Zire 31 and Zire 72 to be announced today
by Volker Weber
PalmOne is coming out with two new Zire handhelds today. Zire 31 is an entry level 16MB machine above the 21, with color screen and SD/MMC slot. The new 72 which replaces the 71 is a lot more exciting. It has a 1.2 megapixel camera which shoots photos and videos, Bluetooth connectivity and comes with software that syncs with Outlook and lets you create and edit Word and Excel files on the device. Screen resolution is 320x320, and you have around 24MB (of the 32MB) available for storage. You can add more memory via the SD/MMC slot so you can listen to MP3s or record videos with the camera. If you have a Bluetooth-enabled phone you can send and share SMS, MMS and emails with the phone.
I played with both devices at CeBIT and was quite impressed with the 72. I don't particularly like the blue color but I think that the feature set is very compelling. Both devices come with a mini-USB port which is a less expensive solution than the universal connector found in the Tungsten line. Expect PalmOne to drop that connector from all future machines.
So the Zire 72 is for you. I still want something else. :-)
