Even though Joe cannot write out long equations for math assignments on his Palm, dozens of numeric and scientific calculator programs are available for Palms, as well as applications that convert currencies, weights and other measurements. Electronic organizers are not as ubiquitous among teen-agers as cell phones or pagers. But I think that will change, especially because they've gotten a lot cheaper. In July, Palm Computing, a division of 3Com, began selling a less expensive version of its popular Palm III, the IIIe. Although there are elementary, middle and high schools that allow children to use the built-in calculators found in most electronic organizers while in the classroom, many schools consider them to be like Gameboys and other portable games.
Many teachers also wonder about their value as an educational tool.
But most parents of children who use organizers say they help children learn to keep track of their days. He has an incredible memory now, but his organizer will come in handy when things get more complicated. These sites are not part of The New York Times on the Web, and The Times has no control over their content or availability.