PDAs: Looking at the Plam T3 and some personal opinions.

I use a T3 and really like the thing.

fishhatch, I have owned and daily used a T3 since October 2003 (right after they were first released). True, there were early issues (now resolved) with the SDIO and some other stuff. The battery life continues to be a minor bother and this is one of several Palm models which appears to be particularly plagued by "digitizer drift."

But, I find the device to be really worthwhile.

I run a lot of third party software on mine. DateBk5, SuperNames, ToDo Plus, MemoPlus, PocketTunes, QuickOffice, Snappermail and Kinoma Player to name a few. I have used JackSprat to open up more space in flash memory and JackFlash to pack stuff up in that memory space. BackupBuddy backs my device up to its secure digital card nightly. I use a keyboard.

It's likely the folks on Brighthand's Tungsten forum will soon have a way to replace the existing battery with a higher-capacity model (although that will necessitate opening the T3, which will violate the warranty). I carry a little gadget which recharges the T3 off a standard 9 volt battery, if needed in a pinch.

The SDIO is terrific, what with the new 1, 2 and 3GB SD cards now on the market.

I like the slider, but other people hate it.

I have not read great reviews of Palm's WiFi card for the SDIO slot, so you will need to think about that, if WiFi is a requirement for you. On the other hand, I am using a Bluetooth access point, on my network, and the T3 connects up without a problem, every time, with that.

Third party software is, of course, no problem. And, it's fun to carry around videos and to use the T3 to play MP3s.

If you get a T3 and don't like the screen (there appear to be at least two sources for the screens and some of them show a yellow or orange tint that folks don't like) or if yours shows signs that the digitizer is too easily losing its calibration, consider sending the device in quick for a replacement.

I held off on buying an upgrade to an old Palm IIIx I was using. Depending on what you are using now, if any kind of handheld, you will very likely find the T3 to be an excellent purchase.