PalmOne Vx Handheld

The Palm Vx handheld offers the same improvements to its screen that were made to the Palm IIIx. These updates since the Palm III handheld include a far sharper screen and contrast-variable backlighting, which makes the Palm Vx handheld much easier to use in low-light conditions. Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which charge while the unit sits in its HotSync cradle, make battery life a nonissue.

You can synchronize Palm handhelds with your computer so that you can carry all your appointments, notes, contacts, and e-mail with you. The simple one-touch interface makes sense to new and seasoned computer users alike. For owners that prefer Microsoft Outlook to keep tabs on folks for business and pleasure, rest easy. With the simple installation procedure, and Outlook support out of the box, you can transfer the data you have in Outlook, or start fresh with the Palm Desktop software. In addition, there are thousands of applications for the Palm operating system available on the Internet that make your Palm handheld work as everything from a universal remote to a digital book and restaurant guide.

We had no trouble setting up the device, synching with our PC-based Netscape e-mail, using the Graffiti character-recognition software, or working with the address book, date book, memo writer, to-do list, and all the other applications that put the Palm OS on the map. All in all, this is a great upgrade to an already strong product. If this is your first Palm, it's a great way to start.

Pros:

• Palm OS interface is simple to use
• Easy to install and set up
• Uses rechargeable batteries
• Sleek, solid design can take some punishment

• Not expandable (has a closed case)
• Case cover opens too easily

I tried the IIIc for a month. Found the color screen a pleasure to work with. There are not that many 3rd party apps in color yet, but that appears to be changing fast. I liked the TinySheet Excel compatible spreadsheet in color. The black on white screen is very readable for e-books. Battery life was acceptable. On a 3 week business trip I had to recharge it only once. The downside for me is size, the comfort factor. You can NOT comfortably carry a Palm in a shirt pocket. I carry it in my pants pocket, with the V I would forget I had it until I needed it. The IIIc, it was just always 'there'. The only other gripe I have is that it's almost impossible to read the screen outside. Something I took for granted on the monochrome V. Bright daylight however fully washes out color screens. I REALLY like the small updates to the new PalmOS. Eg. the little shortcut bar that appears at the bottom of the screen for menu shortcuts is an excellent innovation. It makes cutting and pasting as fast as with the PC using the keyboard.

I used the Jornada for 2 weeks before I returned it. As my expectations weren't that high from my previous exposure to the platform I can't say that I was dissappointed. However, I still don't think MS is up to par. On the balance still more 'clicks' are needed than on a Palm. I couldn't find those easy to use 3rd party freeware apps such as the NY crossstreet finder, on PocketPC. On face value I liked Excel, but I found it's small differences with the PC version annoying. Knowing one, I made assumption about the other that didn't always pan out. The high resolution of the screen is nice. For e-books the Jornada would be good, if not for the poor passive matrix screen. For example, on the plane, I could put the IIIc on the tray in front of me, and read at an angle. This is impossible with the Jornada screen. For basic PDA functions it is adequate. I feel the apps still are a bit sluggish. Playing MP3's is fun, but with 2 songs at CD quality, memory is depleted which makes it impracticle for multimedia, unless you spend more to expand memory. Forget playing MP3's in the background while doing other work, the device slows down to a crawl. Size wise, the Jornada is a bit bigger and heavier than the IIIc, which to me is a problem as I already explained. Battery life seemed shorter than the IIIc, though it may be subjective because it was on a lot, while learning the PocketPC platform.

The Palm Vx is basically a faster Palm V with more memory. Just got it yesterday and I already love it. This is the one I'm keeping. I suppose that after getting used to the size and weight of the Palm V, there is no going back. However, I'm glad that I went through the hassles of trying out the other 2 models. I learned a few things:

1) Size matters.

2) Until technology for multimedia matures, color screens do not add significant value to justify their impact on size and battery life.

3) PocketPC looked good on face value, but didn't go the distance, however, I do believe that as technology advances, multimedia such as MP3 playback will be great to have. I hope that by that time Palm will have the capability.

4) 3rd party apps add tremendous value. Something I forgot until I couldn't find my favourite little add-ons that make life easy, such as AccountManager, cross street finder etc.

All in all, the best favor you can do yourself is getting one. Got my parents a Palm V 2 months ago, now I have to get them another one so they stop fighting over it.


Love my Palm Vx   January 20, 2000
303 out of 310 found this review helpful

About a month ago, I started looking at Palms and was undecided as to whether I should get the beefier IIIx or the elegant V (the Windows CE handhelds were not even in the running). The Palm V was going to be the winner because of the sleek looks. I wanted the Vx, but I didn't think Circuit City carried it (I work at Circuit City and wanted that discount, ya know?). When I went in to purchase the Palm V, lo and behold, they had the Palm Vx for sale also. I special ordered it and had to wait about 10 days for it, but it was worth the wait. Please don't be jealous, I got it for $375 including tax.

I've had the Palm Vx for about a couple weeks now and I don't know how I did without it. I know everyone says that, but it is so handy. It's light and compact so I can carry it with me and I always know what I need to do that day. The 8 mb Ram is invaluable. I've already used over 3 mb. I've loaded books, some games, algebraic calculators, German translators, Pocket Quicken, and a whole lot more. $449 might be steep for most, but for the peace of mind in knowing that this PDA will be useful for AT LEAST 4-5 years, (you can't say that about computers now) you really can't beat it. I know I PROBABLY won't need any more RAM, the looks of this machine is very elegant, it fits comfortably in my hand (I'm female), and you get that "OOOOh, cool" look also, at least that's what my boyfriend said when he took his to work. Yeah, once he found out I was getting one, he had to have one also, said something about boys and their toys, and he showed his friends at work his new toy, of course.

Anyways, if you have the money, get one. It's got the wow factor, it's light, compact, comfortable, easy to use, and you will use it because it IS easy to use and carry. The screen is very clear also. The words are easy to read. People complain about the new backlight, but there is a shortcut to change it to the way the old backlights used to light up.

There are numerous sites on the internet for free and low-cost software. Make sure you get another case though, the case that comes with it is disappointing, it isn't very protective. It's one-sided and only protects the screen, so I bought the slim case from Palm. It's nice and fits in my back pocket comfortably, but I'm going to get the molded aluminum one from Rhinoskin. I need to have full protection because of my job environment. Other than that, you can get started immediately with what's in the box.

Another helpful thing to get is the book by David Pogue called Palm Pilot: The Ultimate Guide. It's not necessary, but it's handy because of the shortcuts and insightful way Pogue has of breaking things down that the manual Palm includes with the Vx just doesn't have. He writes about that backlight fix also.

Enjoy.


All in all a very good buy   December 8, 1999
286 out of 294 found this review helpful

To be honest, for an average-income employee, this sucker causes an arm and a leg, and it is a bit hard to justify the purchase ... at first. I did a lot of research, and I wanted to buy a useful and powerful PDA that I would be able to use constantly and consistently. I am aware of products like Palm IIIx, Palm V, Handspring Visor, or even Casio Cassiopeia. Based on the speed, memory, design, size, weight, software expandability, reputation, and usability, I have decided Palm Vx is the choice for me. If I had to choose between IIIx or V, I would have picked IIIx, simply because 2MB of RAM is just too little. Vx encapsulates the fortes of V and IIIx, and then some (e.g. Faster processor - 20 vs 16, more memory - 8MB vs 4MB vs 2MB.) Window CE PDAs are handheld computers, not pocket-size organizers which you can easily fit it in your shirts', jackets' or trousers' pockets. It tries to do too much. If I want to play with Windows, I have my home PC, work PC, and my laptop available. Of course, if you like to use Excel and Words on a device so small that looking at a file which has more than 5 columns will give you a excruciating headache, though in color, sure, get the Casio Cassiopeia.

I just attended a business Christmas party, and I carried my brand-new Palm Vx with me so I could enter all these new acquaintances' contact information and filed them probably in seconds instead of writing it onto a napkin. I looked trendy and professional. Can't beat that! The sleek style would have been a bit more difficult to accomplish with larger size PDAs. (You don't know the difference 2 ounces can make to the overall design of your evening-wear until you tried it.)

Palm Vx has everything I need. I really enjoy downloading my contacts, meeting notes, emails, and WebPages (AventGo is a very nice feature) onto my Vx and read it on my car ride home without killing a forest. Additionally, I can easily backup all the information on different computers that I have access to (you can't trust anything these days.) The lithium ion rechargeable battery is truly a blessing too.

My bank account is running low after the purchase, but my personal well-being is certainly going up.

If you decide to get it, the traveler kit is a must. You can use it at work or when you are away without carrying the cradle around with you. Size does matter!


Still the standard. Take advantage of the coming price cuts!   September 24, 2001
Steven Dennis (Reston, VA USA)
93 out of 94 found this review helpful

Due to bumbling on the part of Palm, the Palm Vx is still the standard in small, easy to use, full-functioning PDAs. Sporting a full-size screen (compared to the puny screens on the m100, m105 and m125) and a lithium rechargeable battery, the Palm Vx remains the sleekest, lightest PDA on the market. It fits easily into your hand or your shirt pocket. Now that its price appears to be coming down, it is a great buy, especially compared to the overpriced m125.

Palm's newest high-end models, the m500 and m505, are a bit better than the Vx, mainly because of a new card slot and a slightly more tactile feel. The m505 also offers some rather anemic color. But Palm's software hasn't really improved much since the Palm Vx came out, IMHO, and the expansion slot is not so compelling to me that it would be worth paying the additional dough.

Also, as an aside, make sure that you download three free add-ons for Palm OS: Avantgo, a service that downloads articles from the New York Times, Sports Illustrated, CNN and others every time you sync your Palm; Vindigo, a city guide with restaurant and movie reviews; and Mapopolis, which has street maps that are keyword searchable.

Enjoy!


You won't understand how you lived without one!   July 18, 2001
Jonathan DeWoskin (Chicago, IL United States)
76 out of 76 found this review helpful

I've owned a few palm pilots over the past several years. I switched to the Palm Vx because my Palm III gave out after months of abuse riding in my back pocket. The Vx is solidly built, very reliable and never needs batteries. I use mine heavily and sometimes forget to recharge it in the cradle. I've found that the battery lasts about three weeks with heavy use as long as you don't use the backlight. I now use my Palm Vx with my laptop running Windows 2000 and synchronize my data using the infrared port. The cradle is just a charge stand for me! If you're nervous about buying this product... relax! I teach computer skills to executives in the Chicago area. The learning curve for Palm devices is about 20 minutes. There is a shorthand called "graffiti" that you will need to learn to write in your information, but you can also use your computer or a separately available keyboard to enter in your data. Newer and more powerful palm devices have been introduced since I bought mine, but the Vx is an excellent value now that the price has dropped. And it's still the smallest! If you're looking for a PDA to handle your personal and business information and do not need to display color photos, videos or play MP3s, the Palm Vx is perfect.