Zire 72 Question

[+GeoSar]

I have a Palm Zire 31 and I love it except it's not backlit and in the bright outdoors it's useless, you cant see it, is the Palm Zire 72 backlit,???????

also just wondering if blue blocker sunglases would work to make the screen so you can see it, Just a thought before I buy a new palm????

Thanks

GeoSar

[+Imajika]

I upgraded from a Zire 21 to a Tungsten E. The E has a backlight and Cachemate runs on it just fine. Plus, it is cheaper than a Zire 71. It cost me $200.00.

 

Just make sure you get a hard carrying case. Mine is a case covered with some sort of polished metal on the outside that I bought for 20 bucks at CompUSA. I've only dropped my PDA once and (thank goodness!) the case protected it.

 

Check out the Palm website for more info on their PDAs and comparisons:

 

http://www.palmone.com/us/products/

[+W8TVI]

Yes, the Zire 72 has a backlight.

It also has the camera (1.3M pixels I think), and bluetooth.

If you have a BT cellphone and data service from yor provider, you could log caches from the field.

 

Noel

[+NightPilot]

Backlit color high-resolution models aren't much better outdoors than a non-backlit model. In sunlight, the backlight fades to nothing, and the screen can be hard to see. For use outdoors, a monochrome or gray-scale model is easier to read.

[+Hard Oiler]

I have a Palm Zire 31 and I love it except it's not backlit and in the bright outdoors it's useless, you cant see it

I have a Zire 31 and it is backlit and I have no problem seeing the display in the field. Not as good as a transflective display found in higher priced models but certainly adequate for geocaching. In direct sunlight it's not good but in the car, the shade of a tree or backpack it's easy enough to read. Make sure you have the display set on bright and adjust the contrast to the conditions otherwise you won't see it. I recall the default setting wasn't bright and visibility outside wasn't good but after changing the settings it was fine.

[+W8TVI]

The Zire 71 is backlit AND the screen is transreflective so it does look great outdoors.

 

I've used mine alot outdoors and I have no problem using it in bright sunlight.

 

Noel

[+SixTen]

I need a cheap one that still works well for Geocaching....don't really need it for much else...any thoughts/suggestions?!

[+New England n00b]

I have an OLD OLD OLD Palm III 2 MB job that works well for me.

[+NightPilot]

610, I suggest you start out with a cheap monochrome model. You can get them for very little on ebay, or on sale at some electronics stores. I *don't* recommend the M100 or M105, because the backup capacitor will die and you will lose everything when you change batteries. It happens to all of them eventually. You can make it work, though, and I sometimes fire up my M105 for caching. I just beam the necessary files from my Zire 71, and carry the old one in the woods. It lasts long enough for a days' caching, and I don't care if everything gets lost after I get back and sync it to save the notes, but it's a pain to transfer over to my Zire 71, so I don't often do that.

 

For just caching and nothing else, almost anything will work, but be prepared to get hooked on using it, and having to upgrade to a more capable model to feed your habit.

[+Mauison]

I have the basic Zire, paid $42 shipped on eBay. It only has 2MB of storage but I use it only for geocaching. I use Cachemate and probably have about 700+ caches loaded up.

[+CYBret]

Backlit color high-resolution models aren't much better outdoors than a non-backlit model. In sunlight, the backlight fades to nothing, and the screen can be hard to see. For use outdoors, a monochrome or gray-scale model is easier to read.

This isn't as much of an issue as it used to be.

 

After the Palm IIIC several years ago, they discovered that the backlight caused the screen to be practically impossible to see in daylight. As I understand it, new color models are not lit directly from the back and the screens are transreflective, which helps them work well in all kinds of light.

 

I've had a color Palm m515 for nearly 2 years now and use it in the sun all the time. No problem seeing the screen at all.

 

Bret

[+GeoSar]

I have a Palm Zire 31 and I love it except it's not backlit and in the bright outdoors it's useless, you cant see it

I have a Zire 31 and it is backlit and I have no problem seeing the display in the field. Not as good as a transflective display found in higher priced models but certainly adequate for geocaching. In direct sunlight it's not good but in the car, the shade of a tree or backpack it's easy enough to read. Make sure you have the display set on bright and adjust the contrast to the conditions otherwise you won't see it. I recall the default setting wasn't bright and visibility outside wasn't good but after changing the settings it was fine.

"In direct sunlight it's not good but in the car, the shade of a tree or backpack it's easy enough to read"

 

IF YOU READ MY POST YOU WOULD SEE THAT I WANT TO BE ABLE TO READ IT OUT DOORS NOT IN MY CAR OR BACKPACK,

GeoSar

[+tirediron]

Backlit color high-resolution models aren't much better outdoors than a non-backlit model.  In sunlight, the backlight fades to nothing, and the screen can be hard to see.  For use outdoors, a monochrome or gray-scale model is easier to read.

This isn't as much of an issue as it used to be.

 

After the Palm IIIC several years ago, they discovered that the backlight caused the screen to be practically impossible to see in daylight. As I understand it, new color models are not lit directly from the back and the screens are transreflective, which helps them work well in all kinds of light.

 

I've had a color Palm m515 for nearly 2 years now and use it in the sun all the time. No problem seeing the screen at all.

 

Bret

Right on the $ cybret! My Clie JT-37 has a transflective screen and Sony's excellent hi-res screen. Even in direct sunlight it's perfectly readable. In fact, when I'm using it outside on bright days, I turn the backlight OFF to save battery, and it is just as readable as it is indoors with the backlight on.

 

I know zilch about the Palms proper, and even less about the Zire line, but I would suggest that you scout around for a colour model with a transflective screen. Alas, Sony has pulled out of the PDA business....

[+CYBret]

I know zilch about the Palms proper, and even less about the Zire line, but I would suggest that you scout around for a colour model with a transflective screen. Alas, Sony has pulled out of the PDA business....

All color Palms are now transreflective and very good outside. A friend of mine just got the new Zire 72 and it is a VERY nice model. It doesn't have the Palm universal connector, though and that's pretty much a must for me.

 

Bret

[+NightPilot]

My Zire 71 is marginally readable in sunlight. It has a wonderful screen that's very easy to read indoors, but in direct sunlight it's marginal, and from the ones I've seen that's the same for all models, whether Palm, Sony, or some brand of PPC. It's readable, but barely. It's just about as good with the backlight off.

 

I agree about the UC, I wouldn't buy a model without some sort of serial port so I can connect a GPS or whatever other peripheral I need.

[+SixTen]

Thanks for the input everyone...I have a few on my watch list on E-Bay...wish me luck