The Internet in Your Pocket
Pros:
Real Time Internet Info, Palm OS
Cons:
Price, Not Practical For Large Page Downloads, Lacks Rechargeable Batteries
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
The Palm VII is essentially the same as the Palm IIIe with one very important and expensive exception - the ability to view wireless web pages. I'll focus primarily on this wireless web feature as this is the main selling point of this unit.
At $449 (with recent price reductions) this pricey item had better perform. Factor in the $40 monthly fee for unlimited internet access and this becomes either a toy for those with a hole in their pocket or a serious need for anywhere access to the internet.
For this price the fact that Palm built in only the minimal 2MB of memory instead of the new 8MB standard is also upsetting. In addition, instead of a rechargeable battery you will be constantly replacing the AAA batteries if you use the internet access feature frequently. Another cost cutting measure by Palm. It seems they cut corners everywhere except in the price.
First of all this model is bigger than other Palms - taller rather than fatter - and weighs a bit more. So two strikes against off the bat as size matters in the world of PDAs.
As for anywhere access; well not quite. Like a cell phone, youre at the mercy of the strength of a local signal. It worked OK but, again, like my cell phone, I ran into dead spots. The antenna is a particularly cheap looking and feeling piece of plastic. I dont know whether the quality of the antenna has anything to do with the spotty signal reception. I would guess not figuring the design engineers knew what they were doing.
If youre expecting pages to load as quickly as on your desktop - sorry. Not gonna happen. Remember that old Intel 75 Mhz PC you junked a few years ago? Its about like that. What Im saying is that this is not the answer to an internet junkie's dreams. It WILL suffice for those who want real time access to stock quotes, sports scores, the weather, directions, etc. Waiting for pages to load with lots of content and then trying to read it on the small screen quickly becomes a chore. The novelty wears off in short order. Once I lowered my expectations a bit I enjoyed the Palm VII a lot more.
Outside of internet access the Palm VII performs on a par with the Palm IIIe. That is to say, very well indeed. The Palm OS is the best by far and you will be amazed by both its simplicity and its ability to help organize your life.
Bottom line? Once I lowered my internet expectations from unrealistic levels I began to appreciate this far more. Coupled with the other basic Palm OS features this is a terrific, if pricey, addition to your life.
