TidBITS#655/11-Nov-02
=====================
Looking for a new handheld? Palm's Tungsten T packs a lot of
features into a tiny package, as you can read in Jeff Carlson's
review. Plus, Adam reports on how our PayBITS experiment has
fared so far. In the news, Apple published an important update
for Power Macs with SuperDrives, released new PowerBook G4s with
a SuperDrive and 1 GHz CPUs, and lowered prices on slightly
enhanced iBooks. This week also marks the releases of Eudora 5.2
and ListSTAR 2.3.
Topics:
MailBITS/11-Nov-02
Evaluating PayBITS
Tungsten T Marks New Beginning for Palm
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MailBITS/11-Nov-02
------------------
**Mac OS X 10.2.2 Released** -- Apple released the Mac OS X 10.2.2
update via Software Update late today, rolling in a number of bug
fixes, improvements for both Apple's built-in programs and third-
party applications, networking enhancements, and enhanced
compatibility with other devices. (Apple's KnowledgeBase article
includes a list of specific items addressed). The 24.4 MB update
is for moving from Mac OS X 10.2.1 to 10.2.2; a separate combo
updater is also available for those updating from 10.2 (though at
press time, neither standalone updater was available from Apple's
software downloads page). [JLC]
<http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107140>
<http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107141>
<http://www.info.apple.com/support/downloads.html>
**Apple Releases Power Mac SuperDrive Update** -- Apple has posted
an important update for owners of older SuperDrive-equipped Power
Mac G4 computers (specifically, the Digital Audio, Quicksilver, or
Quicksilver 2002 models, but not the Mirrored Drive Doors model,
to use Apple's insipid model identification scheme). The Power Mac
G4 SuperDrive Update corrects a problem in the drive's firmware
that could cause the drive to overheat when using new 4x speed DVD
media (for more details, see "Apple Posts Important iMac
SuperDrive Update" in TidBITS-653_). The update is currently
available only under Mac OS X; Mac OS 9 versions will be posted
shortly, according to Apple. [JLC]
<http://www.apple.com/hardware/superdrive/>
<http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=120166>
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06969>
**Apple Enhances Titaniums and iBooks** -- Just in time for the
holiday feeding frenzy, Apple has updated the Titanium PowerBook
G4 and iBook lines. The PowerBook G4 now offers either a Combo
DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive or the first slot-loading SuperDrive (DVD-
R/CD-RW), the ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 graphics processor, and
a PowerPC G4 processor running at either 867 MHz or 1 GHz. The
top-of-the-line 1 GHz model includes the SuperDrive and an AirPort
card, along with 512 MB of RAM, a 60 GB hard drive, and 64 MB of
DDR SDRAM graphics memory for $3,000, whereas the 867 MHz model
drops the price to $2,300 by using a Combo drive, making the
AirPort card optional, and shipping with only 256 MB of RAM,
a 40 GB hard drive, and only 32 MB of DDR SDRAM graphics memory.
Although it's interesting that Apple is now making the AirPort
card standard equipment, Apple made no comment about improving
the Titanium PowerBook G4's abysmal range with wireless networks.
Nonetheless, the enhancements to the 1 GHz model should make it
an even more attractive option for those who want to work only
on a laptop without giving up options like the SuperDrive that
were previously available only in desktop Macs. The 867 MHz model
is available immediately; the 1 GHz model should be available
in mid-November.
<http://www.apple.com/powerbook/>
<http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2002/nov/06pbg4.html>
The changes to the iBook are less significant, though certainly
welcome. Apple has increased processor speeds, so you can buy
iBooks with either 700 MHz or 800 MHz PowerPC G3 processors, and
the company also added the ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 graphics
controller, with either 16 MB or 32 MB of RAM. Prices have dropped
as well, so an iBook with the smaller 12.1-inch screen, a 700 MHz
PowerPC G3, 128 MB of RAM, a 20 GB hard drive, and a CD-ROM drive
costs only $1,000. Add $300 for the next model up, which offers
an 800 MHz PowerPC G3, a 30 GB hard drive, and a Combo drive. The
larger 14.1-inch screen model costs $1,600, but provides an 800
MHz PowerPC G3, 256 MB of RAM, a 30 GB hard drive, and a Combo
drive. AirPort cards can be added to any of the iBook models.
All models of the iBook are available immediately. [ACE]
<http://www.apple.com/ibook/>
<http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2002/nov/06ibook.html>
**Eudora 5.2 Improves Filtering, Brings Back SSL** -- Qualcomm has
released Eudora 5.2, the latest version of their popular email
program. The most important and welcome feature is that Eudora
filters can now match addresses in incoming messages against the
contents of address books; this lets you separate mail from people
already in your address book from those with whom you haven't
already corresponded, like spammers. The other major improvements
relate to security; Eudora now supports Kerberos V Authentication,
and the SSL support previously available under Mac OS 9 returns
for users of Mac OS X 10.2. Eudora 5.2 also includes numerous
other small changes and bug fixes, such as improved performance
opening many windows, a help button added to all error dialogs
and standard alerts, support for drag & drop to and from the
Filters window, personality-specific x-eudora-settings (I've
updated the full list of settings for 5.2; send email to
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> to receive a copy), carbonized
Menu Sharing for compatibility with utilities like Web
Confidential, support for importing Microsoft Entourage
mailboxes by putting them in the Delivery folder, and more.
Eudora 5.2 works under PowerPC-based Macs in Mac OS 8.1 through
Mac OS 9 (a 4.4 MB download), and is native in Mac OS X (a 3.7
MB download). New copies of Eudora 5.2 cost $40 in Paid mode;
upgrades from Eudora 4.3 through 5.1.1 cost $30 if that copy
was purchased more than 12 months ago, and upgrades for purchases
made in the last year are free. As always, you can use Eudora for
free in Light mode (with reduced features) or Sponsored mode
(with full features and ads). [ACE]
<http://www.eudora.com/>
<http://www.eudora.com/download/eudora/mac/5.2/Release_Notes.txt>
<http://www.web-confidential.com/>
**ListSTAR 2.3 Released** -- MCF Software has released ListSTAR
2.3, the latest version of their flexible mailing list management
software that works via SMTP or POP. The changes are relatively
minor, though welcome, such as automatic renaming of services and
address lists when creating new services via templates. Also
improved is the Address List editor, which can now handle lists
containing more than 32,000 addresses. ListSTAR requires a Mac
with a 68030 CPU or better, and at least 4 MB of RAM. It runs in
System 7.5 or later, including Mac OS 8 and 9, and Classic mode
under Mac OS X. ListSTAR 2.3 costs $275 for new copies, and
updates are either $69 (for ListSTAR 2.1 or earlier, or expired
MCF Software keys) or free. Evaluation codes are available for
the demo versions (10.9 MB for the SMTP version, 7.3 MB for the
POP version). [ACE]
<http://www.liststar.com/release.html>
<http://www.liststar.com/lseval.html>
<http://www.liststar.com/lsdn.html>
Evaluating PayBITS
------------------
by Adam C. Engst <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
We're almost four months into PayBITS, our experiment with
attempting to let readers acknowledge the actual value to them
of specific TidBITS articles. Although none of our authors have
retired on their proceeds from PayBITS, we've had only one article
whose PayBITS performance would have been ignored had the money
been lying on the sidewalk. More important, we've learned some
lessons about how people value the content they read. Let's look
at the PayBITS responses to recent articles (in rough
chronological order) and see what each one tells us.
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06909>
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06917>
**iPhoto Power Techniques and Upgrading the TiVo** -- My article
about techniques for using Apple's iPhoto appeared in the same
issue as the PayBITS introduction, and, thanks to its practical
content, did quite well, garnering 31 payments for $136.50. In
the subsequent issue, TidBITS-644_, I wrote an overview of the
options available for increasing the disk space in the popular
TiVo digital video recorder, focusing on the specific solution
I chose, an upgrade kit from Weaknees.com. The PayBITS block
asked if readers found the article useful and made a suggestion
of a $1 amount. The combination of the low amount and freshness
of the PayBITS idea resulted in the most payments any article
has seen so far, 52 for a gross of $95.60. However, since most
payments were for the suggested $1, and PayPal's transaction
fees subtracted $0.31 cents from that $1, the net amount wasn't
stunning.
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06910>
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06918>
**The Branding of Apple** -- Simon Spence's three-part article
explaining and discussing Apple's efforts to create and maintain
a strong brand finished up in TidBITS-645_, the week after the
TiVo upgrade article (we put PayBITS blocks only at the end of
multi-part articles). Although Simon's article didn't offer tips
or how-to information, it was lengthy, which probably increased
the perceived value, and it did a good job of explaining a topic
that most of us generally don't consider. It also benefited from
being near the beginning of the experiment, and Simon received 25
payments totalling about $70.
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbser=1224>
**Interesting Bits of Jaguar** -- In the same issue as Simon's
final article was my look at some of the smaller improvements in
Mac OS X 10.2. Its timeliness and practical nature made it a good
candidate for PayBITS. In an effort to decrease the percentage of
the fees that went to PayPal, I worded the PayBITS block to
suggest "a few bucks," which increased the payment amounts to the
$2 to $5 range. Even though the article brought in only 43
payments, the gross amount was $196.50, helped out by a couple of
larger payments between $10 and $25. Clearly this article hit the
sweet spot.
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06925>
**A Slew of Reviews** -- The next few weeks brought a number of
reviews from Contributing Editor Matt Neuburg and Managing Editor
Jeff Carlson. Initially, we were disappointed in their performance
from the PayBITS perspective, since we'd thought readers might
find reviews quite valuable. As you can see by the numbers below,
however, only about four or five people found these reviews worth
compensating the author, and the amounts generally ranged between
$10 and $20.
* Matt's review of Sciral's innovative task list manager
Consistency attracted five payments for $12.
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06932>
* Jeff's look at a number of iPod cases brought him six payments
for a total of $23.
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06931>
* Matt's review of Chaos Software's WorkStrip utility pulled in
four payments for $14.
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06935>
* Jeff's review of the Handspring Treo 180 communicator garnered
four payments for $8.
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06958>
* Finally, Matt's review and explanation of Eastgate Systems's
text snippet keeper Tinderbox did the best, bringing him seven
payments for $40 (although several of those explicitly commented
that the payment was in part for all the other articles Matt has
written over the years).
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06959>
So why did reviews do so poorly? One possible problem is that
no one can realize the value of a review until well after reading
the article - the reader must read the review, decide the product
is ideal for some situation, purchase it, and use it at least
briefly. Only then can the user determine the value of the review,
and that's too long for most people to remember. Plus, in some
of these articles, the products in question were inexpensive,
so it's likely that most people subconsciously weighed the value
of the review against the low cost of making a mistake. Confusing
that theory was the fact that the two products that were the
most expensive, Tinderbox and the Treo, sat on either end of
the spectrum, earning $40 and $8 respectively.
**Marketing Software** -- TidBITS-647_ brought the conclusion of
Mike Diegel's two-part article on marketing software, which I was
confident would do fairly well because it was practical and could
help a reader's business. Unfortunately, it attracted only three
payments for $7, causing us to ponder what might have gone wrong.
In retrospect, although I'm sure many people who didn't have
software (or anything else) to market found the article
interesting, the audience that would conceivably find actual
monetary value in it - small software developers - is tiny. Apply
the already extremely low PayBITS percentages to that reduced
audience, and the poor results make sense.
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbser=1226>
**Mailsmith Filtering and QuarkXPress Tips** -- PayBITS didn't
work well for the next two external authors in TidBITS-649_
either. William Porter's two-part article on Mailsmith's
distributed filtering brought in only four payments totalling $17.
And David Blatner's collection of QuarkXPress 5 tips struck out,
attracting no payments at all. William's article undoubtedly
suffered from the limited audience problem - there simply aren't
that many Mailsmith users compared to users of the bundled or free
email programs, and cool though distributed filtering is, it's a
bit geeky. Although David is the world's best-known QuarkXPress
expert, he may have run into a similar problem, not because there
aren't many QuarkXPress users, but because TidBITS doesn't focus
on desktop publishing. Also problematic was the fact that the
article failed to note that the tips applied equally well to the
older but more-popular QuarkXPress 4. Plus, saying the tips were
taken from David's QuarkXPress book may have encouraged people
to reward David not directly, but by buying a copy of his book.
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06951>
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06950>
**O'Reilly Conference Report and Troubleshooting Primer** -- At
this point, we were mulling the possibility that name recognition
was important, since the articles I'd written had done the best,
with Simon Spence's three-part branding article coming in second.
That theory was dashed over the next few weeks, when my conference
report from the O'Reilly Mac OS X Conference drew only a few
payments (four payments for $16), and my troubleshooting primer
brought in even fewer (two payments for $3).
With the conference report, I wasn't too surprised, because it
would likely have been found valuable only by the small number of
people for whom it confirmed their decision to attend next year's
conference (assuming there is one) or not to spend what could have
been several thousand dollars to attend this year.
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06953>
The weak performance of the troubleshooting primer did surprise
me, though, since it seemed like a helpful article, judging from
the complimentary email feedback I received and the number of
reprint requests. My guess is that it fared poorly because I said
that the information came from the book Glenn Fleishman and I are
sending to the printer this week, The Wireless Networking Starter
Kit. It's likely many people figured they'd just buy the book when
it comes out (something I certainly wouldn't argue with). The
moral of the story may be that book authors writing for TidBITS
can pick only one of two benefits - PayBITS payments or possible
book sales.
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06975>
**Jaguar's Tabbed Windows and Mac OS X Report Card** -- These two
articles, which I wrote in TidBITS-649_ and TidBITS-650_, changed
direction, asking people to contribute to TidBITS instead of
compensating me directly. In both cases, I chose to direct
payments to TidBITS in general because of the assistance of
TidBITS Talk participants. It's difficult to map contributions
in a given week directly to PayBITS, but the tabbed windows
article seemingly attracted seven new contributors for a total
of $215. The Mac OS X Report Card article performed similarly,
attracting eight new contributors for a total of $150.
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06949>
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06954>
The number of payments was pretty much in line with other
articles, but, the value was much higher. Even after sharing the
proceeds with the other staff members, I earned more than I had
from many other articles, and more important, a number of these
people indicated a willingness to contribute every year. I do
think the amounts are slightly inflated over the perceived value
of the articles, since a number of people noted they paid more
as a way of thanking us for years of publication.
**iMac Blacked-Out Screens** -- For his important article about
how certain iMacs could be rendered unusable by installing Jaguar,
Geoff also chose to direct payments to TidBITS as a whole.
Although the potential audience was probably relatively small
(only people who have those iMacs or help others who do), the
extreme utility of the article resulted in it garnering 16
contributions for a total of $360.
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06973>
**Doing the Work of Three** --We hadn't planned on including a
PayBITS block after Derek Miller's tale of how he single-handedly
published a daily conference newsletter with the aid of a Titanium
PowerBook G4. Although it was a good story, little of it was
likely to be useful, and we didn't see the potential value to
readers. But after talking with Derek, we decided to test how
PayBITS would perform on such an article. We specifically worded
the PayBITS message to make the point of the article clear and
joked about how he could buy his own PowerBook with the payments.
Amazingly, Derek received 11 payments for $53, though at least
one person commented that he was paying in part for Derek's
earlier article about editing video on the cheap. Perhaps the
point here is that the value of an article doesn't always have
to be practical.
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06981>
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06756>
**Overall Lessons** -- Although we plan to continue the PayBITS
experiment to see how response changes over time, we have come
to a few interim conclusions.
As we expected, no one will get rich from PayBITS. Although the
overall TidBITS audience is large, the number of people who find
an article sufficiently useful or interesting to compensate the
author directly is still very low. Even so, even earning an
unexpected $10 or $15 can provide a warm, fuzzy feeling of being
appreciated, not to mention a nice lunch.
That said, using PayBITS to encourage contributions to TidBITS
as a whole has been successful, in part because the suggested
contribution amounts are higher than the direct PayBITS amounts,
and also because many people choose to contribute to TidBITS
regularly. I suspect people don't mind the higher amount because
they feel as though they're paying for years of TidBITS.
Unfortunately, small suggested amounts work poorly because
PayPal's transaction fees eat at least $0.31. For those folks who
paid a quarter for an article, we appreciate the thought, but it
all went to PayPal. Plus, even if a low amount encourages more
payments, the total amount is likely still lower than it would
be with a higher amount. So far, our feeling is that non-specific
amounts like "a few bucks" work better than picking a number.
Although we're open to authors using payment services other than
PayPal, no one has chosen to do so yet, and the research we've
done indicates that PayPal offers the best combination of
widespread support, a simple payment interface, and low
transaction fees. Most other services fall down badly in
one of those areas.
The number of payments received has dropped off somewhat over
time, likely because new ideas such as valuing content directly
need reinforcement, but we have to balance that with making sure
people don't feel guilty about not paying. TidBITS is free; the
point of PayBITS is to create a channel by which readers can
compensate authors directly for particularly useful, relevant,
or interesting articles. I'll be curious if this evaluation of
PayBITS so far will increase interest again for a while.
The question of what types of articles perform the best remains
open. Though some highly practical articles have done well, others
haven't. Reviews as a whole haven't done all that well. We haven't
had a serious tutorial article since starting PayBITS, though it
would be interesting to see how one would fare. No matter what,
it's clear that our content hasn't changed in any significant way
because of PayBITS, as some had feared might happen. We have
pulled back from including PayBITS blocks with articles that don't
feel appropriate, such as news reports, simply because it's not
worth causing any unintended guilt for an article that's unlikely
to attract compensation.
At this point, I remain positive about PayBITS, not because I
believe it's _the_ solution to the problem of how those of us who
create content of all types can earn a living, but because I fear
we're headed for a dark time in which monied corporate interests
will attempt to exercise ever more control over how we are allowed
to consume content in general, and that in turn will dictate what
and how we're able to create and publish. To avoid a future where
all our content comes from huge media conglomerates, we need new
approaches like PayBITS to show content creators that there are
viable alternative business models.
The Internet is a strong counter to A.J. Liebling's famous quote,
"Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one."
But even though the Internet provides the necessary distribution
medium, we still lack the structure and customs to ensure that
those who have something valuable to say can afford to say it.
Freedom of the press is not just political, and not just
practical: it's also economic.
PayBITS: Contribute to TidBITS and help support a world of
content that's not pre-chewed for your convenience by weasels!
<http://www.tidbits.com/about/support/contributors.html>
Read more about PayBITS: <http://www.tidbits.com/paybits/>
Tungsten T Marks New Beginning for Palm
---------------------------------------
by Jeff Carlson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Palm's efforts at securing the high end of the Palm OS handheld
market have been surprisingly rocky over the last few years. Last
month, Palm released the Palm Tungsten T, a multimedia-enhanced
handheld that indicates the company is making a serious foray into
the field that it created. Although the Tungsten T isn't aimed at
everyone, its influence sets the stage for the next wave of Palm
OS-based handhelds.
<http://www.palm.com/products/handhelds/tungsten-t/>
**A Simplified History of Success and Stumbling** -- The fact that
Palm is releasing a "multimedia-enhanced" handheld is noteworthy,
since traditionally it has eschewed features that were outside its
comfortable sphere of simplified organization. To appreciate why
the Tungsten T is an important reentry point for Palm, we need to
look at how we got here.
In 1999, Palm introduced the Palm V, a sleek anodized aluminum
handheld targeted at the executive suite. To the company's
surprise, the Palm V was a huge success with all sorts of users
who wanted a slim handheld. Two years later, Palm pre-announced
the Palm m505, a color handheld with the same form factor as the
Palm V. Many people believed the company had another huge hit,
but two important missteps knocked Palm off its feet. By pre-
announcing the m505 months before it was available, interest in
the existing product line evaporated, leaving the company with
lots of unsold inventory. Then, when the m505 finally appeared,
its highly anticipated color screen turned out to be dim and
virtually unreadable (see "Palm m505: A Slightly Dim Bulb" in
TidBITS-598_).
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06575>
In March of 2002, Palm released the Palm m515 with a decent color
screen. By then, Palm OS licensee Sony had taken the lead in color
handhelds thanks to models of its CLIE line with high-resolution
color screens, MP3 playback capabilities, and more, demonstrating
that people were interested in handhelds that went beyond
organizing.
<http://www.clieplaza.com/>
Meanwhile, the wing of Palm responsible for Palm OS development
(now a spin-off called PalmSource, Inc.) realized that the
operating system needed to be updated to support faster processors
and better handle the multimedia capabilities demanded by the
market. The result was Palm OS 5, engineered to run on processors
designed by ARM Holdings.
Sony nabbed the distinction of releasing the first devices based
on Palm OS 5 and the ARM architecture with its new NX60 and NX70
series. However, Palm is still the market leader, and the way it
handles its self-imposed transition will affect Palm OS-based
handhelds to come. Fortunately, the Tungsten T points to a bright
future.
<http://sonyelectronics.sonystyle.com/micros/clie/models/nx70v.html>
<http://sonyelectronics.sonystyle.com/micros/clie/models/nx60.html>
**Ever Smaller** -- The most obvious feature of the Tungsten T is
its case design. Palm has moved away from the swooping curves of
the Palm m500-series to a rounded slab. At 4 inches (10.16 cm)
tall, the Tungsten T is the shortest Palm handheld, but with a
catch: the bottom section containing the application buttons
slides down to reveal the silkscreened Graffiti area (making it
4.8 inches, or 12.19 cm, tall). Normally such a gadgety feature
would conjure images of broken latches or snapped housings, but
Palm seems to have created a solid mechanism that should hopefully
hold up well. I can only vouch for a couple of week's worth of
heavy use, but initially the slider seems well engineered. A nice
touch is a preference to turn the device on when the slider
is opened; you can also set it to turn off when closed.
The case design also includes a five-way navigation button (up,
down, right, left, and push to select) in place of the old up and
down scroll buttons, which is remarkably useful. Using this
Navigator, as Palm calls it, enables you to look up information
without opening the slider or even grabbing the stylus from its
spring-loaded silo. With the device off, pressing the Navigator
button briefly displays the current time and date. If you press
and hold the button, you're taken to the Applications screen. As
with previous models, pressing up or down scrolls through your
list of programs, but if you press the button again, the first
application is highlighted and you can use the other directions
to go to the program you want.
In most instances, you're probably just looking up a phone number
in the Address Book. But here's where the Navigator excels: In the
Address list, press right to enable a letter-directed search in
the Look Up field, then press up and down to select a letter.
Pressing right again moves on to the second letter, and so on
until you've located the person you're looking up. Pressing the
center button again displays that person's record. Handspring
introduced a variation of this technology with its Visor Edge,
but the Tungsten T's five-way Navigator makes it easier to look
up information not only without using the stylus, but using just
one hand.
Longtime Palm users accustomed to tapping the silkscreened
Applications button will probably be initially flustered by
the need to open the slider, but pressing the center Navigator
button takes you to the Applications screen from within other
applications.
**A Beautiful View** -- Given Palm's spotty track record with
color screens, it's clear that the company wanted to get it
right with the Tungsten T's bright, gorgeous screen. Unlike
many handheld color screens, which are either visible indoors
or outdoors but rarely both, this one looks great in both
environments. The brightness level is controlled by a sliding
scale, and I'm happy to report that even at about 30 percent,
the screen is quite bright.
The screen's resolution has been doubled from previous models, now
featuring a grid of 320 by 320 pixels. It's not as noticeable in
many applications, but in programs that have been optimized to
handle the resolution - such as the included PhotoBase for storing
photos, or Astraware's excellent game Bejeweled 2.0 - the
difference is striking.
<http://arcwaredemo.arcsoft.com/arcware/mobileindex.html>
<http://www.astraware.com/games/popcap/bejeweled/>
**ARMed and Ready** -- Unlike previous Palm models, the Tungsten T
is powered by the Texas Instruments OMAP 1510 processor, which
brings a significant speed boost to what was already a fairly
snappy platform. In programs like Date Book or Address Book,
screens tend to redraw quicker, and processor-intensive
applications such as Bejeweled are fast and smooth.
As Mac owners are aware, migrating to a new processor architecture
isn't trivial. Developers need to rewrite their software to take
advantage of the new environment, so not all existing programs
work correctly under Palm OS 5. To ease the transition, Palm OS 5
includes PACE (Palm Application Compatibility Environment), which
runs older programs much the same way Apple supports old 68K
software on PowerPC-based systems. You must endure some trial and
error to see which ones work; a few programs that had trouble on
my unit suffered mainly from display problems. In the interim,
Palm has created a compatibility Web page tracking current
software titles, as well as an application for the Tungsten T
called AppCheck that can identify which programs on your handheld
are fully compatible.
<http://www.palm.com/support/tungstent/compatibility.html>
<http://www.palm.com/support/downloads/appcheck.html>
**Bluetooth Enabled** -- The Tungsten T is also the first Palm
device with Bluetooth wireless communications built in. I don't
know anyone with a Bluetooth-enabled handheld, so I wasn't able
to test the bundled BlueChat application. I also lack a Bluetooth-
enabled phone, which would in theory allow me to connect to the
Internet or look up someone's number in the Address Book and then
dial the phone.
However, I borrowed a D-Link Bluetooth USB adapter and set it up
so I can HotSync with my Mac without wires or using my PowerBook's
infrared port. I had to set up a new HotSync connection on the
Palm to get this to work, but it took only a few minutes.
**Voice Memos** -- The last showy feature of the Tungsten T is a
built-in microphone and side button that enables the Voice Memo
application to record audio. The Tungsten T also includes a
standard 3.5mm headphone jack for listening to your memos
privately, and a much improved speaker if you want to share them
with the world (the audio quality in general is also better for
alarms and other system sounds).
You'd think that the Tungsten T would be a nice MP3 player,
especially given its the SecureDigital memory card slot.
(You could probably store a song or two on the device's
built-in 16 MB memory, 14 MB of which is available after the
built-in applications, but the external storage option is more
likely.) However, there's no software to play back MP3s so far.
Rumor has it that a player was in the works but not completed
in time to ship with the device; hopefully either Palm or
a third party developer will create such a program in the
near future.
**Highly Polished** -- The Tungsten T is a big leap for Palm and
heralds a more optimistic future for the platform than we've seen
in recent years. Priced at $500 and available from vendors like
TidBITS sponsor Small Dog Electronics, it's not aimed at most
typical handheld users, but the elegant combination of hardware
and software improvements in this device promises a healthier
product lineup from Palm in the coming years.
PayBITS: In the market for a new handheld? If Jeff's review
helped your decision, consider tipping him a few bucks viaPayPal!
<https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=jeff%40necoffee.com>
Read more about PayBITS: <http://www.tidbits.com/paybits/>
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