PalmOne IIIx Handheld

by Palm

Product Details

Product Manual [2.35mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 13.3 x 7.9 x 4.3 inches ; 2.7 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00000IGBF
• Item model number: 80301U
• Batteries: 2 AAA batteries required.
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (79 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,721 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
  • #71 in Electronics > Computers & Add-Ons > PDAs, Handhelds & Accessories > PDAs & Handhelds
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1999

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

The Palm IIIx carries on the tradition of the attractive and popular Palm line of PDAs. With its 4MB memory, this connected organizer is rated to hold 12,000 addresses, 5 years of appointments, 3,000 to-do items, 3,000 memos, and 400 e-mail messages. The "x" in IIIx stands for expandable, and the Palm IIIx offers memory expansion with an internal slot for upgrade cards.

Setting up the Palm IIIx was easy--we just inserted two batteries, connected the cradle to a desktop PC serial port, dropped in the software CD-ROM, and followed the installation wizard.

You can navigate through the Palm IIIx's main applications--memo pad, to-do list, address book, and calendar--with six push buttons or by tapping the stylus on the backlit display. Palm OS 3.1 facilitates drag-and-drop linking to Microsoft Word or Excel and provides network synchronization and automatic configuration with Microsoft Outlook. The CD-ROM that comes with the Palm IIIx provides all the necessary software to manage tasks on your desktop, too.

The Palm IIIx is PC- and Mac-compatible (an inexpensive MacPac connection kit is required for Mac users), and, as with the PalmPilot Professional, the Palm IIIx uses the industry-acclaimed HotSync technology to exchange data with your desktop PC. The documentation is extensive and well written; it includes a Getting Started card, a handbook, a software-and-resource guide, and an accessory catalog.

In our test of the Graffiti Power Writing feature, which allows you to write on the Palm IIIx using Graffiti's shorthand alphabet, the Palm IIIx interpreted a full paragraph with no errors. We easily and successfully transmitted the text to another device through the infrared transceiver. We found Palm IIIx's expansion slot beneath its cover. While memory upgrade cards are not yet available from 3Com, other manufacturers do make compatible cards.

With its increased memory and OS 3.1, the Palm IIIx is a great evolutionary step in the Palm line. --Mike Brown

Pros:

• Expandable for possible add-on hardware and memory upgrade cards
• Easy to set up, learn, and use
• Widely supported by third-party software, shareware, and freeware

Cons:

• None

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

186 of 188 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great choice but not perfect, January 2, 2000

By 

Mary Jo Sminkey "dog trainer and web programmer" (Durham, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: PalmOne IIIx Handheld (Office Product)

The big questions these days is what organizer to get. I'll assume you are reading these reviews because you already know that the Palm OS beats CE any day. So the choice is a Palm Vx, a Palm V, a IIIx or a Visor. I can't recommend the Visor right now due to the horrible problems people are having with Handspring...maybe in another year, but not now.

The new Vx is a good choice, lots of memory and the other advantages of the Palm V like a better screen, and rechargeable battery. But the darn thing is still overpriced. If money is no problem though, I'd probably go with the Vx.

The V is good too, but only 2 meg of memory...yuck! Now, 2 meg of memory is going to be enough for a lot of people. If all you want to do is the basic appointment/phone book/to-do stuff, 2 meg is more than you'll ever need. But that's it...you're stuck with 2 meg and can't upgrade (easily). If you are interested in using your Palm to do internet stuff, grab webpages with AvantGo, play games, read books, etc. you're going to find yourself a bit squeezed by 2 meg. You can still do quite a bit, but it's a bit more work to manage your space.

Now, for less money you can get the IIIx. You'll have twice as much memory, and the ability to upgrade. I personally put on the TRG xtra xtra pro board which gave me 4 meg more of RAM and 2 meg more Flash...it's like having an 11 meg Palm! Really great. Of course, I bought this before the Palm Vx came out, today it's not quite as good a deal to do.

One other reason I like the Palm IIIx is that I have a lot of add-ons that only work with it...the Palm Navigator (compass), the Weatherguide, Landware's GoVox voice recorder, etc. I don't believe these will fit a Palm V. Of course, it goes both ways....Palm's new 33.6 modem and the new wireless Omnisky modem only fit the Palm V.

I do believe the Palm V has a better screen, it doesn't seem to have the streaks that a lot of the Palm IIIx's have. And there's no doubt it has a certain "coolness" factor. Most of my friends at work went with the Palm V. But they are fairly impressed with the space and the accessories I have for my Palm IIIx.

130 of 131 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent, reasonably priced organizer, January 25, 2000

By 

ADM (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: PalmOne IIIx Handheld (Office Product)

If you don't want to spend all that money on the slimmer, sleeker Palm V, and you know you don't want a WinCE device, then the IIIx is the way to go.

The IIIx has the same screen technology and processor as the IIIe, but twice as much memory. Some users have reported "streaking" problems on the screen. I have not experienced that. In most cases, my screen is very clear and readable.

However, Palm recently introduced the "reverse backlighting" feature that inverts the color when you turn it on. It's great when you're sitting in very dark conditions, but in dimly lit rooms or during twilight outside, it can be quite difficult to read the screen because of the reverse backlighting. I learned, though, that there is a simple Graffiti shortcut to make the backlight "normal". Even with the normal backlighting, I had trouble reading the screen in twilight conditions.

Another feature of the IIIx that the IIIe lacks is an upgradeable operating system. This was the deciding factor for me when I chose the IIIx over the IIIe. The current PalmOS is 3.3, but the IIIe was shipping with 3.1 when I bought the unit for a friend for Christmas. The IIIx also had 3.1, but I immediately upgraded it to 3.3. There is no way to do that on the IIIe.

You may ask, Why would I need OS 3.3 instead of 3.1? Here's one reason: HotSyncing via infrared. OS 3.1 can't do it. If you're a laptop user and don't feel like carrying your HotSync cradle everywhere, or springing the extra money for a USB cable, then IR is a great feature. It's slower than the cradle, but way more convenient.

The IIIx also has an internal expansion slot that the IIIe lacks. Supposedly, you can open up your IIIx and plug devices like pager cards, etc., into it, but I don't think many of these devices exist right now. It wasn't a deciding factor for me.

Many people (including myself) have wondered: Why get a Palm IIIx instead of a Handspring Visor Deluxe? Here's is my reason, that I don't see many people mentioning: like the IIIe, the OS in the current Handsprings CANNOT be upgraded. That means if it ships with OS3.1, you are stuck with it.

If upgrading your OS is important to you, you should not get a current model of the Visor. (Perhaps in the future, their models will be upgradeable.)

The other reason I chose the IIIx over the Handspring was that Handspring was experiencing 6 week delays. I know that another reviewer has said he got his in 2.5 weeks, but if Handspring's own website is saying "It's going to be 6 weeks," then you pretty much have to take it at face value. I just checked their site as I write this, and it says their wait is down to four weeks. If you can wait that long and don't need an upgradeable version, then I would take a hard look at the Visor. It has a lot of attractive features. Remember that Visors ship with a USB cradle. If you don't have USB support on your computer, you'll have to purchase a serial cradle for (I think) $10.

As far as cost goes on the IIIx, shop around a little if you're cost-conscious.

To sum up, get the IIIx if:

(a) You can't afford/don't need the slimness of the V or Vx (b) Need the extra memory compared to the V or IIIe (c) Need the upgradeable OS or IR HotSync (d) Can't wait the possible 4 weeks for the Visor.

Hope this info is useful.

91 of 93 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The little engine that could, November 26, 1999

By 

G. Karas (Pasadena, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: PalmOne IIIx Handheld (Office Product)

I bought by Palm IIIx on a whim. I figured, "Well, everyone else seems to think they're great." They were right. The Palm IIIx is fantastic. For me, the best features are its address book and the "To Do List." Gone are the little scraps of paper I used to use to keep all my lists of stuff to do. I've been completely neglecting my paper address book ever since I got the IIIx. Between its small size, its ease of use, and its versatility, this Palm is a winner all around. BTW, I highly recommend the O'Reilly PalmPilot guide to go with it. Like all O'Reilly books, this one cuts right to the chase. It makes the IIIx even easier to use.