By Todd Etter (TMF Knave)
June 20, 2000

To the eager delight of consumers everywhere, the Palm IX Connected Organizer arrived at retailers across the globe today. According to Carl Yankowski, CEO of Palm Inc., the product will be "a revolution to the handheld industry."

Boasting 128M of RAM and a full-color display, the Palm IX is by far the most powerful handheld on the market today. The Palm IX features sound and streaming video, a wireless modem, and printing capability, along with the traditional Palm offerings such as an address book, memo pad, expense reports, and the ability to "beam" information from one device to another. In addition, the new Palm handheld offers improved e-commerce capabilities and a Java engine for multimedia applications.

The Palm IX debuted at the Bluetooth Congress 2000 in Monte Carlo this week to mostly favorable reactions. Consumers were impressed by the incredible versatility of the device, especially the "Palm AutoPilot" feature, which organizes and conducts meetings without requiring any human presence.

Yankowski touted the merits of the new Palm IX in a recent interview with CNET. "The debut marks a new era in wireless technology. People will soon compare the Palm IX to innovations like the printing press, the compass, and the cheese sandwich," said Yankowski.

Despite the technical innovations of the Palm IX, reactions to the new handheld have not all been positive. Many consumers have called the Palm IX "bulky" and inconvenient to operate. Others have complained about the weight. "The Palm IX is indeed a bit bulkier than the Palm VII. But what you get in return more than makes up for the difference, we think," added Roger Mudnick, Vice President of Product Development.

Mudnick is quick to point out the wide variety of tasks and functions that the Palm IX can perform. The device has a built-in scanner, a satellite TV feed, a language translator, an altimeter, and a rain gauge. "The two biggest criticisms of the Palm VII was that the wireless connectivity was shaky and that it didn't have a rain gauge," said Mudnick. "Not anymore."

Added Mudnick, "People have also asked for additional storage. That's why we've built a small door on the back on the Palm IX where you can keep your wallet, keys, and coat."

The numerous improvements in the Palm IX have indeed not come without a cost. The Palm IX is now the largest handheld on the market. While most handhelds are roughly 5 inches x 3 inches and weigh approximately six ounces, the Palm IX is 1 1/2 feet x 2 feet and weighs 70 pounds.

Mudnick addressed the size issue. "These days, everyone is thinking smaller and smaller. But there's such a thing as 'too small.' For example, my wife bought a chihuahua last year and I accidentally threw the damn thing away. That will never happen with the Palm IX," Mudnick chuckled. "In fact, I can envision a day where our Palm devices become so big that they will have to rest on top of a desk. We're even considering adding an external 'keyboard device' to allow for easy input."

Palm Inc. hopes that the Palm IX will make consumers quickly forget about the underwhelming Palm VII. "The problem [with the Palm VII] was that we didn't listen to the needs of our customers. We're not making the same mistake this time. We incorporated almost every suggestion we received into the development of this product. If you asked for it, America, we gave it to you," bragged Mudnick.

In a recent press conference, Palm released samples of the customer feedback that were incorporated into the Palm IX:

"Your next Palm product needs to have a GPS locator."

"Give it a laser pointer. Maybe even three or four."

"Can you put a knife in it? And hurry."

"I like ketchup. Could it dispense ketchup?"

"Hey Palm guys. Wouldn't it be killer if your thingy had a crime lab?"

"My grandmother has a bonsai garden. But they're not very portable."

"You can't go wrong with a meat thermometer."

"Dear Mr. Palm Pilot man. I want to meet the women. Can you help me to meet the women?"

The only suggestion that Palm was not able to accommodate was the following:

"Whatever you do, please don't make it any bigger."

When asked about why the unit had to be so large, Mudnick responded, "The problem [with adding a whole bunch of nifty features into a really small device is that the device tends to] overheat. In the past, we've crammed hundreds of processors and microchips into a small handheld, but it would always overheat and catch on fire. That created a lot of problems in meetings or on airplanes. That's why the Palm IX is so big."

Palm Inc. is not resting on its laurels, however. It is rapidly working on the Palm XV, a handheld device that, according to Yankowski, will take up the size of an entire room and require three or four men to operate.

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