One of the drawbacks to the booming PDA market has been the price disparity between the handheld organiser to the fully-fledged PDA. Typically organisers with the basic capabilities of a contact and appointment manager range from anything as low as $30 to several hundred while, just by taking PC Authority's last Labs look at PDAs (issue 31, p66) the cheapest was our Value Award winner, the Royal daVinci, which came in at $299. Functionally the daVinci is the bare minimum as far as PDAs go so I was intrigued with the idea of a PalmOS device for $329.

This Palm is the m100 model, designed as the entry-level product in the range and boasting all the favourite applications that has made Palm such a success story around the world: the familiar address book, calculator, date book, memo pad and to-do list, now joined by the new clock and note pad applications.
Clock is a simple time readout and can be viewed through a window in the removable flip cover at the touch of a button, but its the Note Pad that is the new killer program that turns heads. Freehand sketches and diagrams are now within the reach of Palm users. The resulting note can be made sticky, attaching to alarms. Sure they might be playing catch-up as there are third-party developers with sketch applications for Palm, and other platforms have had these tools for a while too, but this now allows users to have the facility out of the box.

Outwardly it takes the Palm shape another step. Its contoured lines fit a bit more snugly in the hand, the familiar array of quick access buttons are arranged at the bottom of the fascia and the screen is slightly smaller than the Palm V family, although the same proportions. Gone is the docking cradle although it can still be found as an optional accessory and in its place a larger HotSync plug with the button on the connector provided.

In building the m100 as an entry-level device Palm promote a hip image for it with interchangeable face plates as skins. The other attraction is the number of third-party developers pitching in with a heap of functions and applications, like an MP3 player and camera accessories which mould to the m100. These features, plus some of the software applications I saw running, like a WAP browser, should ensure a niche for the m100 and continuing success for the Palm line.

David Lin