Palm Zire

Specification:
OS: Palm OS software version 4.1
CPU: Motorola Dragonball VZ processor at 16MHz
Memory: 2MB.
Size and weight: 4.8″x 3.0″ x 0.7″, 5.4 oz. (12cm x 7.5cm x 1.6cm, 160g)
Display: Monochrome, 16 grayscales, 160×160 pixels display
Power: Lithium-ion rechargeable battery

Others:
MaskROM
Build-in Infrared (IR) communication.
mini-USB port

Released:
2002 (4th Quarter )

Comments/Review:
It is funny to see from the below photo, Zire was orgianlly named like the others of Palm releases at the time mXXXX, Zire was orginally named m150, but was released with the name Zire.


Zire was aimmed at the low-end and entry level market at the time of christmas, it was the first palm released with packing of plastic casing only instead of a box set, and it was placed at the casher checkout with a price tag of $USD99, it was a great sells which they was out of stock so quick that Palm has to get new production line to catch up the sales!

To be honest, in Asia market, it was never a hot sell as it only has 2MB of RAM, user will need to install a 1.xMB Chinese Addon in order to view and input chinese with stylus.
I have seen a chinese version of the Zire in HK and mainland china with the Chinese Addon build-in to the ROM, which makes the Zire a little bit more useful..

And due to the costing, there is no backlit on the display, which makes it impossible to view in the dark.

I think the idea of mini-USB port used on the Zire was great, it is cheap, and easy to find and use as alot of other devices use mini-USB too.
But of coz, that means, sorry, no universal connector, which many other Palm devices use for accessories.

Links:
Palm Support Website – http://www.palm.com/us/support/zire/

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