Rating: 
Summary: Perfect for the organized person...but...
Review: I've been using a Palm IIIx for a year now, and yes, it's a brilliant device- but it's not for everyone. Should you buy one? Yes, if:1. You're already an organized person. If you're the type who uses a datebook or calendar, who answers their e-mail immediately and who keeps up to date to-do lists, you'll find the Palm a godsend. You'll find yourself whipping out the Palm during meetings to answer your e-mail, making notes for grocery shopping and jotting down telephone numbers and addresses. 2. You're a gamer or technofreak. You'lllove the variety of software for the Palm. You'll be playing SimCity (yes, there's a Palm version!), chess, Galaxian and programming in FORTH, C and various Palm-specific interpreters. 3. You're a hardware hacker. The Palm is a great interface for all sorts of experimentation. But if you buy the Palm thinking it'll make you organized...nope, won't happen. Save your money.
Rating:
Summary: How about that Tech Support?
Review: I bought the Palm because I got tired of carrying a notebook and pen around. Had a terrible time with the Hot Sync. Received 4 emails from tech support within HOURS and on the weekend. Problem was defective USB port in my 3rd party hub, not Palm. Is a great product in a small package. And hundreds of programs available.
Rating: 
Summary: Great toy!
Review: Everywhere I look, I see a Palm. I finally decided to see what the big deal was. I was not impressed with my Win CE machine (I like MS, just not in a handheld) so it took a while before I'd try this. I'm an immediate convert! I never knew there was so much you could do with a Palm and I'm VERY glad the IIIxe comes with 8 megs. I almost bought a IIIe, just because I'm a cheapskate- glad I didn't! I used 4 megs in the first week. Books, games, addresses, star charts, you name it, it's out there! Only gets 4 stars because I dropped it less than 2 feet and cracked the screen. Take my advice- get a STRONG case for it and/or buy the screen replacement warrenty from Palm. $100 to replace the screen, $30 (or so) for the warrenty.
Rating:
Summary: Bye-Bye Franklin Planner!
Review: YEEEHHAAAHHH! No more paper planner...I continued to carry my Franklin Planner to work all of one day after buying the Palm IIIxe...never again! (And I can even have my Shakespeare as shareware always within reach! ) It's also wonderful to have a photo album (in 16 gray-scale) of my little boy when I'm on the road.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't get this When you could.....
Review: I compared the Xe to the Handspring Visor deluxe and the Visor is much more superior than the Xe. The Visor is infinately upgradeable, you can add another 8MB to it with the 8MB that it comes with or add more if you want. It runs on the same Palm OS as the Xe so all software is compatable, it is even the same size! Don't waste your money on a device that you can't upgrade later. I'm glad I got the Visor Deluxe.
Rating:
Summary: great help!
Review: I had long wanted to buy a Palm product of my own, and for this purchase, I was deciding between the Palm IIIxe and the Palm Vx. Both essentially have the same specs, but the Vx has the obvious "cool" factor. I decided on the IIIxe for a number of reasons. Firstly, the IIIxe was value for money. The Vx cost... more but does exactly the same things. Secondly, there are more (and better) after-market cases for the IIIxe. Vx owners invariably complain of the lack of good cases for their Palm. Thirdly, there have also been a good number of complaints regarding the location of the Vx's on/off switch. Personally, I find this rather critical since I put the Palm in my pocket most of the time. There are other reasons, including the flip cover which the Vx does not have. The Vx is also not expandable. This is, of course, assuming that Palm will develop an expansion kit for the Palm in the near future. One also has to send in the Vx back to Palm when its internal rechargeable battery is no longer working. However, I did encounter a couple of problems with the IIIxe. Less than a week after receiving my unit, two buttons used to launch the main applications were broken. The alarm on the IIIxe is also rather feeble, making it hard to hear when you are outdoors. In spite of its shortcomings, the Palm IIIxe is a very good product. HotSync is very easy--literally a "one-touch" operation! It works seamlessly with Outlook Express, although it works well with Eudora and other mail management software, too. There are also hundreds of free, shareware and demo programs you can download for the Palm. Even as a college student, I find the software AvantGo very useful to check on the latest financial and world news. It has been a very good first experience with amazon.com and Palm. I was a bit skeptical to order from an online merchant, but amazon.com's customer service has been the best i've encountered. Overally, I recommend this product for its price and functionality. Amazon.com also deserves special mention for their wonderful customer service. Definitely a good buy for me. No regrets!
Rating:
Summary: Orale Pues Palm!
Review: I was a little skeptical about purchasing this organizer due to having a Mac at home and work. Now that it's in my hands, I am thoroughly pleased. iMac owners, be advised that you WILL need to obtain the PalmConnect USB Kit. Once you have that, you're in business! This organizer will definitely prove to be an excellent investment!
Rating:
Summary: If you have a computer, you should have one of these.
Review: If you have a computer, and it has an open COMM port connection. Get one of these. Not the cheaper models, with only 2mb, get the IIIxe. It is an INCREDIBLE device. Sure, it has Memo, Datebook, To Do lists, calculator, and a few other built in items. Look at it that way, and the price is a bit steep? BUT. Look on the web. Many many website devoded to the Palm PDA. On all these sites are THOUSANDS of programs and documents. Many good ones free. Incredible diversity of programming, making the Palm an amazing and useful device. I downloaded a database, document reader, secure memo pad, games and games, documents, magazines, ebooks, and with one service, you can download any of hundreds of specially formatted website documents, like news, weather, magazines, etc. Again, it is incredible what this little device does. Then there is hardware for it...modems, KEYBOARDS, etc. Cases galore. Many programs use what is called "conduits"....connection to the Palm and it's data with PC applications of all sorts. I have the bible, many magazines, books, short stories...all sorts of reading material on my Palm. When I read them, I delete them and go get more. You can get many free books on the net, and many you can purchase. There are usenet groups that are VERY busy, and very helpful. When you get it home, try it out, you may say, "interesting". Get on the web, download goodies, and that will change to "WOW". You will spend days (not just hours) scanning the web for goodies. And you must get an 8mb one. 2mb is just not enough if you are going to download a lot of documents and news. An upgrade of a 2mb one to 8mb costs more than the 2mb Palm alone. Get 8mb. It uses two AAA batteries. Cheap alkalines work fine. The Palm even will let you select what battery types you use (nicad, nimh, alkaline) so the battery level meter works accurately! I seem to get about 2-3 weeks on a set of batteries. PALM says about 2 months. Using the PC to load or update PC or Palm is easy. Just put the Palm device in it's cradle (which is connected to RS232 comm port...DB9 connector...which all computers have), press a button..and that's it! One great device! If you are not familiar with them, or don't have one, hit the web and usenet. Tons of information and programs for them. Many sites dedicated to them.
Rating:
Summary: There is no other!
Review: I never thought I would switch from my Day Timer. Now, you'll get my Palm IIIxe when you pry it from my cold dead fingers. Not only does it keep excellent track of your schedules and addresses, but it can also sync with ACT, and Outlook for total contact management. The IIIxe really pays off when stuck in an airport. I can call the people I need to, write e-mails, rearrange my schedule, and play games. Most of my games came from other people stuck in the airport with me. They simply beamed the games to me using the built-in infrared port. It's the best.
Rating:
Summary: Best "Most for the Money" Palm!
Review: This is my first handheld, and I am so glad that I did not get a Windows CE handheld. The Palm IIIxe has over a month of battery life (compared to several hours with Windows CE), never crashes, and is so easy to use. It syncs really well with Outlook 2000 and Outlook 98. No problems whatsoever. I especially like the wide range of programs you can get online for free or at a small cost. Windows CE could not do that. Now to the Palm IIIxe itself. I think this is the "best value for the buck" Palm there is right now. Sure, there is the Palm IIIc and the Palm Vx, but they cost [more than this unit]. All three have 8MB of RAM and the updated operating system. The IIIc has the color screen, but why do you need a color screen in a handheld? If it is for playing games in color, then you are wasting your money. The Palm Vx is exactly the same as the IIIxe, except it has the new style, but let me ask you this. Why do you need style in an organizer? You may say that these two models have rechargeable batteries, a feature that the Palm IIIxe does not have, but I have been using Nickel Metal Hydrate batteries (NiMH) on my Palm IIIxe and the work very well. Get some more information from Palm users about their experience with NiMH batteries.... After you answer those two questions, you will agree with me that the Palm IIIxe is the best value Palm out now. I chose the IIIxe over the Handspring Visor Deluxe for several reasons. First of all, in the Visor Deluxe, you cannot upgrade the operating system when new updates are introduced. Handspring, however, says that you can add in a Springboard module to upgrade the OS. But how will the device operate later if you switch the Springboard with another one? No more OS upgrade, that's what. The IIIxe has flash memory so you actually upgrade its operating system. Second, I have read several user comments on the Visor Deluxe. Several people are saying that the Visor screen breaks much more easily than the Palm IIIxe's screen because of its flimsy case design. Palm put the normal sturdy case found in the III line on it's IIIxe. Second, tons of customers have complained about Handspring's customer support. I remember one person said, "There is none!" I am very satisfied, however, with Palm's customer service, especially their online customer service. Take a look for yourself at the Service and Support section at the Palm website. So what do I use my Palm IIIxe for? I use it at school to keep me organized. I am a very busy person, but the datebook helps keep me on track with my appointments. Also, I store my assignments on my Palm using a program called Four.Zero. I play games occasionaly, but that was not the primary reason for buying my Palm organizer. The primary reason was ORGANIZATION.
|
