDAs. We didn't find this to be a problem--in fact, we like the small size of the unit. But if you load dozens of caches into the unit, you could find scrolling around to find the next cache to be a bit of a chore. CacheMate does include a "find next nearest cache" feature that might alleviate the problem.

 

All in all, we are pretty pleased with the Z22. It's relatively easy to get data into the unit, and it works well in the field. We're planning to use it as our main data source in the field.

 

I bought a used Z22s a few months back on ebay for $40. Its the first non-Windows CE PDA that I have owned. Though I prefer the Windows CE OS over the Palm OS, I loved the price and the features. I love having a camera built into the PDA, a mini USB data connector rather than a proprietary one, SD card slot, and bluetooth.

[+Jeepfun]

We have two of them and have used them for little over a year. Like the small size but difficult to read in bright sunlight. Easy to travel with and can use it for some work related information on the road.

 

Over all it has performed well for what it was purchased for.