Palm Pilot Finally Goes Color

By Sushuma February 23, 2000 2:58 PM

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(CNN)-Palm Computing announced Tuesday the company's first color handheld computer, dubbed the Palm IIIc, as well as a replacement for the Palm IIIx unit.?Windows CE-based palmtops have had color screens for some time, but palmtop color technology remains problematic.?The color circuitry needs extra space, and can be a major drain on battery life.?Palm spokesman Paul Osborn said the move to color wasn't caused by a need for color displays, but simply the next evolution in an attempt to make Palm computers more readable.?Palm has been known for an unwillingness to add "bells and whistles" for novelty's sake, instead concentrating on usability and stability.?The Palm IIIc is only slightly longer than the other models in the III series, and is the lightest and thinnest of all color handhelds.?The designers were so size-conscious that they removed the little serial port door in order to shave off a few millimeters of space.?Just like the earlier Palm Vx unit, the IIIc uses a fast 20 Mhz Dragonball processor, and includes 8 megabytes of RAM.?There's also 2 megabytes of Flash RAM, which holds the operating system.?It can be tweaked to hold programs too, using sometimes unstable hack utilities.?In another first for the Palm line, it uses a rechargeable lithium ion battery.?As in the V series, it recharges in its cradle.?The IIIc also sports a new operating system.?Palm OS version 3.5 will be downloadable for other Palm units close to the end of March, but ships with the IIIc.?Highlighting the new OS is support for 8-bit color.?That still helps non-color Palms since it switches on a 4-bit monochrome capability in the Palm III.?Previous versions of the Palm OS only allowed for 2-bit color depth.?More ...

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