remember when business buyers had unlimited budgets for technology? well, we can't, either. enter the new tungsten e, the spiritual successor to the popular palm v and m500 series. it's built for business but equipped for multimedia as well, though playing mp3s requires a memory expansion card. weighing just 4.6 ounces and measuring 4.5 by 3.1 by 0.5 inches (hwd), the sleek tungsten e has a remarkably bright 320-by-320 transflective display. it's ready for all standard palm business applications. with the addition of an mmc or sd card to store media files and a pair of stereo earphones (neither is included), it's suitable for on-the-road entertainment purposes. the $200 tungsten e is the same price as the entry-level hp and dell windows mobile pdas, which are larger and heavier. it also goes up against the sony clié sj33 ($220 street). the tungsten e's 126-mhz cpu and 32mb of ram are about twice the speed and capacity of the sony clié sj33. it comes with the newest palm os and pim software, but the sony unit has the advantage of the much-appreciated jog-dial, plus sony's excellent proprietary interface and applications. but all in all, the tungsten e offers a great value in a powerful and highly mobile business device the good: affordable; nice color display; sdio expansion card slot; runs palm os 5.2; mp3 and multimedia support; robust software suite. the bad: battery isn't removable; no voice recorder. what's it for: organizing your contacts and appointments and synchronizing with your pc. who's it for: budget-minded mobile professionals who don't need integrated wireless connectivity. business use: the tungsten e's robust software bundle allows you to get your work done, whether you need to create databases or sync with outlook. essential extras: sd/mmc storage media; a desktop cradle. the bottom line: with a high-resolution color screen, a sleek design, an expansion card slot, and a $199 price tag, the tungsten e will hit the handheld sweet spot for many consumers. this may be the best handheld device in this price range. it is easy to use and functional, allowing you to edit word, excel and power point files as well as view photos and listen to mp3s. it's features make it great for general use and entertainment. sleek, reliable and affordable, you can't go wrong with this selection. pros: dvd capabilities and easy to use cons: comes with a flimsy cover and does not have universal port

GREAT out of the gate, and then fades fast

Score: 30 Posted 01-Jan-1900 by GlobalVillager at Cnet

Pros: Lots of functionality, easy to use

Cons: MANY problems after less than a year of use

Conclusion: I snagged this puppy on eBay for only US$100 which is a STEAL compared to store prices of ~$200. It was new (or nearly new) from the look of it. The problems start slowly, like a chair slowly coming appart at the joints: The first problem I noticed was the power button. After a few months I found it was increasingly hard to get it to work, then it just stopped working altogether. Now I have to use the Quick Buttons on the front : no real biggie. Next I noticed that the speaker on the back of the

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2 1/2 years later, and I still love my Tungsten E!

Score: 100 Posted 01-Jan-1900 by gillises at Shopping.com

Pros: Price, versatility, clear color screen, SD expansion slot, audio function.

Cons: No wireless or bluetooth. Limited battery life with audio use.

Conclusion: If you don't need wireless or bluetooth, this PDA can do everything you could possibly want. Why pay more?

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Score: 80 Posted 01-Jan-1900 by howard654321 at pricegrabber

Pros: Great Screen. Light and Small. Good Price. Photo's.

Cons: Need to buy SD card.

Conclusion:

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