Palm to offer iMac-style organiser

Palm Computing will announce a 'special edition' of the recently released Palm IIIe organiser tomorrow, The Register has learned. Sources close to the company said the device will match the spec. of Palm's entry-level machine but take a lead from Apple's iMac with a translucent case and cover. There has been hints for some time that Palm was planning to offer a translucent Palm. Similar-sounding devices have been seen at Apple, which is believed to have a major partnership with the 3Com subsidiary and has licensed the PalmOS for a PDA of its own. With the IIIe aimed more at the consumer space than Palm's traditional executive market, some kind of iMac-style machine was always on the cards. However, Palm is playing it cautious: the special edition IIIe will only be available for a limited period, presumably to test reation to the device's styling. Translucent cases are becoming increasingly popular following the launch of the iMac. Earlier this year, Diamond Multimedia launched a limited edition of its Rio digital music player in a blue translucent shell. It's not clear what colour the new IIIe will take. ®