Ok, so you've made the right decision so far and decided to buy yourself a Palm. Give yourself a pat on the back and read on.
There are two families of Palm available in Europe at the moment. The III range and the V range. All the Palms run the same software, the only differences are memory storage, screen and size/style.
The III range consists of the greyscale screened IIIe/IIIx/IIIxe which are all the same size and have 2,4 and 8Mb of RAM respectively. Actually I lied, they are not 'exactly' the same, the IIIe does not have the OS stored on Flash memory like all other Palms so you cannot download OS upgrades and install them yourself. On the other hand you can buy it with a nice clear case. At the top of the III range is the IIIc. This is the only Palm to come with a colour screen. Although technically part of the III range it has a slightly larger case than the others and has a rechargeable battery as opposed to the 2 AAA cells the others take.
The V range only consists of two models, the V and the Vx. The two are identical except the V has 2Mb memory and the Vx has 8Mb. The V range comes in a beautifully designed brushed aluminium skin and have rechargable batteries (Li-ion cell which charges when you put it in its cradle).
OK so you know the facts but which one?
Firstly Colour or Black and White. Colour is very nice BUT.....It only comes with the most expensive Palm which also happens to be the largest. The basic PDA software which comes with the IIIc is adapted to use colour, but the vast majority of software out is only designed to display in black and white whatever you're running it on.
How much memory?
2Mb is easily enough if you only intend to use your PDA as a personal organiser with a few extra programs.
4Mb is plenty for most people. It will allow you to install all the programs you will need and maybe an e-book or two. You'll have to be careful with the memory but it won't be much of a problem.
8Mb is loads. I have every program I am remotely interested in and about half a dozen books to read if I ever get bored. There's still 3Mb left free.
Palm programs tend to be much more compact than WinCE software and so do not compare between the two machines directly.
Finally III or V?
There seems to be quite a price difference between say the IIIxe and the Vx. Why pay the extra?
The Vx has rechargable batteries of course but this is not a huge advantage. The two AAA batteries your IIIxe eats will keep it going for months. The Vx needs to be fed every couple of weeks and from its cradle so if you're going on holiday for a month the cradle is going to have to come with you if you intend to use it for any length of time. Spare AAA batteries can be picked up anywhere if needed. On the other hand the Vx is half the thickness and under half the size but most importantly looks a whole lot better. Actually words alone cannot express how much better it looks, it is a design work of art. It nestles in the Palm of your hand. People start conversations with you about it and then buy themselves one.
IIIc, the colour isn't worth the pile of negatives balanced against it. On the other hand it does seem to be selling so perhaps it's just me. Try it for yourself.
IIIe, is a bargain, if you just want something to replace your Filofax and the basics such as email.
IIIxe, if you aren't bothered too much about the size (it's still pretty small) this is probably the best buy for the power user.
IIIx, buy this if you know you will be using the Palm to actually do work/play on. It has enough memory and the flash OS is a useful advantage over the IIIe. I've a feeling it might get phased out so you might spot it cheap.
V, Looks beautiful, but not enough memory for the price.
Vx, little bit more than the V, but definitely worth it. More memory than you know what to do with and drop dead gorgeous to look at.
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Handheld - 128 MB RAM - Screen: 4 in inch - Display: TFT active matrix - CPU: XScale PXA310 - Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi - Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0, Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0 Classic
Thanks alot for this op. I was thinking of getting my mother one. You have explained everything very well.
Greeny 26.12.2000 01:32
Thank you. That was possibly the most helpful thing I've seen on ciao - it covered so much ground in so much depth without being a dull page if stats.
But I'm stil going to buy a Handspring Visor.
tehuti 23.12.2000 01:31
James, thank you so much for explaining the differences between the different Palms. I'm trying to decide whether to buy one and have been extremely confused by all the models which are available. Your review has made things a lot clearer.
Advantages: Small, light, smart and v.useful. V. easy to sync with desktop PC Disadvantages: Cannot expand memory or put extra cards/tools (Camera/MP3) in.
paz2000 06.02.2001 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Palm Vx
Advantages: Looks gorgeous; loads of apps to download; recharges while you sync Disadvantages: Fewer features than the new Win CE handhelds (MP3 player, colour, etc.)
jefferson 19.07.2000 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Palm Vx
Jul 19th, 2000
very helpful by (86%):
helpful by (14%):
