Palm Z22

So inexpensive that the well-to-do might even consider it a potential party favor, the Palm Z22 is a PDA pared down to its essence. We think that's great, so we're awarding the Z22 an Editor's Choice as a personal PDA.

Small (2.7 by 4.1 by 0.6 inches, HWD), light (3.4 ounces), rounded and tough, the Z22 has a little bit of that Apple-esque iLook about it. The front panel has big contacts and calendar buttons, a small power button, and a five-way navigation rocker, and that's it; there isn't even a headphone jack. Battery life is excellent—we got 8 hours, 25 minutes of continuous use.

Though it might resemble a toy, it isn't. The Z22 can hold plenty of Palm OS software and documents in its 20MB of available, non-perishable memory; you sync programs and information with a standard USB cable or via infrared beaming. A 200-MHz processor—the same used in its predecessor, the Zire 31—can handle almost any program designed for the low-res, 4,096-color, 160-by-160 screen.

In fact, the Z22 is a lot like the popular Zire 31 without the Zire's memory card slot (no MP3s here!). It's smaller, lighter, and cheaper than its predecessor, with a bit more built-in memory. We miss the card slot, but we understand Palm had to make sacrifices to keep the Z22 under $100; most Z22 owners will have separate music players anyway.

Palm ships the Z22 with the usual array of Palm Desktop PIM software that lets you manage contacts and calendars or sync your existing Microsoft Outlook PIM with your handheld. A few personal-organization programs also come on the included CD: SplashShopper, HanDBase, and SplashPhoto. We also wanted to make sure that other, not-included popular games and applications would run on the device, so we tried out Bejeweled, Tradewinds, and the excellent Documents To Go suite from DataViz (the best program available for reading Microsoft Office documents on a Palm), all of which worked well. And yes, there's full Mac support.

Pundits say basic PDAs like the Z22 should be dead now that cell phones have PDA functions, but we disagree. Most phone PDAs are difficult to use and even more difficult to sync. The Z22 is a simple, easy-to-use device for non-techies who want to stay organized, play a few games, and read a few e-books. The Z22's friendly design, simple software and reasonable power make it the best entry-level PDA and a fine follow-up to the Zire 31.

SPEC DATA :

• Type: Palm
• Screen Size: 2.8 inches
• Operating System: Palm OS 5
• Processor Speed: 195.3 MHz
• RAM: 32 MB
• Bluetooth: No