Technology Tungsten E2 VS. newer T/X

[owl68]

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I'm a 4th year starting residency next month and my program gives all new interns a free Palm Tungsten E2. However, I've read many great reviews regarding the newer Palm T/X and am wondering if anyone would recommend spending the extra money to have the T/X. Thanks.

 

[DOctorJay]

I'm a big fan of the T/X with wifi built in, nice screen, and lots of memory. However it is $300. The E2 is $199 but if you want wifi you gotta buy a card ($100). Now what I would really consider getting is a Treo 650 which is currently $250 from many service providers with new 2yr contract (FYI lots of hospitals get discounted cell plans for employees so look into that as well).

More bang for your buck with the treo I think but if you're not ready for a new cell plan then it might not be right for you.

B/w the E2 and T/X to actually answer your question, DEPENDS - does the hospital have wifi? if Y --> T/X, if N --> E2 (that of course is if you plan on using the wifi).

hope this helps,
J

 

[BDylan]

I was also debating between these two, but I doubt I'd use Wi-fi very much, so the E2 looks like the way to go for me. The only thing holding me back are some bad user reviews (on amazon and cnet) that mention it crashing often and other technical difficulties. Anyone own the E2 and care to comment?

 

[medmarkco]

I don't own an E2, but have used one regularly in the past with no problems. The E2 is a solid product. Personally I would choose the T/X because of it's faster processor (moderately) and WiFi. Even if a workplace isn't outfitted with WiFi, having this feature expands the options for use in other locations.

The direction for most mobile solution providers is for "OTA" (over the air) access to software downloads, software updates, and web-based content. The need to sync hand-held devices with a PC to add content is no longer an absolute requirement. As long as you can connect with the Internet- either using WiFi at a local hotspot, or cellular data - handhelds with a "wireless" option add another dimension for use.

 

[Dr.UserName]

With the Palm OS how functional is viewing powerpoint files. I'm interested in the TX but havent had a pda since mine was stolen in college about 3 years ago. But does anyone have experience with WM5. Is it easier to view powerpoints with a WM5 platform?

Thanks

 

[DoctorWannaBe]

The T/X has 128 MB of memory vs. 32 MB on the Tungsten E2. I don't know how much memory programs take up, but is it worth buying the T/X just for the extra memory even if your hospital doesn't have WiFi?

 

[medmarkco]

The T/X has 128 MB of memory vs. 32 MB on the Tungsten E2. I don't know how much memory programs take up, but is it worth buying the T/X just for the extra memory even if your hospital doesn't have WiFi?

It depends - for me, the T/X is worth the extra $$. For someone else it may not be.

“Memory” on handhelds is really two things”: memory and storage. Memory is workspace and storage is just that, storage. Loading a lot of information and programs on a Palm, limits the room left to actually run the programs. (They need space to work in.) Storage can expanded by inserting an SD card. Today, about $60 will buy 1GB of storage. So if storage is the primary goal, you get more storage for less $ with the E2 and an SD card. But… you still have a maximum of 32MB of space for running programs. On Palm devices this isn’t so much of a problem – on PPC devices it can be a real problem.

Where it does become an issue is for programs that won’t run from a storage card. In the past Epocrates would not run from SD card and had to be stored and run in main “memory”. (They have changed or are in the process of changing this). So storing the database of info for Epocrates sucked up storage space and limited the amount of room left for running the program- along with other programs. Here’s where it would be nice to have the extra main memory of the T/X. As more memory is added to newer devices, applications start consuming more main memory to operate because the added memory allows for more robust functionality. Handhelds with slower processors and less memory eventually become obsolete. The E2 is a generation behind the T/X and will obsolete more quickly.

For basic needs and basic use, the E2 will work fine. However, updating programs, keeping PIIM info synced, and adding additional information to a device without having to synchronize through a PC is pretty convenient. If any of those things will ever be of interest, then the extra $100 for the T/X with WiFi is well spent. If work doesn’t offer WiFi, at least you can do all this at home or in a Starbucks somewhere.

 

[etf]

my brother got a t/x for his birthday last week. he also got a 2gb "high speed" SD card for around $30. the wifi feature is sooo cool, and the web pages actually load at a decent speed. i wish i had one of these before i graduated - would have been great for placing trades in class, instead of busting out the powerbook...

 

[etf]

oh, i've seen it crash though. it crashes when he opens up "p-tunes", and sometimes when using versamail. i guess i'll just have to wait for apple to make a pda - and not the newton...

 

[jammin06]

hey guys,

I just graduated from undergrad and bought the TX in April for med school this fall. I absolutley love it. The wi-fi works great and it has blue tooth makes it easy to connect to my laptop. To address some of the questions so far...

I'm a big fan of the T/X with wifi built in, nice screen, and lots of memory. However it is $300.

This is true, but if you shop around, you can find some GREAT deals on the web. I have seen the price drop considerably over the past 5 months. (i've wanted this thing for a while) and now you can find it around $250 on a fairly regular basis. I ended up getting mine from best buy by pure luck. I mentioned to my mom i wanted this one and she said there was some deal in the paper. I checked it out and the deal was "Palm TX + Free Rhinoskin hard cover ($35) + Free Wireless Keyboard ($99)." So all in all, it was about 300 for all that stuff. The palm is very slender, but I think the rhino skin is good to have when it's sitting in your pocket with your keys, cellphone, wallet, etc.. Also, the keyboard is really nice, because whenever I want to check/write emails, I can just pull it out and have the email completed faster than my friend who's still trying to boot up his laptop.

With the Palm OS how functional is viewing powerpoint files.

The PPT viewer is pretty sweet if you're only wanting to view files. It's not like a tablet where you can take notes on the files, and I wouldn't recommend putting together an ppt on the palm. However, it was wonderful towards the end of my undergrad when we had senior presentations. I would simply sit in the back and go through my slides until it was my turn to present.

Another bonus for the TX is having the program "documents to go" pre-installed, to interface with MS Office programs (word, excel and PPT). Before I bought the palm, I wondered if I was gonna get my money out of it. Now, it's become an essential of my life. I know it sounds like an ad or something, but I just really enjoy the palm. Best of luck in the decision.

 

[DOctorJay]

with the wireless keyboard mentioned above I used to download lectures to my palm prior to the lecture and then take notes into the powerpoint file. later I'd sync and have my notes in the PPT which I could look at on my laptop or on my palm anywhere to study.

If you're a first or second year the keyboard is very helpful for taking notes in class if you like to type your notes and would rather leave the heavy laptop at home, this is what I did and it worked out great.

J