Palm m100 series
| Industry | Consumer electronics |
|---|---|
| Founded | August 2000 |
| Products | Personal digital assistants (m100, m105, m125, m130) |
The Palm m100 series consists of four Palm OS-based personal digital assistants: the m100, m105, m125, and m130. Designed as budget-friendly options, these models utilized economical materials such as plastic screen and digitizer covers instead of glass, and their displays were smaller compared to Palm’s premium devices.
Most models in this lineup operated on conventional AAA batteries, with the exception of the m130, which featured a rechargeable battery. To safeguard data during battery replacement, a capacitor was employed.
An optional flip cover with a window was available as an accessory. This cover allowed users to press the "scroll up" button through it to momentarily view the system clock when the device was not actively used.
Specifications
The m100 is equipped with a Motorola EZ Dragonball CPU running at 16 MHz and contains 2 MB of RAM. It debuted in August 2000 running Palm OS 3.5, measuring 4.66 by 3.10 by 0.72 inches and weighing 3.7 ounces without batteries or cover. Included with the device were a serial synchronization cable and Palm Desktop software. Its robust plastic screen enhanced durability against drops and came paired with a hinged protective cover.
The m105 closely resembles the m100 but upgrades to 8 MB of RAM and replaces the serial cable with a docking cradle. Launched on March 6, 2001 with Palm OS 3.5, this model experienced issues with capacitor failures that could cause data loss during battery swaps; multiple hardware solutions were introduced to address this problem.
Featuring a Motorola VZ Dragonball processor clocked at 33 MHz, the m125 includes 8 MB of RAM and a 160x160 pixel grayscale LCD. Released in September 2001 with Palm OS 4.0.1, it added USB sync capabilities through a cradle and incorporated an expansion slot compatible with SD, MMC, and SDIO cards—bringing its connectivity in line with the higher-tier Palm m500 series. The m125 was the final Palm PDA model to support user-replaceable AAA batteries.
The m130 shares the same Motorola VZ Dragonball processor at 33 MHz but upgrades to a color LCD with a resolution of 160x160 pixels capable of displaying 12-bit color depth. Released on March 4, 2002 running Palm OS 4.1, this model marked the series’ shift to rechargeable battery technology.
Novel Uses
An emulated version of the m130 remains in use for controlling projection systems at certain IMAX theaters, while others continue to rely on original hardware units for synchronizing film video and audio playback.