Stuck on serial
As you might have gathered, I'm very impressed with the innovations and fuctionality that HandEra has brought to the Palm platform. However, all is not well with the silver workhorse. Despite everything new that the 330 brings to the table, it's still tethered to your PC with something old: a serial syncing cradle.

HandEra's excuse? Since the 330 is aimed squarely at the business segment, where support for USB can be spotty (due to the prevalence of NT 4 and older versions of Windows 95 on corporate desktops), they didn't want to make the 330 a USB-only device. For backward compatibility, a serial option does make sense. But could USB offer better performance? I'll refer you to a comparison of syncing interfaces that I did with Handspring's Visor Deluxe here. Overall, serial is less than half the speed of a USB interface for syncing. In some instances, USB is over five times faster than its serial counterpart.

Not that you can't use a USB port to sync the 330. You can, because the 330 is still backward compatible with Palm III accessories, and there are USB adapters for Palm's serial syncing interfaces. However, these devices still work at serial port speeds, so they won't make syncing any faster.

Handspring, which pioneered USB syncing for Palm-based devices, offers USB cradles standard with all their devices. They do support serial interfaces, but you have to buy a serial syncing cradle as an additional accessory. Handspring's approach is better for the home user, but I can see how businesses might not want to shell out the extra cash for serial cradles and end up with a bunch of USB cradles gathering dust. It would be far better if the consumer were offered a choice of syncing cradles at the time of purchase, with the option to purchase other interfaces as accessories.

Sadly, no one offers this kind of flexibility. HandEra has sacrificed speedy syncing for backwards compatibility. It makes sense for the 330's target market, but it left me longing for real USB support.

Trace graffiti in action

The innovations HandEra brings to the Palm platform are a little shocking—not because of any incredible technological advancements, but because you're left scratching your head and wondering why all the other Palm-based PDAs don't have the same features. Things like a jog dial and dynamic Graffiti pad seem like logical inclusions for a Palm-based PDA. Yet for some reason, HandEra is the only company to offer both.

Perhaps the best thing about the 330 is that, while it adds features like a higher resolution screen and expansion ports, it doesn't compromise basic PDA functionality. It's still the same size as the majority of PDAs. Its screen is excellent if you don't need color, and it has phenomenal battery and power options. You don't really see that with other PDAs, which often pack in cool features at the cost of other functionality.

It's not all perfect, though. HandEra did get a little carried away with the installed software bundle. Additionally, though they have their reasons for only offering serial syncing, I'd still like to see a real USB syncing option.

Price-wise, the HandEra slots in between the low- and high-end PDAs. It's cheaper than color offerings and those based on ultra-slim form factors like Handspring's Edge and the Palm m50x series. It's also more expensive than midrange models like the Handspring Visor Platinum, the slower Palm m105, and Handspring's Visor Deluxe. When you look at the value of the included software and the 330's features, you've got yourself a pretty good deal.

In short, the HandEra 330 is an incredible device. With innovative features and smaller, subtle touches done right, the 330 sets the standard for all future Palm-based PDAs. HandEra didn't create the Palm platform, but with the 330, they've made it a lot better.