With the silkscreen now being software driven, I'm curious whether it's programmable by third party developers. If anyone out there comes up with a cool way to manipulate the Virtual Graffiti area, be sure to let us know here at PalmPower.

Two expansion slots for memory and add-ons
The HandEra 330 has not lost the CompactFlash slot of its older brother, but it has also added a Secure Digital slot, making it the only handheld to include two expansion slots. This is in addition to its 2MB of internal Flash memory and 8MB of internal RAM.

It'll be interesting to see if either of the two expansion methods will be able to read photo formats. For example, it would be extremely cool if you were able to take the CompactFlash card from your digital camera, insert it into your HandEra 330, and view and annotate the images inside.

Voice recorder/audio
The HandEra 330 features a Voice Pad application to help you organize the audio files you create with the device's built-in voice recorder, previously seen only on Pocket PC devices. You can play back your recordings on the amplified speaker.

One-hand operation
Borrowing a page from the Sony CLIE, the HandEra 330 has a side-mounted combination jog wheel and select button, allowing you to operate the device with one hand, as shown in Figure B.

FIGURE B

Use the jog wheel to operate the HandEra 330 with one hand. Click picture for a larger image.

Enhanced battery operation
Now this is smart. You can power your HandEra 330 with four AAA batteries, or you can replace the batteries with an optional rechargeable Lithium Ion battery pack. No longer is there any need to weigh the pros and cons of replaceable versus rechargeable batteries. And with four AAA batteries instead of two, as is standard in other Palm OS devices that make use of replaceable batteries, the power lasts twice as long.

Built-in Quickoffice
The HandEra 330 comes with Quickoffice suite (at http://www.quickoffice.com) already built-in. An Outlook Conduit and back-up programs are also included out of the box.

Our concerns
I have to be honest, I'm extremely impressed by what HandEra has done as far as the functionality of this new handheld is concerned. However, the form factor could use a little work. Its silver plastic shell has a slightly dated look and appears to have been done with some low-end plating. Speaking of dated, the Palm III form factor is also a little off-peak. The trend in handhelds lately is definitely towards sleaker, curvier designs.

Basically, what HandEra has come up with is an engineering marvel in less than spectacular packaging. We're very impressed by what they've done, and we wish HandEra all the luck in the world with this new device. We have to wonder, though, if they'll be able to adequately explain to the average, non-techie consumer the advantages of their device over those of the flashier looking Palm m500 or Palm m505.

Pricing and availability
The HandEra 330 will be priced at $349.99 and will be available in Q2 from the company's Web site at http://www.handera.com as well as select retail outlets and resellers around the world.

Steve Niles is Senior Editor for ZATZ Publishing. He is also an independent filmmaker and freelance writer. For more information, visit http://www.sn-films.com.