IBM WorkPad 20X: The 1998 Palm PDA Experience

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  • Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
  • Taking a look back at the $299 IBM WorkPad from the late 1990s! Specifically the 2MB 8602-20X model, really a rebranded 3Com Palm III PDA. Mmm 2-bit monochrome touchscreen, 16MHz CPU, infrared wireless, and tons of oddly addictive Palm OS games. What a lovely little retro handheld.
    ● LGR links:
    / lazygamereviews
    / lazygamereviews
    / lazygamereviews
    ● Download disc images of the desktop software here:
    archive.org/de...
    ● Music courtesy of Epidemic Sound:
    www.epidemicsou...
    #LGR #Palm #PDA

КОМЕНТАРІ • 1,5 тис.

  • @LGR
    @LGR  4 роки тому +391

    To those asking about that folding ThinkPad keyboard: I've got an entire video about it!
    ua-cam.com/video/nRVJCtREW38/v-deo.html
    Also I misspoke saying the WorkPad uses _AA_ batteries instead of _AAA._ Heh, no. Definitely triple-As 🤦‍♂️

    • @robbruce2128
      @robbruce2128 4 роки тому +6

      I so coveted that keyboard but never could justify the cost, thanks for showing it off again!

    • @tiberiusbrain
      @tiberiusbrain 4 роки тому +4

      That keyboard is awesome!!!

    • @ZanHecht
      @ZanHecht 4 роки тому +7

      The folding Palm keyboard was even more impressive. It folded down in four parts to something about the size of the palm pilot itself.

    • @alerey4363
      @alerey4363 4 роки тому +2

      holy fck! I thought it was a 3D fx or something but it's the real mechanical keyboard springing from the inside almost instantly and sliding perfectly!

    • @runnlikehell3
      @runnlikehell3 4 роки тому +2

      @@ZanHecht got one at a goodwill and would play with it for hours.

  • @paulallanbaker
    @paulallanbaker 4 роки тому +486

    "All workpad and no playpad makes LGR a dull boypad" - LGR 2020.

  • @TheDrummerDude17
    @TheDrummerDude17 4 роки тому +388

    Man, the good old days when technology seemed so exciting and fun. Even just the Windows logon sounds were luxurious for the time. Felt like you could do anything. I really miss that.

    • @rugxulo
      @rugxulo 4 роки тому +13

      Go compile your own Linux kernel! DO IT!! 🤣

    • @TheDrummerDude17
      @TheDrummerDude17 4 роки тому +30

      @Sensible Talk ​ @Sensible Talk Exactly! I feel like where technology is now is more than sufficient. Realistically, we have it so easy now that it almost seems dumb to keep releasing a new iPhone every other month and new this and new that...just chill!

    • @TheDrummerDude17
      @TheDrummerDude17 4 роки тому +12

      @Gaming York Wanna travel back in time with me to the late '90s/early 2000s?

    • @spac18
      @spac18 4 роки тому +18

      I think the modern information overload has jaded us

    • @TheDrummerDude17
      @TheDrummerDude17 4 роки тому +8

      @@spac18 Definitely. Most people can't seem to go 10 seconds without "googling" something on their phone. 😒

  • @BadAnimeGroup
    @BadAnimeGroup 4 роки тому +665

    "I seriously love how simple this is to use. It's a pleasure!"
    Meanwhile, in 2020, iTunes decides every few months that my iPhone doesn't actually need any added music or files and never completes a sync.
    My introduction to Palm was through a Treo 680 and I absolutely adored it; used that thing until the charging port died.

    • @Cinkodacs
      @Cinkodacs 4 роки тому +42

      Obligatory Apple bashing ^^: You see, your problem is that you are using Apple products, I can just connect my Android and pull things over in Total Commander same as if I were copying to a pendrive.

    • @BadAnimeGroup
      @BadAnimeGroup 4 роки тому +38

      ​@@Cinkodacs Funny thing is that I am an Apple basher myself, so I can't even disagree with you. I'm fine with the phone itself, but goddamn iTunes is probably the worst program I have to use on a semi-regular basis.
      - sigh - I really miss my Palm Pre 2. I just keep getting good deals on iOS devices.

    • @memsom
      @memsom 4 роки тому +6

      Bad Anime Group i subscribed to Apple Music and probably haven’t used iTunes in 2 or more years. Google Music also works and probably still allows you to upload your music to the cloud for free.

    • @PC3Pointless
      @PC3Pointless 4 роки тому +12

      Yet the latest version of iTunes is still able to sync the 1st gen iPod from 2001... Its all swings and roundabouts with Apple

    • @MladenMijatov
      @MladenMijatov 4 роки тому +4

      I find it annoying how calendar and contacts today are far too complex than they need to be. I always have issues synchronizing things and meetings.

  • @howheels
    @howheels 4 роки тому +31

    Man I loved my Palm. I started with a Palm III, upgraded to a IIIC, and finally a Sony Clie SJ33. It got me through college as my primary note-taking device during class. Hearing those beeps and boops is a major nostalgia bomb!

    • @owenbevans6062
      @owenbevans6062 Рік тому +1

      I had the Sony Clie Palm (PEG-NZ90/U). Incredible device until I got a Compaq. Your Comment reminded me of what it was. Gave it to a girlfriend that was in college at the time.

  • @this_is_patrick
    @this_is_patrick 4 роки тому +529

    0:38 That butterfly keyboard opening tho.

    • @MrKarmando
      @MrKarmando 4 роки тому +43

      i was like wow, why the things like this arent popular now?

    • @daedalus-prime
      @daedalus-prime 4 роки тому +26

      It's a thing of beauty!

    • @cyclops8238
      @cyclops8238 4 роки тому +28

      It did it so smoothly as well

    • @gwishart
      @gwishart 4 роки тому +42

      It works less smoothly when it's full of staples, hair and biscuit crumbs.

    • @AngryDavid808
      @AngryDavid808 4 роки тому +13

      That was really awesome! My jaw opened out of amazement when I'd seen that!

  • @cleverson_sa_
    @cleverson_sa_ 4 роки тому +91

    I almost cried when I listened the HotSync start sound after years! My first IT job was developing apps to these PDAs, until 2004. I have my last Palm, Tungstein T|5, yet! Regards.

    • @malcolmdane8819
      @malcolmdane8819 3 роки тому +2

      That's interesting. What language was used? What tool's? What IDE? Yoi should post a video about that, I'd find that super interesting.

  • @normantor
    @normantor 4 роки тому +265

    I started working at IBM in 2000. This was a status symbol!. My manager had one. Wow! East Fishkill! We made the Game Cube CPU................god so old.....

    • @WintrBorn
      @WintrBorn 4 роки тому +7

      normantor wait, NY State? I didn't know Fishkill had an IBM plant.

    • @Cooe.
      @Cooe. 4 роки тому +14

      @@WintrBorn Really didn't know that? It's still GlobalFoundries leading edge Fab to this day (where they make 14 & 12nm products like AMD's Zen/Zen+ CPU's for ex.)

    • @WintrBorn
      @WintrBorn 4 роки тому +8

      Cooe I left the area some years back, it was just surprising to see that area pop up.
      Last time I thought about Fishkill, people were crying because killing fish is meeeeeean. 😁

    • @normantor
      @normantor 4 роки тому +16

      @Ken Evanska Buddy..when we started we made the CPU for the Mac....plus the GTX 6600 and the CPU for the 360 and the CPU for the PS3...oh wait the CPU for the WII. Trust me we lost money on all of it.

    • @WintrBorn
      @WintrBorn 4 роки тому +3

      normantor He's saying he's over 99 years old (Radio Shack started in 1921). Gamecube is what, 20 years old?

  • @scareyaf
    @scareyaf 4 роки тому +10

    This might very well might be the best retro PC hardware channel on UA-cam. Seriously LGR, thank you so much for your efforts. I don't think I've every experienced nostalgia quite like this.

  • @LymanPhillips
    @LymanPhillips 4 роки тому +13

    So simple and modern. One of the most elegant OSs I've ever used. I loved my Palm.

  • @me2olive
    @me2olive 4 роки тому +115

    Looking forward to you covering that Windows CE IBM device, hopefully you'll go into a little detail about what CE was and what it went on to become. I think plenty of people may not realise that before it all fell apart with Windows Phone, Microsoft were actually doing pretty well on the mobile device front.

    • @jamescameron149
      @jamescameron149 4 роки тому +2

      I had a number of CE devices over the years. A HP Jornada that I used to take to client sites, and a Dell Axim. Not sure if they were good times. I did like the Jornada though. The Axim not so much. I would however enjoyed one of these:
      www.amazon.com/Dell-Axim-X51v-Handheld-Bluetooth/dp/B000COJ8NY
      I /think/ that was the one... A while ago...

    • @digiowl9599
      @digiowl9599 4 роки тому +4

      I really do miss lusting over those wacky PocketPC/Mobile device that THC used to make, before everyone got caught up in Jobs' RDF and started rolling out Apple clones.

    • @me2olive
      @me2olive 4 роки тому +1

      @@slightlyevolved Yes sorry I didn't mean to imply that Windows Phone was CE, I was saying that Windows Phone meant the end for Windows Mobile (a version of CE) which unfortunately for Microsoft wasn't a successful decision. I had an XDA Exec (HTC Universal, back before HTC had made a name for themselves in their own right) which was around the peak of the Windows Mobile years, and most cheaper satnav devices of the time ran a version of CE. I remember a few larger CE notebook-sized devices too like the IBM one shown in this video sold with "handheld PC" branding, there was one by HP I think.

    • @karfsma778
      @karfsma778 4 роки тому +1

      oh man, windows CE. I had that on my dreamcast

    • @fallingwater
      @fallingwater 4 роки тому

      CE was sank by Android, which worked better on any device you'd otherwise use CE on and you didn't have to pay a license to use. It also had a vast library of apps that worked straight out of the same store you'd use on your phone, without relying on some unpaid dev out there porting useful apps over in their free time.

  • @borealfox
    @borealfox 4 роки тому +4

    Oh, man. I really love this channel. His voice is so relaxing and the topics are really curious and well done.
    Thank you!

  • @0ktober
    @0ktober 4 роки тому +144

    PDAs make me feel warm and fuzzy. There's nothing like fiddling with one while taking shelter in an collapsed car tunnel, eating some колбаса and waiting for the blowout to sweep past.

    • @yakud3091
      @yakud3091 4 роки тому +3

      Меченый? Какого чёрта?!

    • @Blackadder75
      @Blackadder75 4 роки тому

      most normal people just use their phone for that

    • @Crossfire12312
      @Crossfire12312 4 роки тому +30

      Get out of here stalker!

    • @oz_jones
      @oz_jones 4 роки тому +8

      @@Blackadder75 no such luxury in the Zone

    • @guyshafor1320
      @guyshafor1320 4 роки тому +7

      I wish Stalker was as stable as palmOS

  • @fhs4137
    @fhs4137 4 роки тому +15

    You just brought a tsunami of nostalgic memories on me. I'm too young to remember a lot of the featured tech on this channel, but my dad had this one early on in my childhood!
    He was supposed to use it to organize his days, but he's an old-school dude, so I think I used it a lot more than he did.
    Honestly, it was such a cool gadget. Looking at it today, it is so ridiculously ahead of it's time. Just look how much it looks like a modern smartphone, at a time where peoples minds were still blown by snake on their Nokias. Both on the outside appearance, as well as the UI and functionality.

  • @ChrisDreher
    @ChrisDreher 4 роки тому +203

    8:10 "Your PC and PDA are now NSYNC"
    LOL!

    • @Not-Great-at-Gaming
      @Not-Great-at-Gaming 4 роки тому +24

      They're NSYNC and... I want it that way... (Never mind, wrong band.)

    • @trevorlane
      @trevorlane 4 роки тому +11

      The transition was a little too subtle that I almost missed it haha

    • @ChrisDreher
      @ChrisDreher 4 роки тому +6

      @@trevorlane I _barely_ noticed it myself but then went "Wait a minute...!".

    • @Apollo440
      @Apollo440 4 роки тому +1

      _Oops_ he did it again!

    • @wesleythomas7125
      @wesleythomas7125 3 роки тому

      10 I never
      20 wanna hear you say
      30 I want it that way
      40 goto 10

  • @PeTTs0n88
    @PeTTs0n88 4 роки тому +1

    Oh man your videos so often manage to bring me such a warm, fuzzy feeling of nostalgia. From the bottom of my heart - thank you!

  • @demogorgonzola
    @demogorgonzola 4 роки тому +77

    10:34 ``Dope Wars (...) just as addictive as ever`` - I see what you did there :)

  • @campisimike
    @campisimike 4 роки тому +1

    Oh man Clint, when you did the sync button, that little sync tone brought back memories!!!

  • @MarduLeRoux
    @MarduLeRoux 4 роки тому +28

    I love these! I have a Palm III myself that I inherited from my uncle, and used it a ton in high school and even university for taking notes.
    At one point it fell out of my pocket while riding a bike, slamming into the road. All that happened was the batteries popped out, requiring a HotSync once getting home. It really is durable!
    It's still on my shelf, occasionally getting dusted off when I feel like playing SubHunt or Space Trader again.
    I didn't know about SimCity for PalmOS though! Will have to try it someday!

    • @chrisbailey7384
      @chrisbailey7384 4 роки тому +1

      Lucky you!!! I had a palm pilot exactly like that one back in 2000. When I dropped them on a hard surface, the screen cracked rendering it unusable. Those devices are actually fragile compared to smartphones today if the screen cracks, it's still usable!

  • @Kurisu87
    @Kurisu87 4 роки тому

    Space trader! A game a played for hours and hours on my palm M105 as a kid. I have never been able to remember it’s name! Man, that very short clip gave such a nostalgic rush of emotion! Cheers man.

  • @TheLtData
    @TheLtData 4 роки тому +15

    Love these! I had several Palm devices and used them for a long while before smartphones came along. They still work which can't be said of many old phones.

    • @robbruce2128
      @robbruce2128 4 роки тому

      I kept that visor running until I got an N900 which ran garnet vm virtual palm.Was dependent on handy shopper.

  • @LKRaider
    @LKRaider 4 роки тому +52

    I remember reading the whole Lord Of The Rings trilogy on a Palm III. The books in TXT format would not fit memory, so I had to find a text reader app that would progressively extract the text from a ZIP file, page by page. And it did work!
    Also did some BASIC programming on it, I think it was RealBASIC, that had good UI libs. I created a simple platform game and also a drawing app. Good times.

    • @nhilz
      @nhilz 4 роки тому +5

      oh man the eyestrain i get just thinking about that

    • @aaperetto
      @aaperetto 11 місяців тому +1

      SmallBASIC?

  • @BadHombre-Chicho
    @BadHombre-Chicho 4 роки тому +83

    Awww... but I was really expecting to see Doom on this thing :v

  • @DavidHoshor
    @DavidHoshor 4 роки тому +5

    Great video. I had a Palm device in about 1996 or 97 and loved it! I used one for at least six or seven years. I worked as a system administrator and would use it to make notes for various fixes and procedures on the systems we monitored. I loved that the notes were easily searchable and as close as my shirt pocket. It was easy to get pretty proficient with the Graffiti entry system. After playing Giraffe for about twenty minutes, you'd have the system down pat.

  • @marcoalaniz3953
    @marcoalaniz3953 4 роки тому +93

    LGR: Before someone asks, no this does not run DOOM.
    Me: Aren't you the person who runs DOOM on everything?

    • @TheTurnipKing
      @TheTurnipKing 4 роки тому +7

      Enjoy the novelty, there really isn't much that Doom doesn't run on.

    • @marcoalaniz3953
      @marcoalaniz3953 4 роки тому +1

      @@TheTurnipKing True.

    • @fhs4137
      @fhs4137 4 роки тому +7

      @@TheTurnipKing Now that LGR has helped spread the awareness of it, I can't help but wonder if it's just a question of time before this also runs doom

    • @Camelotsmoon
      @Camelotsmoon 4 роки тому +8

      We need someone to get Doom on this device ASAP.

    • @ShadowWingTronix
      @ShadowWingTronix 4 роки тому +4

      We didn't even get Duke Nukem 3D. That's what I was waiting for.

  • @mxc0bbn
    @mxc0bbn 4 роки тому

    Wow! lotta memories there. I had a Palm Vx back in the day and I could remember looking down at these puny 2MB variants with my VAST 8MB version. Ahh the ignorance...so bad, yet so sweet.
    Thanks for this...you really make the memories come alive.

  • @Psxmoe
    @Psxmoe 4 роки тому +10

    I remember having one of these (palm Version) I also had a handspring PDA running Palm OS, I was in middle school mid 2000's and caused all sorts of trouble when I found out they had Universal Remote Software (Novii Remote I think it was called?) for TVs and VCRs using the infrared port. It was funny watching the teacher get pissed when the tv would turn off randomly or the Vcr paused or fast forwarded randomly. Eventually the teacher wised up, and we were all searched for a "universal Remote". Except they never found one! Because no one knew or thought you could do that back with a PDA. Good times!

    • @JT-lq4yd
      @JT-lq4yd 4 роки тому +2

      Fun times. Used to do the same when watching videos in high school except, I did that with a Casio watch that could control TVs and VCRs, almost got in trouble once.

  • @SkybornSoul
    @SkybornSoul 4 роки тому

    I had one of these as a kid in the early 2000’s, I’d seen a PDA in some video game and begged my dad to get me one since I thought they were so cool. this video brought back a lot of great memories of trying to get it to recognize my awful seven year old handwriting and entering silly names into the contacts page. thanks Clint.

  • @Sb129
    @Sb129 4 роки тому +328

    I still use a PalmOS device or two all the time; they still do some simple things better.
    btw if you do more PalmOS based vids in the future, I have a large repository of Applications for both the Palm and PC
    (~14Gb worth)

    • @no1DdC
      @no1DdC 4 роки тому +180

      Have you considered uploading your repository to the Internet Archive (archive.org)? They already have a ton of hard to find old software - this would fit nicely. There's already some PalmOS software on there, but I suspect you have programs that are not there and deserve being preserved for future generations.

    • @p4nx844
      @p4nx844 4 роки тому +44

      When games are like ~20kb that must truly be a "large repository" LoL

    • @no1DdC
      @no1DdC 4 роки тому +17

      @@p4nx844 Later PalmOS software is a bit larger though.

    • @LGR
      @LGR  4 роки тому +181

      @@no1DdC Seconding the request to upload to Internet Archive. This stuff deserves to be preserved and accessible.

    • @DrBeast2
      @DrBeast2 4 роки тому +20

      @@LGR if you're desperate for Palm OS apps, check out c4pda.net . Unfortunately, with Palm OS being defunct, it's going to be next to impossible to find any apps these days. Their archive is about as good as it gets.

  • @descend3r
    @descend3r 8 місяців тому +1

    That is awesome! It's crazy to think that we had things like that all the way back in 1998

  • @DaxtonAnderson
    @DaxtonAnderson 4 роки тому +41

    I remember my moms friend had one on these in 1999.
    I can remember me saying "How cool would it be if this thing had a TV and Phone in it?"
    Now we have exactly that, smartphones lol

    • @harshnemesis
      @harshnemesis 4 роки тому

      yea that came like in 2002 wasn't palam tho, it was the pocket pc, which was like palm but more advanced, the "tv" was watching movies... and later youtube when that was a thing... kind of like it's now. I remember watching youtube in 2007 on my hp ipaq hx4700.. it was awesome.. but by 2009 google updated codecs, so the 3rd party app I was using no longer worked and they released their own app for windows mobile, which they purposely made to run like crap, it run in 10fps and didn't do full screen properly, the video black bars around all four corners, no joke.. however core player made a superior yt client for windows mobile and so did htc, but htc made it to work on their devices only.

  • @Browningate
    @Browningate 4 роки тому

    This is epic. I had an IBM WorkPad c500 back in 2006. That thing was nothing more than a rebadged Palm m500, but the case design was actually more stylish, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. PalmOS 4 had a ton of freeware for the taking on a site that a lot of people probably remember (Freeware Palm). When its 8MB of Ram were filled, (which wasn't often, because PalmOS apps were extremely efficient) the SD card slot would pick up the slack. The m500/c500 continued where the Palm3 and Palm V left off with a rechargeable battery too, which I never did manage to run down. Those things could last forever, even with the 160x160 screen being improved for that generation to be able to produce 16 whole shades of gray. That thing was a great little device for what it was, and I ended up selling it for almost as much as I bought it for, years later.

  • @DogScience
    @DogScience 4 роки тому +2

    Your videos are peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with lays potato chips, cartoons on, and the sound of grandma humming in the background as she works her way through the crossword puzzle at the table; they’re comfortable childhood bliss. Thank you.

  • @stridermt2k
    @stridermt2k 4 роки тому

    I was a Palm guy back in the day. I worked a job that allowed me to get some pretty nice ones from both Plam and Sorny.
    Good stuff, and a nostalgic look back at a very interesting era in mobile computing.

  • @Taipan108
    @Taipan108 4 роки тому +11

    I love how 58008 is already in there when you show the calculator feature. Haha!

  • @Chronosv2
    @Chronosv2 4 роки тому +2

    Oh man I loved Space Trader so much. One of my favorite portable games in the late 90s, early 2000s, and an inspiration to me as a game developer. You're making me miss it, LGR!

  • @justinpipes85
    @justinpipes85 4 роки тому +18

    I don't know why I never realized how much PDAs were basically the smartphone's great-grandparent that you couldn't make a phone call on. It's amazing how about a decade after this we had the G1 and iPhone.

    • @SomePotato
      @SomePotato 4 роки тому +5

      My reaction to the iPhone reveal was, oh it's a PDA with a GMS modem and multi-touch. But no 3G and apps? Shame.

  • @texasrattlesnake31637
    @texasrattlesnake31637 4 роки тому

    Retro hardware review at its best Clint! Had this piece of gear from yesteryear! Really nostalgic video indeed! Looking forward to the next retro hardware review bro'! More power and God bless from the Philippines!

  • @gkdotclass
    @gkdotclass 4 роки тому +15

    “Fondly” remember how many times PalmOS apps crashed, overwriting other apps memory space (thanks, no memory protection) and needed a hard reset deleting all my data!
    Good times indeed

  • @timfelgentreff1
    @timfelgentreff1 4 роки тому

    I recently re-aquired my old Palm IIIx and could not for the life of me figure out what that "Snake in a cave" game was called that we used to play on it in the school yard... SFCave it is! Thanks for the great video 👍

  • @Norweeg
    @Norweeg 4 роки тому +71

    3:32 Heh, that number is a requirement to test a calculator.

  • @MINERAL-115
    @MINERAL-115 4 роки тому

    You've bought fond memories flooding back!
    I had a palm-powered note-taking device called an "AlphaSmart" back when I was in college, which was powered by Palm OS, and I was so impressed with it I got myself a Palm Z22 personal assistant, which was one of the modern (at the time!) successors to the 20X. I loved that thing so much! My experience with it got me very excited when I saw the initial marketing for the Palm Pre, and if not for getting a second hand iPhone for a good price from a friend, the Palm Pre would have been my first ever smartphone.
    If not for the Palm Pre, Apple would have never 'borrowed' their task switching UI, and the much more mature 'playing card' system we use now on pretty much every modern smartphone would have never came to be!

  • @anodyneinstitute
    @anodyneinstitute 4 роки тому +72

    8:08 truly thought I was hallucinating for a brief moment.

    • @betdavid365
      @betdavid365 4 роки тому +3

      I saw it too

    • @JTManuel
      @JTManuel 4 роки тому

      Subliminal message. 😄

    • @maricate
      @maricate 4 роки тому +1

      I tought wtf backstreet boys had to do with this

  • @Spectere
    @Spectere 4 роки тому

    Oh man, I just about cheered when you mentioned Space Traders. I used to play that all the time on my Palm IIIc.
    In addition to file transfers, the IR port would also let you print to IR-enabled printers if you had access to one. In one of my classes I would take notes on my IIIc (using the foldable Palm keyboard), and if I ever needed to print them I could just walk over to the printer and print them wirelessly, in 2002 no less!
    Palm was truly ahead of its time. It's a shame they couldn't keep up.

  • @Moonbeam143
    @Moonbeam143 4 роки тому +1

    It's always fun looking back at old tech, and seeing how far we've come. As much as I feel nostalgic for the old stuff, I'm glad we have the tech we have now.

  • @Shory22
    @Shory22 4 роки тому

    Thanks for reviewing this. I remember I had a Palm Pilot.

  • @SavestateComic
    @SavestateComic 4 роки тому +44

    I remember getting one of these around 201X when someone threw theirs out. PDAs really were the digital watch of their time - seems like such a cool convenient idea until you get one then never use it.

    • @mrjohnnyk
      @mrjohnnyk 4 роки тому +1

      Yeah I remember trying out a Palm device my mom bought way back in the day because she never used it and it was kind of cool for a bit but then I just never really used it. I remember the stylus text entry being awkward at best and it just didn't feel better than typing or writing not to mention slower. As a portable device it suffered from the same issue as all ambitious portable devices of that era: it was really slow and basic.

    • @oldtwinsna8347
      @oldtwinsna8347 4 роки тому

      Had many including the color ones from palm with the arm processors. They got better but were still hampered by poor screen resolution for full page browsing and the processors were still generations away before becoming fast enough to what even a smartphone from 2013 can do today.

    • @tetsujin_144
      @tetsujin_144 4 роки тому

      It's a different experience when the technology is current, as opposed to going back to it 10-15 years later.
      Basically, at the time these things were current, they filled a practical niche that made them actually pretty useful. Today they're not very useful from a practical standpoint because most people carry around smart phones which are more powerful and have internet connectivity, so a device that's built around sync cables and regular backups to a PC isn't so useful.
      When the devices were current, they were not powerful by any means but they were very convenient and reliable compared to the alternatives. Battery life was good so you could carry it around and it'd be ready to go when you needed it without constantly needing a recharge.
      If you look back at it now, most of the PDA stuff seems kind of ridiculous - like "offline email" - load your email onto your PDA, read the email, maybe write a response on the go, and then sync up again to actually send the email. Today there's no need, your phone can just access the internet almost anywhere. But at the time, a use case like that could actually be reasonable and useful.

  • @milosmarjanovic529
    @milosmarjanovic529 4 роки тому

    Your videos make me feel like a kid again, I love them :)

  • @AlwaysBolttheBird
    @AlwaysBolttheBird 4 роки тому +9

    I was literally thinking “wonder if it plays doom” right as you said “no doom” haha.

  • @Slash18622
    @Slash18622 4 роки тому

    I don't know why, but I kinda miss technology (and times) like this. Sure, it was very limited and back then I was always dreaming about something existing an device like the iPhone (which seemed to be total futuristic) - but man, it was fun to have those devices! I remember getting my very first BlackBerry (8700) and it was so awesome just to use ICQ on the go, while my friends were on their computers. Today everything is so 'boring' advanced and texting or apps are "just there"... Thanks for this ride on the memory train! Awesome video!

  • @ThomCote88
    @ThomCote88 4 роки тому +3

    My dad used to have a Palm III or similar model for work. I remember playing Sub Hunter on it as a kid. It was always so satisfying seeing the mines take little chunks out of the subs lol

  • @o9mb
    @o9mb 4 роки тому

    I admire all your retro-tech videos (Ps i have watched every LGR video you made also LGR blerbs and Lgr foods!)
    Your biggest fan Fred!!!!

  • @AmyraCarter
    @AmyraCarter 4 роки тому +9

    Yeah, I remember these. I think the one I had, was fitted with a RAM expansion and had some mediocrely ported arcade games like Asteroids and Galaxian. It also had a weird universal remote control app that crashed upon startup (likely because the hot sync function didn't work properly during the transfer), and a multi-function basic and programming calculator app that didn't like dividing by zero. I mostly played Spades on it.

  • @doodles113
    @doodles113 4 роки тому

    As a former user of a Palm Pilot Professional and a M130, this video brings me a lot of good memories....
    Worked at IBM at the time this was launched,every one of our team wants it, even if they don´t use a lot!

  • @Markimark151
    @Markimark151 4 роки тому +4

    I used to have a similar PDA, it belonged to my business, yes it’s really made by Palm, using mobile data back in 2000, was like discovering a new invention!

  • @taberds
    @taberds 4 роки тому

    OMG....I owned a Palm 2e, the cheaper transparent version as I was a college student then looking for some kind of cool tech device to use...i miss it!
    thank you for the old memory fix LGR! Dope Wars! I should play that again! I was rocking that game!

  • @RetroJ3000
    @RetroJ3000 4 роки тому +64

    13:10 haha nice the classic 58008 on the calculator, 90's kids will understand 👌

    • @Pommezul
      @Pommezul 4 роки тому +6

      2000's kids also did that :P

    • @RetroJ3000
      @RetroJ3000 4 роки тому +2

      @@Pommezul no I'm pretty sure 90's kids are the only kids that have ever used calculators, definitely no one before or after us :P

    • @fuzzydunlop1753
      @fuzzydunlop1753 4 роки тому

      BOOOOOBS!!!!

    • @av28379
      @av28379 4 роки тому

      @@RetroJ3000 no they arent the only ones to use calculators, wtf dude everyone has used a calculator

    • @av28379
      @av28379 4 роки тому

      @Olathian Whiskey very funny

  • @brokenrobot2004
    @brokenrobot2004 2 роки тому +1

    I was obsessed with my dad's one of these when I was little.. I LOVED the backlight's soft blue-green and black look; I'm glad to see you've made a video of it. I love your content LGR, I hope that if you ever decide stop making these videos, it won't be anytime soon 😄 I'm an autistic fellow (diagnosed) who loves tech like this; Palm PDAs were always a favorite! Especially the monochrome display ones, I find I'm glued to anything with a monochrome LCD display and always have been!

  • @vaxel7
    @vaxel7 4 роки тому +4

    I've had a Palm Vx and I remember really liking the Graffiti input once getting used to it, I even had a portable keyboard to it and I used it for taking notes in school with it

  • @Fifury161
    @Fifury161 4 роки тому

    Ah what memories - I sent mine in for an upgrade and it stopped working shortly after, still under warranty. Weeks later and it came back minus the cheat sheet! I was lost without that! I moved over to the Newton and then onto the iPaq after that. I still have a fondness for the Newton. Oh and I still have them - my 3Com Palm Pilot is still new in box (as I was given a new one whilst waiting on the repair - it took that long!)
    That reminds me - I still have my Casio PB1000! Must dig it out!

  • @PvtDonutDJ88
    @PvtDonutDJ88 4 роки тому +26

    Now this is nostalgia. This was my iPhone before the iPhone.
    So. Much. Sub Hunt.

  • @samueltheweber
    @samueltheweber 4 роки тому

    4:22 Today I got a folding Palm keyboard at a thrift shop and remember seeing your video on the pilot, but I forgot you had a board. I’d still like to donate it if you’re interested! If not, then no worries! And please, continue making vids of these vintage tech treasures!

  • @awitelin
    @awitelin 4 роки тому +10

    I had one of these as a teenager! I bought it for myself and spent so much idle time in classes playing simple games instead of paying attention.

    • @NicoleSteffendesign
      @NicoleSteffendesign 4 роки тому +1

      Me too... when you could tell a teacher you were taking notes... but really spending time playing bejeweled.

  • @TheBr00talhamster
    @TheBr00talhamster Рік тому

    Looks fun to play around with those little games. It also seems really compact, simple and functional for its time.

  • @BackPalSA
    @BackPalSA 4 роки тому +5

    >decided today was an LGR day
    >LGR uploads a new video
    Hell yeah! Thanks, Clint!

    • @suborbitalprocess
      @suborbitalprocess 4 роки тому

      Is it possible to learn this power?

    • @philtkaswahl2124
      @philtkaswahl2124 4 роки тому

      @@suborbitalprocess Well, Clint does try to post a video every Monday and Friday.

  • @TechTangents
    @TechTangents 4 роки тому

    That was a really nice look at it, I still haven't turned mine on. I wouldn't have guessed it had any removable storage at all!
    I wasn't expecting the waves of memories to hit me like they did when watching this. I forgot how much I used a Plam III back-in-the-day. The resistive touch screens are somewhat fragile and can be "bruised" and have weird touch issues that can be hard to re-calibrate around. Most of mine were like that and using them was tricky.

  • @erebostd
    @erebostd 4 роки тому +3

    I remember having one of these back in university, reading emails & stuff. It was a crazy time,only to be followed to the psion devices during the last years. They were even cooler...

  • @devourthehours
    @devourthehours 2 роки тому

    Watching this two years later to the day. Still so entertaining. Thanks LGR!

  • @TheStuffMade
    @TheStuffMade 4 роки тому +4

    Still have my old Palm 3 around somewhere. I remember we attempted to implement using them in the office back in the late 90s, however besides syncing you outlook calendar, emails, contacts and a few apps like keeping track of expenses for taxi rides, lunches etc, it really wasn't a very productive device, but at least it had a few games and it made you feel important when you pulled it out and started scribbling away with the stylus.

  • @dj68k
    @dj68k 4 роки тому

    I had a Palm IIIx (4mb version) that helped me never miss an assignment in college back in the late 90s. It was indispensable. Quick, simple, and very convenient. I miss tech like this nowadays. Fun fact: If you lick the Hotsync connector on the device you won't get shocked, but the device will start a Hotsync! Someone I did a side-job for gave me his old one when he upgraded and didn't give me a cradle (just a basic cable without button), and going through the menus each time to start Hotsync was a chore. Try it; it's amusing. Another fun thing was to hold "up" on the rocker to automatically start IRDA beaming your "business card" (your contact object) to someone else.

  • @W0lfenstrike
    @W0lfenstrike 4 роки тому +4

    I remember seeing these (and similar) things from time to time back in the day and indeed the drug game was fairly popular in my school yard.
    Also watching this on a phone is quite a bit surreal, makes me appreciate how far we've come technologically and it makes me feel old.

    • @digiowl9599
      @digiowl9599 4 роки тому +1

      And i can't shake the feel that we lost something along the way.

    • @Chaos89P
      @Chaos89P 4 роки тому

      @@digiowl9599 A certain level of charm that smartphones are incapable of replicating.

    • @mrjohnnyk
      @mrjohnnyk 4 роки тому

      Back in my day we would always play our edgy games as flash games on web browsers.

  • @TheOtherBill
    @TheOtherBill 4 роки тому

    I had a USR Palm Pilot, the predecessor to this unit, replacing a Sharp Wizard. Long after I retired it I continued to use the desktop manager software because it was so simple and quick to use and did everything I needed.
    The modern replacements for these old PDAs cost 10 times as much and need to be recharged daily and updated monthly.

  • @sgthebee
    @sgthebee 4 роки тому +6

    PalmOS, my favorite OS! If you can track down Space War, a two-player turn-based strategy game where you pilot various Star Trek ships around a hex grid, it's well worth it.

  • @NowUndefined
    @NowUndefined 4 роки тому

    Great look at this PDA! Thanks LGR!

  • @arcadely
    @arcadely 4 роки тому +62

    Me: Hmm, I wonder if there's a version of DOOM for this thing?
    LGR: No, the WorkPad does not run DOOM.
    Dude who wrote DOOM for the Texas Instruments TI-85: Challenge accepted!

    • @jurisjancevskis9076
      @jurisjancevskis9076 4 роки тому +2

      Porting DOOM to *everything* is a thing now

    • @TCIR
      @TCIR 3 роки тому +2

      I bet you can port doom to a leaky shower head now

    • @connorsteffan8958
      @connorsteffan8958 3 роки тому

      @@TCIR Doom e1m1:water edition

  • @biboKralle
    @biboKralle 4 роки тому

    A sunny Saturday morning (in Germany), me and my fresh brewed coffee and fresh pressed OJ, some nice bagel with pb&j and a new LGR video.... I don't deserve this! :)

  • @blafsen
    @blafsen 4 роки тому +10

    Ah the good old PDA trend of the 90's

    • @FlintG
      @FlintG 4 роки тому

      I think my dad had a pda similar to this in the 90s lol.

    • @Wolfydoestech
      @Wolfydoestech 4 роки тому

      The good days of the 2000s 3

    • @Wolfydoestech
      @Wolfydoestech 4 роки тому

      Why 3?

    • @vector6977
      @vector6977 4 роки тому +1

      @@Wolfydoestech thats a heart.

    • @Wolfydoestech
      @Wolfydoestech 4 роки тому

      @@vector6977 doesn't look like it at all

  • @tsunamirider9895
    @tsunamirider9895 4 роки тому +1

    Great video! Brought back lots of memories (especially the sounds the thing makes when HotSyncing). I had a Palm III back in the day, and also had the little 14.4k modem that docked to the bottom of it (also required batteries). Was kinda cool back when dialup was a thing, and your ISP would have local numbers you could call all over the country. When going on business trips, could just connect the Palm III w/modem to the hotel room phone to pick up emai, etc. Thought that was mind-blowingly cool at the time. Also had a version of VNC but visible area was so limited it was pretty useless (cool technically though) and running Telnet (of course unencrypted). Amazing how far technology has come.

  • @onscreenmoper
    @onscreenmoper 4 роки тому +13

    "The WorkPad 20X does not run Doom."
    Modders: *Reality can be whatever I want*

    • @override7486
      @override7486 3 роки тому +1

      *ModernVintageGamer enter a chat*

  • @draisine1609
    @draisine1609 4 роки тому

    Awesome backdrop of the rail lines... as a train geek I APPROVE!!!

  • @SinKillerJ
    @SinKillerJ 4 роки тому +3

    I've always found the HotSync sound to be so oddly satisfying.

  • @kuebby
    @kuebby Рік тому +1

    Oh man, I'd completely forgotten about Dope Wars. I used to love that game.

  • @4Wilko
    @4Wilko 4 роки тому +4

    "IBM desktops and IBM servers and IBM IBM mlenuneh!"
    That's a nice subtitle.

  • @jamesslick4790
    @jamesslick4790 4 роки тому

    The Palm III (The IBM WorkPad's twin brother) kicked off mobile computing for me. It existed in an era where a laptop was either too expensive if it was anywhere CLOSE to my desktop in performance or just overkill for basic tasks where I really just needed a non-networked pocket version of Schedule+! It was PERFECT in that role (The Palm Desktop replaced Schedule+ on the PC for me, happily syncing every day!) It was the perfect companion for my cell phone. Later, I got a Treo 600 that combined Palm-OS WITH a phone and, for it's day was one hell of an upgrade! It rocked (a smaller, but) COLOR screen, SD card expansion!!!, a 0.3 Megapixel camera and audio! (It had a 2.5mm jack, so a trip to Radio Shack for a 3.5mm adapter was needed,LOL.) My last Palm branded phone was the Treo Pro, But that actually used Windows Mobile OS. I've had various Motorola 'droids since then. But the PALM III is what started me having a computer in my pocket every day!

  • @jirt36
    @jirt36 4 роки тому +5

    Saludos desde México LGR, te queremos mucho!

  • @Kae6502
    @Kae6502 4 роки тому

    I never ride the bus, but If I had one of these, I'd play games on this while riding all over town and seeing the envious looks I'd get from all my fellow passengers. :D Cheers Clint!

  • @liliwinnt6
    @liliwinnt6 4 роки тому +37

    4:45 abandoned railway? i'm interested about this place

    • @dashboss7016
      @dashboss7016 4 роки тому +1

      That had my attention as well.

    • @RailVentures
      @RailVentures 4 роки тому +1

      Does LGR ever answer comments? I would like to know where these tracks are as well!

    • @liliwinnt6
      @liliwinnt6 4 роки тому

      @@RailVentures maybe those replies are too much for him to reply, now we would need enough people to ask about that railway, then we can have the answer

    • @RailVentures
      @RailVentures 4 роки тому

      Well hopefully LGR's not too big for us little people! LOL

    • @autumn_of_thought
      @autumn_of_thought 4 роки тому

      @@RailVentures He does reply to comments quite often

  • @MrJest2
    @MrJest2 4 роки тому

    Used to work for a Palm development platform called Satellite Forms. It's astonishing how much productivity you could get out of that little device using just a little imagination...

  • @srh76able
    @srh76able 4 роки тому +21

    3:32 has the ubiquitous "boobs" calculator easter egg as is generally the case with LGR calculator videos. Love it.

  • @PsychoStreak
    @PsychoStreak 4 роки тому

    I miss those days. And I did not realize how much I missed that Hotsync sound.
    Makes me want to dig out my old devices and play around.
    But it really was the best PDA, and nobody has ever completely duplicated how good the experience was.
    And now I'm off to find an Android Emulator for my Note 9. LOL

  • @KennethDPedersen
    @KennethDPedersen 4 роки тому +4

    I was literally typing out “But will it play Doom” and you said that

  • @mayw6571
    @mayw6571 4 роки тому

    Space trader! What an amazing game, it was my introduction to the genre and Elite later on. I must have beaten it a dozen times. Thanks for the trip down memory lane, LGR!

  • @matt4193
    @matt4193 4 роки тому +6

    I ALMOST HAD A HEART ATTACK WHEN THE PDA STARTED SLIPPIN'

  • @Ryarios
    @Ryarios 4 роки тому

    OMG, I had a Palm PDA! I had completely forgotten about that. Man, how far we’ve come...

  • @misterschifano
    @misterschifano 4 роки тому +4

    I feel like someone somewhere in LGR nation is actively at work porting DOOM as we speak.

  • @matthewpaulargall9102
    @matthewpaulargall9102 Рік тому

    I always wanted something like this as a kid back in the late-1990s. I wouldn't mind getting one today. Also, the fact it runs on readily available AAA batteries is a huge plus to me.

  • @CB-pf5lb
    @CB-pf5lb 4 роки тому +6

    6:08 Please, tell me that Goku isn't only in my head.

    • @matcha6710
      @matcha6710 4 роки тому +1

      Nah, I saw it too

    • @CB-pf5lb
      @CB-pf5lb 4 роки тому

      @@matcha6710 Thank you!

    • @matcha6710
      @matcha6710 4 роки тому +1

      @@CB-pf5lb Maybe we're both crazy XD

    • @CB-pf5lb
      @CB-pf5lb 4 роки тому

      @@matcha6710 ...T-That's a possibility.

  • @piratesmvp
    @piratesmvp 4 роки тому

    I have a Palm Viiix and still like playing old games on it from time to time. It's amazing how a device from the late 90's actually has some features that many modern smartphones do not have.

  • @WinXP_SP1
    @WinXP_SP1 4 роки тому +5

    You didn't play Serious Sam on PDA?! still love the video though

    • @LGR
      @LGR  4 роки тому +9

      Its 2-bit monochrome screen and tiny amounts of CPU speed and memory are rather _serious_ constraints!

    • @WinXP_SP1
      @WinXP_SP1 4 роки тому +2

      @@LGR You're a funny man LGR.

  • @iamthearmul
    @iamthearmul 4 роки тому +1

    Ah Palm III, so many good memories. Used it to write countless of emails and sent them with irda using my Nokia 7710 as modem.