PalmPilot
Encyclopedia
The PalmPilot Personal and PalmPilot Professional
are the second generation of Palm
PDA
devices produced by Palm Inc (then a subsidiary of U.S. Robotics
). These devices were launched on March 10, 1997.
.
This PDA has a plastic casing which is 4.7 x 3.1 x .7 inches and weighs 5.6 ounces (158.8 g). On the front of the device there is a 160x160 pixel monochrome touchscreen
LCD, with a Graffiti
input zone below it. Under this there is a green button for power and backlight control, four application buttons (Date Book, Address Book, To Do List, and Memo Pad) and two scroll buttons. On the left side of the device there is a contrast control, and on the top right side of the device, there is a stylus slot. On the back, there is a memory slot door, reset button, battery door (two Alkaline AAA batteries needed) and serial port (for use with the PalmPilot Cradle).
The memory is located in a memory slot under a plastic cover on the back of the PDA near the top. A 512 KB ROM chip contains the Palm OS
2.0 operating system and resident applications. The RAM is available in 512 KB, 1 MB or 2 MB sizes. The hardware limit is 12 MB of RAM and 4 MB of ROM
.
format (for Windows 3.1) and another in CD-ROM
format (for Windows 95
). Palm Desktop is also available for Mac
computers. Linux
has various open source software packages that support the Pilot (Linux is one of preferred development platforms for Palm OS).
The hardware is similar to the first generation of devices (the Pilot 1000/5000
), but added a Backlit Screen, more RAM, an updated version of Palm OS
(2.0), enhanced PIM applications, expense management software and, for the PalmPilot Professional, the new TCP/IP-based network synchronization capability. This feature allows access to computer networks and, for users of Microsoft Mail
, Microsoft Exchange
, Microsoft Outlook
, or Lotus
cc:mail
, allows them to create new messages, reply to or forward messages, and manage the contents of their desktop mailbox remotely.
at 14.4 kbit/s, introduced at a price of $129 (this modem is also compatible with the Palm III
and Palm IIIx
devices). An upgrade kit was also available, which allowed users of the earlier Pilot 1000/5000
devices to upgrade the OS, ROM, and RAM to match the PalmPilot Professional. Initially suggested retail prices upon launch were $399 for the PalmPilot Professional, $299 for the PalmPilot Personal, and $199 for the Upgrade Kit. Upgrade kits were also available to existing registered Pilot users for $99 for a limited time after the launch. These kits included IR capability, a new plastic memory door to accommodate the IR diodes, a memory card with 1 MB, the new ROM for Palm OS 2.0, and a CD ROM with updated desktop software.
PalmPilot Professional
The PalmPilot Professional is a personal digital assistant. While the PalmPilot was released March 10, 1997 as an updated version of the Pilot 5000, there was delayed general availability of the Professional model in the marketplace....
are the second generation of Palm
Palm (PDA)
Palm handhelds were Personal Digital Assistants which ran the Palm OS. Palm devices have evolved from handhelds to smartphones which run Palm OS, WebOS, and Windows Mobile...
PDA
Personal digital assistant
A personal digital assistant , also known as a palmtop computer, or personal data assistant, is a mobile device that functions as a personal information manager. Current PDAs often have the ability to connect to the Internet...
devices produced by Palm Inc (then a subsidiary of U.S. Robotics
U.S. Robotics
USRobotics Corporation is a company that makes computer modems and related products. It sold high-speed modems in the 1980s, and had a reputation for high quality and compatibility. With the reduced usage of voiceband modems in North America in the early 21st century, USR is now one of the few...
). These devices were launched on March 10, 1997.
Specifications
This generation of devices uses the Motorola 68328 processor at 16 MHz, and has 512 KB (Personal) or 1024 KB (Professional) built in memoryMemory
In psychology, memory is an organism's ability to store, retain, and recall information and experiences. Traditional studies of memory began in the fields of philosophy, including techniques of artificially enhancing memory....
.
This PDA has a plastic casing which is 4.7 x 3.1 x .7 inches and weighs 5.6 ounces (158.8 g). On the front of the device there is a 160x160 pixel monochrome touchscreen
Touchscreen
A touchscreen is an electronic visual display that can detect the presence and location of a touch within the display area. The term generally refers to touching the display of the device with a finger or hand. Touchscreens can also sense other passive objects, such as a stylus...
LCD, with a Graffiti
Graffiti (Palm OS)
Graffiti is an essentially single-stroke shorthand handwriting recognition system used in PDAs based on the Palm OS. Graffiti was originally written by Palm, Inc...
input zone below it. Under this there is a green button for power and backlight control, four application buttons (Date Book, Address Book, To Do List, and Memo Pad) and two scroll buttons. On the left side of the device there is a contrast control, and on the top right side of the device, there is a stylus slot. On the back, there is a memory slot door, reset button, battery door (two Alkaline AAA batteries needed) and serial port (for use with the PalmPilot Cradle).
The memory is located in a memory slot under a plastic cover on the back of the PDA near the top. A 512 KB ROM chip contains the Palm OS
Palm OS
Palm OS is a mobile operating system initially developed by Palm, Inc., for personal digital assistants in 1996. Palm OS is designed for ease of use with a touchscreen-based graphical user interface. It is provided with a suite of basic applications for personal information management...
2.0 operating system and resident applications. The RAM is available in 512 KB, 1 MB or 2 MB sizes. The hardware limit is 12 MB of RAM and 4 MB of ROM
Read-only memory
Read-only memory is a class of storage medium used in computers and other electronic devices. Data stored in ROM cannot be modified, or can be modified only slowly or with difficulty, so it is mainly used to distribute firmware .In its strictest sense, ROM refers only...
.
Usage
For PC connectivity, two versions of Palm Desktop were available, one in 3.5-inch diskFloppy disk
A floppy disk is a disk storage medium composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium, sealed in a rectangular plastic carrier lined with fabric that removes dust particles...
format (for Windows 3.1) and another in CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
format (for Windows 95
Windows 95
Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented graphical user interface-based operating system. It was released on August 24, 1995 by Microsoft, and was a significant progression from the company's previous Windows products...
). Palm Desktop is also available for Mac
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
computers. Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
has various open source software packages that support the Pilot (Linux is one of preferred development platforms for Palm OS).
The hardware is similar to the first generation of devices (the Pilot 1000/5000
Pilot 1000
The Pilot 1000 and Pilot 5000 were early Palm PDAs produced by Palm, Inc. . It was introduced in March 1996....
), but added a Backlit Screen, more RAM, an updated version of Palm OS
Palm OS
Palm OS is a mobile operating system initially developed by Palm, Inc., for personal digital assistants in 1996. Palm OS is designed for ease of use with a touchscreen-based graphical user interface. It is provided with a suite of basic applications for personal information management...
(2.0), enhanced PIM applications, expense management software and, for the PalmPilot Professional, the new TCP/IP-based network synchronization capability. This feature allows access to computer networks and, for users of Microsoft Mail
Microsoft Mail
Microsoft Mail was the name given to several early Microsoft e-mail products.-Mac Networks:The first Microsoft Mail product was introduced in 1988 for AppleTalk Networks. It was based on InterMail, a product that Microsoft purchased and updated. An MS-DOS client was added for PCs on AppleTalk...
, Microsoft Exchange
Microsoft Exchange Server
Microsoft Exchange Server is the server side of a client–server, collaborative application product developed by Microsoft. It is part of the Microsoft Servers line of server products and is used by enterprises using Microsoft infrastructure products...
, Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Outlook is a personal information manager from Microsoft, available both as a separate application as well as a part of the Microsoft Office suite...
, or Lotus
Lotus Software
Lotus Software is a software company with headquarters in Westford, Massachusetts...
cc:mail
Cc:Mail
cc:Mail is an obsolete, store-and-forward LAN-based e-mail system originally developed on Microsoft's MS-DOS platform by Hubert Lipinski in the 1980s. At the height of its popularity cc:Mail had about 21 million users.-Message store:...
, allows them to create new messages, reply to or forward messages, and manage the contents of their desktop mailbox remotely.
Accessories and pricing
Palm also sold the 10201U modemModem
A modem is a device that modulates an analog carrier signal to encode digital information, and also demodulates such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information. The goal is to produce a signal that can be transmitted easily and decoded to reproduce the original digital data...
at 14.4 kbit/s, introduced at a price of $129 (this modem is also compatible with the Palm III
Palm III
The Palm III was a personal digital assistant made by the Palm Computing division of 3Com. It went on sale in 1998 as a replacement for the PalmPilot handheld. It was the first Palm handheld to support infrared file transfer and a Flash ROM-capable operating system...
and Palm IIIx
Palm IIIx
The Palm IIIx is a PDA from Palm Computing released in 1999, briefly before the scaled down Palm IIIe was introduced into the marketplace.The Palm IIIx improved upon the Palm III by featuring a new enhanced and easier to read LCD and 4 MB RAM and opposed to the 2 MB in the Palm III...
devices). An upgrade kit was also available, which allowed users of the earlier Pilot 1000/5000
Pilot 1000
The Pilot 1000 and Pilot 5000 were early Palm PDAs produced by Palm, Inc. . It was introduced in March 1996....
devices to upgrade the OS, ROM, and RAM to match the PalmPilot Professional. Initially suggested retail prices upon launch were $399 for the PalmPilot Professional, $299 for the PalmPilot Personal, and $199 for the Upgrade Kit. Upgrade kits were also available to existing registered Pilot users for $99 for a limited time after the launch. These kits included IR capability, a new plastic memory door to accommodate the IR diodes, a memory card with 1 MB, the new ROM for Palm OS 2.0, and a CD ROM with updated desktop software.