Palm IIIe: Useful, versatile, friendly -- and affordable
Written: Dec 28 '00 (Updated Jan 24 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Intuitive interface; great software; adequate memory; great price; looks really cool
Cons: May be hard to find
The Bottom Line: The IIIe is the best choice for the beginning Palm user.
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| s_trimble's Full Review: Palm IIIe Personal Organizer |
*Sigh* There's nothing worse than a gadget lover with no money. You'll read countless reviews on this site from knowledgeable, articulate people who have disposable income to burn on their favorite gadgets and gizmos -- PDAs, cell phones, portable MP3 players, and so on.
Then, there are the people like me, those who gazed longingly in the windows of Staples or Circuit City, hoping for a sidelong glance of the latest gizmo technology, but who, alas, must search for free rebates and low-cost calling plans when selecting a cell phone, and have a snowball's chance of ever affording a super-powerful Palm V. Oh Rhett, Rhett.
Seriously, I thought owning a PDA, which I have lusted after for some time now, was out of reach. Then I discovered the sleek, stylish, versatile Palm IIIe. Fast becoming obsolete, this handy-dandy little machine is well worth its relatively low price of roughly $129 (at Staples). With the advent of the superslim Palm V, the Palm VII (with integrated modem) and the color Palm IIIc, fewer hardcore gadgeters are looking at the IIIe, so it looks like Palm might be phasing it out.
THE BASICS
The IIIe is your basic-basic Palm -- it has 2 MB of memory, comes with all the basic Palm applications (Calendar, Address Book, Expense, Calculator, To-Do List, plus Desktop software), can easily hook up with your PC via the included HotSync cradle, and has several ways to input information. It doesn't have any of the fancy-schmancy stuff you'll find on the more expensive models, like a color screen, or an included modem, or upgreadeability. It's a PDA for beginners, basically.
And it is marvelous. The device is very easy to use, as you'll find out the first time you fire it up. It walks you through the basic setup, which makes sure the stylus inputs on the touch screen accurately, and sets up the date and time. The stylus screen is sure and accurate, and I had no problem getting used to it.
At setup, you'll also get an introduction to the handwriting-recognition program, called Graffiti. Now, I have heard from very reputable sources that Graffiti is basically worse than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. Don't you believe it. Yes, it takes some getting used to. But it fast becomes a handy way to enter data -- at the very least, it allows for quick corrections to text you've already inputted.
I'll explain: The other main way to input data is the onscreen keyboard. Any time you're entering text, you can hit a spot on the screen with your stylus, and a touch-keyboard pops up on the screen. You then use your stylus to tap keys. For anyone who's used to typing, it's quick and easy. But you may find that you've mistyped a letter. Rather than call up the keyboard again and correct your mistake, it's easy as pie to just Graffiti the correction.
As for memory, I've found that 2MB is plenty for me. I have a ton of addresses, a lot of calendar items, a large to-do list, and even a few games, and my memory is less than half-full. Now, I don't use it in a heavy-duty corporate way, and if you need a PDA for that reason, the IIIxe is about a hundred dollars more (but I think Palm has a $50 rebate offer out now) and has a whopping 8MB of RAM.
ACCESSORIES
There are a ton of accessories on the market for this machine, from pen/stylus combos to huge leather binder type cases. I would highly recommend the slim leather case put out by Palm. It's small enough that you can fit it in your jacket pocket, and it will protect your PDA from drops and incidental scratches. Also, it's easy to get the thing out of it when you want to HotSync.
AVAILABILITY
The IIIe is getting harder and harder to find. Palm has come out with a clone, called the M100, which is basically the same as the IIIe, but at a higher price ($149), with a different look, and with fewer trappings. For instance, the IIIe comes with the HotSync cradle, which, well, cradles your PDA while it hooks up with your PC. The M100 comes with a HotSync cable, which means you have to just lay your PDA on the desk while HotSyncing. I know which I'd rather have. Palm is marketing the M100 to the beginning PDA user, which means if you'd like a IIIe, you should get one now. However, Ebay has a large selection at auction if you can't find one in stores or online.
Anyway, I am extremely pleased with my decision to part with $129 for my IIIe. It is already serving me well, and it's satisfied my gadget-lust. For now.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 129
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Epinions.com ID:
s_trimble
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Member: Stephen Trimble
Location: West Chester, PA
Reviews written: 127
Trusted by: 95 members
About Me:
I'm back to my roots, writing business newsletters for Progressive Business Publications.
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