--------------------------------------------------------------------- Palm Computing(R) Platform README file May 13, 1999 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Congratulations on your purchase of a Palm Computing(R) connected organizer. This README file contains important information about your organizer and the companion Palm(TM) Desktop organizer software. We strongly recommend reviewing this entire document for information that may not be available in the user documentation. TABLE OF CONTENTS ================= ACTIVATION AND INSTALLATION - Charging the transmitter before activation - Activating the Palm.Net(TM) wireless communication service - Installing Palm Desktop software using the CD-ROM - If the CD-ROM does not automatically start - Chapura's PocketMirror, the conduit for Microsoft Outlook - Upgrading from an earlier version of Palm Desktop software - Upgrading from an existing Palm Computing handheld - Upgrading if you have 15 categories in your applications - Cannot install Word or Excel macros for Palm Desktop software - If the CD-ROM or Quick Tour doesn't display correctly - No free serial ports for a HotSync(R) operation THIRD-PARTY COMPATIBILITY - Workaround for AlarmHack users - Displaying EasySync conduits in Custom dialog box TIPS - Query applications shipped with the organizer - Download the latest query applications from www.palm.net - Synchronizing your computer with more than one organizer - Getting the best results with IR beaming - Hints for using Mail and the iMessenger(TM) application KNOWN PROBLEM AREAS - If your organizer does not turn on automatically - Time out during activation - Mail TECHNICAL SUPPORT INFORMATION ACTIVATION AND INSTALLATION =========================== Charging the transmitter before activation ------------------------------------------ Before you can activate the Palm.Net wireless communication service and use the wireless features, the transmitter inside the organizer must be charged by the AAA batteries. This takes about 70 minutes. During charging, you can use the basic applications of the organizer. Activating the Palm.Net(TM) wireless communication service ---------------------------------------------------------- 1. Read the brochure, Choosing a Palm.Net Service Plan, included in the organizer package, describing the monthly service plans. Decide on a plan. (You can switch plans at any time.) 2. Prepare to enter the following information: your name, firm, billing address, phone number, current desktop e-mail address, choice of service plan, and credit card information (or corporate account number). During activation you are also asked to create a username and a password. You can accept one of the usernames suggested by the Activate application or create your own; it must be at least 3 characters long. Your password must be 4 to 15 characters long. 3. Read the Palm.Net service agreement, located at the back of the Handbook. 4. When the charging of the transmitter is finished, raise the antenna on the right side of your organizer by gently rotating it upwards. 5. Follow the instructions onscreen to activate the wireless communication service. Important: Be sure to record and remember the username and password you create during activation. You need them both to access information about your usage of the service and your billing information. Your username is also part of your address on the Palm.Net network, for example, username@palm.net. If you lose your connection to the Palm.Net network during activation, you can tap Activate to try again immediately. Or you can tap Save & Exit to save the information you already entered. Then exit the Activate application and try again later to complete activation. Installing Palm Desktop software using the CD-ROM -------------------------------------------------- 1. Close all open Windows programs and disable virus-scanning software. 2. Remove your organizer from the cradle. 3. Insert the Palm Desktop CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive. 4. The Install program on the CD-ROM should automatically start. If the CD-ROM does not automatically start ------------------------------------------ 1. In Windows 95 or 98, click Start, and then choose Run. 2. Enter x:autorun.exe (where x: is your CD-ROM drive). Chapura's PocketMirror, the conduit for Microsoft Outlook --------------------------------------------------------- Palm Desktop organizer software includes a conduit called PocketMirror, from Chapura. This conduit is a software connection that lets you synchronize data between Microsoft Outlook and your Palm Computing organizer. If you select to synchronize with Microsoft Outlook during the Palm Desktop installation, a folder called Chapura is created in the directory where the Palm Desktop software is installed. User documentation for PocketMirror is also copied to the Chapura folder to help you with setting up and configuring the conduit. Upgrading from an earlier version of Palm Desktop software ---------------------------------------------------------- It is not necessary to uninstall your current version of Palm Desktop software before you install this new version. The Install software automatically detects an earlier version of Palm Desktop software and updates the system files appropriately. Upgrading from an existing Palm Computing handheld -------------------------------------------------- If you already own a PalmPilot(TM) organizer or Palm III(TM) organizer, 3Com recommends that you install the version of Palm Desktop software that comes with your new organizer into the same folder as your current Palm Desktop software. When you install the new version in the same folder as the previous version, all your data is preserved. If you use another personal information manager (PIM), you still need to install Palm Desktop software in order to add HotSync Manager, conduit software, and other features of Palm Desktop software to your computer. You perform HotSync operations in exactly the same way, so you can quickly synchronize your old data with your new organizer. To upgrade, perform the following steps: 1. Read the Getting Started guide for an overview of the complete installation process. 2. (Optional) To ensure against any data loss, go to the folder that stores Palm Desktop software, copy your username folder, and store the copy outside the Palm Desktop software folder. 3. Synchronize your old organizer with your old Palm Desktop software. This ensures that the latest information from your organizer is on your desktop computer. 4. Follow the installation instructions in Chapter 1 of the Handbook. Be sure to install the new software in the same folder as the old software. 5. To prepare for the first HotSync operation that synchronizes your new organizer with your new Palm Desktop software, go to the HotSync Manager and choose Custom. Note: Be sure your username appears in box at the top of the Custom dialog box. If not, select your username. 6. For all conduits, click Change and select the option Desktop overwrites handheld. Then click Done. See Chapter 7 in the Handbook for more information. 7. Place your new organizer in the cradle and press the HotSync button. 8. If the Select User dialog box appears, select your username. 9. Return to the Getting Started guide and complete the activation of your organizer. After you complete the upgrade process described above, you have two organizers with the same name. This is an undesirable situation. Each organizer must have a unique name in order to prevent unexpected results during HotSync operations and other complications. We strongly recommend that you perform a hard reset on your old organizer. See Appendix A in the Handbook for details on performing a hard reset. A hard reset not only erases all data from the old organizer; it also erases the name and makes that organizer a clean slate, ready to receive a new name. The next time you perform a HotSync operation with this old organizer, you are asked to give it a name. Be sure to give it a unique name. Upgrading if you have 15 categories in your applications -------------------------------------------------------- You can define up to 15 categories for your applications ("All" and "Unfiled" are not user-defined categories). If you have deleted or renamed "Business" and "Personal" and still have 15 categories on your organizer, you MUST delete the default categories "Business" and "Personal" from your new organizer before performing a HotSync operation so that all 15 categories in your Palm Desktop software will be copied to your organizer. If you do not delete these default categories, two other categories you defined will be removed and the records will be moved to Unfiled. Cannot install Word or Excel macros for Palm Desktop software ------------------------------------------------------------- If Microsoft Word is currently running (or if it is not installed on your computer at all), you will receive an error message when installing Palm Desktop software indicating that the macro files will be installed in your Palm Desktop directory. To rectify this situation, after Install is complete, open your Palm Desktop directory and copy the file PALMAPP.DOT to the MS Word STARTUP Folder (e.g., C:\PROGRAM FILES\MICROSOFT OFFICE\OFFICE\STARTUP) or copy the MS Excel file PALMAPP.XLT to the XLSTART folder (e.g., C:\PROGRAM FILES\MICROSOFT OFFICE\OFFICE\XLSTART). These files are required to make the drag-and-drop feature in Palm Desktop software work correctly. If the CD-ROM or Quick Tour doesn't display correctly ------------------------------------------------------ To run the CD-ROM or Quick Tour, you need a video system that supports 256 colors. This means that your video card, your Windows video driver, and your monitor all need to support 256 colors. If the Quick Tour doesn't run correctly or doesn't look right on your screen, the most likely culprit is the display driver for your video card. Try setting the display to 640x480 pixels with 256 colors, and then run the Quick Tour again. If that doesn't work, contact the video card manufacturer to find out if there's an updated driver for your card. No free serial ports for a HotSync operation -------------------------------------------- If you do not have any free serial ports for your organizer, you may choose to share your serial port between the cradle and another serial device. To allow the other device to have access to the serial port, you must first close the HotSync Manager. If you plan to share your serial port often, you may wish to call up the HotSync Setup menu in Palm Desktop software (also found in the Palm Desktop directory) and set the HotSync Manager loading option to "Manual." This prevents the HotSync Manager from loading automatically every time you restart your computer. THIRD-PARTY COMPATIBILITY ========================= We are aware of certain conflicts between the currently shipping version of Palm OS(TM) software and a limited number of third-party applications originally developed for earlier versions of Palm OS software. Many of the conflicts with the new operating system result from subtle enhancements designed to stabilize Palm OS software. We are actively working with developers to resolve these conflicts and apologize for any inconvenience caused to our customers. Please visit the Support section of our web site (http://www.palm.net) or the developer web sites for the latest information on updated product releases. Workaround for AlarmHack users ------------------------------ If you have a current version of AlarmHack on your organizer, be sure to delete it before synchronizing with your computer. Re-installing AlarmHack onto your new organizer should make the application behave properly. Displaying EasySync conduits in Custom dialog box ------------------------------------------------- If you install the new Palm Desktop software over an existing installation with EasySync configured, be sure to restart the HotSync Manager to display the organizer conduits in the HotSync Custom dialog box. TIPS ==== Query applications shipped with the organizer --------------------------------------------- Palm Computing has partnered with many leading companies to provide you with the best query applications for wireless access to information on the Internet. Several query applications are preloaded on your organizer. Many more query applications are included on the CD-ROM. You can install these query applications during the installation of Palm Desktop software. After you complete installation of Palm Desktop software, all of the query applications (both preloaded and the ones you selected from the CD) are copied to the Add-on folder inside the Palm Desktop directory. You can re-install any of these query applications or new query applications by using the Install Tool that is part of Palm Desktop software. The Install tool is also available from the Palm Desktop program folder. Click Start in the Windows taskbar; then choose Programs, Palm Desktop, and Install Tool. The procedure to install query applications is the same as that to install third-party add-on applications. Refer to the Handbook for more details. Download the latest query applications from www.palm.net -------------------------------------------------------- Visit www.palm.net for the latest and greatest query applications. By the time you receive your organizer, we might have posted updated and additional query applications on www.palm.net. Synchronizing your computer with more than one organizer -------------------------------------------------------- If the computer running Palm Desktop software synchronizes with more than one Palm Computing organizer, each organizer MUST have a unique name. You assign the username to your organizer the first time you perform a HotSync operation. Please be aware that synchronizing more than one Palm Computing organizer with the same username causes unpredictable results and, potentially, loss of your personal information. Getting the best results with IR beaming ---------------------------------------- The two organizers should be between ten centimeters (4 inches) and one meter (39 inches) apart, and the path between the two devices should be clear of obstacles. If the organizers are too close or too far apart, you receive a "Beam interrupted" message. To correct the problem, ensure the devices are properly aligned and within range. Note: IR beaming was originally designed to share information with other Palm Computing organizers. Sharing information with other IR devices (such as a printer or laptop) is available on a limited basis. For example: On June 16, 1998, IBM announced a software upgrade--available at no charge--that enables wireless backup and synchronization between your organizer and the latest ThinkPad notebook computers or IBM desktop PC IR adapters. The new software upgrade, available via web download, provides a convenient solution for enhancing the portability of the WorkPad, eliminating the need to bring a synchronizing cradle on the road. For more information, visit the WorkPad web site at http://www.ibm.com/pc/us/workpad. Hints for using Mail and the iMessenger application --------------------------------------------------- Your organizer includes two different messaging applications: Mail and the iMessenger application. They are not related, and you can use either or both, depending on your messaging needs. The iMessenger application allows you to wirelessly send and receive text messages to and from any Internet address. After you complete Activation, the iMessenger application is ready to use. No additional setup is necessary. Mail lets you manage e-mail from your desktop program such as Microsoft Outlook, Exchange, Qualcomm's Eudora, or Lotus cc:Mail. If you want to use the Mail functionality, first install Palm Desktop software included on the CD-ROM. After you complete Setup, you can configure Mail at any time by clicking Start in the Windows taskbar; then choose Programs, Palm Desktop, and Mail Setup. * To prevent mail from being synchronized: - Click the HotSync icon in the Windows system tray (lower right-hand corner of your Windows desktop). - Choose Custom. - Select the Mail conduit. - Click Change. - In the Change HotSync Action dialog box, select Do Nothing. - Check the Set as Default box. (If you do not select the Set as Default box, the Do Nothing setting takes effect only for one HotSync operation.) * If you are using Eudora, select Always or When Eudora is running as the MAPI setting under the Tools/Options menu. Also, make sure that Eudora is running before performing a HotSync operation. * If you are using Outlook Express, select the following options under the Tools/Options menu: - Make Outlook Express my default e-mail program - Make Outlook Express my default Simple MAPI client For Windows NT users, you may need system administrative privileges to change the MAPI settings. KNOWN PROBLEM AREAS =================== For latest details on known problem areas in the organizer, query applications, and Palm Desktop software, please see the Support section of our web site at http://www.palm.net. If your organizer does not turn on automatically ------------------------------------------------ If your organizer does not turn on automatically, make sure the batteries are installed correctly (see the illustration in the Getting Started guide). If that's not the problem, install different batteries. If your organizer still doesn't turn on, before calling Technical Support, try this: Perform a soft reset by unscrewing the top of your stylus and using the reset tool inside to gently press the reset button on the back of your organizer. Time out during activation -------------------------- Different network conditions may cause the activation process to time out. If you lose your connection to the Palm.Net network during activation, you can tap Activate to try again immediately. Or you can tap Save & Exit to save the information you already entered. Then exit the Activate application and try again later to complete activation. Mail ---- You cannot change mail systems or create a new profile for a different mail system if Eudora or Outlook Express MAPI is set to Always (under Tools/Options menu) or if the application is running. TECHNICAL SUPPORT INFORMATION ============================= For technical support issues related to your organizer, contact us here: * Web Access: http://www.palm.net * E-mail: support@palm.net * Telephone: (407) 531-4400 Note: For questions and support on a third-party application, please contact the developer of the application. For activation, billing, service, or repair support, contact us here: * Web Access: http://www.palm.net * E-mail: custcare@palm.net * Telephone: (888) 756-PALM (7256) To obtain 3.5" diskettes of Palm Desktop software or accessories for your organizer, contact us here: * Online download: http://www.palm.net * Mail: Mail the diskette order card that came with your organizer * Telephone (800) 881-PALM (7256) Copyright ========= Copyright (C) 1999 3Com Corporation or its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. 3Com, Palm Computing, and HotSync are registered trademarks, and PalmPilot, Palm III, Palm VII, Palm, Palm OS, Palm.Net, and iMessenger are trademarks of Palm Computing, Inc., 3Com Corporation or its subsidiaries. Other product and brand names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.