Everything I expected and more (IBM Workpad PC C3)

Member Name: clotty

Product:	IBM Workpad PC C3
Date:	07/03/01 (2266 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Slim and lightweight, effortless sync. with PC, plenty of additional software available

Disadvantages: Supplied case is not heavy duty and the screen can scratch easily

To the best of my knowledge, the IBM Workpad C3 is a re-badged Palm Vx, so from a specification perspective there really is nothing to choose between the two models. Therefore if you have to make a decision between the Vx and the Workpad C3, it's probably going to come down to price. Unless of course you prefer IBM's black case to Palm's silver!

If you are just looking for an electronic address book or perhaps some calendar functions, then you'll find much cheaper solutions elswhere. However, if like me, you want to be able to synchronise the data in your organiser with your e-mail client, then the Workpad is ideal. It came with the necessary software to synchronise my mail, calendar entries and address book with my Lotus Notes mailbox (not supplied with the Palm Vx) and best of all it worked first time. Software for synchronising with Outlook is also supplied.

The main built-in functions are:

Date Book
A diary to you an me. Allows you to add all day events, reminders, appointments, alarms and repeats. These can be viewed by day, week or month, though the week and month views only show the existence of entries rather than the details due to the screen size limitations.

Address Book
Exactly as you'd expect. Plenty of optional fields including customisable ones and all of your entries can be sorted by category.

Memos
Freeform text. Again sorted by category.

Mail
Don't expect to be writing all your e-mail on the Workpad - it would take for ever using Graffiti. However, if you are on a train and want to write a few small memos for transmision once you get back to the office, it works fine. Inbound mail is readable despite the small display, but obviously attachments aren't supported.

To do List
Just as you'd expect. Provides separate categorised to do lists including priorities.

What else?
Adding more applications is very easy. Download them t
o your PC from one of several sites that provide shareware and freeware, then install them using the Palm Desktop software that comes with the Workpad package.

Finally you can protect all of your data with a power-on password and also by designating certain entries as 'private'.

In summary, an excellent product provided you don't require a colour display.

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