If you've admired others' handheld electronic organizers but haven't felt compelled to buy one yourself, the gorgeous color screens on the latest crop might sway you. The new, color-enabled version of Microsoft Corp.'s Window CE operating system for handheld devices also has a strong corporate story to tell. In addition to the color display, it now offers built-in programming tools for custom applications like sales force automation, corporate phone directories and inventory databases. Although Palm Computing Inc. devices and their ilk are still used mostly as notetakers, calendars and contact managers, color makes those applications much easier to look at for long periods.
Color also adds a multimedia dimension, bringing graphically rich games and video to the platform.
Palm Computing, a subsidiary of 3Com Corp., started the handheld computing phenomenon in the mid-1990s. 3Com won't reveal whether it will offer a color Palm. I tested three of the first units available with the new Windows CE, trying the on-board and bundled CD software, synchronizing contacts and appointments with Microsoft Outlook on my PCs and transferring files. My favorite was the Casio Cassiopeia E-100, which has the brightest, sharpest screen and the most multimedia features. A customizable interface lets you place your favorite applications, like the video player, close at hand.