PalmOne m500 Handheld

The expansion card slot is a dual-purpose slot that can hold two types of cards: Secure Digital and MultiMediaCard (MMC). Both types of cards are small, inexpensive, and easy to plug in. Much like computer diskettes, they hold information for upload or download onto a handheld. With them, you can instantly add software programs, e-books, large databases, graphics, or even video files to your handheld without sacrificing memory space.

Sleek and lightweight, the Palm m500 handheld has a shiny aluminum casing and is curved to fit in your hand. The display's enhanced technology makes it easier to see at all angles, in dim light, and in bright sunlight.

The new native USB HotSync cradle allows you to quickly back up and exchange information between your handheld and your PC or Mac. The Palm m500 handheld also features new vibrating and blinking LED alarms (in addition to the standard audible alarm) to help you stay on top of your busy schedule. The Palm m500 handheld comes equipped with a rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery, which is charged using the HotSync cradle.

The Palm m500 handheld comes with Palm OS 4.0, which provides enhanced security and improved Internet connectivity. Other application features include Note Pad for writing sticky notes, Palm Mobile Connectivity for connecting to the Internet and obtaining e-mail via compatible cellular phones, and AOL for the Palm OS.

The Palm m500 handheld is PC and Macintosh compatible and requires a USB port. It comes with Palm desktop software for both PC and Macintosh. It has a one-year warranty.

What's in the box

• Palm m500
• Stylus
• Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
• USB HotSync cradle
• Palm Desktop software for Windows and Macintosh and Palm Mobile Connectivity software
• Getting Started guide
• Handbook

All in all I am very satisfied with the m500. I would highly recommend it to beginners who want basic Palm functions, but also want the option of exploring and using the other great features that puts the m500 at the top of the line of Palm handhelds. You also save some money too!


A Must Have   May 13, 2001
105 out of 108 found this review helpful

I used to own a Sony CLIE. As most people know, it is a so-so Palm clone with NO accesories. Finally I decided to upgrade to a new m500. It is the smallest handheld running on Palm OS (yes smaller than the Vx and the m505). It also has the clearest screen (far superior to my almost new CLIE). And comes with around $200 of bonus software, something the Vx lacks. I think this handheld is better than the m505 for two reasons. 1, it is cheaper, and 2, the screen is much better (it is not black and white, but displays 16 different shades from black to white), while the m505 has a very dissapointing color screen that is sure to leave you squinting even when looking its best. If you are debating over Palm OS and Windows CE, Palm is the hands down winner for several reasons. One reason is that their handhelds are smaller and faster than Windows handhelds (The smallest windows handheld is equavalent to two Palm V's stacked up). Palm is also more econimical. Palm handhelds batteries last around a month. Windows CE lasts 4 hours. Palm has 10's of thousands of software programs (around half of it is free), while Windows CE has 100's of expensive programs. If you are looking for a PDA with great features, accesories, software, and mobility choose Palm.


Best Palm Yet   June 15, 2002
41 out of 42 found this review helpful

I have owned 3 different pocket pc or palm made devices. I first started with the Palm IIIxe, which I got a lot of use out of. It is not only functional, but it makes writing in your organizer, and adding addresses easy, if not fun. I decided to move on to a color model, but the available color models running palm OS were far from adequete, especially for their prices. The best value was a HP Jornada 525, which was their old model, close to being discontinued. I was happy with the Jornada, until I found that upgrading to the new Pocket PC OS wasn't possible, and recently I have noticed that the Pocket PC industry hasn't gotten it's act together. Pocket PCs, up until Win CE 2002, have been running on 3 (or maybe 4) different types of processors, and none of them are compatible with eachother. Models with different levels of color cannot run the same software, and the list goes on. I decided to move back to palm, but keep my Jornada when I needed a color device. The best buy seemed to be the m500. I am happy with this model. It writes much better than my first palm. Some reviews have stated that it has a plastic screen, but in fact, it has a glass screen, and a thinner "membrane" for sensing touches. It's display is a big step up from the early grayscale palms, and it has fixed all of the annoying bugs of the old Palm Vs. My only complaint is that the "odd" shape makes leather cases (especially fit cases) much more expensive, and the peripherals are all more expensive. Otherwise, this is a great model!!


Palm m500   November 9, 2002
Eric Foster (Kenmore, NY USA)
25 out of 25 found this review helpful

The Palm m500 is very similar to the very versatile Palm Vx in many ways. Palm has added some features that make this model even better. The interface with the PC and hotsync tasking is flawless.

The response time and speed of this unit is very much improved as is it's overall functionality given the software package. Coming with Documents to go, AOL and Power One, the software just keeps getting better. Now I can take my important documents and spreadsheets with me.

It has a nice greyscale screen and is much lighter than the Vx model. Eight MB of RAM might not be enough, but it can be expanded through the use of memory cards. I've backed up all of my data, e-books, databses and applications on one card which [are fairly inexpensive].

I highly recommend the Palm m500 for professional uses. It's wide variety of supplementary accessories also makes this model a plus. My only criticism is that the power button does protrude more than the Vx model. In the Palm hard case, the power button does turn on inadvertently at times. Hopefully better hard cases will become available for those, who like me insist on such accessories. Overall, a very responsive, high quality unit.


A PDA for the non-geek, too   May 16, 2002
17 out of 17 found this review helpful

I bought a PDA kicking and screaming, and this, my first one, has been dynamite. It's got great battery life and visibility, it's incredibly easy to use, and despite the fact that I've dropped it on the driveway five or six times, it just keeps on going. The slim leather case is fabulous--it's replaced my wallet altogether, and I have a simpler, more orderly life, with fewer bulky items to carry around. The design is incredibly elegant, and as a low end tech user, I'm very pleased.