Palm V

Palm V
	Palm V in its dock (Feb 2011)
Developer	3Com
Product family	Palm
Type	Personal digital assistant
Release date	1999
Operating system	Palm OS 3.0
CPU	Dragonball EZ
Memory	2 MB
Display	Backlit; 16-shade grayscale;
Connectivity	Serial port (EIA-232-D); Consumer IR;
Power	Lithium-ion battery
Dimensions	4.5 in (110 mm) tall; <0.5 in (13 mm) thick;
Weight	4 ounces (110 g)
Predecessor	Palm III family

Palm V is a personal digital assistant (PDA) by 3Com.

Released in 1999 by 3Com,^[1] the four-ounce (110 g) PDA has an aluminum enclosure containing a Dragonball EZ central processing unit^[2] (capable of overclocking to 39 MHz) and two megabytes of memory.^[3] Measuring 4.5 inches (110 mm) tall and less than 0.5 inches (13 mm) thick, the device's 16-shade grayscale display^[1] has a backlight and increased resolution from the previous-generation Palm III.^[2] Unlike that older device, which uses disposable batteries (AAAs), the Palm V has a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery with an expected charge lasting 1–2 weeks. Palm Vs are equipped with a serial port that is electrically though not physically compatible with the EIA-232-D telecommunications standard^[1] (the redesigned enclosure design prevents Palm III-compatible accessories from connecting to the port)^[2] and a Consumer IR transceiver.^[4]

Upon launch, the Palm V cost about US$500 (equivalent to about $940 in 2024), though it had reduced to $300–400 by January 2000 (equivalent to about $550–730 in 2024). Units sold in late 1999 came pre-loaded with Palm OS version 3.0, though 3.3 was available to download and install.^[4] The IBM WorkPad c3 is the Palm V, relabeled.^[1]

Ars Technica's Will Smith raved about his Palm V in 1999, recommending it to all interested, excepting Palm III users for whom the technical-specifications upgrade wasn't substantial enough.^[2] Writing for TechRepublic in January 2000, Jeff Thompson was enthusiastically full of praise for the Palm V, both for personal and enterprise uses.^[4]

Vx

On October 4, 1999, 3Com released the Palm Vx.^[5] Measuring 11.5 by 8 by 1 centimetre (4.53 by 3.15 by 0.39 in) and weighing 114 grams (4.0 oz),^[6] the new product featured an improved eight megabytes of memory storage and faster PC synchronization. The list price was US$449 (equivalent to $847.5 in 2024).^[5]

In 2000, 3Com partnered with supermodel Claudia Schiffer to release the Palm Vx Claudia Schiffer Edition on August 1: it features a "blue brushed-metal" exterior rather than the base silver color, and was sold exclusively through Schiffer's website.^[7]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Rischpater, Ray (2001). "Hardware". Palm™ Enterprise Applications. United States: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 6–9. ISBN 0-471-39379-7.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Smith, Will "Gonzo" (1999). "Palm V Thoughts". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on January 16, 2017. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
^ Salvatore, Kristen (October 2001). Phillips, Jon (ed.). "How to… Hack Your Palm PDA". Maximum PC. Brisbane, California: Imagine Media. pp. 56–58. ISSN 1522-4279. A step-by-step guide to tweaking your PC experience
^ ^a ^b ^c Thompson, Jeff (January 10, 2000). "How my new Palm V is helping me do my job". TechRepublic. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
^ ^a ^b Garrigus, Kristen (October 4, 1999). "3Com Debuts Special Edition Palm Computing® Organizers for Holiday Season". Santa Clara, California: 3Com. Archived from the original on April 21, 2008. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
^ "Palm Vx handheld: Product Details". Palm, Inc. Archived from the original on December 7, 2006.
^ Miles, Stephanie (August 1, 2000). "New Palm model: Simply Schiffer". CNET. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved April 26, 2025. For all the hype the technology world generates, there are few truly revolutionary products anymore. But someone came very close today: Get ready for the first handheld computer named for a supermodel.