REVIVAL OF THE ZIRE-72 PALM PILOT

If you're getting ready to throw out that archiac Palm Pilot or 'PDA', you might want to think twice. PDA's are actually great little devices with most of the features of a modern cell phone. (less the cellular connectivity itself) Not only can they manage times and dates, but can also record sound,

take digital pictures, play various forms of media, and even be syncronized to your PC. Just about any application software available for the Androids and droids have simliar software available for Palm OS or other Personal Handheld Device OS.

Maybe not quite as snazzy, but handy never the less. There's also tons of games and entertainment out there for them, too. PDA's have some distinct advantages over Cell Phone Technology, too. Hardware is often less expensive for them, There's plenty of free online information on them, and you're
arm is not being constantly twisted to sign up for expensive services. Also, modern cells often have lousy task managers that run down your battery in just 1 day. PDA's can go for days without being recharged sometimes. Some people even get a basic cell phone and use a PDA to manage all there other activities. These are hardy little devices that typically only die because the internal battery needs to be replaced and the OS needs to be reset. (or sometimes reinstalled) many of the operating
systems can now be downloaded for free and are often easier to install than an Android or Droid OS.

In this article, we revived a ZIRE-72 with the Palm OS. The battery was only $7.50 on Ebay and even came with the tools and instructions to get the job done. This was particularly important because the ZIRE-72 requires you to have a couple Torx Wrenches to open up the device. At first glance, the Torx Wrenches, or 'star wrenches', look like ordinary screwdrivers, but when you take a closer look, the tip is very different than a phillips or flathead screwdriver. This is a bonus since these tools may come in handy for other projects! It also came with a cloth to wipe down the device and some clear
screen protectors.





The first step is to remove the screws. Next, the bezel (the blue housing around the front of the PDA) needs to be removed to open up the device. Opening and closing the housing on the ZIRE-72 were the most difficult task. When openning the case, make sure you double check that ALL the screws are out since they are so small. Also, The side-rail that holds the sylus needs to be pulled out before the case will open all the way. (SEE the image below and note the black side-rail.)

Once the bezel is removed, you have to unplug the monitor from the harness and remove the monitor. The battery is hiding behind the monitor. Removing the buttons from the lower part of the housing seems to save some time as well. After removing the screws, housing, monitor, and buttons, you'll see the battery in the upper left side of the device. Pull the battery out of the device and then unplug the battery harness before completely removing the old battery. YOU'RE HALF WAY THERE!

Now just reverse the steps. Line up the battery so the harness will fit inside the housing containing the battery. Without pinching the battery cable, reinstall the battery. While trying to put the monitor back in, the buttons kept falling out of the lower section of the housing. We finally figured out a way to keep the bottons from shifting while finishing the assembly of the device. We placed a small piece of
shipping tape over the outside of the housing, then lined up the buttons and stuck them in the case. (held in place by the tape) SEE THE IMAGE BELOW FOR HOW TO PLACE THE TAPE AND
BUTTONS.

Once the monitor is in place you can plug the harness back into it. As you begin closing the housing, don't forget to line up the black side-bar on the right side of the case. The black side-bar is not only part of the frame, but also holds one of the stylus' for you. Next take one last look at the wires and corners of the case to make sure nothing gets pinched and the case is lined up properly. After the case is lined up, finish snapping it closed and replace the screws.

When charging the Battery, follow the direction that came with it. The first time you charge the PDA Device with a brand new battery, it's important to follow the specifications of that particular battery. Generally speaking, rechargable batteries should get a good, deep cycle charge the first time they are
used. This helps ensure the battery capacity and time between charges for the life of the battery.

HotSyncing this PDA was easy because the computer with the desktop software for the device was still at our finger tips. Once that battery was completely charged, we connected the PDA to the computer and the HotSync took place automatically. The information from the desktop computer replaced the settings and software that were lost because of the PDA's dead battery. It's now good to go. To connect the PDA to the computer, you need a standard Mini-USB to Standard-USB cable. These are easy to find and even come for free with most digital cameras.

Along with being able to connect to other devices be USB, PDAs may also have blue tooth or even WIFI. For approximately $12.00 we found a mini-WIFI card formed to fit the SD Card slot on the device. This was really a nice gadget since it's one of the few features initially missing on PDAs. Saddly, this particular WIFI card did not want to work with the ZIRE-72, but it is supposed to work on some of the later PDAs. That was really our only gripe with the ZIRE-72 was that we couldn't find a compatible WIFI card for this particular model. However, it's still a great device for basic day-to-day tasks, book keeping, voice memos, small digital photos, and many other tasks offered on modern cell phones. There's even free games available for it.
                             
                                                                                                     - NorthCountyPCSolutions