PalmPilot Tipsheet 2.0
=====================
Hello Piloteers,
This is the second installment of Mike's PalmPilot Tipsheet. It's been a
little longer between issues than I had originally expected, due to the
busy schedule I've had this first quarter. I've learned several new
things about my Pilot and have some new website links for you all to
check out as well as reviews of cases, hardware, accessories and
software, so let's get right to it!
In this Issue:
===========
Notable Links
Case Review: Copilot II
Hardware Review: PalmPilot HotSync Cable
Hardware Review: PalmPilot Modem
Accessory Review: Rayovac Renewal AAA Alkaline Rechargable Batteries
Software Review: TealDoc 1.20
Software Review: TealEcho 1.10
Software Review: Backup Buddy 1.32
Notable Pilot Links:
===================
**Memoware-- a website devoted to information that you can use in your
PalmPilot. The focus at the site is mainly on Doc formatted files,
readable by AportisDoc, J-Doc or TealDoc large document readers (see my
review of TealDoc later in the Tipsheet) as well as graphics, maps and
other data for use with ImageViewer application (graphical viewer for the
PalmPilot) and databases for use with the popular J-File database
application. There are quite a variety of documents here, including
public domain e-texts such as "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", reference
documents, maps of larger cities, and a wide variety of other information
that a Pilot user might find useful. Selection is limited, but growing
daily.
** PalmPower Magazine News area-- this online magazine is becoming one of
my favorites lately, for the quality of writing and timeliness of their
stories. Each day you can check out the News section which carries
PalmPilot and related stories or read the magazine's monthly articles
like the exclusive first look at 3Com's new Palm III and OS 3.0 (Due this
April):
**PalmPilot Gear H.Q., a very comprehensive web site, devoted to the
PalmPilot. Services offered include recent software submissions (probably
the best, most current selection on the web) with an email notification
service that lists recent additions to the site soon after they arrive
and current news links; as well as software, shareware, hardware, cases
and accessories for the PalmPilot available via secure purchasing over
the web:
**Calvin O. Parker's PalmPilot FAQ, easily the most comprehensive source
of information about the PalmPilot-- just about any question you might
have answered is probably answered here. The site is regularly updated
and current, and also includes reviews of software and hardware--
including the new Palm III.
**Fredlet's Pilot Page, a handy resource for the Pilot with an emphasis
on case reviews. If you're interested in a new case, then this is the
place to visit. Reviews include user comments and images of each case
reviewed. Fredlet also has an e-zine called the Pilot Log that she
publishes and has back issues posted at her site:
**Ray's PalmPilot Software Archive, another useful and very current
repository of PalmPilot software, with a very clean, low bandwidth
table-based user interface that works well. Have a look at:
PalmPilot Tipsheet Reviews:
===========================
And now on to our reviews section of the PalmPilot Tipsheet. In this
issue, we have a guest reviewer-- my brother Steve-- with his report on
the CoPilot II case. I'll also review a variety of items including 3
Com's HotSync cable and PalmPilot Modem, Rayovac Rechargable alkaline
batteries, TealPoint TealDoc and TealEcho and Alexander Hinds'
BackupBuddy.
The Tipsheet Rating Scale:
(0/5) = Lousy
(1/5) = Needs Work
(2/5) = Okay
(3/5) = Good
(4/5) = Great
(5/5) = Awesome
If you would like to submit your review of a Pilot-related item, feel
free to email it to me with the word 'tipsheet' in
the subject line of your email.
Case Review: Copilot II Leather Case for PalmPilot
===============================================
by Steve Rohde
The Copilot II is a leather case with a leather flap to cover the screen,
and opens like a book (to the left) with a velcro wrap over clasp. I have
found the case to be very convenient. It's very similar to the 3Com
PalmPilot Slimline case, which has a snap rather than velcro closure.
The Copilot II is a modified version of the Copilot, with a place to hold
either a pen or 2 AAA batteries at the spine of the case and several
business or credit cards in the flap that covers the screen when closed.
The case is made of high quality leather (smells nice) available only in
black. Its sister case, the Copilot, comes in either black or brown.
The Pilot is mounted with 4 round velcro pads on the back, allowing easy
removal for hot syncing. One of the velcro pads must be cut so you can
access the Battery cover and if you are accustomed to using the graffiti
cheat sheet on the back, it's not quite as usable once you apply the
velcro pads and attach your Pilot to the case.
Drawbacks to the case; well, I really would have liked to see more
protection on the sides-- it would be helpful for those bad days when you
drop your beloved PalmPilot. The shipping of the product was somewhat
slow (1.5 weeks) due to shipping through the USPS, so either plan to wait
or specify a quicker (and more expensive) shipping method.
Overall, it's a solid and well-made case that works well for me.
Cost: $24.95/$29.95 With shipping via USPS
Rating: (4/5)
PalmPilot Gear HQ:
Hardware Review: PalmPilot Sync Cable
======================================
by Mike Rohde
In my preparation for a trip to Sweden this spring, I purchased 3Com's
PalmPilot HotSync cable, to allow syncing on the road with my Powerbook
Duo. I have found the cable to be useful and actually a bit easier to use
than the cradle in some ways.
The cable itself is about two feet long, with a PalmPilot flat serial
connector on one end and PC serial port cable on the other end. In my
case, I purchased the Mac version which has an additional short converter
from the D-style serial connector for PC to the DIN-9 style round serial
connector for the Mac. The cable attached firmly to both the PalmPilot
and my Mac and matches the Pilot's gray color on the casing and
connectors.
I liked the firm feel of the connection to the PalmPilot the best-- it
seemed to be a more sure connection than the cradle and the sync process
worked well. I do like the convenient small size, especially suited to
road warriors who need to keep their notebook computer synced with their
PalmPilot. It's much more flexible than the cradle, allowing you to lay
your Pilot flat or in any number of convenient positions as long as the
cable is attached-- which could potentially be handy in a car or in an
airplane seat.
No drawbacks that I could see; it worked well right out of the box.
Cost: $19.95 for PC or Mac versions
Rating: (5/5)
3Com PalmPilot Website:
Hardware Review: PalmPilot Modem
===================================
by Mike Rohde
This January, I purchased the PalmPilot clip-on modem and have found it
to be very useful ever since. Initially, I was concerned that I wouldn't
get much use from a modem with my PalmPilot, and had thought that
sending/receiving email on my PalmPilot wouldn't be that handy. Boy, was
I wrong!
The modem itself is relatively small and attaches to the HotSync serial
port on the PalmPilot with a pleasing 'snap' to let you know it's ready
for action. Once attached, you simply insert a standard phone line into
the port on the bottom of the modem (be careful of those PBX lines in
some businesses/hotels since you can blow up a modem on a PBX line) set
up your network prefs in the preferences application (PalmPilot
Professional only) and you are dialing into your Internet Service
Provider (ISP) or terminal server at speeds up to 14.4 bps.
I found the product quality to be good and installation and use a breeze.
You will need a PalmPilot Pro to make use of the operating system's
built-in TCP/IP capabilities of the modem, although there is a version
HandStamp software designed for all PalmPilot units, with it's own
built-in TCP/IP capabilities-- so you could still make use of the modem
and email with a PalmPilot Personal, Pilot 5000 or even Pilot 1000. Older
models though, especially the Pilot 1000's 128k RAM, would be very
cramped if you were attempting to receive any decent amount of email.
I bought my modem in conjunction with SmartCode's HandStamp Pro, and was
offered a $50 rebate when purchasing the combo. This promotion through
3Com has since expired (3/15/98), but HandStamp Pro is still available
separately for $69. I have found HandStamp Pro to be very useful and easy
to use, though I have found that it requires a decent amount of free RAM
to operate smoothly. Overall, I like it's feature set and feel that it
fits me better than the main competition; MultiMail Discovery and
MultiMail Pro. I plan to review HandStamp Pro in the next issue of the
PalmPilot Tipsheet, so stay tuned.
Other uses for a PalmPilot Modem include faxing memos (with SmartCode's
HandFax), Web surfing (with Palmscape, TopGun Wingman or HandWeb) and
terminal applications (available as freeware and shareware).
Modem syncing is also available for Modem users though I have not tried
that just yet. Modem syncing could be potentially useful for someone who
travels often and wants to keep synchronized with a stationery PC or Mac.
Once your 'server' PC is set up for modem syncing, you simply dial into
your PC via it's modem with the PalmPilot & modem via the modem HotSync
button. I'll let you all know how it works out if I try it.
As for drawbacks, I do wish that the speed was higher (28.8, 33.6 or 56k)
though I imagine that that might have increased the cost and possibly
battery drain. It's somewhat expensive considering that it's a 14.4
modem, though it does work well with the Pilot and I feel worth the bit
extra for its integration with the overall PalmPilot design 'appearance'.
It probably would be more realistically priced in the $50 to $80 price
range though.
The Modem uses 2 AAA batteries and emits three beeps when batteries are
low, so you can change them before losing an important connection. It's
about half the size of the PalmPilot and slightly thicker, with a modem
sync button on the upper right portion of the modem. There is also an
AC/DC adapter for use with the modem, though I think that would tend to
defeat the whole point of a Pilot using a small, portable modem.
Cost: $129 / Rating: (3.5/5)
3Com PalmPilot Website:
Accessory Review: Rayovac Renewal AAA Alkaline Rechargable Batteries
=====================================================================
by Mike Rohde
One thing that I began to notice since using the PalmPilot Modem, was
that batteries were giving up the ghost pretty quickly. I felt I needed
to find a better way to deal with the situation than chewing through
battery after battery. Having used rechargeable alkaline AA batteries
from Rayovac in the past, I thought I'd try them again-- this time with
my Pilot.
Essentially they're alkaline batteries that have been designed so that
you can reuse them many times; Rayovac says up to 25 times but since
that's probably hyped-up a bit, my guess would be 10-15 decent charges.
They're much more reliable than Nicads in that their power drop-off is
much more gradual and predictable. They charge relatively quickly (few
hours) and have a good power curve with more of a slow degradation of
power-- so you can see them going dead and replace them *before* you lose
data. Nicads have the tendency to just suddenly go dead at the most
inopportune moment, which is not a good thing when your Pilot depends on
constant power to maintain valuable data. Renewals also have no problem
with the 'memory' effect that Nicads have, so you can charge them at
half-used status without fear of creating a 'memory' in the battery and
shortening the cell's life.
The system consists of a charger and the batteries themselves. The
charger is multi-purpose, so you can recharge 4 AA or 4 AAA batteries in
the slots provided. The unit then plugs into a normal 2-prong wall socket
and little red LED lights indicate charging-- when the lights go out--
you have freshly charged cells.
With my semi-heavy email and web browsing use, and daily hot syncing, a
set of 2 AAA's lasted about 7 days, and lost about 5% capacity per
charge, decreasing in capacity with each recharge. I imagine that with
more 'normal' usage of a Pilot-- Address, datebook, Notepad and Memopad--
that a pair of Renewals might go several weeks on a charge. That's not
too bad, considering that a regular alkaline would have to be tossed
after the first run-- so after a short time the system really pays for
itself.
Cost: Charger $19.95 2-Pack AAA Batteries $9.95 (street prices may be
lower)
Rating (4/5)
Rayovac Website
Software Review: TealDoc 1.20
==============================
by Mike Rohde
One of the features that a stock PalmPilot lacks is the ability to hold
and display large documents. With a set 4k limit on the Memopad
application that's built into the Pilot, you run out of space for a large
document quickly. Cutting up a document and pasting it in sections into
the desktop memo application is a real pain-- been there, done that! :)
To the rescue was Rick Bram, a software engineer who also saw these
limitations-- as an opportunity. He wrote a shareware Pilot application
called Doc. Doc used a format that allowed compression so a Pilot user
could store and display large text documents in the small footprint of
RAM; limited only to the amount of free RAM in your Pilot.
With a variety of texts available in Doc format (public domain novels,
etc.) and tools being written for all platforms for converting plain text
documents into Doc formatted documents, Doc quickly became a standard in
the Pilot community. Last year, Doc was purchased by Aportis Technologies
and is now sold as a commercial application.
For a mobile professional who needs to carry documents on the road for
reference, a Doc reader is really indispensable. The most useful aspect
of Doc readers is the ability of average users to create and install
their own Doc-formatted documents, allowing them to carry along
specialized data in their Pilot without much hassle at all. I don't make
use of Doc as much as others may, but even for occasional uses like
traveling with sightseeing data or train schedules, etc. it's flexibility
is it's most attractive feature.
I had used both Rick Bram's Doc and AportisDoc applications for a while,
and liked both programs very much, though for my limited uses, the size
of Doc/AportisDoc and the cost were somewhat prohibitive. When TealDoc
was released and I tried the application and really liked it's size,
price and features. It uses a smaller RAM footprint than Doc and is only
$16.95 versus $29.95 for AportisDoc.
I like the horizontal scroll bar that TealDoc uses-- which cleans up the
text-reading window by having a 'percentage read' function and a tappable
scroll bar that runs along the bottom of the Pilot's screen. Other
TealDoc features include: three typefaces-- regular, bold and large.
Documents can be filed into categories, and there are functions to add
bookmarks or scan for existing bookmarks.
I like the main interface, which offers the ability to either read,
categorize or delete a document at the top level of the application.
TealDoc also offers an autoscroll function, useful for hands free reading
and a handy find feature to locate a word or phrase within a document.
Drawbacks-- I do miss the standard scroll bar from time to time, though
the ability to 'tap' the screen to scroll makes up for it. You can even
define whether a screen tap moves the document a line, part or page at a
time. It would also be nice to have a better featured Doc-making utility
to more easily convert text documents, though MakeDoc for the Mac works
well and is simple to use. I really have only positive things to say
about TealDoc and would suggest you having a look at the application and
deciding for yourself.
Cost: $16.95
Rating: (4.5/5)
TealPoint Software:
MakeDoc Software, For converting plain text documents into Doc format:
(Windows. Mac and Unix)
The alternative to TealDoc; the freeware AportisDoc Reader:
Software Review: TealEcho 1.10
===============================
by Mike Rohde
One of the neatest utilities that I've found for my Pilot that actually
has helped improve my Graffiti writing skills is TealEcho from TealPoint
Software. This is a Hackmaster extension, so you will need Hackmaster 0.9
to make use of this little extension (Hackmaster $10 shareware) but it's
well worth it. TealEcho simply shows you what you are writing when you
write in the graffiti area on the Pilot in a graphical way-- with
pixelized lines that coincide with strokes you make.
At first, it was odd having a digital representation of my graffiti
strokes on my screen but now it has become almost subliminal to me-- I
really don't notice it at all. In fact, it works almost as a subliminal
reinforcement of what you are scribbling and seems to help me write
better!
It may sound like an odd utility, but once you try this little addition
to your Pilot, you'll wonder how you operated without it.
Cost: $11.95
Rating: (5/5)
TealPoint Software
Software Review: Backup Buddy 1.32
====================================
by Mike Rohde
Have you ever had your PalmPilot lose data because of bad batteries, a
drop or just an accident? I have and it is definitely no fun! I think
that if your data is worth backing up and you make use of 3rd party
applications on your Pilot, then you need to check out BackupBuddy.
BackupBuddy is a pretty simple application that turns the little flags on
your applications and files on and off-- so that your desktop computer
knows what to backup and what not to. A stock PalmPilot backs up mainly
the 'Big 4' (address book, datebook, notepad and memopad) but may not
back up your 3rd party applications or databases. If you have ever lost
everything on your Pilot due to a hard reset, you know that resynching
does *not* guarantee your Pilot will be returned to it's former state.
With BackupBuddy you can make sure that *everything* is backed up
properly and completely.
One of the other advantages of BackupBuddy, is the ability to do a full
backup, then incrementally backup only modified files, or just your
databases or nothing at all (handy for quick program installs). The
registered version of the application even offers a timesync feature,
that will automatically sync your Pilot and desktop computer at a time
you specify-- like just before you wake in the morning (as long as your
Pilot is connected to your desktop computer).
The only aspect of the program that I initially thought needed improving
was the manual, which was sketchy and not that easy to decipher, but in
later versions (1.30-1.32), Alexander has greatly improved his
descriptions and ideas for using BackupBuddy to it's fullest potential--
though I still think it could be further clarified and with screen shots
of the Pilot application in action. Overall, I feel that this utility
will definitely save you many hassles restoring a crashed Pilot-- I know
firsthand.
Cost: $10
Rating (4.5/5)
Backup Buddy:
Wrapup
========
And that's this edition of Mike's PalmPilot Tipsheet. Hope that you've
enjoyed the reviews and can benefit from information discussed or listed
here. Remember that I am open for guest comments and ideas, or reviews of
favorite products. Just email me with 'tipsheet' in the subject header.
If for some reason you'd like to be removed, just send an email with
'remove' in the subject header.
Next time I'll be talking more about my experiences with email and
HandStamp Pro and surfing the web with Palmscape, as well as more
hardware, software and accessory reviews.
Thanks for reading!
Mike
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