Have to hand it to Palm's latest little big idea

By ADAM GIFFORD

Now that handheld computers are everywhere, it's easy to forget what a radical device the Palm is.

It was the first tablet-style computer to really take off among consumers, and it continues to win acolytes despite the muscle of the Microsoft marketing machine.

The fact is, these are extraordinarily powerful computers that you can fit in your hand and will change the way you do things.

Near the top of the line is the Tungsten T3, which slides open like a Star Trek communicator.

In its first incarnation, this slide just protected the "Graffiti" area where you scrawl notes with a stylus. In the T3, that 50 per cent extra screen real estate - 82.5 x 61 mm - becomes usable.

This is a major benefit if you want to run spreadsheets or database programs using the landscape display option.

It should also make typing into the machine much easier, although I was not able to try out the wireless keyboard, which comes separately.

Most applications automatically expand or contract on the screen when the slider is opened or closed.

The landscape display can be set for left of right-handed preference, a boon for those southpaws who may have felt left out by the handheld computing revolution.

Colours are bright, and the screen is brighter and easier to read in differing light conditions than my Palm m505.

The T3 uses an Intel 400MHz XScale processor, the fastest so far in a Palm, and includes 64MB of memory - which, as Pocket PC users may need to be reminded, is ample given the extremely small size of most applications and files.

It comes with Documents To Go 6, allowing users to create and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint compatible files, saving a lot of fiddling with transfers and conversions.

The T3 is Bluetooth-compatible, for those with Bluetooth phones who want internet and email access. In the absence of a Bluetooth phone, I set the network preference to connect to any Vodafone phone by infrared, and was able to make a connection immediately to my internet provider.

At its launch here, Palm demonstrated a picture being sent from a Bluetooth-enabled digital camera to a T3 and on to a projector.

There are other multimedia capabilities, including the ability to play MP3 sound files and movies, although I am yet to be convinced the latter is at all useful.

More useful is the voice memo application, which makes the business of getting down those flashes of inspiration or even on-the-run interviews absurdly simple.

For moving between applications, there is a new five-way navigator with a wide oblong shape, arranged to make it easier to use with one hand.

Where Palm may have fallen down on this one is battery life - user forums express some disappointment that it does not seem to last as long between charges as earlier models. Given the type of power-intensive applications now on offer, such as music playing and web browsing, this could be an issue with some users.

Palm has made several changes to its standard applications, including changing some names - DateBook is now Calendar, Address is Contacts, To Do List becomes Tasks, and Memo Pad is now Memos, bringing them more in line with the expectations of Microsoft Outlook users.

The Calendar has been redesigned to include Agenda View, listing appointments, tasks due and email. It is also now possible to make events span midnight, and to beam multiple appointments and categories.

Contacts can now include numerous contact addresses, as well as more fields for more phone numbers, email addresses, website and instant messaging accounts. There is also a new birthday field.

Memos can now be 32KB, rather than the previous and often frustrating 4KB limit.

The Tungsten T3 comes with a grey cover flap with a soft suede inside. A hard case can be bought separately, and is recommended. However, the hard case must be opened before the slider can be used, making it a two-step process to start work.

All in all, the T3 is an extremely attractive device which should repay its investment through increased productivity.

Palm Tungsten T3

$879

Pros: Large screen, lots of memory, Bluetooth support, and voice capability

Cons: Battery life could be better

Rating: 8/10