SeaPUG Meeting, May, 2001

May 15th wasn't a very nice day here in the Seattle area, even by Seattle standards. It was cold, raining, and windy. As a result, traffic was particularly bad, and people were a little on the late side... including our presenter, Iola Stetson. Even though there were a few people there at 6:30, the meeting start time, we decided to start a little late. After introductions, Iola was still stuck in traffic, so we just kind of talked amongst ourselves. Some time around 7:15, Iola arrived.

Iola had brought with her an m505 and an informative PowerPoint presentation on Palms in general, and the m500 series features as well. As Iola spoke about the material on the slides, the m505 was passed around for people to get a good look at up close. It was nice to check one out without a salesperson getting antsy and breathing over your shoulder. After it was passed around, and the presentation was over, I took another look at it right next to my Vx. I held them side-by-side, with no backlight or sidelight, and walked around the meeting room comparing the viewability in many different lighting conditions. My personal opinion is that the 505 is just as readable as the Vx in most conditions, and this is with the sidelight off. Whenever I was in a situation with low enough light to make it hard to read, I turned on the sidelight and it was great. Is it as bright as a IIIc or Prism? Heck no. But, if you're coming from a grayscale Palm, I think this is a good choice, with a good screen. The backlit graffiti area would be really nice in the dark as well. Of course, don't drop the cash without holding one in your hands first. This screen is a love it or hate it screen, so make sure you love it before you buy it.

After the m505 hubbub was over, we had some items to give away. One of our members donated a nice zippered wallet and palm case to give away, which was happily received by the winner. Iola also had a GoType for the PalmIII that was no longer needed, and donated that to be given away. The winner of that prize was even happier than the winner of the case! As far as giveaways go, next month will be a blowout, so if you don't come for anything else, at least come for a chance to win!

The remainder of the meeting was spent in individual conversations, sharing applications and information. It ended up being a fairly long meeting for one with a 20 minute presentation! :)