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Pen Palmax PD-1000

What's better? A mini notebook running Windows 98 or a HPC Pro running Windows CE? Both sides have their determined champions. At Pen Computing Magazine we've been right in the middle of the fracas with numerous messages being posted both pro and con for either standard on our Pen Computing Online bulletin board.

Fortunately, up to now, we didn't see much of a need to pursue the argument on the pages of our magazine. After all, mini notebook computers like the Toshiba Libretto or the Mitsubishi AMiTY CN didn't have pens, and Windows CE-based handheld computers didn't have full VGA screens. Well, things have changed. Several of the latest mini notebooks now have a pen interface, and several of the latest handheld PCs now have full VGA screens. In addition, some of the latest HPCs are actually larger than mini notebooks. It was definitely time to take another look.

The Palmax PD-1000
Palmax, who is also one of the original Windows CE palm-size PC licensees, obliged and sent us their latest mini notebook, the PD-1000. It is a very small clamshell notebook that sports regular notebook or dekstop specs: 166MHz multimedia processor, 32MB of RAM, a TFT color screen, a 1.6GB disk, and runs Windows 98. This is the kind of spec that a couple of years ago you'd find in a top of the line IBM ThinkPad.

Yet, with a footprint of 8.4 by 4.8 inches and a thickness of 1.4 inches, the PD-1000 is just a bit larger than a standard video tape cassette. It weighs 2.38 pounds, more than a standard HPC, but less than your average HPC Pro. It's small and handy, but not something that you'd generally stick in your pocket. As you can see from the pictures accompanying this review, our PD-1000 was sort of a purple-metallic. While I personally liked it, staff consensus was that they prefer the also available black version.

While the Toshiba Libretto was often criticised for its tiny keyboard, the one on the Palmax PD-1000 is actually larger than it looks. It measures 87% of full size and has a keypitch of 16.6mm, above the 15.5 generally seen as the lower limit for touchtyping. For typing purposes, this keyboard is actually larger than that on the heralded NEC MobilePro 750C.

A different experience
Now let's look at the screen, for it is what makes using a mini notebook an entriely different experience from using an HPC. While large HPCs, such as the NEC or LG units, have wide 8.2 inch (diagonal) screens, the still unusual 640 x 240 aspect ratio takes some getting used to. Still, since their screens are almost 8 inches wide, they make excellent wordprocessors. The PD-1000's screen, on the other hand, is a miniature version of a standard VGA screen. It's a tiny, razor-sharp TFT measuring just 6.1 inch diagonally. This means that though it displays the standard 640 x 480 pixels, the screen is less than five inches wide. On this small amount of real estate, the PD-1000, like its similarly sized mini notebook brethrens, displays all of Windows 98. Combine the sharpness of this TFT with Windows' large font size settings and you have a Windows experience you can definitely handle. The PD-1000's resistive digitizer, on the other hand, is a bit too nervous for our taste. It's somethimes diffiuclt to hit exactlly what you want on the small screen. On the plus side, Palmax placed a left and right mouse buton on the left side of the PD-1000's cover. This sounds like an unusual placement, but works surpisingly well on a unit this size.

The bottom line is that while HPCs display a simplified version of the standard Windows interface on a relatively wide (and now increasingly full VGA) screen, a mini notebook shows the full Windows interface on a comparatively tiny screen. The small size is somewhat compensated for by the mini notebook's use of TFT screen technology whereas, to-date, HPCs have stuck with DSTN technology. Combined, the sharpness of the screen, the TFT's excellent display qualities, and the use of Windows' larger font settings result in something you can definitely get used to.

Technological marvel
From a technological point of view, the PD-1000 is a marvel. It uses the MediaGX processor from Cyrix, a highly integrated chip designed for mobile applications. Our review unit had a 166MHz version. Cyrix also offers MMX-enhanced versions running as fast as 300MHz. As a result, in most ways, the PD-1000 operates just like any other notebook. Since it's the same old Windows, once you get adjusted to the small screen, it's operation as usual. This applies even more if you plug the PD-1000 into the included port replicator. It adds a couple of inches to the width of the unit, but provides two PS/2 style ports, full size serial and parallel (switchable for floppy operation) ports, an IDE interface for an external CD-ROM drive, and a VGA port that supports resolutions up to 1024 x 768. In addition, the replicator still allows access to the PD-1000's internal headphone, microphone, and audio-in jacks, as well as the USB and FIR infrared ports. The PD-1000 also has a standard Type II PC Card slot. We were able to test the optional CD-ROM drive. It required no setup and worked flawlessly.

Power remains Achilles heel
The Palmax comes with a Li-Ion power pack identical in its 10.8 Volt, 1,350mAh specs to those in most recent large size HPCs. Faced with the "conventional" technology of the PD-1000, this battery doesn't come close to duplicating the 10-12 hours some HPCs reach. We're talking an hour and a half to two hours here,with all the heat emission that goes along with it. This remains the Achilles heel of the mini notebook. Palmax is aware of that and offers an optional extended battery that latches in place of the standard battery. It extends operation time to between three and four hours, but adds almost an inch of depth to the unit.

Mini notebook vs HPC: apples and oranges
Essentially, the question mini notebook makers have asked themselves is "how small can we make a conventional computer?" In contrast, the question vendors of handheld PCs are asking is "What subset of a conventional computer will provide maximum usefulness in a handheld device?"

Without getting too deep into the discussion, there are some facts that no one disputes. It's nice to have all of Windows on the road. With a device like the Palmax PD-1000, you can run any old piece of Windows software you want. Or browse and download to your heart's content. There is never any need to worry about file translation or compatibility: It is a Windows machine. But you also need a useful keyboard and a useful screen. The PD-1000's keyboard is absolutely on par with those of large HPCs. The TFT screen, sharp though it is, can be a challenge. One that's an inch larger would still fit and make things much more pleasant.

The picture is somewhat different when it comes to battery life. The PD-1000 will give you just the two hours you get from a notebook, and perhaps three or more with the extended battery. That's nowhere near the ten to 15 hours we're now getting from some large HPCs. Also, being a Windows 98 device, the PD-1000 needs to boot whereas Windows CE is always instant-on.

There are no winners or losers here. Each class of device delivers in some areas and not in others. What you prefer depends on your needs and priorities. But there's no denying that the Palmax PD-1000 has definite appeal.