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Building on the success of the first-generation Tungsten E, Palm created the Tungsten E2. This PDA has many improvements over the original model, such as a brighter color screen, longer battery life, and non-volatile flash memory.

The Basics

The Tungsten E2 uses Graffiti 2 as a means of data entry. Graffiti 2 is very similar to the way in which many of us write letters, so it should be quick to learn and easy to use.

Like many PDAs, the Tungsten E2 uses a five-way navigation button and four shortcut buttons at the base of the device. This PDA measures 4.5 x 3.1 x .59 inches (H x W x D) and weighs 4.7 ounces.

Strengths

One of the biggest strengths of the Tungsten E2 is the software that comes with it. You'll find Documents To Go Professional Edition, Adobe Acrobat Reader for Palm OS, eReader, VersaMail, and many other applications on the handheld straight from the box. Of course, you can always add additional applications later, as well.

In addition, the Tungsten E2 has integrated Bluetooth wireless, allowing you to synchronize data and connect to other devices without the mess of cables.

Likely my favorite upgrade with this PDA is its non-volatile flash memory. This type of memory doesn't erase data, even if you forget to charge the device and it completely looses power.

Weaknesses

Although I like the Tungsten E2's brighter color screen, it sometimes produces a very strong glare in direct sunlight. The Tungsten E2 also lacks built-in Wi-Fi.

However, if you want Wi-Fi capabilities, you can buy an expansion card to gain this functionality. If your cell phone has Internet capabilities, you could connect this PDA to it via Bluetooth for high-speed Internet connectivity as well.

The Tungsten E2's standard memory is a bit lean, at only 32MB, but you can upgrade your storage capabilities with an SD, SDIO, or MultiMedia card.

Final Remarks

As a whole, the Tungsten E2 shows many improvements over the original, and wildly popular, Tungsten E. Palm OS users who are looking for a reasonably priced PDA that supports a variety of tasks and comes with lots of useful software should consider this PDA.