About a year and a half ago I was a stressed out college student on the brink of failing out. Then I got a Palm III for my birthday and now I'm graduating and heading to Law School. Coincidence? Probably, but I'm still thankful for my Palm III.
What does the Palm III do? Whatever you want. You need a portable phone book? You got it! You need a calculator? No problem! You need to know how to say, "I've been shot, take me to the hospital!" in German? As long as you downloaded the right program (and are still breathing) you'll have the answer pronto!
How much has my Palm III really helped? I can program in appointments, tests, anniversaries or any other important event as soon as I learn about them. Then I can set an alarm to remind me so I don't wake up the next morning to my answering machine telling me I'm fired. Really, it can save your job man!
Big deal, everyone knows about that. However, you can tweak these things as much or as little as you want. You like to balance your checkbook using Microsoft Money, but have problems remembering to add in your withdrawals or deposits when you return to your computer? Not anymore! Quicken or Money users can purchase programs for their PalmPilots which let you track your accounts on the device AND update your balance at the next hotsync! You'll never bounce a check again! Well, you shouldn't. If you do, don't blame the Palm (a good worker never blames his tools.)
You like games, don't ya? So do I. I like them alot. Probably too much, but that's another issue. You can download nearly any game imaginable! I have chess, euchre, blackjack, solitaire... the list goes on and on. Stuck in a waiting room? Whip out your Palm and let the good times roll!
I know what you're thinking: but Mike, ALL Palms can do that! True, but they all have their little quirks. You have to buy batteries for the Palm III (AAA's), while the Palm V can be recharged. The Palm III is a bit larger than the Palm V (but slightly smaller than the Palm VII). It all depends on what you like.
I change my batteries about once every month. I have found that Duracell Ultras seem to last the longest, but that is by no means a certainty. It's pretty simple to change the batteries, but you do have to make sure you don't take too long or you'll lose all of your saved files. Of course you do have about a minute, which is plenty of time.
I did have one problem with my Palm III. It seems that dropping them about four feet onto a metal heat vent is bad for the device. How bad? The screen flickers for a month, then stops working. How do you solve this problem? If the Palm III is still under warranty, you send it back to them and they send you a new one. How do you prevent this from happening? Either A) don't store the Palm III on top of your monitor, lest you accidently knock it off onto a metal heat register or B) you buy a titanium hardcase for it. I went for option B. Rhinoskin was selling titanium hardcases for $99 when I bought mine. It makes the Palm III bulky, but you could dropkick the thing and it would (probably) be fine. Don't try this at home though!
All in all, I'd have to say that this device has saved me more time, money and headaches than I'd even want to think about. I'd definitely recommend it for anyone, and specifically for college students. You can't take notes on it, but you can keep your schedule in order. Time management is the name of the game in college, and this puppy will help you become a master scheduler. If you only buy a college student one thing ever, buy them a PalmPilot.
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