Product Reviews

Pocket computer organisers are wonderful things, but don't they cost a staggeringly large amount of money? Not any more! Forget the hideously expensive Pocket PC machines, forget the Handspring Visor Deluxe with its poncey Springboard module shenanigans, forget even the super-stylish Palm Vx. Let's talk about money. And more to the point, let's talk about exactly what £97 can get you: the Palm m100.

In return for this minuscule investment, you're buying everything that the Palm V has to offer, just in less glamorous packaging. The silver finish is replaced by the black plastic of the Palm III series, and the screen is reduced in size slightly. Unfortunately, some of the quality is also reduced - writing is harder to

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read as everything is that little bit darker.

Inside the machine itself, the m100 is virtually identical to the Palm V. There's 2Mb of RAM for storing programs - this is just enough space, as most Palm programs are smaller than 50K - and the latest version of Palm's operating system. There's also one bonus program: Note Pad, which is designed to be an electronic Post-It Note system. You just scribble a few words or draw a quick picture, to remind yourself later, and can even attach alarms to the notes.

Note Pad is just a gimmick, though. The m100's main talent is as a pocket organiser. It offers all the synchronisation abilities of a standard Palm, allowing you to take all your Microsoft Outlook contacts, diary entries and tasks on the road. It can also sync with Lotus Notes, or Palm's own Windows PIM software. There's no docking cradle, just a cable that attaches to your serial port, but at this price we can't argue.

The m100 only has two rivals: £30 pocket organisers from Dixons, and the £99 version of Handspring's Visor. It beats Dixons' offerings hands-down, but the Visor is a sterner challenge. It offers a bigger screen and expandability through Springboard modules. It's also bulkier, though, and you have to pay more for connectivity. If £100 is your limit, we'd recommend the m100.