One of the biggest hits with U.S. business professionals in recent years has been the palm computer.

CNN: Cross My Palm With Silicon

Around the world palm computer use is poised to hit critical mass as a number of new technologies coalesce.

CNN: Cross My Palm With Silicon

Hewlett-Packard (NYSE:HPQ) stream of acquisitions in the early 2000, including the acquisition of Compaq Computer and Palm Inc. that supposed to help the company compete effectively against Dell Computer (NASDAQ:DELL) and Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is another case in point with the acquisition of Compaq Computer, HP rode the declining trend of the PC market, while with the acquisition of Palm Inc.

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It can also allow a business professional to arrive for a presentation carrying only a palm-size computer, which will be able to pull the presentation off the Web.

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Through a UPS arrangement with 3Com, he can click on the UPS shield on the latest Palm VII handheld computer, enter a UPS tracking number and immediately learn the whereabouts of his goods.

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Palm, which spun off from computer giant 3Com last year, said it was having difficulties with a shortage of components for its popular electronic organiser, the Palm Vx and new entry level m100.

BBC: Palm sales double

Ironically, the closest Slim gets to computer literacy is navigating his Palm V: He uses the calculator and address book, but someone else has to enter the addresses and phone numbers for him.

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Microsoft has teamed up with ten manufacturers, including Legend, China's largest computer maker, to market Chinese Palm PCs.

CNN: Cross My Palm With Silicon

And the advance guard of this revolution is neither a console nor a computer, but a flat, thin, palm-sized piece of plastic.

CNN: ASIANOW - Asiaweek

Users will be able to choose how they connect to the network from myriad appliances from Palm Pilots (see article) to giant conference-room computer whiteboards.

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Named to remind people of the iPod mini, this is a fully-fledged but tiny computer it almost fit into Mr Jobs's palm.

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Three years later, they've got a phone on the market: a cute, palm-sized object that looks a bit like it's derived from the original Apple Computer (nasdaq: AAPL - news - people ) iMac, all curves and transparent tinted plastic.

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