PAD or PDA? - the Palm m100 (Palm M100)

Member Name: john.sw

Product:	Palm M100
Date:	09/10/00 (730 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Price, style and ease of use

Disadvantages: the children borrow it!

DITCH & SWITCH?

Do you really need a PDA when you already have a PAD?

The recent introduction on the Palm m100 will have a lot of people wondering if now is the time to ditch the old diary and switch to a handheld.

For anyone who already uses MS Outlook for his or her diary, to do list and address book the answer is a definite “Yes”.

SLIPS IN YOUR POCKET

The Palm m100 is an all new handheld that easily slips into a shirt pocket and boasts the power and the memory of far more expensive machines.

There are two software packages on the CD ROM supplied, the first synchronises your m100 with MS Outlook, the second is a “personal information management” tool, similar to Outlook.

HOT SYNC

Plug the HotSync cable into the computer and the neat plug into the m100, press one button and your address book, to do list, diary, etc. are synchronised!

SCREEN

The mono screen also has a backlight facility that makes it easy to read in most light conditions. The screen fonts can be changed to suit your own preference and the whole presentation makes it easy to read.

DATA ENTRY

Data entry can be directly into Outlook, or onto the m100 using the neat pen provided. There is a virtual qwerty keyboard for data entry, but if you take fifteen minutes to learn the strokes, Palm’s “Graffiti Alphabet” allows accurate entry of data at near-normal handwriting speed.

The pen slots intuitively in and out of its housing in the back of the m100’s plastic case and is just as easy to handle when the optional and excellent Slim Leather Case is fitted.

FLICK & CLICK FOR FASHION

Following the fashion lead set by Nokia mobile phones, Palm has made the m100’s faceplate interchangeable. Now your handheld need not be boring black or staid steel; metallic red, blue and green are just some choices available, just flick off
the old one and click on the colour of your choice.

FREE SOFTWARE

The 2MB memory is enough for most users – especially as this is an entry-level machine – to store a huge amount of personal information, and the best is yet to come!

There is a massive amount of free software available to download from the Internet. Palm’s own site has some excellent links.

Whether you want the sports results, the news, or the weather, or maybe a personal gym programme for the day, it is available to download and all for free!

NEWS WEATHER SPORT

Avantgo.com offers a simple service whereby you choose what you want to read on your handheld. The Guardian, ITN, Washington Daily Post – it is all there and will download onto your m100 quicker than you can find your car keys! There you have it – the latest news in the palm of your hand. You can even use their system to download normal web pages to read on the train!

Other business software is also available, including currency converters (updated every time you press your HotSync button, calculators, metric-imperial converters, and with the built-in infrared device you can share information with other handhelds, as well as printers and mobile phones.

SMS MESSAGING

If you send text messages from your mobile phone you know what a pain it can be keying in the words. With an m100 you can easily and quickly compose the message then activate the infrared on your mobile phone and press send. Easy.

STICKY NOTES

With one press of the Sticky Notes button you can jot notes on the screen – in normal handwriting – to transcribe later – great for a phone number or a quick reminder. The great thing is that you are less likely to lose your m100 than you are a scrap of paper. If you have an infrared printer, just point and click to print out your notes,

BATTERY LIFE

The 2 X AAA batteries
should give a couple of months’ use, but be warned – if you download a selection of the hundreds of free games available, battery life will suffer – especially if the children find out!

VERDICT

At this price, now is the time to ditch and switch – anyone want to buy a Filofax?

Summary: