In Living Color

By JOSHUA QUITTNER

I will admit that with the release this week of Palm Computing Inc.'s IIIc--the long-awaited color version of the popular handheld computer--we're one step closer to the perfect information machine. I'm not sure, though, what thrills me more: the dazzle of 256 colors on its tiny screen or the new Palm Portable keyboard, a $99 add-on that shipped at the same time. The full-size keyboard--one of two versions will fit any Palm--cleverly folds up into a package that's the same pocket size as the computer itself. It finally allows me to stow that plastic stylus and type like a man. In fact, I pecked out most of this column on the 6:24 Long Island Rail Road train home, easily balancing Palm and keyboard in my lap. And I only occasionally elbowed the sumo wrestler squished in next to me.

We still have a long way to go, of course, to get to the use-anywhere, anytime-you-like dream machine. When that device arrives, I predict it will inherit the best genes of the Palm line: the readable color of the IIIc, the thinness of the V and the built-in wireless connectivity of the VII (although at broadband speeds, so you can pull down video and audio). And if I have my druthers, it will run on Palm's elegant, easy-to-use operating system, which with the IIIc is upgraded to version 3.5.

The IIIc, which comes with 8 megs of memory, doesn't come cheap (asking price: a hefty $449). At 6.8 oz., it is supposedly the lightest color handheld computer on the market. Its rechargeable batteries promise to run, with "normal use," for a few weeks without a recharge; the cradle that you use to synchronize the Palm with your desktop doubles as a recharger.

So what does color add? For now, there are only a handful of programs that take advantage of it. The built-in calendar shows schedule conflicts in red; if you highlight text, it turns yellow. The IIIc also ships with a backgammon program, a color-coordinated scientific calculator and a nifty slide-show application from Club Photo that allows you to scan in and view color JPEG images. The really cool stuff, though, is on the way; I figure most of the 5,000 Palm applications out there will be colorized faster than you can say Gone With the Windows. Think of all the kinds of programs that color will make possible. For example, Rand McNally, maker of StreetFinder, promises a new version that will work in conjunction with a snap-on GPS device and show you, in brilliant color, your precise coordinates.

Snap-on GPS device? Yes, indeed. The Palm is growing appendages faster than a walking catfish. Add-ons like a Kodak digital PalmPix camera module, clip-on MP3 player and printer are on the way, along with a dozen other peripherals. Why all the extra limbs? Because competition is intense in the digital jungle, and the Palm is being forced to evolve quickly. Visor, Handspring's handheld computer, runs Palm's operating system--but costs only $149--and features a special slot that allows it to morph into anything from a wireless telephone to a universal remote. It's such a good idea that demand for Visors on the company's website has quickly outstripped supply. Handspring is reportedly getting ready to sell through computer stores--assuming it can solve supply problems. With the IIIc and its add-ons, Palm is racing to get there first.

For more on the IIIc, visit Palm's website at www.palm.com Questions for Quittner? E-mail Josh at [email protected]