3Com Palm IIIe

The 3Com Palm III was a personal digital assistant (PDA) released in March 1998, serving as the successor to the PalmPilot series. It introduced several improvements, including infrared file transfer, a Flash ROM-capable operating system, and a more rugged, streamlined design. Running Palm OS 3.0, it featured a 16MHz Motorola DragonBall processor, 2MB of RAM, and a 160x160 monochrome LCD touchscreen. The Palm III retained the Graffiti handwriting recognition system and HotSync cradle connectivity, making data synchronization with desktop computers seamless. At launch, it was priced at $400, positioning it as a competitive alternative to Microsoft's Windows CE-based Palm-size PCs. The Palm III was well-received and paved the way for later models like the Palm IIIx, IIIe, IIIxe, and IIIc, further refining the Palm OS experience.

Palm was originally a subsidiary of 3Com, which acquired it in 1997, but after Palm's success in the PDA market, 3Com spun it off as an independent company in 2000. Palm continued to operate independently until 2010, when it was acquired by HP, marking the end of its standalone brand and integrating its technology into HP’s mobile computing efforts.