Customer Reviews

Palm V Hand held PDA

5 star:		(132)
4 star:		(42)
3 star:		(30)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

I started out with a Palm III, switched to a handheld PC and am now back with the Palm V. For the everyday person it's more than enough. I didn't buy it to play games with - I bought it to stay organized. The extreme ease of use is wonderful and syncing to your PC is a breeze. Anybody that needs more than this needs a handheld PC (Which have their own combersome problems!) I have found the OS platform with the Palm V much easier to sync with my desktop - especially with WindowsNT. Too many problems connecting with WindowsCE. The Palm V has far exceeded my needs and is perfect for the everyday user looking for a palm organizer that is just that, an organizer and 24hr assistant.

If you look at the Palm V and the Palm IIIx you will notice some major differences. First of all, the V is smaller, and looks cooler. However, the benefits end there. The V has half the RAM of the IIIx, which, as a seasoned pilot user, i know you will really want if you get into modems and telnet shells and mail and real-time web browsing. (not to mention games) I would suggest forgoing the looks for the functionality (something that is not done enough in our corporate world) and getting the IIIx. You will not regret it. However, if you have to have something shiny, by all means, this is the machine to get....

I've had my Palm V since June 1st. To my brother, wife & parents who conspired for my birthday: THANK YOU!!!!! Within two weeks I abandoned my Franklin Planner, and regretted not having had a Palm device 15 years ago. OK, that was impossible - but it has dramatically changed my life for the better, and I can't imagine ever going without it. In the last several months I have grown to be a very definite power user, and the corporate resource person for Palm-platform PDA's. Our guys have tried several others and are convinced that the Palm platform is the best and most flexible. I am very heavily into 3rd-party software evaluation (& some accessories), preparing recommendations for high-efficiency Palm device/software packages for company-staff issue. Eventually I may put together my own personal web-site, and post some evaluations and recommendations for software/accessories for Palm users.

Having said all that, here's an engineer's (my)perspective on the Palm V: Visors will be great, and Palm IIIx's are just fine, but the Palm V package size is definitely worth a lot to me. Forget the sexy appearance - it's great, but the superior Form Factor rules. Yes, I would prefer that the Vx cost is about what the standard V discounts for now, but since it will ALWAYS fit in my shirt pocket (without changing my shirt wardrobe) I ALWAYS have it with me (in a place that's probably least susceptible to being damaged or lost) - and that's what it's for. Though I prefer to use the slim padded 3COM case, I frequently slip the original leather flap-cover on for small shirt pockets, & thus can still carry a separate pen/pencil/stylus device. A big plus with those covers that I've never seen in a review: the soft "grabby" texture of the rubber-like spine flex keeps the Palm from sliding, even if you do toe-touches. Ta-dah... it doesn't fall out on the floor!!!! (Very big benefit since the cover isn't a padded case.)

Likes: I like being able to keep synced with both my office laptop and my home desktop (with the included MS Outlook Conduit)... autocharging in the docking cradle... a battery that's never gotten below a half-charge... nice screen... the size. I really like the unit overall - a truly great device.

Any problems? Yep. I did have to get the updated e-mail patch from the Chapura site to avoid some lock-ups when synching e-mail. Also, I highly recommend TealScript (the custom-tailorable graffitti add-on) for it's ability to help you tune up your handwriting speed/recognition - and it visually showed up a mysterious problem with the screen occasionally screwing up handwriting by adding a horizontal line: 3-COM quickly replaced it under warranty, and it's been fine.

Memory space? The average user probably will have no problem for a couple of years - I've met people with III's that are using less than 1k... a year after they get it: they've seen & use very few aftermarket programs. However, I've got more programs in there than will fit: launcher, datebook, calc & memo replacements, travel programs, doc reader, picture viewer, several clocks, a dozen utility and security programs, over a dozen Hackmaster hacks, and a few games. Since FlashPro gave me the extra 800k memory room (awesome), I found I probably had enough that I could otherwise get by fine without deleting rarely-used fluff programs - except that I use it heavily for work & software evaluation. The memory room of the Vx would be heaven - the perfect device, I think. It'd be handy to carry a lot of maps, but my current standard P5 doesn't have the memory room without deleting, say, my picture viewer. (Oh, the screen? It's great! Yes folks, it IS a 16 greyscale display!) Probably I'll upgrade to the Vx & give my wife my standard V (P5) unit: she thought it was no big deal when I got it, but has fallen in love with the capabilities and wants her own Palm device. Bottom line is that if you're a minimalist, the 2k of P5 memory is fine. But if you like to carry a Gerber/Leatherman/Swiss-Army device (like I do) because a pocketknife leaves you unprepared... better get a Vx or get the 8mb upgrade on your P5.

Price? When Handspring comes out with something to compete with a Vx, the price world will probably be great. Yeh, P5's are expensive compared to some of the lesser PDA's - but compare the price to a palmtop computer, and they look like a great deal... especially considering the impact on your lifestyle.

Can I mention my essential add-on programs list? Tough area, but currently I wouldn't give up these - listed in order of descending requirement: UnDupe (get it!), TealScript, Travel Clock, Hackmaster, (SwitchHack, StayOffHack, PalmV hack, Invert Hack & Invert, FindHack, CatHack), DateBK3 (& dbScan), BackupBuddy, IDPalm, FlashPro, a good launcher - either Commander or LaunchEm have too many great enhancements to do without. Must-have accessories: WriteRight screen covers, Throttle Stylus/pen. I regard the PalmV hack and StayOff hack as absolute essentials for Palm V users, and Invert with InvertHack give proper screen display when the backlight's on. In-depth info? O'Reilly's "Palmpilot: The Ultimate Guide" is a fantastic reference for ALL Palm owners.

January 15, 2000 3Com's Palm PDA's are definitely the best PDA's on the market. You can read the other reviews to hear how this device will help you organize your life and how wonderful it is. As a Palm collector (I have all Palm and Pilot models), I will rather compare the Palm V to the Palm Vx. The only difference between the two is that the V has 2MB of RAM, while the Vx has 8.

I have thousands of addresses, thousands of appointments, and many more to-do items, documents, etc. in my Palm. I also have fax, e-mail, and internet software installed, among many other programs. I only use about 1.5 MB. Therefore, although I have the Vx, I don't use any of the additional memory. Technically, because of the additional memory, the Vx is faster. Nonetheless, because Palm applications are so small, this difference is truly negligible. Therefore, before you spend $100 more on the Vx, make sure you're going to use the additional memory. It's the only difference.

Now, remember: the V series is rechargable, while the III series uses AAA batteries. Therefore, travelling with a V palm means you'll have to carry around the cradle. If you'd rather use batteries, maybe the IIIx is better for you.

Good luck!

I spent about 2 months trying to decide whether an organizer could be worth this much money. I just bought my Palm V last week, and it's hard to imagine life without it now. The Palm V is simply the best purchase I've made in a long time. It's an incredibly small and sleek little machine. It fits right in your shirt pocket, even with the hard case I bought for it. It has all the standard things you'd expect from an organizer (address book, to do list, agenda, expense report). The Graffiti system (writing instead of typing) only takes a little while to get used to. The Palm Desktop software and cradle allows you to back everything up in a few seconds. No batteries are necessary, because you can recharge the Palm Vin the cradle. Hundreds of extra programs and games can be downloaded. If you're trying to decide which Palm to buy, I definitely recommend the V. The Vx is about the same, but it has more memory (which I don't think I'll need) and costs a lot more, the III series is great but not as sleek, and the VII has the built-in modem, which doesn't interest me much. Go for the Palm V. If you're trying to decide whether it's worth the money, the answer is a resounding YES!

I finally decided to spend the extra $$ for the Palm V and give my old Palm III to my dad. Afterall, I loved the styling, but more importantly wanted the slimmer size.

Unfortunately, when you use the hard cover that comes with the Palm V and put it in your pocket, it causes the power button to turn on and then the up/down key constantly clicks. Huh?

So then I went out and got the hard case (a rip off if you ask me), causing the Palm V to be just as thick as my Palm III. That left me wondering why I bothered spending all that extra money to get a Palm no smaller than the one I already had.

Dad, can I get my Palm III back?

The Palm V is the sleek sportscar in the Palm lineup. It's light, far more pocketable without a cover and by far the best looking. Trouble is, you have to get a case for it (unlike the other Palms with their built in visors) and it needs more RAM, so consider that you'll be wanting an expansion module at some point. Windows CE fans whine about its lack of color and power, but who needs a desktop in your hand? Ridiculous. This thing is easy and fast at what it does, just like the other Palm units, and that's what you want. That's why Palm OS has dominated the palm device market. Find a discounted Palm V or opt for the IIIx, which is a better buy, or a Visor Deluxe if you can find one. The Palm Vx is a bit steep when you consider the IIIx and Visors. And be sure to browse the net, there's an astounding amount of third party freeware, shareware and software available to do about anything you could imagine!

I've become a fan since purchasing my Palm V from Amazon in December. I like having a computer with the computing power of the original Apple Macintosh with me wherever I go. It's great having access to phone numbers, notes and numbers with me whenever I need them. When I first got the Palm last month a colleague who owns a Handspring said "now you can buy the titanium case" I thought he was kidding and I bought a Coach case instead. But then I encountered the switch on problem and bought the titanium case from Rhinoskin - I love it! It's amazing to carry a Palm V in your back pocket and not worry about crushing it. The technology is very mature. Synchronization is fast and painless. I have only crashed my Palm once with a third party application and it was no problem to reset it through through the pinhole switch. You can enter information through the graffiti interface or a simulated keyboard interface. The graffiti interface takes a while to get used to and I generally prefer the keyboard interface. Somebody recently beamed a Pong-like game to me and it took lesss than a second to transfer from her Palm to mine. The backlighting is really nice and crisp. You can read the screen very clearly in a dark movie theatre. It's better than Indiglo lighting on a Timex watch. I highly recommend Palm Pilot: The Ultimate Guide. This is a excellent book chalk full of great information that also includes CD full of recommend apps that you can use on a trial basis. My two favorite apps are Actioneer and Quicksheet. Actioneer is sort of a front end to all the standard Palm apps and Quicksheet is a Excell-like spreadsheet that handles up to around 600 cells. I also like the MathU RPN calculator app. The GoType! Keyboard is handy if you need to enter a lot of information and you are away from your PC.

I love the great design of Palm V, this is my first palm and now I use it all the time to organize my schedule.

MEMORY : Palm V provides only 2 MB of memory, which is one of the major drawbacks. Installing all the softwares that I needed took about 1.2MB, left me about 0.8MB for data and stuffs. (btw there are lots of great freeware available which most I found are better than the correspondence shareware)

BATTERY PROBLEM : 3COM advertised that one charge will last about 1 months, only true if you don't use it regularly or you use your cradle everyday to charge it. (it also takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour to charge in cradle daily) One charge last less than 2 or 3 days for me, well I almost use it most the time, organize my schedule, expense, and playing games while waiting for my appointment.

PC ORIENTED : Palm products are also PC oriented, I use unix systems most the time, and use my PC just to charge or synchonize with the palm. (it will be nice if they can provide a unix compatible cradle) Anyway inspite of all the drawbacks, I love the Palm V, go get your own and you will feel becoming a different person.

SEVERAL ADVICES: 1. check for available freeware b4 you buy the shareware version. 2. You will need at least a slim leather case. (the one coming with Palm V, cause more problems than the benefits like the never off beeping) 3. Buy Palm Vx if you have more money. 4. If you decide to buy a Palm or its accesories, always search the net first, don't buy at the first place you found it. You might end up paying 20%-50% off in other place.

I am very pleased with my Palm V. It is small in size and big in features. In addition to the standard software that comes with the device, there are hundreds of different software options available for free (or small fee) at palm.com. I use my Palm-V for tracking business expenses, vehicle operation & maintenance, calendar/planner, calculator, address organizer, notes (can use Palm graffiti software that comes with it or Jot! software to write in your regular handwriting), Email, clock, games (chess, etc.), reading web downloads of Newspapers, maps, weather, etc. (via Avantgo! mobile sync available for free at avantgo ...yes, you don't need a Palm-VII ...this can all be done with a Palm-V. With a special GPS attachment it can be used with my bicycle to map routes/cue sheets. I am truly amazed at what such a small device is capable of doing! I am particularly impressed with how quickly it can "hot-sync" with my full-size computer to synchronize information with standard software on my full-size Windows-98 PC. Even with all my downloads, I haven't yet run out of space on my Palm-V, but I would consider purchasing a Palm-Vx instead which has more storage space for not much difference in price. What more can I say, if you are in the market for a palm-computing device, I highly recommend the Palm-V!