If you can afford the...wireless, and realize that this is not going to replace your desktop for web surfing, the Palm VIIx is a good way to stay connected. And it fits in your pocket!Like the other Palms, the VIIx does what it claims, and never complains.
There are two catches, though.
1) wireless applications are a very limited version of the net. There's no built-in web browser that lets you go to any old web page. So unless you install 3rd party programs, you're limited to the 40 bundled destinations (Amazon, AskJeeves, CBS Marketwatch, Fidelity, ...). Surprisingly, there was no built-in wireless phone book.
2) the wireless connection is slow and expensive. The bandwidth is under 9600 baud, and there's a 2-4 second delay between clicking and getting a response.
If you're an information junkie (stock quotes, news, email, eBay--is this you?) you will easily blow through the limited wireless plans...
On the plus side:
1) I was always able to connect to the wireless net (in buildings, in a car, in a park where cell coverage is spotty)
2) The device always did what I expected.
3 stars. I'd give it 5 if the wireless service was cheaper and faster.
--Pat
I don't mean to be critical of my fellow reviewers, but some of the negative reviews of the Palm VII totally miss the point of the thing. I carried one for over a year and found it incredibly useful. Now that I've moved outside of the service area, I miss it a lot. In spite of having the original VII with only 2 Megs of RAM, I never ran out of memory. I also never exceeded the lowest monthly service level, finding it adequate for my needs. Here's what I did and how I used it, which should be enough information for you to make a decision for yourself:
This is truly the traveler's friend: I have no office and I get in a lot of planes. You'll make that dreaded trip to the airline service desk with a lot more confidence if you are armed with the schedule of every single airline and current flight status. The VII knows what flights are schedule between any two points at any time, and provides current flight status. When 'suggesting' to the desk staff that they strongly consider booking you on another airline, your case will be stronger with flight number and departure info.
You can usually find the departure gate information (not to mention delay status) sitting in the shuttle from the parking area (at DFW, you need to know the gate number to tell the taxi which building to stop at). And of course, if you want, you can even make plane reservations online.
If driving over 10 miles, I query for traffic conditions. Embarrassed to ask directions? With the VII, you can enter location and destination and get detailed directions. Handy when stuck in the boonies without a phone. And when was the last time you saw a phone book at a pay phone? The VII can access Yellow and White pages. Weather forecasts, any time, any place.
Ordering a book from Amazon is sort of a parlor trick, but it's also a useful way to research books in print. Can't remember which movies featured Minnie Driver ? There are a 2 movie databases. Faced with a life without wireless, I've had to buy a new PDA with a lot more RAM to carry a German/English dictionary. I actually bought two, but they aren't anywhere near as useful as the online translators, which not only support full sentences, but they translate between multiple languages. English dictionary, thesaurus, and encyclopedia are available also, which again is a big help to somebody without an office.
The Palm VII does all this with the use of 'web clipping' applets that work with special applications on the information provider's web site. There are now hundreds of these things that can be downloaded.
On the downside, this thing is a AAA pig. Get yourself a couple sets of Nimh batteries, and a small charger. More than once, I found myself paying a premium price for new batteries at a hotel gift shop. I also recommend the serial cable if you can't get infrared to work with your laptop--carrying a cradle is a drag.
This is not a platform for heavy-duty web surfing, nor is it a convenient place to send and receive mail, but I really miss not being able to use it any more for all these questions that need to be answered RIGHT NOW. But if you do get stuck without a book, you can download an e-book too.
Buy PalmOne VIIx Wireless Handheld Now
The Palm VIIx is the worthy successor to the innovative Palm VII which has been available for some time. The VII was the first incarnation of Palm's wireless handheld. It is a great device but I never bought it because of the 2Mb memory constraints on the old VII. However, that has been mitigated with the new VIIx. This puppy includes a whopping 8Mb of memory. Ample for almost any application or usage.The VIIx comes pre-loaded with 40 or so wireless content apps. There are currently about 400 apps for the VII. You can get them for free at [Palm]. They range from bookstores like Amazon to acccessing your email on the go, to messaging, to online dictionairies. I would recommend to visit [Palm] to see the variety available and also if your area is covered by the mobile network.
I have a Fidelity trading account so I can use the VIIx to trade or view my portfolio. One of the most popular apps is the Starbucks locator. I wonder if there is a correlation between owning a VII and cafeine consumption. Another great app is MapQuest, and ThinAirMail lets you access any POP3 email account. Both are included standard.
The wireless response time is great. This is because of the way that Palm designed there applications as PQA's. PQA stands for Palm Query Application. They make wireless transmission efficient by ensuring that only pertinent data is sent. The way we view web pages, the whole page is loaded every time we view it, this includes a lot of layout and other data that we're not really interested in. PQA's predefine the layout and transmit only actual data. Eg. the price of a book you request from Amazon. The result is fast and efficient response. There are also several apps which let you browse the web in the traditional way, though I don't know why you'd want to. I don't think that the size of PDA screens makes web-browsing very useful or convenient. But, for those who insist...the Palm can definitely do it.
So far I have had no problems with signal quality. Whether on the street on in buildings. I'm in NY, but as mentioned before, don't buy this puppy until you have checked coverage in your area.
The VII series is a bit larger than the III. To me size is very important, I also own a Vx. But I will make an exception for the the VII, because wireless is just so ... cool and convenient. I could also have picked the Omnisky wireless service. Then I'd have to attach a modem to my Vx and the package together would be more bulky than the VII series so I prefer the convenience of having an all-in-one VIIx.
The device is turned on by flipping the antenna. Easy enough. Installation is a breeze. Takes all of 5 minutes and you are going. I recommend the 'all-you-can-eat' subscription. It costs $45/mth but well worth it, but you can also go for one of the more moderate subscriptions. They start a $10/mth.
Wireless is great. Definitely the way of the future. I love being able to pop up my email on the go, check for a movie with moviefone or just read a book, play a game, or read magazines with AvantGo. After all, let's not forget that other than wireless, Palm makes a great PDA with many other applications.
Read Best Reviews of PalmOne VIIx Wireless Handheld Here
The 8 Mb of memory the VIIx has is what it needed in the first place. Now you can load all of those games and non-wireless apps you had to pass on with the VII. The integration is a little tighter in Palm OS 3.5, but a lot of people won't be happy with this until (1) the screen improves from four shades of gray (yes, I am envious of the IIIc) and (2) the modem speed improves.The Qualcomm PD100 tried to overcome the speed (and coverage issue) but left you holding a Palm to your ear with a screen just too small to read).
And in the meantime, the Palm VII provides an integrated wireless email and fax platform (both with lookup from your address book) which a novice can get out of the box and running in ten minutes or less (try that with a PC).
TIPS: go to palmgear.com and download DPWeb browser (or other browser) and go with the unlimited plan if you can afford it. Then you will be able to access nearly any web site, not just those with web clipping applications.
Want PalmOne VIIx Wireless Handheld Discount?
I was one of the first Palm VI owners and was very up beat about my new toy. But now that I have had it for a while, I discontinued my palm.net service as a waste of money. I recommend palm buyers get a non-Internet model and use the great organizer features. The Internet function is VERY slow and subject to poor reception or incomplete downloads. The cost of these downloads is very expensive if you use it enough to make it worth while. The range of material available for Internet download is very limited. And did I say SLOW? A web enabled cell phone would give you both the net and a phone -with cheaper monthly charges and you can both talk and surf with the same device. When you buy the Palm VII you must use palm.net and they are not well priced or customer oriented. A web enabled phone allows you to pick your provider and is always on for a stock alert or other quick message (unlike the palm).
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