Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Reliable, but inconvenient for travelers
I bought this Palm model after losing my m100 during a business trip. Instead of purchasing the same old model, I went for an upgrade with the m130, since it looked identical to my old unit plus it had color. The process of migrating the old data from my PC to the new unit was very simple (Fortunately, I kept my data synchronized in my PC on a frequent basis). The m130 works exactly the same as my old m100, making the learning curve minimal. I also noticed that the stylus graffiti recognition is more effective than in my m100, reducing the backspacing and correcting. The unit includes a HotSync cradle which is not only used for synchronizing but also to recharge the batteries. Obviously the cradle requires electric power.
I found the cradle a bit heavy and bulky and difficult to store in a notebook's briefcase. The engineers at Palm should have considered, for those of us who travel, making the cradle more compact and lightweight. You have no choice but to bring it with you everywhere since it is required to recharge the unit's short-lasting internal battery. Now, a bit about battery life. In my opinion, I consider the m130's battery life to be very short. My m100 used 2 AAA batteries that lasted more than a month. The m130's last a day or two and possibly less with heavy use. You need to get used to recharging it daily. Fortunately you can reduce the screen brightness by lightly tapping the power button while the unit is on to save battery life. In summary, Pros: Palm's reliability and reputation, ease of use, upgradeable, enough basic memory (8MB), clear display with good colors. Cons: Heavy and bulky HotSync cradle, very short battery life If you use your Palm for personal purposes and/or do not travel a lot with it, then you may disregard the Cons. If you do a lot of traveling you should consider obtaining a unit with a longer-lasting battery and a more compact cradle/recharger. 3 stars
Rating:  - Best PDA Deal for the Average Consumer
The Palm m130, for its price and what it offers, is probably the best deal on the PDA market right now.The m130 offers the same basic functions like any other PDA on the market: address book, calendar, notepad, beaming and other tools and accessories. Like most other PDA you can also upgrade it and download additional tools and utilities to it. The HotSync feature with your PIM software (Outlook, Palm Desktop, etc) is still there (and gradually getting better). Its biggest advantages over its competitors are simple, but important. 1.IT'S IN COLOR!!! For those of us who grew up in the "Gameboy generation" users will quickly come to appreciate it's easy-to-read color screen and you'll save yourself a few trips to the optometrist this way. Previous generations of PDA (and most current ones) are still on small screens (or even bigger screens) that are black and white and still difficult to read. Readability is not an issue for the m130. 2.Built in lithium batteries. No more Energizer or Duracel worries as this babies basically like a cell phone with Lithium batteries that are easily rechargeable, like your cell... If you are looking for a fairly inexpensive, high-quality PDA, this is a good start. Highly Recommended
Rating: - Great PDA to replace my Palm III
I have been using a Palm III for about 5 years and finally maxed out its memory. So I decided to upgrade to a newer model that has an expansion slot and at least 8 MB. After trying out several models I narrowed down my search to the m130 and m500 from Palm. I bought the m130 because of two reasons; it felt much more comfortable to hold than the slimmer m500, and the color display makes it much easier for me to read than the monochrome screen. I have had it about 1 week and I'm hooked. I love using it, the color screen makes such a difference. It is so much easier to read text against the white background. I also find the Grafitti recognition to be more accurate than the Palm III and I like the feel of the screen when writing. I also like the ability to write "notes" directly on the screen. All in all a great device for a reasonable price (I bought it here at Amazon). I would highly recommend the m130 - go for it!
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