[P1] [OT] Palm Question (a little long)

[Brian Olesky]

I've been using the same Palm model (Palm IIIX) for nearly 5 years, and it
still does exactly what I need: Calendar, address book, to-do list and note
pad. I have other things I use to take digital pictures, talk on the phone,
get driving directions, learn nuclear physics, etc. and they do a better job
than any fancy new Palm model. Better yet, the black and white models go a
lot further on two little batteries. If you just want the basic functions I
use, I think they have a low end model that's only about $100. Check it out
at palm.com.

As far as syncing with your Mac, I've used the same cradle since I was back
in OS 7.5, and it still works perfectly in OSX 10.2.6. I used to use the
Palm Desktop on my Mac, which is an excellent piece of free software, and it
syncs perfectly with the Palm, but I've since switched to Entourage X, and
with the conduit introduced by Microsoft nearly a year ago, it too syncs
very nicely with my Palm.

As far as ease of use and reliability, you can't beat it. It's simple and
intuitively designed (though using the Graffiti language for making entries
directly to the Palm will take an hour or so) and you can't beat the
reliability of always having all your information in 2 places, so if you
lose it in one, you can recreate it from the other.

It happened to my wife and her Palm. She was updating her email program
(Outlook Express) and accidentally erased her whole address book. All she
had to do (once she was sure she wasn't having a heart attack and didn't
need to call 911) was put the Palm in the cradle, hit the sync button,
and--problem solved. At that point, she couldn't care less what she'd paid
for that Palm, it was worth it.

The thing I like most about the Palm is that I always have it with me, so
when I suddenly need an address, a phone number, if someone wants to
schedule a meeting, if I need to know whether I'm busy on a given date, if I
need to enter or check something on my to-do list, etc. having a palm sure
beats carrying around even the lightest iBook, or jotting notes on napkins
and matchbooks for later reference.

Hope this helps,
Brian


On 5/24/03 7:38 PM, "tinman" <heart93 at woh.rr.com> wrote:

> I am interested in something in the mid-range (around $200) and don't need
> things like a phone, camera, access to my email, etc. I am largely
> interested in using it for scheduling & address purposes. Specifically, I
> would like to be able to sync it with both my & my secretary's computer to
> help facilitate scheduling. She has a G4 iMac & I have a PowerBook (both
> running 9.2.2). Would I just require the one cradle to sync it with my
> computer & then she could check it / update on her iMac via the network? Can
> anyone recommend a specific model (and where I can get the best deal),
> comment on ease of use, reliability, or other tips related to my idea?
> Finally (and this wouldn't be as important), would I also be able to sync it
> with my G4 iMac at home which is running 10.2.6?