Palm C

Palm's Tungsten C (TC) was designed to appeal to corporate power users. With its 64M of built in memory, fast 400MHz processor and built in WiFi (802.11b) it has the horsepower to run both Palm OS and Java applications.

The TC has a fabulous hi-res screen that is large enough to make working on portable Word and Excel documents a joy. Like other enhancement areas, it’s a shame Palm couldn’t provide a firmware/OS upgrade that allowed the TC to switch display orientation.

I bought my TC because I wanted an easy way to test the wireless hot-spots we were installing for clients. I also wanted a unit with a thumb keyboard to make entering precise IP addresses/etc. easier. The wireless functionality is “ok.” Range is limited and the built in Blazer browser does not support pop-ups. A paid upgrade to the browser adds support for pop-ups and other features found as standard features on other web-enabled PDAs.

Even with the browser limitations, the unit’s WiFi features make it great to use around any home/business WiFi hot-spot. Sending/receiving mail, getting news updates or checking up on your eBay auctions are all easily done on the TC.

The Tungsten C (TC) has proved to be a solid unit. I have experienced only a few system hangs and the performance is lightning fast.

Although a solid performer with standard applications, I have been disappointed with Palm's support for additional expansion and features. Despite a large percentage of TC owners who would like to add a Bluetooth SD card, Palm has not devoted the resources needed to support this solution. Other enhancements, like a 3rd-party VOIP solution were dropped without so much as a whimper by Palm.

Another limitation is the funky monaural headphone/microphone jack. Palm never offered a mono > "stereo" adapter and it took me a while to find a suitable 3rd-party alternative. Why Palm decided to omit stereo audio from the TC is a mystery we may never know the answer to.

The Tungsten C represents a solid Palm-based PDA for anyone who wants a unit that provides WiFi connectivity and great performance for a reasonable (eBay) price.