Despite the downturn in the economy, this year has seen the continued growth in the handheld market. Most or all of the big names, whether they are Palm OS or CE based, have released new units with more memory, increased expandability, and better displays. The latest offering from Palm is the new color m505.

Bundled with the m505 are a USB charger/hotsync cradle (a serial cradle is available separately,) two CDs, and a leather cover. The first CD contains the latest edition of Palm's Desktop software including their Scheduler, HotSync Manager, and install tool along with Documents to Go by DataViz, AvantGo, MGI Photo Suite Mobile Edition, and an eBook Reader. The second CD contains a host of Mobile connectivity software geared towards helping you convert your PDA into a mobile wireless office. As with all of Palm's previous devices, software for synchronizing to Microsoft Outlook is also included.

Giving the m505 a look over, the first thing you'll notice is it looks a lot like its predecessor, the Palm Vx - a HotSync connector on the bottom, and an I/R port on the top used to beam data to other Palms or compatible devices. However, unlike the Vx, the m505 employs a new expansion slot on top designed to accept Secure Digital (SD) and Multimedia cards. Through this expansion slot you can share data across different devices, such as a compatible digital camera, or expand your Palm's memory (the m505 comes with a standard 8MB of memory.) Expansion cards currently available range from backup and memory modules to game packs and travel guides for US and European cities. Additional cards are in the prototype phase, promising miniature cameras and MP3 players. There are cards upwards of 256MB slated for release in the near future.

One other change to note is the Universal Connector located on the bottom of the unit. The same connector that is used to Hotsync and charge the m505 is also designed to aid in the development of "modules", such as keyboards and cameras that can be used universally across Palms' forthcoming product lines. For a more in-depth look at Palm's expandability strategy, see white paper online.

In order to get rolling with the m505, you have to charge the internal battery for two hours. Once you do this, you only have to charge it for a few minutes a day to maintain a full charge, depending on your usage. One thing to watch for is the little card included with the charger that shows how to properly remove the m505 from it's cradle - there are two small hooks that help keep it in place making it slightly tricky to unhook unless you know they are there. Once your unit is charged up, you can walk through the installation process on the first CD that will set up all of the HotSync conduits and you'll be off and running, syncing data between your Palm and PC.

An initial impression you may get with the new 65,000-color screen is that it is a tad dim. While very easy to read under bright light, it can be a little difficult to read under lower light conditions. This is quickly remedied by holding down the power button to illuminate the screen with the backlight. Utilizing the backlight, the m505 easily rivals the displays on the PocketPC and the Sony units. You may find yourself using the backlight more often than not indoors, but the display fairs very well without it outdoors. A feature that would be helpful would be a contrast adjustment - with the backlight the adjustment is all or nothing.

Aside from the new color display, the m505 offers a number of improvements over its predecessors by way of the new and upgradeable 4.0 Operating System. Palm's new OS offers improved security, including an "auto lock" feature that can be set to engage at power off or after a preset delay.

Reminders are another area in which Palm has improved the new OS. In addition to the usual beeping alarm (which now has several selectable alert sounds), silent and vibrating reminders are now available - the silent alarm flashes the unit's power button to grab your attention. Additionally a "reminder manager" has been added that flashes a small icon reminder in the top left of the display if appointments are snoozed. Clicking on this icon will bring up a window where reminders can be opened for editing, completed, or snoozed. The reminder window will reappear every five minutes until the tasks are completed. At first this would seem like an annoyance, but it's great for people who love to make liberal use of the snooze feature.

One thing the Palm has been missing is the ability to write out a scratch note or picture in your own handwriting. While this has been available for years using one of many shareware applications, Palm has finally jumped on board by including a Note Pad Application that not only allows you to demonstrate your artistic abilities (or lack there of), but also allows you to assign alerts to your notes.

Aside from the lack of contrast control, one thing Palm has chosen not to add in is hardware geared towards future expansion - at least internally. You'll notice the distinct lack of a microphone (a la the Handspring Visor) and extended Multimedia support (Sony and PocketPC) but many of these features could potentially be handled via the new expansion slot and connector. Another angle is that Palm devices have always been popular because of the premise that they help you organize your life simply and efficiently. As the lines between Personal Computer, PDA, cellular phone, and Multimedia device continue to blur, it will be interesting to see which direction Palm goes.

If you're looking for a complete miniature multimedia device, the m505 may not be for you - at least not yet. But if you're looking for a sleek, elegant device with color, and a bright future as an expandable platform, the m505 definitely warrants a look.

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Michael Bauer is an independent consultant specializing in the design of applications. See Bauer Software for more information. Mr. Bauer is also a freelance writer and an admitted gadget junkie.