Palm IIIxe
| Industry | Consumer electronics |
|---|---|
| Founded | January 1, 1992 |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Personal digital assistants |
The Palm IIIxe represents a discontinued personal digital assistant from the Palm series, developed and produced by Palm, Inc.. Upon release, its retail price was set at US$249.
Product data
Manufacturer part number: 3C80304U
Dimensions
- Width: 8.1 cm (3.19 in)
- Thickness: 1.8 cm (0.71 in)
- Height: 12 cm (4.72 in)
- Weight: 170 g (0.37 lb)
Operating system requirements
Compatible with the original Palm Desktop PIM software on Apple Mac OS version 7.5.3 or newer, as well as Microsoft Windows 95, 98, or NT 4.0 and later editions.
Features
Launched in February 2000 as one of the final entries in the Palm III line alongside the Palm IIIc, the Palm IIIxe came equipped with a black flip cover and an infrared port that allowed wireless data exchange with compatible gadgets. With suitable applications, it could also serve as a universal remote control device.
Connectivity options featured a serial port for synchronization through a cradle with desktop PCs, along with compatibility for accessories such as the PalmPix camera and compact foldable keyboards including The Stowaway and Gotype models.
The unit included seven dedicated hardware buttons designed to control power and backlighting functions, plus provide immediate access to essential programs like Date Book, Address Book, To Do list, and Memo Pad to boost efficiency.
Under the hood, it was powered by a 16 MHz Motorola 68328 EZ Dragonball processor and utilized two AAA batteries capable of delivering up to two months of operation depending on usage patterns. The display was a 160x160 pixel grayscale super-twisted nematic screen with a 4-bit color depth offering 16 shades of gray. Memory comprised 8 MB of RAM alongside 2 MB of internal flash storage intended for system updates and third-party software installations.
The device shipped with Palm OS version 3.5 pre-installed and supported software patches up to version 4.1 (issued in November 2001), which required purchase via CD-ROM. Earlier firmware updates addressed issues such as memory leaks and enhanced compatibility with external applications.
A distinctive feature involved the battery compartment design requiring specific orientation for top and bottom AAA batteries; many users opted for NiMH rechargeable batteries to extend battery life and minimize environmental impact.
Certain units produced between October 1999 and May 2000 were affected by a DRAM flaw that caused sporadic data corruption. Palm responded by releasing diagnostic tools and software fixes to resolve this defect.