Clearly Cool, But Is It Functional?
Written: Jul 08 '01 (Updated Jul 08 '01)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: clear case, III form factor including screen, compatible with III accessories
Cons: 2MB, non-upgradeable, OS 3.1, no expansion, inverted backlight
The Bottom Line: Although I recommend getting an 8MB device, if you feel that 2MB is enough then the clear case, large screen, and compatibility with III accessories makes this the best choice.
|
|
|
| quasar's Full Review: Palm IIIe Personal Organizer |
The Palm IIIe SE is a very cool Palm. Identical to a Palm IIIe except for its clear case, the IIIe SE is the only Palm OS device ever released with a clear case out of the box. Marketed to students in the United States and sold mostly in college bookstores, the SE was the only IIIe device sold in most of the rest of the world.
The Palm IIIe SE is very cool, but is it functional? The answer depends on what you are looking for in a Palm.
Basic Specs
The Palm IIIe runs OS 3.1 on a 16MHz Dragonball processor. It has 2MB of RAM and no Flash ROM. Consequently, the OS cannot be upgraded and you cannot store important applications and data in non-volatile memory. The device weighs 6 ounces (170 grams) and measures 4.6 inches x 3.8 inches x 0.8 inches (12 cm x 8.1 cm x 1.77 cm). Like all III-style devices the IIIe comes with a serial hotsync cradle.
The Screen
The IIIe has the same screen as the IIIxe, a screen very similar to that of the TRGPro and the Palm V. It is a bit clearer than the older III and PalmPilot screens and quite easily read in daylight. Unfortunately like the IIIxe, TRGPro, and Palm V it uses an inverted backlight. A normal backlight, such as those found on the Palm III, PalmPilot Personal and Professional, Clie 300, and HandEra 330, lights up all background pixels, leaving foreground pixels untouched. Inverted backlights switch the on/off pixels then light the pixels that were on. Since most of the time many more of the pixels are off than on, this conserves battery life by lighting fewer pixels. However, it also makes the device nigh on unreadable in partial darkness conditions. This inverted backlight is only viewable in complete darkness. To me at least, this decreased useability simply is not worth the extra battery life.
Accessories
The IIIe uses the standard III form factor and hotsync connector. Any accessory that works in a III-style device should work with the IIIe. Since the bulk of accessories are still designed for this form factor, one that has been in use for over three years, there are quite a lot of choices. All III stylii should fit its silo, and all III cases should fit the IIIe perfectly. The only potential problem is if drivers for accessories require greater than OS 3.1. The IIIe cannot be upgraded past this. However, I have yet to find any accessories that do not work with OS 3.0 so this should not be a problem.
Why Clear?
I must admit that I absolutely love clear Palms. There's something immensely satisfying about seeing just how a device is put together. I used to spend hours watching the mechanisms in my clear Mickey Mouse watch when I was 8 years old. Although Palms have no moving parts, clear Palms are just as fascinating.
Now, some people who know me are about to attack me, crying hypocrite. You see, I have been quite vocal about how I can't understand why folks won't buy a particular Palm just because they don't like the way it looks. Well, I still stand by that bewilderment, and I am in no way suggesting that you should run out and buy this device just because I really like how it looks. Functionality wins over form every time in my book, and I firmly believe it should in everyone else's as well. But if you decide that the IIIe is the device for you, then faced with the choice of a normal black shell or a clear shell I strongly recommend clear.
Compared to the m100
Just as the m105 replaced the IIIxe in the official Palm lineup, the m100 replaced the IIIe (although many stores sell both the IIIe and m100). On paper they are similar devices, both 16 Mhz, both 2MB with no Flash ROM and no OS upgradeability. However, the m100 comes with OS 3.5 whereas the IIIe comes with OS 3.1. To date there are only a handful of applications that require OS 3.3 or OS 3.5, and of those almost all are for color devices only or significantly geared toward color. Of course, that could change at any time.
IIIe offers the advantage of compatibility with III accessories and a larger screen. The m100 offers the newer OS, a more durable (smaller) plastic screen, and a more stylish form (although I would take a clear IIIe over the m100 any day of the week in the looks department). The m100 also has two newer applications - Clock and NotePad. NotePad is a built-in version of Diddlebug, a freeware application you can separately add to the device, so this is not a significant difference in my mind.
Compared to the Visor
The original Visor is also a 2MB non-upgradeable device running OS 3.1. It is approximately the same size as the IIIe and has a similarly sized screen. However the screen on the Visor is inferior to the IIIe. It isn't nearly as sharp, and the backlight, such as it is, is much dimmer. The advantage of the Visor is the Springboard slot. After two years we are finally reaching critical mass on the Springboard and some nice modules are finally coming to market. However, in all honesty, I don't think a 2MB device can fully take advantage of many of the modules designed for power users and some of the newer modules require Visor models running OS 3.5 (Omnisky, for example).
The Visor also comes with a USB cradle out of the box as opposed to the serial cradle of the IIIe. Depending on your desktop system this may or may not be an advantage.
The Bottom Line
If you are looking to buy a Palm OS device, I would strongly urge you to consider an 8MB device. However, if you feel 2MB is enough (and are willing to live with the need to upgrade to a newer device later), I would buy the IIIe SE over any other 2MB Palm unless there is a specific Springboard module you feel you need. It has the best screen of the bunch and better compatibility with existing accessories. Besides, clear is very very cool.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 149
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.