An Independent Publication for Users of HP Palmtop Computers

Publisher's Message ...... 1

U.S. $7.95 Letters to the Editor ...... 2 - E New Third Party to Products and Services ...... 3 ..... Q) ..c HP Palmtop User Groups ...... 4 E z~ HP Announces 360LX & 620LX ...... 5 PPalmtop Hewlett-Packard releases the 360LX running Windows CE - to 2.0. The new color 620LX will be released next year. Q) E ~ User To User ...... 9 o HP's Windows version of palmtop PIMs; connecting the > Newton keyboard; SMg double-speed palmtops; Thaddeus Computing's purchase of used palmtops.

The Windows CE 2.0 Operating System .. 6 A quick look at Microsoft's improved operating system for handheld PC's.

Using the Newton Keyboard ...... 16 At last, a keyboard you can touch type on. Through The Looking Glass ...... 20 Ed Keefe picks the best free software from The HP Palmtop Paper's 1997 -9S Subscriber Disk. Using the HP LX and DBLearn ...... 24 A program that asks for words chosen at random from the contents of any HP 100 /200LX database, such as a vocabu­ lary or foreign language database.

Interview: Mack Baggette ...... 13 Doubling the palmtop's speed and increasing its memory to SMegs; palmtop repairs and more. Mechanic Uses HP 100LX in Business ... 26 Southem California-based "Honda Bob" has tailored his palmtop's applications to his unique business. Get Me To The Church, ~ Train or Plane On Time ...... 29 The Palmtop and A Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet that can help you get there (or the Honda Mechanic anywhere) on time. The Palmtop Adventures of a Publican from Dublin ...... 32 The palmtop Pub owner recounts the best of his computer adventures. Adventures of a Pub Owner from Dublin How It All Began ...... 35 How a number of HP LX users got started using their palmtops. Basic Tips ...... 39 HP announces 620LX: palmtop PC with Quick Tips ...... 41 1 2 COLOR DISPLAY! Advertiser's Index ...... 44 Files on November/December 97 ON DISK . . 44

.0 7447083112 9 'for all ,-ur Handbfeld CorlRDlllilla, ~.mmunl,ali8ns "lmaalnll feeds Recognizedfor providing "extraordinary service for beyond expectations" - by the HP Palmtop Paper Best Tips 1997

Hardware

• HP Palmtop PCs • Windows CE HPCs • Toshiba Librettos • Digital Cameras • Portable Printers • Modems • Memory Cards • Custom Cables • Cases • High Capacity Rechargeable Batteries • Customized Newton Keyboards • Wireless Modems • Accessories ... Software tmu'f'_' i 'CU"k .'."'-' j Ha.i l / For u,../ Folde r S9cliono Hl!Ig Ha d Snd Bin Sla.t.us .)WWW/LXandPost/LX: The graphical web browser : ~ :' ~ u n 9 W .• - and Internet e-mail client specifically designed for the ,. t) ~~ ~~ a Ve ndor:s t~ t ~ t ~ : : . : ~ Vo nlura Pub} i:sh gr 1 2 3 ., 8 1 0 • q • • d Co rsI Graphic!' 1 2 7 8 1 0 12 q • • d 100/200LX Terp\in <'.l l El"luI lIt. i on • d Quick/LX: The typing aid for the HP Palmtop Magnify: Magnifies any area of the palmtop screen, making viewing much easier. acCIS4.0 Screen ABC/LX: adds intelligence to battery charging and monitors battery usage. (.) acCIS4.0: Compuserve automation program - all new look and ease of use!Supports CompuServe's "new mail", forums, weather, stock quotes and more. Much, much more ... Corporate Solutions & Development

.M "' • Let our team of experts find the right solution for your SIS S H >E R SYSTEMS' SOFTWAR E. 'Ne workforce's ultra-portable computing, communications SHIER System s & So ftware, Inc. specializes in HP Palmto p Com puters and accessories. This We b site & . . d provides", look at many o f our pro ducts plu ~ other useful informatio n. ImagIng nee s. : :: i~~ '~:~!b:;tifc'7'n ~!:~e!'tJr ~ ~~~e H:o~!t~;yt~s to order it t o day! • Our Corporate Solutions Group can assist you with ----=-.,.....--..--=------needs assesments, detailed systems planning, full cost analysis, ROI calculations, WWW/LXScreen business process re-engineering, connectivity (wireless and landline), training and implementation. • We can help you select the hardware and software that is right for your business. • If needed, we'll provide custom software and intranet design as well.

Contact our Corporate Solutions Office in Irvine California at 714-559-1142 or e-mail [email protected] for details on how we can help your company or organization. SHIER SYSTEMS & SOAWARE, INC. 920 Hampshire Rd, Suite A· Westlake Village, CA 91361 S Phone: 805-371-9391 • Fax: 805-371-9454 E-mail: [email protected] • Web Site: http://www.shier.com

In Europe or Asia, please contact our authorized agent: Rundel Detentechnik, Phone: +497161 14707 Fax: +49716124473 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://www.rundel-d.com From The Editor The HP Palmtop Paper INCREASING YOUR PERSONAL POWER lthough I've been an editor at By EXPANDING YOUR A The HP Palmtop Paper for a year, I PALMTOP'S POTENTIAL stepped into the position of Managing Editor six months ago, and Hal Volume six / Issue six NovemberlDecember 1997 Goldstein, publisher of The Paper, thought it was time I introduced Executive EditorlPublisher myself. Hal Goldstein Publications Director Back in 1986 when I wanted to buy Richard Hall my first computer, I spurned expen­ Managing Editor Ralph C. Turner sive IBMs and Macs for a low-priced Art Director Atari ST. I got addicted to computing, AI Constantineau and when I left my job as managing Technical Editor editor of a real estate magazine, I Tom Gibson wrote and self-published three books Department Editors Ed Keefe about the Atari ST. My most recently Wayne Kneeskern published book, which is on a com- Carl Merkle Ralph C. Turner pletely different subject, is titled, Contributing Writers Matt Haigh, Robert Hebert, "Country Property Dirt Cheap: How I Larry Nielsen, John McGowan, Found My Piece of Inexpensive Rural Land .. . Plus My Adventures With a $300 Linda Worthington Junk/Antique Tractor." AdvertisingIMarketing Brian Teitzman When Hal suggested I come to work at Thaddeus Computing, I had mis­ Margaret Martin givings about switching my attention from the Macintosh-like Atari ST (and Tiffany Lisk my DOS computers) to the HP palmtop. "There's no way," I said to myself, Circulation David Brooks "that I'll get excited about this dinky little toy." It turned out I was wrong: I Sharon Lloyd did get excited about the palmtop. In fact, I now rely on my 200LX in ways that Executive Advisor I never imagined I would, and I'm continuing to find exciting new uses for it. Rita Goldstein The big news this month is HP's announcement of the new 620LX The HP Palmtop Paper (lSSN 10656189) is published by Thaddeus Computing Windows CE palmtop. The release of this palmtop, with its color display Inc., at 110 North Court Street, Fairfield, and built-in voice recorder, is bound to attract attention. Also noteworthy IA 52556. Periodical postage paid at Fairfield, Iowa. Subscription rates are the releases of the new 360LX Palmtop PC and version 2.0 of the payable in U.s. dollars, checks drawn on Windows CE operating system. However, as you can see from the letters to a U.s. bank, or by credit card - one year: $39; two years: $69. Postage: U.S. the editor, a lot of us still prefer our 100LXs and 200LXs. and U.S. possessions free; Canada, Mexico add $6 per year; other countries Hal's discussion of how to run HP palmtop PIM software on a desktop add $18 per year. Published bi-monthly plus two bonus issues, one in April and computer should be of interest to anyone who has both a palmtop and a Pc. one in November. Please allow four to In the Reviews section, Carl Merkle describes what it's like to use the six weeks for receipt of first issue. Executive, Editorial, Circulation, Newton keyboard with the palmtop. This keyboard, which allows you to Marketing and Advertising Offices: 110 easily touch type, can dramatically increase the usefulness of your palmtop. North Court Street, Fairfield, IA 52556. Telephone: (515) 472-6330, FAX: (515) Let me close by inviting any of you to contact me if you'd like to write an 472-1879. Copyright 1997, Thaddeus Compu­ article or submit a tip. And, of course, your letters are always welcome. (I ting, Inc., all rights reserved. No part of can be reached bye-mail [email protected]. For mailing and this publication may be reproduced without written permission. Reasonable telephone information, see page 46.) efforts are made to provide accurate and useful information, but the reader must It has been enjoyable getting to know those of you who have already make his or her own investigations and communicated with me. HP palmtop users constitute sort of a club, and I'm decisions; the Publisher and Editorial Staff cannot assume any responsibility glad to be a member. or liability for the use of information contained herein. POSTMASTER: Please send any address changes to The HP Palmtop Paper, Attn: Thaddeus Computing, Inc., 110 North Court Street, Fairfield, IA 52556.

THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1997 1 Letters

and backlighting and incor­ butt." In any event, I totally platforms? HP is obviously porate them in a new HP agree. This is a very impor­ not going to integrate them. 200-like model but tant contribution by Mr. It thus remains for someone Windows CE has a long way Adachi (creator of the dri­ else to do so. to go to be a productive and ver) to the HP's already I am therefore seriously responsive user interface. staggering arsenal of tools. proposing that HP should For now, life is too short to either spin off their palmtop switch. Edward Gomez division (or sell a license, Tried HP 320, Enclosed is my subscrip­ 74100.2 [email protected] whatever... ) to a small group returned to HP 200LX tion renewal. I look forward of entrepreneurs who have I read with interest Hal to another year of reading the intelligence, motivation Software Carousel and Goldstein's User to User in The HP Palmtop Paper. and market savvy to take the Newton keyboard the Sept/Oct issue (where he the HP 320 and the HP gave his candid opinion of Linda Leng Here's some feedback on the 200LX and integrate them. Windows CE). The company Townsend, MA Newton keyboard I just I refuse to believe and I work for bought a few HP bought from Shier Systems. nobody can tell me other­ 320s for trial, and as a long­ It works fine for ordinary wise, that the best of both time HP palmtop user I took HP 320LX's bigger keys typing, and I really like it. platforms can't easily be integrated and even one and gave it a try. Pro and con arguments• will Well worth the price. enhanced. Neither one I put my HP 200LX away certainly be made for built­ Absolutely perfect size for would have to compromise and spent 30 days with the in versus external numeric touch typing and toting in the other. And it still could HP 320 and Window CEo In pads. My decision to get the an overnight bag. be sold for less than $700. the end my impression is, HP 320LX rather than the However, under Software Memory is just too cheap "What a silly machine." It is HP 200LX was SOLELY Carousel, many of the palm­ today and so are processors. slow, the screen is not because the 320LX had the top-specific keys don't You at Thaddeus Compu­ "crisp," and it is not a pro­ built-in numeric pad, and work. They lock up the ting are halfway there ductivity aid in any sense. therefore bigger letter keys. machine, requiring a reset. already with your memory Its two positive points - Because of unsteady hands, But since the palmtop's key­ upgrades. having a wide screen and a bigger keyboard is impor­ board is still active while Of course, palmtops are a being backlit - do not com­ tantto me. using the Newton, this is no pensate for the poor func­ problem whatsoever. niche product. The profit that HP makes off all the tionality of the Contacts, Herb Klassen palmtops they ever sold Calendar and Excel pro­ Mississauga, Ontario RalphAlvy probably wouldn't equal the grams (slow to bring up, Canada [email protected] cumbersome to enter data money they make from just on multiple "forms," and one of their high-end work­ He likes the Newton stations! Yet, for a small and slow to find an entry). I also Anxiety about missed the functionality of keyboard flexible company, the HP 200LX demise rewards could be substan­ the HP calculator and the The Newton keyboard is an Just got your Sept/Oct tial, and the risks could be 10-key numeric keypad. I absolute must for most seri­ issue. First, thanks many minimized if HP could be put the Windows CE "calcu­ ous HP LX users. My first times over for the info and persuaded to remain as a lator" on the HP 320's desk­ impresssion was one of tips in your magazine. It partner in some capacity. top, but once again, found sheer astonishment. Imagine would be really tough to go They'll have to pry my the application to be "silly" having the LX's potential it alone. But even though cold, dead fingers from in comparison to the HP weakest link taken out IN I've read every issue, I still around my three trusty HP 200's functionality. SPADES. The machine per­ don't understand why HP is 200LXs before I give them Last week I went back to forms like a desktop PC choosing to let the HP up. my HP 200LX and it was a with this VERY nice little 200LX die on the vine. relief, like finding a long­ keyboard. I also read with much David T. Dixon lost friend. The HP 200 is a I don't know if it was A vi interest the two letters Indianapolis, IN serious machine, whereas Meshar (one of the founders favoring the HP 320 (James the Windows CE machines of D&A Software) who said, Kendrick) and the HP 200LX are still toys - waiting to "This is no wimpy little (Jeff Cragg). Each side has mature. chicklet key apparatus; this valid points. But why risk It would be nice if HP device really kicks serious could take the wide screen some giant food fight over (Continued on page 38)

2 THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 1997 This section lists new products issues, the Internet, wireless ASIA CONTACT: Times2 AsiaPac of interest to users of the HP communications, electronic Technologies; Phone: +65-289-9338; palmtop PCs. New Products software distribution, and Fax: +65-234-2954; E-mail: times2@ SOFTWARE asianconnect.com includes descriptions of hard­ more. April 6-10 San ware, software, books, videos , Francisco. Sponsored by IntelliSync and training and service offerings. Palm Computing, Psion theHP 200LX Prices listed in this section are Software and GeoWorks. PCMCIA Cards suggested retail. You may be A number of palmtop users able to get the products for less CONTACT: Creative Digital Japanese have wondered whether if you shop around. Publishing; Phone: 415-621-4252; Modem/Fax/Flash card Puma's IntelliSync connec­ Fax: 415-621-4922; tivity / synchronization soft­ HP Palmtop Paper Staff E-mail: [email protected] The PCMF-144/20 Modem/ ware supports synchroniza­ Web: www.cdpubs.com Fax/Flash card, manufac­ tion between Microsoft tured by 1-0 Data Device, Outlook 97 and the HP EVENTS Inc., is now available in 200LX. A Puma representa­ HARDWARE Japan (but not elsewhere). tive has provided the fol­ The card, which reportedly lowing answer: works in the HP 200LX (but IntelliSync for HP World Market Strategies not the 100LX), retails for Ltd./PDA Inc. announces Upgrades 200LX has been engineered 78,000 yen. Specifications as a 16-bit application, and "The Second Annual include: Mobile & PDA Expo" to be Worldwide Distributors as a result, can only support held February 18, 1998 at the For Times2 Tech MODEM: 16-bit applications such as 300 - 14,400 bps Clarion Hotel at San Times2 Tech TechRAM Schedule+, Lotus Organizer, MNP class 2 - 4,1O,ITU-T V42 Francisco Int Airport. They memory upgrades increase 2.1 Sidekick, etc. As a 16-bit (LAPM) application, IntelliSync for expect more than 2,000 peo­ the internal memory of the MNP class 5, ITU-T V42bis ple to attend the Expo which HP 200LX to up to 8 Mb, HP 200LX cannot support is focused exclusively on resulting in a C: \ drive with FAX: any 32-bit applications, such mobile, portable, compact 300 - 14,400 bps as Microsoft Outlook 97, up to 7.3 Mh. The upgrades EIA class 1, 2 compatible pc, wireless, PDA, H / PC, are built into the palmtop Lotus Organizer 97, ACT! smart phone, and hand-held (leaving the PCMCIA card FLASHATA: 3.X, etc. computing technology. slot empty) and are therefore PC card ReI. 1.02 compatible However, Puma has a The Expo features ideal for everybody who 20 Mb, Sector length: 512 K product called IntelliMigrate byte. Error correction: ECC exhibits by 75+ hardware, wants to use PCMCIA cards for Windows CE, which can software, component, and other than memory cards, WEIGHT: simply and automatically peripheral equipment man­ such as modems, parallel 35 g (not including a cable) transfer data from an exist­ ufacturers, 30+ educational port cards, etc. POWER: ing device, such as the HP seminars, workshops, and Also available is the Times2 + 5 V single 200LX, directly into a developer conferences, and Tech TechSpeed clock up­ AT A only; 50 rnA (Max) Windows CE device such as keynote addresses from grade which almost doubles Combined use of Modem and the HP 300LX or HP 320LX. leading high-tech execu­ the performance of the HP ATA: 170 mA(Max) tives. CONTACT: Puma Technology, 2550 100LX, 200LX and OmniGo CONTACT: 1-0 DATA DEVICE,INC. , North First St. , Suite 500, San Jose, 700LX. Sales Dept, 1-0 DATA 2nd Bldg., 15-7 CA 95131 , USA; Phone: 408-321- CONTACT: World Market Strategies/­ I Sakurada-cho, Kanazawa-shi , 3836; Fax : 408-433-2212; E-mail: CONTACT: Thaddeus Computing, 110 PDA Inc; Phone: 415-252-8008; Fax: Ishikawa, Japan 920: Tel: +81-762-60- [email protected] Web: www . North Court St. , Fairfield, IA 52556, 415-252-8055; e-mail : drew@wms Itd.­ 1024 or +81-762-60-3351 ; Web : pumatech.com USA; Phone: 515-472-6330; or 800- com Web: www.pda-expo.com www.iodata.co.jp 373-6114; Fax: 515-472-1879; E-mail: Handheld Systems '98: The orders@thaddeus .com; Web: www.thaddeus.com Note: An HP Palmtop Paper SHAREWARE/FREEWARE Science, Art, and Business subscriber informs us that a of Personal Systems Devel­ CONTACT: Your One-Stop Palmtop computer shop in Kanazawa, opment, entering its fourth Shop, 170 South Jackson St., Japan, is willing to deal with year, focuses exclusively on Janesville, WI 53545, USA; Phone: foreigners . Contact the shop Upgrades development-related topics 608-752-1537 or 800-709-9494; Fax: 608-752-9548. owner, Mr. Nobuyuki Yamase, for handheld computer at [email protected] su.or.jp Family practice medical files hardware and software. The EUROPEAN CONTACT: Rundel Daten­ technik, Rappenstr. 20, 73033 Goep­ Steve Carder, M.D., a family conference includes in­ practitioner, has collected depth discussions of key pingen, Germany; Phone: +49-7161- 14707; Fax: +49-7161-24473; E-Mail: and made available a num­ platforms and APIs, hard­ [email protected]; Web: www.rundel­ ber of files (Notebook, ware design, business d.com

THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1997 3 NEW PRODUCTS spreadsheet, Solver equations) for the remove dust and debris while provid­ HP lOO/200LXs that may be useful for ing a clear, anti-static coating. those in the medical professions. MISCELLANEOUS Subjects include internal medicine, Price: $14.95 for a box of 12, plus $2.24 for shipping pediatrics, and obstetrics. The file Screen cleaner and handling. (MEDSTUFF.EXE) . , which is self­ CONTACT: Concept Kitchen , 326 Fell Street, San Brain Wash is a two-step cleaning sys­ Francisco, CA 94102, USA; Phone: 415-252-3333; extracting, can be run from Filer or the tem designed to prolong the screen life Fax: 415-252-3323; E-mail: [email protected] DOS prompt. of handhelds and other electronic Web: www.conceptkitchen.com equipment. The cloths are designed to Type: Freeware Available: CompuServe's HPHAND, Library 11, or . ,. .~ , contact Steve Carder at 73561.1 006@ compuserve.com .' P Palmtop User Grou ~J -:..' .. FLEXPAD.ZIP • Those interested in participating in an HP Palmtop users group SPAIN -- Barcelona: Julio Lazaro Crespo; Email: lazaro­ text editor should contact the following individuals. Send us contact informa­ [email protected] tion formatted as below ifyou wish to be added as a contact for a FLEXPAD is an organizer/text editor. users group in your area. Some of the individuals listed offer SWEDEN -- Kent lIIemann; Telephone/Fax: 08- 611 4885; E-mail: Palmtop advice but may not be organizing an official users group. I Kent.lllemann @eca.ericsson.se; or l00775.2027@compuserve. Type in notes and add labels to delin­ com; Also Thomas H., Tel: 46 (70) 5308970 or Phone/Fax: 46 (8) eate appointments, todos, categories, 7733740; E-mail: Thomas.Hult. [email protected] (This is a 200LX bookmarks and sections. View the HP Palmtop Worldwide User Group News -- Send material group) about User Group activities to Conrad Cox; E-mail: 76164.467 SWITZERLAND -- Alexander Gutfeldt; Landoltstrasse 28, CH- labels in daily, weekly or monthly @compuserve.com; Website: www.ccnet.coml·cdcox 3007. Beme. SWITZERLAND; E-mail: l00527.2461@compuserve increments or by matching a search ARGENTINA -- Buenos Aires: Miguel Angel Misseri; E-mail: .com; or [email protected] phrase. Settings allow optimization for 73070.3665@compuserve .com. Cordoba: Paul Nani; Tel: 54-51- TURKEY -- Ahmet G. Ozisik; Tel: (212) 227 52 00; E-mail: 715649; E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] or HP Turl

4 THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1997 NEW S NEW S NEW S NEW S NEW S HP announces 360LX and 620LX Palmtop PC

Hewlett-Packard has announced the release of its new 360LX Palmtop PC running WindowsCE 2.0. An upgrade program is available for HP 320LX users. The new 620LX, to be released next year, will sport a high-resolution color display and built-in voice recorder.

By Rich Hall

rior to the November The HP 620 LX - comes with a Additional software on CD ROM PCOMDEX this year, Micro­ 640x240-pixel 256 color screen with H/PC Explorer version 2.0: desk­ soft announced the release of natural white backlight. The 620LX top PC software for connecting HP its new Windows CE 2.0 operating has a 75 MHz CPU and 16 Mb of palmtop PC to PC); Translation system. All H/PC manufacturers, RAM. In addition to the ports men­ software: for converting HP including Hewlett-Packard, res­ tioned above, the 620LX has a built 100/200LX & OmniGo 100/120 ponded with the release of new in microphone and audio speaker appointment I phone books to handheld PCs. which supports its Voice Recorder. H/PC formats; Trial software from Hewlett-Packard's new 360LX The 620LX comes standard with independent software vendors, and 620LX corne with the Win­ a Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery including: Mail on the Run!; Pocket dows CE 2.0 operating system, all pack and an AC adapter. Acces­ On-Schedule; Ardis wireless solu­ of its improvements and suite of sories included with 620LX pack­ tions bundle; Wyndmail/CE and Pocket applications (see "HP age: Lithium-Ion battery pack; one more. 360LX & 620LX" sidebar, page 6). CR-2032 coin cell backup battery; Both H/PCs feature direct-print two CD ROMs with free software; capability, a well-spaced QWERTY Synch cable; Docking Cradle; AC W'mdows CE 2.0 Upgrades keyboard, easy-to-read TrueType Adapter. Hewlett-Packard Company will fonts, serial port, infrared ports, provide a ROM upgrade program and a CompactFlash Card slot. Software built into 360LX/620LX for the latest Microsoft Windows Both are powered by rechargeable Both units corne with Windows CE CE 2.0 for the handheld PC operat­ batteries. 2.0, its accessories and "Pocket" ing system for the HP 320LX palm­ The HP 360LX - comes with a applications (see Windows CE 2.0 top Pc. (The upgrade is not avail­ 60 MHz CPU, 8 Mb RAM. The review, page 6). In addition, the new able for the HP 300LX) The new 360LX features a large 640x240 HP palmtop PCs have the following upgrade is available free to cus­ monochrome screen with "natural­ software built into ROM: bFAX Pro tomers who purchase the HP 320LX white" backlighting. The 360LX is lets you send and receive faxes; beginning Sept. 2, 1997. The HP powered by two AA rechargeable bFIND is a global search utility; 320LX ROM upgrade can be NiMH batteries. Accessories includ­ Financial applications software (full installed easily by the user, and ed with the 360LX package: User versions available when you register unlike other Windows CE hand­ Guides; Two AA NiMH batteries; your Palmtop PC); Remote held devices, does not require the One CR-2032 coin cell backup bat­ Networking; (to PPP access servers); sacrifice of a memory slot or the use tery; CD ROM with free software. Terminal Application (TTY, VT-100). of special tools or outside support.

THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 1997 5 New HP 360LX & 620LX REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW HP360LX& 620LX The Windows CE 2.0

HP 620LX - $ (to be announced). Operating System 16 Mb RAM, color display HP 360LX - $699 8 Mb RAM, monochrome screen By Rich Hall HP 320LX - $599 4 Mb RAM, monochrome screen HP 300LX - $499 t seems that Microsoft has 2 Mb RAM, monochrome screen I taken a step forward with its release of the Windows CE 2.0 Accessories and Other Available operating system. Microsoft offi­ Options (prices suggested retail) cially released it as we went to press so we haven't had time to HP CompactFlash Memory Windows CE 2.0 cascades the Start button plus PC Card slot adapter test it. But here are some of the menus, making it easier to locate and access things we do know from initial programs and documents on the HIPC. 2 Mb (# HP F1229A) - $99 Microsoft press releases and other 4 Mb (# F1231A) - $149 sources. j.rctt...IIMYOiXImtnIS G -.l8Ul~~ ~M "..J 10 Mb (F1233A) - $ 299 Although adding functionality ~t1'(I'Ill ~tcn NtwYOr~ """"lew Sl.i1UJ ShorIll:lJtI:l FIIt$ T~ 15 Mb (F1245A) - $ NA to HP's and other manufacturers' handhelds, Microsoft is looking AC Adapter beyond the H/PCs with Windows 300-360LX (HP F1218A) - $29.99 CE 2.0. They see it as the operating Windows CE 2.0 bangs users a Pocket version 620LX (HP F1241A) - $ NA system that will enable the devel­ of PowerPoinl Users can connect to a VGA HP Docking Cradle/AC Adapter monitor and display color slides, even if their opment of a new range of comput­ HIPC has a gray scale screen. HP will offer a 300-360LX (HP F1224A) - $29.99 ing appliances, including portable VGA adapter card for their new Handheld PCs. 620LX (HP F1241A) - $ NA computing devices such as the Sync. Cable (HP F1223A) - $14.99 H/PCs, game devices, smart phones, TV set controllers, and HP Leather Case (HP F1227 A) - $69 home appliances. Stylus 3-Pack 300-360 (HP F1225A)- $9.99 What Windows CE 2.0 means for H/PC users 620LX (HP F1247A) )-$ NA Windows CE 2.0 comes with a new Pocket ver­ 620LX battery packs Hewlett-Packard and most of the sion of Windows Explorer, now accessed in a other manufacturers of H/PCs submenu of the programs menu. It incorporates Standard (HP F1253A) )- $ N.A. (except Hitachi) are offering many new web-like features including Forward Extended (HP F1254A) )- $ NA and Back buttons and a Favorites menu. upgrade paths for users of their 620LX VGA PC Card adapter handhelds. In some cases, howev­ (HPF1252A) - $ NA er, only certain models from a par­ cascading menus). Windows CE 2.0 620LX External Charger ticular manufacturer can be also supports Autohide, which (HP F1246AO) - $ NA upgraded. In the case of the HP, removes the taskbar from the screen only the 320LX can be upgraded to when not in use, giving more screen Windows CE 2.0. space to an application. For more information on the HP palmtop Windows CE 2.0 adds one new PC or the HP 320 Upgrade program, con­ Features new to Windows CE 2.0 application, comes out with a new tact your local HP dealer or Hewlett­ Packard Company Phone: 800-443-1254; The new version of Windows CE version of an old one, and inte­ Web: www.hp.com lhandheld supports TrueType fonts, which grates three others. The new appli­ means that H/PC screens will be cation is Pocket Power Point ROM Upgrade Kit: $129 (u.s.) more readable. Microsoft has incor­ Viewer. This is a Pocket version of (Free to 320LX purchases aher Sep. 2, porated one of the features from its the popular desktop application 1991) Available: Dec., 1997 through Feb. PowerToys freeware and given PowerPoint. It lets H / PC users 28, 1998 Windows CE the ability to cascade read and edit Power Point slides menus (see this page for example of and import slides from the desk-

6 THEHPPALMTOPPAPER NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 1997 top. Windows CE 2.0 supports 32- Windows® CE Toolkit for ing expertise with the Win32 API bit color, which means that manu­ Visual C++® 5.0 -- lets developers and the Microsoft Visual C++ facturers can create devices to con­ create Windows CE applications, Development System. nect the H/PC to an external color building on existing expertise with For more information on these VGA monitor (such devices the Win32 API and the Microsoft Microsoft Windows CE Dev­ already exist). This means that the Visual C++ Development System. user can make slide presentations elopment Tools, check out the Windows® CE Toolkit for from the H / PC. Microsoft developers Web site: Visual Basic® 5.0 -- provides Windows CE 2.0 also comes http://www.microsoft.com/win Visual Basic programmers with the with a new version of Pocket dowsce / developer / prodinfo / defa tools needed to build solutions for ult.htm. Internet Explorer. You can use this Windows CE-based devices. These added tools mean that to not only browse the Internet, but developers with Windows pro­ browse the files on your H/PC. Windows® CE Toolkit for gramming experience will have the Pocket Internet Explorer is Visual J++™ 1.1 - enables devel­ tools necessary to port existing improved in other ways, making it opers to create embeddable Java applications to, or develop new closer to the desktop version in applications for Windows CE ones for, the Windows CE operat­ look and features. devices using Visual J++ 1.1. Windows CE 2.0 has merged ing system. This added support Windows® CE Embedded should insure the acceptance and Contacts, Calendar and Tasks into Toolkit for Visual C++® 5.0 -­ one application that closely resem­ growth of the operating system. In combines an integrated develop­ addition, it should encourage the bles the desktop version of ment environment with a compre­ development of a wide variety of Microsoft Outlook, and easily syn­ hensive set of Win32-based embed­ software and hardware solutions chronizes with it. ded development technology. for end users. Pocket Word and Excel are also improved. Pocket Word now Visual c++ for Windows CE - lets you spell check a document lets a developer develop Windows and use TrueType fonts without CE applications, building on exist- conversion. It does a better job of formatting your document with tabs, indentation, and numbered lists. Pocket Excel adds database The MagicRAM Flash Storage Solution functions along with the ability to zoom in and out, and split or freeze V 100% Plug & Play sections of the worksheet. V Low cost, high capacity storage Windows CE 2.0 has improved V No batteries required its synchronization capabilities. You V Super low power usage for longer palmtop battery life can now partner with multiple PCs, instead of just one. CE 2.0 also lets V High performance solid state technology H/PCs with two memory slots V Fully compatible with HP Palmtops, digital cameras, Windows CE access both at the same time. Finally, Handheld PC's and other PCMCIA based computers CE 2.0 improves the speed and relia­ V Withstands 1000G of shock bility of wireless networking. V 4MB to 64MB uncompressed V Lifetime warranty

What Windows CE 2.0 4MB Turbo Flash Card $99.00 means for developers 8MB Turbo Flash Card $139.00 There are a lot of improvements in 12MB Turbo Flash Card $179.00 Windows CE 2.0 that are technical 16MB Turbo Flash Card $229.00 in nature and of more interest to 20MB Turbo Flash Card $279.00 developers. Perhaps the most 40MB Turbo Flash Card $449.00 important change is that Windows 64MB Turbo Flash Card $649.00 Also Available: CompactFlash™, Linear Flash, Flash Miniature Card, SRAM, PC Card Reader/writer, CE 2.0 makes it easier to develop PC Card Hard Drive, FaxIModem and Ethernet PC Card. software programs for the H / PC. This should make more applica­ tions available for the end user. Microsoft has released develop­ ment tools including:

THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 1997 7 Knowledge Products From Thaddeus "..I.!'__ '.' ~ The HP Palmtop Paper's CD InfoBase I THE ~ HP Palmtop NEW 1998 VERSION: Buy or Upgrade "1be contents of the CD are great! I love having Paper's '98 CD In/oBase This Windows CD contains in hypertext searchable format all 1991-97 The HP Palmtop Papers, detailed --~--- all the infonnation in one ~~~~ ----~'-"- advertiser product descriptions, HP 200LX User's Guide, HP100/200/700LX Developer's Guide, and com­ ,. ~, ..

Attention: Palmtop Developers and Enthusiasts SubSCription includes: • 6 bi-monthly issues· the [fiillr-JIDtU PC The Developer's Package includes everything you need to write sofrware, annual Handheld PC Magazine Windows CE Buyer's •• ,,,,., ... ,t:!!i!!!!!!!!I! Guide • Special Report: 12 Important Things 189 New design hardware, or simply understand the inner workings of the HP Products! F:~~ Palmtop. 'illlillmilIIC Every Handheld PC User Should Know • "-==: The Package includes: Handheld PC Magazine's Goodies Disk con­ &_PC .- taining the 20 best Windows CE - -­- -.=:'Ei 1) Printed copy of 586-page Developer's Guide u~ ~~~'lret 2) Disk containing HP-created source code and utilities for developers based freeware/shareware games, Internet Explorer w"to.'oe'i\ utilities, and applications. .... _ ... ~ ...11111 3) Complete set of kits for marketing your Palmtop product Handheld PC Bonuses Iiii -- ':. 4) CompuServe starter kit (CompuServe is where Palmtop programmers Handheld PC Magazine hangout) 5) PAL: a C source code library for developing software with the look and feel of the HP Palmtop built-in applications IMicroRef Quick Reference Lotus 123 and DOS 5 Guides I

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Get all the great freeware and shareware you read about in each issue of The HP Palmtop Paper. This invaluable supplement to The HP Palmtop Paper also contains detailed infor­ mation from advel1isers plus the full text of The HP Palmtop Paper for text search. HP 100/200LX Developer's Guide PLUS: Each year we compile the best palmtop tips and the best freeware and share­ ware and put it on rwo 1.44 Meg floppy disks. Included FREE with your The HP Thaddeus Palmtop Paper ON DISK subscription, or can be purchased separately. Computing INC. Publisher: The HP Palmtop Paper and Handheld PC Magazine TO ORDER: Please use either 110 Nonh Coun, Fairfield, 1A 52556 "Best Tips ON DISK" comes free with The HP 800-373-6114· 1-515-472-6330 of the order cards in this issue. Fax: 1-515-472-1879· E-Mail: [email protected] Palmtop Paper ON DISK subscription NEW S NEW S NEW S NEW S NEW S User to User: Special Software and Hardware News Hal discusses HP's Windows versions of palmtop PIMs; connecting the Newton keyboard to the palmtop; BMg double-speed palmtops; and Thaddeus Computing's purchase of used palmtops.

By Hal Goldstein

Running HP palmtop PIM forum (in the OmniBook 500 and A few features were missing and software on a desktop OmniBook 600 sections, files some were added. For example, the For several years HP has quietly OB5DSK.ZIP and OB6DSK.ZIP, List Stats, Cash Flows, and Date shipped Windows versions of HP respectively). Most of the files are Cales applications are missing from palmtop Phone Book, ApptBook, not relevant and apply only to the HPCale. On the other hand, there is and HP Cale with HP OmniBook OmniBook. There is a warning in a "delete categories" option in the laptops and HP desktop Vectras the readme file that the files in each PhoneBook Edit pull-down menu and Pavilions. Using this software of the ZIP archives are intended for which is not available on the palm­ on a desktop lets you access your the respective OmniBook. There­ top version. HP palmtop phone, appointment fore, if you experiment, you are on Also, there are many Windows book, and solver files in the your own and you should take enhancements that make the appli­ Windows environment on your appropriate precautions. cations easier to use. Examples desktop. include icons for mouse-clickable Running PIM software in Windows weekly, monthly, and six-month Bad news and good news The OB6DSK.ZIP • file contains views; easy mouse selection of The bad news is that this software slightly newer versions of Phone multiple phone items; and mouse­ has not generally been available. and ApptBook software. I found I resizeable columns for the phone Also, it was intended for use by HP needed the following files out of list view (no data card view). on the target machines on which it the rather larger archive: HP The Windows software read in came. However, we have recently CALC.EXE . , HPCALC.HLP . , my 200LX Appointment Book, a discovered several sources of this PHONE.EXE . , PHONE.HLP . , 66k PhoneBook, and some equa­ software, the general usage of APPTS.EXE . , APPTS.HLP . , tions. However, I got an error mes­ which is not supported by HP. DB.DLL • . I put all the files in one sage when I tried to read in a large One source is a CD from Yellow' subdirectory on my desktop. (200Kb) PhoneBook file. (Note that Software in Germany. (The CD, Using Windows95's Start Run my phone file is not modified. It is which is called The HP Palmtop command I was able to execute unlikely that this Windows Phone Software Kit, not only includes the HPCalc, PhoneBook and Appt program will read in a phone file in PIM software, but also an Book. (See Screens 1, 2 and 3.) which the fields are modified). enhanced version of Transfile Win HPCale did not require DB.DLL Also, the alarms did not beep on 200, the Windows-to-Palmtop file in the same directory, but Phone­ my desktop. transfer software available at HP's Book and ApptBook would not run We plan to include these files web site [http://hpcc923.external. without DB.DLL. The software also on our 1998 CD InfoBase and this hp.com/handheld/ getting_help / s runs under Windows 3.11. You can issue's HP Palmtop Paper ON DISK. oftware / palmtops / transfile.html ], create a Windows 3.11 icon or a But use them at your own risk and plus lots of palmtop freeware and Windows 95 shortcut to launch the remember they are unsupported by shareware.) software from your desktop. HP. The other source for the soft­ The programs worked nicely in ware is on CompuServe's HPPC the Windows/mouse environment.

THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 1997 9 USER TO USER

A palmtop keyboard, at last! ..... 1 HP Financial Calculator file f dit .clear Application ~ew Qptions Help If you've followed this column, you may recall that several times I have suggested that a portable keyboard would be a great appli­

Numbe r o f pe r lod!! ••• _ ••. N • 60.00 cation for the palmtop. The adapted Newton keyboard available ,I\YR . 9.50 Pre~ent value .. .. ,PV - 13,000.00 from Shier Systems, reviewed in this issue, does a great job filling Payment8 •. . . •.... PUT - -273.20 Future value ... •••••• • FV _ Payment$ per 'Ye!!lc ...•.• • ...... P/YR _ lZ the bill. Once again, thanks goes to a Japanese palmtop user, Mr. Beqin/ End mode .•.••••.• • •.• ...• B/E _ tN> K. Adachi, for writing the software driver that enables the palm­ top to use the Newton keyboard. Thanks to David Shier for sub­ stituting a custom cable for the palmtop for the Newton cable. -273.20 I II The Newton keyboard is portable, light weight, and draws EJDBEJI~T Il:JEJlr:e II F~ I~ very little palmtop battery power. The footprint is the minimum ITime Value of Money - Case 1 11ALG DEG size to still be touch-typeable. Now I have no reason to take a lap­ top when I travel. I can do all my e-mail and word processing on SCREEN 1 the palmtop using this keyboard. Further, I can use the keyboard When HPCalc is run from Windows, the mouse can be used to make selections. for entering the stack of busirless card data I accumulate at trade shows into my palmtop. The only problem I have discovered is that I have to switch applications (e.g., from Phone to Memo) on the palmtop rather than on the Newton keyboard with Software Carousel running. Mack Baggette, manufacturer of speed and BMg memory

-I AepO intmllnlS · APPT1.ADB 10114/ 9112 : 1"PM I · l ~ 1 upgrades, has told me that he will see if he can update the file Edit Add ~ew ,Scorch .Qptlons Help II!; .~=~~ .hJ. 1 Tue!lday.Octoberl4J.1997~:t.J ~ Newton driver to fix the problem. Event.: Cktm. •• 1!.i97 •• SuMoTu eTh Fr S., 1 23 4 5 S 7 8 9 1011 + 12 13 14 15 16 17 19 8Mg double-speed palmtop Speaking of Mack and Japanese users, I want to respond to a few questions I have been asked about the BMg Double Speed palm­ top we are offering. Both double speed and memory upgrades were originally developed in Japan. Mack Baggette at Times2 Tech, who has re­ written the drivers, has contracted with a manufacturing compa­ ny to produce the speed and memory upgrade chips in the U.S. Mack has selected our company, Thaddeus Computing, and A SCREEN 2 One-Stop Palmtop Shop to do double-speed and BMg upgrades in When the Appointment Book is run from Windows, you can use the mouse to position the Edit Appointment/Event box the U.S. Tom Rundel (acCIS author) handles the upgrades in where you want it. Europe, and Chaikin Koon performs them in Asia. (See p . 3 for contact information.) In addition, Notebook Supply Warehouse sells its own versions of 5-Mg memory upgrades (see contact box, next page). In the past I have published warnings, especially about the double-speed upgrade. HP does not approve of the upgrades, and

-I Phant Bool: Vf"NOORS.I'OI:l (AU Phant 1:1001: Items) 1· 1. 1 f ife f dlt Sub.St t Search Htlp upgrading voids HP's warranty. In practice (especially as the chips, the software, and the techniques for performing the upgrades have become refined) these upgrades are quite safe. That is why we are willing to sell one- and two-year warranties on units that have these upgrades. All software that runs on a normal palmtop runs on double-speed and memory-upgraded palmtops. I've had a beta version of Mack's BMg Double-speed palmtop since June, and I really love it. With Mack's expanded memory manager and 2-Megabytes of C:\ drive memory, I am able to switch from System Manager applications to various DOS ses­ sions in about a second, using Software Carousel. When I use my SCREEN 3 EXP Flash/modem with BMg Flash card, I have nearly PhoneBook running from Windows. 16Megabytes of storage space. If Mack's expanded memory manager is used with MaxDOS (freeware from Japan), it is possible to run a DOS program of any

10 THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER1997 size while at the same time keeping the built-in applications open. Shareware/Freeware mentioned in this article Used UP palmtops As you might guess, controlling Software Carousel MaxDOS • - Utility that allows you inventory for used palmtops is CONTACT: Group 32 Corporation to launch from System Manager a (formerly SunShine Software Co.); 6950 program requiring a large amount of tricky. We sell used HP 95LXs, HP Cypress Rd., Plantation, FL 33317 USA; conventional memory. Freeware: 100LXs, HP 1000CXs, and HP Phone: 800-553-0400 or 954-581-2200; 200LXs, but aren't yet advertising Fax: 954-581-5902; Web: www. group- Available at website: www.vector. them aggressively, so as to build 32.com. co.jp/ common/dos/ machine/hpj and on The HP Palmtop Paper's 1997 inventory. If you are interested, The HP Palmtop Software Kit A CD give us a call for availability and containing connectivity software, HP CD InfoBase. pricing. PIM software, electronic books, HP OB6DSK.ZIP . (relevant files of)­ Similarly, please have patience manuals, videos, and HP palmtop Windows versions of the HP palm­ with us if we run out of 200LXs for shareware. Pricing: 129,000 DM (CD­ ROM with cable.), 69,000 DM (CD­ top PhoneBook, ApptBook, and HP our SMg double-speed 200LXs. We ROM only). Calc applications. Freeware. have just sent out 60,000 post cards CONTACT: Yellow Computing, Com­ Available in CompuServe's HPPC to LX users in the U.S. asking if putersystem GmgH, Postfach 1136, D- forum in the OmniBook 600 section, they'd like to sell their palmtops. 74177 Bad Friedrichshall, Germany. and on this issue's The HP Palmtop We have been pleasantly surprised, Phone: +49 (0)7136/ 951143; Fax: +49 Paper ON DISK. as most of the 200LXs we have got­ (0)7136/951111; E-Mail: info&yellow.de Web: www.yellow.de ten are in excellent shape, and were Transfile Win 200 - Windows-to­ hardly used. The HP 100LXs and 5·Mg memory upgrade palmtop file transfer software. 95LXs tend to be more used. CONTACT: Notebook Supply Ware­ Freeware. Available at HP's Web house, 655 N. Berry St., Brea, CA 92821 site: www.hp.com:80/handheld/ USA; Phone: 800-566-6832 or 714-257- 1680; E-mail: [email protected]; getting_ help / software / palm­ Web: www.nsupply.com tops/200.html

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THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1997 11 o f Windows®CE How will you know if it is time to give up your HP100 or 200LX? It's Simple. Subscribe to Handheld PC Magazine! Subscribe and learn about Windows CE hardware and software advances. Read about the 100's of third party solutions. Study Handheld PC profiles. Glance at tips and tricks. Check out the best web sites.

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Annual Special Report: Windows·CE 12 IMPORTANT BUYER'S THINGS EVERY Handheld PC User Should GUIDE KNOW Mail The Reply Card Today! CALL: 800-373-6114· OUTSIDE u.S. CAll: 1-515-472-6330 COMPUSERVE: 76125,1773· E-MAIL: [email protected]·FAX: 1-515-472-1879 VISIT US ON THE WEB: www.thaddeus.com Thaddeus Computing INC -110 North Court, Fairfield, IA 52556 INTERVIEW INTERVIEW INTERVIEW Mack Baggette: Designer of Speed & Memory Upgrades for HP Palmtops The president of Times2 Tech is interviewed about doubling the palmtop's speed and increasing its memory to 8Megs; palmtop repairs; and more.

Q: How did you start using an HP out what needs to be done, and I they need to be heated so they can Palmtop? can create my own driver." That's be pulled up. Then the new crystal what I did. needs to be soldered in. A: Years ago I saw an HP 95LX for sale on the Web, and I got interest­ Q: How did you get in the business of Q: How difficult an operation is it? ed in a program called RemCOM selling upgrades? which allows you to use the palm­ A: It's pretty tricky. You use sol­ top's IR port to remotely control A: Although there was the dering wick to remove the old sol­ your TV, VCR, etc. The system Japanese upgrade, nobody was der from the holes, and if you're really didn't work out for me, since offering a kit for the U.S. market. I not careful, the traces on the board I didn't like having to turn the found a manufacturer who would can be burned up, or ripped, or palmtop on every time I wanted to make a crystal for me to my specifi­ moved. And putting the new crys­ change channels. So I gave the cations, and I started selling the kit. tal in involves "through-hole" sol­ 95LX to my wife. dering. Holding the soldering iron Q: What does the clockspeed upgrade do? too long in one spot can destroy Q: What did she think of it? A: It doubles the speed of your other components. It's not recom­ mended for the faint of heart. A: She loved it! The ApptBook lOOLX, 200LX, or OmniG0700. That application helped her organize means that PhoneBook, ApptBook, Q: How easy is it to open up the palm· everything. One day when I looked and Database access/loading times top and get to the motherboard? at her ToDo list I thought, "1 need (and Lotus 1-2-3 calculations) are something like that." So I bought twice as fast. It also means that A: Actually, that's probably one of an HP 100LX and used it for sched, DOS programs run twice as fast. the more complex parts of either a uling and notes. clockspeed or memory upgrade. If Q: What's involved in doing a clock· you're not careful, and if you don't Q: What was your first experience speed upgrade? know what you're doing, you can with a clockspeed upgrade? A: The old crystal has to be easily destroy things, such as the display cable, or parts of the case. A: I installed in my 100LX a speed removed. But since its leads, as upgrade kit that I bought from well as its case, are soldered in, Japan, but the Japanese software driver wasn't compatible with some of the programs I was run­ ABOUT THE INTERVIEWEE ning on the LX. Also, the Mack Baggette is a staff analyst at Bell South, as well as ApptBook alarms ran twice as fast the designer of the Times2 Tech speed and memory as they were supposed to. Because upgrades for HP LX palmtops. He lives with his wife and I'm a programmer and I know daughter in Maylene, Alabama. Mack can be reached via assembler, I thought, "1 can figure e-mail [email protected].

THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1997 13 Q: What about static electricity? to be careful not to short over to do is change the batteries and clean A: Anytime you open up the those. Also, if you use too much the screen. I recommend canned air palmtop you need to have a static­ solder, it will bleed over to some of for the screen. Don't ever touch the free station, and the palmtop case the other components that are sen­ screen with your fingers. That will needs to be grounded. You need a sitive to heat. You also have to sol­ put grease and oil on the screen, wrist strap, a mat on the floor, and der in a couple of new wires to tiny and that will just attract more dust. a mat on your bench. And all your pins. tools, such as soldering irons, need Q: Can an individual owner buy any Q: What can you do with eight megs of parts for the palmtop? to be grounded. You're working memory that you can't do with a stan­ HP sells a kit (part # F 1216- with sensitive memory chips (as dard palmtop? A: well as the processor itself) and 60998) that contains screws for the these can easily be destroyed by A: You'll have enough memory for case, rubber feet, an IR cover, a bat­ static electricity. large programs such as Word tery cover, and a backup battery Perfect and Agenda and other pro­ cover. I Q: What's involved in the memory grams. And you'll be able to really upgrade of a HP 200LX? take advantage of Software Q: What about opening the case? Carousel. A: You have to remove all the A: The minute you do that you've existing memory from the mother­ Q: Are there any programs that have voided the warranty. board. That means removing sur­ had problems running under the speed face mount chips that are soldered upgrade? Q: Here in Iowa the temperature in. You have to desolder and sometimes goes down to 20 degrees F remove two chips from each unit. A: No, all software works fine below zero. If I've left my palmtop in with the upgrade. The only thing the car overnight, the screen is real Q: Is that the same process that's that hasn't worked is the PC dark. Does it hurt the palmtop to turn involved in desoldering the crystal? Ethernet adapter card from Silicom it on when it's that cold? Ltd., and we're trying to work with A: No. For memory chips, you them to get their driver corrected. A: No. The screen is dark only need a special soldering iron that because LCD panels are tempera­ can heat up all the leads on one Q: Given what you've said about how ture sensitive. It isn't due to the side of the chip at the same time. difficult it is to work on the palmtops, computer not being functional. You can't use a regular soldering should people be wary about sending However, if the palmtop is actually iron. You need one that can do sur­ in their units for upgrades? that cold, the main batteries, if face mount work. A: Not at all. The folks who do the they're alkaline, may not work. The upgrades at Thaddeus Computing backup battery should still be ok, Q: What do you do once the chips are have been trained by me and have as it is lithium. Using lithiums for out? me at their disposal if any ques­ the main batteries would be a big A: You need to remove the solder tions arise. We have done literally plus, since they might still work from the pads with solder wick, hundreds of these upgrades, and and not allow the palmtop to go making sure you don't lift up any we know how to do them so well into backup mode. of the pads. (Solder wick can easily that the palmtops don't even look stick to a pad if you don't do it opened. Q: If you drop the palmtop in the bath right.) If you lift up a pad, you then tub, what should you do? need to solder in replacement Q. Why did you choose to have A: Immediately remove the batter­ wires, which is not a nice thing to Thaddeus Computing start doing ies. You want to eliminate the pos­ have to do. upgrades for you? sibility of shorts while it's still wet. A: We wish to become more of a If it's still in warranty, call HP and Q: Are the new memory chips soldered distributor of the upgrades so that see if they'll accept it for repairs. If to the motherboard? they can reach a much wider audi­ it's out of warranty, open the case A: No. We solder a connector to ence. It also frees up time for us to and dry it out. the motherboard, and our memory pursue other upgrade options. upgrade board gets plugged into Q: Since opening the case is so diffi· that connector. Soldering of the Q: Here's a more general question. cult and dangerous, could you just tilt connector is tricky because you're Are there any maintenance proce­ it and let the water drain out? working near other surface mount dures that a palmtop owner can per· A: Some of the parts inside the components (capacitors and resis­ form that won't void the warranty? palmtop might corrode. But if tors and transistors) and you've got A: About the only thing you can you're not going to open the case,

14 THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 1997 at least tilt it so the PCMCIA port is As for the latches, the only Q: If you could give one piece of pointing down. That way the water things you can do from the outside advice to palmtop users, what would will drain away from the mother­ are the "rubberband trick," or pos­ that be? board, which is near the serial port. sibly adding a small amount of hot A: Make frequent backups. This is glue or silicon rubber under the especially true if you're a speed Q: What's the most common repair latch to hold it in place to give it upgrade user. Make sure you have job? just enough flexibility to still close. your drivers on a Flash card so you A: Hinges coming loose. Second can easily transfer them to your most common is latch problems. Q: What's the strangest repair or C: \ drive if your C: \ drive gets upgrade experience you've ever had? wiped out. Q: Are there any measures that end A: Well, someone once shipped us users can employ to deal with loose an ammunition case. It was one of 0: Any other advice? hinges and non-latching latches those metal boxes that the Army A: Yes. Don't use your palmtop (measure that don't involve opening uses, and it felt like it weighed 25 while you're in the bathtub. the case)? pounds. Since there was no expla­ A: A few drops of alcohol from a nation on the outside of the case Products and Q-Tip on the right hand hinge usu­ explaining what was inside, I at Shareware/Freeware ally helps. All you need do is pull first wondered if somebody was mentioned in this article off the right hinge cap, turn the sending me a bomb. When I finally palmtop on its left hand side and opened it up I was still concerned REMCOM.ZIP • - Utility that allows drip a few drops down into the because all I could see were towels, your palmtop's IR port to remotely and I was afraid I was going to trip control your TV, VCR, etc. Shareware. right hinge. Then work the hinge Available on 1994 Th e HP Palmtop something. It turned out to be a back and forth until it starts to grab Paper Best Tips ON DISK, and on 1997 a little better. We go a step further single palmtop inside the towels, The HP Palmtop Paper's CD InfoBase. by opening up the palmtop, disas­ and the owner had just wanted to make sure it didn't get damaged in Times2 Tech - see page 3 for contact sembling part of the hinge and giv­ information. ing it a thorough chemical cleaning. transit!

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THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 1997 15 REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW Using the Newton Keyboard with the lIP lOO/200LX palmtop

At last / a keyboard you can touch type on.

By Carl Merkle

have a confession to make. I When I originally considered buying my first palmtop, I did­ n't think I'd do much typing on it. After all, appointments, to-do lists and phone numbers don't require much typing, and it's easy to keep up those entries as you go. Besides, I thought, the palmtop's keyboard is way too small to do any serious work on it. However, as it turns out, the palmtop turned out to be so useful Together that's still much lighter Even with my thumbs I could that I do far more writing and than any laptop or subnotebook. type a note on the palmtop at least information creation on it than I It's 30% lighter than the Libretto, as fast as I could hand write a note ever imagined I would. In fact, I the lightest subnotebook on the on paper. Once written, editing accomplish more serious work on market. Battery life and instant-on and information sharing is so much the palmtop than I do on a laptop are also significantly better with easier on the palmtop than paper or desktop, just because it's with the palmtop than any laptop or and pencil could ever be. Speed me and available for use all the subnotebook. typing, especially for serious, time, whereas the other computers thoughtful work has just not been are not. For instance, all of the arti­ Keyboard fulfills a wish that important to me. cles I've written for The HP In my experience, the "anytime, However, the palmtop and a Palmtop Paper and Handheld PC anywhere" convenience of using "touch type" keyboard combina­ Magazine were initially drafted on the palmtop always outweighed tion fulfills a long-standing person­ my palmtop - with my thumbs. the need for a larger keyboard al wish and the stated needs of Until now. when I just needed to get some many potential corporate users I've This time I've written much of thoughts written down. talked to. this article using a nearly full-size keyboard that plugs into the palm­ top's serial port. (See Photo above.) ABOUT THE AUTHOR Touch typing on this new palm­ Carl Merkle is the Director of Corporate Projects for Shier top compatible keyboard is as com­ Systems & Software, Inc. and is responsible for managing deliv­ fortable as typing on a laptop key­ ery of ultra-mobile computing and communications business solutions to corporate accounts. A CPA by background, previ­ board. ously he was a senior manager with Ernst & YOWlg, LLP. Carl The combined weight of the lives in Irvine, California with his wife and three children, keyboard and the palmtop (with where the use of handheld PCs is woven into the fabric of their batteries) is only 21 ounces. daily activities. He can be reached bye-mail at:[email protected] or by voice-mail at 714-559-1142.

16 THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1997 Since touch typing on the palm­ use it when it's convenient. There's IOO/200LX and the laptop is still top is now feasible, it should help always the option of either using much better - even with two parts. make the HP IOO/200LX more the keyboard, or not, by leaving it Potential for new markets marketable to those who occasion­ behind or keeping it in your brief­ ally want to use a larger keyboard case. Just use whatever is the most In this article I've described my with their pocket computer. Of productive and convenient for you own personal keyboard experience. course, when they use the key­ at the time. But I believe a number of vertical market applications exist that this board, they'll need to work with Faster access than a laptop their palmtop on a flat surface such new keyboard has the potential of I demonstrated the difference in as a table in the press room, at a opening up. This should allow the library, in a classroom, in a hotel, data access on a palmtop versus a palmtop to appeal to a broader or other temporary work space. laptop to my 16-year-old son who market. has objected to using the palmtop When the keyboard is consid­ on the basis of the size of the palm­ ered in conjunction to other palm­ You can still work the way you want top's keys. top developments that have Some of my writing makes use of I took my Dell Latitude laptop occurred over the last year (i.e., brief moments of time in places and turned it on. Then I opened the Internet E-mail, improved cellular­ where the time might otherwise be palmtop, inserted the keyboard ready 33.6K modems with 8 Mg of lost. For example, a portion of this cable into the serial port, turned it flash, more RAM memory and article was edited at the beach with on, switched to Memo and typed a more affordable pricing) the HP my family while I enjoyed the paragraph, all before the Dell even IOO/200LX is a much more appeal­ atmosphere and surroundings. turned on to the point where I ing corporate productivity tool And another portion was edited could load programs. today than it was just a year ago. while waiting at my daughter'S My son liked the keyboard-plus­ Anyone who is mobile (mean­ soccer practice. palmtop combination better than ing not desk bound) and who must I like the convenience of being the laptop. Also, the weight and create documentation and reports able to plug in the keyboard and price difference between the HP could benefit from this technology. Kin.gmax Technology, Inc. The world leader in PCMCIA, Memory, and Network Solutions. ™

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THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 1997 17 REVIEW: Newton Keyboard

This includes many skilled workers is the size of the keyboard, along such as: reporters and the press, with worry that employees would­ Using the home health care technicians like n't use them to complete their Newton Keyboard nurses and doctors, bankers and reports because of that. The possi­ loan officers, police, fire, field bility of using the palmtop ~o,:" with the HP 200LX investigators, sales professionals, with a laptop-size keyboard elimI­ and many others. nates the most frequent objection By Avi Meshar Mobile professionals can take to using a handheld Pc. [email protected] brief notes in the field while sitting, standing or walking and clean up What makes this possible? have spent a few hours with or expand notes when seated at a I What made this touch-type key­ the Newton keyboard plugged desk. Functionally, the palmtop board technology possible? Special into my palmtop and have the can meet the information needs of thanks and acknowledgment must following report. most professionals. go to two parties: Apple and Mr. K. The keyboard has five rows of All enterprise systems will 'Adachi. keys. The feel of the keys is accept reports produced by profes­ Ironically, the first thanks go to slightly on the light side, but I sionals in ASCII format. Some Apple for creating the Newton got used to it fairly quickly. The enterprise systems even require keyboard. This keyboard is unique­ letter keys are all the same size, ASCII format. The Memo applica­ ly suited to work well with the HP and from center to center the dis­ tion on the palmtop is perfect for palmtop because it's engine.ered to tance between keys is a hair over this. work with a low power senal con­ 11/16". The space bar is long, When I've demonstrated the nection and is built for portability. and the shift keys are wide and palmtop to people responsible for Typical of Apple products, it's a easy to find. The J and F keys deciding on the mobile computing nice looking product. have a small bar on the key to needs of a work force, the most fre­ The Newton keyboard doesn't facilitate homing for touch typ­ quent negative reaction I've require any additional external ists. encountered to use of the palmtop The keyboard is very light and easy to install; just plug it in. You need to include the device driver in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. DiskDock™ Both keyboards work when Low-cost Backup or Auxiliary Storage System using PCMCIA Technology enabled, so if you find some key­ combination you cannot make • Backup your Notebook or Laptop with a high-speed, low cost work, use the palmtop keyboard. 2-1/2" Hard Drive The shift keys are not "sticky" as • Great for systems requiring on the palmtop, which is a minor security inconvenience. • Removable-portable-compact The HP palmtop and Newton • PCMCIA to IDE interface keyboard make an excellent com­ bination. I am quite impressed.

Products PalmTop Adaptor mentioned in this article External Power Customized Newton Keyboard • Enables Notebooks and for the HP 100/200LX - Price: Laptops to use devices $129.00, plus $5.00 S/H for U.S. requiring more power, i.e. orders. CONTACT: Shier Systems & PCMCIA Hard Disks Software, 920 Hampshire Rd., Westlake, CA 91361 USA; Phone: 888-371-9391 or 805-371- 9391; Fax: 805-371-9454; E-mail: info@shier. com; Web: www. shier. com

18 THEHPPALMTOPPAPER NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 1997 power source beyond the two AA unusual. (This can be changed As a service to those users who batteries in the palmtop. By modi­ using a switch when running would prefer to purchase a key­ fying its native cable to plug into the freeware software driver.) board that can be plugged in the palmtop's serial port and with • Expensive, relative to the cost of immediately (without any alter­ the appropriate software to recog­ the HP l00/200LX and other ation), Shier is selling a modified nize it, it' s ready to run on the IBM-style keyboards. Newton-pIus-cable combination. palmtop. By contrast, standard The modified keyboard comes with keyboards would require some • Needs to be used at a table or on a floppy disk containing the form of external power. That auto­ a flat surface. required freeware software. matically makes using them less For me, the negatives are minor Whichever way you go, you portable. compared to the positives. The posi­ should definitely check this out to Secondly, we owe Mr. K. tives include: real touch typing, see if it's right for you or your Adachi a special debt of gratitude plugs right into the HP lOO/200LX organization's needs. More infor­ for writing a special driver that serial port, doesn't need extra batter­ mation and pictures can be allows the Newton keyboard to ies, very light, does all of the palm­ obtained from the palmtop.net web work with the palmtop. It's clear top's critical keyboard functions, site at the following addresses: that Mr. Adachi is an HP palmtop and it's available now. You'll have www.palmtop.net/img/newtonl.jpg user because the special keys on to decide what's best for you. But at the palmtop are accessible on the least you have an option now. www.palmtop.net/img/newton2.jpg Newton keyboard using a logical www.palmtop.net/img/newton3.jpg two-key sequence (see sidebar con­ www.palmtop.net/img/ newton4.jpg How do you get them? taining special palmtop keystroke www.palmtop.net/img/ newton5.jpg Currently there are two ways to get equivalents). Mr. Adachi released www.palmtop.net/img/ newton6.jpg the software to the palmtop com­ a Newton keyboard that'll work munity as freeware with non-sup­ with the HP l00/200LX. port. Users of the driver take it on First is the do-it-yourself route. an "as is" basis, with no obligation This takes some work. You need to Table of Special Palmtop for user support. buy a keyboard from retailers of Keyboard Equivalents Newton products (i.e. Frys, or Newton dealers such as 200LX Newton Keyboard Trade-offs Macwarehouse). Then you'll need Fl to FlO Apple+l to Apple+O Since the Newton keyboard was to connect an HP serial cable to the [Filerl to [& .. .l Apple+Q to Apple+I obviously not designed for the HP Del Apple+Del keyboard following the instruc­ Ins Apple+Shift R palmtop, there are some trade-offs. tions that accompany the software Home Apple+Left Arrow These include: driver. You can get instructions to End Apple+Right Arrow • The keyboard is designed for convert the Newton to a keyboard PgUp Apple+Up Arrow PgDn Apple+Down Arrow Newton, not the HP palmtop, so useable by the palmtop by down­ Menu Option or Apple+/ (slash) the keys aren't labeled right. loading NTKEY2LX.ZIP . from Zoom Apple+space This takes some getting used to. http://www.palmtop.net. You Date Apple+, (comma) need the driver named NTKEY2 Time Apple+. (period) • No escape key. The keyboard Cut Apple+X uses the [-' 1 key as an escape LX.COM • to be loaded and "turned on" before the keyboard Copy Apple+C key. Paste Apple+V can talk to the HP palmtop. Fn Apple+CapsLock (sticky) • No hot keys to access programs. A driver is a software program (You can still use the HP Note that the Apple key and Option key that tells the computer how to talk are two keys unique to the Newton key­ lOO/200LX keypad for program to the keyboard. You'll generally board. They are just left of the spacebar. switching, or use the keyboard­ start this program by putting a ref­ combination equivalents.) erence to it in your autoexec.bat • No function keys (but pressing file. The driver, NTKEY2LX.COM, the apple key and a number key takes up 4,354 bytes of space. Newton Keyboard Statistics gives the equivalent of function Few palmtop users, however, • Physical Dimensions: 10.25 inches keys). will have the skill required to mod­ wide, 4 inches deep, 1.25 inches high. ify or replace the Newton's cable so • No backspace key. (The delete • Weight 9.1 ounces key works like the backspace it can be plugged into a lOO / 200LX. • Number of Keys: 61 key.) That's where Shier Systems & • Color: Dark green (a little darker Software (with whom I'm affiliat­ than the HP200LX case.) • Placement of the arrow keys is ed) comes in.

THEHPPALMTOPPAPER NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 1997 19 REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW Through the Looking Glass: The 1997-98 Subscriber PowerDisk

Ed picks the "best of the best" free software from The HP Palmtop Paper 1997-98 Subscriber PowerDisk. by Ed Keefe

or the past eleven years, I and wouldn't have to crash yours. But The best of the best freeware Fthe staff at Thaddeus what has taken even more time is As a final offering we decided to Computing, Inc., have set finding a real gem of a program collect the best-of-the-best freeware aside a month or two each summer and spending several weeks for the HP 100/200LX and put it on to select and test the best free soft­ exploring all it could do. That hap­ this year's PowerDisk. The collec­ ware for the HP Portables and pened this year with the LXBatch tion shows the wide variety of free palmtops. The result has been five program. We'll tell you more about software. It presents a virtual "hall­ Subscribers Disks for the HP that in the next issue of The HP of-fame" for some of the folks who Portable and six PowerDisks for Palmtop Paper. have contributed their time and the HP palmtop. The task has been energy to make our palmtop com­ rewarding, challenging and time­ The end of an era puting more productive and more consuming. The 1997-98 Subscriber PowerDisk pleasurable. The rewarding part of the task will be the last such disk produced There are over 50 files on the has been finding the great number by Thaddeus Computing, Inc. 1997-98 PowerDisk. Some of the of HP palmtop users who like to Many of our subscribers have files contain games. Others include give away their computing cre­ pointed out that, by the time they "utility" programs, while yet oth­ ations. Every year we'd start out receive the disk, new versions of ers contain databases or Lotus 1-2-3 thinking that there would not be the software have appeared on the spreadsheets. All the files have enough material to fill a disk. Then World Wide Web or one of the been tested to make sure they work we'd start the search process and commercial databases. We're also as indicated and are free of any wind up with enough software to aware that the MS-DOS era is known viruses. They are offered fill two or three disks. winding down. There are fewer "as is." The challenging part of the task and fewer DOS programs being Due to limited resources, has been deciding which programs written. This makes the task of Thaddeus will not be able to offer to put on the disks. We've had to searching for free programs even support for any of the files on the set aside some really great pro­ more time-consuming. PowerDisk. If you need additional grams merely because they took up too much disk space, or even though they were well written, the programs were more of a "vertical ABOUT THE AUTHOR market" application than some­ A long time contributor to Hewlett-Packard Handheld thing having mass appeal. support publications, Ed Keefe is an author, editor, pro­ The most time-consuming grammer, computer science instructor, and part-time con­ aspect of the job has been testing sultant in the computer industry. Ed's articles appear in more than a hundred programs The HP Palmtop Paper. He is also the editor of the book PC every year. We've crashed our In Your Pocket: Information When You Need It. palmtops countless times so you

20 THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1997 help or you find that a program you can run a COM file that will built-in database engine should be does not work on your machine, automate loading and starting able to do but doesn't. DBV is the please contact the author of the file. System Manager or DOS programs. fine work of Harry Konstas. Each archive contains a documen­ Pretty slick! tation file with the name of the Global Search author. Do NOT contact Hewlett­ OBView Hiroyuki Sekiya is one of the many Packard with questions about the DBV220 has become a real work­ Japanese contributors to the HP 1997-98 PowerDisk or its contents. horse on my palmtop. I use it palmtop. His GS program will rather than the built-in database search an entire collection of data­ Where's the install program? engine to view my database files. base, NoteTaker, PhoneBook, Why? The System Manager data­ Appointment book and Memo files To squeeze a couple more pro­ base engine changes the archive bit for a single word or phrase. It grams on the PowerDisk, we omit­ and the date/time stamp of any file works fairly quickly and accurate­ ted any installation program. that it opens. DBV does not. This ly. The only downside to the pro­ Instead, we compressed the files means that if I look up MSCDEX in gram is that, when it launches a with the popular PKZip program my 408Kb DOSHELP.GDB file, I database file, it uses the built-in and included a small UNZIP pro­ can get to the information quickly, database engine. I wish it could gram to expand them. Just copy AND the next time I perform a launch DBView instead. one or more of the .ZIP files, along back-up routine (using ZIP.COM) I with the UNZIP.EXE file, to anoth­ won't have t.o wait while Freecell and HP Sokoban er disk and use the command DOSHELP.GDB is transferred to I keep only one game on my desk­ UNZIP filename , where filename the hard drive on my desktop. top machine: Freecel!. Now I can stands for the name of a ZIPped DBV also contains an option that file. The documentation file on the have this same game on my palm­ will let you find the total, average, top along with HP Sokoban (for PowerDisk tells how many bytes minimum or maximum of a field which there is no desktop equiva­ you'll need to expand each file. that is equal to, greater than, less lent). Why are games like Freecell, than, some criteria: something the Sokoban and Solitaire so darned Ed's favorite files on the 1997-98 Subscriber PowerDisk. Most of the files on the 1997-98 Where there's a DoubleSlof"; there's a way ... PowerDisk will be familiar to sea­ To use 2 PC Cards at the same time - even copy files between Cards soned users of the HP palmtop, but if you're new to the HP palmtop, To run multiple PC Card products - SRAM, fax/modem, memory cards, etc. .. .. ,.. the chore of wading through 50 or more programs may be over­ To connect Type I, II and III Cards - even a whelming. To help get you started, Type II and III at the same time Hal Goldstein asked me to come To externally power PCMCIA Cards - for up with a list of my favorite pro­ those power hungry PCMCIA peripherals grams on the disk. Here is what I To run ATA flash cards and hard drives­ came up with. like the notebooks can! DoubleSlot, PCMCIA Slot Expander - Addkeys reaching new heights of performance for your HP Palmtop. I Several years ago I wrote a pro- gram, Multi-Macro Manager, for Add the Travel Floppyrr' to your Palmtop ... the HP 95LX. It enhanced the World's smallest 3.5" floppy drive System Manager macros for that PCMCIA, type II compatible machine. I never did get around to updating "MMM" for the HP For Palmtops or other DOS/Windows 100/200LX. I'm glad I didn't. computers Addkeys, by Dave Vickers, does Use it to transfer files, archive, or run much of what MMM did and in a programs directly from disk leaner, meaner package. There's no Portable like your Palmtop - goes anywhere fancy input screen, but Addkeys Uses inexpensive 1.44 Mb or nOK diskettes will let you record keystrokes and save them in executable .COM .=!!!f?' A ""'r ~ 'r~r."® 48460 Lakeview Blvd, Fremont, CA 94538-6532 files. Instead of running a macro, - ~= -= -: In: : :"" (510) 668-4900 FAX: (510) 668-4905 T - E C ------H N 0 LOG I E 5 INC. [email protected] http://www.accurite.com

THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 1997 21 REVIEW: 1997-98 Subscriber's Power Disk addicting? They're like potato chips: the HP palmtop) and read the doc­ my personal pick for software once you start playing, you can't uments off-line using HV on the product of the year. It's a program­ stop with just one. If you don't palmtop. ming tool that adds several HP understand Freecell and can't get palmtop specific commands to the beyond the fourth level of Sokoban, LXPIC MS-DOS batch file language. With try a game of Klondike solitaire. It's HTML documents are usually full this tool, anyone who has ever on the PowerDisk as well. of graphics images in the form of written a batch file can create a GIF or JPG files. Although the HV palmtop application that has much HTML program has the ability to show of the look and feel of a built-in Hypertext Viewer HTML (Hyper­ GIF images, there are times when program, and you won't have to Text Markup Language) files are you might like to scan through a learn the "C" programming lan­ all over the World Wide Web. Even collection of such images without guage to do it. Microsoft is using this type of file having to load HV. The LXPIC file for its help files in such products as will let you do this either on the Pal Edit Visual C++. It's another way to HP palmtop or on an MS-DOS , If you're looking for a text editor access information quickly and desktop. Stefan Piechl, the author that's more capable than the palm­ almost effortlessly. If HTML would of LXPIC, has done a marvelous top's Memo, yet has the same look have been a more mature "lan­ job of creating a very small viewer and feel of Memo, then by all means guage" when the palmtop first that will let you examine GIF, JPG, give Pal Edit from D&A Software a came to market, I'm sure that HP BMP, and PCX graphics files and try. Those of you who have read my would have considered it in place shrink or expand them, invert the columns over the past eleven years of their database engine. However, colors, flip them upside down and know that I favor the Video Display thanks to the work of Andreas gather technical information about Editor for most MS-DOS editing Garzotto, we can now capture doc­ the files. tasks. I still use VDE on my desktop uments from the WWW and else­ machine, but PalEdit is quickly where (perhaps using WWW /LX, LXBatch becoming the preferred editor for the commercial Web browser for Rob Koenis's LXBatch program is most of my palmtop writing tasks. It's fast, can handle files greater than 64K bytes, and has a clever I way to help you find words in any document. Definitely give this pro­ gram a trial run.

Hemkey TAKE CHARGE And speaking of writing tasks on the palmtop, I still like the Remkey Of All Your Communications program from Craig Payne. For the With A Single Wireless Service. past couple of years, I've been using Remkey to type on a standard PC ZAP-ITTM wireless service clears away the communication keyboard and watch what happens clutter. Now one wireless service handles all your on the screen of the palmtop. About communication needs. Whether messages originate the only time that I don't use as e-mail, faxes, or phone messages, you can receive Remkey is when I'm away from a and respond wirelessly using your laptop, palmtop, desktop computer and want to look or PDA. Now there's no need to dial in for e-mail up something in the palmtop. or call the office for phone messages and faxes. Without Remkey, I probably would Get 24-hour access to all your communications with one wireless solution. have abandoned the use of the palmtop altogether. I still don't like For more information or the name typing on a tiny keyboard. ~ ' \ I ' of a participating retail store call e 1-888-2 -G ET-DTS Toddy 6_12 . X Yet another way to avoid a lot of typing on a tiny keyboard is to use ZAI 1·1 I keyboard shortcuts or macros. DTS Wireless, 10 Woodbridge Center Drive, Woodbridge, NJ 07095 Palmtop users have been exploiting E-mail: [email protected] • Web site: www.dtswireless.com the power of the built-in System Macros ever since the days of the

22 THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1997 HP 95LX. However, for creating RPN scientific calculator in the by getting a copy of the 1998 CD macros for the MS-DOS side of the style of the HP 15C, we've includ­ Infobase from Thaddeus Compu­ palmtop, I prefer Toddy. It isn't ed TNCALC. I wish the author of ting, Inc. It contains everything exactly the easiest program to learn TNCALC would have continued to you'd ever want to know about, or how to use. It has almost too many upgrade this program, and per­ do with, the HP palmtop: every­ features. Yet with a little persis­ haps, integrate it more closely with thing but the commercial software tence and experimentation, you can HPCalc. offerings, of which there are sever­ create macros that can be run either al hundred mentioned in articles by typing a command at the DOS Most honorable mentions and ads on the CD (end of com­ prompt or by pressing a hot key. There were many applications that mercial). Of course, you can power didn't "make-the-cut" for one rea­ up your modem and visit us at Math on the Palmtop son or another. For example, PAL www.thaddeus.com. From there The HP Calc program built into the (Palmtop Application Interface) you'll find links to other popular HP palmtops is the equivalent of remains the best software for palm­ sites devoted to the HP palmtop. the HP 19B-II financial calculator. If top "C" programmers, but it was Even though there will no there's a financial problem that too big for this disk. BUDDY still longer be an annual Subscribers can't be solved with the built-in retains its title of best-of-the-best Power Disk, we firmly hope that functions, you can add your own shareware, followed closely by the enthusiasm for the one and functions with HP Solve. There's a Vertical Reader (VR100) and the only true handheld computer will database file on the PowerDisk that Video Display Editor (VDE). But continue to grow, and that you'll contains over 80 Solver equations. since they're shareware, we chose continue to enjoy the best-of-the­ You can copy them from the data­ to omit them from the PowerDisk. best software ever written. base and paste them into Solve's The list of "honorable men­ editing screen and try them out, or tions" could go on and on. And it use them as templates to create does. If you're looking for more your own Solver equations. For and more software for the HP those people who favor a good, old palmtop, you can save a lot of time

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THEHPPALMTOPPAPER NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 1997 23 REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW U sing the HP LX and DBLearn as a Learning Tool

This program asks for words chosen at random from the contents of any HP 100j200LX database, such as a vocabulary or foreign language database. by Matt Haigh

olume 6 Number 3 of The care of any queries that may arise what I needed or not. V HP Palmtop Paper carried an in installing and using DBLearn. The screen background, which interesting article by Hal The icon provided represents (I consists of two columns of previ­ Goldstein describing how the HP believe) an HP LX connected by ously answered questions which palmtop can be used to learn any serial cable to a human brain! scroll as newer questions are new language or discipline. appended at the bottom right, can be confusing initially. But this con­ Some months earlier, picking Wha~ does Abendessen ~ean? up on a thread in the HPHAND cern disappears as one gets used to forum, I discovered the DBLearn -* •• program on the homepage of the SCREEN 1 gerl'ldn-engl ish I,: program's author, Gergo Viczian DBLearn is asking what the English engl ish-gerl'ldn (DBLearn is postcard ware). I equivalent of a German word is. Articles of nouns downloaded version 1.4, registered Mixed Selection settings it, and have been using it ever since When I downloaded the file it Field settings expanded to include a sample to practice German vocabulary in Progress Hungarian-French database and a spare moments, between meetings, About when traveling, etc. knowledge file. A quick inspection Exit progral'l Like most programs, the best of the database (.GDB) file gave me way to review DBLearn is to down­ all the clues I needed to modify the SCREEN 3 load it and try it for yourself. database for English-German The central menu of DBLearn. Downloading it costs very little, Ab",nd QI!II!IQn and takes very little time. I'll sum­ in e nglish il!l I>l!IuPper'" the way DB Learn works. If' YOU know thi s one YOur !!Ieorv will bo 1 / 1 (100%). marize the use and capabilities of I Word not.ul!! I~.i - I Mi l!ll!led it. I A comprehensive range of func­ tions and options can be selected DBLearn in just a few sentences: SCREEN 2 DBLearn is a small program In this dialog box the program from a central menu (see Screen 3), (39.5Kb) developed using PAL for supplies the correct answer. unlike the usual System Manager the HP100/200LX, but it is quite compliant programs. As I have sophisticated in operation. The vocabulary. I added to the database DB Learn configured to learn program works by posing to the a few words of translation and German, my menu options are: user a random selection of ques­ began to evaluate whether it was tions based on data in an HP palm­ top database (.GDB) file (see Screen 1 and Screen 2). The program also About the author analyses user responses and Matt Haigh works for Ford Motor Company, Research & records success in a knowledge Engineering Centre, Dunton, England, in Powertrain Systems (.KNW) file. Engineering as an Engineering Supervisor. Among his inter­ ests are sailing (particularly windsurfing), computing in gen­ Downloading and installing eral, and his two small children (Barnaby, 4; and Daisy, 3 DB Learn is a breeze! The associat­ years old). He welcomes questions from fellow palmtoppers ed documentation (.DOC) file takes at [email protected] or [email protected]

24 THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1997 • German-English: Offers the user tions), is 74.2Kb in size, and takes • A word can sometimes have a German word and asks for the approx. 8 seconds to scan as multiple meanings. Although English equivalent. OBLearn loads. The associated one's response to a question • English-German: Offers the user knowledge file (GERMAN.KNW . ) about a meaning may be correct, an English word and asks for is 15.5Kb in size. the program may think it's the German equivalent The fact that I actually use the incorrect because the answer program is impressive, since I nor­ was evaluated against an alter­ • Articles of Nouns: Offers the mally delete most of the software I native meaning. user a German noun and asks download because I just don't use for the German definite article. Other people are using it to it. I find OBLearn really useful. learn French, English, Spanish, • Mixed: A mixture of the above. I have the following observa­ Russian, Japanese, Italian and • Selection Settings: Allows user tions and criticisms of OBLearn: German, and the author suggests to select any subset of the data­ • Version 1.4 isn't sensitive to the that you could use it to learn any­ base, and to adjust the 'random' capitalization of German nouns, thing from languages to dates in selection of words, biasing it which is important in written history. toward 'new' words as required. German. If you think OBLearn could be • Field Settings: Allows selection of use to you, why not give it a try? of preferences for individual data fields including setting which is the 'foreign' language. • Progress: An impressive graphic display of one's success in answering the questions posed Palmtop Protocol Analyzer by the program. • About: The usual. • Exit Program: The obvious. My German-English database (GERMAN.GOB • L which con­ tains 1340 database entries (transla-

Shareware/Freeware mentioned in this article

DBLearn • - A learning program for the 100/200LX that poses questions based on data in any HP palmtop database file. Postcard ware. Avail­ able on this issue's HP Palmtop Paper ON DISK; or in library 11 of Turns Your Palmtop HPHAND on CompuServe; or from into a Network Analyzer! the author at: www.evt.bme. hu/-gergo Consider the convenience of a network analyzer that GERMAN.GDB • - An HP palmtop fits in your pocket, goes anywhere you need to go, and database file containing 1,340 costs under $1500! German words and their English equivalents. Freeware. Available on POCKETWatch combines LANWatch@NetworkProtocol this issue's HP Palmtop Paper ON Analyzer with an HP 200 LX Palmtop PC and a Silicom DISK. Ethernet Card. If you wish to convert an existing Palmtop, GERMAN.KNW . - The knowledge the software and ethernet card can be purchased separately. file associated with the GERMAN PQE:CISION9ut.JJhi~rk, Inc. .GDB file. Freeware. Available on Five Central Street, Topsfield, MA 01983 this issue's HP Palmtop Paper ON • (508) 887-6570 (phone) http://www.guesswork.com DISK. (508) 887-6552 (fax) Email: [email protected]

THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1997 25 W TO USE YOUR PALMTOP USER PROFILE Automobile Mechanic Uses HP 100LX in His Business

Southern California-based "Honda Bob" has tailored his palmtop's applications to his unique business.

By Robert Hebert

own and operate a mobile ser­ -.-' _r_.-_. ~:-,: .. __.. - &--_!!!!::~ .. ~=: ... I vice company that repairs auto­ ~ !!! -....,,---- mobiles in Southern California. When I went into business over 17 years ago, I was keeping records of the work I had done on my cus­ tomers' cars in a card file box. Pretty soon, the box got too small. I purchased one of the first "portable computers," an Osborne. It came with two 5.25" 360Kb flop­ py drives. I typed in all the records from my card files onto 26 disks, one disk for every letter of the alphabet. Pretty soon I had several disks for every letter, and the Osborne was getting hard to lug around. I then found out about the Psion The author is entering data into his palmtop on location at a customer's handheld computer. I was able to apartment building. His van is in the background. put all my customer records onto four 256Kb Psion data packs, but I had to abbreviate a lot of words to several times a day. issue. Repeat business is very make them fit. Many automoble dealerships important to me, so I keep detailed seem to operate on the premise that records of every car I work on. By another customer will always come doing this, I can identify problems Why I liked the lIP 95LX in, so repeat business is not an early on by cross referencing the When the Hewlett-Packard 95LX came out, I got one with a 2Mg flash card. All the information from ABOUT THE AUTHOR all the datapacks fit nicely on that Robert Hebert, who is originally from Eunice, Louisiana, flash card, without abbreviations! has worked as an aircraft electrician in the Air Force, a I used the HP 95LX for about motorcycle mechanic at a Yamaha shop, and a mechanic two years before I moved up to my at various Honda dealerships for many years. He now current HP 100LX with a 10Mg operates HDABOB'S Mobile Service, an independent flash card. My palmtop with 2Mb automobile service facility that is devoted entirely to ser­ RAM, loaded with 100Buddy , is vicing Honda-powered automobiles. He lives in my primary computer on the road. Paramount, California, and can be reached by phone at I use almost every application on it 562-531-2321, or via e-mail [email protected]

26 THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 1997 The PhoneBook is, I think, the most frequently used function on on ,.::::.:.. : ...... : ... :~ .:::: ...... ::: .. :::: ... _, my HP I keep all my cus­ Bddress : $$.~i?:f SA·CRAMi$.i'(r9: ::.C i t.y !D9.~ii!~Y .] Zip !sii:i?;,tt ...... 100LX. tomers' phone numbers, as well as !io",e : $.$.$. : ~i??I :] ~ork Qpt. L ...... ::::::::::.::::::::::::::::::'::':"::"::'::':::'::= ' ~ar r88 ····· CIV · I ·~ :::: q~i:iQJi! ... :::·:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::.:':::':::::::::: Irans : $. : ~~:~~P. :::: H all vendors that I use. All business

1 5 cards that I get are immediately Iag .. .." .·.·.·.·.g.·p·.·.·.. ·.· 0·.·.·.·.N.L·.·.·.·.0.A·..·· .· .·.R·.·.·.!.. p .:.·:. :.:.w.:.•...... H: .·.·:.:....BI :.·.· .• .: .. 2T: .·.• :.:...E :..:.: .... !2ist. : ~~ii!~?.:3~Jl=2Cap ...... ~ ...... ~ ...... L=~P1M:"5 =N3- ~5~ ...... :]:· J.Htf.~ .~ :? ~olor.?$. :? :J.!.i.ii:i ,.:.0.N·.:. :.:.2.H:.· :. :. 2.: ·_: : :. 55:::~1: : :::2:)Z""' _'·· ~4··· E~...... : f~ :~g~::) ! ...... ~ entered into the PhoneBook. Bus Addr ...... '...... J To keep the vendors separate, I Hot.e !* ...... 1 was initially using separate sub­ 1ElU!II~~~~~~_DmIlIlD~ sets, but I found that if I put an asterisk in front of every vendor name, the PhoneBook stores these Screen 1: The author created this customized database to store his customers' information. after the customer names. VIN number or the engine number a popular map system for Southern GlVENEO, LUCAS with any service bulletins. I also California.) GlWATERS, C . R. give the customer a computer-gen­ After I enter all the data, I use Gl*3M CORPORATION Gl*AACON AUTO PARTS erated copy of all previous services the following smart clip: Gl*ACE AUTO performed on the vehicle. I use this clip to copy all the Gl*ADVANCE AUTO SPECIALI In the morning I use ApptBook data into a memo file that contains to check my daily appointments, that customer's information. I then Since then, I have included all and also to remind me to call my use the following smart clip: phone numbers for my family parts suppliers to have the parts I members as well. I just put a dash need ready when I get there. (-) in front of their names; this The ToDo list keeps track of all stores them after the vendors. So my messages from my answering I use this to copy the phone num­ far, I haven't had any problems machine. I just type in the name bers to the PhoneBook. accessing any phone numbers, and phone number of the person I created another database of even though I have over 2,000 calling, leaving the "carry forward" used cars that are available from my entries in the Phone Book. box checked. When I return their customers. In this database I keep all PhoneBook complements pager call, I remove the check and the the car information, as well as any Since customers, vendors and fami­ message is permanently stored on other options on each car, and how ly members are all contained in one the date it came in. much the customer wants to get for database file, I can look up a num­ If a new customer calls, I put an each car. I update this database ber rapidly. This is important, asterisk (*) in front of the name so weekly as cars are sold and bought. because I try to always remain that I know to start a new file on this customer before I return their call to schedule an appointment. I also schedule repeating events, like birthdays and anniversaries.

What my database contains The Database I created contains all ' the information I need to identify about 1,200 customers and their cars. (See Screen 1.) When I first see a car that I am going to work on, I enter all the information about the car into the database that I devel­ oped. I have their name, address, Thomas guide location coordinates, all known phone numbers, car model, VIN number, engine num­ ber, license number, color and any other items peculiar to their partic­ Although the palmtop makes record keeping easier, the author ular modeL (The Thomas Guide is still has some jobs that require pen and paper.

THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 1997 27 HOW TO USE: Honda Bob customer's car, I use the palmtop in the morning and Calc to total the cus­ the screen shows the top card, I tomer's bill. Then I run know that my files were backed up a macro that I've creat­ properly. ed which automatically My home PC is a Pentium that does a number of has a flash card drive installed. things: Whenever I boot up the PC, I insert First, it adds the the flash card from the palmtop, amount of today's bill then press any key, and the instruc­ to the total cost of all tions in the PC's AUTOEXEC.BAT bills in the past (it gets file copy all the files on the flash this figure from the card to several different directories The palmtop's lightness .and small size sure beats lugging MEMO file for that cus­ on the Pc. around the author's old Osborne computer. tomer). Then the macro Then I open WinWord and takes this new sum and 'print out the customer's record, available by pager to answer my replaces the old "Total which usually contains the owner's customers' questions. (I feel that cost of Maintenance" in the MEMO photograph. (I try to take a photo­ the only dumb question is the one file with the new figure. The macro graph of each customer when I first you don't ask.) then saves the MEMO file, returns work on his or her car. Then I scan When I get paged, I open the to ApptBook and clears the time the picture and save the graphics PhoneBook, press (F4) (Find), enter from the appointment, saves the file on the PC.) The copy of the the telephone number from the appointment, then backs up the file maintenance record that I give to pager (or part of the number), and to the flash card. Finally, the macro the customer, with its color photo­ the PhoneBook looks up that num­ closes the appointment and moves graph of the owner, is attractive, ber. down to the next appointment for personalized, and unique. When the phone record contain­ the day. When I open the Whenever I have some free ing that number comes up on the ApptBook again, it is already high­ time, I play the SOKOBAN • screen, I know who is paging me, lighted on the next appointment. game. So far, I'm up to level 50. and I can pull up their database Some of the levels are really chal­ record before I return their call. Using Note Taker while driving lenging. . As you can see, my HP 100LX is This allows me to know who I am The Note Taker is handy for quick­ my constant companion. I don't go talking to and what kind of car ly jotting down messages to anywhere without it. As a matter of they are talking about. All this myself. Sometimes it's hard to type fact, my vacation is coming up and takes about two or three minutes. and drive at the same time, so I I have my entire itinerary loaded. The Phone Book also has other keep the messages short. functions. I modified another Part of my daily morning rou­ PhoneBook file to keep track of all tine is printing out (on my home Shareware/Freeware the paint codes of every Honda­ PC) the customer records of the mentioned in this article powered car ever made. That's jobs I have for that day. Each cus­ when I realized that Honda has 33 tomer's record lists all work that different shades of RED! I modi­ I've done on that car, as well as a HP-SOK • - In SOKOBAN, a maze fied another Phone Book file to total cost of the work done. Often a game optimized for use on the HP keep track of all special order parts customer's file is quite extensive 100/200LX, pieces are motionless and the player tries to push them from my vendors. because of all the work I have done out of the way without getting them The MACRO application is one on that car, sometimes spanning of my favorites. I wrote several stuck against walls or each other. over 15 years. Because time is not a factor, this macros to make it easier to update game doesn't require frantic key­ a customer's record. Ten function Backing up board movements. Available on The keys weren't enough to handle all HP Palmtop Paper's 1997 CD The FILER is used for backing up my tasks, so I made a macro to Info Base, or on CompuServe library switch back and forth between two the files from the palmtop to the 11 in HPHAND. different sets of macros. 10Mg flash card. I have a macro that is set to run at 2 a.m. every 100BUDDY . - Palmtop program day. It closes all the applications, containing many useful utilities. A very useful macro opens FILER, then copies my files Available on The HP Palmtop Paper's Whenever I finish working on a to the flash card. Whe-n I open up 1997 CD InfoBase.

28 THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBERIDECEMBER 1997 W TO USE YOUR PALMTOP USER PROFILE Get Me To The Church, Train or Plane on Time

This Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet can help you avoid last minute rushing to make a plane flight (or help you get anywhere else you need to be). It easily accommodates various chores and tasks that need to be accom­ plished prior to showing up at the ticket counter.

By Larry Nielsen

veryone knows how long it ish packing, shovel snow, stop at These amounts can be adjusted for Etakes to drive or take public the bank, navigate the airport termi­ different times of day. transportation to the airport, nal, check in luggage, etc. As with a The 10 minutes to check in lug­ so why do we need a computer to monetary budget, the amount of gage (cell CI4) can be zeroed out if get us there on time? time for each task is entered into the the trip only requires carry-on lug­ Well, in my case, things change spreadsheet, along with the task's gage. Leaving your automobile at each time. There are variations to description. Tasks can be easily the service station can be adjusted each departure, and it is easy for me added for different trips, or "zeroed or zeroed out as appropriate, and to become distracted and find out" if they don't apply. The travel the same is also true for bank or myself behind schedule, or worse time between each stop is also other stops. You can be as conserva­ yet, arriving at the gate way too entered in and the best estimate is tive or risky as you choose on these early. So I developed a spreadsheet, used, depending on time of day, etc. time estimates. FLYWK.I . , using Lotus 1-2-3 on Consider my example spread­ As you perform each task you my HP 200LX palmtop computer. sheet (see Screen 1). The process can see whether you are ahead or Flights change at the last minute, starts with the morning alarm clock behind schedule, and react accord­ and other circumstances enter in (cell B43) and reads from bottom ingly. The "instant on and off" fea­ that affect what time to set the up, ending with the aircraft depar­ ture of the HP 200LX is perfect for a alarm clock for a morning depar­ ture (cell A2). You can see that I quick check. ture (or to return home to begin the have 31 minutes for the public train process of an afternoon or evening ride to the airport (cell CI8). That is Changes in departure time departure) so I left plenty of room I the time it takes from my train stop aren't a problem to O'Hare Airport. I also allocated for modification in the spreadsheet. At the top of the spreadsheet I enter eight minutes for a missed train. Lotus and Hewlett-Packard's palm­ the flight number and the sched­ This is in case I arrive at the station top do the calculating and keep me uled flight departure time. All the just as a train goes through, as the fully informed about whether I tasks are keyed to this departure have time to dawdle with coffee trains are eight minutes apart. time. If the flight changes, all the and talk on the phone, or whether I should pick up the pace a bit. ABOUT THE AUTHOR My airport spreadsheet is Larry Nielsen lives in Chicago, where he sells and installs simllar to a monetary budget communication equipment and wiring. He uses the HP The idea behind the spreadsheet is 200LX regularly in his business and personal pursuits, using acCIS and the built-in programs. He is an active quite simple. There are tasks to scuba diver and likes to fly to warm weather vacation accomplish, such as shower and spots. His e-mail [email protected] dress, have coffee or breakfast, fin-

THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1997 29 HOW TO USE: FL YWK.1 other times just fall into place auto­ D1: [W41 twmW matically. That (along with any tasks added, deleted, or modified) results in the correct time to wake IN TO OHARE up (cell A3) and begin the whole CHI,CKPO][NT ACTIVITY ======09: 15 AM thing. 00: 10 MIN GATE CHECK /I BOARD 09 : 05 AM I generally start entering some 00:10 MIN WALK TO GATE 08:55 AM of the data, such as flight time, 00:15 MIN COFFEE. READ aeCIS 08:40 AM days before the actual flight. I plan N LUGGAGE CHECR IN the pre-flight errands, adjust for 08:30 AM 00: 10 MIN WALK INTO TERMINAL rush hour differences, etc., and O' HARE 08:20 AM 00:31 MIN EL TRAVEL TIME make adjustments right up to the 07:49 AM 00:08 MIN MISSED EL TRAIN night before. Then I set the morn­ 07:41 AM 00: 12 MIN RIDE TO STATION ing alarm and move along calmly, 07:29 AM 00: 15 MIN ARRANGE FOR SERVICE E AT DEALER 07: 14 AM confident that I am "organized," 00:06 IilUIIDRIVE TO DEALER thanks to the convenience of the palmtop computer. MINUTE PREP 06:53 AM 00:15 MIN DRIVE TO OFFICE 06:38 AM 00: 10 MIN EMPTY CAR OUT 06:28 AM Building the spreadsheet 00:20 MIN BREAKFAST RUN aeCIS 06:08 AM 00:30 MIN SHOWER /I DRESS Here's how to build the spread­ 05:38 AM 00:00 MIN sheet. Set the column widths so 05:38 AM everything is visible on the palm­ 40 05:38 AM 00:00 IiU1II top without scrolling. Columns A 00:00 MIN OF BED!! 05:38 AM & E are set to 18 for the text, B is ~OUT left at the default 9, C reduced to 6, and D reduced to 4. (To set the SCREEN 1: The author's spreadsheet warns him that, in order to perform all the tasks listed, he has to wake up at 5:38 a.m. to make his 9:15 flight departure. width for column A, go to cell AI, then type MENU, W, C, 5, 18, ENTER.) the Lotus function @TIME(O,O,O). top, even when we scroll down. Go Cells A2 & A3 are formatted as To do this, we will replace the first to row 7 and type MENU, W, T, H. "D7" type, using Lotus designa­ zero with hour 01 through 24; the Go to cell B9 and enter +B7-C8 tion. (Go to cell A2, type MENU, R, second zero is replaced with ("09:15 AM" will appear in cell B9). F, D, T, 2, DownArrow, ENTER). minute 01 through 60, and the Copy this entry to cell B11 and do (By using the range function to third zero, representing seconds, is the same for all the odd rows on apply this to cells A2 and A3, you won't have to change the settings in each cell.) Do the same for col­ umn B, from row 7 on down. generally start entering some of the data, such Column C from row 7 or 8 on I down is formatted as "D9". (Type as flight time, days before the actual flight and MENU, R, F, D, T, 4, ENTER.) Cell B7 has the entry +A2 (this merely make adjustments right up to the night before. copies the flight departure time Then I set the morning alarm and move along that's in cell A2 to cell B7). Cell A3 has the entry +B43 (so the final calmly, confident that I am "organized," thanks to result can be seen at the top of the the convenience of the palmtop computer. spreadsheet). Text in rows 1 through 5 is entered as shown, and row 6 is filled in. left at zero.] Go to A2 and type down in column B. Later, as you @TIME(09,15,OO) ENTER. "09:15 enter in amounts of time for differ­ The Lotus @TIME function AM" will appear in cell A2 (and ent activities, Lotus will adjust Let's enter a theoretical flight also in cell B7). (each time, automatically) the times departure of 9:15 AM in cell A2. Now we can lock titles to keep in column B. But for now, the time [Our time entries are put in using the important information at the will be displayed as the flight time

30 THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 1997 of 9:15, since we haven't entered STATEIVIENT OF OWI\IRSHIp, any activities yet. Shareware/Freeware MANAGEIVIENT AND CIRCULATION Go to cell 08 and enter MIN mentioned in this article (Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685) and then copy it to each even row down in column D. Go to cell A7 1. Title of Publication: The HP Palmtop Paper FLY. WKI • . A Lotus 1-2-3 2. Publication no.: 10656189 and type DEPARTURE. Go to cell 3. Date of filing: October 1, 1997 E8 and type CHECK & BOARD. spreadsheet that helps you 4. Issue frequantcy: Bi-monthly plus 2 bonus issues, one Now go to cell C8 and enter the schedule your pre-flight activ­ in April, one in November amount of time you want to allow 5. No. of issues published annually: 8 ities so you'll get to the air­ 6. Annual subscription price: $39.00 at the gate. If you want to desig­ port on time. Freeware. 7. Complete mailing address of known office of publica­ nate ten minutes, type @TIME Available on this issue's HP tion:ll0 North Court, Fairfield, Iowa 52556-2811 (0,10,0). Right away you'll see that 8. Complete mailing address of the headquarters of gen­ Palmtop Paper ON DISK. eral business office of the publisher: 110 North Court, cell B9 now displays 9:05 AM, since Fairfield, Iowa 52556-2811 the ten minutes is subtracted from 9. Full names and complete mailing addresses of publish­ the flight time of 9:15 AM in cell er, editor and managing editor: Publisher, Hal Goldstein, 110 North Court, Fairfield, Iowa 52556-2811 Editor, Hal B7. (If you are using the new ticket­ Goldstein, 110 North Court, Fairfield, Iowa 52556-2811 less procedure and your reserva­ Managing Editor, Ralph Turner, 110 North Court, Fairfield, tion is all in order, the amount of Iowa 52556-2811 time you allow at the gate can be 10. Owner: Thaddeus Computing Inc, 110 North Court, Fairfield, Iowa 52556-2801 minimal. If you are flying standby Project: Vision 13. Publication name: The HP Palmtop Paper and want to get on the list early [or 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: need to make special requests, get September/October 1997. your seat assigned, etc.] adjust Gives You

Average No. AduaI Nurrber accordingly.) Planning In Your Palm For $99 Copies Each Copies of Singe Go to cell A9 and type ARRIVE For HP 100/200 and DOS based PC's Issue During Issue Published Preceding 12 Nearest To GA TE. Continue describing the Features Include: Free Demo Pc Di. Months Fif"9Date "activity" in the even rows of col­ , One Hour Learning Curve sk 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation umn E, the amount of time each , Uses 300K with Max file size from 80K to lMEG. , Logic Networks, Timelines, Resource Histograms takes in column C, and the mile­ a. Total No. Copies , Critical Path, Milestones, Variable Zoom (Net Press Run) 17000 14500 stone where you should be in col­ , Mouse and keyboard b. Paid AndiOr Requested Circulation umn A. As you make adjustments 'NEW! toMS (I)Sales through dealers and carriers, to the time for tasks in column C, street vendors and counter sales (not mailed) 1950 1925 the milestones in column B will all (2)Paid and or requested Mail Subscriptions change accordingly. You can zero (includes Advertisers'Proof Copies! out an entry by typing @TIME Exchange Copies) 13500 11369 c. Total Paid AndiOr Requested Circulation (Sum of (0,0,0) if the entry is just a reminder 15b( 1) and 15b(2) 15450 13294 to lock the door or deposit a letter d. Free Distribution By Mail (Samples, Complimentary in a mailbox, or something else that And Other Free Copies) 550 472 doesn't require any time. e. Free Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or Two-Way Other Means) 0 0 Make one "typical" spreadsheet f. Total Free Distribution containing the most likely entries, Conversationa11tanslator­ (Sum of 15d and 15e) 550 472 then save it. Now to do a real trip: For 14 LIInptlges! g. Total Distribution You can't translate a foreign document with Entente, but (Sum of 15c and 15f) 16000 13766 open the typical spreadsheet, make you can do everything else: talk to foreigners and under­ h. Copies Not Distributed your entries, and save it with the stand their replies, discuss even complex issues, print infor­ (1 )Office use, Leftovers, name of the trip. Keep the typical mal translations or send them as e-mail. Entente uses no Spoiled 1000 734 plurals nor conjugated verbs, so translations often sound (2)Retum From spreadsheet as a template to use funny, but the system is easy, understandable, and accurate. News Agents 0 0 over and over. Ask WHERE IS ... , and get the translated reply THE SHOP OF i. Total (Sum of 15g, COMPUTER BE NEAR OF THE BIG CHURCH. Get informa­ Happy flying and palmtopping. tion you need.Talk to the whole world! 15h(I), and 15h(2) 17000 14500 Percent Paid andlor Requested Circulation 1. Entente· English to & from any language below: $79.95 (all prices postpaid.) (15C/15g x 100) 97 97 1. Entente 11- Any language to & from any other, e.g.. Russian to French, w/ 2 languages: $99.95 16. This Statement of Ownership will be printed in the ~. Additional languages @$39.95: Arabic, Chinese, November/December issue of this publication. English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian,japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish. 17. Signed, Hal Goldstein, Publisher. Date, October 1, For HP IOO/200LX or VGA compllters. 1997. Entente 1441 Mariposa Avenue, Boulder CO 80302 800-409-1701

THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1997 31 OW TO USE YOUR PALMTOP USER PROFILE The Palmtop Adventures of a Publican from Dublin

From CP/M to the HP 95LX to the OmniG0700, this pub owner from Ireland recounts the best of his computer adventures. , By John McGowan

visited a Radio Shack in 1983 the sometime help of a techie who "Main Battery Low." HERE was I and enquired about learning a claimed to have seen it all. He my kind of computer. computer language to write my thought! And some relationship we had. own programs; simple stuff like His reaction to an enquiry as to In the four years I had it, I never accounting programs, databases, how to remove a cigarette butt that bought it a thing except new batter­ and stock control. somehow got stuck up the mouse ies. I ran the business with it, and it The attendant asked me if I was an astonished, "Yeah John, came everywhere with me. drove a car. "Yes." Did I service it that's a first." People didn't understand; myself? "No." Would I consider they'd ask me a question and I'd building a car for myself? "No." So An lIP 95LX as part of the deal open the black box, ask the oracle by tapping a few keys, and give why would I want to write my The only reason I moved to them an answer. own programs when they're Windows was to accommodate a already written? new on-line stock control program Not much the wiser, the next for my business. Part of the deal My palmtop startled outfit I got in touch with sold me included a handheld for entering the jewelry assistant the last CP 1M business computer the information about the stock After a year the "Backup battery for sale in Dublin, complete with and uploading it to my Pc. low" sign came on. I went to the twin floppies and suites of My first meeting with the new jewelers to get a replacement, ever Peachtree Software. It still works, handheld was timid. The box was so carefully removed the backup and when I came across HTML ten too big and too heavy, but when I battery, handed it to the assistant years later I got a weird feeling of opened it and took out the manual, behind the counter and asked her deja vu. It looks and feels just like things got better. I slid out the HP for "one of those." myoId Peachtext word processing 95LX, inserted the batteries, and As she turned to get a battery, software. we talked all night and the follow­ the 95LX beeped, "Main battery ing day until it got tired and said, Low," and I said, "Oh dearie me." When I switched to Wmdows. Bill Gates threw a party Over a feverish Easter weekend in 1993 I eventually upgraded to ABOUT THE AUTHOR Windows, and Bill Gates threw a John McGowan runs a family business started by his party in Seattle. "Hey fellas," he grandfather in 1949. McGowans of Phibsboro is one of said. "We got it made. That guy in Dublin Ireland's biggest and most successful pubs. His Dublin has shifted over to us!" assistant manager, an Hewlett-Packard OG700, helps For a hassled few days I had to smooth the payroll, financial control, stocktaking and transfer a load of spreadsheets to direct marketing end of the business. John, who can be the new 486 and get used to an contacted at [email protected], offers a Celtic hang­ over to anyone who unfolds a HP palmtop on his bar unfamiliar operating system with counter!

32 THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 1997 The Canary Islands in February of this year, thinking the builders would be gone by then. I had threatened never to get a mobile phone, but could see the need to stay in touch if I was going to be away from the business at a critical time. This is the mode I was in when I opened the newspaper and saw a picture of a Nokia phone piggybacked on a familiar looking black box.

The OmniGo 700 The OmniGo 700 is one amazing piece of kit. The design is knock­ out, the lines superb. It draws as many glances as the E-type Jaguar did in the sixties. Most people's

The author with his "assistant manager" (his HP OmniGo700) first guess is that it is some sort of behind the bar in stocktaking mode. new-fangled charger for the phone. But when you open it to show them. .. It must have come out as some­ later I picked it up and heard an The casing on the OG700 is big­ thing else, because her glasses unfamiliar tinkle as I opened it. ger than the 100\200LX, but it's not came loose and dropped off her There was no outward appear­ as robust. I already managed to nose and she nearly knocked over a ance of damage, and I switched it spring the hinge wide open with a case full of Waterford Glass in the on and everything still worked! drop (phone attached and phone rush to get me the battery. The tinkle of a loose part can still side first) of three feet onto a car­ By this time the screen had gone be heard from it to this day, and pet. An amount of praying, press­ blank and I didn't discover until I my brother (to whom I gave it) ing and heaving managed to click was out on the street that she'd put keeps saying he's going to get it everything back into place. the battery in upside down. When I fixed, but can't part with it for long It's not as neat as the pressed "ON," and an unfamiliar enough. 100\200LX, and would play havoc screen said "System time? Date?" I with the line of an Armani suit. The first company to supply a belt or must have said, "Oh dearie me" Why I liked the lIP 95LX again, only louder this time, shoulder holster in light leather, The best feature of the 95LX? In my because when I became aware of with the phone still easily detach­ opinion, the layout of the keyboard my surroundings women were able, has the sale. in general, and the position of the dragging children to the other side arrow keys and number pad in of the street and everyone was particular. I'm right handed, and FAXing at 60 mph looking at me fairly wide-eyed. the ability to scroll down a spread­ The phone has three different ring­ Another "Oh dearie me" occa­ sheet and enter data while holding ing tones and three different tele­ sion happened when I turned sud­ the palmtop in one hand makes phone numbers, one for voice, denly and my open 95LX slipped taking stock a doddle. another for FAX, and the third for out of my hand at the top of two I looked at the HP 200LX about data communication. And, listen flights of stairs. I remember the a year ago. The Applications up folks. If you think answering a occasion in slow motion. Manager screen looked too much mobile call when you're driving is The palmtop flew upwards for like Windows to me, and I put off dangerous, just try answering a a couple of feet, slowly turning in upgrading. FAX, or DATA call. Opening the the air, managing to close itself in My 25th wedding anniversary OG700 to press the open "fax-app" flight, somersaulting down 12 feet came around and I couldn't get key and F8 (to receive) at 60 mph is to a tiled landing and passing out away due to a major expansion and not recommended. But if, like me, of my line of sight as it continued refurbishment of our Pub, but I you prefer not to look at the after the first smash down the next committed myself to a holiday in rear-view mirror after attempting flight of stairs. Half of a second

THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1997 33 HOW TO USE: Palmtop Publican it, you won't see the carnage you who assumed that I was in Dublin, arrived a week later. I read it cover leave behind. And anyway, the fax and I undocked the phone to hear to cover and an hour later sent off will be stored for you for later coins dropping. The conversation for The HP Palmtop Paper's CD retrieval. proceeded: InfoBase with all the trimmings. The GSM (Global System for "Hi, John here." The package arrived last week. Mobile Communications) network Since then a 6Mg Flash disk covers most of Europe now. All the "Hello, is that Mr. McGowan?" with scanner, and a heap of soft­ communications companies have "Yes, John here, who's this?" ware has been added, and I'm on a "roaming" agreements with each guilt trip regarding my neglect of other, so when someone in Dublin "Vinny. Oh #@%&#!, this phone is myoId 95LX. dials my number, I get the call no eating my money." The only applications I don't matter where I am. "Is that Vinny the sign writer?" use are CCmail., cc:mADE (no As you travel in a car or train servers in this neck of the woods) "Yes." (sound of more coins drop­ with your phone on, the network and the games, though I've recent- ping.) for the area you're in shows the 'ly noticed that my eight-year-old telecom company that serves that "Vinny, just tell me how much the son has decimated enough squid to area. Thus, in the northern part of job will cost. Fast." supply the Tokyo market over a Grand Canaria, "Movistar- GSM" holiday weekend. "850 pounds." appears on screen, and thirty miles south, "Airtel-GSM" is the legend. "O.K., do the job. I'll see you when I A cure for insomnia So there I was in The Canary get back." With the receipt of the CD InfoBase Islands, 2,000 miles from home, sit­ "Thanks be to #@%&#!" and its attendant software, I've dis­ ting by the pool, floating a few covered a KILLER APP for any beers and firing off FAXes to keep At home, an enquiry to Vinny as readers who may suffer from the job going - the only way to to how much the call had cost elicit­ insomnia. work! ed the following: "I don't know. I was in a pub at the time, but I Just follow these easy instruc­ remember telling the barman, 'Put tions: Click a big Flash disk into The sign writer thought he on a balaclava, you thieving your A: drive, plug in to a power was making a local call #@%&#!, and get the phone fixed.' " source, download Vertical Reader While exploring the inner moun­ Home from holidays, curiosity to your palmtop, followed by part tainous region of Grand Canaria a got the better of me and I sent off 1 of Gibbon's Decline and Fall of voice call came in from someone for The HP Palmtop Paper. It the Roman Empire from The Gutenberg Texts. Now open the file and start reading. Within five minutes you'll be away with the New! Link-A-Printer II fairies for a good six-hour crash! Smaller size Attached cable [If any techies reading this know & how to embed a black and white .pcx Link-A-Printer II is a serial to parallel converter scanned signature in the body of the that allows direct printing from your OmniGo text in the built in fax application on 100 to any parallel printer. It also works with the OG700, I'd appreciate an e-mail. the HP 100/200LX $79 HP support UK tell me that in theory it can be done, but they haven't man­ aged to do it themselves yet. John Link-A-Printer II has a built-in connectivity cable that plugs in to your OmniGo McGowan.] 100. Since it does not require batteries or extra cable Link-A-Printer II is simple and easy to use. Also Available Link-A-Printer I Requires connectivity cable and optional battery Features auto $59 on/off fixed 9600 baud Greenwich Instruments LTD Tel: 704-875-8490 European Distributor Fax: 704-875-2801 Tel: 011-44-181-302-4931 Toll Free: 800·476·4070 Fax: 011·44·181·302·4933

34 THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 1997 OW TO USE YOUR PALMTOP USER PROFI LE How It All Began If you ask a number of HP LX users how they got started using their palmtops, you'll get some interesting answers.

By Linda Worthington

cratch a palmtopper and you "A physician I worked with beloved Lotus 1-2-3, release 2.4. Swill find a story, often a per­ read about the 95LX and got a 512K Needless to say, my work was dif­ sonal history of his or her model. I saw it and played with it. I ferent, but I was still a captive of introduction to the HP LX family of particularly like the spreadsheet the charm of having a PC in your computers. and Solver function of HP Calc. palm. So that's how it began in Somehow we all seem to When my friend got a copy of a August 1993 for me." remember, with amazing clarity, pharmaceutical reference program, His friend, "'lexu" (Alexander how it all began for us! I dashed out and got a 1Mg 95LX. I Gutfeld t), remembers: "In 1994, The following examples are have since moved to a 1Mg 100LX, when I got my first job at the excerpted from some memories then had it upgraded to 2Mg. Now University of Berne, I managed to submitted by some of the palmtop­ I have a 5Mg double speed 200LX. sleep in (too) late very often, lead­ pers in the Fireside Forum of (EduCALC has made a lot of ing to some embarrassing situa­ HPHand on Compu-Serve. money off of my propensity to tions. So I started looking around Stan Dobrowski, certainly one upgrade palmtops!)" Steve Carder, for an electronic agenda. At the of the most advanced and enthusi­ MD (Family Practice) Orbit computer fair in Basel I saw a astic users of the LX and a member Fortunately for all of us, some couple of HP 200LXs on display... of Team HP, loved the Hewlett­ of those who love LXs have gone w hen I realized how useful the Packard line of calculators in col­ on to develop marvelous software agenda applet was for me and that lege and moved on to the 95LX that has made the basic unit even I could run other stuff I needed for from there. He has owned every more useful. the evening classes I still attend, I model and did one of the early quickly bought one ." crystal speed upgrades in this area, Programming for the palmtop Also in Europe, Daniel in 1995, using Japanese instructions Avi Meshar, one of the founders of Legendre says that he started with (fortunately, as he says, the instruc­ D&A Software, developers of such other HP products and" .... sub­ tions had good pictures!). remarkable applications for the LX scribed to The HP Palmtop Paper as the Web browser WWW.LX, one year before I bought a previ­ Several medical professionals recalls that he followed the evolu­ ously-owned HP100LX from are palmtoppers tion of the LX from the 95LX EduCalc," by which time he knew "Saw an article in some laptop onward, primarily due to its ability that it was just what he needed. magazine that Hewlett-Packard to run Lotus 1-2-3, until, " ...in 1992 was going to come out with a small or 1993 I saw an ad for CompUSA Using the telephone to find pocket-sized computer. With a and they had the HP 100LX. a lost palmtop busy anesthesiology practice, I Hmmmm .... I was there in five needed something to solve equa­ minutes. Sure enough, it was an 80- In Germany, Martin Breidenbacht, tions and to keep databases and character PC-DOS unit, with my another member of TeamHP on spreadsheets in, while on the go (i.e., in my pocket). So I ordered the ABOUT THE AUTHOR 95LX from EduCALC two months Linda Worthington is a native New Englander, living in Maryland. She before it was announced (got one is a fly fisherman and loves hiking, photography and computing. Linda's company, LOW-TECH, is designed to help people choose and use of the first ones, I think) and have portable computers. She also uses computers to do extensive volunteer been moving up since. I now have conservation-related work for several organizations. She can be reached a 2Mg 200 LX." Michael Melvin at [email protected]

THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 1997 35 HOW TO USE: How It All Began I Do you have a PALMTOP you no longer use? CompuServe, says that although he has long collected HP products, We'll buy it ... even if it's broken! some of the small ones can get lost on a ''busy'' desk, but " ... that can't Thaddeus Computing (that's us) can always use extra palmtops for various projects. If you want to happen with the 700LX because, if mail in your Palmtop equipment and manuals to us, here is what we will pay. it disappears in that room, I can call Palmtop in good working order and good shape:' Broken Palmtop' HP 95LX (with manuals): $ 55 Broken 95LX (with manuals): $25 its Cel phone and hear where it is!" HP 100LX (with manuals): $75 Broken 100LX (with manuals): $35 Arturo Riera has a very long HP 200LX (with manuals): $100 Broken 200LX (with manuals): $35 list of wonderful computers that he • W~hout manuals: HP 95LX subtract $5; HP 100LX or 200LX subtract $10. We'll adjust the price ij equipment works but has some significant damage. has owned over the years, between Accessories 1984 and today, including a partic­ HP Connectivity Pack with cable and manual: HP100 or 200LX: $15; HP95LX: $5 ular old favorite of mine, the Uncompressed Flash and SRAM cards: $5.00 per megabyte (e.g., 40 Meg=$240) Toshiba 1000. He sums it all up Modem cards, cables, software, chargers, other items: we'll look things over, but we may not be able to offer much. We'll adjust price as appropriate if accessories come without manuals, or if other items with these somehow familiar are miSSing. words: "I keep telling my wife the Send equipment to: HP Palmtop Used Equipmen\, Thaddeus Computing, 110 N. Court, Fairfield, equipment is good for my career! IA 52556, USA. Include a note mentioning this offer with your phone and fax number. If you need to (Don't let on!)" talk with us, you may call, 515-472-6330. You will receive reimbursement within three weeks after we Ole Latham, in the Mid-West, receive the equipment. tells a fine tale of using an Omni­ When you send in your palmtop, if you mention you saw this box you'll receive Book but reading about the LX, and a free one-year subscription (or renewal) to Handheld PC Magazine. lurking in the HPHand Forums, Offer good through February 28, 1998. amazed by the activity and the atmosphere there. Finally, in 1994, has upgraded that OmniBook, too. bought a 1Mg 100LX. I took it he bought a previously-owned home, installed batteries, began to 100LX and upgraded to a 200LX explore the features, and fell in and now works happily on a RAM­ From curiosity to love love immediately. I returned it and and speed-upgraded 200LX, and I backed into the family of palm­ bought the 2Mg model from ACE toppers by way of The HP Palmtop and upgraded to the 2Mg 200LX Paper. I bought an issue in a local when it arrived on the market the Barnes & Noble in the summer of following year. 1994, curious about a publication I have loved and lived with dedicated exclusively to tiny com­ this little wonder without a break puters. The transition from the HP since then! When I found the ••CARD-LINK 95LX to the 100LX had already HPHand Forums I discovered an taken place, and I went straight to endless source of information, the Office Depot next door and instruction and friendships. And I have subscribed to The HP Detect/Plot Radioactivity Palmtop Paper since 1994 as well. I On Your HP 1 00/200 LX use an Hewlett-Packard OmniBook Complete RM 60 System: $149.50 800CT as my primary computer, -~~'~. with an HP OB530 as a backup, . ~ The easy way to transfer fIles between your .• and I am totally pleased with my palmtop and desktop . ~ ~ ~t~lli{¥¥""~" small family of small computers. -+ FAST - 80,000 Bytes/Sec ,-~--,~- . Ole was right: the HPHand -+ Easy to use - Works just like a floppy disk drive. Forums are lively and fun, and end­ -+ Convenient - plug in installation to lessly informative, too. And even as your parallel printer port. the LXs evolve to utilize the newer -+ For both ATA flash and battery backed up SRAM cards. Model CL683 also format of WinCE, some of us allows use of type III hard drives. remain faithful and satisfied users VISA I Me I EVRO To order or for more information call: of the original DOS computers we Model CL680 for Type I and Type II cards. (800) 729-5397 - 45 day $ back. $179.95 fell in love with some years ago. Model CL683 for Type I, II and III cards. To second Avi's sentiments, I $189.95 AWARE = Electronics am still a captive of the charm of Steele Creek Technologies, Inc. P.O. Box 4299, Wilmington DE 19807 having a PC in my palm. 14035 Appling Lane PhonelFax: (302) 655-3800 Charlotte, NC 28278 E-mail: [email protected] Phone or Fax: 704-588-1780 Visit us at: http://www.aw-el.com

36 THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBERIDECEMBER 1997 useful your HP Palmtop is. Why not own the~~~jI

Maximum :fBIJ'BBIJ Welcome to the GREAT WAYS to get the most from the World's #1 Palmtop PC! What do we mean by Golden Age? Many people spend an awful lot of time and money chasing every new technology, but new doesn't necessarily mean better. The HP 200LX Palmtop PC is unrivaled for quality engineering, durability, and built-in features. The HP 200LX DOS-based platform allows you to use hundreds of software products for free or at very reasonable prices. A vast amount of useful time and IW HP 200LX (upgraded, refurbished, like new) hassle-saving information is available. And strong, dependable companies--like IW 8 Megabytes! Thaddeus Computing---are committed to this platform for the long run. IW DoubleSpeed! Now the HP Palmtops can be upgraded to 8 megabytes and double clockspeed. IW 90-Day warranty! (extendable to 1 or 2 years) And now they're very affordable. Get your own DoubleSpeed 8 Meg 200LX and give your current palm­ top to a friend, colleague or family member. Or use it as a backup palm­ ORDER NOW... top. Or, get Trade-In credit (see below). Please fill out either of the order cards in this issue and return. DoubleSpeed 8 Meg 200LXs are sold on a first-come, first-served basis For Upgrades, please enclose completed order form with Palmtop. and supplies are limited, so don't delay. Please call for availability. Call: 800-373-6114 or 1-515-472-6330 Fax: 1-515-472-1879 Email: [email protected] Web: www.thaddeus.com SPECIAL BONUS! SAVE 50% Mail: ThaddeusComputing.110 N Court Street, Fairfield, Iowa 52556 USA Buy a DoubleSpeed 8 Meg 200LX and you may order any Thaddeus Computing Knowledge Products, Subscriptions and Back Issues at 50% off, including the 14.4 Megahertz Fax/Modem (item #3 below) at no additional YOUR INVESTMENT IS PROTECTED! SHIPPING & HANDLING shipping cost. (Offer good with order only. ) WARRANTY INFORMATION All shipping as shown in table Oller Expires Dec. 31. 1991. Act Now! Thaddeus Computing provides a 90- below. U.S. customers will receive Day Warranty on all pre-owned palm­ Upgraded Palmtops within five busi­ tops sold and on all palmtops we ness days after we receive them. JjIJ j\ , I~ UD upgrade. You may extend this free war­ Upgrades currently not available ranty offer to one year ($25.00) or two outside U.S. The Perfect Solution for ALL palmtop users! years ($75.00). Please use a trackable method of Turbo charge your current palmtop with a Memory and/or Upgrading memory and/or cIockspeed shipping when sending Palmtops to DoubleSpeed upgrade! voids HP warranties. Thaddeus for upgrade or Trade-In. You've been reading about upgrades in the HP Palmtop Paper for years. Now you can do it! Send us your 200LX for memory Description Item No. Price and/or speed upgrade, or your 100LX for speed upgrade. Purchase a DoubleSpeed 8 Meg HP 200LX (refurbished, like new) It's that easy! ' DoubleSpeed 8 Meg HP 200LX 2008 $575.00 NOTE: Upgrading removes all data, so peiform a complete backup before Shipping: Add $9.50 U.S.; $35.00 Non-U.S. shipping. Availablefor U.S. customers only. You will receive your upgraded Upgrade your HP Palmtop to palmtop back within 5 business days after we receive it. DoubleSpeed 8 Megabytes' (200LX only) UP8 $299.00 DoubleSpeed Only (100L)( or 200LX) UPCD $75.00 Shipping: $9.50 U.S. ; Upgrades currently not available outside U.S. Accessories New Megahertz 14.4 Fax/Modem Card MFMC $69.95 200LX Manuals" LXM2 $15.00 Shipping: $5.00 U.S. ; $ 12.00 Non-U.S. Free with 8 Meg200LX purchase. PLUS: Save 50% on a FaxIModem when ordered with a Warranties DoubleSpeed 8 Meg 200LX! 1 Year Extension (from 90 days to 1 year) 1YRW $25.00 2 Year Extension (from 90 days to 2 years) 2YRW $75.00 PLUS: Includes disk with fax, communications and Internet *Deduct $25 if you do not want your clockspeed doubled. Deduct $50 for Upgrades from 5MB to 8MB. access shareware for your Palmtop. **Not included with 8 Meg 200LX. ial Trade-In Offer! Thaddeus Palmtops! Letters: continuedfromp.2

Made his own cable for own ToDo database . (Look in Your software and hard­ for speed, such as Laplink the Newton keyboard the index of your palmtop's ware reviews let me make (in serial mode) or my own User's Guide under "database, wise choices (I do buy from ZIP File Transfer I saw the posting about the defining new"). Create a field advertisers!) and your real (ZIP.COM). Newton keyboard on the that's reserved for the "X" life User Profiles always Of course, the Trans PC SUPER page and gave it a mark. Then record a macro that show me a new twist that I Card has other functionality try.Instead of splicing an 8- opens whatever record is high­ can really use. as well. But simply compar­ pin mini din on an HP serial lighted, enters an "X" in the Without The HP Palmtop ing file transfer or backup cable, I made a 4-inch patch proper field, then closes the Paper, I would be using a performance, their card's 30 cable with an 8-pin mini din record. handy, dandy calculator. K/ sec is only about 4 times on one end and a 9-pin seri­ With your support, educa­ faster than the best perform­ al on the other. tion, and inspiration, I ing serial utilities on the LX Now I carry the HP in my The HP 100LX is instead have a "portable - not 60 times coat pocket during the day, almost perfect assistant." , and when I get to my hotel This e-mail is via "wire­ room at night I connect the I really don't understand Eric Meyer less communications" and I Newton keyboard and touch Hewlett-Packard. Neither [email protected] find new ways every day type lengthy documents to do I understand the debate using this marvelous tool to my heart's content. between the HP 200LX vs "manufacture" time and I really find that it has the HP 320LX. Complains of greater productivity. Thanks made it completely unneces­ I have been working with Palmtops' fragility for your partnership! sary to carry a notebook a 100LX and can say that I haye been working with computer any longer. The this machine is almost per­ Chuck Sutherland HP palmtops since I bought keyboard fits neatly in a fect. The only problem I Wichita,KS the HP 95LX in 1992. Since pocket in the top of my have is the limited DOS 640 [email protected] then I have been a real fan of briefcase. For those of you Kb RAM memory, which the 95LX, the 100LX, and the who travel a lot, this is a life­ forces me to quit some PIM 200LX because of their saver. applications when using extraordinary usefulness large Lotus files. File Transfer Speeds and practicality. Ron Tatham All that was needed to However, I've had to An article on a parallel­ enhance the 100LX was a exercise my warranty to port card in the September / - larger RAM memory and a repair the rupture of the October issue of The faster microprocessor. right hinge that joins the Palmtop Paper's PC Card Wants altered I have been waiting for the screen and the keyboard, and Review supplement ("The ToDo list 320 LX, but when I saw the to repair broken cover latch­ . Trans PC Card" by Ralph low contrast screen, my es on both my 95 and 100. In the ToDo list function, Turner, p.24) stated: decision was clear. For me, I wondered whether I each time a task is complet­ "Because the file transfer the debate is closed. If the was the only guy with "bad ed, one presses the space bar is over a parallel cable, it is information is not clearly luck," or whether I was and a check mark appears at very fast: 30Kb per second, visible on the screen, I don't doing something wrong. the left hand side of the task. which is about 60 times want to go farther because I Then I noticed on page 28 of How do I program the com­ faster than other connectivi­ have no interest in such a "Best Palmtop Tips 1996" a puter so that I can place an ty methods which use a seri­ computer. method for repairing broken "X" mark at the left hand al cable." latches. It seems I'm not the side of the task? I would like This is simply untrue. "60 Guy Martin only one! to assign a key to activate times" slower than 30 [email protected] Believe me, I'm very this X mark, similar to the Kilobytes/sec would be just careful with my palmtops, space key for the check 0.5 K/ sec, but that is not the and I've never dropped or mark. I would like to use the best performance of file banged them. I'm disap­ X mark as my note that the transfer using the serial port Likes The HP Palmtop pointed that these mechani­ task has been canceled. This on the LX. Not every such Paper and advertisers cal parts are so fragile. way, that task remains on program performs optimal­ the To Do list database, Please accept my sincere ly; HP's Connectivity Pack, Emilio Ramirez-Gamiz Casillas instead of being deleted thanks for The HP Palmtop for example, is rather slow. Mexico City, Mexico from it. Paper. I use it every month But serial file transfer on 103503.3474@compuserve .com Jim To as my own private "tutor." any such XT -class PC can [email protected] It helps me decipher the reach speeds of as much as 8 "value added" that my K/ sec, as anyone can easily One way to accomplish what palmtop can provide to my confirm by using a program you want is by creating your business and personal life. that is properly optimized

38 THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1997 • •• BASIC TIPS •••

[All tips are by HP Palmtop Paper Managing Editor Ralph C. Turner, ~:'>chkdSk unless otherwise noted. You can con­ 354916 b\::lt.es t.ot.al disk space 4609 b\::lt.es in 1 hidden f'ile tact Ralph at ralph_turner@thaddeus. 2560 b\::lt.es in 3 direct.ories 290064 b\::lt.es in 41 user f'iles com] 67594 b\::lt.es available on disk 512 b\::lt.es in each . allocat.ion un+t. 693 t.ot.al allocat.1on unit.s on d1s 132 available allocat.ion unit.s on 651264 t.ot.al b\::lt.es memor\::l Viewing all of ZOOMed screen in DOS SCREEN 1: If you ZOOM to the 40x15 display in DOS you may not be able to see everything in one screen. DOS is one of the applications that allows you to use the palmtop's ZOOM IiIkdsk feature to get an enlarged view of the 54916 b\::lt.es t.ot.al disk space standard 80-character-x-25-line display. 4609 b\::lt.es in 1 hidden f'ile 2560 b\::lt.es in 3 direct.ories To zoom through the three different dis­ 90064 b\::lt.es in 41 user f'iles play sizes, press (Fn)+(ZOOM). The 67594 b\::lt.es available on disk 512 b\::lt.es in each.allocat.ion un+t. feature works both from the DOS 693 t.ot.al allocat.1on ynit.s on d1sk prompt, as well as from within non­ 132 available allocat.1on unit.s on disk graphics DOS programs (i.e., text­ 51264 t.ot.al b\::lt.es memor\::l based programs). However, by zooming to one of the SCREEN 2: By pressing (MENU)+(RightArrow) the hidden part of the display becomes visible. larger displays, you'll cut off from view part of the 80x25 display. (See Screen 1.) To view whatever text is hidden, press (MENU) plus one of the arrow o No Repeat. 0 D.aily 0 ~eekly 0 Jjont.hly @ Yearly keys. For example, pressing (MENU)+(RightArrow) moves the win­ Durat.ion------~ !it.art.ing: !f iti?'~!:l.?:!~:~? ...... dow to the right, whereas pressing Ending : ; ~iIi.?~!:l.??ili.iIi.? (MENU)+(UpArrow) moves the window Yearly Repeat. Type------~======~~~~~ up. (See Screen 2.) o By D~t.e !IiIi.?:I!:l. :) @ By Day .eosit.ion ! ~~~~D ! $~~~r.::4.~~D in : ~O(@

SCREEN 3: Use the ApptBook's "Yearly Repeat Option" to remind yourself of a yearly event, such as a church fair that regularly starts on the last Saturday in June. Scheduling an Event 1. (APPT) From now on, the church fair will appear Most of the appointments we enter into 2. (MENU) Add Event each year on my appointment list as an our palmtops are associated with a spe­ Church fair starts event. cific "start time." However, in some situ­ [This fills in the description field.] ations we may want to be reminded to I 3. (ALT)+(C) do something on a particular day, but St. Steven's not at a particular time. [This fillS in the location field.] In such situations, the ApptBook's 4. (F8) (Y) "Event" function is just what we need. [This selects the yearly repeat Tracking down long distance (An event is an ApptBook item that's option.] calls associated with a particular day, but not 5. (AL T)+(P) a particular time. When you create an [This moves to the Repeat By Day Has anybody had this problem before? event, the "start time" and "end time" Position field.] You open your phone bill and don't rec­ fields automatically have the word 6. (TAB) (L) ognize half the calls listed. My wife "NONE" in them.) [This selects Last.] always blames me for the expensive Here's an example. I used to attend 7. (TAB) (S) ones. I thought of a way to defend a church that held its annual church fair [This selects Saturday.] myself. on the last Saturday in June. If I wanted 8. (TAB) (J) (J) I created a database to keep track of my palmtop to remind me of the fair, [This selects June. See Screen 3.] all the long distance calls I make. The here are the keys that I'd press: 9. (F10) (F10) first fields in the database are for the [This saves the record.] date and time so that the calls are listed

THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBERIDECEMBER 1997 39 I.MI£I.R ..-i;wpi:tl)A Dat.a It.el'l

When in doubt, enter the Io iHaJ. j Bt. rr.:h :~ ::::::~:! :~ :::::········· ...... ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~::::::::: number (with ''temporary'' as Category)

How many times have you phoned someone, then decided not to enter their name and number into PhoneBook, only to find out, days or SCREEN 4: This user's custom database helps him track his long distance calls. weeks later, that you wished you had saved their number? In order to avoid the annoyance of having to track down a number for the - I - . Na!1e :. second time, some palmtop users have Phone: Ilusiness : : H.Ql'Ie : adopted the policy, "When in doubt, Al t.ernat.e : : Fax: enter the number into the palmtop." Ti.t.Ie Cat.egory it. H There's a disadvantage, though, in COl'lgany adding entries, willy-nilly, to your Address.! PhoneBook: the more entries your Address2 PhoneBook has, the larger the pro­ ~it.y St.at.e Zip gram's file. And a large file means slow­ Not.e i er load and search times. • To prevent your PhoneBook file SCREEN 5: Creating a subset for only those records that have ''temporary'' from getting too large, try entering the as the category will help you prune out unwanted records. word "temporary" in the Category field whenever you add a record for a con­ tact you're not sure you'll ever use in order by date. This makes it easy to again. Here's how this can be helpful. match up to my phone bill. (See Scr.4.) Whenever you think your Along with a field for the phone num­ Calculating discounts PhoneBook file has gotten too large, ber, I've included fields for the name of use the Subset function to list only the person I talked to, where they're Sometimes a store will advertise a sale those records with the word "temporary" located and where I'm calling from. In where everything is 25% off (or they will in the Category field. (To create such a the category field I add whether the call offer a 15% discount to all senior citi­ subset, press (F6) (Subset), (ALT)+(D), was for business or personal and if I zens). If you're like most of us, you (ALT)+(G), then choose ''temporary'' as used my calling card. Another field is don't find it easy to do such computa­ the category. (See Screen 5.) Now used to indicate the subject of the con­ tions quickly in your head. press (F10) and name the subset.) versation. The Note section is used for No problem. Just take out your When the "View Subset" box any follow up information, further palmtop and open the HP Calc applica­ appears, highlight the ''temporary'' sub­ instructions and miscellaneous stuff. tion. If you want to find out the discount­ set, then press (F10) (OK). Only the I created a macro (Fn)(F5) to auto­ ed amount of an item marked at, say, records with "temporary" as the catego­ mate some of the data entry: $68.99, press (MENU), Applications, ry will be listed. You can now easily {Copy }{More }b{F2}{Date }{Enter}{Time}{ Arithmetic, then type in 68.99-25. Now prune out those contacts who really Enter}{Paste}{Enter} press (F6) (%) and (ENTER). The sale were temporary, and who you're con­ When I'm making a long distance price ($51.74) will be displayed. vinced you'll never call again. call from a number in my PhoneBook Because all items in the store are file, I just highlight the number and 25% off, here's something else you can press (Fn)(F5). The number is copied to do to save time if you want to calculate the clipboard, the database is opened the sale price of a number of items. Password protecting 1·2·3 files and the date and time are stamped in Instead of typing in 68.99-25, type in the appropriate fields. Then the number 68.99-25. In other words, enter the If you have a Lotus file that contains is pasted into its field. Now I can fill in minus sign twice. This makes the 25% a sensitive information, it's easy to pre­ the rest of the fields as I wish, or close constant. From now on, all you'll have vent others from opening the file. the database. to do is enter in the marked price of an When you're asked to "Enter the I have a nice list of the calls I made item, then hit (ENTER) and the sale name of the file to save," type in the file as "evidence" when the phone bill price will instantly be displayed. (In name, then press the (SPACEBAR) fol­ arrives, as well as more detailed contact other words, you won't have to type in lowed by the letter P. Then press information for future reference. the "-25" and press (F6) for each calcu­ (ENTER). lation.) You'll be prompted to enter a pass­ Jeffrey Short, MD. South Weymouth, MA word, and from then on you (or anyone [email protected] else) won't be able to retrieve the work­ sheet without typing in the password.

40 THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 1997 ••• QUICK TIPS •••

All tips are by HP Palmtop performed on any embedded ry before loading system­ in a more robust database. Paper and Handheld PC HTML tags. manager. The following three tips dis­ Magazine Technical Editor DOCHTML reads a MEMO 4. Copy comtsr.com and cuss a number of different Tom Gibson, unless other­ .DOC file and generates a lamptsr.com · into c:\. ways of moving data into and wise noted. You can reach new HTML file from it. To out of your palmtop. Tom at tom_gibson@thad­ use DOCHTML, go to the 5. Then reboot your palmtop (CTRL)+(ALT)+(DEL) and deus. com DOS prompt and type Exporting and import. dochtml (memofile) (htmlfile). you will be able to print to ing the Note field For example, if you wanted an IRDA printer. to convert a MEMO file For a while now I have been named WEBPAGE.DOC to trying to export Database an HTML document you and Phone Book files from would type: my HP 200LX in a comma­ Make MEMO files into EDITOR'S NOTE: You may delimited form that I can dochtml webpage.doc HTML documents sometime want to export or import into my desktop com­ web page.htm import data from or to one of puter with all the fields intact. HTML is the language of the and then press return. You your palmtop's database (A comma-delimited file is a Internet, and your palmtop would now have an HTML applications (PhoneBook, generic type of data file can be a big player in the document that can be read Database, NoteTaker, etc.). where the fields of each game. Today there are many by any browser. For example, let's say record are enclosed in dou­ WYSIWYG (What You See you'd like to take all the ble quotes and separated by Is What You Get) HTML edi­ tors available for the big and powerful desktop systems, like Windows 95 and Win­ dows NT. These programs are like word processors or page lay­ out programs, except that Print to an Infrared they create documents in printer from your Screen 1. This smart clip exports the PhoneBook fields to a comma-delimited file. (Note: on your palmtop screen, HTML format to be displayed palmtop. all the fields should be placed on a single line.) on the Internet. However, there has been Many of the printers avail­ no such powerful program for able today have an option for names and telephone num­ a comma, and each record our palmtops. Now there is a using Infrared printing, but bers from your PhoneBook ends with a Carriage Re­ program called DOCHTML • the HP 100/200LX does not file and get them into a turn/Line Feed combination.) by Vivek Venugopalan (e­ have a standard IR port. dBASE database file on your The big bugaboo is with the mail: vivek. venugopalan This problem can be solved laptop. Notes field in any database. @ u s by using the latest IR drivers Or maybe you've got a When you enter data into a a.net) that converts an HP contained in IRDA097.ZIP . , Microsoft Word file on your Notes field it automatically 200LX's MEMO file to a which will enable you to print desktop PC that contains wraps the text so you can see HTML file that can be direct­ using ,the IR port on the HP 1,000 names and addresses it. When you export a ly published on the Web. Palmtop. These are the lat­ that you'd like to move to a NoteTaker, PhoneBook, or DOCHTML version 1.0 is a est IRDA drivers for the database file on your palmtop. Database file, carriage 200LX and 100LX. By using simple command line DOS Or possibly you've received return/line feed symbols are them you will be able to print application that was de­ a list of 500 companies via e­ placed in the Notes Field from all of the built-in appli­ signed to run on the HP mail or off the Net that you'd wherever the text wraps. cations except Lotus 1-2-3. 100/200LX. You can use the like to bring into a NoteTaker Any program trying to import formatting functions available To use the new drivers: or database file. a record containing a Note in MEMO. DOCHTML will with a word-wrapped line gets Since PhoneBook and Da­ then translate them to their 1. Copy Id.bat and uld.bat to tripped up by the Carriage tabase, Note Taker, etc. does­ HTML equivalent. your c:\ root directory. Return/Line Feed combination n't have the capability of easi­ Additionally, HTML tags 2. Add "Call Id.bat" to your in the Note field and thinks ly exporting or importing data can be embedded in the autoexec.bat before load­ another record is starting. in any of the standard data DOC file (they are also ing system manager. I now have a workaround. I formats, accomplishing the embedded into the HTML export my 77 4-record Phone­ 3. Copy the IRDA.TSR file task will not be as straightfor­ file). There is no validation Book file to a comma-delimit- into your C:\_DAT directo- ward as it would be from with-

THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 1997 41 ed file using a smart clip for­ matted with all the fields on a single line, and the Notes ,

42 THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 1997 PhoneBook database) or palmtop. If you thought create a GDB database checkers was a simple game which matches your comma­ for children, think again. The delimited data. documentation file says that, One advantage of this pro­ "You will need to be a very gram is that it can work not good player to beat BLITZ, only on the "standard" data­ even on a very low level of base structures, but also on play." . a Phone Book or ApptBook database on which you've Riziko • is a shareware ver­ Screen 4. BGRoyal is a Backgammon game sion of Risk, the popular that works nicely on the palmtop. altered the structure (i.e., custom databases). board game of world con­ quest. Written for the palm­ 3. The program can handle data only into the palmtop's top, this program has some "special characters" (char­ database (GDB) files and amazing graphics. acter codes 128-254) Phone (PDB) files. (It can't [?~@:@:W&~OO' directly to the output. be used for WorldTime or @[XJ&~@:W&~@: 4. The program handles the ApptBook files.) following types of fields: GDBIO can not create a new 100/200LX database Shareware/Freeware text, category, note, num­ Three great programs mentioned in this article ber, date, time, option from scratch; it can only add to an existing database file. buttons, and check boxes. BGRoyal • is a nicely All of the following programs are awl­ Although GDBIO handles All other types of fields designed freeware Backgam­ able at the S.U.P.E.R Web site: are omitted. notes fields, mUlti-line notes www.paImtop.net/super.htmland on retain their carriage-return­ mon game (see Screen 4.) this issue's HP Palmtop Paper ON 5. The program doesn't han­ line-feed combinations. The program, which was DISK dle ApptBook or World To import data into a GDB­ written by Chris Emsen, BGRoyal • - A Backgam­ Time files. allows you to choose to have format datab~se you must mon game for the palm­ the menus displayed in GDBLOAD loads ASCII for­ know its structure, and have top. Freeware. English, French, or Dutch. matted data into an HP a comma-delimited file which Blitz Draughts - • A DOS­ 100/200LX database. This matches that structure. Blitz Draughts • is a share­ based checkers game that program is used when you In other words, you either ware DOS-based checkers plays well on the 1001200LX. want to import data from have to match your input to game that works well on the Shareware. another database program an existing database (e.g., a DOCHTML • - A DOS into one of the built-in data­ application that converts base applications on the palmtop. HP Product Index HP lOO/200LX MEMO The data that you want to files to HTML files. Copy­ import needs to be in a spe­ HP Products contact information: Authorized HP computer dealers worldwide (Le. the same righted freeware. place you can purchase an HP LaserJet). To locate an authorized dealer in the USA, call 800· cific format: the same format 443·1254. You can also purchase the 95LX & 100/200LX and its accessories from : EduCALC GDBIO • - Utility program for as exported by GDBDUMB at 800-677-7001, Fax: 714·582-1445; Your One-Stop Palmtop Shop at 800-709-9494 or 608- importing and exporting (see above) and many other 752·1537, Fax: 608-752-9548; Notebook Supply Warehouse at 800·566-6832 or 714-753- comma-delirnited ASCII files database programs. 8810, Fax: 714-753-8812; PDA Direct at 800-279-4732 ext 130; Shier Systems at 805·371 - 9391 , Fax: 805·371-9454. to and from the pam{top's HP 300LX (F1220A)-$499 (est.) GDB and PDB format files . HP 320LX (F1221A)-$699 (est.) Freeware. Use GDBIO • to HP 200LX 4 MB (HP F1216A)- $599 import! export palmtop (versions available include: US English, UK English, Gennan, Spanish, French, Portugese, Japanese and GBDBDUMP • - Utility pro­ Korean) databases HP 200LX 2MB (HP Fl061A) - $499 gram that allows exporting HP 1000CX 2 MB Palmtop PC (HP F1222A)-$449 data from the palmtop's Another way of transferring (versionslavailable include: US English, UK English, German, Spanish, and French) HP OmniGo 700LX - $NA (Combination HP 2ooLX, fax software and Nokia GSM cellular database applications. data to and from 100/200 LX phone.) Freeware. databases is to use Craig 1.8 Mb Flash Disk (HP Fl024A, with Stacker) - $199 Payne's excellent freeware 6 Mb Flash Disk (HP F1215C, with Stacker).- $425 GDBl.OAD • - Utility program program, GDBIO. 10Mb Flash Disk (HP Fl 013C, with Stacker) - $600 that allows importing data 20 Mb Flash Disk (HP Fl014C, with Stacker) - $999 GDBIO can export data­ AC/DC Adapter (HP Fl 011 A)-$39.95 into the palmtop's database bases from the 100/200LX, USA/Canada (Opt. ABA); Europe (Opt. ABB); Australia (Opt. ABG); South Africa (Opt. ABO); applications. Freeware Un~ed Kingdom (Opt. ABU). including notes, into an IIIA097 2JP • - Utility. A col­ ASCII Comma-Delimited file, PC Connectivity Cable (HP Fl015A) - $24.95 MAC Connectiv~ Cable (HP Fl 016A) - $24.95 lection of printer drivers and and can import ASCII 100/200LX Connectivity Pack - $119.95 TSR that allow wider use of U.S. (HP Fl021 B); Intemational (HP Fl021C) Comma-Delimited informa­ the palmtop's infrared port. tion into an existing 1001- Connect/Adapter K~ - $24.95 (HP Fl023A) 4 adapters for connecting the 100/200LX to modems, printers, and PCs. Freeware. 200LX database. It can't, Palmtop Maintenance Kit (replacement parls) (F1216-60998) (US only) - $20 however, import data into the Service Agreements (2-year extenSion) - $85. For U.S. HP Palmtop users. Units must be RlZlKO • - A palmtop version notes field. under warranty to extend. of the dassic board game of Contact: HP, Corvallis Service Center, USA; Phone: 503-757-2002. NOTE Prices listed are The program can import suggested retail price. Dealer prices may vary. Risk. Shareware.

THE HP PALMTOP PAPER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1997 43 HOW TO CONTACT US Products Advertised in This Issue of (Please note: The HP Palmtop Paper does not and cannot provide techntcal support.) There are a number of ways to get in The HP Palmtop Paper touch with The HP Palmtop Paper staff. You can write, mail us a disk with your com­ ments, send CompuServe or fnternet e­ COMPANY (PRODUCn ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.••• [PHONEIFAX NUMBERS) .. PAGE NUMBER mail, fax, or call. Our mailing address and contact information is: Accurite (Aoppy Drives for l00J200LXlDoubte Slot) ...... 1510.668-4900; Fax:510-668·4905) 21 Thaddeus Computing, Inc., Aware (Micro Roentgen Radiation Monitor) ...... 1302-655·3800; Fax: 302-655-3800) 36 110 N. Court St., DTS Wireless Messaging (Wireless Messaging Service)...... 1868·243-8387 or 908-602-1144; Fax: 908-602'()990)) 22 Fairfield, IA 52556, U.S.A. EduCAlC (Accessories) ... 1800-713-6526 or 714-582-2637; Fax: 714-582-1445) 15 Phone: 515-472-6330 Entente (Two-Way Conversational Translator) ...... 1800-409·1701) 31 or 800-373-6114 EXP Computer (ThinFax Modem) ...... 180o.EXP-6922 ext. 641 or 714-453-1020; Fax: 714-453-1319) .. back cover Fax #:515-472-1879 Greenwich (Palm link) ...... 1800-476-4070 or 704-875-8490; Fax: 704·875·2801) 34 Internet: [email protected] Greystone Peripherals (PC cardslDriversiAdapters) ...... •.. .180o.8OQ.5710 or 408·868-4739; Fax: 408-868-8328) 18 CompuServe: 76125,1773 Inmax (CGA VGA Graphics Pack Vision) ...... 1604·980·9991; Fax: 604-985-5597] 31 Kingmax (Peripherals) ...... 1909-468'()958; Fax: 909-468-0769) 17 TO SUBSCRIBE, change address, or clear MagicRAM (Flash Cards) ...... 1800·272-6242 or 213-413-9999; Fax: 213·413-0828) 7 up any problem with your subscription, Mirical Corp. (Personal Food Analyst) ...... l ...... ·1800-732-n07 or 719-598-5276; Fax: 719-598-5790) 11 contact our subscription department. Call Precision Guesswork (POCKETWatch Pocket Protocol Analyzer) ...... 1508·887-6570; Fax: 508-887·6552) 25 or fax us at the phone numbers above. E­ mail us at: [email protected] Pretec (PCMCIA Memory Cards) ...... 1510·44Q'()535; Fax: 51o.44O'()534) 23 Shier Systems (Cables, software, accessories, Web Browser) . . . 1805-371·9391; Fax: 805·371-9454) ..inside front cover TO ADVERTISE in The HP Palmtop Paper Steele Creek Technologies (Cardlink Drives) ...... IPhoneiFax: 704-568-1780) 36 contact Brian Teitzman, Margaret Martin Taylor Electric Company (HP palmtops and accessories) . . .. 1800-558-6970 or 414-241-4321; Fax: 414-241-5264) 23 or Tiffany Lisk at phone: 515-472-1660 or Thaddeus Computing ...... 1800.373·6114 or 515-472-6330; Fax: 515-472-1879) 800-809-5603; Fax: 515-472-8409. (Thaddeus Palmtops: Double·Speed 8 Meg Palmtop, 14.4 Modem, Palmtop Upgrade)...... 37 (New 1998 CD InfoBase...... inside back cover Technical Support (Knowledge products: Subscriptions, HP Palmtop Tech Ref. Manual, Reference Books, CD InfoBase) ...... 8 (Handheld PC Magazine)...... 12 HP Technical Support - HP offers techni­ Trans Digital (Trans PC Card·Universal Parallel Port) ...... IPhone: 916-482-5599; Fax: 916-482-5598) 4 cal support from 8:00am. - 5:00pm. P.S.T. Phone: 970-392-1001.

On-Line Support- offered by these bul­ letin board services. Shareware and Freeware Index o COMPUSERVE: GO HPHAND FORUM - Call 800-848-8990 or 614- (November/December 1997) 457-8650. o AMERICA ON LINE: Keyword Software on The HP Palmtop Paper ON DISK PALMTOP - Call 888-265-8001 for membership information. PRODUCT FUNCTION C)S FORUM I LIBRARY TYPE PAGE

o INTERNET NEWS GROUPS: BGROYALE.ZIP Game: Backgammon for the palmtop. NA Freeware 35 news:comp.sys.palmtops.hp; or BLlTZ54.ZIP Game; DOS-based checkers. NA Shareware 35 news:comp.sys.handhelds DBLEARN.ZIP Application: leaming program for the palmtop. HPHand, tl Postcardware 25 DOCHTM10.ZIP Application: Converts LX MEMO files to HTML files NA Freeware 35 FLEXPAD.ZIP Application: Organizerltext editor. HPHand,11 Shareware 4 How to Submit an Article FLY.ZIP Spreadsheet: Helps you get places on time. NA Freeware 31 GDBIO.ZIP Utility: Import and export files. NA Freeware 35 The richness of The HP Palmtop Paper GDB102.ZIP Utility: Import and export files. NA Freeware 35 comes from the contributions of Palmtop PC users. We and your fellow users wel­ GERMAN.ZIP Database: palmtop GOB file of Gennan words. NA Freeware 25 come your submissions. (We do not offer GERMAN.ZIP Database: knowledge file associated wijh GERMAN.ZIP.NA Freeware 25 payment for articles, your reward is know­ IRDA097.ZIP Drivers and TSR forlR port printing. NA Shareware 35 mg that you've helped others.) MEDSTUFF.ZIP Notebook, 1-2-3, and solver medical files. HPPC, OmniBook 600 Freeware 3 1£ you have a good idea and want to "go OB6DSK.ZIP Application: Run .ADB and .PDB files on your PC. NA Freeware 11 for it," send it in via CompuServe e-mail PTP35.ZIP Text: The HP Palmtop Paper, SepVOct 1997 NA NA NA [75300,2443], Internet: hal_goldstein@thad­ PTP36.ZIP Text: The HP Palmtop Paper, Nov/Dec 1997 NA NA NA deus.com, or send disk or nard copy to Hal Goldstein or Ralph C. Turner at the above README.ZIP Text: cover letter to the HP Palmtop Paper ON DISK. NA NA NA address. Alternatively you can send an RIZ10012.ZIP Game: Palmtop version of the game of Risk. NA Shareware 35 outline of your idea. We will try to guide you as to when and whether we woufd use the article and contact you if we need clari­ Software mentioned and available elsewhere fication or have any suggestions - please include your phone number. We may want BUDDY contains many useful utilijies HP Palmtop Paper's 1997 CD Infobase Shareware 28 to use an article but for a variety of reasons HP-SOK Maze game for HP 100/200LX HP Palmtop Paper's 1997 CD Infobase Freeware 28 you may not see it for many months. Please understand that we cannot promise MaxDOS Utility: launch from Prog.Manager HP Palmtop Paper's 1997 CD Infobase Freeware 11 to run any particular article at any particu­ Transfile Win 200 File transfer software www.hp.com:80lhandheldl lar time. getting_help/software/palmtopsl200.html Freeware 11 If you can, especially if you write a REMCOM.ZIP Utility: remotely control TV, VCR HP Palmtop Paper's 1997 CD Infobase Shareware 15 Palmtop Profile, send us a plloto of your­ self - black and white is preferred, but color is acceptable. TO ORDER the CD InfoBase or HP Palmtop Paper ON DISK, see page 8

44 THEHPPALMTOPPAPER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1997 How many reasons do you need?

1991-971ssues oFThe HP Pdlmtop Pdper dnd Bonus Issues In dn edSy-reddlng FdSt-sedrch hyper-text Formdt 600 42 New for 198! Megdbytes ofFdSt-dnswer hyper-text InFo, pdlmtop soh­ WUlffiiftMMillM, · Wdre dnd e-text cldSSlcs. "i'~~l"lL~ "nt""-l~Ir Ln:t ...... ,-.1

.. ~( .. < YlfOTtI.;;l. ~ ~,\'h">~1n".11 """ f' l""~ (.VJr.pUlIn ~ J're~.,..t., 1 -0' nil ~II)'T' 'll~ ",. ,I " ' . THE 39 HP Palmtop All the Freewdre dnd 1998 shdrewdre From 39 1991- Paper's CD InfoBase 10 971ssues ofThe HP -Ten minutes to 10dd Pdlmtop Pdper ON DISK dndmdSter dnd Bonus Issues. -Ten seconds to Hnd iUlYdnswer 900 4 Project Gutenberg e-text Hies For 1000 Complete MiUlUilfs: you to downlodd iUld redd on your Shdrewdre iUld FreewdFe lidmes, -MlcroREF DOS dnd pilfmtop. CldSslcs, hlstoricilf docu­ Progrdms iUld utilities. All the sohwdFe lotus 1-2-3 ments dnd more. A IIFetlme-s thdt hdS ever been provided on The HP -2ooLX User-s Guide redding dS d Free bonus! Pilfmtop Pdper ON DISK. -loo/2oo/7oolX Developer-s Guide

Here's what other HP Palmtop users have to say about The HP Palmtop Paper's Th e HP Palmtop Paper's New 1998 CD InfoBase New 1998 CD InfoBase "The CO Info8ase is the ideal It's not one product, it's thousands! reference source .... " The new 1998 CD InfoBase is the most powerful tool for your HP Palmtop because it contains - David Shier, Shier Systems thousands of others. If you already have the '96 or '97 CD, here's your chance to get everything "All palmtop users would ben­ from 1997 for what the '97 On Disk Back Issues alone would cost. If you've never owned a CD efit from having this CO. " InfoBase, we urge you to take advantage of this no-risk offer today and see for yourself. - Dara Khoyi, Florida If you don't like it, simply return it for a full refund. You take no risk! "It's a great product and well worth the money!" - Thomas Rundel, Germany Special Low Price! "The CO is a downright bargain. " 1st Time Buyer only $99.95 (Reg. $129. Save $301) - Stan Dobrowski, Team HP Upgrade from '96 or '97 CD $59.95 (Reg $79. Save $201) Why wait? The sooner you order the sooner you can start enjoying the "I thought the CO was terrific benefits ofa fully empowered palmtop! Act now! -very useful. " Offer expires 5-31-98 -Dorothy Colton, Hewlett-Packard

Phone: 800-373-6114 or 1-515-472-6330 Fax: 1-515-472-1879 The Only HP Palmtop Upgrade That Has It All. To get the most from your HP 100/200LX palmtop, you need 3 advanced upgrades on 1 convenient PCMCIA card. First, you need to send and receive both faxes and data at an exceptional 14, 400 bps speed. Second, you need fax/modem software that operates easily with the same HP function keys and commands you already use ... without the hassle of downloading software and without consuming precious hard disk space. Third, you need Flash memory for fast, easy access to all your software applications and for efficiently storing data. Plus you need to fax from and receive faxes into your Flash memory for extra convenience. And, most of all, you need the flexibility to use all your upgrade features together or independently, without inserting and removing separate fax/modem and memory cards. Now you can have it all with ThinFax 1414LXM. All THE ADVANCED UPGRADE FEATURES YOU NEED ... ON 1 CONVENIENT PCMCIA CARD. EXP's award-winning MiniFax™ software. High-speed fax/modem. 2 or 4 MB Flash memory. They're all built into the ThinFax 1414LXM card. That's why ThinFax 1414LXM is the one upgrade that's a must for your HP palmtop. So call the toll-free number today for complete ThinFax 1414LXM specifications and the name of an EXP dealer near you. c,,,,,: 714-453-1020 or Fllx: 714-453-1319 bttp://www.expnet.com EKr=' MOBILE COMPUTING EXP ERTISE IS BUILT INTO OUR NAME.