Mom Knows Best: Palm Pilot m100

Palm has won the hearts of techies with its self-named personal digital assistant (PDA). Now the company has its sights set on a new market–consumers who have yet to jump on the handheld-organizer bandwagon.

But can Palm hold its own against my mother?

Palm thinks it can with the m100, its first device aimed at folks who don’t know a PDA from their elbow. The m100 boasts a retooled design, an easy-to-use Note Pad application, and even customizable faceplates.

Mom was alternately delighted and unimpressed by features available on the new Palm m100.

It sounds as if Palm is targeting people like Mom. She finally gave that newfangled audio-CD technology a try last year. She thinks DVD is something you treat with penicillin shots.

But Mom has heard of Palm, and she wanted to give the new PDA a try. “I’ve seen that commercial where the woman’s in the train, and she sees the good-looking man,” Mom says. “So she uses her Palm to send over her address. I’d like to be able to do that.”

My father was unavailable for comment.