Reconsidering the Palm
Oct 25 '00
I've used handheld computers for more than five years, starting with an Apple Newton, and progressing through a couple of Windows CE devices. Just recently, a traded my beloved Windows CE-based Philips Nino 320 to a friend who complained his Palm V didn't have enough storage. Since the Nino takes CompactFlash cards (and I included a 12Mb card), it was just what he needed.
Coming from the Newton, I was used to a full-featured environment. That's what attracted me to Windows CE to begin with, the fact it offered audio clips and desktop synchronization with Microsoft Office. I used to mock the Palm for its single-minded simple-mindedness.
I will be the first to admit, though, the Nino was a little slow to respond to simple tasks like looking up a phone number or consulting a ToDo list. That's why I was interested in using the much thinner Palm V.
For everyday PIM uses, the Palm is more than adequate. It has the still-unbearable Graffiti handwriting system but I've found I use the Palm mostly as a reference device. I'll look things up in it, but won't add much else into it. Since this unit came with the PocketMirror software to synch the Palm with Microsoft Outlook, I do most of my inputting in Outlook. It's just much easier.
Now, if I also didn't have a Vadem Clio 1050 for road trips, it'd be a different story. This is a very good road machine, suitable for spreadsheets, documents and e-mail. While these are all possible on a Palm, it's very tiny, given the small screen. It's okay in a pinch, but I wouldn't want to review and reply to dozens of e-mail messages on it.
The Palm's shortcomings are still there but I've found, for basic PIM activities, it's a good choice for those who don't want to embark on the steep learning curve of Windows CE (now PocketPC).
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Epinions.com ID:
trevor_d
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Location: Michigan
Reviews written: 57
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