After much anticipation, color finally made its debut on Palm devices with the introduction of the Palm IIIc. Sporting 8MB of RAM, a new operating system and a rechargeable battery, the IIIc attempts to walk the fine line between compact size and functionality. While the arrival of the color Palm on the PDA scene provides a glimpse of where handheld devices are headed, whether the IIIc warrants a rush to nearest store to pick one up is a question of personal preference. To help provide some insight, here is our take on the Palm IIIc.

	The new Palm IIIc sports a new design in addition to its new functionality

An initial examination of the device shows a few noticeable changes to the IIIc from previous models. Most obvious is the fact that rather than the familiar gray case, the IIIc is much a much darker, almost black color (granted this has absolutely no effect beyond aesthetics but it is the impression that struck me first). The device is also slightly larger than other Palm III models (about a third of an inch longer), and a bit heavier, although the extra weight didn't really seem that perceptible unless one was focused on trying to feel the difference.

At the top of the unit, an LED light has been added which indicates when the device is charging (unlike other Palm III models the IIIc is rechargeable like the Palm V). Other small changes include a change to the angle the stylus sits at when stored which makes it slightly easier to remove it, and a larger IR window.

The control buttons on the device have also been redesigned. Instead of the familiar convex buttons that Palm III users have come to expect, the buttons on the IIIc are concave. While this didn't seem to cause any distraction or lack of sensitivity, neither did they seem to improve performance. The scroll buttons have reverted from the one-button 'rocker' design back to the separate button configuration that older models of the Palm had. This is and odd development since the 'rocker' design was extremely well received and, according to most users, was much easier to use than the separate buttons.

One thing that did not change, although the spring-loaded cover is now gone, is the serial port configuration, which remains the same as other Palm III models. This means the any accessory designed for the Palm III, such as a keyboard or modem, will also work with the IIIc. HotSyncing can also be done through a standard Palm III cradle, however only the IIIc cradle will recharge the batteries.

Finally, the screen. When powered-off, the screen is virtually black. The Graffiti area is also black instead of the greenish color used on other models, with the silkscreen images being white. Again, the changes do not affect operation, but for some reason they just seemed to take a little while to get used to. The most significant characteristics of the screen show themselves, of course, once the green button is pressed and the power comes on.

	The new calculator application shows off the new color capability

For those that have lamented the monochrome display of previous Palm devices, what appears the first time the device is used is truly stunning. The familiar black icons on green background are replaced by colorful images on a white background. The display is very bright and crisp (even though the screen uses the same 160x160 pixel display). Even applications that do not use color (and admittedly, at this point not many do) seem more clear and readable (due to the better contrast of black on white).

	Games, such as this backgammon program are the first to be adapted to color, Other, more practical applications will follow soon

itself is an 8-bit 256-color active matrix display. While this does make color applications possible, it is by no means equivalent to the color displays used on most Windows CE devices, which are 16-bit. This means that many of the multimedia capabilities available on CE devices are simple not possible on the IIIc. However, the IIIc is also not as power hungry as its CE counterparts, meaning longer battery life, which for most medical professionals is by far more important.

As should be expected, the color display seriously impacts power consumption. Palm claims a life of about two weeks with normal usage, however, our device seemed to lose its charge more rapidly. Even with heavy use and with the screen brightness turned all the way up (which uses more power), the device would still handle all but the most exhausting days, returning to its cradle at night for a full recharge (getting into this habit is much more critical with this device than the longer lasting Palm V).

Finally, the IIIc seems to suffer from a slight degradation in performance compared to the reviewer's Palm Vx, which uses the same processor, no doubt in part to the added burden of generating color images. Most users likely will not notice the slower speed or find it that distracting, however it was clearly perceptible.

What has been overlooked in the excitement of the color display has been the introduction of a new operating system, Palm OS 3.5. While this will not be unique to the IIIc (all Palm devices with flashable ROM can upgrade to the new OS when made available by Palm), there are few nice enhancements. Most useful, is the ability to activate the drop-down menus by tapping the menu bar in the upper land-hand corner, rather than using the silkscreen menu button in the Graffiti area.

Also enhanced is the Date Book application, which now allows appointments and to-dos to be displayed on the same screen (and while this sounds like a small change, it is one of the changes we found to be the most beneficial), and a snooze button that is actually functional that pops up when an alarm sounds.

While we liked the novelty of the color display and definitely see the functionality that this capability could provide in the future, the price of the Palm IIIc ($449) seemed excessive. At this point in time, given the lack of applications that take advantage of the color screen our preference tilts towards the alternative models such as the Palm IIIxe, which provides that same functionality without the color screen for almost 50% less (with the exception of the rechargeable batteries) or the Palm Vx which is far more comfortable to carry around and costs only $399.

Of course, the IIIc is Palm's first attempt at color and future models will no doubt only get better. More importantly, with time, more software developers will adapt their programs to take advantage of the color display or create new versions with added features. Both of these developments will make color Palms much more practical devices as well as much more common companions to the busy medical professional.