Content providers must build a simple app that parses HTML data and web scripts to snatch info ranging from the nearest ATM machine, to show times at the local bijou, to current stock prices, out of thin air. At launch, Palm had an impressive list of content partners, and with the superior developer support already available it should only get bigger and better. But this dependence on content partners is also the Palm VII's biggest problem. Vague headlines leading to abbreviated stories waste pricey download time. Some of the better services at launch include The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition, MapQuest, and Bloomberg.
Long stories require longer download times, which can be problematic when reception is spotty.
But travel behind a hill, through a tunnel, or into the bowels of a building, and reception plummets. Still, the service covers surprising ground out the gate. Early coverage around our San Francisco Bay Area offices was stable into Sacramento 90 miles to the east and San Jose 50 miles to the south. One thing oddly missing is the flip cover that protects the screen. The VII has the divots to hold one, but ships without a cover.