Palm M100 Review (CNET):
Article summary: Cute, but not recommended.
CNET Review
By Colin Duwe
(08/15/00)
URL: computers.cnet.com
Rating: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 best <6>
The good: Sexy curves; new note-taking application.
The bad: Small screen; no docking cradle; colored faceplates cost extra.
The bottom line: With all of its nips and tucks, the M100 is just a face-lift to the trusty IIIe.
Palm's new M100, the replacement for the trusty IIIe, will turn heads with its sleek, aerodynamic design. When you slip it into your hand, you'll feel like you own the new Volkswagen Beetle of PDAs. But one thing is for certain: It isn't a total luxury by any stretch of the imagination.
More of the Same
You might get a feeling of déjà vu with the M100. It shares a number of characteristics with the Palm IIIe and the basic Handspring Visor: they both run the Palm OS, have 2MB of memory, consume AAA batteries, and list for $149. But the monochrome screen on the M100 is just 2 inches square--almost a half inch smaller than the Palm IIIe's. It's still large enough to be useful and is slightly more crisp, but it feels like cramped quarters when trying to navigate menus.
The M100 does have two handy additions to the Palm formula. The first is an integrated clock that flashes the time through a hole in the cover. The other is a piece of software designed to replace Memo Pad. This feature, called Note Pad, allows you to draw and take notes directly on the screen rather than using Graffiti to enter text--thank God! We found it very handy for jotting down a phone number, which you can later transcribe with Graffiti. Don't think you must get an M100 to do this, though; third-party software, such as BugMe, can do essentially the same thing on any Palm OS device.
A Handheld With Hips
By far the most appealing change is the small, light, new body. At 4.4 ounces, it weighs little more than the Palm V but is more cherubic in appearance. Roughly the size of two Palm Vs sandwiched together, the M100 is thick, but it fits neatly into your mitt. When you tire of basic black, Palm offers four colored faceplates that snap on and off. We wish Palm had thrown the four-pack into the package, though, rather than charging extra for it.
In Sync
With its M100, Palm has forgone the docking cradle in favor of a simple serial cable, but HotSyncing is as easy as ever. One sure improvement over the Palm IIIe is that this new device comes bundled with the necessary software to sync with Microsoft Outlook, but Mac users still must order a serial-to-USB adapter from Palm for this operation. If you own accessories for the III series, such as the folding keyboard, don't expect them to work with the M100; the socket is a slightly different shape. However, Palm promises a line of accessories for the M100 in the near future.
The $150 price tag is nice for a Palm OS device with 2MB of RAM. However, we'd prefer to stick with the M100's predecessor, the Palm IIIe. The Handspring Visor is worth a look, too, because it offers a slightly larger screen for the same price, and, in our opinion, is a better overall value. The M100 is cute, but that's not compelling enough to earn our recommendation.
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Quick Facts
Form factor: pad
Installed operating system: Palm OS 3.5
Built-in OS compatibility: Windows 95/98/2000/NT
Other OSs supported: Mac OS (extra software/hardware required)
Amt. of RAM: 2MB
Input method: pen
Software included: AvantGo, Chapura PocketMirror |
