IDEO Works With 3Com to Design the New Palm V Connected Organizer — Ultra Thin Model With Rechargeable Battery Is Designed to Be Accessorized
PALO ALTO, Calif. — February 22, 1999 — IDEO Product Development today revealed its role as the lead designer of the new Palm V(tm) connected organizer. Created by Palm Computing, Inc., a 3Com company, this latest handheld computing product is about half the thickness of the award-winning Palm III(tm) organizer and is easily accessorized with styli and a variety of cases. "The trend is definitely toward thinner models in handheld computers. People want them to fit easily into their pocket or purse," says Dennis Boyle, the IDEO project manager whose team worked with Palm Computing for more than two years on the Palm V product. Instead of plastic, which was used in earlier models, IDEO designed the Palm V organizer with aluminum skins as part of a design requirement to reduce the thickness of the product to 11 millimeters (.45 inches).
Aluminum also gave the Palm V device a sturdy exterior shell with an elegant look. While Palm Computing engineered the internal electronics and designed the software, IDEO was responsible for the industrial design and mechanical engineering of the system. IDEO's work also included the research of the rechargeable lithium ion battery system, the HotSync(R) connection cradle, and the design of two new accessories. Unlike any other handheld computer, the Palm V organizer, which will retail for US$ 449, has the capacity to run for up to four weeks without recharging. "The long life of the battery is a direct result of Palm Computing's outstanding software design and electronics.
It allows the system to run with very little power," Boyle explains. Like earlier models, the Palm V organizer is based on the Palm Computing(R) platform and includes a datebook, address book, memo pad, and "To Do" list. It also includes email and expense applications, and infrared "beaming" capabilities. At the touch of a button, it synchronizes with a personal computer to exchange and update information. IDEO designed the Palm V organizer shell so it can be easily enhanced with various accessories, including two new options its team developed for Palm Computing: a thin metal case and a dual-function stylus/pen. The case is hard enough to protect the Palm V organizer without adding too much thickness.
In sleek dark silver, the case snaps closed much like an eyeglass case. The ergonomic stylus, which snaps into the side of the device, has two functions, allowing the user to write on the Palm(tm) screen as well as write notes on paper. By twisting the pen, the tip becomes a ballpoint; with another twist, it returns to a stylus. The Palm Computing accessories retail for US$ 39.95 each. "IDEO has been an integral part of the Palm V organizer team," says Frank Canova, director of hardware engineering at Palm Computing. "The IDEO team of designers and engineers worked tirelessly to come up with innovative solutions to a wide range of design challenges, and we are certain our customers will be delighted with the results of these efforts."
"It was a very thrilling project that pushed all of us to the limit. At IDEO, we love this type of challenge and look forward to future projects with 3Com," Boyle says. Palo Alto-based IDEO Product Development is recognized as a world leader in the user-centered design of products, services, and environments. For 20 years, IDEO has been designing products that create competitive advantage for start-ups and market leaders in the fields of computer hardware, communications, medical devices, consumer goods, furniture, toys, sporting equipment, transportation, food and beverage, and retail and work environments.
3Com, Palm Computing and HotSync are registered trademarks, and Palm, Palm III and Palm V are trademarks of Palm Computing Inc., 3Com Corporation or its subsidiaries.
CONTACT:
IDEO
Whitney Mortimer, 650/688-3462
or
Stern & Associates
Debbe Stern, 650/358-9332