PalmPilot Tipsheet 3.0 ===================== Hello Piloteers! Welcome to the third installment of Mike's PalmPilot Tipsheet. I apologize for the delay in publishing this issue-- the past year has been a very busy mix of travel, changing jobs and getting engaged! Though issue 3.0 has been delayed, I do hope that the information provided will be useful to you in your daily PalmPilot use. This issue will focus on travel related uses for the PalmPilot. Following an enjoyable trip to Sweden in 1998, in which I had the opportunity to truly field test my PalmPilot, I feel that I've learned a few things which I would like to pass along, that might benefit you while traveling. In this Issue: =========== Notable PalmPilot Links Special Report: Travel Uses for a PalmPilot Software Review: Foreign Case Review: E&B Slippit Leather Case Hardware Review: PDA Panache "Black Nail" Notable PalmPilot Links: =================== **Mac Pac Version 2 Beta Desktop Software-- Just released in January, 3Com has *finally* updated the desktop software for the Macintosh. The software is based on Claris Organizer, sold to 3Com in 1998. My initial use of the beta software is very favorable, and I'd suggest that Mac users check it out. (17.3MB Binhex) (9.1MB Binary) **Palmtastik!-- A PalmPilot site oriented toward the PalmPilot traveler. The site includes software, articles with a special emphasis on travel-related Doc files, maps and so on. **Eurocool-- a European based site with an up-to-date listing of recently submitted files. Files are nicely categorized and there are search capabilities available as well. This site also features a slick automated submission database, accessible via the web for shareware submissions. **The Gadgeteer-- Julie Strietelmeier's website dedicated to news and reviews of gadget-related items for the PalmPilot (and other PDAs as well). This is an excellent place for in-depth reviews, complete with scans of items at different angles and real-world comments from Julie. Special Report: Travel Uses for a PalmPilot ======================================== by Mike Rohde In this issue of the Tipsheet, I want to take a little time to focus on travel uses for the PalmPilot, having used my little PDA during a trip to Sweden in the Spring of '98. Hopefully your next trip will include your PalmPilot as well, hopefully with a few suggestions from this article. One of the most obvious advantages of having a PalmPilot with you as you travel, is the amount of useful information that you can carry along in such a small package. First, I'll suggest a few ideas for using the stock applications to help your travel go more smoothly: Datebook: --------------- My fianceé Gail found a great idea for the Datebook-- to track the photos that she took each day, as untimed entries with notes attached, containing detailed photo information (time/place/people) for each shot. This way, when she had her film processed, she could easily identify her photos. Part of this idea includes numbering the film canisters so that shots can be sorted out later; but be sure to transfer the numbers onto the film submission envelope when you take your film in to be processed. Address Book ------------------- Take advantage of having a complete address book along for any emergencies that might occur, and consider creating a travel category in the Address Book with telephone numbers for your airline, hotel, rental car agency or any other travel related numbers you might need while on the road. You might also want to enter any favorite restaurants, stores or other places you visit and enjoy on your trip into your Palm Pilot, in case you ever return. This information might also be useful if you ever need to re-order an item by phone from home, from a unique store far away. To-Do List -------------- I make use of the To-Do to list the things I need to pack for my trips. After unpacking my gear at my destination, I uncheck and later re-use the same list when I pack to leave, to assure that I bring everything back with me. An additional use for the To-Do list, is to have a category for those you wish to buy souvenirs for, or to track any purchases you might make along the way. Memo Pad --------------- Because I like to keep travelogues of my journeys, I use the Memo Pad to write outlines of my day's travels, and then sync the Palm Pilot and expand the day's entries on my Mac Powerbook. Actually, while riding the train in Sweden, I was surprised at the ease of writing several larger entries of my travelogues using stylus and graffiti to write directly into the Memo Pad. If you are interested in the Palm Pilot as a more industrial strength text editing device, consider the $80 USD GoType keyboard which allows for easy text entry into any Palm Pilot. In addition you might want to also consider the $20 USD SmartDoc, which allows you to write or edit DOC formatted documents limited only by available RAM memory, rather than dealing with the 4k limit imposed on individual Memo Pad documents by the PalmOS. GoType Keyboard: SmartDoc: Handy Travel Software --------------------------------- There are many travel related applications that may help make traveling easier, like Foreign for currency conversion (see the review of Foreign in the reviews section of the Tipsheet). Below is a short listing of some useful travel tools worth checking out before your next trip: Aramis Guides-- In depth guides for many major cities and regions Unit Converter-- Great for converting all sorts of wiehgts and measures Cesium-- Keep two time zones and sound alarms while traveling TealDoc-- Carry text documents and novels along with you in DOC format MemoWare-- Find travel info or novels in DOC format here Games-- Pick up a few favorite games for that delayed flight! :) Useful Palm Pilot Peripherals ---------------------------------------- Some basic additional items that you might want to consider carrying along on travels with a Palm Pilot: + Spare batteries (Make sure they're fresh!) + PalmPilot software installer CD (for emergency sync w/ a remote Computer) + A backup of your critical pilot data folder on a floppy disk + Palm Cradle or Sync Cable + A paper clip for resets (Palm III users have a reset tool in the stylus) + A spare stylus (in case you lose the one with your PalmPilot) These are just a few ideas of how to make better use of a Palm Pilot while traveling around the world or just a few hours away. Remember, be creative and think of ways to make the Palm Pilot work for you, however crazy your ideas may seem! PalmPilot Tipsheet Reviews =========================== The Tipsheet Rating Scale: (5/5) = Awesome (4/5) = Great (3/5) = Good (2/5) = Okay (1/5) = Needs Work (0/5) = Lousy Software Review: Foreign ========================= by Mike Rohde In May of 1998, my then girlfriend (now fianceé!) and I were privileged to travel to Sweden with our PalmPilots. I planned to 'road test' my Palm Pilot while on the trip, and one of the tools that was most useful to us during our stay was the currency converter application Foreign, written by Edmund Seto. It's a simple and to the point application, which is why it works so well. Upon starting the application, Foreign presents you with two input areas, one above the other, which sport large, bold numerals, to translate currency without stopping to squint at tiny pixelated numbers. Just above each input area is a pull-down menu, with currency units for every country imaginable and a neat entry area where one can enter a three letter code for quick access to currencies, saving a search through the extensive menu. The currency values are adjustable using the rates option of the application, so that you can keep up on the value of the currency you use often. You can even create custom currencies, potentially useful for converting to/from the new Euro. Once you've set the value and have chosen your currencies (in our case, US Dollars and Swedish Kronors) you're ready to convert. Between the two input areas are up arrow and down arrow buttons, conveniently allowing conversions between currencies in both directions. To use Foreign, simply enter the cost of the foreign good (via grafitti) into the upper field (in this case representing the foreign currency) and then click the down button to see the conversion displayed in the lower input area, which represents your home currency. In our travels, we had the upper field represent Swedish Kronor and the lower field represent US Dollars. When we would go shopping, we could quickly enter the Kronor value in the top input field, then click the down (convert) button, to see what that item's value in US Dollars was. This was quite handy, since we could more easily relate to an item's value in US Dollars than in Kronor, which enabled us to decide on our purchases immediately. I'd recommend this little utility to anyone planning to visit another country; it's well worth the $7 USD price to be able to evaluate purchases in your own home currency. Cost: $7.00 USD/$10 USD Online Purchase Rating: (5/5) Foreign (Edmund Seto's Website) Case Review: E&B Slippit Leather Case =================================== by Mike Rohde Having used a PalmPilot Slimline case for nearly six months with my first PalmPilot, I decided to check into a case with a little more protection than the Slimline case provided. My searching brought me to the Slippit case by E&B Company. The Slippit case is similar to the Slimline case in design, except that it *entirely* covers the PalmPilot when closed-- while the Slimline case leaves the top, right side and bottom exposed. The Slippit is a bit more bulky than the Slimline case, but I felt it was worth the extra thickness and bulk to protect my PalmPilot. The design is simple; the Slippit wrap around case completely surrounds the PalmPilot, with an opening allowing access to the screen and front panel buttons. I felt that the down button on the front of the PalmPilot was difficult to actuate, but not that substantially. A zipper travels from the upper right side of the case down and all the way around to the upper left side of the case, allowing the PalmPilot to 'slip' in and out easily. Attached to the left side of the Slippit is a reinforced piece of leather that flips away (like a book cover) when opened, and then flips back over the PalmPilot's screen and fastens with a strip of velcro to the right side of the case. The flap has a slot, allowing you to insert several business or credit cards and there is a hole in the upper right portion of the case to allow for a standard stylus to be inserted through the case, into the PalmPilot's silo. To compensate for the lack of access to the on/off button, E&B has placed a small rubber button extension in the case-- this button makes turning the PalmPilot on and off a bit more difficult than normal. On a positive note though, I like this feature, as I am certain that my Pilot won't accidentally turn on while in transit, draining my battery and wiping out my data. I have found after using my PalmPilot in this case, I use one of the Application buttons to turn the machine on (Datebook, Address, To-Do or Memo Pad) which seems to work well. The construction of the Slippit is very good-- the case feels sturdy and protective and is constructed of high-quality leather. With the exception of accessing the down button at the bottom of the case, and the silver emblem on the front flap (wish it was just leather) I have been extremely satisfied with my Slippit case. Cost: $34.95 USD Rating: (4/5) E&B Company: PilotGear H.Q. Slipper: Palm III compatible version of the Slippit with a window for the Infrared beaming capabilities of the Pam III and 2MB Upgraded PalmPilots: Julie Strietelmeier's Review of the Slippit case: Hardware Review: PDA Panache "Black Nail" ========================================== by Mike Rohde The stylus that comes stock with the PalmPilot leaves much to be desired; especially after seeing the substantial new stylus that the Palm III models are equipped with. My solution to this problem was to purchase a third party stylus to help my graffiti writing abilities and to keep from scratching my Pilot's screen. After some research, I selected the PDA Panache Black Chrome "Black Nail' stylus. It fits neatly into the stylus 'silo' of my Pilot and it has a steel construction and teflon tip-- I was not disappointed. I found that the nail has performed as I had expected it to-- it feels great when I am writing-- and I feel that my graffiti skills have improved because of the nail. I especially like the smooth yet firm, orange teflon tip, which glides across my Pilot screen without the worry of leaving scratches-- which I was concerned about using the inexpensive plastic stock stylus. This is a great addition for any PalmPilot user who wants a more substantial feel in a stylus. Comes in Black, Chrome and Gold. Cost: $13.95 USD Rating: (5/5) Wrapup ======== And that concludes issue 3.0 of Mike's PalmPilot Tipsheet. I hope that you've enjoyed the special travel report and that the reviews provide useful ideas to help you using your PalmPilot. Most importantly, I hope that you have fun using your PalmPilot! Thanks for reading, Mike --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 1999 Rohdesign ePress. All rights reserved. Comments or questions: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------