Palm Computing Inc. introduced the Palm VII wireless organizer nationwide last week, featuring a sale price of $500, $100 less than originally expected.
The Palm VII-first available in May in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut-features many of the same organizer functions of its predecessors, but includes out-of-the-box wireless connectivity to Internet services via BellSouth Wireless Data L.P.’s Mobitex packet data network.
By extending the antenna, the device automatically logs onto BSWD’s network. From there, users may send or receive e-mail, access various personal information management applications, conduct e-commerce transactions or obtain other Internet-based information.
The organizer uses a technology called Web clipping, which allows users to access specific information from pre-determined Internet sites featuring language coded specially for transmission to the Palm device. Several online content providers have agreed to make their information available for the device through the Palm.net service, including-ABCNEWS.com, ESPN.com, E*Trade, Fodor’s, MapQuest, MasterCard, Moviefon, TicketMaster, United Parcel Service, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition and The Weather Channel.
New to the Palm.net are Fidelity Investments’ InstantBroker online trading service, online retail services from Amazon.com, content from wireless portal Women.com (such as health and fitness, home and garden and horoscopes), insurance risk trader K2 Technologies Inc. and travel services from OAG Worldwide. Also included are wireless banking services for California customers of Bank of America and faxing capabilities from Rovenet.com.
Aside from Palm.net features, the Palm VII includes the iMessenger application for sending and receiving brief Internet messages. The device must be on to check for new messages; there is no notification. The device also allows users to check existing Internet e-mail accounts. Users instead may subscribe to a third-party application called MonkeyMail, from Primate Systems, which automatically delivers e-mail to the Palm VII iMessenger for $5 a month.
Users pay airtime charges based on the amount of information they download when connected to BSWD’s network. Palm introduced three service plan levels. The Basic Plan charges $10 a month for about 80 transactions, or 50 kilobytes. The Expanded Plan is $25 a month for 240 transactions, or 150 kilobytes. The Volume Plan costs $40 a month for 480 transactions, or 300 kilobytes. Under a special promotional offer, anyone signing up under the Volume Plan before Jan. 4 will get about 1,600 transactions, or 1,000 kilobytes for the first six months of service at the same price. All service plans require a one-time set-up fee of $10.
In conjunction with the device’s nationwide launch, BSWD said it has added or is in the process of adding 245 additional base stations to expand its coverage footprint, and said it expects to see a total of 300 new base stations in operation before the year’s end.
Coverage is an important issue for the Palm VII, as its wireless capabilities essentially are useless in areas where BSWD has no coverage. The carrier said it has 1,800 base stations deployed nationwide and expects to have a total of 2,500 by the end of 2001.
Along with the Palm VII announcement, Palm Computing introduced two new limited edition products especially for the holiday season-the Palm Vx and Palm IIIe Special Editions-and lowered prices on its entire product line.
The Palm Vx features extra memory for users requiring data-intensive applications or access to large reference databases. The Palm IIIe Special Edition is a clear-case version of the existing Palm IIIe. The company also introduced a new line of colored flip covers for $13 each.
The Vx is available for about $450, and the Palm IIIe Special Edition for $180. Other price reductions include the Palm V, which is now $370, down from $450; the IIIx at $300, from $370; and the IIIe at $180, from $230.
