Rating: 
Summary: Mako
Review: This is a very good product. They only drawback is that the screen is not backlit. This is easy to use and compact to haul around. Much easier than the traditional laptop. Convenience.
Rating:
Summary: Best little computer I've seen
Review: This item isn't a Palm! It works like a small computer. I still remeber when 16M RAM and 36Mhz processor were real computers. This one has actually replaced my laptop for word processing and Excel. I was able to take this item to a conference and actually take notes during the presentations, even in the dark since the keys are light colored and easy to see. The lack of backlight was somewhat of a problem. However, with a complete spell check built in I was able to make corrections in only a minute. The battery life is incredible. After 9 hours of continual use I still had 60% of the battery life left over. The data program is easy to customize and Jotter takes notes easily. One of my favorites is the integration of the Agenda program with Word so that you can take endless notes and attach them to the event. All-in-all I am glad that this was my first PDA device.
Rating:
Summary: Best little computer I've seen
Review: This item isn't a Palm! It works like a small computer. I still remeber when 16M RAM and 36Mhz processor were real computers. This one has actually replaced my laptop for word processing and Excel. I was able to take this item to a conference and actually take notes during the presentations, even in the dark since the keys are light colored and easy to see. The lack of backlight was somewhat of a problem. However, with a complete spell check built in I was able to make corrections in only a minute. The battery life is incredible. After 9 hours of continual use I still had 60% of the battery life left over. The data program is easy to customize and Jotter takes notes easily. One of my favorites is the integration of the Agenda program with Word so that you can take endless notes and attach them to the event. All-in-all I am glad that this was my first PDA device.
Rating: 
Summary: More good than bad
Review: Up side: intuitive keypad, preloaded Excel & Word, PC link and docking station free with purchase, large screen, alarms, internet and e-mail capability (you have to buy modem separately) and holds 16 MB, all for half the price of its competitor.Down side: no back light, expensive modem.
Rating: 
Summary: Some Real Problems Here
Review: Well OK, there are some nice things about this gadget. I find it very compact and I like the keyboard and the fact that it has a word processor and spread sheet. However, after endless amount of time writing to Sonic Blue (the staff were incredibly unhelpful and didn't seem to care about my problem at all), consulting with friends etc, my Diamond Mako still does not talk to my computer (my operating system is Windows 98). BIG PROBLEM!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent PDA
Review: While the Mako is a new entry to the US market, it is based on a platform that has been popular in Europe for some time now. This is because the Mako is a repackaged version of the Revo Plus PDA by Psion. From the UK, Psion has been making and marketing PDA's running Symbian's EPOC operating system. You probably haven't heard of Psion or Symbian, because they have done a lackluster job of marketing in the US. Psion's new relationship with Diamond is designed to change all of that. What this all means from the customer's point of view is this: the Diamond Mako is based on a tried-and-true, mature operating system that has been around at least as long as Palm's. Psion uses the same OS in two of its other products as well - the slightly larger 5mx, and the sub notebook-sized Series 7. The screen on the Mako is excellent. It is a high-contrast LCD that is as sharp as the Palm Vx. What sets it apart from Palm devices is that it is about 50% larger, and is laid out horizontally. This makes it significantly more useful as an eBook reader compared to the Palm. Its 16 shades of gray allow for a very attractive user interface, with detailed icons and drop-down menus. The screen also acts as an input device when used with the included stylus. One interesting feature that the OS handles is a global zoom. From any application you can increase or decrease the size of the text, without actually changing the structure of your documents. The only downside with the display is the lack of any sort of backlight. Psion did include backlighting with its 5mx model at the cost of contrast and clarity. I have seen both, and prefer the display on the Mako. Adjustable contrast can make the screen readable in any indoor situation, but not in a darkened car or movie theater. The keyboard on the Mako is a love-it or hate-it affair, and will probably be the deciding factor for most customers, even those who love the PDA's other features. The keyboard is small, with each key about the size of an M&M candy. They're too small to allow regular touch-typing, but you can get up to a good speed with two or four finger pecking. Doing this assumes that you have a flat surface to set the unit on. I am able to type on it virtually as fast as a normal keyboad by cradling the unit in my hands and typing with my thumbs. The Graffiti system on the Palm is fine for entering short bits of text, but can be excruciatingly tedious when working with large documents. This is not true of the Mako keyboard. As a matter of fact, I wrote this review on one and pasted it into Amazon. The keys provide a bit of tactile feedback when pressed, but they do not go down very far. To make typing a little easier, the OS allows you to set "keyclicks" to off, quiet, or loud, so that you can hear a clicking sound as you type. Another thing that makes the keyboard nice is that you can do practically anything on the Mako without using the stylus. This isn't true if you're using a drawing program, of course. Since the stylus doesn't need to press against the screen very often, this can reduce or eliminate the screen scratches so common on other PDA's. The Mako is a very powerful and full-featured PDA. Its processor is speedy, and its internal rechargeable battery is convenient. The built-in applications are superior to Palm's in almost every way, and it would cost if you were to purchase similar yet inferior software for a Palm device. This includes the Word Processing, Spreadsheet, and Database programs. The keyboard may not be for everyone, so I would recommend trying one out before making a purchase if at all possible. The lack of a backlight may also be a problem for some. Although the Mako is just a PDA, it's advanced features and keyboard make it feel like a mini-PC. You will be missing out on a great product if you fail to check out the Mako when you shop for your next PDA.
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