The Underdog Wins!
Written: Sep 09 '00 (Updated Sep 09 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Pirce, Ease of Use, Reliablity, Features
Cons: Looks, No RAM / Memory Upgrade
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| kajguy's Full Review: Palm IIIe Personal Organizer |
Let's call it the "Rocky" of the PDA world......the veritable underdog. The Palm IIIe is the most basic Palm there is. It's not slim and sexy, like the metallic Palm Vx. It's not got memory enhancing hormones like the Palm IIIx. It's not as communicative as the Palm VIIx. Nor, is it as colorful as the Palm IIIc. But, for getting the job done, there is none better for the price.
I've hosted Palmtopia (www.chrisopfell.com/palmtopia.htm) for the past two years and seen all the Palm devices. I've owned three of them, from the very first model. The Palm IIIe for a low price has tremendous bang for the buck! Just look:
It has an infrared port that allows you do beam anything from your electronic business card to complete programs to another Palm and vice versa.
It has the reliable Palm 3.0.1 operating system, which means it boots up instantly and does not crash.
It has a much improved b/w screen, which is "crisper" when compared with earlier Palms, and the reverse lit backlight is truly useful for reading an E-book in the dark.
It has the same core applications as all of the other Palms: the address book, the memo list, the to do list and the scheduler.
You can download the same 3,000 plus Palm programs available on Internet (like games, language translators, spreadsheets, e-books, calculators, remote controls, drink-mixing guides, virtual girlfriends, etc.) as the other Palms.
It will work with an optional modem (about $120.00) so you are e-mail capable.
It uses the same touchscreen technology that permits you to enter data by writing it in on the screen with a stylus using the included Graffiti program, which is simple and quickly learned playing the included Giraffe game.
Whew! For $149.00, that's a lot of capability you just laid your hands on. And, what I like most about the IIIe, it's SIMPLE. Some people seem to forget that this is a VIRTUE. It does not try to be everything. It simply does what it does well, day in and day out.
As an attorney, I've been able, using a program called "Make Doc", to convert legal documents into the Palm format so I can have them with me in Court. I don't worry about all the deadlines I have to face on my cases. I just enter them into my IIIe, and the Palm chirps to remind me when I need to do something. I can't begin to tell you how much aggravation this has spared me, not to mention jail time!
I love the convenience of the To Do list, where only the things that need to be done that day show up. If I don't complete them, I can instantly continue them to any date I choose. And, I have all the "hard law" I need stored in the Memo section. Since it is word-searchable, when I am in Court arguing in front of the Judge, I can very quickly look up what I need, since my IIIe boots up instantly. Ouch for the bad guys! And, While I am waiting for my case to be called, I can study a legal treatise that I have stored for review....or look busy while I play Pocket Chess, one of hundreds of games designed for the Palm. How's that, counsel?
OK. So, how does the IIIe compare with the brand-new Palm m100? The principal changes are cosmetic. Skin deep. The m100 is rounder and has changeable faceplates. I think a woman would appreciate its sensual curvature. (Yeah, right!) It also has WordComplete built-in, in which you enter the first couple of letters of a word and the software completes it for you, usually quite accurately.
Neither of these Palms let you download the new OS software. But, the IIIe does have a bigger screen and does not look so toylike as the m100. The IIIe also has optional colored plastic covers available, if that's what you really want.
Let's just say that the Palm m100 is a much "hipper" Palm IIIe. It has colored faceplates that you can change (at extra cost) just like a Nokia phone. (The colors are a metallic looking silver, red, green and two shades of blue; you'll get ka-chinged $19.95 each.) The batteries will last for months under normal use.
With a Palm IIIe, you'll never feel defeated. Hey, Sly!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 149.00
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Epinions.com ID:
kajguy
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Member: Chris Opfell
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Reviews written: 42
Trusted by: 14 members
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