When the iPad and could not dream

Foreword

The last time on this resource has increased the number of post-reviews of various electronic books. Perhaps this activity is associated with the release of Apple's new device - the iPad. So I decided not to stand aside, and make a small review of the portable device. So, meet ...

Go

The device that I want to tell you today was released in 2003 by Palm. Its initial cost was around $ 100. He came to me at the end of 2007, and I bought it for 120 hryvnia (at that time about $ 25). And called Palm Zire 21

Specifications

• Operating system: Palm OS 5
• Processor Clock Frequency: 126 MHz
• Model: Texas Instruments OMAP 310,311
• RAM Memory: 8 MB
• RAM, available capacity: 7.19 MB

Screen

• Screen width: 160 pixels
• Screen height: 160 pixels
• Screen Type: Monochrome, no backlight
• Number of colors: 16

Form factor

• Weight: 108 g
• Length: 112 mm
• Width: 74 mm
• Thickness (mm): 16 mm

Screen

The screen itself is of good quality. There is a contrast adjustment. But the lack of illumination, as well as a small resolution does not make the display the strength of this device.

Under the screen itself there is an area with 4 touch buttons and an area for entering letters and numbers (let's talk about input methods a bit later).
- Exit applications and navigate through categories (each application belongs to a specific category: Games, Main, Systems. The first, by default, opens All).
- Opens the context menu
- Programmable button. I have it responsible for synchronization with the computer.
- Here and so everything is clear.
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Text input

This device supports 3 types of information input:

• Pen input without recognition.
  
• Pen input recognition.
• Screen keyboard.
  

Without a stylus, typing is better and not trying. Nerves are more expensive.

Applications

There are a lot of applications for this platform, but everything depends on the memory. Since it’s only 8 megabytes in this device, you don’t go too far. Alas.

Due to memory limitations, I use this “killer” mainly for reading books and toys a la Fool.

Reading of books

I’m all disappointed that the books here are displayed as in a notebook on a PC. Those. without any formatting (maybe you can podshamanit, but I did not do this). Those. you can safely forget about the tables, graphs and figures. Initially, the device did not perceive the Cyrillic, but everything was cured by installing PiLoc. I use the Weasel application to read books. It saves progress on each book, and has as many as 4 fonts to choose from: Normal, Bold, Large, Large Bold.

Conclusion

At the moment, this device has more minuses than pluses. But the undeniable advantages of this price and solidity. He fell many times, but still works. Of course, now the battery is not the same, but still you can read 5 hours. Yes, and essential programs (dictionary, diary, etc.) can be found.

Thank you all for your attention.

UPD Habrasarasobstvu did not like the title and the hackneyed topic about the killers. By this a bit corrected.