Fortunately, independent developers have created dozens of excellent PQAs. Palm should be given credit for doing a great job of cataloguing most of the PQAs on their Palm VII Web site, found at http://www.palm.net.

To give you just a few examples, there are now PQAs that provide access to Amazon.Com, free real-time stock quotes, and even the ability to send someone flowers right from your Palm VII. If you are an eBay regular, the eBay PQA is a must, because not only can you access auction information, but also you can make live bids.

Issue two: inability to browse the Web
"Web Clipping, Not Web Browsing"--that's what it says right on the box my Palm VII came in. However, that description is no longer accurate. The Palm VII can browse just about anywhere on the Web. What you need is a PQA that serves as a Web browser. Several PQAs have been developed for just that purpose. The Palm VII browser that I use (and think of very highly) is called DPWeb. I discussed DPWeb in my article entitled, "Super productivity: it's in the Palm of your hand" in the February 2000 issue of PalmPower Magazine at http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue200002/superproductivity001.html.

I'd like to add that they've recently developed a deluxe version that supports things like bookmarks, search capabilities, and cookies. The basic version of DPWeb is available without cost. However, there is a nominal fee of $20 to upgrade to the deluxe version. Go to http://www.digitalpaths.com for more information.

Issue three: inability to use your original ISP email address
Personally, I like the iMessenger application that comes with the Palm VII. It's great for sending and receiving email on the go. (By the way, make sure to go to Palm.Net and set up your desktop email address as a "bcc" for all your outgoing email from the Palm VII, as the Palm VII does not retain outgoing mail after it's sent.) However, a common objection critics raised about the Palm VII was that you had to get a brand new email address ending in "@palm.net." Again, this is no longer the case. There are several PQAs that allow you to use existing email addresses. Although I use iMessenger to send email, I use a PQA called ThinAir to retrieve email from my desktop's ISP email address. ThinAir gives you real-time access to your inbox, whether it's with an ISP or a Web-based system like Yahoo or HotMail. It's easy to set up, and you can have access to as many as three different email accounts. Go to http://www.thinairmail.com for more information.

Issue four: Palm.Net's service pricing
The biggest complaint about the Palm VII when it was first released was the pricing structure that Palm, Inc. had developed. Cost was related to the bits of data that one accessed, and the format was difficult for novice users to understand. Furthermore, someone like me who swears by the usefulness of their Palm VII could easily run into costs of hundreds of dollars per month using one of the original pricing plans. Needless to say, the critics had a point in blasting Palm for the original, limited volume pricing plans. Although these limited usage plans still exist, Palm has recently come out with a pricing plan that's a real winner: $44.99 a month, unlimited data volume, unlimited email volume, and like the other Palm.Net plans, no roaming costs. I've compared the Palm VII "unlimited volume" plan to several other wireless plans, including plans for other Palm devices, Web-enabled phones, and wireless services for Windows CE devices. I have yet to find any other service offering unlimited wireless usage for less than the Palm VII.