Palm introduces Palm IIIe handheld

Palm, a 3Com company, today announced the local availability of a new entry-level, clear case, feature-rich Palm handheld computer, to satisfy a growing demand amongst the younger consumer market for a stylish but affordable handheld offering. 3Com SA has announced that the new offering will be available in South Africa from 1 March 2000.

The Palm IIIe handheld combines the popular, easy-to-use functionality of previous Palm handheld computers with a new transparent flip case design, sharper screen display for easier viewing and a range of bright new carry case accessories.

Designed specifically for a younger generation of consumers that do not wish to sacrifice functionality for style, the chic new casing of the Palm IIIe handheld incorporates all the core features and form factor of the award-winning Palm III handheld, with the added benefit of an advanced liquid crystal display screen for improved contrast and clarity.

This new entry level member of the Palm handheld family will offer a broader range of consumers the opportunity to take advantage of the simplicity, high performance and multitude of third party applications that Palm handheld computers offer, at an affordable price.

"For many executives and mobile professionals Palm handheld computers have become indispensable tools for managing almost any aspect of daily life - a fact that is clearly supported by our current 72% share of the Western European personal companion market in 1998," states Neville Street, vice president, International Business at Palm.

"Over the past few months we have seen a demand for a similar type of pocket-size information management device from a broadening range of consumers such as students and the younger workforce. The design, functionality and price of the Palm IIIe handheld is set to satisfy this demand and is yet another demonstration of our commitment to provide handheld computing solutions for an increasingly broad range of customers," adds Sean Heyes, Palm product manager, at 3Com SA.

Based on the Palm Computing platform, the Palm IIIe handheld shares the same award-winning features - such as ease of use, simplicity and instant one-touch synchronisation with any PC or Macintosh computer - that have made Palm products the most popular handheld computers on the market.

An extremely efficient design for data storage enables the Palm IIIe handheld`s 2MB of memory to store 6,000 addresses, five years of appointments, 1,500 To Do items, 1,500 memos and 200 e-mail messages.

The Palm IIIe handheld features version 3.1 of the Palm OS software and ships with the Palm Desktop software. The Palm IIIe handheld also features infrared (IR) "beaming" for sharing information - such as schedules, events, applications, games or memos - wirelessly with other IR-enabled Palm handheld users. The Palm IIIe handheld runs on two AAA batteries.

Stylish new line of accessories for the Palm III range

Also available is a range of new carrying case options for the Palm III series of products:

• The PalmGlove neoprene case was designed exclusively for Palm, by Body Glove, Santa Monica, California. Available in six colours - black, olive, royal blue, teal, yellow and purple - these sporty cases are water resistant and shock absorbent, providing extra protection for any Palm III series handheld computer.

• The new Palm Colour Shades flip covers protect the screen and provide easy access to the Palm III series of handhelds. These include three coloured flipcovers in blue, lime and aqua and three black plastic Palm styli.