An Oldie and a Goodie
Written: Feb 28 '01 (Updated Feb 28 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: real backlight, superior buttons, upgradable, compatible with many III accessories
Cons: no IR, only available used
The Bottom Line: Although not the latest and greatest, the PalmPilot Professional is still an excellent Palm and my favorite device.
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| quasar's Full Review: 3Com Palm Pilot Professional Edition Full Version ... |
You must be thinking I've finally gone bonkers (well, if you ever thought I had my sanity to start with). It's 2001 and I'm reviewing a unit released in 1997, a unit that hasn't been produced for several years now, a prehistoric unit that can now only be seen in the cave drawing dug up by archaeologists last month in France. Did I fall and hit my head? Did I accidentally step into the Wayback machine and so think this is the latest and greatest must have technology?
Well, I'm not crazy (well, no more than I usually am) and I realize that most people out there have long given up their PalmPilot Professionals for newer snazzier Palms with all the latest and greatest bells and whistles. I decided to write this review for the simple reason that I still like my PalmPilot Professional better than any other Palm I own or have used for any length of time. There are still a lot of folks using PPPros out there (old units don't die, they get passed to relatives) and they can be found on eBay or other auction sites. If you are looking for a Palm for a child or a parent who probably won't be a power user or need lots of storage space, the PPPro may just be the device you are looking for.
The Basics
The PalmPilot Professional comes with 1MB of RAM and no Flash ROM out of the box. In this configuration it runs OS 2.0 and can be upgraded with point patches (available as .prc files you can install into RAM). It lacks IR (IR support was added in OS 3.0 with the release of the Palm III). It is close to the size of a III-style Palm but is a bit more rectangular. Unlike the III units which have a rocker button, the PPPro has separate up and down buttons. The stylus silo is slightly narrower - some Palm III stylii will fit and others won't and comes filled with a black plastic stick stylus. The screen is similar to that on a III, which is somewhat less sharp than the screen on a Palm IIIxe or a Palm V. Like the III, the PPPro uses an actual backlight, lighting the background pixels instead of the foreground pixels lit on newer Palms.
The Backlight
Having an actual backlight instead of the forelight in newer Palms makes a big difference in usability, especially under dim lighting conditions. The newer backlights are okay in complete darkness, but wash out in partial darkness conditions, making the Palm very difficult to use in those situations. The PPPro backlight is easy to see in both partial and complete darkness. There are hacks and dot shortcuts that will invert the backlight on newer units, but they also invert the spaces between pixels, leaving a black grid between the pixels. Some people may not mind that, but it makes me dizzy. Everyone I know who has used both types of backlights agrees that the older backlights are far superior.
The Buttons
I absolutely love the buttons on the PPPro. They are so much easier to use that the buttons on other units. The Memo, ToDo, Address, and Datebook buttons are a bit rounder than the same buttons on the III units which are slightly elongated vertically. I find this makes the Pro buttons slightly easier to press with fingers. However, the main difference is in the up/down buttons. On the PPPro, you get two separate mostly rectangular buttons to press. III-style units have a single rocker button shaped like a vertical figure eight. The rocker button also sticks out a bit more than the separate buttons. I know I prefer the PPPro buttons, but every time I go back to using the rocker after having used my PPPro I am struck by just how much of a difference there really is. It takes me days to get used to the rocker again.
Accessories
As I mentioned above, the PPPro is a bit boxier than the III-style units and has a slightly thinner stylus silo. Many III cases fit the PPPro but some of the more skintight ones do not. I currently keep my PPPro in a CDProjects PDA Case (see my review at http://www.epinions.com/content_7263194756). I use the PPPro sleeve for my Palm III, the unit I currently use on a daily basis.The Bumper Case fit the PPPro but interfered with the contrast wheel (see my review at http://www.epinions.com/cmd-review-3F14-29208F7D-3A4272C7-prod2). The HandiPak case also fit the PPPro, but the OnData case did not.
I must admit that the leather sleeve that comes with the PPPro is still my favorite case, and I've tried a lot of cases. It will fit any PPPro or III-style Palm, leaving just enough extra room to hold an extra stylus.
I currently use a pro-techniq III stylus (unfortunately, no longer available for sale) which does not fit in the PPPro silo. There are some III stylii that do fit in the silo (the Chameleon fits, for one) but a larger percentage do not. If you do not like the default stick (I do; I used it until I found the pro-techniq) and you do not use a case that can accomodate a separate stylus this might be a problem for you.
The PPPro hotsync port is identical to the III serial ports. Hardware addins that snap on through that port will fit the PPPro. There are modems, Flash memory modules, vibrating modules, and other addins that use this port. As long as any needed drivers work on the PPPro you can use the accessories.
The Memory Card and Expansion
The memory card on a PPPro lives underneath a sliding door at the top of the back of the unit. It is quite easy to remove the card, which is a good thing because every so often you may need to reseat it (they can get slightly loose very infrequently). This is a step to take only if you are still experiencing difficulties after performing a hard reset (see my epinion on resets at http://www.epinions.com/content_6479842948).
A better reason to remove the memory card of a PPPro is to replace it with a TRG SuperPilot IIXL card from Technology Resources Group (the manufacturer of the TRGPro). This card provides 2MB of Flash ROM, 8MB of RAM, and OS 3.0. If desired, the OS can be further upgraded to 3.3 or 3.5. I purchased one of these upgrades in November of 1998 and it effectively turned my PPPro into the equivalent of a IIIxe without IR. With the help of this card, my PPPro remained my primary use device until this past November when I upgraded to a Palm III. At that time, I moved the TRG card to the III and put the 2MB Flash/2MB RAM card from the III in the PPPro. Most likely if your goal is to obtain a cheap device for a child or parent, you aren't going to upgrade the memory card, but I think it's comforting to know that you can should their needs change in the future.
The Cons of Using a PPPro Today
The biggest con is the lack of an IR port. It was this deficiency that finally drove me to a Palm III a few months ago. I don't use IR very often, but it is definitely nice to have, especially when you find yourself among other Palm users.
If you do not upgrade the memory card to either a III card or a TRG card, you will be stuck with OS 2.0 or 2.04 (with patches). There is nothing wrong with OS2 and a lot of software will run on it, but there are more and more titles these days that assume at least OS3.
Space is another big problem if you don't upgrade the card. 1MB just doesn't go very far. After 3+ years of use, my MemoDB is itself almost 800KB. I am not the typical user, but even without extensive memos or thousands of contacts, 1MB just doesn't go very far. It will suffice for a while for someone who adds limited third party apps, but it will not last long at all for someone who wants more than a few extra applications. It will last a while for a user who just wants an electronic datebook and address book though.
Another detraction is that you will not find PalmPilot Professionals under warranty. No new units are produced or sold. You will have to buy one second hand, probably on eBay. If you spend the $150 for an m100 or Palm IIIe, the device will come with a one year replacement warranty from Palm. If buying used hardware makes you nervous, you may be better off getting one of the currently produced entry level Palms.
Why I Still Use My PalmPilot Professional
To me, the combination of the better backlight and better buttons was enough of a reason for me to not get a IIIx or other newer unit. It was even enough of a reason for me to not get a TRGPro, which I honestly believe is the best Palm on the market today (see my review at http://www.epinions.com/cmd-review-701-391D6862-3A4F9BB1-prod5). I have some vision problems and the backlight makes a huge difference for me. With the TRG card, I had the same amount of space as a IIIxe and OS 3.x, so there were no limitations in those areas from remaining with the PPPro.
The Palm III still uses the regular backlight and uses the same type of memory cards as the PPPro, so that was a logical upgrade path for me. However, all I would gain from the switch was IR so I wasn't in any type of hurry. Last fall I was offered a good deal (free) on a Palm III with a clear casing (see through is very cool). I accepted and the III became my every day unit. I still use my PPPro as a backup unit, test unit, and presentation unit. Every time I use it I remember yet again what an excellent device it is, and find myself considering switching back to it from the III, even without IR. I think that sums up the pull of the device better than anything else I could possibly say.
To Conclude
If you are considering buying a Palm for your child or your parent (or yourself), consider finding a used PalmPilot Professional. With the better backlight, better buttons, compatibility with many III-style accesories, and upgradability, the PalmPilot Professional still packs quite a whollop.
Recommended:
Yes
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