4 of 30

A utility by CIC, who also make Jot. Guesses words based on initial string.

Rejected software

Software I've used and give up on or have set aside for now. AvantGo No frames, no cookies, uses a proxy server. Can't copy text from pages one views (annoying). Simple tables and forms are ok. See also a presentation (earlier versions) on using AvantGo with the Palm III. I used this for years, but later versions became buggy and bloated. The company basically went under and I gave up on AvantGo. I do miss it. There's no real alternative. DiddleBug Simple sketch pad for quick notes. Set alarms for reminders. A free open-source product. Best feature is the ability to create a Grafitti note while looking at a sketch and have it transferred to another Palm app using Plug-Ins. Take it from a former BugMe user -- this feature is critical. I liked BugMe, but it seemed to me that sketches were mysteriously blanking and I need the DiddleBug's transfer feature. I tried CIC's QuickNotes, which is in some ways superior, but it there's only a 5 day evaluation period and it crashed my Palm within minutes of testing. I had problems with image drawing in OS 5 and I don't think this is an active project. EasyLaunch I loved this software, but it's not compatible with OS 5. If you've an OS 4 machine, try it with X-Master. Very efficient application launching. Eudora EIS 2.0 Gave up on Palm email. GoAmerica I tried this one with the Minstrel V wireless modem. I'm not sure what sofware caused the problem, but whenever I launched Go.Web the GoAmerica home page would appear. then lockup. I was very unimpressed by their password-protected web site -- the site didn't work! Intellisync I struggled with this software for about two years before I finally gave up on it (see Synchronizing with Outlook 2000). It's very buggy, the support site is very weak, and PumaTech essentially charges for bug fixes. I've lost count of how many Dr. Watson's this thing has given me. Of course Outlook/Exchange is such a nasty environment the fault is probably Microsoft's -- but Pumatech took my money. Jot I rejected this years ago, then Palm based on Grafitti 2 on Jot. I still dislike it. OnlyMe 2.15 See Palm Security. Ended up staying with TealLock. pdQsuite Includes a quite decent email package that works with my desktop Eudora email, and a very simpleminded browser (no tables, no images, simple forms) that is pretty quick. I may try this again, but for now I'm not doing email on my Palm.
Backups and User File Versioning
Every time you sync your palm you create a backup. That sounds fine, especially if you also backup your desktop data files. Except.

5 of 30

It's very easy to make a major editing error on the Palm, such as replacing all text in a memo with a single character. When you do this you will usually discover that the undo function that's present on all Palm menus usually doesn't work. If you don't notice your error and sync with your desktop you will overwrite the desired memo on your desktop. Imagine if this memo contained vital information. It's not at all convenient, but I recommend creating versioned backups of your desktop files. This is really a problem that Palm should address in the desktop application, but they have other bigger issues.

Palm Desktop 4.0

This is the January 2001 version of the Palm desktop. It has some new views and a prettier layout, but it's slower and takes more system resources. The major issues, however, is that Palm's web site says this version is for their devices only. I suspect that's true. I wonder if this means that one can no longer move data from one Palm device to another? Even if the data formats do not change on the handheld, they could be altered on the desktop so as to prevent portability. This is known as "data lock". You become locked into a vendor because they own your data's file format. Data lock, IMHO, is responsible for a great deal of Microsoft's power and fortune. Microsoft's lesson, that proprietary data formats is the key to wealth and power, has not been lost on other vendors. NOTE: There's no way to export Calendar items from Desktop 4.0. If you want to move your calendar, sync with Outlook and export from there. Shame!

Moving Data Files

I like to keep my data files on a data drive that can be backed up independently of my applications. The Palm OS desktop supports this, but it's tricky. I had very bad experiences when I tried to move the data myself rather than letting the Palm desktop move it; when I moved the data the Palm desktop refused to recognize it. 1. 2. 3. 4. Prepare the target directory where the data will go. Start Palm OS desktop, it will use the current location. In options, change the location of the data files. The data files will be copied to the new location, then deleted from the old location. (So backup your data before you try this.)
Merging Categories (Tungsten|E/T3 desktop only)
If you rename a category to match an existing category, the items will merge into the existing category.

Palm Security

As best I can tell, the Palm OS and device was not designed with much attention to security. The built-in locking and private record features are awkward to use and are widely regarded as easy to defeat. A number of aftermarket products attempt to fill in the gaps, but Palm doesn't provide appropriate hooks for them to work correctly. Vendors have to hack the underlying OS, and reliability is a problem. Programs that encrypt data files, and thus protect data even if the Palm is breached, may be the best solution for now. It's rumored that Palm will address security in Palm OS 4.0, but many Palm devices cannot be upgraded to

6 of 30

that OS. (I would not assume that any Palm device as of March 2001 will work well with OS 4.0). Some security applications that attempt to protect the entire device include: TealLock * OnlyMe * Padlock Plus, PadlockHack PDABomb The Ultimate in PDA Security (very new, but quite interesting) * I've alternated between using OnlyMe and TealLock. One or the other has worked with various versions of the Palm OS on the Vx. As of March 2001 I was getting intermittent "Memorymgr.c line 3036 chunk over-locked" that resolved when I switched from TealLock to OnlyMe, but for other reasons I later switched back to TealLock version 3.70b. I've used TealLock since then.
Graffiti Withdrawal and TealScript
In an astounding business failure, Xerox and Palm were unable to come to agreement on licensing of the Palm developed Graffiti software. (It was found to clash with a Xerox patent. I have no knowledge of the merits of the case.) Palm dumped Graffiti in favor of Jot, and renamed it Graffiti 2. Jot/G2 is relatively easy to learn, but it is very inefficient and involves a lot more pen activity than Graffiti. It is also pickier about stroke form and timing. Mercifully, Teal SW had TealScript around. It's $20 to register. It allows use of much of the old Graffiti, with a few new strokes and some Jot strokes. You can edit/add strokes and it's trainable. In my testing it's been a life-saver too far. I've produced a scanned document (pdf, 121K) to help remind Graffiit veterans of the G1 strokes; they are no longer available as a Palm help file.
The Tungsten E: My Impressions
I'd been nursing a Palm Vx along for years. Finally it began an accelerated digitizer death spiral -- the usual way a Vx dies. (I think some internal epoxy gives way, it's an old manufacturing defect.) Since my OTHER Vx had recently done the same thing, I had to act fast. Fortunately I'd anticipated this, and I'd researched enough to figure I'd go for a Tungsten E. Impressions and notes below. See also My Usenet postings on the T|E. 1. There's something funky with the installer. If one doesn't sync during installation it fails to copy a lot of the smaller optional applications from the CD. If you explore you can find the "Add-Ins" (or somesuch). Everything works for my purposes without them, but it's sloppy. 2. It's a huge leap from the Vx to the T|E. In particular there have been 3 big changes, ordered here by how big an impact they've had on me: - Palm OS 5: small impact, had to replace EasyLaunch and X-Master with non-free (but valuable) alternatives. - Grafitti 2: medium-big impact, had to buy TealScript to recover. - Data Model changes to base applications: BIG change, I'm still working through the implications. 3. PocketMirror Pro 3.1.5 sort of works with the new Palm apps but it doesn't support the new features (larger text limits, etc). In testing I've had an unusually large number of mini-disasters when synching to both the Palm Desktop and Outlook, however I was then using an earlier version of DateBk5 (which

8 of 30

adaptor (adapter). Zip-Linq sells a mini-USB cable (see below) that works with the T|E and they sell a power adaptor that works with any USB cable. So you can slowly charge a T|E even without carrying a computer. Their mini-USB cable is included with their clever travel mouse, so I recommend buying the mouse/cable combination and/or the power adaptor. The power adaptor should work with the Palm supplied sync cable but I've not tried this. The T|E power adaptor is said to follow the Spring/Samsung/Kyocera "universal power adaptor" connector and power specification. (I can't find any documentation on this other than a few usenet postings). See this note. 9. Why can't Palm standardize on their #$!#$! side rails. The TE won't accept the Vx or m515 covers. Is this incompetence or a desire to squeeze more money from long suffering customers? I think a mixture of both, the margin on the cases and covers is probably very large. I miss the lovely cover I had for my Vx, it was the perfect balance of pocketability, protection, convenience and usability. The TE's rail is not well designed. After only a few weeks of use the standard cover is sliding in and out of the rail. OTOH, the TE WILL accept m5xx styli. 10. The TE will NOT work with the Palm "universal connector" (so much for their promises of eternal fealty to the connector). See #4 above. However it uses a standard 5-pin mini-USB connector (same as the CLIE, but I'm not sure the slightly odd looking CLIE cable will charge the T|E), so the sync cable is cheap to replace. Not bad. I've bought several cables for $6 to $10 apiece, and I use them at work, home PC, home iBook, traveling, etc. It's great to be able to buy sync cables in bulk! 11. The infrared beaming between the Palm TungstenT3/TE and the Palm VII and VIIx are not compatible. In general enough data structures on the TE have changed that beaming items to any device is somewhat problematic. 12. The bundled applications have changed quite a bit. There are relatively few in ROM applications. The CD comes with many applications from external vendors (Windows only), in many cases they replace older Palm applications. The Palm calculator and Palm Expense application have both been replaced by aftermarket items (which I like less), however they're still on the CD (X:\Palm Desktop\Device Apps Common: Calculator.prc and Expense.prc). Depending on how well your desktop installation performed (results vary) these apps may be in your desktop Add-In folder. I think there are also associated prc files for each that provide english language help files. Older apps, especially security and encryption apps probably won't work. TealLock gave me a free upgrade! A lot of Palm software vendors are offering free or very low cost updgrades to OS 3 applications. I had to upgrade a lot of my favorite Vx utilities. CIC's WordComplete, for example, TealLock, JFile, DiddleBug, DateBk5. Upgrade costs were minimal or absent. My version of WordComplete was OLD, for example, but CIC gave me a free upgrade. I did have to buy TealScript (Grafitti 1), TealMaster (OS 5 hack management) and TealLaunch (replacement for EasyLaunch); they set me back $45. (So the real cost of the T|E for me was closer to $260.) 13. DateBk is my utterly critical app. Unfortunately when Palm changed the data model for the standard applications they broke a lot of aftermarket products, including DateBk. They also apparently introduced some nasty bugs. Happily CESD (DateBk's author) has worked around most of the problems in beta versions. DateBk5 fanatics should delay purchases of the T|E or T3 until a final compatible release of DateBk5 appears. 14. Grafitti 2 sucks. Happily TealScript is one answer. It seems to work, but I've had to manually retrain a few problematic characters. TealScript and Jot/Grafitti 2 remind me of the true genius behind Grafitti 1. There's far more to G1 than meets the eye.

Palm V/Vx Power Switch Failure
(As of 9/2002 I've seen a similar failure in a Palm m500. In that case, however, the switch was locked closed, so the device rapidly drained its batteries and appeared "dead". If this problem has really persisted

10 of 30

into the m500 line Palm has a lot to answer for!) The on/off switch (button) on the V/Vx (power switch, power button) fails after several months of use. I've had three Palm Vxs, every one failed. You have to push harder and harder to toggle the power status or the backlight. Eventually it becomes worthless. Among other problems, this makes it impossible to do a hard reset! (You can, however, clear a user identity without a hard reset, see Using the dot 5 command to reset a Palm Vx with a defective power switch). A more subtle but everyday problem is that if your Palm blanks the screen while you're working, you can't use the power switch to return to your work. Instead you must use an application button, which switches one to the application. (Note if Palm cared about its users, they'd provide an OS patch that would cause one of the external application buttons to behave like the on switch if it were pushed when the device is off.) So loss of the Vx power switch disables back lighting, you can't turn the device off (it will auto-off as per preferences), you can't do a hard reset, and you lose context when powering up from an application button. At least one knowledgeable user thinks the problem is is due to a small internal plastic tab that wears away. If one presses the power switch/button in the plane of the unit (eg. not directly towards the back of the unit) that the tab wears away quickly. If you have a working Vx, be careful to only press downards, perpendicular to the plane of the unit, when using the power switch. I would advise using other methods (see below) to turn the unit off and on, and to use the power switch only when it is essential (for a hard reset, or when you need to maintain your work context when turning the unit on). The Vx power switch has a limited number of pushes in its life -- try to minimize them. The erosion of this plastic tongue may be aggravated by dust around the switch; it may occur more quickly when a Palm V/Vx is carried in a pocket. Using a protective cover may reduce dust exposure and erosion. Some Palm users have discovered that blowing hard into the vary fine gap between the power button and the case can transiently restore some function to the switch. This does work for a while, and it can be critical if there's a need for a hard reset. It's a temporary fix though, eventually the tab wears so much that nothing works. Jan D. reports that sometimes if one wiggles the contrast button from side to side this may cause the power switch to work again, perhaps by moving the internal circuit board slightly. This is also a transient fix that will stop working. There are several workarounds that partially help with a disabled power switch. Marc Abramowitz (mabramo at earthlink dot net) pointed me to EasyLaunch and Richard H pointed me to ButtonOnHack and SleepStroke. (The first comes to us from the Czech Republic, the second from Japan, and the third from Thailand. Sometimes the Internet really does live up to the dreams of its creators.) After extensive use EasyLaunch and ButtonOnHack, used with X-Master (Hackmaster management) have worked very well. Ever few weeks some occult conflict shows up and I have to do soft reset. I've never lost data. Note that ButtonOnHack cannot support the "hard reset" function of the mechanical on/off switch; so my Vx cannot perform a hard reset. (I'd have to somehow drain the battery instead.) Note that all of these are freeware (!), but Hynek Syrovtka, the author of EasyLaunch, likes to get postcards for a thank you.

My setup

EasyLaunch and ButtonOnHack are installed with X-Master. I power on by pushing the Calendar button. Thanks to ButtonOnHack this behaves like a power on switch if the device is off, but like the usual application button if the device is on. This means I don't lose my work context every time my Palm goes to sleep.

11 of 30

Power off by EasyLaunch Stroke from the silk screen applicaton icon -> silk screen context menu icon: turn power off (but not lock, I use TealLock for locking). Stroke from silk screen calculator icon -> silk screen find icon: beam item Power off and lock using TealLock's graffiti stroke. Assign the 'full face' stroke action to backlight toggling (Palm prefs)
Other potential solutions
Power device on by pushing one of the standard Palm buttons. (Yes, you lose your context) Disable AutoOff to reduce loss of context You must now remember to turn off your Palm using one of the following techniques. Do this to reduce the number of times that one loses context due to an auto-off occuring. (example: Looking at note on a contact, system does auto-off, turn on by pressing the "notes" application button, have to navigate back to contact and find note, fumble phone, drop phone and Palm and.) Buy NeverOff for $1. I think this is safer, and you can change the off setting to 10 minutes, which is wiser! I have not yet tested this however. Use dot-3 command: Create a new note, write Graffiti ShortCut symbol, then two dots (period), then number 3. The text [No Auto-Off] appears. Disables the Prefs setting for Auto-Off. Must do soft reset to restore preferences. DANGER: If you write a 5 instead of a 3 you delete your HotSync log and user name. Power off using SleepStroke. (A simpler fix than the powerful EasyLaunch.) PowerOff with a locking tool Assign OnlyMe to the calculator button on the face plate mask. I tap on that button to instantly lock the device; then it powers off in my pocket but errant keystrokes from carrying a powered Vx don't cause data problems. Power off and lock using TealLock's graffiti stroke. Assign the 'full face' stroke action to lock and off (but then you lose backlighting)

Palm IIIxe

Palm didn't sell many of these devices, which is probably a very good thing. They were the last in the Palm III line, and the three IIIxe devices we've used had an unfortunate behavior. Two exhibited a "flashing logo crash"; they would crash and require a hard reset (full data loss) to restart them. The first one did this about once a week, the replacement did it every few weeks. I had a repair done under warrantee in January and a replacement in July. The replacement unit had a spontaneous hard reset with total data loss in the first week of use. In 2000 the Palm Vx had similar problems when they shipped with bad 8MB memory chips. Only a cynic would suspect that the unpopular and shortlived IIIxe shipped with recycled Vx memory chips with some inadequate software patch. As of July 2001 Palm has not publicly acknowledged the problem, but I have received email from other persons experiencing this, see also newsgroup discussions. I made one more effort with Palm in July to see if they could straighten this out. I was abandoned on hold several different ways, promised call-backs that never materialized, and finally told by a support person that they could send me yet another refurbished IIIxe if I really wanted one. Unfortunately the only comparable device Palm made was the Vx, and they were unwilling to offer that in exchange. I won't be buying anything from Palm again, my next device will probably come from HandSpring or SONY.

SONY Clie PEG-SL10

I bought this for my wife as a replacement for the evil Palm IIIxe. It's been slightly more reliable. It's a great form factor at a great price, but SONY made the usual unfortunate quality trade-offs. We ended up giving up on it after almost a year of struggling to make it work reliably. My wife had success with a Palm III, failure with a IIIxe and a PEG-SL10, and is now on a resurrected m515. SONY has an evil warranty and service policy. The default warranty is 90 days, but if you register online they extend to one year. I recommend using a disposable email address, I suspect SONY does a lot of customer spamming as well as traditional junk mailing. The warranty and service descriptions on their web site lead me to suspect that SONY will make the customer service experience fairly miserable. The font is very thin and hard to read on the grayscale display. Some simply leave the backlight on all the time, but we've used Thin Font Fix. Many thanks to the Japanese hacker who has donated this

15 of 30

work. Don't let the batteries run down. Unlike the original PalmPilot, this device doesn't conserve data when battery power falls. You lose everything. This seems to be true of all the SONY CLIE devices. They probably saved $1 on each device by eliminating a capacitor. Backup data BEFORE changing batteries. My wife has twice lost all data from this device, though one occurence was probably due to a loose battery cover. The first data loss (no explanation) led to a Google/Usenet Thread on CLIE and PDA reliability.

Dot Commands

These are somewhat undocumented backdoors into the Palm OS. Some of them put the Palm into debug mode, where it can be controlled by an external PC running terminal software; those commands are an obvious security risk and were partially disabled in later versions of the OS. Although some dot commands are useful, some are very dangerous. The great risk is that you'll make a data entry error and trigger a dangerous result rather than the intended result! In general, stay away from them. The Haus--PalmOS Dot Commands has a good description of the dot commands. DBNet also has undocumented Palm tips in doc file forma, but I've not tried it. One dot command that has been used with the Vx in particular: If you prefer that your black pixels remain black, Palm has added a dot-command shortcut to toggle the backlighting effect. Create a new memo in the Memo Pad, then write the shortcut stroke (draw a cursive L), then write a period (double-tap) and an 8. From now on, you're backlighting will be closer to what you're used to. Perform the same sequence to revert to the new Palm devices' default.
Using the dot 5 command to reset a Palm Vx with a defective power switch
The.5 command deletes the user identity on a Palm device, but retains data. It has long been thought to be a useless and dangerous command. It has one unique use however. If you have a Vx or m5xx with a defective power switch you can't do a hard reset. If you can't do a hard reset, you can't use a hard reset clear the user information on a Palm and make it your own. You can, however, use the.5 command. After executing this command the Palm will no longer have an owner. Remove any password if it exists (select "lost password" in security -- this will delete any hidden items). On the desktop set HotSync so desktop overwrites device for every setting. Execute a HotSync and select the desired username.
Synchronizing a Palm Vx with an OS X iBook
I used to sync my Palm Vx with my iBook. This explains how. As of Nov 2003 I sync a Tungsten E with my iBook -- works much better! Beware iSync and the Palm portals -- I recommend using only the Palm Desktop and the Palm conduits. The material below was last revised in 2003: My OS X iBook is my personal laptop, and my preferred traveling computer. I also travel with a Palm Vx, so being able to synchronize the Vx with the iBook is very desirable. Unfortunately the one painful surprise about the iBook is the lack of an IR port, and I knew it lacked a serial connector. I thought I'd simply by a new PalmOS device with USB sync or Bluetooth support (the latter would also require buying a Bluetooth

16 of 30

USB device), but I've ended up inheriting a number of Palm Vx devices, cables, and peripherals. The Vx has been reliable, some of the newer PalmOS PDA's we've bought have not been. I decided to invest in a Vx sync solution, and hold off on a new PDA until I see what Apple does and whether PalmOS and its licensees recommit to reliability. There seem to be two choices for how to proceed with a Vx as of Jan 2003. As always the key thing is the quality of the device drivers, and that tends to be very vendor specific. You want to go with a trusted vendor. MadsonLine sells a USB/IR Port device for OS X: This would mean fewer cables to carry, but it's a new device and I had no reports of it working with a PDA IR sync. I had some trouble getting IR sync working on my Win2K machines, and I find IR sync to be very slow under Windows. Keyspan sells a USB/Serial PDA Adapter with OS X drivers. I've read reports of success with this device, Keyspan has a great reputation, the device works under Windows as well (though I don't really need it for Windows!) and it seemed simpler. Despite having yet another cable to carry, I opted for this solution. I downloaded and installed the latest Keyspan device drivers (of course I ignored the older version on the CD) for OS. I plugged in my Vx and used the Keyspan utility to confirm the system now had a (virtual) serial port. I then downloaded and installed Palm's Desktop 4.0. The HotSync worked quite well. Palm Desktop on the Mac is a bit klunky (ugly) looking, but it seems to work. I then experimented with iSync and iCal. The iSync installation is clunky, with a separate Palm conduit install step that disables the standard Palm conduits. I got everything working, but it felt like a hack. Usenet and Palm support forums suggested performance was miserable, and since I need to also sync my Palm Vx with my PC Palm Desktop and my workplace Exchange server I thought syncing with the very different iCal and Address apps was a bridge way too far. (Synching one Palm to 3 desktops on two platforms with two very different desktop applications is way beyond the bounds of sanity. It may work for me only because I have experienced all the pitfalls.) I decided to return to the Palm Desktop/Mac (for now). Since the iSync conduit install removes the Palm conduits, I reinstalled Palm Desktop and they were restored. Subsequent synching appears to be working and the Keyspan device has been trouble free. BTW, if you are synching a Clie with OS X you will find there's no SONY support for this. Apparently a combination of Palm Desktop 4.0 and Mark-Space The Missing Sync will do the trick, but I have no personal experience. I may try synching my wife's SONY Clie PEG-SL10 with the iBook and Desktop 4.0 to see what happens without "They Missing Sync".

PocketMirror Professional 3.0 (Chapura)
This software is less powerful that Intellisync's, but the web site is much better (the manual, for example, is online) and the customer support person I spoke with was outstandingly good. It definitely has bugs, but it tries to support DateBk3. They have one serious design problem that I think could be fixed; fixing it would make the software much more useful for me. I closely reviewed the online help file (if you purchase this software electronically the manual is a separate free download) and the online FAQs. In addition for specific hurdles I called tech support. I think when you read the following procedure you'll understand why I had to do so much preparatory work, and why I had to do so much experimentation. The following description of how I've made PocketMirror work (So far! I've had a number of crashes, "exceptions", etc) begins with some key things to know about how the software works, then discussed data cleanup prior to synchronization, then describes the synchronization setup process. This material is not in the manual or on the web site. This is a very spartan description, it's strictly for experts. This is painful and complicated. There is a high probability of disastrous data loss. If you mess up your corporate calendar you could lose your job. This will not work smoothly. You have been warned. Danger, danger.
Things to Know about PocketMirror Professional 3.16 (PMP3)
It syncs with the Exchange server if you are using Outlook/Exchange. Prior to every sync I push F9 to force Outlook to resync with the Exchange server - just to be safe. I've had problems with offline sync and I try to avoid it. My Palm Vx CD included PocketMirror 2. You can find it on the CD and install it manually from there at any time. I installed PocketMirror 2, then paid $25 for the 3.0 Professional upgrade and installed 3.0. I'm now on 3.16. The only way to keep items on the Palm that do not sync to Outlook is to use the Handheld Category = Outlook Folder (Subfolders) option. You can use rules based on Outlook categories to control the movement of data from Outlook to the Palm, but not the other way around. You can control synchronization to subfolders, but the root folder always syncs to the Handeld Category of Unfiled. This is a headache, and most of my work was trying to figure out how to deal with this limitation. Before you can tell PocketMirror NOT to put your personal data on the corporate server, you usually (see below) have to first put your personal data on the corporate server. After your data is there you can tell PocketMirror not to use it and the data will be removed.

What went wrong?

In 1998 there was great excitement about the "Palm economy", and appreciation of a small, simple device that worked. By 2002 the PDA market was a shambles. Compaq sold vast numbers of beautiful iPaq's, and garnered a reputation for disastrous unreliability that has affected all vendors. Everyone bet big on wireless and lost. Palm, hammered by the PocketPC onslaught and withering sales, cut to the bone. Product reliability collapsed as warrantees fell to incredibly short periods (3 months for a Clie -- isn't that a vote of non-confidence?!). Vendors learned that customers hate losing their contact and calendar information, and that the alternative to the PDA is paper. When something goes wrong on this scale, there are always many contributing factors. Somewhere it goes back to local optimizations in complex adaptive systems and thus to the physics of this particular universe, but that's a bit more than our brains can handle. So more proximally I'd point to thee things, of which the first is the most important. 1. The Microsoft Monopoly, in particular a. The Outlook/Exchange problem b. The PocketPC exploit 2. The distortions and misjudgements of the.com boom. This led to a large number of misconceived business plans and wasted resources.

23 of 30

3. Product Management errors within the Palm company 1. Failure to appreciate the real need for users to segregate corporate and personal data and to do machine-specific "selective synchronization" on multiple machines. In particular the need for the Palm to encompass both, but to sync all data to a personal machine and corporate-only data to a corporate machine. 2. Lack of categories on calendar items until PalmOS 5.1 (except for HandSpring). This is actually a corrolary of the lack of appreciation of the need for selective synchronization. 3. Panicky reaction to the PocketPC insurgence leading to poor quality control and a series of defective and unreliable devices. 4. A plethora of connecting devices and desktop OS versions that made it very difficult for spouses to synchronize readily on one or more desktops, destroyed the peripheral/add-on market, and let to buyer disgust. (Failure of the Palm-Family vision.) All of these were serious issues, but #1 alone might have sufficed. When Microsoft felt briefly threatened by the PalmOS they made two moves. The first was trivial but effective. It is hard to synchronize a device to multiple desktop applications; managing different data models perfectly is impossible. Managing it acceptably is very hard. As Exchange/Outlook came to dominate the corporate setting all Microsoft had to do was be passive, to not "help" Palm sync to Outlook with selective synchronization. (In fact PocketPCs can't do this properly either, but almost no-one believes this until they experience it. This PocketPC failure was the first sign that Microsoft didn't intend the PocketPC to last.) Microsoft's other move was the PocketPC. The original Compaq iPaq didn't work. The LiOn battery power management subsystem was flawed, the device drew too much power for its battery capacity, and the OS didn't manage low battery states. Within months buyers had a dead $500 device on their hands. The PocketPC OS demanded too much of late 1990s technologies -- but the OS and devices were sold at a loss and heavily marketed. With the predictable cooperation of the industry rags (albeit at a time when their influence was waning) and lots of marketing the PocketPC seemed a real threat. Palm responded with denial and then panic, sacrificing quality control in an rearguard action. By 2003 the PocketPC seems to be of little interest to Microsoft as they move on to their phone and slate devices, but the damage had been done.

Palm OS Design Problems

(Some of these were fixed in OS 5, others are slated for fix in OS 6. Too late.) Dated to do items don't show up in the calendar application. This is bizarre. The OS 3.5 agenda item really isn't worthwhile. See DateBk3. Calendar without categories. Notes attached to calendar entries or To Do items don't show up in the notes application. The clipboard capacity is very limited. It's easy to create a note that won't fit into the clipboard, requiring multiple copy and paste actions. There's an arbitrary 32K size limit on many Palm applications, and a 4K size limit on the notes application. This is enough to make a longtime computer user berserk. I thought I left that stuff behind with MS-DOS. Only 15 categories available at any one time for categorizing items. Bad. This causes problems during synchronization, particularly with older items. Even if you use only 10 or so categories at a time, you may have other categories used with older items. During synchronization categories over the top number will be dropped (most recent first?), resulting in items being assigned to the 'unfiled' category. Unfortunately this limit is apparently very deep in the OS (shades again of MS-DOS limits). Fixing it will take major work.
24 of 30 3/14/2004 10:11 PM
Engineering and design problems with the Palm Vx
Palm V/Vx Travel Kit Charger: Defective Design Palm Security Palm Vx Lithium Battery Life Expectancy Palm V/Vx Travel Kit Charger: Defective Design Palm V/Vx Power Switch Failure the device is frequently powered on unintentionally because the power switch is exposed
Repairs, Service and Support
A Palm device is vulnerable. It's always on the move, always exposed to dust, dirt, water, grime, falls, spills, impacts, freezing cold and broiling heat. Fierce price competition limits quality and durability; these devices are not as rugged as traditional cell phones. Sooner or later you will have to deal with Palm customer support. I suspect the average lifespan of a handheld device is about one year; if trauma doesn't kill it then loss or theft will. This is an important consideration in buying a handheld device. It suggests you should buy at the lower end, and expect to replace your device every 1-2 years. It also emphasizes why regular synching (data backup) is so critical. Palm devices also have a fairly high rate of birth defects; the failure rate in the first few weeks of ownership is higher than at any other time [12]. If your retailer will exchange a broken device for a brand new one be sure to keep your box, documents, etc. This is the best way to handle a very early failure; it's one reason to choose a brick-and-mortar retailer. Given all of the above, you will eventually need to contact customer support. Unfortunately Palm Inc's once excellent techical support has been, for me, unsatisfactory. Still this information may be of use to others, it applies to Palm Inc, not HandSpring and other worthy alternatives. There are four sources of tech support, but only two are worth anything. They are: 1. Web site: Pretty good, but as of Jan 2001 the tech notes were still a bit weak. Only valuable for getting information. 2. Chat service: Absolutely worthless. A colossal waste of time. 3. Email: Almost worthless. Responses seem to be computer-generated and they are rarely relevant to the question asked. This is probably of some use to novices who ask questions that are addressed in the manuals. 4. Phone support. This is your only choice if you need service and it's the only way to get a repair or an authorized return. The phone staff are generally reasonably good, but do not try to phone on weekends, especially following a sales promotion or a holiday. They are utterly overloaded at those times. I've had good luck in mid-week late in the evening, especially Thursday evening. Every Palm is warranteed (except for breakage) for 1 year[13]. If your Palm needs to be serviced in that time you have two choices:

Footnotes

[1] I'm not sure these are really modems. After all, the phone is receiving a digital
signal from the computer and it's on a digital network. I think it's acting more like a bridge or gateway.
[2] Qualcomm developed CDMA and owns the patents. Since Sprint is the major US
CDMA champion (AT&T is TDMA), this goes a long way to explain why Qualcomm/Sprint are a natural pair, and why Nokia (GSM/TDMA) and AT&T seem to be much closer. Just when the battle lines seem drawn, however, everything changes. As of Oct 1999 Palm and Symbian/Nokia have become allies. Also Symbian/Qualcomm have announced a CDMA partnership. Overarching everything, however, is the anticipated ITU adoption of a worldwide data/voice wireless standard. The latest word expects this to be based on CDMA, so this will drive Nokia to ultimately support CDMA. This convergence is likely driving antagonistic forces together.
[3] This phone has some sort of built-in browser capability -- but it was a very early
attempt and apparently doesn't work correctly. It is basically a very early version of a mini-"smart phone"; the 7001/7010 phones are a more realistic Nokia implementation.
[4] Mobitex is a packet-switched data network, quite different from the cellular
digital networks discussed here. See FAQ. The future is probably voice over packet networks.
[5] The delay may relate to a need to upgrade the PRAM in the Nokia 6185 phone. It
does not support WAP 1.1, and it is rumored that the phone does not work well in parts of Sprint's network that use Lucent equipment.
[6] Sometime in 2001-2005 we'll converge on the next generation palmtop/phone
configuration: a wireless integrated earphone/microphone, a pager-sized receiver/transmitter, and multiple independent user-interface/presentation devices ranging in size from a wristwatch to a Palm device to a slate or larger. All of these elements will be tied together by a personal Bluetooth LAN. You'll use your UI device to initiate a call while you simultaneously use it to browse the web, review text messages and updates, and view video. The earphone/microphone handles voice. The receiver/transmitter is your Mb/sec interface to the packet switched wireless data network. The first generation of this device will be a receiver/transmitter that clips onto a HandSpring slot with a cable-based Jabra earphone/microphone. By 2004 the receiver/earphone device will cost under $70, and the handheld devices from $30 and up. By 2007 equatorial African will have significant numbers of wireless web clients.

28 of 30

[7] Lost in all the Bluetooth enthusiasm is an explanation of why IR was never
properly used and why it often fails to work correctly. Why did such a cheap and allegedly effective serial interface go unused? I'd love to know. It works very well between Palm devices!

[13] There are extended warrantees and screen breakage warrantees, but they don't
make sense to me. Too obviously ways for Palm to make money.
[14] These were things I did when I thought the problem was strictly related to the
Windows 2000 work machine where PocketMirror Pro 3.0 is installed:
I verified the serial connection worked using HyperTerminal (disable HotSync Manager, set up HyperTerminal to dial up to COM1, and then push the HotSync button on the cradle). Knowing I had a backup at home, I experimented with removing the username from my Palm (shortcut stroke then dot then 4), the only effect was to cause my registered applications to fail, I had to reset the Palm Vx and reinstall at home. (Resetting was hard

29 of 30

because of the Palm V/Vx Power Switch Failure!) At home I had no synching problem. Through various combinations I was able to narrow the problem down to my work PC -- either PC hardware or software. I was able to fix the problem, but I cannot say which of the following worked: switched to COM2 on the desktop instead of COM1. (This didn't work when it was the only thing I did, and in other testing COM1 was fine, so I don't think this was critical) uninstalled the Palm desktop and PocketMirror Professional, then used regedit to find and delete the "Pilot" key. (Uninstalling doesn't remove this registry entry) changed sync speed to 9600 bps reinstalled Palm Desktop 4.01 After doing all of these, I HotSynced and saw my username show up correctly. The Hot Sync did not abort normally, perhaps because of the slow speed. I repeated then at standard speeds and it proceeded normally. I then reinstalled PocketMirror Pro. Last Revised: 01 Feb 2002. Author: John G. Faughnan. The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the page author. Pages are updated on an irregular schedule; suggestions/fixes are welcome but they may take weeks to months to be incorporated. I reserve copyright except where noted, if you want to repost or quote a page just ask. Anyone may freely link to anything on this site and print any page; no permission is needed for linking, printing, or distributing printed copies.

30 of 30

Palm/Palm Pilot: Personal Experiences and Tips
Faughnan Home | FP Web Starter | Contact Info | Glossaries and Links | Site Contents

Page 1 of 26

This page was archived Aug 22. The newere version has had much of the wireless content removed. It's at www.faughnan.com/palm.html.

Contents

l l l l l l l l l l l l
Introduction Impressions Installation Bugs Resource Consumption Using COM3 for Synching IR HotSync with Windows 2000 Security Software Backups and User File Versioning Palm Desktop 4.0 Palm Security Palm V/Vx Problems Palm Vx Lithium Battery Life Expectancy Cannot Hot Sync: No User Identified Palm V/Vx Travel Kit Problems: Defective Design Palm V/Vx Power Switch Failure (EasyLaunch) Broken Vx Cradle Tabs

l l l l l l

Palm IIIxe: A Sad Story Synchronizing with Outlook/Exchange Input Styli Keyboard Wireless Wide Area Networks (WWAN): Novatel/Minstrel WWAN Communication and Cell Phones (incl The Dark Secret.) Palm Disappointments: Wrong Turns Wishes Palm Resources Repairs, Service and Support History Footnotes

rev: 30 June, 2002

Introduction
A resource page for Palm OS based devices (device formerly known as the PalmPilot [11] ) based on my personal experience. It will be of most interest to non-developer heavy users of the Palm and licensee devices. Before you buy a Palm device from Palm Inc (versus HandSpring or SONY for example) be sure to read Palm IIIxe: A Sad Story. As of May 2002 SONY makes the most interesting Palm devices and HandSpring the most interesting Palm/Phone device.

Impressions

The Palm III, made in the USA, was a groundbreaking devices. It was reliable, relatively inexpensive, the right size (actually the Palm Vx is the right size, the Palm III is close), and had market share. The integration of the built-in applications with the desktop was decent, although add-on applications had weak or non-existent desktop equivalents. Battery life was quite decent, and I found Grafitti acceptable,
http://www.faughnan.com/palm.html

8/24/2002

Page 2 of 26
especially with non-standard Grafitti strokes from the O'Reilly text - PalmPilot: The Ultimate Guide for enhanced recognition. Only the 2MB of memory was inadequate. Unfortunately that was as good as it got (see also Palm Disappointments: Wrong Turns). By late 2001 the PDA was stuck as a niche device, and usage was probably declining. Since the Palm III devices have been much less robust, with higher defect rates. Production moved overseas, and quality decreased quickly. Many adopters of PDA devices were relucant to learn Grafitti or the simpler PocketPC equivalent, and used them as read-only devices. Unfortunately in as read-only devices they do not replace paper planner systems, and most users abandoned them. PocketPC devices were far more powerful and expensive, but battery technology could not keep up with memory and CPU demands. Wireless efforts have also run into battery issues, as well as failed business models. PocketPC devices have the same data entry problems as Palm devices, and they are even less reliable. The PocketPC does not replace a laptop, but it costs about 60% of the falling costs of low end laptops. The cost comparison is worse than that really, as the PDAs have short lifespans (broken, lost, poor durability, etc). From my own experience I think 2 years is a pretty decent life for a PDA and its accessories. The screen is readable on the Palm III, much better on the later models (Palm IIIe, IIIx, V). Performance is remarkably mediocre, which is consistent with excellent battery life. The OS is single-threaded and only one application runs at a time, but it was based on a true Real-Time Operating System (Kadak's AMX multitasking kernel - a Canadian company. This is a bit of a secret, by the way). In contrast to the document-centric approach of the Mac/Newton, etc, this is a very DOS -like environment. You choose your application, then you work with the application's data. There's no hierachical filing system; an item can be assigned to a single category, which provides some directory functionality. The built-in applications are somewhat limited, but well designed. Linkages are very limited between applications. Desktop synching works well with the pure Palm interface, but synching with Outlook can be a nightmare. Eventually the PDA/Palm market will regroup and try again. Ultimately the Palm, in addition to being an auxiliary memory store, will replace the wallet (biometric identification with public-key encryption technology [9] ), the phone [6] , the key [8] , the paper back and the walkman/radio. It will just take longer than we thought it would in 1998.
Resource Consumption (desktop)

set everything of value to 'private'. In OS 3.5 you can "mask" private items. This is a big improvement, in the past a private appointment wouldn't display, and since I rarely turn on viewing of private items it was basically invisible. The masking feature alone is worth the 3.5 upgrade, but few people seem to have noticed it.

Page 4 of 26

always hide private (but it's easy to forget to rehide, TealLock automatically hides every time the Palm powers up) use a long inconvenient password for the base security system (combined with a quick lower security one for TealLock) usually leave the Palm unlocked with private records hidden. (or locked with TealLock as a first layer of security) map the security application to a button (calculator) for quick access. (In OS 3.5 the security feature is present on most system menus, so this is no longer needed.)

Installation Bugs

I discovered a fixed a bug that occurred during installation of my Palm III under Windows 95. This has hopefully been fixed since 1998. During installation of the Palm Desktop, the user may change the installation path from the default of c:\palm. I changed mine to h:\apps\palm\. NOTE the terminal backslash! That is a correct DOS path, but the Pilot installer cannot handle it. I figured out the bug when looking at my log book found an error message of the form: no log found at h:\apps\palm\\john. Note the double \\! To fix this I went into the registry using regedit.
Registry key 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\U.S. Robotics\Pilot Desktop\Core' (see US Robotics for some history). There's a value called Path. It was incorrectly set to h:\apps\palm\. I changed it to h:\apps\palm and restarted my machine. I then deleted my user account from the Palm OS desktop, and recreated it.
After that synchronization worked.

Software

Go to http://www.pilotgear.com/ to download or learn more about most of these apps. This is what I've currently paid for, or am evaluating and expect to purchase. AvantGo No frames, no cookies, uses a proxy server. Can't copy text from pages one views (annoying). Simple tables and forms are ok. See also a presentation (earlier versions) on using AvantGo with the Palm III. DateBk3/4 A superb replacement for the built in date book. This application was licensed by HandSpring and it is the foundation for the Calendar+ application. A large application, but it shows scheduled ToDo events! Uses the Datebook and ToDo databases, so very compatible. As of 1/2001 I'm using DateBk4, which allows beaming appointments and categories of appointments. Potentially spouses can exchange schedules using this feature. DateBk4 seemed at first too powerful and cluttered -- it replaces all the standard applications --, but after only 2 weeks use I've already been assimilated. Please register this great product.

Page 5 of 26

Users of the Franklin planner system can use the following 'custom icons' (A1, C2, etc), together with creating categories of the same name, to assign "Franklin Planner" style priorities to appointments and floating items. (See icon library and icon editor.) Over time I have deviated from the Franklin definition of these categories. I use A1 and A2 for appointments that I want to see in the multi-day views (3 day to month) -- for those views I hide all other categories. A1 and A2, then, are very important appointments, and A1 appointments are immovable. I use B1 for important movable appointments, and C1 for the rest. A1 006692f292970000 A2 006791f794970000 A3 006791f791970000 B1 00e692f292e70000 B2 00e791f794e70000 B3 00e791f791e70000 C1 00e6828282e70000 C2 00e7818784e70000 C3 00e7818781e70000 DiddleBug Simple sketch pad for quick notes. Set alarms for reminders. A free open-source product. Best feature is the ability to create a Grafitti note while looking at a sketch and have it transferred to another Palm app using Plug-Ins. Take it from a former BugMe user -- this feature is critical. I liked BugMe, but it seemed to me that sketches were mysteriously blanking and I need the DiddleBug's transfer feature. I tried CIC's QuickNotes, which is in some ways superior, but it there's only a 5 day evaluation period and it crashed my Palm within minutes of testing. ePocrates My wife, who is in active medical practice, uses this "free" (marketing sponsored) drug information application. It is elegant and effective. I would assume that any information provided during registration will be used, and I assume (without checking) that they monitor what medications physicians review. Each device sync delivers various marketing messages, but they are tolerable so far. I would suggest using a junk email address (see spam) when registering. Eudora EIS 2.0 The email works quite well, haven't used the browser much. JFile Pro I transfer limited data from my desktop FileMaker databases to JFile Pro. This is a good way to burn Pilot memory! Sorting and searching speeds are vastly better than earlier JFile version. I set databases to 'private', since I use OnlyMe to auto-hide private records I have to enter my system password to view them. I like this $10.00 security app from Tranzoa. It auto-hides private records, and you can enter passwords using the hardware buttons, using a pen gesture, using screen image buttons, or by Graffiti. It activates every time my Palm powers down (optional delay time), but password entry is very quick. Best of all, the standard security application is still active; with a pen gesture I can enable that too for a double layer of security. Installed is 37K. Problems: OnlyMe interferes with the on/off button and the backlight on functions of the Palm Vx; even if I turn it off I sometimes can't get them to work. This seems to be due to some bugs with their method for preventing unwanted password attempt activation. OnlyMe 2.15 See Palm Security. http://www.faughnan.com/palm.html 8/24/2002

Page 6 of 26

PocketMirror Professional 3.0 See Synchronizing with Outlook/Exchange RPN Basic RPN calculator. TealLock Palm Security TealPaint Decent sketching tool. Works better if you use options to assign TealPaint functions to the Palm buttons. Clunky process for moving sketches to desktop needs to be improved. WordComplete A utility by CIC, who also make Jot. Guesses words based on initial string. I have it set to only start guessing at 3 characters, and only for words of 6 characters or more -- otherwise it just cluttered the screen. It's a great timesaver.

Rejected software

Software I've used and give up on or have set aside for now. GoAmerica I tried this one with the Minstrel V wireless modem. I'm not sure what sofware caused the problem, but whenever I launched Go.Web the GoAmerica home page would appear. then lockup. I was very unimpressed by their password-protected web site -- the site didn't work! Intellisync I struggled with this software for about two years before I finally gave up on it (see Synchronizing with Outlook 2000). It's very buggy, the support site is very weak, and PumaTech essentially charges for bug fixes. I've lost count of how many Dr. Watson's this thing has given me. Of course Outlook/Exchange is such a nasty environment the fault is probably Microsoft's -- but Pumatech took my money. Jot Probably fine if you don't know Graffiti, but you still have to learn to form some letters correctly. If you know Graffiti there's no advantage and data entry seems a bit slower (fewer built-in shortcut letters that I know of). pdQsuite Includes a quite decent email package that works with my desktop Eudora email, and a very simpleminded browser (no tables, no images, simple forms) that is pretty quick. I may try this again, but for now I'm not doing email on my Palm.
Backups and User File Versioning
Every time you sync your palm you create a backup. That sounds fine, especially if you also backup your desktop data files. Except. It's very easy to make a major editing error on the Palm, such as replacing all text in a memo with a single character. When you do this you will usually discover that the undo function that's present on all Palm menus usually doesn't work. If you don't notice your error and sync with your desktop you will overwrite the desired memo on your desktop. Imagine if this memo contained vital information. It's not at all convenient, but I recommend creating versioned backups of your desktop files. This is really a problem that Palm should address in the desktop application, but they have other bigger issues.

Page 7 of 26

Page 8 of 26

I later switched back to TealLock version 3.70b. At the moment TealLock is working well. My main problem with OnlyMe was it's automatic lockout (hacker lock) feature -- it was being triggered accidentally when I carried the Vx. I think the author may have changed this; he is very responsive to user feedback.

Palm V/Vx Problems

The V/Vx was a dramatic product when it debuted. Not surprisingly, it has some design problems.
Palm V/Vx Power Switch Failure
The on/off switch (button) on the V/Vx (power switch, power button) fails after several months of use. I've had three Palm Vxs, every one failed. You have to push harder and harder to toggle the power status or the backlight. Eventually it becomes worthless. Among other problems, this makes it impossible to do a hard reset! A more subtle but everyday problem is that if your Palm blanks the screen while you're working, you can't use the power switch to return to your work. Instead you must use an application button, which switches one to the application. (Note if Palm cared about its users, they'd provide an OS patch that would cause one of the external application buttons to behave like the on switch if it were pushed when the device is off.) So loss of the Vx power switch disables back lighting, you can't turn the device off (it will auto-off as per preferences), you can't do a hard reset, and you lose context when powering up from an application button. At least one knowledgeable user thinks the problem is is due to a small internal plastic tab that wears away. If one presses the power switch/button in the plane of the unit (eg. not directly towards the back of the unit) that the tab wears away quickly. If you have a working Vx, be careful to only press downards, perpendicular to the plane of the unit, when using the power switch. I would advise using other methods (see below) to turn the unit off and on, and to use the power switch only when it is essential (for a hard reset, or when you need to maintain your work context when turning the unit on). The Vx power switch has a limited number of pushes in its life -- try to minimize them. The erosion of this plastic tongue may be aggravated by dust around the switch; it may occur more quickly when a Palm V/Vx is carried in a pocket. Using a protective cover may reduce dust exposure and erosion. Some Palm users have discovered that blowing hard into the vary fine gap between the power button and the case can transiently restore some function to the switch. This does work for a while, and it can be critical if there's a need for a hard reset. It's a temporary fix though, eventually the tab wears so much that nothing works. Jan D. reports that sometimes if one wiggles the contrast button from side to side this may cause the power switch to work again, perhaps by moving the internal circuit board slightly. This is also a transient fix that will stop working. There are several workarounds that partially help with a disabled power switch. Marc Abramowitz (mabramo at earthlink dot net) pointed me to EasyLaunch and Richard H pointed me to ButtonOnHack and SleepStroke. (The first comes to us from the Czech Republic, the second from Japan, and the third from Thailand. Sometimes the Internet really does live up to the dreams of its creators.) In preliminary testing of EasyLaunch and ButtonOnHack, used with X-Master (Hackmaster management), I've had no problems. Together with a pen motion for backlighting these utilities take care of the almost all aspects of the defective power switch problem (I doubt ButtonOnHack will support hard resets, but I don't dare to test this.). Even though I try to avoid Hacks because of the usual http://www.faughnan.com/palm.html 8/24/2002

Palm/Palm Pilot: Personal Experiences and Tips complications of system extensions, these may be worthwhile for me. My current setup

Page 9 of 26

EasyLaunch and ButtonOnHack are installed with X-Master. All of these are freeware (!), Hynek Syrovtka, the author of EasyLaunch, likes to get postcards for a thank you. ButtonOnHack is the author's first foray into Hacks (Kitty Curry?!). Power on by pushing the Note button. Thanks to ButtonOnHack this behaves like a power on switch if the device is off, but like the usual application button if the device is on. It retains my context. Power off by EasyLaunch Stroke from the silk screen applicaton icon -> silk screen context menu icon: turn power off (but not lock, I use TealLock for locking). Stroke from silk screen calculator icon -> silk screen find icon: beam item Power off and lock using TealLock's graffiti stroke. Assign the 'full face' stroke action to backlight toggling (Palm prefs)
Other potential alternatives
Power device on by pushing one of the standard Palm buttons. (Yes, you lose your context) Disable AutoOff to reduce loss of context You must now remember to turn off your Palm using one of the following techniques. Do this to reduce the number of times that one loses context due to an auto-off occuring. (example: Looking at note on a contact, system does auto-off, turn on by pressing the "notes" application button, have to navigate back to contact and find note, fumble phone, drop phone and Palm and.) Buy NeverOff for $1. I think this is safer, and you can change the off setting to 10 minutes, which is wiser! I have not yet tested this however. Use dot-3 command: Create a new note, write Graffiti ShortCut symbol, then two dots (period), then number 3. The text [No Auto-Off] appears. Disables the Prefs setting for Auto-Off. Must do soft reset to restore preferences. DANGER : If you write a 5 instead of a 3 you delete your HotSync log and user name. PowerOff with a locking tool Assign OnlyMe to the calculator button on the face plate mask. I tap on that button to instantly lock the device; then it powers off in my pocket but errant keystrokes from carrying a powered Vx don't cause data problems. Power off and lock using TealLock's graffiti stroke. Assign the 'full face' stroke action to lock and off (but then you lose backlighting)

Cannot Hot Sync: No User Identified
This problem occurred to me in April 2001, and it happened every few days thereafter as long as I was using PocketMirror Professional 3.0 to sync with Outlook 2000 under Windows 2000 in the office. When I stopped doing that the problem stopped. I've seen mention of it on the Palm newsgroups, but no full explanation. I've also seen this occur with the Vx using the portable data cable, this seems to be a hardware problem. See Palm V/Vx Travel Kit Charger/Data Cable: Defective Design. On several occasions during that time, once with a Win 2000 machine at work [14] and once with a Windows 95 machine at home, I was unable to sync because the sync process stops at the point of indentifying the user (device name, username). No log file was generated.

Page 10 of 26

Through a variety of approaches (swapping cradles, devices, machines, uninstalling, installing) I ruled out most of the obvious causes (hardware problems with Palm, serial port, motherboard, cable, cradle, etc.). I identified the following workarounds. Once the device gets through the recognition step (correct user name identified) later syncs work -- until the next random failure. 1. Set transfer rate to 9600 bps. Sometimes this works immediately. Once the username is identified I cancel and return the rate to automatic. If this doesn't work, leave the rate at 9600 bps and add step 2. 2. Switch the COM port you are syncing to, eg. from COM1 to COM2 for example. After a successful sync you can switch back to the original COM port. If this doesn't work, add step 3. 3. Look for extra copies of the users.dat file that's stored in the palm data directory. It appears that with repeat installs the registry may point to the wrong users.dat file. Delete or rename any redundant copies. If this doesn't work, add step 4. 4. Delete the Pilot registry entry and subkeys. If this doesn't work, I have no further ideas. The problem may be related to a registry issue of some sort, several usenet postings suggest this. Uninstalling HotSync Manager does not change anything, but I have not tried installing previous versions. Some reference USENET postings:

Thread 1 Thread 2

Palm Vx Lithium Battery Life Expectancy
The Lithium battery in my Palm Vx, manufactured by GS-MELCOTEC, is 1-2 years old. That battery is now charging more slowly, and it holds its charge for less time. I probably get 2-3 days of use between charges. (This actually got mysteriously better, and there are some newsgroup posts suggesting bugs in the Vx battery electronics.) I have read that Lithium batteries show degraded performance after one year of use, and that they have a lifespan of about 300 charges. Palm claims the battery will last as long as the handheld -- an evasive answer considering that a good number of handhelds are broken or lost within one year of ownership. Palm charges $100 to replace the battery (basically a device exchange). On the other hand, a knowledgeable user writes:

In theory and in practice, a good-quality single-cell Li-ion battery, such as the one in Palm Vx. should easily last for >1,000 charge/discharge cycles, perhaps even 2,000 -3,000. I have cells like that cycled thousands of time in the lab. Phones and laptops are much tougher on the battery than B&W PDAs.
See also Batteries in a Portable World.
Palm V/Vx Travel Kit Charger/Data Cable: Defective Design
I've had longstanding problems with the Palm V/Vx travel charger using two chargers on two different Vx. I thought at first this was due to a mechanical problem with making contact, but I think now that it's

Page 11 of 26

a failure of the V/Vx to receive or recognize a signal that should activate a charging mode. I find that if I start charging with the Palm in a "receptive" state that it seems to work well, though I still stand the Palm upright so that its weight pushes the travel charger pins into the Palm. The trick is: 1. Plug the travel charger cable into the Vx. 2. Switch to a view that shows the battery status (on my Palm this is the "home view"). If you are charging you will see a white battery outline (in my OS) with a lightning bolt through it. If you see this you can leave the Vx to charge. 3. If you do not see the lightning bolt, press the charger cable into the Vx slot. I apply moderately firm pressure. You should see the battery change from the "discharging" indicator to the lightning bolt icon. At this point the Vx should continue to charge. The travel kit data cable has similar problems, though less serious. After about a year of heavy use I began having intermittent failure of the data cable (manifests as no desktop response to pressing Hot Sync icon on Palm, or a partial response with the "User:" field remaining blank). Playing with the pins on the cable and retrying usually works. (This went away, so I can't explain what the real cause was. It might have been software related.)

Broken Vx Cradle Tabs

After about two years of routine use, one of the plastic tabs on my Vx cradle broke. The cradle is no longer very reliable, and I expect the other tab to brake shortly -- rendering it worthless.

Palm IIIxe

Palm didn't sell many of these devices, which is probably a very good thing. They were the last in the Palm III line, and the three IIIxe devices we've used had an unfortunate behavior. Two exhibited a "flashing logo crash"; they would crash and require a hard reset (full data loss) to restart them. The first one did this about once a week, the replacement did it every few weeks. I had a repair done under warrantee in January and a replacement in July. The replacement unit had a spontaneous hard reset with total data loss in the first week of use. In 2000 the Palm Vx had similar problems when they shipped with bad 8MB memory chips. Only a cynic would suspect that the unpopular and shortlived IIIxe shipped with recycled Vx memory chips with some inadequate software patch. As of July 2001 Palm has not publicly acknowledged the problem, but I have received email from other persons experiencing this, see also newsgroup discussions. I made one more effort with Palm in July to see if they could straighten this out. I was abandoned on hold several different ways, promised call-backs that never materialized, and finally told by a support person that they could send me yet another refurbished IIIxe if I really wanted one. Unfortunately the only comparable device Palm made was the Vx, and they were unwilling to offer that in exchange. I won't be buying anything from Palm again, my next device will probably come from HandSpring or SONY.

Initial Data Clean-Up Process
The procedure you will need to follow will vary. I actually did this several different ways for different items (calendar, To Do, etc). This list is a source of ideas only. My data was probably unusually "dirty" due to problems with Intellisync.
If you use DateBk3, run the included utility to check for any data errors and make sure those are 8/24/2002

Page 15 of 26

fixed. Create an empty folder of the appropriate type (eg. appointments) on the desktop. Call it what you want, I used TaskProxy for example. To be safe, create backup folders and copy all your Task/Calendar/Memo entries there (use Outlooks row oriented views) Set PocketMirror to use the empty folder you created. Set synchronization to Handheld Overwrite PC and Handheld category = user-defined field 'PalmPilot Category'. Synchronize. If errors occur read the error messages and work on them. Empty the temporary Outlook folder between trials. If all is well then switch to Handheld category = Outlook folder mode and retest always using Handheld Overwrite PC. If this works then consider cleaning up items in Outlook as needed and now use synchronization. Check out error messages and clean up data further. If you are getting the DateBk3 duplication bug (see above) you can try this: Do two synchronizations where Handheld Overwrite PC. Now there will be 4 copies of the problem items on your Palm and two copies in Outlook. Switch Outlook to a list view and using whatever tricks you can invent find the duplicates. On the Palm locate the same items, delete duplicates, and then fix the category/icon settings.
The Final Synchronization Setup
If your data is now clean, you are ready to do the real synchronization. Light candles, pray, offer a sacrifice, whatever. Just be sure you've backed up everything. This description is for Tasks/Contacts and Notes, for Calendar/Appointments I chose instead to have Outlook appointments sync from root to unfiled on the Palm, and to assign categories to all my personal appointments (see DateBk3 priority icon examples). This procedure differs from Chapura's documentation, see the help file called How Do I Keep Personal Information Off of the Company Server? for Chapura's method. I'll describe it for Task synchronization. If Chapura allowed us to edit the Unfiled/Root link then we wouldn't need this complicated process and the kludgy TaskProxy folder. 1. Note all the categories you use on your Palm. In this example I assume you want to sync only one of them with Outlook. If you do not yet have corporate tasks on your Palm, create a category that will hold them (in my case "Abaton") and sync after that category is created (maybe put a test task in it). 2. Create an Outlook folder you will not be using for anything. I called mine TaskProxy. 3. Set synchronization to Handheld category = Outlook folder mode and set the root folder to TaskProxy. 4. Go to the Category Links option (see the Help file if you don't know how to do this) and use the New. button to create the Handheld categories you noted in #1. Set all you wish to keep on the handheld to "Synchronize Action" = "HandHeld Only". For the one category you do want to sync set it to point to Tasks Outlook Folder.

Page 16 of 26

5. Cross your fingers and sync. 6. In future if you create a new category on the Palm it will sync to your desktop unless you first create a category link as above. If it does sync to the desktop go to this screen and set the link to Handheld only. The data will be removed from the desktop on your next sync.
The Palm III stylus is a bit rough. Good for writing, but hard on the screen. For me the perfect combination is to combine screen protection with an aftermarket stylus -- no screen injury and an excellent feel:
Scotch Satin Tape 3/4": apply over the entire lower input area. One strip lasts months to years with my preferred stylus. Cost is too tiny to estimate. Tip: Pull out a strip about 4-5" long. Hold it at the margins (your fingerprints go there :-). Lay it down over the entry area and smooth the tape from the center outwards. Then carefully use a sharp blade, oriented away from the entry area towards the plastic rim, to trim off the two tails. PDA Panache Custom PDA Stylus Model P33-B. $16 from PilotGear. I'd prefer a tighter fit with the Palm III (I've lost one of these), but it's worth the steep price. Palm V standard stylus -- this seemed okay, but over time I think this stylus may be even more abrasive than the Palm III stylus. It's really hard.
I also love the Platinum Double Action, also from PilotGear. This is lovely piece of classic Japanese engineering and manufacture. About $8.00, fat plain plastic body, it incorporates a pen, mechanical
Palm/Palm Pilot: Personal Experiences and Tips pencil, and plastic stylus. You can't buy more quality for less money anywhere.

Page 17 of 26

Keyboard
I used the GoType keyboard from LandWare with my older Palm III. It uses a 20K system patch (there's another HackMaster compatible patch) to transfer keystrokes to the Palm. I didn't seen any deterioration in system stability, but you can turn the patch off when not using the keyboard. The keyboard is reasonably small, rugged, and seems to do the job. I'm going to paste the special key combinations onto the keyboard cover -- too bad they didn't include a sticker with these one them! Alas, this keyboard is not compatible with the Palm V or HandSpring's devices (though there is supposed to be an adapter made by HandSpring that might work). The StowAway keyboard that's coming to market this December is supposed to fit the Palm V and Palm III form factors and maybe even HandSpring (may be a different model). It seems much superior, but early reports indicate that the small size comes with a price.
Wireless Wide Area Networks (WWAN): Novatel/Minstrel
As of Jaunary 2001 I've had good success using a Novatel/Minstrel wireless modem with my Palm V. The data service is GoAmerica, but I'm not using any of their software (Go.Web locked up my Palm V). I'm using the Eudora Internet Suite 2.0 and the following web browser-like products: 1. 2. 3. 4. AvantGo 3.x: proxy server translating web pages EudoraWeb: web browser on the Palm, no support for tables though. KBrowser: a WAP client Web Clipping from the grossly overpriced Palm Internet Kit esp. Brittanica.

Page 21 of 26

The cradle problem is mind-boggling. Consider if Palm had succeeded, so that multiple persons in a home needed to sync their devices. How the heck could they do it?!! Unless all the devices were identical there would be a profusion of cradles and even desktop software versions. Since PCs have nowadays 0-1 serial ports it's just not feasible. Then there are all the device specific peripherals -- if all Palms had standard attachments peripherals would have been robust and inexpensive; the endless attachment variations have fragmented that marketplace. Not that Palm is alone in this foolishness. The otherwise lovely color Clie has two fatal flaws -- like the Palm 4.0 desktop the Palm/SONY desktop software is proprietary and won't work with any other manufacturer's Palm, and the Clie has yet another serial connector standard that's incompatible with all existing external devices. Only HandSpring seems to have figured out the importance of a standard way to connect peripherals. I continue to like my Palm, but they couldn't afford to make any mistakes -- and they did. Maybe someone will do better. next time.

Palm OS Design Problems

Dated to do items don't show up in the calendar application. This is bizarre. The OS 3.5 agenda item really isn't worthwhile. See DateBk3. Notes attached to calendar entries or To Do items don't show up in the notes application. The clipboard capacity is very limited. It's easy to create a note that won't fit into the clipboard, requiring multiple copy and paste actions. There's an arbitrary 32K size limit on many Palm applications, and a 4K size limit on the notes application. This is enough to make a longtime computer user berserk. I thought I left that stuff behind with MS-DOS. Only 15 categories available at any one time for categorizing items. Bad. This causes problems during synchronization, particularly with older items. Even if you use only 10 or so categories at a time, you may have other categories used with older items. During synchronization categories over the top number will be dropped (most recent first?), resulting in items being assigned to the 'unfiled' category. Unfortunately this limit is apparently very deep in the OS (shades again of MSDOS limits). Fixing it will take major work.
Engineering and design problems with the Palm Vx
Palm V/Vx Travel Kit Charger: Defective Design Palm Security Palm Vx Lithium Battery Life Expectancy Palm V/Vx Travel Kit Charger: Defective Design Palm V/Vx Power Switch Failure the device is frequently powered on unintentionally because the power switch is exposed

Wishes

Fix Disappointments by 3Com! Desktop apps export to Word and Excel facilities are great. Add ability to export/import to HTML and XML! Make the undo function work.

Page 22 of 26

Repairs, Service and Support
A Palm device is vulnerable. It's always on the move, always exposed to dust, dirt, water, grime, falls, spills, impacts, freezing cold and broiling heat. Fierce price competition limits quality and durability; these devices are not as rugged as traditional cell phones. Sooner or later you will have to deal with Palm customer support. I suspect the average lifespan of a handheld device is about one year; if trauma doesn't kill it then loss or theft will. This is an important consideration in buying a handheld device. It suggests you should buy at the lower end, and expect to replace your device every 1-2 years. It also emphasizes why regular synching (data backup) is so critical. Palm devices also have a fairly high rate of birth defects; the failure rate in the first few weeks of ownership is higher than at any other time [12]. If your retailer will exchange a broken device for a brand new one be sure to keep your box, documents, etc. This is the best way to handle a very early failure; it's one reason to choose a brick-and-mortar retailer. Given all of the above, you will eventually need to contact customer support. Unfortunately Palm Inc's once excellent techical support has been, for me, unsatisfactory. Still this information may be of use to others, it applies to Palm Inc, not HandSpring and other worthy alternatives. There are four sources of tech support, but only two are worth anything. They are: 1. Web site: Pretty good, but as of Jan 2001 the tech notes were still a bit weak. Only valuable for getting information. 2. Chat service: Absolutely worthless. A colossal waste of time. 3. Email: Almost worthless. Responses seem to be computer-generated and they are rarely relevant to the question asked. This is probably of some use to novices who ask questions that are addressed in the manuals. 4. Phone support. This is your only choice if you need service and it's the only way to get a repair or an authorized return. The phone staff are generally reasonably good, but do not try to phone on weekends, especially following a sales promotion or a holiday. They are utterly overloaded at those times. I've had good luck in mid-week late in the evening, especially Thursday evening. Every Palm is warranteed (except for breakage) for 1 year [13]. If your Palm needs to be serviced in that time you have two choices: 1. Advanced return: They will take your credit card number and then send you a replacement refurbished unit. You send your old device back after you receive the replacement unit. As of July 2001 they charge $25.00 for this service. This is fast, but I don't know how reliable the refurbished units are. I've gotten three due to breakage and the IIIxe debacle. One was fine, another Vx had a power button that died quickly, and a IIIxe had a crash problem. 2. They will send an Airborn Express box and repair the original device. I'm told this takes 10 days, but check to see that they have devices and parts in stock. All your data will be erased (in fact you ship without batteries, so you can be sure the data will go) - so I hope you were backing up regularly.

Page 24 of 26

l l l l l l l
Sept. 29, 1999: corrections and links Sept 24, 1999: Figuring out the politics of the wireless data world, which explains what works and what doesn't. Sept 23, 1999: corrections on pricing, more updates, CDMA vs. GSM clarifications, extensive phone revisions, push away from Nokia (alas). Sept 21, 1999: extensive revisions to wireless section following Sprint announcements. Sept 12, 1999: updated cell phone section, general updates. Aug 11, 1999: repairs section, TealLock June 26, 1999: DateBk3 custom icons May 16, 1999: styli section Apr 30, 1999: updates on disappointments. mid-1998: initial version

Footnotes

I'm not sure these are really modems. After all, the phone is receiving a digital signal from the computer and it's on a digital network. I think it's acting more like a bridge or gateway. [2] Qualcomm developed CDMA and owns the patents. Since Sprint is the major US CDMA champion (AT&T is TDMA), this goes a long way to explain why Qualcomm/Sprint are a natural pair, and why Nokia (GSM/TDMA) and AT&T seem to be much closer. Just when the battle lines seem drawn, however, everything changes. As of Oct 1999 Palm and Symbian/Nokia have become allies. Also Symbian/Qualcomm have announced a CDMA partnership. Overarching everything, however, is the anticipated ITU adoption of a worldwide data/voice wireless standard. The latest word expects this to be based on CDMA, so this will drive Nokia to ultimately support CDMA. This convergence is likely driving antagonistic forces together. This phone has some sort of built -in browser capability -- but it was a very early attempt and apparently doesn't work correctly. It is basically a very early version of a mini-"smart phone"; the 7001/7010 phones are a more realistic Nokia implementation. Mobitex is a packet-switched data network, quite different from the cellular digital networks discussed here. See FAQ. The future is probably voice over packet networks. The delay may relate to a need to upgrade the PRAM in the Nokia 6185 phone. It does not support WAP 1.1, and it is rumored that the phone does not work well in parts of Sprint's network that use Lucent equipment. Sometime in 2001-2005 we'll converge on the next generation palmtop/phone configuration: a wireless integrated earphone/microphone, a pager-sized receiver/transmitter, and multiple independent user-interface/presentation devices ranging in size from a wristwatch to a Palm device to a slate or larger. All of these elements will be tied together by a personal Bluetooth LAN. You'll use your UI device to initiate a call while you simultaneously use it to browse the web, review text messages and updates, and view video. The

Page 25 of 26

[8] [9]

Page 26 of 26

These were things I did when I thought the problem was strictly related to the Windows 2000 work machine where PocketMirror Pro 3.0 is installed:
I verified the serial connection worked using HyperTerminal (disable HotSync Manager, set up HyperTerminal to dial up to COM1, and then push the HotSync button on the cradle). Knowing I had a backup at home, I experimented with removing the username from my Palm (shortcut stroke then dot then 4), the only effect was to cause my registered applications to fail, I had to reset the Palm Vx and reinstall at home. (Resetting was hard because of the Palm V/Vx Power Switch Failure !) At home I had no synching problem. Through various combinations I was able to narrow the problem down to my work PC -- either PC hardware or software. I was able to fix the problem, but I cannot say which of the following worked:
switched to COM2 on the desktop instead of COM1. (This didn't work when it was the only thing I did, and in other testing COM1 was fine, so I don't think this was critical) uninstalled the Palm desktop and PocketMirror Professional, then used regedit to find and delete the "Pilot" key. (Uninstalling doesn't remove this registry entry) changed sync speed to 9600 bps reinstalled Palm Desktop 4.01
After doing all of these, I HotSynced and saw my username show up correctly. The Hot Sync did not abort normally, perhaps because of the slow speed. I repeated then at standard speeds and it proceeded normally. I then reinstalled PocketMirror Pro. Last Revised: 01 Feb 2002. Author: John G. Faughnan. The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the page author. Pages are updated on an irregular schedule; suggestions/fixes are welcome but they may take weeks to months to be incorporated. I reserve copyright except where noted, if you want to repost or quote a page just ask. Anyone may freely link to anything on this site and print any page; no permission is needed for linking, printing, or distributing printed copies.