Three days ago, we were issued two Palm III devices by 3Com -- just days before the official, scheduled product announcement. The devices examined here are not final production models, but are quite similar to what will eventually reach store shelves. Since we've had only three days to completely examine these devices before going to press with this special report, we're giving you our subjective impressions along with early test results.

If you use a PalmPilot now, you're going to like the newly designed Palm III device, shown in Figure A. It's sleeker, rounder, and more comfortable. Plus, it's got some nice, new features that we think nearly all Palm device users will enjoy using.

FIGURE A

The slick, new Palm III. Click picture for a larger image.

Available at a list price of $399, the Palm III is a souped up PalmPilot with a new, sexier look, 2MB of RAM, a built-in infrared port, some useful new software features (described in-depth in "Palm III software, a first look at Palm OS 3.0"), and even a cool new flip-top cover.

The new Palm III also has 2MB of flash memory. This allows for software upgrades to be made to the Palm OS operating system without requiring the memory card to be replaced.

Pricing and availability
Before going into detail about the new features, let's look at pricing and availability. 3Com will be announcing the Palm III on March 9, 1998 and will be shipping it, they say, in April. The PalmPilot devices also remain available, at substantially reduced prices. Here are the numbers:

• Palm III: IR port, 2MB of RAM (approx 6000 addresses, 5 years of appointments, 1500 to do items, 1500 memos, 200 email messages). Suggested retail is $399.

• PalmPilot Professional: 1MB RAM (approximately 4000 addresses, 4 years of appointments, 750 to do items, 750 memos, 100 email messages). Suggest retail is $299.

• PalmPilot Personal: 512K of RAM. Suggested retail is $199.

Although we think the fully-equipped Palm III is the choice for serious users and the price remains accessible, we think a hidden "big news" item is that a new PalmPilot Personal can be had for under $200. This becomes a really affordable option for casual users.

There are also reasonable upgrade options. For around $130, you can upgrade to Palm III functionality. We discuss this in more detail near the end of the article.

The new look
No question, the new Palm III is a cool-looking little beast. Even though its dimensions are exactly the same as the previous versions (4.7 inches tall, 3.2 inches wide, 0.7 inches thick), the new Palm III seems thinner. That's because the Palm III body is tapered and rounded. Without the cover, the new device weighs the same as the previous PalmPilots, although the plastic cover may add an indiscernable increase in overall weight.