---

5-19-99

My first palm device was the original PalmPilot 1000, which I used for about a year.  During that time, I bought lots of shareware apps, a PalmPilot snapon Modem, and a hotsync cable.  After a year, I upgrade the memory from 512 kb to 1 Mb and was fairly content with the my palm device.  It wasn't until my Pilot began acting up did I decide to trade it in for a new Palm III.

I've been using my Palm III for quite a while, and decided to hold off on upgrading to a different palm device until I see a substantial improvement in hardware technology.  The wireless features of the Palm VII was appealing, but the hefty price tag and extra charges for the data transfer made it undesireable.  I was intrigued, however, by the new color PalmPCs (e.g., Casio E-100), and investigated switching from Palm to the WinCE world.

Then one day, I read a message on the pilot newsgroup stating that a certain web site was selling Palm V's at a special one-day price of $79.00!  I placed my order, and after a few weeks I received my new Palm V!  That certain web vendor admitted to making a mistake on the advertised price, but in good faith sold one unit to everyone who had order one (good for them!).  So what do I do, sell this Palm V and buy a WinCE machine, or stay with the faithful PalmOS?

Well, I decided to open the box and check out the Palm V, and boy, I'm glad I did!  What a really, really slick machine!  Even though the OS is nearly the same as the Palm III, the new slim exterior design makes a big difference.  After using the Palm V for a week I thought, "What was I thinking?  I would be a fool to switch to a WinCE machine!".  It hit me, that the speed, simplicity, and availability of numerous shareware apps for the Palm V tremendously outweighed the advantages of getting a WinCE machine.  Below are a few thoughts on my fantastic Palm V machine!

Beautiful Design - In my opinion, the new Palm V is the best designed palm device around.  If you don't believe me, check one out at your local CompUSA or Staples.  The sleek metal shell, lightweight design, and dual pen silos makes it appear to be something out of "Star Trek"!

Clear Screen - The Palm V screen is definitely clearer than the older PalmPilot and Palm III machines.  This new screen has a lighter background than my Palm III, enhancing the readability of text.  Also, the screen can show true 16-level grayscale which works great for apps like ImageViewer.  For example, Figure 1 is what a 4-level grayscale image would look like on a standard Palm device, while Figure 2 is what a 16-level grayscale image would look like on a Palm V and/or Palm IIIx device.  What a difference!
 

Figure 1 4-level grayscale with error diffusion dithering

Figure 2 16-level grayscale with error diffusion dithering

New Backlighting - The Palm V uses a different backlighting scheme than the older Palm devices.  Instead of lighting up the background of the screen, the text on the screen light up.  It takes a little while to get use to, but it isn't all that bad.  If you don't like it, you can use a hack such as LightHack to reverse the lighting to mimic the older backlighting scheme of the older Palms.  No big deal.

Rechargeable Batteries - I like the new Li-ion rechargeable battery system.  I tend to hotsync my Palm device at least once a day, so I leave it in the cradle for recharging.  I've read some newgroup messages where people complain on not having the ability to pop in a fresh set of AAA's while on a trip away from their docking station, but I don't seem to have that problem.  The Palm V should have sufficient battery power for a few weeks, and I don't usually travel for more than a week at a time.  Besides, a resourceful person has already invented a 9-volt battery backup system for your Palm V in case of emergencies.

2 MB of Memory - I've read several newsgroup messages where people complain about having only 2 MB on the Palm V.  I certainly wish there were more memory, but 2 MB seems sufficient for my needs.  I try to be selective on what I load on my Palm V, loading only apps and games that I use routinely.  If I begin to run out of memory, I can always use the FlashPro software to store apps in the FlashROM free memory.  Again, no big deal.

Speed Increase - The Palm V is definitely faster than my Palm III for nearly all activities.  Switching of screens seems to happen faster, and my MiniCalc spreadsheet seems to operate quicker.

Perhipherals - Well, the PalmPilot Modem and hotsync cable which I've used with my Palm III will not work with my new Palm V.  I do like the design of the new Palm V modem, though.  It seems more integrated with the Palm unit and is less flimsy.  The $169 price is a bit high considering it has only a 33.3 kb modem speed.  I think I'll wait a bit until the price comes down before buying the new modem.

Cases - The Palm V comes with a simple leather cover for the front of the unit, but doesn't offer any protection for the rear portion of the palm device.  I investigated the various cases available for the Palm V, and decided to buy the Dooney & Bourke slim leather case.  It's a bit pricy at $49.95, but I like the design and color and expect it to last me for a while.

PIM Software - The Palm V comes with the Microsoft Outlook 98 software, which I was already using for my work activities.  MS Outlook syncs perfectly with my Palm V, transferring addresses, schedules, to do lists, mail, and notes with no problems.
 
 

My new Palm V charging up

So, will I ever consider a WinCE device again?  Maybe, if they develop a faster unit with clear color screen, long battery life, and lots of low-cost apps.  Until then, I'll use my new Palm V with great satisfaction!
 

Update 5-4-2000

Currently, the new PocketPCs powered by Microsoft's Windows CE will be available in most electronic stores and on the web.  Several newsgroup messages and magazine articles are touting these new machines and updated OS as "PalmPilot Killers".  So are the Palm devices now extinct?

Admittedly, the hardware for the PocketPCs is impressive-- faster processors, hi-res color screens, cool case designs.  The OS software is equally impressive with a new GUI, Transcriber handwriting recognition software, Pocket office applications, movie player, etc.  So what does Palm, Inc. have to counter offer?  Well, the latest new Palm device is the Palm IIIc, which is not too different from the Palm III other than a color screen and slightly faster processor.  So why am I sticking with the Palm?

For the past few months, I've been reading about the development of the PocketPC with the thought that Microsoft finally got it right on the 3rd try.  All indicators seem to show the PocketPCs are very usable due to the faster processors and improved OS.  So why haven't I put in my order for a new PocketPC?

Well, a few days ago I read an announcement by the CEO of Palm, Inc. that Palm intends to have wireless capability available for ALL Palm devices by the end of this year.  New Palm models will have wireless capability built-in, while existing models will have clipon devices.  This single future development has stopped me from considering switching to a PocketPC and staying with a Palm device.

From my web pages you can see that I've been able to use my cell phone with my Palm V (and appropriate cables) to effectively access the Internet for Emails, web browsing, web clippings, etc.  Having builtin wireless capability makes it even more convenient for me to access the Internet via my Palm device.  For me, having this capability far offsets the offerings of the new PocketPCs!  Sure, I can buy a Palm VII now and enjoy wireless internet access, however, the current cost of a Palm VII and monthly wireless service is still too high for me.  If all Palm devices have wireless capability, I can envision the cost of wireless service (palm.net) being reduced to affordable levels and possibly 3rd parties offering wireless access.  So for now, I'll wait and see what new devices and features Palm will bring to the PDA table!