Product Description

PalmOne introduces the all-new LifeDrive mobile manager. With a 3.85 gig user accessible hard drive and built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, you can easily carry all the essentials of your busy life and use them as you will. Files and folders from your desktop computer, 300 songs, 2.5 hours of video, vacation photos, and more are right there with you. Quickly drag and drop files from your PC onto your LifeDrive mobile manager. Folder structure remains intact so you can easily locate important information when you need it. Select the files you want to keep in sync, and automatically update them whenever you sync with your computer. Use your device like you would any USB removable drive to easily upload files to any PC or Macintosh. Built-in Wi-Fi 802.11b and Bluetooth v1.1 Access your POP, IMAP and Exchange email accounts via Bluetooth Use Bluetooth to connect to compatible devices nearby-sync with your Bluetooth laptop, wirelessly send a document to a Bluetooth printer or dial a Bluetooth phone. Retrieve documents from your desktop computer with the WiFile software. Use the included web browser, optimized for the mobile surfing experience. Service provider and an ISP, sold separately. Some Wi-Fi hotspots require fee for usage. Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 or VPN may be required. Within wireless service coverage area and requires a connection to the same network that the networked computers are on Support for Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Acrobat More room for MP3 files, photos and video clips Built-in voice recorder Camera companion and camera companion software Expansion possibilities with built-in expansion card slot which supports SD, SDIO and Multimedia Card formats. Optional GPS Road Navigator transforms your LifeDrive device into an in-car navigation tool. Portable wireless keyboard unfolds to full size for work on the go, which is bought separately. Included Addit

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24641 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Palm
• Model: 1044NA
• Released on: 2005-05-02
• Platform: No Operating System
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Memory: 4000MB SDRAM
• Native resolution: 320x480
• Display size: 3.8

Features

• Built-in WiFi and Bluetooth wireless support so you can easily carry all the essentials of your busy life
• 320 x 480 high-resolution, color display with choice of portrait and landscape viewing
• Support for POP, IMAP, and Exchange e-mail accounts helps you stay on top of your e-mail at WiFi hotspots around the world
• Plenty of room for storage with a 4GB hard drive
• Also includes a voice recorder, MP3 player, and photo viewer

From the Manufacturer
Seven pounds lighter than your laptop, the LifeDrive mobile manager has all you need to take your life on the road. Carry all your important files and have them when you need them. With 3.85 GB of usable storage, you can store and access years worth of e-mail, thousands of Word docs, 1200 PowerPoint presentations, 300 songs, 1000 photos, 2.5 hours of video, and more...all with room to spare. And your information is always safe on your LifeDrive mobile manager, even if you're too busy to recharge the battery.

LifeDrive smart file management.
You have better things to do with your time than manage files. With new LifeDrive technology, you can quickly drag and drop thousands of files from your PC onto your LifeDrive mobile manager with the folder structure intact. Select the files you want to keep in sync, and they'll automatically be updated whenever you sync with your computer. Plus, you can use your LifeDrive mobile manager like you would any other USB drive to easily upload files to any PC or Mac.

Built-in WiFi 802.11b and Bluetooth 1.1 wireless.
Stay connected at any of the over 80,000 public WiFi hotspots in popular hotels, cafes and airports around the world. Access your POP, IMAP and Exchange e-mail accounts with the included VersaMail e-mail client. Download your latest calendar appointments from the office. Retrieve documents from your main computer with the WiFile software. Use the included Blazer web browser, optimized for the mobile experience, for surfing. Or, use Bluetooth to connect to compatible devices nearby--sync with a Bluetooth laptop, print wirelessly to a Bluetooth printer or dial a Bluetooth phone.

Support for Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files.
Rehearse your PowerPoint presentation discreetly in an airport. Make last-minute changes to a Word document. Check the numbers in an Excel spreadsheet and update them on the spot. Download and view an Acrobat file. The LifeDrive mobile manager comes with support for native Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files and converted PDF files.

More room for MP3 files, photos and video clips.
Whether you're viewing schematics from business associates, listening to songs, or both, the LifeDrive mobile manager gives you room for virtually everything you might take with you. Plus the software you need is pre-installed. View photos and videos with the PalmOne Media application. And enjoy all the songs in your personal music collection with on-board support for MP3 files in full stereo.

Built-in voice recorder.
Capture that big idea anywhere. Tape important lectures. Take notes hands-free. Or, record a slideshow narration to accompany your photos. It's all possible with this integrated, go-anywhere audio functionality.

Camera companion.
Why take your laptop on vacation? Instead, download the images from your camera's SD memory card onto your LifeDrive mobile manager, and free up your card for more photos. Back at your desk, you can easily upload your photos to your personal web site or photo-printing service.

Expansion possibilities.
This mobile manager gives you plenty of options. The built-in expansion card slot supports SD, SDIO and MultiMediaCard formats. Transform your LifeDrive mobile manager into an in-car navigator with a GPS Integrated Car Cradle. Carry a portable, wireless keyboard that unfolds to full size to conveniently create or edit files on the go. The included Addit software makes it easy to try or buy popular software titles via Bluetooth or WiFi.

High resolution, color rich display.
Sit back and enjoy the view with this 65,000-color, 320 x 480 Transflective TFT display. Flip to portrait or landscape orientation with the touch of a button, and get a better perspective on work, photos, or anything else. The status bar gives you quick access to key functions on screen, like the current time and search.

Multiple security measures.
128-bit encryption keeps your valuable data secure. Password protection safeguards access to your device, while the Private Records function protects specific files when the rest of your device is unlocked. The optional Intrusion Protection function erases all data and returns the device to factory settings after a user-specified number of failed break-ins.

Sleek exterior, racy interior.
Everything is encased in an elegant, brushed silver finish. On the inside, you'll have fast performance for business and multimedia applications, thanks to the 416 MHz Intel XScale processor. The 5-way navigator lets you launch applications, select items, and view details all with one hand. The on/off/hold button keeps your MP3 player on without inadvertently launching other applications.

Stay organized with the basics and more.
And last, but not least, you'll have all the essentials of a good personal assistant with our award-winning PIM applications--Calendar, Contacts, Tasks and Memos. Not to mention the ability to sync with Outlook on a PC or with iCal and Address Book on a Mac.

What's in the Box
LifeDrive mobile manager, protective sleeve, a USB sync cable with PalmOne Multi-connector, an AC power adapter (108 to 132 VAC, 50 to 60 Hz), Desktop Installation and Software Essentials CD with tutorial, getting-started guide (PDF), and user's guide (PDF).

Customer Reviews

Good start, but not perfect yet.
I got the Lifedrive one week ago to replace a sony Clie. The following comments are based on one week experience.
Pros:
1. New lifedrive manager software which in most cases obviate the need for hotsync. This is truly revolutionary.
2. Larger hard drive. Finally we are catching up with the rest of the world. You may be able to replace your iPod mini with this more versatile handheld.
3. Good voice recorder. I just got back from a meeting and recorded one whole days worth of talks from the back of a room with 60 people and record quality was quite good and no software bugs were noticed. In addition to the time allocated under your voice memo section, you can directly record to your hard drive allowing you to record more stuff.
4. This machine can store an enormous number of powerpoint presentations. This is a big plus for if you do any teaching e.g. quick review of a topic with a med student before a surgery.
5. Nice metallic finish. Looks better than cheap looking T5.

Cons:
1. Poor battery life. After a whole day of heavy use, the battery dies without warning.
2. Repeated powering down of the hard drive causing a few second delay in opening new applications. Annoying as hell!!!
3. No way to customize turning off the screen after a short period of inactivity. If you play chess on this machine, it becomes annoying. By the way, Hiarcs chess engine runs quite well on this machine(Downloadable for 39.99).
4. Adobe reader formats most documents well, but some with complex formatting turn into incomprehensible amorphous text.
5. Price. I don't understand why a piece of cheap looking electronics made in china should cost this much money.
6. No integrated cell phone or camera.
7. Some applications don't run on this device. I signed up for audible.com membership to get a $100 rebate. But so far I have been unable to make the audible manager recognize this device and download audiobooks to this device.
8. It is very disappointing palm decided to put the cheaper and slower WiFi. I suspect their next device will have the faster version.
9. Size. More bulky than other palm handhelds. Not a true shirt pocket device.
10. No headphone provided. Why can't they throw in a $10 headphone for this $499 device. I am using my old sony clie headphones which works fine.

Overall, 4 stars. I am sure I will find a lot more annoying problems as I use it more.

Great device-- Very pleased!
I've had my Lifedrive for about 3 mos. now and have been very pleased with it. There seems to be quite a few negative reviews about the Lifedrive so I was a little wary at first. Many of the complaints seemed to stem from running older Palm software that didn't operate on the new Palm OS or from people who weren't used to using Palm PDA's. Although Palms are very easy and intuitive to use I think the Lifedrive is a little more complex due to the integrated hard drive, which at first doesn't seem integrated at all.

I didn't reuse any of my older Palm OS software which must have spared me from some of the re-starts and lock-ups some people experienced. Once my unit was charged I started with a new user name (so a new synch profile is created) and then immediately installed the 2.0 software update. I've only had 2 restarts on the device since I started using it, but I use it quite a lot. One restart was apparently due to a poor wireless connection and another I think was caused by Versamail while downloading an e-mail with an attachment. Other than that the device has been very stable and the restarts haven't been repeated.

At first I wasn't very pleased with the new Graffiti II but now that I'm used to it I'll concede that maybe it is an improvement over the older version. Handwriting recognition on Palms has always seemed far superior than on Pocket PC's to me and the Lifedrive's no exception.

Some reviewers have mentioned a "lag" problem when starting a new program. I was a little worried about this before I purchased the Lifedrive after reading it in several reviews. However, I tested a couple of Lifedrives first at electronic stores and didn't really notice any lagging or hesitating. It might have been 3rd party software issues as I haven't noticed this problem-- and I'm very impatient.

www.palmfocus.com has a list of Palm software rated for compatability with the Lifedrive. Before installing older Palm OS software it would be a good idea to check this list rather than struggle with your device. (Any software written for the new OS isn't an issue as far as I know.)

Pros:
+Wireless works well and connects easily.
+Being able to store, view and edit MS Word and Excel in their native format is a plus. (no conversion step as on Pocket PC)
+Store tons of videos, music and photos and take it with you everywhere.
+Synchrone entire folders from your desktop computer (Only folders on the root drive of your device can be synchronized so nested folders won't be synchronized unless you spread them out in the root directory of the drive. This will change the folder heirarchy on your device but not your desktop if you want to keep all the folders synchronized)
+The USB synchronization and connection has been flawless. (This hasn't been my experience with Pocket PC's)
+Very powerful yet elegant PDA!



Cons:
-Battery consumption high when using wireless. Don't leave on any longer than you have to.
-It's a little big and bulky to hang on to compared to older Palm PDA's. (Wish it had a place for a lanyard)
-Working with other applications while listing to music causes interuptions in the music playback.
-Versamail synch setup didn't go very easily for me. Make sure your default e-mail profile on your desktop is Outlook before you even get started with mail sync setup.


I've installed Dataviz Smartlist which is an excellent and fairly sophisticated database application which can sync with Microsoft Access. It works very well on the Lifedrive.

Also installed Mapopolis and it also works well. You must install maps to RAM or on a SD card and not the hard drive.

Lag Drive
I purchased this in june and had to return it. I use it as a physician and have had a Tungsten C, and Visor and Palm V, each of which represented continuous improvement in speed and usability. The lifedrive was so slow switching between applications, up to 2 minutes and usually thirty to 90 seconds that I couldn't function. Also the programs I used ran more slowly (10-20 seconds for steps that were instantaneous before) than before or than on the T|X with which I have replaced it . Iuse a prescription program and it links to epocrates which meant every time it would take several minutes to perform a task that took 10-20 seconds previously.
On the plus side the multimedia and PIM functions worked well if you waited for them to start. It has a sharp screen and pictures. The dictaion feature was great.