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Palm IIIc, IIIxe Released
homerj79 writes, "Palm Computing announced today the release of their next generation Palm's, the IIIc and IIIxe. The IIIc sports 8MB of RAM, PalmOS 3.5 and a very cool 256-color TFT display. The Palm also has a built in rechargable battery that supposedly lasts for two weeks between charges. The IIIxe is much like the IIIx, but doubles the RAM to 8MB. Both also have a new casing on them, with a dark slate colored case rather than the gray of the past. "
You must be using Windows. I played MP3s up to 256 kbit (that was the highest one I had) all the time under FreeBSD, with X running and deveoping/compiling GUI applications at the same time. The only time it skipped was when I had to swap something big from memory. Of course running it at -10 niceness helped.
:(
Heck, I even managed to play a 128 kbit mp3 (in mono mode) on a 486 66 without skipping. The 486 would start skipping in stereo mode however.
I read the internet for the articles.
The color's a nice touch, and I applaud Palm for adding it (though I wonder why they opted for active-matrix instead of the newer, super-reflective type like in the Game Boy Color; those have much longer battery life because they don't require a backlight all the time).
:)
But what I'd love to see would be something with the upgradability of a Palm device (via the flashable ROM's) and the Springboard slot. It does lead to the question: why did Handspring take out the Flash ROM's in the first place? Does anyone know?
Currently my old Palm III is just fine for me. Butr if Handspring puts the Flash ROM's into the next Visor (or I can find a very good rteason that they didn't) I just might switch to the Visors. Particularly if the Linux port can run on them by then
But I don't buy it. OS upgrades, even on a PDA, aren't just about hardware. Even on a Palm device, there's always room for stability improvements (yes, I have managed to crash my Palm III, albeit only once, ever) and bugfixes. Then there's the fact that if you have the software to do it, you can store programs there for extra memory space (memory space that is preserved even across things which would wipe out the rest of the Palm's memory).
The Visor is a great little machine. In a lot of aspects it's better than my Palm III. But until they get Flash ROM upgradability into the things, I can't see myself getting one.
I am not going to buy/install Windows just to sync a palmtop.
Is it at all possible to make use of a WinCE machine (i.e., sync it, or transfer files from/to it) from a UNIX machine? Has anybody done anything of the sort, or tried it and failed heroically?
What I'd really like to see is a PalmPilot compatible with a larger screen resolution; 160x160 is woefully small; it's hard to fit much information on the screen.
(In contrast, Microsoft's ill-fated WinCE "palm-size PCs" do 240x320 or so... If they didn't require you to sell your soul to Redmond to be able to sync them, I'd be tempted to get one.)
I do have problems with greyscale sometimes, I need all the visual clarity they can give. The latter greyscale ones are cool, and I imagine the color one will be a welcome bonus. It's not like all of them are going color. :)
The price, in case anyone is wondering and hasn't visited the site is about $450, which puts it...about what, mid-range in the line...when are they going to release the VIIc?
I'm all for color. People in general work better with colors than numbers and greys.
It's much easier to see a red item on the screen and knowing that it is important rather than having a little number next to it telling you the priority. Sure you can sort them, but that can't be done in all instances. For example, a calendar program can't rearrange the days (without getting confusing). It would be nice to have a color flag to grab your attention -- drawing you towards the more important information.
The handwriting recognition is very functional, but it is not hanrwriting recognition per se. It works by requiring you to use a simplified one-stroke-per-character character set called grafiti. Each character is reduced to a single simplified stroke so it can be easily recognized by the software. This is a little awkward at first, but it can be learned in a matter of hours, and afterwards one can do a couple of characters a second. It's not going to replace a keyboard, but it's respectable for a handheld.
Cool, maybe, but IMO not worth the extra bucks. An "enhanced color calculator"? BFD. When they can sell it for less than $250US (with a Springboard slot), then they'll have something. Until then, I'll be quite happy with my Visor.
This might win over a few losers who might otherwise fall for WinCE devices, though.
The Visor simply lacks the Palm's FlashROM. The OS could still be upgraded via a software patch.
I like my Palm IIIx just fine. 16 shades of grey works for me. I just hope Palm doesn't go down the road of WinCE by trying to pack everything in when it really isn't all necessary for the purposes of a PDA.
Sure, it's cool. But is it necessary? As a Palm developer, I think it's great to be developing for a slimmed-down platform. It's like the early days of mono displays trying to concentrate on information density and UI design rather than just throwing everything at the user because you can like in today's machines. More doesn't always equal better.
Remember, when color film came out, the quality of motion pictures went down. Think about it. The cinematographers and directors no longer had to worry about creating beautiful scenes with B/W; they could just throw color at the screen and hope that would impress everyone. I hope we don't see the same thing here...
--- witty signature
Palm Pilot (I)
Palm Pilot Pro (II?)
Palm III
Palm V
Palm VII
Palm IIIx
Palm IIIi
Palm IIIc
Palm IIIxe
A post above asked when the Palm VIIc comes out. They may have some power issues to work on with this one. I presume that they will need to work with a backlight on all the time with this one, and the battery life would be significantly reduced with the packetmodem.
also, on another note, did anybody else notice that this IIIc has a Li ion battery? This is odd, since the V seemed to be their "rechargable" line. Maybe they should rethink the numbering strategy.
btw: i have a iiix, and I don't think I could ever fill it up, so iiixe looks a little silly to me.
Lowmag.net
The only reason I can think of to have a color palm (besides the obvious cool factor) is for web browsing. Sure I haven't used AvantGo and a Palm VIII, but I suspect that you will only participate in very specialized browsing functions on a screen that small, color or no. Gimme a color web pad, sure, but for my money, the palm should remain in the realm of monochrome and text based...this is why the terminal applications are my favourite X apps.
I don't know about battery life, but I'm sure it's comparable to the Palm. And I think WinCE is actually much easier to use, given that it tries to do so much more.
Actually, the Cassiopeia makes a great MP3 player, after you pop in a 340MB CF hard drive. (Not an option for the Palm.)
And of course, that's the real reason.
Well, let's see... Digital photography (using the camera attachment), listening to an MP3 while doing anything else, killing an app when it goes flaky (and yes, that happens on Palms too)... But really, my biggest reason is just that I like to know it's there. It's a real computer, not an overgrown pocket calculator.
I'll stop here, because I'm starting to sound like a shill for Casio. I just don't understand why people are going nuts over this "new" Palm IIIc, when it's substantially inferior to stuff that's been around for months.
MSK
MSK
I bought a Cassiopeia E-100 (WinCE machine) about four months ago. It cost $50 less (street price is probably equal); it has 16 bit color instead of 8 bit color, a larger and higher resolution screen, 16MB storage vs. 8MB, a standard compact flash slot, a real OS (protected memory, multitasking, etc.), and probably a faster CPU (just guessing on that.)
Now, don't get me wrong, I know that most people don't need a color screen in a PDA, or multitasking, etc. But if, like me, you like to have those features there just in case... What on earth does the IIIc have going for it? Is it just Palm's monopoly power?
(Before anyone flames me... Yes, the PalmOS does preemptively multitask, but only when running Palm code. You can't write a multitasked app for it.)
MSK
Here's a link to their press release.
"At $44.99 per month, the new 'Unlimited Access Pricing Plan' provides customers access to Internet content and e-mail as frequently as they want for a single, low fixed price throughout the Palm.Net network of 260 metropolitan areas across the USA.
Work for Change & GET PAID!
Don't get me wrong, I think it is cool and all that. I just don't think I will have that much use for it.
Later...
KangarooBox - We make IT simple!
Gee, I wonder if it's time to upgrade yet.
Then again, my USR Pilot 100 (which I upgraded from 128k to 512k memory) is less than half full, stores all my phone + addresses, and plays chess. It doesn't even have a backlit display, but I use it all the time.
Amazing how the first iteration of a device (before it was renamed Palm Pilot even), which is almost 3 years old, is still very useful.
Not many companies make hardware with that kind of useful longevity!
-CausticPuppy "Of all the people I know, you're certainly one of them." -Somebody I don't know
Looking at the product spec for the IIIxe, available here, it has 2M of Flash ROM as well as its 8M of regular RAM.
;)
At only $20 more than a IIIx, this seems a great choice for those who aren't such yuppie managers that they need the V.
Fross
OK, color is nice. But what Palm should do is increase the resolution to 320x320 (supporting old apps double-pixlated). That would be MUCH more useful than color.
Better yet, make it 480x320 using the writing area (assuming they use a more scratch-resistant screen) with the option to rotate 90 degrees. Then you could actually use Telnet!
they've /extended/ battery life
Where do they claim this ? The only quote I could see was a claimed life of "two weeks average use" for the IIIc and "a month" for the V. As they're both rechargeable and I assume are using similar battery technology, then that's makes the IIIc to be twice as hungry as the V.
Palm power-save architecture is also such that "typical" use is much more efficient than heavy use. As my Palm V currently gives me around a week to two weeks of actual use for my own usage patterns, then the colour lifetime does concern me. If I had one, I'd certainly want a second cradle/cable for charging away from home.
I found when managing my web server from the beach last summer (yes I am serious!) that having the mini virtual keyboard popped up in the lower half of the screen made life with telnet much easier. Also, the version I have lets you save macros with common things in (like paths, usernames etc) which are just a single-click away. Sure it wasn't great, but it sure beat taking a laptop all the way to spain just for the odd little job!
---- Den ene knappen er powerknapp, den andre er Bender voice knapp "Bite My Shiny Metal Ass"
I think you're making a crucial mistake here. You say that a PDA should be as simple as possible and you seem to be referring to ease of use and not to technical simplicity. This I derive from your remark on the E-100. It is not the black and white that makes a Palm simple. It is the logic behind the design that makes it simple to use. If the colors on the Palm Pilot are just as useful as the colored cases of a Handspring Visor, then there is no reason for them. But if they can add functionality throught the use of colour, then it is worth it for sure. (offcourse managers just buy it for the colour screen) :-)
Use Adsense for Charity
Checkout MiniJam. A Handspring add-on module.
I do web page design, programming, and have a number of outdoor interests. Since I haven't replaced my last digital camera (stolen), I'm in the market for a new one.
With Kodak offering a VGA camera (a.k.a. the Palm Pix) I see an all in one solution.
With the two combined I can take photos of a disc golf course or event, label them, make notes about the photos and upload the page as soon as I get home. Using a portable keyboard makes the whole thing much easier and allows me to carry the whole production on the course.
One final comment: :)
"Remember, when color film came out, the quality of motion pictures went down." - Yeah, the Wizard of OZ sucked until Pink Floyd released a new sountrack...
-----
No Zen is good zen
Their numbering scheme is not off, at least as far as they're concerned. I think it's based on the outer case shape (among a lot of other things most likely).
All the III's have the same basic shape, and they are only incremental upgrades to the previous III. The new ones have a different case colour, but that about it as far as I could tell from its general appearance.
Now the V, and the Vx (which is basically a V w/8Mb ram) have a completely different shape. The case is aluminum, etc. Not only that, but it tries to appeal to a completely different market than the III series, even though on the inside they are pretty much identical (I could never get CPU speeds, but I'm assuming they're not too different)
And the VII, it looks different, again and it also has wireless communication built-in. It _is_ the most advanced of the Palms, or at least was untill the IIIc and IIIxe came out.
My point is that basically the new III's are a lot closer to the III-series than any other of the palms, bfor the only thing different about them is the colour screen and black case. So that's why they've named then accordingly.
Yah I totally agree that color is VERY cool. But I mean come on, how much more functionality is there in a color palm? The answer is none. Black and white is fine with me and my handspring visor. I love this thing, color or not. They have a list of all the modules coming out now too on their website with the distributer's websites etc... Buy a visor, and wait about 6 months, this thing is going to be every the palm isn't and more. http://www.handspring.com (handspring website) http://www.sem.samsung.co.kr/eng/product/digital/p da/index.htm (a color linux PDA that looks amazing) -Devin-
That's just not enough color!
Why must Palm torment us so! Teasing us with these medium-grade color options. We want to see our telephone organizer and callendar in 32 bit True-Color, damnit!
Okay, I've been up way too long. This will seem far less funny after a cup of coffee...
Feminism is the wild notion that women are human beings.
Am I the only one who likes the idea of a black and white display on a PDA? In my opinion, a PDA should be kept as simple as possible. I mean, most likely, the reason to buy a PDA is to make you more efficient. Microsoft lost sight of that with their whole multimedia initiative with CE, and I hope that Palm isn't going down that path. I used to own an E-100, but sold it because I was finding that it was really no better for organization than my old Palm Pilot.
-Andrew
If you look close at the two pictures: color and b/w you'll see that the color screen is quite a bit smaller (or it certainly appears to be to me - either that or the color palm is much bigger overall). That's got to suck readability-wise. I know it's quite comfortable reading a long text on my Palm V, but anything smaller would make it a real eye strain. Anyone got one yet who can give a review?
Matt. Want XML + Apache + Stylesheets? Get AxKit.
Palm also released some new accessories today, including the folding keyboard discussed here a while ago (made by Think Outside but sold under the Palm brand) and a digital camera attachment. They've also added an unlimited-use plan for the Palm VII.
I don't know about you, but I actually use my Handspring a lot while I'm outside and out & about. I also use it in a lot of highly-lit areas. In fact, I *love* my Handspring's new reflective screen (versus my old Palm III's murky screen), and that it's pretty much readable under the same conditions as a book.
Now... my laptop and the WinCE PDA my boss just took back to Best Buy both have active matrix screens. You can't see either of them in sunlight outside, bright overhead light inside, or anywhere where the ambient light is brighter than that of the screen.
That sucks. Because a PDA is meant for quick, always available use. Not at your desk, but Out There when you get your ideas and make your meetings.
And as far as I'm concerned, and active matrix screen hampers that.
OK, color Palm is cool. Perhaps; that's what they said about the colour game boy. Have you tried playing tetris in low light on a colour gb? It's damn difficult. I love my palm (so to speak), and I can't really imagine life improving because of colour. It's indispensible, but only for text and books. Game-boy-off-topic-aside: upon buying the aforementioned GB, the sales drone insisted that I needed a copy of Pokemon. The conversation went something like this: SD:Pokemon is only IR30. ME:I don't want pokemon. I want tetris. SD:But Pokemon is really popular. YOu can use it to play against other players. ME:I'm thirty fucking years old. How many ten-year-old pokemon players do you think I know. SD:BUt it's very good. ME:Look, I'm only buying this because I want something portable that I can play tetris on. I'm buying tetris, not the game boy. SD:But you can still play Pokemon. ME:Are you getting a commission? Or are you secretly working for Team Rocket? SD:What? ME:Never mind. Just give me tetris. SD:Okay. Are you sure you don't want pokemon as well?
I have a Handspring Visor with 8MB of memory and have had no problem filling this up. 2MB would be plenty for todo lists phone numbers etc. But is soon used up when you start putting books and reference materials on it.
I would want more memory much more than color. What does color give you? With more memory I can have more indormation in my pocket.
What made me buy one of these things is that it that they are more than an organizer they are a pocket sized computer.
I am however looking forward to the pocket sized, voice controlled linux box. (That is cheap enough that I can stick it in my pocket without having nightmares.)
Noel
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