Reviewed: 28/01/2001
By: Jared Raath
An
Excellent product overall. I must commend Palm for finally making a product
with the features,
compatibility,
and price to make even a veteran Windows CE user such as myself make the
switch to a Palm. I had originally been encouraged to purchase a
Palm device by one of my coworkers (ironically enough, I work for a computer
store that sells Palms and didn't even acknowledge their existence, I thought
they were so "stupid"). I decided that, yes, my old Compaq C120++ Windows
CE 1.0 Device with the tiny keyboard and only 4MB of RAM was outdated and
too bulky for me. I also own an Everex Manage PDA running Windows CE 2.0,
but it eats batteries like they're candy and I just can't AFFORD to use
it any more.Since both of my devices were no longer suitable, I went with
my coworker's encouragement and purchased a Palm IIIe. I figured, "Hey,
if I hate it, which I'm sure I will, I've always got a couple weeks to
bring it back!" So, I unpacked it at home and was immediately mesmerized
by its simplicity.
It was a breakthrough, it did everything I needed, faster, and easier than any Windows CE device I had ever seen, including the Casio Model 10 PDA. The RAM and non-upgradability of the ROM inside made me reconsider my decision, though. I returned the IIIe two days before the end of the return policy and got my money back. I promptly turned around and bought a IIIxe - it had the features I needed, and was only $100 more. So, I'm now quite happy with it, and with the possibility of a MP3 player / Memory upgrade coming out from a 3rd party vendor (http://www.ximuoi.com/), I couldn't return it. I use it every day for various little things, and as a student, find it suits my needs quite well. From writing down assignments and keeping schedules and dates straight to playing games in class after finishing a test early, the IIIxe is amazing.
Bottom line: If you want to get serious work done, get a Palm IIIxe. If you want to use your PDA as a toy and have more fun playing with the actual settings for the device than doing work, get a WinCE device.
