Wear Your Palm III

Gadgeteer Hands On Review by Julie

November 14, 2000

Product Requirements:
Device:
Palm III series, Palm VII series, and Palm V series

I'm sure you've heard the term "wearable computers"...? Often people wear their PDAs on their waist in a belt case. For me, that is the most comfortable and convenient method. But, some people want to wear their PDAs around their neck. This review will show a couple ways to make this possible.

The Bond for the Palm V / Vx

Besides having the Bond Latch for the Palm III series and original Palm Pilot, the people at Force Technology Corporation have a version of the Bond for the Palm V/Vx series PDAs. 

The Bond Connection attaches to the PDA using the stylus slot in the sides of the Palm V/Vx unit. Small solid sterling silver cups which they call klein cups slide into the stylus slots. These cups have rings on them for a neck cord. 

Installing the Bond is a 5 second operation and is very easy to do. The cups are tapered and easily slide down the stylus silo. Once they are in place, they won't slip out by accident. They are also formed out of a solid piece of metal which I don't foresee breaking very easily at all. 

The nylon cord is black in color and feels sturdy enough to hold the PDA around you neck without ever breaking. A plastic slider allows you to adjust the length of the cord for your neck. 

Wearing the Palm around your neck might sound uncomfortable but it really isn't. I didn't find the weight of the PDA to pull that much at all on my neck. One thing that I did notice was that the PDA would swing back and forth or bang into my stomach as I walked with it around my neck. If you use this product and wear a shirt with buttons and or zippers, make sure that you turn the PDA screen out while wearing it so that you don't accidently scratch the screen.

You might be thinking that if you use the Bond, you'll no longer be able to use your stylus. Force Technology Corp. solved this problem by supplying you with a replacement stylus barrel. This silver plated shaft is shorter that the stock stylus and works great with the Palm V and Bond combo. Just unscrew the original stylus top and tip and put them on the shorter barrel and you're good to go.

You also don't need to remove the Bond in order to hotsync. Just pull the cord out the way and plop it in the cradle as usual.

I think that the Bond Connection is a good product for someone that needs their Palm V/Vx in very close proximity and ready for use at all times. I would not recommend it for someone that is constantly walking around though because the PDA might get banged around more than necessary.

Price: $29.95

Pros:
Simple to use
Allows your Palm V/Vx to be instantly accessible
Replacement stylus included
No need to remove in order to hotsync

Cons:
Swings back and forth while walking
Screen remains unprotected while in use

The Bullet for the Palm V / Vx

The Bullet from Brando Workshop is basically a cheaper version of the Bond Connection. It looks the same but isn't quite as good as the Bond.

For one thing, the cord is several twisted strings instead of one woven cord. Given time, the cord would probably come untwisted. 

The string lock on my review unit would not lock the strings in place. Due to the fact that there are plastic stops at the end of the strings, the PDA won't fall off your neck, but it is annoy not to have the PDA stay in place.

The metal cups on the Bullet are also quite a bit smaller than the ones that the Bond uses. As a result, I found that I could almost pull the cups out of the stylus slots even when they were pushed almost all the way down the silos.

Left to right: Bullet cup, Bond cup

When the Bullet is installed, the original stylus does not fit in the silo and you don't get a replacement barrel like you do with the Bond.

Although the Bullet is about $10 cheaper than the Bond, I recommend the Bond over it because it is made better and is more secure.

Price: $150 HK (~$19.25 US)

Pros:
Simple to use
Allows your Palm V/Vx to be instantly accessible
No need to remove in order to hotsync

Cons:
Swings back and forth while walking
Screen remains unprotected while in use
String lock isn't secure
Replacement stylus is not included

MyCoolClip for the Palm III and VII Series

MyCoolClip from MyCoolClip.com is a wearable solution for Palm III and VII series PDAs.

The clip hooks in to the notches in the bottom of the case. The same notches that other accessories like the Palm modem use. 

Basically, the clip is a thick piece of bent wire that has had the ends soldered to make them smooth. The clip has a flexible plastic tube covering it that can be used to hold a spare stylus which is included. Putting the CoolClip on your PDA is not easy. The wire is very strong and doesn't want to bend. You have to almost use brute force to get it in the slots. Once you do, it is very secure. But getting it off is another matter. I was slightly afraid that I was going to scratch up the case getting the clip on and off.

A blue nylon cord with a metal swivel attaches to the clip. You can wear the PDA around your neck, or you can hook it to your belt with the included belt loop clip. 

This small blue plastic clippie thing, slides on your belt loop and then the nylon cord slides on it. You can use this for  drop prevention when you keep your PDA in your jeans pocket. I would not use the clippie thing to hang the PDA from your belt though.

Like the Bond and Bullet, you can sync your PDA in the cradle without having to remove the MyCoolClip. 

This is a very inexpensive solution and works as advertised. It does look a little 'home brew' to me though. If you don't mind this, give it a try. 

Price: $11.95 plus $2.00 shipping/handling

Pros:
Allows your Palm V/Vx to be instantly accessible
No need to remove in order to hotsync
Inexpensive

Cons:
Hard to put on and take off
Swings back and forth while walking
Looks a little 'home brew'