Personal Palm Pilot Page
Maintained by David E. Bernholdt, <bernhold@home.com> Last
update $Date: 2001/06/21 16:16:21 $
Disclaimer: This information is provided as-is.
I make absolutely no guarantees about its accuracy or suitablility.
Background
I got a 3Com Palm III connected organizer in October 1998. In surfing
the web, I found a great deal of information about the "Palm Computing
Platform", so I started this page to track my own experience with my new
toy, er tool. My goal is to highlight the resources and software
that I've found useful.
Hardware
-
Palm III, 3Com/Palm
Computing
-
Palm III hotsync cable ($20) More mobile than the cradle.
-
Trio-1 stylus, PDA Panache ($22).
Also a pen and a 0.5mm mechanical pencil. Most of the time it is
pretty convenient to have all in one, especially since I always carry
a pen in my pocket anyway. The quality is pretty good, though after
about six months of routine use, a fair amount of the black "soft
grip" coating has flaked off. This effects only appearance, not
comfort or usability (so far). Although it is not clear from the
Wishlist
- JetTalker from DynaFirm or perhaps Palm Parrot from Pilot Island. Since I had been
thinking about getting a voice recorder long before I got the Palm,
this is really interesting, and I'd like to hear from anyone who's
actually used one.
Software
Most of the software listed here can be obtained from PalmPilot Gear HQ
or one of the other major Palm software sites (see Links), though I try
to link to the product's developer's site here.
I use the phrase functional shareware to refer to packages
that do not self-destruct or reduce function if you do not register
them, and crippled shareware to refer to those that effectively
force you to register them for continued use.
PC
-
Palm Desktop 3.0 (on Win95)
- Backup BuddyNG 1.06 (on Win95) BB used to have both PC and Palm
software components, but BBNG is strictly a PC-side application which
hooks into the standard HotSync Manager almost seamlessly (there is a
separate configuration application). This package is a
life-saver if your Palm ever suffers a hard-reset or the batteries run
out! (1999-04-28, registered)
Installed
Not everything listed here is necessarily a "keeper".
- System Updates/Enhancements from Palm Computing:
-
Address+ 0.2Beta, Paul Taylor (freeware). Replacement for the built-in
address book. Provides a "Copy to New" function that duplicates the
selected entry, with the name fields blank. This is functionality
that ought to be in the built-in addressbook and on the
Desktop. (1998-11-??)
- Datebk3 V-3.0q, Pimlico Software
(crippled shareware $20). Replacement for the built-in datebook. I
especially like the new/improved views it provides (especially the 1-
and 2-week text view). It also provides more/better alarm
capabilities, integrates with todo list, and has scads of other nifty
features. (V-2.1y 1998-11-??, V-3.0q 1999-04-28, registered)
- HackMaster 0.9, DaggerWare (functional shareware
$5). The root of all hacks. (1998-11-??, registered)
- Letfy, Joe Strout
(freeware). Set lefty preference. (1998-12-04)
- LeftHack 2.6, Neal Bridges (functional shareware
$10). Switch some controls (i.e. scrollbars) to left side of
display. (1998-12-04)
-
SolFree
-
GrafAid
-
RPN
-
TealGlance
-
TealPaint Lite
De-Installed
-
PalmPrint 2.0, Stevens Creek Software
(shareware $40). This is a nifty idea, especially for the Palm III (built-in
IR port) with an IrDA printer (it can also be used to drive a serial printer
over a cable, or even a parallel printer with appropriate adapters, which
Stevens Creek also sells). I have two problems with it: It seems
a bit pricey for what it appears to be able to do, and it has been a pain
to actually check out what it can do. The first copy I downloaded
was pre-expired. A couple of days later, Stevens Creek fixed this,
but the normal version expires after 10 attempts to print, which (in my
opinion) is not enough to understand what it does for you. So I am not
yet impressed that this is a "must have".
- IrSync 1.0, IS/Complete
(freeware). Allows a Palm with IR port (i.e. Palm III) to HotSync via
the IR port on your laptop. A great idea, but painful in this
implementation because you have to fiddle with the IR port settings on
your laptop to turn off IrDA support because IrSync requires
the raw interface. This seems to be outdated by the PalmOS 3.0.2
update and IR Enhancement.
Things to try...
whenever I get a chance!
- MenuHack
- FindHack
- SymbolHack
- AvantGo
- ImageViewer
- SmartDoc
- CSpotRun
- DinkyPad
- a chess game
- SuperNames
Random Comments
IrDA HotSync
Though I don't remember seeing it documented anywhere, since I
installed the PalmOS 3.0.2 update and the IR Enhancements update, I
have been able to HotSync using the IrDA port on my laptop. You have
to set the Palm's Serial/IR preference appropriately, and likewise
make sure the desktop's HotSync Manager is talking to the correct port
(COM4 for me). It just works, and its pretty cool!
NB: IR HotSync obviously will not work if your Palm is
hard-reset, since the necessary OS updates are volatile. Therefore,
it is still useful to have a HotSync cable handy. I learned this the
hard way.
Handedness
I'm left-handed, and although I'm used to the world's bias against us,
I don't think I've encountered a product so annoyingly right handed as
the Palm -- probably because I use it so much.
So 3Com and software
developers: please support the use of preferences to help customize
screen position of controls! See also the Lefty
Pilot Users page and Neal
Bridges' LeftHack.
Shareware
I mostly work in the unix world, where software is either commercial or
free, and there's a great deal of very high quality freeware available
(I have two Linux machines, for example).
The concept of shareware that pervades the Palm world seems to me rather
slimy. I guess what really bugs me is that so many people writing Palm
software are grubbing for money over rather modest functionality, while
in the unix world, packages with orders of magnitude more functionality
(and in some cases quality) are freeware. A sign of the times, I
suppose.
Useful Links