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A few years ago, several clients began asking me about PalmPilots and whether they would be useful tools in their law practice. My initial reaction was, "Oh no, not another gadget." Images danced in my head of vendor presentations for the Apple Newton, hand scanners, and other technology tools that intended to make our lives easier -- but didn't.

Fast forward to today: I recently purchased my second Palm OS device and can say definitively that it is not just another gadget.

Prior to my introduction to personal digital assistants (PDAs) such as those from Palm, I used a computer database to record names, addresses, and related information. As a portable solution, I opted for a week-at-a-glance calendar book and a Day Runner to hold my contact list. This had several distinct weaknesses. First, it remained constantly out of date and was time-consuming to reprint, not to mention the fear of losing the only copy of my schedule (I don't currently practice law, so I don't need a second calendar for malpractice coverage). In addition, my assistant had to regularly photocopy pages to know when and where I would be, and schedule appointments. While effective, my system for managing appointments and having access to names and phone numbers was frustrating at best.

Life improved dramatically when I purchased my first Palm OS device. Each unit comes with Palm Desktop software for your computer. It provides a calendar, contact list, to-do list, and memo function. If you use this as your primary calendar program, you can enter events in your computer or on the Palm device. Synchronizing the information is simple. Palm OS devices come with a cradle that connects to the serial port of your computer (USB cradles are also available); the Palm OS device snaps into the cradle. When synchronizing, which merely involves pressing the Sync button on the bottom of the cradle, the new information on both your computer and your Palm OS device transfers to each other.

A Palm OS device moves beyond being just another gadget because it manages the critical information I need when I'm outside the office. The basic applications include a contact list, a to-do list, a memo-taking function, a calculator, and a calendar with daily, weekly, and monthly views. The more advanced features and programs available may also be essential for many lawyers. For instance, the Palm VII includes the ability to send and receive e-mail over a wireless network, while other models can utilize a modem and telephone cord to hook up to the Internet.

A variety of options exists among the various Palm units. I chose the Palm Vx for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that it uses rechargeable batteries (the unit recharges in the cradle). Other models, such as the Palm III, still use AAA batteries, and are heavier and thicker than the Vx. The Palm Vx weighs in at just 4 ounces and contains 8 MB of memory.

There is a Palm V in addition to the Palm Vx. It is an older version and, while less expensive, doesn't have as much memory for applications and records (just 2 MB as opposed to the Palm Vx's 8 MB). The Palm VII, which measures a half inch taller than other Palm OS devices and which has a flip-up antenna, features wireless e-mail capability -- though to use this, one must sign up for monthly service ranging in cost from $9.99 to $44.99 (the lower priced plans only include a certain number minutes after which you must pay an additional surcharge).

Recently, Palm released its first color unit, the Palm IIIc. This model has an active matrix TFT color screen and 8 MB of RAM. The Palm IIIc can be recharged like the Palm Vx, but will last two weeks whereas the Palm Vx, without color, generally needs recharging only once a month. On a practical note, however, since I sync my information daily, the unit visits the cradle once a day, and I simply leave it sitting (with the power off) if it needs a little juice.

The various Palm models range in price from $149 for the basic Palm IIIe to $449 for the Palm VII and Palm IIIc. All Palm handhelds include a date book, address book, to-do list, memo pad, expense tracker, calculator, and desktop e-mail connectivity. They also include an infrared port to beam data from one unit to another, or to other infrared-enabled devices such as printers, mobile phones, pagers, and laptop computers.

Palm's main competitor is Handspring, a relatively new company whose founders helped develop the original PalmPilot. Handspring produces the Visor and the Visor Deluxe, both of which run the Palm OS. These PDAs come in nifty colors like translucent orange, blue, green, and ice, as well as a non-translucent graphite. The Visor holds its own with the Palm line in terms of RAM, but unlike the Palm line of organizers, also contains a proprietary Springboard expansion slot, which lets you easily add modules such as a GPS navigation system, MP3 player, and wireless modem. Because of design differences, the Visor uses its memory differently and has a little more available for data and application programs than Palm-Branded models. It also has a superior calendar program. Prices for the Visor range from $149 to $179 whereas the price of the Visor Deluxe is $249. You can purchase a Visor on Handspring's Web site or at Best Buy, Comp USA, or Staples.

Other non-Palm OS options also exist, the most notable of which are the Pocket PC (operating system by Microsoft; hardware by several companies, such as Compaq and Hewlett-Packard) and the Psion (very popular in Europe). The main benefit of Pocket PC devices is they can run close cousins of certain desktop application programs (e.g., Microsoft Word) . The downside is they haven't gained enough market share to attract the variety of software developers that exist with regard to the Palm OS platform.

Many vendors have added Palm synchronization to their products. As a result, the uses for a Palm OS device have expanded. Nearly every major calendar and contact management program can share information with a Palm OS device through conduits. Thus, you can use Groupwise, Outlook, or any of the legal case management programs such as Time Matters, Amicus Attorney, or Abacus Law with your handy Palm OS device. This means you can have an up-to-date schedule in your hand, and all the phone numbers and addresses for everyone who deals with your office. The convenience of this cannot be overstated.

For example, I already used Time Matters to manage my schedule and track projects and contacts. Although I could have used the contact and scheduling software that came with my Palm Vx, I decided to link the unit to Time Matters. To make the connection, I went through a setup wizard inside Time Matters that tells both it and my Palm how I want records to be synchronized. Even though Palm devices don't have a place to track cases, Time Matters can associate cases with event and to-do records on the unit.

For lawyers, recording time when out of the office has always been a problem. It's too easy to forget to write down a ten minute call to a client while waiting for your case to be heard. When you start to think about how much time gets forgotten in any given week or year, you will realize those lost time records represent real dollars lost for your firm. In fact, purchasing a Palm device solely to record time when you're out of the office may by itself justify the price.

Depending upon which timekeeping and billing program your office uses, you probably will find a Palm OS compatible version. For firms using Timeslips, Iambic Software sells Time Reporter for Timeslips at $120 per license. This program allows you to use your Palm device in the same way you use Timeslips on your desktop for time and expense entry. You can enter your time in tenths or minutes, use start and stop times, or the built-in timer. When you synchronize the Palm with your desktop, the time and expense slips are added directly into Timeslips, and any new client or activity codes are added to the Palm unit. The only downside to this program is that it doesn't let me use my Timeslips description abbreviations and doesn't provide as extensive a description area as I occasionally need to describe my work on my bills.

Iambic also offers Time Reporter for Carpe Diem, a time-capturing program popular in large law firms. The company also produces a more generic time and expense-capturing program that can be used with many desktop legal time and billing programs. In addition, other time-capturing programs also exist, such as DTE in Hand and PCLaw TE.

With about 5 million Palm OS units sold, software and accessory manufacturers have developed numerous products for the Palm product line. Regarding accessories, Palm devices come with a stylus to write letters, numbers, and symbols on the screen without scratching it or wearing it out. Some companies offer products that combine a stylus with a pen. Many companies, including both Palm and Handspring, sell protective cases that include space for business cards, pens, a note pad, credit cards, and money.

Many Web sites exist where you can sample or purchase small single-function programs -- to add more functionality to your Palm OS device. Web sites such as CNET, Smaller.com, and PalmGear contain hundreds of programs to download for the Palm OS. They range from train schedules to drink recipes. You can even view your horoscope on your Palm or download entire books.

To read books on a Palm device, you will need a document reader. Several popular ones exist, such as Teal-Doc, and Aportis Doc. Other programs, such as Dataviz' Documents To Go from enable you to convert your own word processing and spreadsheet documents into a Palm-compatible format. Instead of carrying a laptop, you can carry critical documents in your small PDA.

Peanut Press, one of many Palm book dealers, offers a variety of legal research resources for the Palm OS, such as a copy of the Federal Rules of Evidence and the United States Constitution. In addition to legal resources, this site includes popular business book titles and a wide range of other materials.

The latest craze in the Palm world involves synchronization with information resources on the Web. The most popular of these is AvantGo, which enable you to download a customized newspaper into your Palm OS device everyday. Another major player is Vindigo, which enables you to download restaurant, movie, and other entertainment listings.

If you buy a Palm, read the instruction manual -- it describes several valuable shortcuts along with other tips and features. For example, I learned how to select applications by pressing a button, which is easier than using the stylus. Also, take advantage of the Find function. Unlike combing through your computer's hard drive, or worse, your firm's network server drives, the Find function will quickly locate a string of text in any of the applications. It's fast and very effective when you're looking for information.

One final tip -- if several lawyers in your office decide to adopt Palm OS devices to manage their information, keep in mind the advice I received when a client had problems with synchronizing one of her units -- "PalmPilots shouldn't sleep around." In other words, once you set one up at a computer workstation in your office, don't put another person's PDA in your cradle.

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