Overview
The Charge -N- Run is a unique solution that brings one of the nicest features of Palms new, high end devices to the older Palm III and Palm VII handhelds. With the Charge -N- Run installed on your Palm III or Palm VII cradle and the Charge -N- run rechargeable battery pack installed into the battery compartment of your device you will be able to charge your Palm while it sits in your cradle.

The Charge -N- Run for the Palm III and Palm VII handhelds retails for $39.95. Out of the box the Charge -N- Run has three components. The three components are:

• Charge -N- Run Charger
• Charge -N- Run Rechargeable Battery Pack
• charge -N- Run Battery Door

You will notice two contacts sticking out of the front of the charger assembly. These contacts touch the appropriate spots on the battery pack when the Palm is placed in the cradle. The contacts are sturdy enough to last, but they are soft enough not to cause damage to the battery pack or the back of your Palm.

Rechargeable Battery Pack and Battery Door
The Charge-N-Run uses a specially designed, rechargeable NiMH battery pack. The contacts on the battery pack are exposed through two small holes in the new battery door, which is made out of the same blue plastic as the charger assembly. I like the nice blue plastic that Pellico uses for the Charge -N- Run charger, but I wish that the battery door was made out of the same material as the rest of the Palm housing. Additional battery packs can be purchased for $10.00.

Usage
If you've ever used a PDA that charged while sitting in the cradle, or if you've ever synchronized your Palm III or Palm VII device it will be second nature to use the Charge -N- Run. If your Palm's batteries are running low simply place the Palm in the cradle, leave it for a while, and come back to a fully charged Palm. I sync all of my PDAs on a regular basis so it's easy for me to keep my Palm charged with the Charge -N- Run. Because I'm only needing a partial charge the Charge -N- Run is able to refill my battery in a matter of a few minutes.

For those of you who would like to know the status of your battery while it is charging the Charge -N- Run has a built in LED indicator. The blinking pattern will indicate whether the battery is fully charged, or if the battery is still being recharged. One thing that I didn't like about the LED indicator is that it was constantly lit when the cradle was empty. I already have too many LEDs on my desk and I don't think I need one to let me know that the Charge -N- Run is not in use. Overall Impressions I was very impressed with the quality and workmanship of the Charge -N- Run. The product is very simple to use, and the representatives from Pellico which I spoke with were very pleasant to work with. This is a company which is truly working to create a good user experience.

The Charge -N- Run replaces the inconvenience of frequent battery changes with a 'second nature' charging method. If you're using a Palm III or a Palm VII and are tired of constantly changing your batteries the Charge -N- Run may be the answer to your problem. I give the Charge -N- Run an overall score of 8.5 out of 10. The few minor flaws that were outlined in the review prevented a perfect score, but this is one product that works as advertised.