Recently in PalmCorner Category

My employer consolidated the management of cell phones and plans, forcing me to abandon my Treo 650 for a Blackberry 8830. Yeah, I know. The Blackberry vs random other brand mobile phone here comparison post is way too overdone. You don't need me to tell you the differences.

This isn't one of those posts.

At first I got ticked. It's not just the money down the tubes or the time invested. It was a bit like being dumped. It's been a few months, and I still miss using my Treo.

Some of my remaining Treo co-workers haven't been forced to move yet. But as some make the move, most seem to be expressing similar concerns and reach out to the Treo group to vent and support.

It may be obvious to you, but I'm still not sure why I (and other folks) get so attached to some of these devices.

If you use your Palm religiously as I have done for the past 8 years, you start to understand that there are a number of programs that become so indispensable. For the past few months, and especially last week or so, Tealscript emerged as one of those programs in my T3. Ever since Palm abandoned the original Graffiti writing recognition system (G1) for the new Graffiti 2 (G2) system, I had not particularly enjoyed using G2. I have always found the letters i and t were cumbersome and inefficient in G2. I installed G1 over G2 in my Tungsten C and Tungsten T3 for a while, but number of conflicts got in the way (including restoring the handheld from hard reset--if you installed G1 over G2, then you cannot restore the device after hard reset w/o getting rid of G1 from the backup directory to prevent fatal exception loop).

2003 is gone, and 2004 is here! Here are my new year's resolutions:

1. I will not rush out and buy a new Palm OS6 device the first time it comes out. As we have learned from the Tungsten T3, perhaps the third time is the charm. It's likely that the new OS6 device will be released in the late spring, but it might be better to wait for the Fall release.

2. I will not hold onto too many PDA's in my possession. I have a tendency to keep the old PDA's when I get the new ones. Perhpas it's due to a sentimental reason, but it doesn't make any financial sense. So, I'll sell the old ones as soon as I buy the new ones (For instance, my old Sony Clie N60X with the Sony CF Wi-Fi card is going on E-bay this week at an incredible low price).

3. I'll not buy any more new smartphones this year. I have found my T610 and the Tungsten T3 to be a perfect combination for now. Besides, I'm locked into T-mobile till December 2004. In 2003, I ended up buying the Treo 180, but then I switched over to the T610. It's good thing I got the T610 for free; otherwise, it doesn't make any financial sense.

4. I'll play less with my new Palm toys this year and write more reviews. This is a dilemma every reviewer or writer faces--should we play more or write more?

5. Last but not least, I will not buy any more digital toys this year. Last year I invested heavily on my digital photographic gear when I transitioned from my Nikon film SLR to my Nikon digital SLR (D100) with several brand new lenses (due to digital's 1.5 magnification factor), several large capacity CF cards, and many others. Unless we get the 24 mega-pixel digital camera in the reasonable price range (less than $3000), I don't see upgrading this camera for a long time.

Well, that's my new year's resolutions for technology-related items. What's yours?

So, 2003 is almost over. I know everyone is busy buying gifts and attending holiday parties, but this might also be a good time to think about how your year went. Was 2003 a fruitful, enjoyable, and rewarding year for you? Well, for someone who writes about Palm OS topics, 2003 was indeed a busy year. It was a little more than a year ago that both Sony and Palm released the first Palm OS5 device, but they and other Palm OS licensees kept me busy during the year. So, what are some of the highlights of this year? Let's review PalmCorner's top 10 memorable moments in 2003.

1. Palm broke the 16MB Memory Barrier. Now the Tapwave Zodiac features 128MB of RAM, and even the low-end Palm Tungsten E features 32MB of RAM. For years, we've been tied down to having only 8 to 16MB of RAM, but when the Tungsten C came out with 64MB of RAM, Palm rewrote the book on this front.

2. First built-in Wi-Fi in a Palm OS device. The Palm Tungsten C showed us how to design a device that both web and battery friendly. The Tungsten C set the new standard for web enhanced device (excellent screen, useable keyboard, built-in Wi-Fi, and battery life).

3. Fast Intel X-scale 400MHz chips. The Tungsten C and the T3 now boast the fastest chip ever in the Palm OS device. Bring on more speed.

4. Built-in GPS in a Palm OS device. Garmin released the IQue that has built-in GPS capability. Those of us who needed the navigation system, our prayer had been answered.

5. First built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in a Palm OS device. Sony released the UX50 that has both wireless capabilities. The jury is still out on this device, but if you want to have it all including the built-in camera and the keyboard, this is it.

6. Lower price barrier for Palm OS5 devices. The new Palm Zire 21 features 126 MHz TI OMAP 311 ARM processor and 8MB of RAM. Who would ever thought this is going to be possible about a year ago? Kudos for palmOne for making this possible.

7. Tapwave Zodiac. The gamer's paradise. Need I say more?

8. Palm Tungsten 3. The 320 x 480 Virtual Graffiti screen (plus hardware driven landscape mode) is awesome. Sony has had the 320x480 screen for awhile, but Palm got it right the first time.

9. Not having to listen to Pocket PC users boasting about their technological superiority over Palm OS devices.

10. GearBits, the most interesting and creative web site for technology-related topics, was launched, and PalmCorner finds a new home.

Well, that's it. I'm sure you have your own favorite or memorable Palm OS moment(s) in 2003. Let us know what yours is.

You have just bought a new Palm OS5 device, and you are excited about all possible things you can do with your new device. It kind of brings back memories of your childhood when you got a new toy for Christmas. Well, just like the Christmas gift, such excitement will soon wear off, and you start to find certain faults with your device. Well I have heard so often from my readers that they are not happy with the way the texts look in their devices. In other words, some people do not like the way the default font looks in their device.

A few days ago, I wrote a brief article about my new combo gadgets -- not one gadget but a combination of two gadgets. I now use the Sony Ericsson T610 and the Palm Tungsten T3 instead of the Handspring 180.

There has been a lot of noise in the industry about the proliferation of smartphones and the bleak prognostication for the stand-alone PDA device. I for one do not believe it's going to happen. Yes, I have to agree that carrying one device is much more convenient than carrying two devices, but what if you have to compromise how you work in order to do carry one device. To me, that is not an ideal solution and so far not acceptable.

Having separate devices offers certain advantages that all-in-one devices cannot. Each device can be selected for its features without making compromises. Also what happens if you want to replace one device in your chain? Well, you can simply replace one without replacing the other.

I do however believe the key to carrying separate devices is integration. If you want the separate cellular phone and the PDA, then both need to be seamlessly integrated that it feels like you are using one device, not two.

After having used the Tungsten T3 and the Sony Ericsson T610, I can now tell you this is one combination that offers the seamless integration and simplicity.

Well, I have been sick and tired of waiting for Handspring (Oops! I mean palmOne) to release the Treo 600 for T-Mobile and seriously contemplated exploring an alternative route. Interestingly, I was buying a CD from Amazon the other day, and I came across a great deal for the Sony Ericsson T610--Free!. Yes, I got the free phone after the combined Amazon and T-mobile $200 rebates, and Amazon even included $79 BT Jabra headset for free. So, it was a great deal to pass up. Furthermore, T-mobile is now offering the unlimited GPRS service for $19.99 per month. Serendipity also played a role here. My Treo 180's flip cover broke over the weekend, and I had to get it replaced anyway. To make a long story short, let's just say I passed on the Treo 600 and went with the T610.

Also, ever since I got the Palm Tungsten T3, I was itching to find out how great a T3 and BT phone combination might be. Needless to say, I thought the BT feature in my T3 was one of the most underutilized features. So, this was too great of an opportunity for me to pass up.

My initial impression: This is a fantastic combination. Everything worked as advertised or expected first time: transferring phonebook data, connecting to the web and sending/receiving e-mails using GPRS, and so forth and so on. I never realized how convenient BT was until I tried this combination. I was also pleasantly surprised to discover how much faster this combination was compared to my old Treo 180 when surfing the web and downloading e-mails.

I will have more later, but I'm pleasantly surprised and wildly impressed with what I discovered today. Stay tuned . . .

Hopefully, by now, you’ve been thinking about Zen of Palm as much as I have been for the past few weeks. So, let’s fast forward our clock to 2004 from 1996. So, where are we now? In 2004, Palm is no longer just one entity, but two separate entities. PalmOne, the hardware company, still makes Palm-branded devices, but Palm Source, the OS company, is now the brain of any Palm OS device. Now there are many Palm OS licensees including Sony, Tapwave, Garmin that produce their own unique Palm OS devices. So, we no longer have one company that does everything, and in one sense, that is great for having more diversity, but what about Zen of Palm? Let’s briefly review what happened in the past few years to see if we can make sense of what’s going on today.

Zen of Palm

So, what is Zen of Palm? We have often heard folks talk about Zen of Palm, but what is it really? Well, this is my attempt to put some clarity into the phrase: Zen of Palm. I believe Zen of Palm is related to a couple of design principles or philosophy (whichever you want to call it) that seem to separate Palm OS devices from the rest of the PDA community. When Jeff Hawkins and his gang started to design the first Palm OS device, they set out to give the user a different experience than using desktop computers.

Sorry, folks, but there won't be any Weekly Feature today. Instead come back toward the end of the week for the PalmCorner Monthly Feature: Reviews of the Palm Tungsten T3 and the Tungsten E.

Also next week, I'll be featuring two-part series on Zen of Palm in my Weekly Feature.

So stay tuned.

The much anticipated Treo 600 was released on October 8, 2003; however, if you are like me and most of other previous owners of the Treo smartphone, you might be still waiting for the Treo 600. Existing Treo owners were excited to learn that you could get your new Treo 600 for $399 if you decide to upgrade with any one of the carriers. However, the caveat is that most carriers do have a hefty penalty for breaking your existing contract; so, if you do not want to pay the penalty, you are stuck with your current carrier.

Interestingly, if you check any of the Treo specialized websites such as Treocentral, you will also notice that there are a lot of frustrated customers out there. So, what's going on?

One of the problems is that it looks like Handspring and carriers have decided to do a staggered rollout for the different versions of the device, and also the upgrade is only available for 3 weeks after each version is released. So, only Sprint version (CDMA) was available from Oct. 8 (10/8 to 10/29 for upgrade), and now Handspring is offering Cingular version (GSM) starting Nov. 3 (11/3 to 11/24 for upgrade). There is a rumor going around that T-mobile version will be available around Nov. 24. Perhaps AT&T will follow suit after T-mobile, and general unlocked GSM phones will be available sometime early 2004(?). I don't know who is to blame for this "moronic" scheme--Handspring or carriers, but I'm getting to a point where I'm going to pass on the Treo 600, and wait for the next version. Perhpas when my T-mobile contract expires next March, I'll get one of the Bluetooth phones (Nokia or Ericsson) to use with my T3 instead of the Treo 600.

To make things worse, even though Cingular version was released on Nov. 3, Handspring won't be processing orders till Nov. 17, and I've been hearing a week to two weeks delays for customers who ordered the 600 earlier. This seems to suggest that Handspring has a real problem meeting the market demand (whether it's manufacturing or supplier issue I don't know). So, perhaps this staggered rollout is nothing more than Handspring's way of resolving the supply issue. Handspring has done a great job creating a lot of hype for the Treo 600, but in this case, it might backfire on them if they make their customers frustrated or leave a lot of customers out in the cold.

What's been your experience, or what do you think?

PalmOne has just released the update for the Tungsten T3. This update fixes the problems we've been experiencing with SD cards. You can download the file here. Thanks to Rik for pointing this out. I'll update this report after I apply the patch to see if it solves a number of problems I have had with my backup software.

UPDATE:

I applied the patch, and now everything is working great. Now I feel like I'm back in Paradise again. By the way, if you installed the original Graffiti (G1) on top of G2, then make sure you don't restore these files after you update the T3. Take them out of the backup directory and then reinstall them when the device is restored to the previous condition.

Thank you, Palm, for making my night!

One of the rituals we often go through when we get a new Palm device is to buy a new keyboard since our previous keyboard does not work with our new Palm device. There are several keyboards lying around in my study that are painful reminders of such experience. However, Palm has just released a new infrared keyboard that will save us from investing in any more keyboard even when we switch our Palm-branded device. Unlike other traditional keyboards that use the hotsync port connector, the new keyboard uses the ubiquitous IR port. I have tried the keyboard on my Tungsten C and Sony Clie NX60, and I’m happy to say the keyboard worked great on both devices. In fact, I was able to use both Wi-Fi and the keyboard at the same time in my Tungsten C, making it easy to work on my e-mail and surf the web.

It was two years ago when Sony released its N710C, I wrote an article at MemoWare about Sony disturbing the peaceful Palm Universe, and true to its form, Sony has continued to innovate its Palm platform product line in the past two years. One of the latest additions to the lineup the NX80 is however more of an evolutionary change rather than a revolutionary one.

The Clie NX comes with an Intel ARM processor running at 200 MHz and Palm OS 5. It features a high-resolution plus screen (320x480), it has a built-in digital camera (1.3 Mega-pixel), a built-in voice recorder and MP3 Player. This is a classic clamshell design with a built-in QWERTY keyboard and a new retractable CF slot. The device is also compatible with new Memory Stick PRO cards. Although the NX80 comes with 32MB of RAM, only 16MB of RAM is available for use.

The Clie NX80 is priced at $ 549.99 and Sonystyle is currently offering a free leather case at that price.

Can you improve on something that is already great? If the case you are talking about is Sena, then the answer is yes. I had a chance to try out the new Tungsten C case from Sena, and the short answer is it is definitely staying put with my Tungsten C.

The case comes in three different colors (black, tan, and red). The case I have came in tan and without a belt clip, but you can order one with it as well. The Tungsten C slides into the case, and the transparent plastic cover offers the keyboard protection. The plastic cover did not interfere with using the keyboard, but it did introduce a different tactile feel. The cover did not also interfere with the hardware buttons and the 5-way navigator button.

Last week I posted an article about the speed discrepancy between the Tungsten T3 and the Tungsten C. It now seems the problem has been identified by a couple of folks, and better yet, the solution found.

According to mobilevoodoo.com site, "T3 Optimizer corrects the processor speed loss problem with the Tungsten T3 PDA from PalmOne. The T3 is designed to run at 400 MHz, and after a reset it does just that, but as soon as you power it off and then back on, the processor appears to slow to approximately 75% of its original speed. This problem is easily verified by any benchmarking utility."

If you are interested in fixing the bug, check out the two free utility programs that would allow you to do it.

I prefer T3 optimizer since you can change its setting via the preference panel, but T3 bug fix from Clievideo also does its job well.

Believe or not, Palm has revamped three of their four basic applications with the release of their new Palm devices, and as a result, I'm back to using these applications once again. Datebook, Addressbook, and Todo List programs have been replaced by new programs Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks, and I'm happy to report that it's more than a simple name change.

The new program called Calendar has an agenda view that has a new interface (with color background) that is pleasurable to see and use. If you use Versamail, it can also display a number of unread messages as well. As you can see it also displays the birthday entry from the contact database (I'll talk more about this later). If you set up the default view to the agenda view in the display option, then whenever you use the hardware button, the program will start in the agenda view.

By the way, one thing nice about all these new applications is that they should work on other Palm OS5 devices. I installed these programs in my Palm Tungsten C, and I'm using them without any problems.

Read more about these programs by clicking the hyperlink below.

According to palmOne, my Tungsten T3 and Tungsten C should have the same Intel processor running at 400 MHz. However, my recent experience shows that my Tungsten C is a tad bit faster. So, today I ran the upgraded version of Speedy to check. Guess what? My Tunsten C is about 33% faster than the Tungsten T3. Did palmOne intentionally slowed down the processor in order to give more battery life in the T3 (since the T3 comes with a slimmer battery)? What gives?

PalmCorner Weekly Feature will cover top Palm software programs and accessories on every Monday starting today. There will be other major features that covers new Palm OS devices on a monthly basis or as needed. The honor for the first PalmCorner Weekly Feature goes to Natara's Daynotez. The reason? It's one of the programs I use everyday. If you are a professional, or anyone who wants to keep track of your work, contacts, or daily records, there isn't a program that is better than Daynotez. I've been using the program since its inception, and the developers have done a real nice job improving the program to make it more useful each time.

Looks like palmOne and Sony are going to go head to head in fighting for consumer dollars in the lower-end market of color Palm OS devices. As most of you know on Oct. 1, Palm announced the new Tungsten E at $199 that includes such goodies as 320x320 transflective screen, MP3 player, 32MB (28.3MB useable), OS5, ARM processor (all coming under 5oz, 4.6 oz to be precise). That to me was the price breakthrough for most consumers who wanted a faster and more versatile Palm OS5 device but were unwilling to lay out top $$$ for the device.

Now, Sony is joining the fray by introducing two new devices at this price point: TJ25 and TJ35. Both devices feature high resolution 320x320 screens, 200MHz ARM processor, OS5, and a slim form factor (and also coming under 5 oz, 4.9 oz to be precise). However, the T25 only comes with 16MB RAM (11MB available) and no MP3 player. The T35 does come with a MP3 player and 32MB RAM (23MB available). The T25 and the T35 cost $199 and $249 respectively; so, they are a tad more expensive than the Palm Tungsten E. Now Sony is upping the ante by offering $20 and $30 rebates for their models until January 3, 2004 (making them $179 and $219 effectively).

So, it will be interesting who will win out this market segment at the end. Let us know what you think.

There seems to be a major problem with the new Palm Tungsten T3 SD card drive system. I've been using Sandisk SD card with the Palm T/C, and when I started to use the card in the T3, I ran into all sorts of problems. I had a problem with file corruption and had to reformat the whole card, and when I ran my backup programs (such as BackupMan and JBBackup for OS5). So, I thought the card went bad, and went out and purchased a PNY SD card (manufactured by Toshiba). Unfortunately, I am still getting the backup error (such as system error #0x2908 "A sector that was accessed is bad." or unknown error). However, I have never had these error with my T/C, and the Sandisk card that gave me the problem is running fine when I returned it to the T/C and reformatted. So, I was both puzzled and disturbed to say the least.

However, when I got in touch with Mike Waldron at Bits' n Bolt Software, it seems that the problem is more wide-spread. According to his website, there is a SD driver problem in the T3 that exhibits such symptoms, and there is a big warning not to use any Sandisk SD cards.

So, there seems to be a trouble at Paradise, and let's hope palmOne takes action to remedy this situation quickly.

I'm not sure where the new Palm Tungsten T3 would rank in the land of classic Palm's in the future, but one thing that is for certain is that I definitely got a warm feeling when I obtained the device several days ago (before the release date). Of course, since I signed the NDA, I couldn't talk about it. Well, it took me a few days to navigate around the new features and to be able to write about my impressions.

Briefly, the Palm Tungsten T3 is the third-generation T series featuring the Intel 400 MHz Arm processor and 64MB of RAM (52MB useable). Also it is the first device from PalmOne to utilize the Virtual Graffiti (320x480) screen.

Needless to say, the title gives it away. I find myself liking this device more and more. About 2 years ago, Palm was criticized for not innovating enough, but since the release of the original Tungsten T, Palm seems to be on track. Along with the T3, Palm also released two lower priced models. Now Palm has a device at every price point ($99, $199, $299, $399, and $499). I'll be getting the Tungsten E and the Zire in a week or two to review as well. Click the link below to read more about what I found out during these few days.

Looks like the Dana Wireless is officially shipping. A recent brochure I received from Alphasmart shows a detailed description of the Dana Wireless as well as the new Internet software package including a wide-screen web browser and an e-mail client as well as a chat program.

The new Dana will also include the wide-screen versions of Documents to Go from Dataviz as well. Looks like I'll be leaving my laptop at home more often in the future.

I will be getting a review unit soon; so, look for the review in the near future.

I've been reviewing the latest Dana by Alphasmart, and I'm quite impressed with the device (see my upcoming MemoWare Features review). However, I sorely missed not having Wi-Fi. I like many others have been waiting for the promised wireless version of the Dana by Alphasmart. Well, it turns out, I don't have to wait any longer. With the latest ROM update (1.2), you can go wireless now with a number of available USB wireless adpaters. I am using a Microsoft USB Wireless Adapter, and it worked flawlessly the first time I tried to connect. The setup was extremely simple (I mean really simple). I installed SnapperMail and Blazer, and both programs worked great. Besides, MS MN-510, you can also use any of the following adapters: D-Link DWL120, Samsung WL-S150k, or US Robotics USR1120.

I'm not ready to say good-bye to my ThinkPad yet, but more and more I'll be leaving it behind and just carrying the Dana with me.

No, it's not Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines with Arnold Schwarzenegger. It's the new Palm Tungsten 3 with a 320x480 screen.

Looks like Palm is finally going to deliver what most people were clamoring for the past couple of years. eNet, the website from China, is showing off the new T3 with 320x480 screen with the current Palm Tungsten T form factor. The Virtual Griffit screen is hidden until you pull the bottom part (just like T/T). Since Palm Source has incorporate the VG into its OS, it was a matter of time this was going to happen, and looks like Palm SG has done it.

The T3 also comes with quite a few goodies as well. Everything the current T/T has plus more RAM (64MB total), landscape mode, and more.

This is just a rumor, but we can dream, can't we?

Check out the pictures at eNet web pages here.

My Tunsten C has finally returned. Well, I should say, a brand new (reconditioned?) Tungsten C has arrived. I received the e-mail last week (7/3/03) that they had shipped the unit, and I knew that they must have sent a different unit (given the turn-around time). Unfortunately, due to the July 4th holiday, Airborne didn't pick up the unit till yesterday (7/7/2003--Bummer). I tried to track the pakcage over the weekend, but nothing showed up on the Airborne website. I am not sure whose fault is it that it wasn't actually shipped on 7/3 as stated in the e-mail, but I don't care any more.

I have just installed the ROM update (believe or not, the Tungsten still came loaded with the older ROM), and it worked fine. Now everything is back to normal. Anyway, Palm included a new stylus and a flip cover. So, now I have a spare stylus and a flip cover (equivalent to $12.06 I paid for shipping, I wonder). I guess that's a consolation for not having my Palm for 8 days (might have been shorter if there was no holiday).

The only downside to this was the Palm's service status check web page. I had a terrible time accessing information in the page for the past several days, and I only wish they improve on that. All in all, not bad.

UPS delivered my Palm T/C to the Palm Repair Center on 10:37 a.m. (Central Time) this morning. So, start the time counter . . .

Well, my Tungsten C is off to the Palm repair center at Laredo, Texas. I shipped it via UPS 2nd day (afternoon). With insurance, it came out to $12.06. I thought about sending it next day afternoon, but it would have been $26.27, and there was no way I'm going to pay that much after having paid $499 for my device.

Of course, Palm offered me an advance exchange for $39.99, but that to me was ridiculous as well. I can be without Palm for a few weeks (I still got my Treo 180 and Sony NX60, plus a few classic Palm's), but I can't imagine how other folks who don't have any spare device supposed to deal with this withdrawal.

I have a bunch of wireless adapters/cards, and this is the first time I have to deal with this issue. I suggested to Palm they should reexamine their repair/exchange policy, especially when it clearly involves "negligence" on their part, but don't hold your breadth.

Stay tuned for future updates.

I've been pretty happy with the Tungsten C since I purchased it for my MemoWare Features review as well as personal use. It has been my primary PDA for the past few months. However, that is going to change (at least temporarily). You see I have to send it back for repair. Although there have been a number of issues I have discovered since the purchase (See MemoWare), I have tolerated those. Also, I have found quick solutions to those issues such as the Boxwave hotsync cable for the hotsync cable issue.

However, today I have learned that I have to return the unit for repair (at my expense), and it will take 7 to 10 days once it is received at the repair center. The funny thing is that this saga started on a positive note: Palm's newly released patch for the Tungsten C. I was excited to find that Palm released a new patch for the Tungsten C. However, when I read the update instruction, I discovered something was amiss. The update instruction says, "If the MAC Address does not match the MAC label on the rear of the handheld contact Palm Customer Support. DO NOT continue to step 3." So, I contacted Palm Customer Support, and then I was told that there was an issue (upon further checking with Palm Tech Support, the issue seems to be related to the device losing its MAC ID), and it can only be repaired at the repair site. I don't have any solid data, but I suspect that this issue might be more widespread than just affecting a few individuals. It's hard to believe that Palm would have overlooked something like this before the release (for me, if you have to send the unit back for repair, it's not a minor issue any more).

Well, I've had my Palm T/C for exactly 2 months, and now it is going back for repair. Needless to say, it doesn't bode well for me to have to spend extra $$$ and time (not having Palm for more than a week). I remember when I had my earlier Palm’s, Palm sent me a box for me to send back the unit overnight, and then I would have the unit back in 2-3 days. Well those days are forever gone I guess. I'll update my readers on my experience, and it will be interesting to see if my positive past support experience with Palm continues to hold true. Stay tuned . . .

One of the key accessories missing from the Sony NX lineup has been the portable "full-size" keyboard. As most of you know (it's also mentioned in my earlier MemoWare article), Sony changed the wiring of the NX devices, and as a result, the previous Sony portable keyboard was not compatible with the keyboard. So, the current owners of the Sony NX devices have been waiting for a new keyboard for a long time (7 months is eternity in the high tech world).

Well, the long wait is finally over. Fellowes has just released the Stowaway XT keyboard for the Sony Clie NR, NX, T, and SJ. I just received the review unit, and I was eager to try it out. I installed the driver and off I went. The driver is an updated version (1.96F) of the ThinkOutside driver for Palm OS5.

The keyboard and driver worked perfectly during my brief testing. The only thing I've noticed was that there was a slight lag when I typed fast (the screen display was delayed by a second when I typed). Since I type 70 words per minute, it is understandable, but I did not notice the same lag when I was using the Palm Ultra-Thin keyboard with the Zire 71 and the Tungsten C.

Anyway, it's great news for the Sony Clie NX owners--actually for other Clie owners as well since we now have the first thin Stowaway keyboard for the Sony Clie's.

Stay tuned for my MemoWare Features for the full review of Sony Clie accessories including several cases for the Sony NX devices in the near future.

I know I have been writing my MemoWare Features for more than a year now, but I haven't been able to turn any of my reviews into a portable document that I can carry with me and still be satisfied with the quality. That is until now.

Adobe has just released the new version of its free Acrobat Reader for Palm OS Version 3.0. So, I figured why not try to convert my latest Palmcorner review of the Zire 71 into a Palm OS pdf file and see if it can fly.

Of course, given the smaller Palm screen, it would be impossible to duplicate the identical format, but the new version did a good job preserving graphics and tables in the review. While it's difficult to read the table as it appears in the program (see the picture), you can zoom on the table and read the contents of the table. I was impressed!

The conversion was simple as adding a pdf file to the PC Acrobat Palm OS program and synchronizing to a Palm device.

Check it out by downloading the converted PDF (.pdb) file here: Palm Zire 71 Review