There’s a saying, “What was old is new again.” While that may typically apply to fashion, I have found it to be true in the hardware I am using. To be more specific, its my PDA that is new again. I have written about my use of Palms and Pocket PCs in the past. What I may never have mentioned is that I have a Palm IIIxe. It was released in 1999, and the particular one I own was refurbished and given the new Palm OS, 4.1 released in 2001.
I ended up with this PDA after recieving it from a family member who bought it at a Fry’s Electronics several years back. Rarely used and never dropped, it is in perfect – like new – condition. No scratches, dents, worn areas, or dead pixels. In other words, it may be close to 9-ish years old, but it still works just as it should. I pop in 2 AAA batteries, set it up, and hotsynced it (it’s serial connection only) via a cradle I recieved from getting another old PDA, a Palm IIIe.
So now I am using the Palm IIIxe as my main PDA. They usually get quite a bit of work, especially since it is what I take notes on, write out my calendar, and add my tasks. Its working great — just a testament to the quality of early Palm devices. Even if it does use 2 AAA batteries, the battery life is long and I do not have to worry about a rechargeable battery going dead on me.