Z22 (handheld)
| Industry | Consumer electronics, Personal digital assistants |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1992 |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Z22 handheld device, Palm OS devices |
The Z22 was one of the initial handheld devices launched under Palm's refreshed "Palm" branding, making its debut on October 12, 2005. Offered at a price point of $99 USD, it succeeded the monochrome Zire 21 and operated on Palm OS Garnet version 5.4.9, which does not support upgrades. Equipped with a 200 MHz Samsung S3C2410 ARM920T processor, the Z22 utilized a rechargeable lithium-ion battery capable of delivering roughly 8 hours of operation depending on usage patterns.
Overview
Designed primarily for individuals new to PDAs, the Palm Z22 provided essential applications consistent with the Palm PDA series. Positioned as an affordable entry-level model under $100, it intentionally excluded advanced features such as a camera, MP3 playback, or an SD card slot.
The package included a wall charger and a USB cable, allowing charging either through a PC connection or a standard outlet—offering flexibility so users could leave the wall charger behind when desired. Its Non-Volatile File System (NVFS) guaranteed data preservation even if the battery was completely drained.
Software
The Z22 came preloaded with fundamental Palm software:
- Contacts
- Calculator
- Tasks
- Calendar
- Note Pad
- Memos
- World Clock
- Photos
- Preferences
- HotSync
It also featured Addit, an application enabling users to order software offline that would be delivered during HotSync synchronization. Addit included small utility programs such as:
- Chess
- Solitaire
- First Aid guidelines
- Check Split (for dividing bills)
- Carbs (a nutritional calculator)
Compatible third-party applications for the Z22 included MobiReader, which supports mobi-format dictionaries.
Interface
In addition to the touchscreen interface, the device offered both physical and silkscreen buttons to launch applications and access functions. The silkscreen area contained eight buttons: four large icons centrally located and four smaller ones positioned at the edges of the writing surface. By default, the large icons served these purposes: "home" (house symbol) opens the main applications menu; "menu" (pulldown icon) reveals the pulldown options; HotSync (two arrows icon) initiates data synchronization with a computer; and "find" (magnifying glass icon) launches a search across all files. The smaller corner buttons provided quick access to Clock (briefly showing date and time), Contrast (screen brightness adjustment), Keyboard (on-screen stylus keyboard), and Number Board (numeric keypad).
Additional Hardware
The Z22 supports communication via various IR devices including other Palm handhelds, select cell phones, and Palm’s Universal Wireless Keyboard designed for IR connectivity. The infrared port also enables HotSync operations without requiring a USB cable. Moreover, Palm’s IR ‘Beam’ feature allows file transfers to other IR-compatible devices using standard protocols, including non-standard file types that cannot be transferred through HotSync.
Software with desktop computer
Synchronization software included with the device is compatible with Windows operating systems up to 32-bit Vista versions. For users running 64-bit systems, syncing is achievable by installing a driver provided by Aceeca.
External links
For official support and detailed product information, refer to:
- Palm Z22 Support
- Palm Z22 Handheld Datasheet
- Palm Official Site
- Palm Z22 on Porter Electronics (retailer with remaining inventory)
- MobiReader for Palm OS