Zire 31: entry-level color with trade-offs
The Zire 31, shown in Figure A, has low-cost color as its most notable feature.

FIGURE A

Now you can get a color machine for $149. Click picture for a larger image.

At a suggested retail price in the U.S. of $149, it comes in at a full $50 less than the previous color price/performance leaders, the Dell Axim X3, shown in Figure B or the palmOne Tungsten E.

FIGURE B

The Dell Axim X3 is a Pocket PC at a very aggressive price. Click picture for a larger image.

The Zire 31, which was known within palmOne by the code name "Bengal," has 16MB of on-board memory (of which 14MB is available for use), a 160x160 pixel display, an SD card slot, and a jack for headphones, allowing it to double as an MP3 player.

According to palmOne, the company sold more than one million Zire products in the first seven months of sales. More than 70% of buyers of earlier Zire models were new to handhelds, and more than 50% of the buyers were women.

Unfortunately, while the Zire 31 is aggressively priced, it may not be the right choice for you. We compared it spec-for-spec with the entry-level Dell Axim X3 Pocket PC and the palmOne Tungsten E, and found that the Zire, in nearly all things, offered quite literally half the capability for a mere $50 price differential to either the Axim or the Tungsten E. Table A shows the details.