FIGURE C


You can't reuse your old cradles with the Palm V. If you expect to HotSync at work and home, you're going to need to buy a new $49.95 cradle for home. Roll over picture for a larger image.

The display has better contrast than earlier Palm devices, even though it is slightly smaller than previous models (77mm long, including the Graffiti area x 57mm wide). You'll have to trim your screen protectors to fit, and homebrewed protectors that adhere by slipping the edge under the case's bezel may not work. There is very little clearance between the screen and the case, and some overhead transparency material will be too thick.

The power switch is on the top right, near the right stylus silo, and the contrast dial is gone, having been replaced by a button on the top left, near the left stylus silo. Pressing the button brings up a software slider, labeled Adjust Contrast, which can be dragged for large changes or tapped for smaller adjustments. The Big 4 buttons and the up and down rocker switch on the Palm V are concave, rather than convex, and the icons have been changed. The rocker switch on the Palm V also has an audible click, unlike that of the other models.

The Palm V is a sealed unit. According to a post to the Palm newsgroups by Doug DeVries of TRG, it can be opened only with great difficulty and much perseverance. This means that the Palm V can't be upgraded. I'm hoping there will be a "Palm Vx" in our future, for we diehard Palm users who need more than 2MB of RAM, and covet the new design.

Because of the Palm V's small size, the serial connector has been completely redesigned, as you can see in Figure D. This means that none of the current Palm device peripherals -- such as the HotSync Cable, Palm Modem, or GoType keyboard -- will fit. There's a new 33.6Kbps Palm V Modem that snaps into the Palm V's HotSync port, and covers the back.

FIGURE D


The HotSync connector in the Palm V is completely new and incompatible with old peripherals. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Cables for connecting the Palm V Modem to GSM and analog wireless phones can be purchased separately. Landware, maker of the GoType keyboard, states that Palm V compatibility will be offered at the end of the second quarter of 1999. I foresee a market opportunity for an enterprising company to produce an adapter for the Palm V to preserve investment in existing peripherals and provide connectivity to specialized devices, such as the Minstrel Modem or Unilinear Parachute PCMCIA card adapter.

The aluminum housing and integrated memory should make the Palm V somewhat more durable than earlier models. The Palm V comes with a leather flip cover. A more stylish way to inhibit damage is the optional Palm V Hard Case, which is plastic-lined aluminum. When secured within the Hard Case, the Palm V's form factor is almost identical to an uncased Palm III. There is no chance of the Palm V inadvertently falling out of this case--the hinge (also known as the center rail) fits into the left-side stylus silo and locks in place. The Hard Case opens like a book, and the Palm V need not be removed to HotSync or charge. There are depressions in the case lid, so that the case does not press against any of the buttons. Although the metallic case looks nice, it doesn't seem quite as sturdy to me as a Rhinoskin Cockpit or a Pilot Armor, so I refrained from doing any drop testing with the review unit. [That was a joke right? Tell me it was a joke. --DG]