Active Journal of Business Process Management

CRM Software Product Review: PalmOne Tungsten E Handheld PDA

It’s already 2006—why haven’t you upgraded your CRM software to a handheld PDA solution? If you’re in the market for an affordable, mobile CRM software tool, then the PalmOne Tungsten E Hanheld PDA has positioned itself as one of the most practical CRM software devices currently being sold.

But enough about the flash—let’s talk about function: one of the most exciting features on these handheld PDA CRM software devices is the extremely powerful operating system. The Palm OS 5.2.1 makes applications ranging from calendar to contacts run smoothly and quickly.

With 126 MHz processor—the Texas Instruments model OMAP311 ARM makes toggling from application to application a truly amazing experience. Speed. Yes, that’s right: with the PalmOne Tungsten E, it’s all about speed. Oh yeah, and before I forget…the memory on this device is simply incredible. With a whopping 32MB of RAM—and an expansion slot available for even bigger applications—users of this handheld PDA CRM software can easily be used for e-books, video files, MP3’s (more later on these guys) and much more.

For professionals managing teams, products or applications in the field of sales force automation, customer relationship management and business process management, there could be no better tool than the PalmOne Tungsten E when it comes to complete mobile functionality.

Not only do you get to use the the advanced applications suite—including contacts, memos, tasks and interactive and Outlook friendly calendar—there is full compatibility with a variety of popular and essential third-party software applications including Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Excel files and Download To Go. While I’m typically quite skeptical of PDA’s in general, I found the benefits to this tool hard to deny. None but the PalmOne Tungsten E could so easily and efficiently consolidate my daily schedule into an interface that I could actually access! E-mail, calendar, contacts—you name it: it’s all hear and easy to reach.

The device is surprisingly light weight, as well. Nothing like those clunky blackberry, the PalmOne Tungsten is a featherweight 4.6 ounces, and at 4.5 x 3.1 x 0.5 inches, this handheld CRM software PDA can easily be described as slim, ultra slim.

Oh, and about those MP3’s? Well, it’s common knowledge that pretty much nobody can rival the iPod. But after using the PalmOne Tungsten E around the office and on the road for a month, I soon noticed that those pangs of separation were all but gone after leaving my video iPod at home, alone, day in and day out.

And I think there’s a good reason for this, too: with advanced support for multimedia applications, headphone and speaker jack and deliciously clear MP3 sound quality, the PalmOne Tungsten E is a fierce competitor to all other MP3 players out there—even Apple’s pride and joy.

But when it comes to such a claim, I have no doubt put myself in the “them’s fightin’ words,” arena. Therefore, I’ll qualify my comparison by pointing out that the video quality on the PalmOne Tungsten E is simply incredible. I was blown away by the superb resolution made possible with a 320 x 320 pixel screen in full color that takes it to the level of none other than those Clie screens made by Sony. Whether you’re on the edge of your seat watching a recently released thriller or battling your colleagues in Monopoly during the lunch break, this high definition screen will truly put you in another world.

Everyone who buys a PalmOne Tungsten E Handheld ends up raving about it. But, like nearly any high tech product on the market today, this handheld PDA isn’t free from the slings and arrows of an occasional rant. One complaint stems from the fact that these devices have been known to sputter out a little too soon—a select handful died 4-6 months after being bought.

This didn’t happen to me, but it should be pointed out that the 90-day warrantee for this handheld CRM software PDA application is, obviously, not enough to cover such an unfortunate circumstance. Therefore, it is essential that buyers invest in a longer lasting warrantee lest they take the risk of not being backed up on the off chance that their product is a faulty one. Of course, the savvy used PDA shopper will have to contend with this risk—but with prices as low as $130, many will probably decide that it’s a risk well worth taking.