I am another who bought this unit for use in Geocaching. It is perfect for my geocaching needs and the price is great. A newer and more expensive model might have all sorts of bells and whistles that I would enjoy, but the Palm IIIxe works perfectly well for paperless caching. I don't use mine for anything else, so this review only deals with their utility for cachers. Pros: These old PDA are available for very little money (under $20 including shipping is the usual price). They can run the Cachemate program. They use regular AAA batteries, so there's no internal battery to go bad. They have a hard cover that helps keep the screen from getting damaged as you lug them around in the woods. They can hold information on thousands of caches. Cons: They do not have GPS or wireless internet capabilities that might come in handy for cachers. The docking cradle only connects to computers through a serial port-- a serial to USB converter is required to use on most modern computers. The lack of an internal battery means that if the batteries run out before you change them you can lose the geocaching data stored in the PDA. As with pretty much all PDAs that I know of, you will have to install (and perhaps purchase) additional software on the PDA to make best use of it while caching. I use the standard Cachemate ($8) on the Palm IIIxe and the Geocaching Swiss Army Knife program ($25) on my computer. --- Overall I have been quite pleased with my choice of the Palm IIIxe for my geocaching. In fact, I am currently on my second one (both purchased from ebay) since my first one quit working after a year or so of use. The low cost of these ancient Palms makes them a great choice for cachers who may lose or break them while out hunting for caches-- you could go through a dozen of them and not spend what a new fancy PDA might cost you. I may eventually upgrade to a PDA with wireless internet access (the only additional feature I really wish I had), but for now I'm getting along fine with this more basic model.Read full review
The Palm IIIxe isn't the newest device out there, but it is very sturdy and reliable. Although I have a Treo also, I still use the IIIxe I bought 5 years ago equally often. I can handwrite into the IIIxe faster than I can thumb type on the Treo and more accurately. The operating system is also highly stable. It is easy to sync because the connections line up more easily than with the newer micro plugs that damage way too easily. There is tons of freeware all over the web for the IIIxe. The device itself has come down substantially in price so now it is a very powerful device for a very nice price. Probably the best thing of all about the IIIxe is that it takes regular AAA batteries. No charging every night, no having to remember to bring a charger when you travel, no having to remember to put it in the cradle every day. The batteries last about 2 months even if you use it every day like I do. When they run low, the IIIxe tells you. Put in some new ones and you're good to go. I highly recommend the IIIxe to anyone that cares more about reliability, utility, durability and economy than flash. For me, it is my office in my pocket.Read full review
I purchased the Palm IIIxe to replace one I have used for many years. This bit of technology has become a friend to me. I have all the other gadgets that are more modern yet the Palm is still better for some things. 1) it fits in my coat pocket. 2) it does not have to "Boot up" 3)With a fresh set of batteries on a trip it will not go dead. 4) It interfaces with my older desk top. 5) I have a wealth of information at hand I don't want to type into my phone! I can shift documents, paste and cut to and from my computer. 6) It is a great product for it's modest price!
I bought the Palm lllxe mainly because I've had one for years and needed another for my home use. If you are looking for color displays and large amounts of memory, this is not for you. It is a great device for storage of information you need readily at hand, such as passwords. If you want to play games or need a more compact but expensive model, there are hundreds out there.
I've been using Palm organizers for years. I've had many different models and brands that run PalmOS. For basic organization & data retention, they're great. If you don't have or want a smart phone, these are the way to go. They're small, easy to use and run for a while on 2 AAA batteries.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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