Palm Z22 Case

HP TouchPad Review

HP's TouchPad is not only the first ever non-smartphone WebOS device, but also the first non-phone "Palm" device since 2005's TX and Z22. As such, ever since its February unveiling , the combined HP/Palm entity is placing a tremendous amount of faith that the the TouchPad will spearhead a rebirth of WebOS, now debuting in verion 3.0 form on this device. Read on for my in-depth TouchPad review.

Packaging & Box Contents Since the TouchPad represents so many "first" for HP's Palm Global Business Unit, it's no surprise that the packaging has received a complete overhaul. Gone is the rectangular rigid cardboard box that Palm used for every device from 2008's Treo Pro through the recent HP Veer .

Instead, the TouchPad comes neatly packaged in an Apple-esque sturdy white cardboard sleeve with an all-black interior box. The nicely finished black interior tray is separated into several compartments containing the TouchPad itself, the microUSB cord, and a elongated version of the cylindrical Palm-style AC adapter that has finally had its "Palm" branding removed. A central interior compartment contains a smattering of printed material such as a getting started guide and a microfiber cleaning cloth.

I was somewhat disappointed to see nothing in the way of a sleeve or carrying pouch included in the box. Given the TouchPad's propensity for picking up fingerprints and smudges at an alarming rate, this would have been a much-appreciated freebie. Thankfully, the aforementioned black microfiber cleaning cloth is included along with two separate pieces useful of printed documentation. These are small but nice touches and very appreciated, especially considering that this will be the first tablet experience for many TouchPad owners.

Bargain hunting WebOS fans should note that as of this writing, Costco is bundling the 32Gb TouchPad with a black neoprene case for $20 less than the usual $599.99 MSRP, making that a solid deal for users looking for a case as part of the package.

Build Quality & Aesthetics Subpar build quality has been an enormous thorn in the side of all Palm-branded WebOS devices. With the final Palm-branded effort, the Pre 2 , we saw some encouraging signs of improvement. This road to recovery was solidified with the recent Veer 4G and now appears to be a done deal with the arrival of the TouchPad.

Taking the TouchPad out of the box was like picking up the bastard offspring between a first-generation iPad and a Treo Pro that had received an extra-thick coat of gloss. This thing is slick in both appearance and handling. In these hot midsummer months, holding the TouchPad with a sweaty hand feels almost like an accident waiting to happen! Aside from the low-cost Centro and Zire, nearly every prior Palm product over the past decade has had had a metallic body or generous assortment of soft-touch paint applied to the exterior, so this slippery finish comes as something of a surprise. No matter what, I could not stop thinking of the design similarities between the TouchPad and the seldom-seen Treo Pro of 2008. The TouchPad certainly looks sleek, but like the Treo Pro of years ago, it's not a practical finish for a mobile, handheld device. Indeed, multiple throughout my testing period I kept thinking that the sleek exterior would be far more appropriate for a stationary device like a flat-panel HDTV or a game console than for a handheld device.

Book Selling Business » Palm Z22 Handheld

I’ve been using the z22 for a few days and have found it to be a great product for anyone not concerned with wireless, a large handheld display screen or extended memory. I’ve used palms for several years and keep a lot of technical notes in the Palm memo app for use when I’m in remote locations doing system adminstration work. My previous palm was a III xe – it was trailing edge technology but very durable and useful as long as I could find a synching machine that still had a serial connection.

The install for the z22 was easy and worked flawlessly. I tried the install via the usb port on Macintosh System X and Windows XP formats. The installation program pulled all my old palm info into the Z22; memos, contacts, calendar and task functions were all maintained in the upgrade. Some of the older applications were not compatible with the Palm 5 OS on the z22. Most of the problems apps were old games that I was not that concerned about.

For under $100 dollars, I’m very impressed with the following;

1) colors are bright and reading the screen is easy in light or dark settings. 4) The size and weight of this device is very light – it is not much bigger than my pager and fits very comfortably in a pocket.

The only problem I’ve had with the Z22 is that when I use it with a Taurus wireless keyboard, the response is somewhat slow and delayed. Also, the 160X160 screen size might be of concern to some people, but I find it to be very readable with bi-focally challenged eyes.

Is there anything really innovative about this device? Not really. But I think Palm did a great job of combining the right features into an entry level color organizer for a double diget price.

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