Product Description

Looking for a handheld that grows along with your needs? The Palm m500 Handheld is designed with an expansion slot that allows you to easily add memory, back up data, and take advantage of a variety of applications without sacrificing memory space. You can also use the Palm Universal Connector to add a portable keyboard, camera, or wireless modem to your handheld.Based on the award-winning Palm V handheld, the Palm m500 handheld features a sleek design and small size. For something so compact, it's loaded with powerful features, including mobile connectivity software that lets you access the Internet and sends e-mail through your modem or data-enabled cell phone. Bundled productivity and business software help you simplify your life. And you can view all your information on a high-contrast display screen using desktop software.p software.t desktop software.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #747 in Consumer Electronics
• Size: Palm m500 Handheld
• Brand: Palm
• Model: 3C80800U
• Platform: Mac OS 9 and below
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .40" h x 3.10" w x 4.50" l, .25 pounds
• Memory: 8MB
• Native resolution: 160 x 160
• Display size: 3.36

Features

• Built-in 8 MB memory stores thousands of contacts, appointments, to-do items, and notes
• New, advanced monochrome LCD screen makes it easier to see in dim light and in bright sunlight
• New Secure Digital Card/MultiMediaCard expansion slot for additional memory and functionality such as a dictionary/thesaurus, games, and more
• Native USB cradle allows faster HotSync operations
• Windows and Macintosh compatible--includes desktop software for both platforms

Amazon.com
Palm introduced the Palm V as the handheld for elite users: its anodized aluminum finish, small size, and thin profile--not to mention its premium price tag--were supposed to appeal to the upper echelon of executives. When the masses decided that a small and light device was worth the extra bucks, Palm found itself with its top-selling handheld. With the introduction of the Palm m500, it's clear that Palm has learned its lesson and is sticking with the successful form factor, while adding a handful of new features to incrementally advance the entire Palm family.

The Palm m500 could be confused with a Palm V at a distance, but not up close: its shape is a tad more curvy, though the bottom portion of the case is slightly less flared than the V. More important, the m500 is a bit shorter and lighter (the latter largely because the back half of the case is now plastic, not metal).

A tremendous improvement, at least for those of us who've regularly carried Palm V units, is the use of two small indented nubs for the scroll buttons, which means they won't press against the fold-over cover and keep the unit powered on (and drain the battery) following an alarm. The power button feels more sturdy than the Palm V's flaky switch, and now it lights up when the m500 is charging in its cradle or, optionally, when an alarm goes off. Another welcome addition to alarms is a built-in vibrating alert for those times when you don't want the handheld to chirp loudly.

The Palm m500 also sports an expansion slot, which accepts MultiMediaCards (MMCs) and Secure Digital (SD) cards, for increased memory storage and future devices like digital music players. Unfortunately, at the time of this review, we were unable to test any of the cards offered by Palm. While different from other expansion formats (such as Handspring's Springboard slot or the CompactFlash format used by many Windows CE devices and digital cameras), SD/MMC cards at least are the smallest format.

Another hardware change in the Palm m500 is the USB-based universal connector, which provides for much faster data synchronization and the promise that this design will be the standard connection port used on successive Palm devices.

In most other respects, the Palm m500 is much like the Palm V. It includes 8 MB of memory, which is starting to feel skimpy in terms of storage these days, but is offset by the additional memory available through the expansion slot. The screen is a high-contrast monochrome display; on the unit we tested, the backlight was more golden in color than the green Palm V, which made it slightly more readable in darkness.

The Palm m500 runs Palm OS 4.0, the latest version of the operating system, but most of the software changes are either under the hood or incorporated as subtle tweaks. For example, the Date Book application appears virtually unchanged, though overlapping alarms are summarized on one screen instead of forcing you to dismiss multiple reminder screens. The Palm m500 also now comes with Palm's Clock application for quickly checking the time (though you can't view it through a window in the cover, as you can on the Palm m100 series models), plus Note Pad for jotting notes without using Graffiti.

The other notable software addition is Palm's Mobile Internet Kit, which lets you transfer e-mail, check the Web (using Palm's Web clipping technology), and use SMS text messaging on any GSM-compatible cellular phone with infrared capabilities. We were able to easily connect to the Internet using the Palm m500 with a Nokia 8290 phone, where the Nokia acted as just another modem. It's not as convenient as a built-in (as in the Palm VII) or clipped-on modem (like the OmniSky), but if you already have a capable cellular phone and the Palm m500, you might as well use them together.

In all, the Palm m500 represents a good step forward for the Palm line, even if it isn't as flashy or revolutionary as the Palm V's introduction. We anticipate the (hopefully) near future when SD expansion cards offer more functionality. --Nelson Finn

Pros:

• SD card expansion slot
• USB Universal connector
• Better case buttons
• Mobile Internet Kit software
• Vibrating alarm

Cons:

• Not many software improvements in Palm OS 4.0

Amazon.com Product Description
The lightweight, stylish Palm m500 handheld is expandable, customizable, and Internet capable. The Palm m500 has an expansion card slot for additional memory storage (up to 64 MB) and add-ons such as a dictionary/thesaurus, games, and more. The Palm m500 comes with all the classic personal information management tools you expect: Date Book, Address Book, To Do List, Memo Pad, Mail, and Clock. It has 8 MB of built-in memory, enough to store thousands of addresses, years of appointments, hundreds of to-do items, and more than 50 applications.

The expansion card slot is a dual-purpose slot that can hold two types of cards: Secure Digital and MultiMediaCard (MMC). Both types of cards are small, inexpensive, and easy to plug in. Much like computer diskettes, they hold information for upload or download onto a handheld. With them, you can instantly add software programs, e-books, large databases, graphics, or even video files to your handheld without sacrificing memory space.

Sleek and lightweight, the Palm m500 handheld has a shiny aluminum casing and is curved to fit in your hand. The display's enhanced technology makes it easier to see at all angles, in dim light, and in bright sunlight.

The new native USB HotSync cradle allows you to quickly back up and exchange information between your handheld and your PC or Mac. The Palm m500 handheld also features new vibrating and blinking LED alarms (in addition to the standard audible alarm) to help you stay on top of your busy schedule. The Palm m500 handheld comes equipped with a rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery, which is charged using the HotSync cradle.

The Palm m500 handheld comes with Palm OS 4.0, which provides enhanced security and improved Internet connectivity. Other application features include Note Pad for writing sticky notes, Palm Mobile Connectivity for connecting to the Internet and obtaining e-mail via compatible cellular phones, and AOL for the Palm OS.

The Palm m500 handheld is PC and Macintosh compatible and requires a USB port. It comes with Palm desktop software for both PC and Macintosh. It has a one-year warranty.

What's in the box

• Palm m500
• Stylus
• Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
• USB HotSync cradle
• Palm Desktop software for Windows and Macintosh and Palm Mobile Connectivity software
• Getting Started guide
• Handbook

Customer Reviews

m500 - thumbs up
Ok...I just finished reading all the reviews between the Palm m500 and the Palm m505 (color). This is my first Palm so this review is coming from a novice point of view. I decided to go with the m500. I made a wise choice! I really don't need a color screen. I don't play games or anything like that. So I decided to go with the m500 and save almost a hundred bucks. I bought it for the address book, the memo feature, the to do list, and the additional memory you can buy. I really don't need to see these things in color. Many people complain about the screen clarity, size etc..etc..I really don't have a problem with it. It is nice and clear. I can see the fonts no problem, and the palm icons are nice and clear. The screen is a good size too. The illuminated light is nice and bright. The screen is dark while the fonts and all the graphics nicely light up. It comes with alot of extra software too. It was also very easy to operate. I started to feel confident within 5 minutes after I pulled it out of the box. It's navigation is very straight forward and easy to understand. I just installed software that allows you to view and edit Microsoft Word and Excel files right on your Palm!

All in all I am very satisfied with the m500. I would highly recommend it to beginners who want basic Palm functions, but also want the option of exploring and using the other great features that puts the m500 at the top of the line of Palm handhelds. You also save some money too!

A Must Have
I used to own a Sony CLIE. As most people know, it is a so-so Palm clone with NO accesories. Finally I decided to upgrade to a new m500. It is the smallest handheld running on Palm OS (yes smaller than the Vx and the m505). It also has the clearest screen (far superior to my almost new CLIE). And comes with around $200 of bonus software, something the Vx lacks. I think this handheld is better than the m505 for two reasons. 1, it is cheaper, and 2, the screen is much better (it is not black and white, but displays 16 different shades from black to white), while the m505 has a very dissapointing color screen that is sure to leave you squinting even when looking its best. If you are debating over Palm OS and Windows CE, Palm is the hands down winner for several reasons. One reason is that their handhelds are smaller and faster than Windows handhelds (The smallest windows handheld is equavalent to two Palm V's stacked up). Palm is also more econimical. Palm handhelds batteries last around a month. Windows CE lasts 4 hours. Palm has 10's of thousands of software programs (around half of it is free), while Windows CE has 100's of expensive programs. If you are looking for a PDA with great features, accesories, software, and mobility choose Palm.

Best Palm Yet
I have owned 3 different pocket pc or palm made devices. I first started with the Palm IIIxe, which I got a lot of use out of. It is not only functional, but it makes writing in your organizer, and adding addresses easy, if not fun. I decided to move on to a color model, but the available color models running palm OS were far from adequete, especially for their prices. The best value was a HP Jornada 525, which was their old model, close to being discontinued. I was happy with the Jornada, until I found that upgrading to the new Pocket PC OS wasn't possible, and recently I have noticed that the Pocket PC industry hasn't gotten it's act together. Pocket PCs, up until Win CE 2002, have been running on 3 (or maybe 4) different types of processors, and none of them are compatible with eachother. Models with different levels of color cannot run the same software, and the list goes on. I decided to move back to palm, but keep my Jornada when I needed a color device. The best buy seemed to be the m500. I am happy with this model. It writes much better than my first palm. Some reviews have stated that it has a plastic screen, but in fact, it has a glass screen, and a thinner "membrane" for sensing touches. It's display is a big step up from the early grayscale palms, and it has fixed all of the annoying bugs of the old Palm Vs. My only complaint is that the "odd" shape makes leather cases (especially fit cases) much more expensive, and the peripherals are all more expensive. Otherwise, this is a great model!!