Since the transistor was first introduced as the electronic engine for computing, the drive for hardware and software engineers has been the same - smaller, smarter, faster.
This ethic has resulted in the latest generation of wireless phones and pagers, and palm computer devices.
These devices, and their incredible power and simplicity, give us a glimpse into the future of computing. We will soon see computers not tied down by wires or cumbersome drives and peripheral devices. Instead, they will fit into our pockets, serving as business, communication and entertainment devices.
Since 3Com introduced the Palm Pilot in the early 1990s, its success spawned many imitations and brand choices. The variety has driven the prices down and necessitated the development of features unseen in desktop computers; features like wireless connections, handwritten data input and device-to-device communication.
Perhaps the most fascinating feature is the wide spectrum of no-name brands and home-made software titles available.
Like early PC and Macintosh enthusiasts, a whole crop of palm software writers is out there, exploding onto the Internet with tiny programs that perform duties from bookkeeping to playing checkers. Because these programs are small (usually less than 256 kilobytes) they are simple, fun and easily downloaded and stored on a palm computer.
Even though most Palm platforms are PC compatible, Mac users have easy access to the same features.
Downloading software from the Internet uses the same process for both types of computers (Something worth addressing because of the recent surge of iMac owners).
First download the program from the Internet onto your PC. If you choose, you can direct the program into the palm software that allows the device to synchronize information (with the PC). If the program is compressed (reduced for easy Internet transference), then it must be decompressed using the appropriate program. In must cases, Stuffit Expander will do the trick.
In the next step, open the palm software and click "install." With the palm computer attached peripherally, execute a synchronize command. For Palm Pilot-brand devices this is done by pushing the "Hotsync" button.
A short World Wide Web search reveals an abundance of sites dedicated to Palm-powered games.
At www.palmgear.com there are no shortage of titles to choose from. There is Tetris, hangman, checkers, Othello - and you can even sign for free e-mail notification of new titles.
www.downloadsoft.net: Downloadsoft offers a fairly comprehensive list of business titles. Many of the newest offerings emphasize networking and elimination of unnecessary steps in business communication. For example, the information on one palm device can be shared by several network users. If someone in marketing has a phone number stored on their device that someone in production needs, he or she can access that information through a PC.
With the click of a mouse, and a networked telephone, that number can be dialed on a computer desktop. In theory this can save half the time it takes to find the number, bring it back to the desk and go through the dialing process.
The same process can be used for the digital date books or spreadsheet and word processing programs. Some of the popular titles work with AT&T-powered networks. Other titles allow graphic production and sending and receiving faxes.
www.palmspot.com: Another great site for palm software. Perhaps the neatest among them is software that produces flash cards for children learning about subjects like anatomy. The digital age spares no demographic from the onslaught of specialty products, and children will be a hot market in palm computing.
www.palm.com: Because Palm Pilot is the standard hardware for palm computing, the company site is a good place to visit to learn about new company software and product development.
The latest software with the latest features improves on what has already proven to be a dependable, relatively bug-free computer platform. International business users will like the features which allow instant translation and currency exchange.
Questions?Ideas? E-mail at jimscripps@Tahoe.com
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