Palm Cases
New cases from 3com for PalmPilot and Palm III
3com publish a catalog of accessory products for the PalmPilot ranges that is officially only available in the USA; the products range from packs of spare styluses to a PalmPilot leather jacket. However, these products are available from their web site, and the more enterprising local resellers have been known to arrange special import packages, so they are available if you care to look.
The Palm III Color Pack is a set of two replacement flip covers and styluses for the Palm III; one in teal (light blue-green) and one in dark blue. In use, they clash with the colour of the Palm III case, and give a sort of patchy look to the combination. However, the styluses, which have coloured end caps, are far more attractive. I happen to have a shirt that matches both of the replacement flip cover colours, so I'm happy to use them, but, apart from the styluses, I'm not sure that anyone else really needs them. The Palm III Color Pack costs $19, compared to $10 for a pack of three replacement styluses, so the difference isn't too large for the curious.
Far more interesting is the PalmPilot Hard Cover, which was known some time ago as the Stetson. This costs $9, and is a useful add-on to the older PalmPilot models. I use one with an original Pilot 1000 model that has been upgraded by increments to the latest 2 Mb PalmOS 3 version, with infrared. It slides onto the front of the Pilot when in use, fully protecting the screen from all knocks and scrapes. When you want to use the Pilot, it slides up and off, and can be slid onto the back of the case. The stylus is accessible with the lid in either position, but you can't use the hotsync cradle with the lid on the back. I prefer this cover to any of the leather cases that I have seen or used, although if you use one of the larger leather cases that also double as a wallet and paper stowage, then the hard cover can't substitute for it.
Words and design by:
Paul Lynch
Last updated: November 3, 1998