Palm Reading Still thinking laptop when you think portable? Now palmtops are the tool of choice when you're on the go and need to stay in touch.
By Jill Amadio
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Is smaller smarter? Not always. In some instances, technologycompanies run ahead of themselves and forget the human element whendeveloping new products. The keyboards and buttons on pocketorganizers were initially so tiny, for example, that users had touse a pen or pencil to depress the keys. Frustrated, many buyersdeclined to invest in them. But customer complaints finally gotthrough, and manufacturers wised up. Today, with palm PCs, we canbuy small and smart.
Hot products for the mobile professional, these incrediblyshrinking communication centers can sit in their own dockingcradles or in the palm of your hand. Several manufacturers havejumped into the market, offering everything from stripped-down,entry-level models to ultra-slick, high-end products. For example,Palm Computing's base model is the $299 Palm III, while itstop-of-the-line version is the $499 Palm V, which offers e-mailconnectivity.
Whether you need to review daily schedules, check your e-mail,make notes, send a message or share data, a palm PC can input,output and distribute. Its capabilities in no way equal those of astandard desktop PC, but it can be a tremendously helpfuladjunct.
Although it's used as a combination personal digitalassistant, electronic organizer and pager, the palm PC has nokeyboard, unlike a hand-held PC. Instead, most palmtops display akeyboard onscreen, which is activated using a stylus, or they offercapabilities for recognizing sketched diagrams and written text ornumbers. If you insist on a keyboard, at least one model, PalmComputing's Palm III, which runs on its own operating systeminstead of Windows CE, can be hooked up to a small optionalkeyboard device.
Also showing up on more and more palmtops is voice-commandrecognition and voice recording. For example, Philips' Nino 300series can record and play back up to 16 minutes of audio for everyfree megabyte of memory using its voice recorder. Voice recordingsare usually saved as files that can be played back, stored, or sentas audio files via e-mail.
Palm PCs can provide an electronic link not only to your officebut also to clients who need frequent attention. Using theInternet, you can synchronize your desktop PC with your palmtop toremotely exchange e-mail and other data. In the office, a serialport or an infrared data communications (IrDA) port connects apalmtop directly to a computer for transferring data. The Palm IIIis one of the few whose infrared beam is geared to work only withanother Palm III, but Palm Computing's PalmPilots can connectto both PCs and Macs.
A palm PC will usually come with a CompactFlash (CF) card slotthat allows you to expand its memory or to add such options as apager or modem card. CF cards can add 4MB RAM to base-modelpalmtops, which typically come with 4MB.
Although only Philips' Nino 320 is sold with an integratedmodem, almost all palmtops can attach to an optional modem device.A few, such as Uniden's UniPro PC 100, come equipped with aninternal "soft" 28.8 Kbps modem that's upgradeable toeven faster speeds. Everex's Freestyle Associate A-10 modeloffers a standard fax modem in its optional docking cradle, whilethe add-on 2.8 ounce Palm modem provides five to six hours ofconnection time using two AAA batteries. Most external modems forpalm PCs cost around $129.
The size of palmtop screens averages 2.25 inches by 2.5 or 3inches. Compaq's Palm-size PC is a little larger, measuring 2.4by 3.2 inches. Do you want a color screen, or is black and whitesufficient for your needs? For those of us accustomed to ourcolorful desktop monitors, the extra $100 or so for this feature isworth it. But some black-and-white models, like Compaq'sentry-level Aero 2110 Palm-size PC, offer three illuminationsettings so you can optimize viewing depending on the lightingconditions, making monochrome a bit less drab.Hewlett-Packard's new color HP Jornada 420 is costlier thanmost at $520, but its vibrant screen has great impact, especiallywhen you're logged on to the Internet.
Palm PCs are powered by standard AA or AAA batteries plus arechargeable backup lithium or nickel metal hydride (NiHM) batterythat takes over when you're changing the AA or AAA batteries.Lithium batteries are more powerful than NiHMs, providing twice thecharge per pound. Average battery life is around eight hours inpalm PCs, although the UniPro promises 15 hours of continuous use.Some manufacturers offer free extra batteries and an ACadaptor/recharger. Compaq's Palm-size PC includes an integratedbattery charger in an optional docking cradle so you don't haveto haul around an AC adaptor.
Audio speakers, microphones and earphone jacks are commonplaceon this year's palm PCs, as are alarms that indicate when youhave a message or that battery power is running low. Complimentarysoftware may include Quicken, bFAX Express, Meeting Minder,PocketCommander, LandWare, Date Book, PhoneManager and a variety ofgames. Casio's Cassiopeia E-11 includes CD-ROM software thatlets you load in expense reports when you're on the road andtransfer them to your office PC when you return.
Yet another option in the growing trend of mobile computing,palmtops may be the perfect solution when you don't quite needthe power of a laptop. For quick communication and help withorganization, these models have what it takes.
Jill Amadio is a freelance writer in Newport Beach,California, who has covered technology for nine years.
