More Choices

SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In a move to bring vivid color to handheld users worldwide, Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq: PALM) today unveiled the Palm(TM) m130 and m515 handhelds. Both feature bright color screens that support more than 65,000 colors, Palm's dual-expansion technology, and access to more than 13,000 commercial software applications in addition to the popular Personal Information Manager (PIM) and intuitive user interface that have made Palm products the world's favorite handheld computers.

The two new color handhelds join the recently debuted Palm i705 handheld -- an integrated wireless email and messaging device for U.S. customers -- to round out Palm's early 2002 product lineup. The Palm m130 and m515 handhelds are immediately available in most countries worldwide for an estimated U.S. street price of $279 and $399, respectively.

"We've created the Palm m130 handheld to bring color and rechargeable batteries to a broader market, giving value-conscious consumers a fun and easy way to organize their lives; share photos and video clips; and view, edit and create documents," said Todd Bradley, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Palm's Solutions Group. "Professionals will find the Palm m515 handheld a compelling way to gain more control over their business and personal lives. With 16MB of memory, the handheld lets businesspeople more easily carry their corporate databases, important applications, and Word, Excel and PowerPoint files anywhere for instant productivity. And customers can access their email accounts and the Internet on both handhelds when coupled with a compatible data-enabled mobile phone or modem and an ISP."

Palm's dual-expansion technology comprises the Palm Expansion Card Slot (for use with SD Card and MultiMediaCard media), which allows people to carry and share office-productivity and education software, eBooks, photos, short videos, extensive reference materials, back-up capabilities and extra memory, and the Palm Universal Connector for attaching add-on modules, such as a collapsible keyboards and modems.

Palm m130 Handheld

The Palm m130 handheld builds on the highly successful Palm m100 series, and offers the most affordable Palm Powered(TM) color handheld available today. An easy-to-use, durable and flexible product, the Palm m130 handheld is ideal for value-conscious consumers who value a bright color display and a rechargeable battery, including young professionals, first-time buyers, students and users who want to upgrade from the Palm m100 and m105 handhelds.

A rechargeable battery means users never have to worry about replacing batteries. Palm's dual-expansion technology and 8MB of memory give users the ability to add on to the Palm m130 handheld as their need for more powerful handheld applications grows. A removable flip-cover protects the color screen, and color faceplates easily snap on and off to add style and pizzazz (faceplates sold separately online at The Palm Store, http://store.palm.com ).

Palm m515 Handheld

A stylish marriage of form and function, the Palm m515 handheld provides the tools mobile professionals need in a sophisticated, elegant handheld. The new brighter color display and 16MB of memory let users work at their best no matter where they are, making the Palm m515 handheld the premier choice for managing a busy executive's mobile lifestyle.

Brighter and easier to read than ever, the m515 handheld's new color screen offers adjustable backlighting for maximum viewing control, and 16MB of memory means more room for professional and personal data. Palm's dual-expansion technology enables users to back up the handheld on-the-go; add new software, business applications, or memory; and attach peripherals, such as a keyboard, a GPS receiver, or a wireless modem -- for a tool that grows with the user's needs.

The Palm m515 handheld's powerful organizer software and support for familiar office software, such as Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, make it the smart professional choice.

Software

Based on the industry-leading Palm OS(R) platform, Palm m130 and m515 handheld users have access to more than 13,000 commercially available Palm OS software applications (see Palm's Software Connection website at http://software.palm.com ). In addition, both new handhelds ship with a bonus CD-ROM with software applications that can be installed for added capabilities. If bought separately, these bundled products would cost more that $100. They are:

Users can extend the capabilities of the Palm m130 and m515 handhelds via the Palm Expansion Card Slot. With support for SD Cards and MultiMediaCard expansion cards -- postage-stamp-sized cards that allow users to access important information without sacrificing valuable memory space -- the Palm Expansion Card Slot enables users to back up, as well as add content, memory and applications.

For example, the new 32MB Expansion Card plugs into the Palm Expansion Card Slot to provide additional memory for storing favorite software applications, pictures and audio files. And the new Backup Card: 16MB can be used to back up and restore data in one easy step.

SDIO support even lets users add wireless capabilities by combining the Palm Bluetooth Card and a compatible Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone.

Accessories

Add-on accessories and peripherals -- including portable keyboards, modems, leather cases, hard cases, styli, rechargers and cradles -- are available for both the Palm m130 and m515 handhelds through Palm's sales channels, through the Palm Accessories Catalog, and online at The Palm Store ( http://store.palm.com ).

In addition to the two-tone faceplate that comes on the Palm m130 handheld, Palm offers 19 stylish and fun faceplates that customers can buy to create a customized look. Faceplates are featured in the Accessories Catalog that comes in the Palm m130 box, and can be purchased online at The Palm Store ( http://store.palm.com ).

Availability

Palm m130 and m515 handhelds are available immediately in most countries worldwide. The Palm m130 handheld is available in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese through Palm's network of authorized distribution partners around the world. The Palm m130 handheld is the first Palm handheld to ship in Brazilian Portuguese.

The Palm m515 handheld is available from Palm's network of authorized distribution partners around the world in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

Both handhelds are available for purchase by U.S. customers at The Palm Store ( http://store.palm.com ).

About Palm, Inc.

Palm, Inc. is a pioneer in the field of mobile and wireless Internet solutions and a leading provider of handheld computers, according to IDC (December 2000). Based on the Palm OS(R) platform, Palm's handheld solutions allow people to carry and access their most critical information wherever they go. Palm(TM) handhelds address the needs of individuals, enterprises and educational institutions by offering the foundation for thousands of application solutions. Palm stock is traded on the Nasdaq national market under the symbol PALM. More information is available at http://www.palm.com .

NOTE: Palm OS, HotSync and PalmPak are registered trademarks and Palm, Palm Reader and Palm Powered are trademarks of Palm, Inc. Other brands may be trademarks of their respective owners.

SOURCE Palm, Inc.
Web site: http: //www.palm.com
CONTACT: Jennifer Stryd of A&R Partners, +1-650-762-2845, or jstryd@arpartners.com, for Palm, Inc.