For starters, there’s a higher resolution on the built-in hidden camera. It’s now up to 1.2 Megapixels, with automatic white control (which basically means that in most situations you don’t need a flash!). It’s not as high of a resolution as Sony’s models, but still a definitely improvement. Of course bringing the photos to the desktop is very easy when you use the included Palm desktop software! Now with the addition of video it’s even better!

Second is the redesign – some reviewers of the Zire 71 called the unit “slippery”, but I haven’t had that problem with this model!

Third, is the BlueTooth. I’ve found it to be less easy to use than WiFi, which is popular with PocketPC and higher-end Palm models, but still very effective for accessing the internet. However, with WiFi you can’t connect to the internet AND have a local network with other BlueTooth users so if there was only one technology to choose from – BlueTooth is the one. I swear if this unit had WiFi I would have bought one for everyone I know! Also why it gets 4 out of 5 stars.

With this model they have included a conduit to sync with Outlook, which previously had to be purchased. That’s a big draw, especially for multimedia-loving office workers!

They’ve also redesigned the model some, including removing the joystick. Some reviewers of the Zire 71 disliked the joystick because they felt it turned the unit on excessivily, but I loved (and will miss) the Joystick for playing the Sonic the Hedgehog game that was released for the Zire 71. I find that the directional button that palm has changed to can be clumsy for game-playing.

Two years ago I would have given this unit 5 stars, but Palm seems to always be slightly behind the times. Of course BlueTooth is a nice edition, and the redesigned packaging is also a note that Palm is paying attention. However, if they had added Wifi instead of BlueTooth I’m sure they would be selling a lot more of these. The camera resolution is less than the Sony Clie’s, but still an overall improvement. The price is what makes it such a catch – you get the basic functions of most high-end Palm Pilots, for half the cost. If you’re into multimedia and contact management this is definitely the unit for you! It seriously makes contact management FUN!
Rating: 4 / 5

HOWEVER, after using my Zire for a couple weeks I have to comment on a few problems I’ve run into…

First has got to be the -really- bad paint job which stared flaking off the very first day! Plan on spending a few extra bucks to get a “skin” when they come out (and they will, since -everyone- who buys a Zire 72 will need one). The paint is a sort of rubbery texture that I’m sure they put on to provide a better grip (which it does). Unfortunately it does not stick very well at all to the underlying surface. It is very easy to scrape it with just a fingernail to expose the underlying surface. It doesn’t stop there either, because once dinged, the damage slowly spreads as the nearby paint continues to peel away, especially up near the top right where you’re always rubbing against it to pull the stylus out.

Second is the awful camera performance. Actually, the camera itself seems to work ok, but the auto-exposure firmware really doesn’t work well at all. If you take the time to manually adjust the settings (sunlight/incandescent/flourescent, low-light) and can wait a few moments for the camera software to catch up then you can get some decent pictures, indoors or out. If you don’t, the results will be generally low-quality (over/underexposed, grainy, bad color, etc.).

Third is the marginal battery life. I can get through a whole day on a fully-charged battery, but only just. I’m concerned that as time goes by and the battery degrades that I’m going to have problems running out of power before the day is done. That would not be so bad if I chould just throw in another set of AAA cells, but that’s not an option with the built-in battery on the Zire. If I forget to plug it in overnight I don’t even get through my morning. Not good. Plan on carrying around the power adaptor with you for emergencies (or buying one for the office and one for home).

Next is the lack of a built-in file manager. I was able to get the “media” app on the palm to display some mpeg video clips I had made before purchasing the Zire. Encouraged by my success, I tried an avi and a Quicktime file. These transferred to the SD card – I know because the available filespace went down – but they did not show up in the “media” app. Ok, failed experiment, no big deal. However, they also are not visible in the main “delete” menu, or anywhere else I’ve checked. So it seems that if no app on the Zire recognizes a file, there appears to be no way to reclaim the space from within the palm short of reformatting the card and resyncing to recover your data! Bad user interface.

Also, speaking of cards, you -must- get a SD card if you plan on playing audio or video. The only exception is the built-in voice recorder, which will record to and play from the built-in RAM. The Realplayer audio player and the video capture feature of the camera on the other hand require a card to store data on.. you will not be able to use either feature without one.

I give the Zire 72 a 3-star rating as is, deducting 1 star each for the awful paint job and the user interface issues with file management and camera auto-exposure (non)functionality. With a hopefully forthcoming firmware update from PalmOne to address the softare issues, and a little work on my part stripping off the rest of the paint I think I might be inclined to bump that up to 4 stars.

If they had left off the paint entirely and fixed the software issues I would definitely be giving it a solid 4 stars, maybe even 4.5 (0.5 off for battery life).
Rating: 3 / 5

My reasoning for going ahead with the purchase was simply because for the money, no other Palm device came close to offering everything that the 72 did. Plus, most of the negative reviews were for cosmetic issues. And I have had two Palms in the past (an original Palm Pilot Pro and a Palm IIIx) and had great service from both.

For my job, the 72 has been better than I expected it could be. I can open, edit,even create Excel spreadsheets in native .xls format. I have purchased an app called Note Studio that is incredible at organizing notes and text files. I can take pictures and listen to mp3′s along with using the traditional Palm apps (the agenda view for the calendar is great).

I have since added a WiFi card and when in the presence of a wireless network or a T-Mobile hotspot, I can browse the web, check my corporate email, etc. Like I said, it has exceeded my expectations.

A couple of notes… I notice that one reviewer said his never held a charge, even after the 3+ hours initial charging.

The recomended initial charging is at least 12 hours, not 3. And the intructions are emphatic on this point, saying that any less than a 12 hour initial charge willeffect the future performance and life of the battery. Mine could use better battery life, but I use it extensivley daily (3 – 4 hours) and I charge mine nightly and have never “run out” of charge. I think the average user using the 72 for contacts, reminders, planning, etc., will have no problem going three or four days on a charge.

I have had the device for almost two months now and I have had it freeze twice. Both times required a reset. Once I was editing a spreadsheets using the Documents to Go application while playing an MP3 in the background, and once I was setting up my WiFi card.

The reason for four stars and not five? The blue finish. This is supposedly some sort of new DuPont coating. It appears to be either too soft or simply doesn’t adhere as needed to the smooth plastic underneath. I don’t have a serious issue with it as I have been very careful, but i can see with even average use with no case, you would have an ugly Palm rather quickly. I have a piece of the blue coating around where the stylus goes in where mine has peeled.

The reason I didn’t count off more for this is because you can virtualy solve it… buy the hard case from Palm. 29 bucks and the 72 fits perfectly and snuggly in foam supports and protects the looks. It still fits in a shirt pocket and even has a sliding cover on the rear that protects the camera lens. All ports and card slots are exposed so that you really never have to take it out of the case (I don’t).

Don’t be scared of the Palm Zire 72. Two suggestions…

Follow the instructions following battery charging EXACTLY and,

BUY THE HARD CASE. You won’t regret your purchase.

Just opinions from an owner.
Rating: 4 / 5

Well, I got my Zire 72 and I love it. I now have a complete photo album, a voice recorder, a camera plus the usually Palm goodies. Instead of hauling around a bunch of very heavy dictionaries, I am now loading them onto the Palm. No, the camera isn’t as good as my stand-a-long Kodak, but it is fine and handy to have. The quality of the voice recordings is excellent-far better than my two stand-a-lone digital recorders. The included documents-to-go program works well and I actually do find myself working of documents in places I would never haul my lap-top.

If you have an older Palm-my last one was an m105, I think you would be really surprised at how much more useful the newer high-res Palms are. For the price that Amazon is selling the Zire 72, it is rather an incredible package. I’m really happy I stuck with Palm.
Rating: 5 / 5

What I like about the Zire72:

- The screen is brilliant, photos looks absolutely stunning. (There’s not enough variance in brightness, though. I’ve set it to the lowest settting and it’s still a bit too bright for reading under low-light conditions.)
- Voice recording, very handy.
- Buttons and D-Pad feel well and have good response.
- Built-in camera, while limited in functionality, is nice to have.
- Bluetooth works well.
- Battery life is very reasonable – as long as you don’t play MP3s continually and keep Bluetooth off when you don’t need it.

However, after a few weeks of actual use I’ve noticed several significant flaws:

- My biggest gripe is that the blue rubber “skin” will start to peel off. On my device this is especially bad near the stylus silo. My Z72 now looks quite worn, as if it’s a few years old rather than a few weeks. The rubber skin provides a good grip, that is true, but I’d rather not have it at all when it peels off so easily.
- The Z72 has no attachable flip cover. To protect the screen you have to put it in a separate case. This means you can’t just whip out it out to look something up, you have to take it out the case first, which is cumbersome. (Carrying it around without any screen cover is not really an option.)
- The output signal from the headphone jack is *far* too loud. I have to set system sounds to “low” to get a volume that is bearable to my ears. I’d prefer a softer volume, though.
- The headphone jack output produces a clearly audible background “hiss”. (I know from reading several forums and reviews that this is a common problem. In fact, every Z72 may have this issue.) The hiss may be caused by the output being too loud in the first place. The workaround is to buy headphones with a separate volume control. This way you can turn up the volume on the Zire to drown out the background hiss and reduce the volume on the headphones to get the volume level you really want.
- The SD slot is recessed too deeply. You have to push memory cards in with your nails for them to be properly seated. If you switch between cards often, this *will* start to annoy you.

On the whole, I cannot really recommend the Zire72. It has many things going for it, but I expect better for a device in this price class. I still like it for the most part and I will certainly continue to use it, but had I known about these flaws beforehand, I would probably not have bought it.
Rating: 3 / 5