\ I ,I An Independent Publication for Users of HP Palmtop 1 : II IN :)

0> Publisher's Message , , , , , , . , , , , , , .. , ... 0> 0> E u.s. $7.95 Letters"",.,' """"""""""',:

~ Q) .0 E New Products: :::J Software Now Available .. , .. , , , .. , , ,.. j Z PPalmtop co Q) E A Light at the End of the Tunnel, , , , , , , , 1: :::J For those who want to use their Palmtop in the dark, there may be a solution in the works.

Updated Products: X-, , , , , , , , , , . , 7 Looking for a better Filer and/or App Manager for your HP Palmtop? Here's an in·depth look at the latest version of X-Finder.

MUPs (Most Unusual Places)"""""", 11 Wonder what Palmtoppers do on their vacations or travels? Here are some more Messages Upon a Palmtop from some Most Unusual Places.

User to User , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1~ Is there What if HP were to discontinue the Palmtop? Can the latest HP Handhelds pick up where the Palmtop leaves off?

HOPE Connecting the Palmtop to MS-DOS and Windows NT 4,0 , , , . , .. , , , 2C An HP Engineer shares his experience and Palmtop software as his division moves from DOS to Windows NT.

Through the Looking Glass: Doing Windows on the Palmtop, , , , , , , . 23 Ed discusses the pros and cons of running Windows 3.0 on the HP Palmtop.

Quick Tips, , , , , , , , , , , . , , . , , , , , , , , , , , 27

A EY READY Basic Tips, , , , , , , , , , , , .... , , ... , . , , , 29

Advertiser's Index """"""""", 32

08 Files on July/August 1999 ON DISK., ,.",,32 What Does Hal think? o 7447083112 9 Over 1200 Games, Programs and Utilities lo_r __ palmtop!

The HP Palmtop Paper's TheHP CD/nlo'ase

Palmtop AQ HP Palmtop V Paper Paper's 1999 o ase 2 CD Deluxe Edition Whal'sNEW Thousands of products in one! in 19991 #The CD InfoBase is one of those 4 650 happy situations where the value Commercial DOS Programs, FREE! Complete Manuals: Megabytes of fast-answer of a product vastly exceeds cost." - Lotus Agenda • MicroREF DOS and Lotus 1-2-3 hyper-text info, palmtop soft­ - WordPerfect's DataPerfect • 200LX User's Guide ware and e-text classics. • 100/2001700LX Developer's Guide Here's what HP Palmtop - Button's PC File users have to say about - Free form Square Notes - Accounting Pro 10 1200 The lIP Palmtop Paper's - Lotus Magellan Ten minutes to load and master Project Gutenberg e-text files for Ten seconds to find any answer CD Inlolase: Over 200 new and updated you to download and read on Palmtop programs your palmtop. Classics, historical "The CD InfoBase is the ideal documents and more. A lifetime's reference source .... " - Great new software from Japan 45 reading as a free bonus! So much - David Shier, Shier Systems with English documentation material, it gets its own CD! All the freeware and shareware "All palmtop users would - New DOS finds from 45 1991-98 issues of The - Updated popular palmtop games HP Palmtop Paper ON DISK and benefit from having this CD. " and utilities Bonus Issues. - Dara Khoyi, Florida 1200 "It's a great product and well worth PC In Your Pocket and HP Palmtop the money!" Shareware and Freeware Games, - Thomas Rundel, Germany Technical Reference Manual 49 Programs and Utilities. All the inHTML 1991-98 Issues of The HP software that has ever been pro­ "The CD is a downright bargain. " From your desktop or palmtop web Palmtop Paper and Bonus vided on The HP Palmtop Paper - Stan Dobrowski, TeamHP browser, now you can read Ed Keefe's classic Issues in an easy-reading fast­ ON DISK. containing lOO's of ideas of practical uses of search hyper-text format. "I thought the CD was terrific - very the HP Palmtop. useful. " Programmers will appreciate a second - Dorothy Colton, Hewlett-Packard copy of the Tech Reference Manual designed The HP Palmtop Paper's New to be read using HV on the Palmtop.

More Gutenberg Etexts 1999 CD InfoBase 1st-Time Our second CD of Etexts is now com­ It's not one product, it's thousands! CD InfoBase Buyer .•. 5129.00 #CD9 pletely full. Additional works from Verne, Huxley, Longfellow, Marx, Austen, HG The new 1999 CD InfoBase is the most powerful tool for Wells, Darwin, Woolfe, Lewis, London, Grey, your HP Palmtop because it contains thousands of others. If UPGRADE from '961'971'98 Burroughs plus documents such as the you already have the '96, '97 or '98 CD, here's your chance Federalist Papers have been added for your to get everything from 1998 for what the '98 ON DISK Back CD InfoBase .•.•.•.•..•••. 579.95 #CU99 palmtop pleasure and reference. Issues alone would cost. If you've never owned a CD InfoBase, we urge you to take advantage of this no-risk offer 1998 Issues of HP Palmtop Paper Why wait? The sooner you order the sooner you can start today and see for yourself. If you don't like it, simply return enjoying the benefits of a fully empowered palmtopl Act nowl All 6 1998 issues of The HP Palmtop Paper it for a full refund. You take no risk! have been merged into the gigantic palmtop knowledgebase for fast searches.

Order Online: www.PalmtopPaper.com or Call: 800-373-8114/515-472-8330 Fax: 515-472-1879 Editor.s Message

Lost and Found

oW many of you have used CompuServe's H software to access the HPHAND forum? How The HP Palmtop Paper many of you have lost HPHAND when you installed ver­ sion 4.0.x? How many emails have you sent to CompuServe only to be told that "the HPHAND forum is no longer on Compuserve"? How many of you, like me, have shouted "Nonsense!" at such a display of culpable ignorance? Volume 8/Issue 4 In this issue you won't find such culpable ignorance about the HP Palmtop. July/August 1999 Rather Steve Grotheer shows how to turn your Palmtop into a real PC Companion Executive Editor/Publisher using Windows 3.1 or Windows NT 4.0 along with the latest versions of Kermit. Hal Goldstein ([email protected]) Publications Director Peniel Romanelli shows how the updated X-Finder program can make your Richard Hall Palmtop look and feel like Windows Explorer (). Dave Sargeant sheds Managing Editor some light on the problems of creating a backlight for the Palmtop. In the Ed Keefe ([email protected]) Art Director "Through the Looking Glass" column I discuss several of the hurdles that must Al Constantineau be overcome to make Windows 3.0 work on the Palmtop. I could have asked the Technical Editor question "In a world without walls and fences, who needs windows or gates!" Tom Gibson In the New Products column you'll discover that there is now a good use for the Department Editor Wayne Kneeskern cc:Mail Remote on your Palmtop. Finally, Hal Goldstein ponders what might hap­ Contributing Writers pen if or when HP stops producing the Palmtop. His recent experiences with the Steve Grotheer, Peniel Romanelli, David Sargeant, new crop of Win CE handhelds show that the Jomada series are attractively pack­ Linda Worthington aged downgrades for Palmtop users. Advertising Tiffany Lisk Finally, here's a way to find the "Lost" HPHAND forum on Compuserve. Start Circulation CompuServe 4.0.x in offline mode, click on the Assistance tab, and click the Marge Enright Sandy Spees "Member Center" icon. Select the "View... " item from the menu and choose Executive Advisor "Classic View". HPHAND will now be accessible. An even easier approach is to Rita Goldstein use your favorite Web browser and type in the URL http://forumsb.com­ For orders or customer service puserve.com/vlforums/ default.asp?SRV=HPHand and connect to HPHAND. [email protected] You won't even need WinCIM! This interesting "back door" into HPHAND is The HP Palmtop Paper (ISSN 10656189) is pub­ lished by Thaddeus Computing Inc., at 110 N orth from Mike Rafeld, a forum member. Court Street, Fairfield, IA 52556. Periodical postage paid at Fairfield, Iowa. Subscription rates payable in U.S. dollars, checks drawn on a U.S. bank, or by credit card - one year: $39; two years: $69. Postage: U.S. and U.s. possessions free; Canada, Mexico add $6 per year; other countries add $18 per year. Published bi-monthly. Please allow four to six weeks for receipt of first issue. Executive, Editorial, Cireula tion, Marketing and Advertising Offices: 110 North Court Street, Fairfield, IA 52556. Telephone: (515) 472-6330, FAX: (515) 472-1879. Copyright 1999, TI13ddeus Computing, Inc., all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be repro­ duced without written permission. Reasonable efforts are made to provide accurate and useful infonnation, but the reader must make his or her own investiga­ tions and decisions; the Publisher and Editorial Staff cannot assume any responSibility or liability for the use of infonnation contained herein. POSTMASTER: Please send any address changes to The HP Palmtop Paper, Attn: TImddeus Computing, Inc., 110 North Court Street, Fairfield, IA 52556.

THE HP PALMTOP PAPER JULY / AUGUST 1999 1 Letters

CD InfoBase Request difficult to browse through the titles and authors. Of Please Bring Back the Over the past couple of years course, the time I'd most want Early Days we've received several requests to browse is when I'm away similar to the following. I've been a subscriber to and from my desktop. supporter of The HP Palmtop Has anyone created a GOB May I respectfully suggest Paper practically from day one database of Gutenberg files? We Like the Email the CD InfoBase be converted and must first thank you for This would be very useful. If Newsletter, and ••• to HTML format so we can providing an invaluable ser­ it doesn't already exist, I use it on our Palmtops? vice and rallying point for all Thanks for the little e-mail strongly encourage Thaddeus Palmtop users. I used to read newsletter. I wanted to ask David Lawrence to create it and ship it with every issue several times, as you to make a pitch for some­ [email protected] the CD. It would be a pain to there was so much useful one to program a viable, 2- build it the first time, but information, so many insights. way interface for the HP We've considered converting the maintenance each year would However, I've noticed a Palmtop PIMs and MS CD InfoBase from its current not be so bad. steady decline in the quality Outlook. To me, this is one of Hyper Writer format to HTML. Ken Morrison the biggest, long-term chal­ In the end, we decided against it. of the publication. There have [email protected] lenges our little HP 200LX The deciding factors were time been too many issues in the faces! I am willing to pony up and money. last 1-2 years that I've been This sounds like a good idea considerable bucks to get You may have noticed that the able to flip through in 2 min­ and should be do-able. It would something that is really viable CD version of "PC in Your utes and not feel inclined to require a 1200 item file and (a la Intellisync?). Thanks for Pocket" is in HTML format . It is return to. The decreasing num­ would need some forethought your help, not indexed whereas articles from ber of pages is very distressing. about the different fields to put in past issues of The HP Palmtop Lately it seems that the catalog John R. Peckham each item. [email protected] Paper are. This makes it less use­ that comes with every issue is ful as a reference work. On the thicker (and more interesting) HP 200LX is Good other hand the HTML format than the PTP itself. It's a very good idea, this Medicine PTP Newsletter. Please con­ does make it possible to read the My notice to renew just came tinue with this good work. I book on your Palmtop. I found yet another occur­ up and never in the past have use my HP 200LX a lot. I am If you want to read the other rence of the HP 200LX in real I hesitated. Right now I'm wondering, as I'm sure are the network administrator of CD InfoBase articles 011 the life applications. the Argentina Scania Network Palmtop, you can use the File, At the Neonatal Intensive many other subscribers- will and can tell you that almost Export command in Hyper­ Care Unit here at Cedars-Sinai the emphasis continue to be every hub, router or multi­ Writer to save articles as ASCII Medical Center in Los Angeles, on product marketing or could plexer device configuration is text files. If you want to search for CA, we are testing a new you not take steps to return to on my palmtop. I purchased words in an article, you can load device for monitoring patients. the heyday of your enthusi­ an HP 620LX last year but I the file into Memo. The device is handheld and asm in uncovering interesting prefer to use the HP 200LX. Having said that, one of my has a which is con­ insights, uses, and USERS? 1'd like more photos, in-depth Roberto Mercau goals for the next year is to select nected to an HP 200LX for data articles, human interest stories [email protected] those articles from the CD collection. Perhaps this is not InfoBase that have stood the test incredibly exciting but it was a like the one about a US Army of time, massage them into thrill for me (okay, I lead a very officer using his Palmtop in I am a long time subscriber HTML format and make them dull life). Desert Storm several years to The HP Palmtop Paper and available on our Web site. Stay Also at Cedars, all of the ago. There is so much that you look forward to your success tuned. We're not done yet. Medicine-Pediatrics (and per­ can still go after, but will that with the email newsletter. If haps Internal Medicine, as be the case, or is PTP going to there is a charge, please advise Call for a Gutenberg well) residents are offered a 2 be more and more an expen­ and I will give you a credit Database MB HP 200LX as a loaner dur­ sive mail-order catalog for me? card. Thanks and good luck. ing their residency (being in I hope you don't misconstrue Each year I look forward to Harmon Garrin Pediatrics, I had to buy my the tone of my message-I do receiving the Project Guten­ [email protected] own). We have infrared print­ want you to continue selling berg collection along with the ers available on all of the me stuff, and I HAVE benefit­ CD InfoBase. Now that I have We appreciate all those who sent floors for printing and will ed. But could you please shift a 32 MB Palmtop, I am inter­ e-mail. Please note that the occasionally beam patient info gears and bring back the old­ ested in carrying a few e­ Palmtop Paper E-mail Newsletter between computers when we style PTP? books with me. The problem is a free service. You can request switch services. Peter Chia , Singapore it at www.thaddeus.com/free.htm is that, as the collection of books grows, it becomes more Terrence Chun [email protected] Continued on Page 31

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New and recently updated software and hardware, including Palmtop to Windows conversion software.

By Ed Keefe The HP 49G lIP 49G Calculator and 1999 ences visit the Web site at www. Calculator Conferences hpcc.org/ conf99.html. Many HP Palmtop users migrated to the Palmtop after their favorable Outlook and the Palmtop experiences with HP . Recently, two new programs have Here's some news that may be of been advanced as partial solutions to interest to those who are still attached data transfer between the Palmtop and to these powerful tools. a Windows-based . The first The Hewlett-Packard Calculator program, is from Curtis Cameron, the Division has recently announced the author of many game programs for successor to the HP 48 scientific cal­ the Palmtop. Curtis's program pro­ culator, the HP 49G. vides a two-way data-conversion The calculator uses the same between PhoneBook on the Palmtop Saturn CPU as the HP 48 calculators and the Contacts application in MS fields to each PhoneBook field. In case but reportedly runs almost 10 times Outlook. The archive file is called an Outlook field is blank, it will go to faster than its predecessor. There is no OLC2LXinst.EXE (version 1.8) and a second or third field to find data to infrared device but wire connectivity may be obtained directly from mem­ put in a PhoneBook field. is vastly improved. There is no way to bers. aol.com / freewh L44 / You can separate Outlook's multi­ add a memory card. lxgames.html. Several users who have line street address fields into their What the picture doesn't reveal is tried the program attest that it is sim­ first, second, or third lines and assign the color of the HP 49G, robin's egg ple to use, works quickly and generates them separately to Palmtop fields. blue, and the fact that the keys are PhoneBook (.POB) files that work on The field mapping is stored for each rubber rather than plastic. Suppos­ the Palmtop and with Cpack on their different Palmtop file you use, so you edly keyboard entry is also faster than desktop. Curtis warns that this ver­ can have several different files and it on previous calculators. sion is still a program-in-process and will remember the mapping for each. To read more about the HP 49G should be used only after you have This information is stored in the same itself, visit the Web site, www. made backups. Here are some of the directory as the Palmtop file, using hpcalc.org/hp49g.html. features of the program. the palmtop file name, except with a The HP Calculator Operation It supports standard (.POB) .MAP file extension. (ACO) has been based in Australia for phonebooks and non-standard If you pass a palmtop file name on the past two years after having made (.GOB) contact files the command line, that palmtop file, a stop-over in Singapore. Look for It can handle data from Outlook along with all its mapping info, will some good things from "down under." 97, 98, and probably 2000. be loaded when it starts. You can select multiple contact If you also pass the string" / run" Handheld Conference folders in Outlook by holding the after the file name, then the conver­ On August 20-22, 1999, the ACO CTRL key and clicking on the folders. sion process will begin automatically. will sponsor a Handheld Conference You can map the fields between The Palmtop's extended charac­ in Vancouver, WA, U.S.A. to formal­ Outlook and the Palmtop's Phone­ ters are converted correctly to ly present the HP 49G. To learn more Book any way you want. Outlook but not the other way. about this and other HPCC confer- You can assign multiple Outlook To use the utility, you must have

4 THEHPPALMTOPPAPER JULY/AUGUST 1999 Status Report: Synchronizing the lIP Palmtop PIMS with MS Outlook here continues to be an interest data conversion programs. It should records will be written to the two Tin synchronizing the HP be a Windows program that runs on sets of master files. Appointment Book, ToDo list, a desktop or computer. No-conflict (new) records will be PhoneBook, and NoteTaker files Complete synchronization in­ those in which no fields match. with the corresponding applications volves solving two classic comput­ These records will be sent to the two in Microsoft's Outlook 97/98. ing problems, namely, data-conver­ sets of master files. For the case in Although some Palmtop users decry sion and record-conflict-resolution. which a record has been deleted on the use of Windows PIMs, others do Here are the specifications for each one platform but not the other, there not have that option. Their compa­ of these problems. must be some way to detect and deal ny mandates that they use MS Data-CoDversioD with this. Outlook for all appointments, tasks Given that the number of fields in Conflicting records will be those and contacts. For these people syn­ an Outlook application exceeds in which some fields match and chronization means they can keep those in an HP application and given some fields do not. For example two their Palmtops and not have to that the fields may also have differ­ appointment records may have the switch to a WinCE machine. ent names and different formats, the same date and time but different What Most Users Want data-conversion program should descriptions. To further refine the Here are the specifications for a provide a default mapping of fields matching of time fields, the program program to synchronize data between from MS Outlook to the Palmtop's should detect overlapping time the Palmtop and MS Outlook. applications. The program should fields. Thus two appointment The output for the ideal syn­ also let the user override the default. records would conflict if a second chronizing program will be two sets Extra fields from the MS Outlook appointment appears to start while of files: one for the Palmtop and the data should be retained. a first appointment is still in other for use with MS Outlook. Both Ideally the field mapping should progress. sets of files will have the same num­ be done in the computer's memory The user should be presented ber of records. The records in the MS and should not require the use of with the two conflicting records and Outlook files will contain all the intermediate files. However, han­ asked to decide which one to keep fields while the records for the dling records with large Notes fields and which one to discard. A further Palmtop files will have far fewer may require the use of intermediate refinement would be to allow the fields. The input for the program will files on disk. user to edit individual fields in the final record before it is written to consist of one or more data files from Record-Conflict-ResolutioD the Palmtop and the corresponding the set of new master files. Once the data has been converted Admittedly, the user will spend a data files from Outlook. The pro­ to a common data structure it can be gram should allow the user to select lot of time dealing with conflict reso­ processed to prepare it for the next lution the first time he or she runs the whether to synchronize all files at step: record-conflict resolution. The once or to use only an Appointment program. Subsequent, daily running program should detect records that of the program will be less of a hassle. Book and/or Phone Book file now have no conflict and those that do. and other files later. The complete synchronization No-conflict (identical) records program continues to elude pro­ The synchronizing program will consist of those in which all should be a stand-alone program grammers who have tackled the fields, common to both the Palmtop problem. that does not require the use of other and Outlook, match perfectly. These these things: MS Visual Basic 5 (SP3) Husgafvel (juha.husgafvel@prog­ OL2LX has been tested with runtime files, available from www. man.fi) and is designed to export Outlook 98 and HP 200LX (4MB) and hotfiles.com by searching for "vbS Outlook Calendar and Task informa­ the APPTS.EXE program from the runtime." You must have Outlook tion to HP 200LX Appointment Book Windows version of the Appointment installed on the computer running CADB) format. The current version Book. It exports the following this utility. You need to check the field converts files one way only. Calendar fields: Start date, End date, mapping to make sure things is going The archive file is called Subject, Body, Recurrence pattern, where you want. OL2LX_02.ZIP and may be obtained Reminder set, Reminder time. It also The other program is by Juha directly from www.tuug.org/ -hysky. exports the following fields from

THE HP PALMTOP PAPER JULY / AUGUST 1999 5 REVIEW: New Products - Software Now Available

Outlook's Tasks application: Start date, Due date, Subject, Body, Recurrence pattern, Reminder set, Reminder time. It will not export other information from Outlook. The programmer reports that there are some known problems with the pro­ gram, namely, weekly repeated appointments, in Outlook, are simu­ lated with Palmtop's Custom Repeat Screen 2: TO DO.EXM displays ToDo's in a spreadsheet layout. feature but there is no way to get the frequency of repeats. Likewise the gram such as PalEdit or HY. in exploring the program's features is program can't handle repeating tasks Palrun has been available for over available from several people on the in Outlook 97 that have been deleted a year now. Andreas Garzotto has just HPLX-L mail list. The above Web yet it will do so with Outlook 98. released an updated version that cor­ page also has an archive file For some unknown reason, rects a couple of bugs and adds some TOD021S.LZH that contains the Outlook tasks that were marked as new features. Turbo C source code for the program. completed and then unmarked show The most notable feature is that TODO.EXM displays ToDo's in a up as two separate tasks. the 6X8 sized font used on the spreadsheet-style format with columns All in all, this is a large first step Palmtop is mapped to an 8X8 sized A-Z and 99 rows (see Screen 2). Each but nowhere near a complete syn­ font on the desktop. This makes PAL­ cell can have a ToDo note with a start chronization program. It is definitely compliant programs look better on a date, due date and last time edited worth a try if only to give the pro­ desktop computer. date. You can adjust the size of each grammer some feedback on other fea­ If you like using the PalEdit editor, cell, which will show more or less cells tures that need to be tackled. you should see what it looks like in on the screen at once. There is a size full screen mode. Palrun, ver. 1.03 adjustable data card window, which New PaIrun Makes Programs Look will let you do this. will show all of the text for the cur­ Better on a Desktop. rently selected ToDo cell. You can put If you want to run programs, VDE Is Now Y2K Compliant a title on each column. You can sort based on the PAL library, on your If you prefer the VDE editor from columns in different ways. You can MS-DOS computer, you need to set Eric Meyer, you'll want to get ver­ jump around the rows and columns up the computer to handle the graph­ sion 1.87a of this program before the quickly. TODO.EXM is one of those ics and other features supported by end of the current millenium. Eric programs that is worth a try if only to the Palmtop. To do this you first run has made sure that all the features of see if it helps. the Palrun program and then a pro- VDE are Y2K compliant and has added some new features which Finally. a Use for cc:Mail Detect/Plot Radioactivity make it possible to read and edit The HP Palmtop started its life as On Your HP 100/200LX Word 97 files. a Hewlett-Packard and Lotus Complete RM 60 System: $149.50 Development Corp. product. At the Tired of the Same Old ToDo List? time it was the only palmtop device to If you're growing weary of look­ feature a spreadsheet program from a ing at that growing list of ToDo's that major corporation: Lotus 1-2-3. never seem to get done, perhaps a Lotus Dev. Corp. also wrote the new ToDo list will help. A slight original version of System Manager change in perspective may be just and added cc:Mail Remote to the soft­ what you need to overcome procras­ ware that would run under SysMgr. tination. (Then again, maybe not.) However, to use cc:Mail on the TODO.EXM is a new System Palmtop you had to have access to a VISA I Me I EURO Manager Compliant program from server running cc:Mail: something To order or/or more ill/ormatioll call: (800) 729-5397 - 45 day $ back. Taiyo, a Japanese Palmtop program­ hard to come by. mer. The TOD021.LZH archive may Now you can, if you want, use that AWARE Electronics= be downloaded directly from blue key and receive and send email P.O. Box 4299, Wilmington DE 19807 http://hp.vector.co.jp/ authors/VAOl using a standard POP3 protocol. Phone/Fax: (302) 655-3800 4919/soft/todo.htm The program's E-mail: [email protected] Visit us at: http://www.aw-el.com documentation is in Japanese but help Continued on Page 31

6 THEHPPALMTOPPAPER JULY/AUGUST 1999 RcE V lEW REV lEW REV lEW REV lEW Updated Products: X-Finder Looking for a better Filer and/or App Manager for your HP Palmtop? Here's an in-depth look at the latest version of X-Finder.

By Peniel Romanelli

-Finder is a GUI program umentation into English. The program ers to launch programs. Eventually Xlauncher (like the Palmtop's still remains free for personal use. I'll convert the HOM menu program Application Manager), a file to X-Finder but for now this is the manager, an archive manager, an icon Memory Considerations setup that I use. There are also icons viewer and a file transfer program X-Finder uses about 65K bytes of that start macros to open the main all in one package. It knows how to memory to run. However, if you close Phonebook using different subsets. handle long file names, aliases for Filer by using the CLOSEFLR pro­ paths, and symbolic links. The pro­ gram and don't start Application X-finder's Features; gram is stable and user-configurable. Manager, you'll lose only 7K bytes of The GUI Launcher The launcher and file manager are memory overall. The trade-off is XF starts with a screen similar in much more powerful and versatile worth it. appearance and function to the than those built in to the Palmtop. Screen 1 shows the XF starting dis­ Application Manager's screen. From Basic installation is fairly simple. play on my palmtop. This is a GUI this screen you can start any of the However, be forewarned: X-Finder launcher that can use over 200 icons. built-in applications, any DOS or is a Palmtop "power-user" tool. The icons on my Palmtop screen are set System Manager Compliant pro­ Setting it up exactly the way you want up to launch my favorite programs, grams and XF's file manager. In addi­ it is no trivial task. You'll find that it my most-frequently-used databases tion, XF will open databases from can take the place of many of your and to open other program folders. icons, run macros from icons and favorite file-manager programs and, This setup is substantially different even access files and run programs on as a result, you may wind up recon­ from the default Palmtop setup that a remote computer. EXM programs figuring much of your current comes in the X-Finder (XF) archive. can be launched even if they're not Palmtop setup. Don't expect the folks The Yin/Yang icon (top left) opens registered in App Mgr or MoreEXM. at Hewlett-Packard or Thaddeus the XF file manager with a split screen You can nest one XF screen within Computing to answer questions - drive C: on the left, A: on the right. another. That way you can have sep­ about X-Finder. If you need help get­ (See Screen 2). arate screens for games, communica­ ting it to work, post a message on the There are several options for the tion software and infrequently used HPLX-L list. There are a growing launcher and file manager screens programs. How to do this will be number of X-Finder users who will that will be described later. described later. try to answer your questions. The two icons labeled "More DOS The default, opening screen is set The program was first mentioned Apps" and "Games" open HDM fold- up to select from three palmtop drives, in the Nov /Dec 1998 issue of The HP Palmtop Paper. Since then, the author ABOUT THE AUTHOR Gaku Nakagawa has updated the pro­ Peniel Romanelli is a bromeliad (tropical plant) grower in Miami. He is also Webmaster gram and Toshiki Sasabe has done his and vice president of the local Bromeliad Society. The BSSF Web page which Peniel cre­ usual great job of translating the doc- ated using his HP 200LX is located at www.seflin.org/bssf!. He is also the maintainer of HP-Pygmy Forth for the Palmtop, and wrote Charge-It! (using HP-Pygmy).

THE HP PALMTOP PAPER JULY / AUGUST 1999 7 REVIEW: Updated Products - X-Finder Installing And Setting Up X-Finder

Read the documentation carefully! The manual for the directory across the split screen if [Shift][Enter] is FINDERENV alone is longer than this article ... pressed, or to test the archive with [Ctrl][Enter]. If you don't already have it, get LHA255.EXE and install LHA in a directory in your path. The X-Files X-Finder is an EXM. Put it in any directory you want These are used to make entries in the GUI launcher and install it in App Mgr. Move FINDER.ENV, screen. Here are some examples of different types: 1CON.LZH, and 1CONFLD.LZH to C: \ _DAT but don't .xFD for drive or directory (opens the file manager extract the files. XF uses them from inside the archives! there) Create 2 directories: C: \ PALMTOP AND C: \ TRASH. 3ramdisk.xfd contains c: Extract PALMTOP.LZH into C: \PALMTOP (using LHA). icons.xfd a: \ icons Get some support files (mostly on SUPER): MaxDOS, .xFE for executable commands (both DOS and XF IconEdit, Zip/Unzip OR PKZip/PKUnzip, ZCopy (there commands) are 2 programs with this name). The one you want is at: post.xfe maxdos -da: \ www www -d "!post" www.vector.co.jp/common/OOtools/zcopy.com edit.xfe pe 1250 Edit FINDERENV using Memo or any text editor. phone.xfe $m {xb400} The first changes you'll need to make are to set up XF There's one "gotcha" with launching DOS executa­ for your choice of editor and file viewer. The .env comes bles with .xfe files. If the program expects to find sup­ set up for MemoExpress and LogExpress, programs port files in the same directory as the executable, it will that require the Japanese fonts from the commercial fail unless the .xfe explicitly changes to the drive and JKIT package. (I use VDE for editing, and List for view­ directory. The MaxDOS example solves this, or it can be ing). These are the lines from my .env file: done with a batch file, or by including multiple com­ #Editor setting (me, vz, mini, etc) mands (separated by semicolons) in the .xfe %e ,240r ,a: \ vde \ vde.exe e.g. c:;cd \forth;hp-pygmy.com # Viewer setting (lex, Ie, vvc, miel, etc) is the equivalent of a batch file containing: %v ,200 ,list c: 'Once the editor is installed correctly, hitting F7 cd \forth (Custom) in XF will open FINDERENV in your editor. hp-pygmy.com You'll probably also need to adjust some paths in the .env Using the .xff symbolic link avoids this but pops up file. a message box with an "OK" button. You have to hit If you're using PKZip/PKUnzip, you'll need to [Enter] again to start the program. change references to Zip and Unzip. Also one parame­ .xFF is created automatically by using the symbol­ ter should be changed in the "Execution by matched file ic link function. This can be used to create links between extension" section. Change executables or data files and the launcher. .zip ,k ,unzip -1 %c to .xFK for built-in apps (zero byte size file) .zip ,k ,pkunzip -v %c b400.xfk (No contents! - starts phonebook) .xFL for EXMs (also zero byte size) Here are some other archive-related changes I made whereis.xfl in the .env that you might find useful. (From the ...matched file extension section) If you download XFP3.ZIP from SUPER, it contains x-files for drives, zero-byte files for built-in apps, and .lzh ,k ,lha 1 %c .xfk a program that will create .xfl zero-byte files for all the ,192+lt ,lha x %c %m EXMs installed in AppMgr and MoreEXM. • ,192+ck ,lha t %c .zip ,k ,pkunzip -v %c ,200+1t ,pkunzip %c -d %m ,200+ck ,pkunzip %c -t These will set XF to extract either type of archive to

8 THEHPPALMTOPPAPER JULY/AUGUST 1999 ...... ~ remote drives and the split screen file /PalMto manager. It is also configured to open .... ' , . )'"11"1 the Phonebook and Appointment ct ~ g 1 , , ' c '

•• .. .. I •• Co, A:'APPS The screen items are defined in ABC (0 I R) 98-08-01 18: 25 ICNUU .DOC what I call the "X-Files" (they use ACE (DIR) 98-08- 0123:46 1:1~1;&I!!t:-!!t~;[!I * ICNUU .EXE BIN (01 R) 98-06-07 14: 10 CMCALC . EXM ICNUU .ICN extensions .xfd, .xfe, .xff, .xfk, .xfl, CHARGE (01 R) 98- 08-19 22: 10 CMCALC .ICN LXB .EXE EUTEMP (DIR) 98-08- 09 17:24 CMCALC19.TXT LXB .HLP and .xfm). These will be located in FAXRECU (01 R) 99- 02- 11 21: 51 DBU .CFG LXB .REF their own directory (C: \ PALMTOP is FONT (0 I R) 99- 05-01 14: 28 DBU .EXE LXSTAT .COM FORTH (0 I R) 98-06-26 14: 51 OM .EXE PE .BAK the default) or they may even be kept PALMTOP (DIR) 99- 04- 1112:03 OM . ICN PE .BAT PTOP2 (01 R) 99- 04- 17 00: 06 DSPEED . COM PE .CFG in an LZH archive. The X-Files con­ QUICKEN (DIR) 98- 06- 0716:24 HOM .EXE PE .EXE TEMP (01 R) 98 06 0714: 10 ICNUU .CFG PE .HLP tain drive or directory paths for the o Marks BMP2LX.EXE 25600 1995052801:02:00 R A o. file manager (.xfd), executable DOS Screen 2: X-Finder displays more information than Filer and/ or XF commands (.xfe and .xfm), symbolic links (.xff), or nothing at all (.xfk and .xfl). These last two are zero -~ReMote Links byte files with the hex code of an ~~ application hotkey or the name of an ~ ReMote EXM as their name! If you download TeMP XFP3.ZIP from SUPER, it contains X­ Files for drives, .xfk zero-byte files JEj!!j ~!!j for built-in apps and a program that All Drive_A Drive_ c Drive_A Drive_ C ReMote ReMote ReMote ReMote ReMote BacKUp BacKUP BacKUP Restore Restore will create .xfl zero-byte files for all o MarKs REMOTE A.XFD 4 1999 04 01 00:00:00 A o. the EXMs installed in App Mgr and MoreEXM. Screen 3: X-Finder can link wilh remote drives for backup Secondary launcher screens (See

tor:"",,,, • .. :.I.~ Screen 3) are set up by creating a direc­ X Flncter Icons A:"CONS tory that includes a caret (") in its name. (The one shown is called 00 :: : i t + "'- ~ ~ ~ WIJJI

o Marks ACCESS.ICN 200 1995 02 21 18:40:02 A The order of icons on the screen is . . . . · . . . o. alphanumeric by default, but can be Screen 4: X-Finder can serve as an icon viewer as well as a program launcher changed in the FINDER.ENV file or from the menu. Reverse date/time '., .. "_.:..,.,, .. sort works best for me. Icons are con­ (DIR) (DIR) 6X8 . COM 3099- 04-2609: 19 BIN . COM 358687- 12- 1708: 46 tained in the C: \ _DAT\ICON.LZH BATTLOG . COM 493197- 07- 0304: 56 CHKEMM . EXE 1293998- 03- 21 15: 15 BATTLOG .EXM 4632998- 03- 1211:36 CLICK .COM 24393- 07- 1113:55 file and are used directly from the BATTLOG . I CN 20097- 09- 0721: 48 CLOSEFLR. COM 65694- 01 - 2201: 00 archive. Each icon shares the name of BATTLOG . TXT 744098- 07- 2309: 30 FC . EXE 1865091- 04- 0900: 00 CL I PUUE . DOC 4029 94- 06- 02 22: 12 F I NO . EXE 6770 91 - 04- 09 00: 00 the associated X-File. For example, CL I PUUE . EXM 549294- 06- 0221: 56 I NSTEMM . EXE 1140498- 03-21 15: 15 I CNSAUER . EXE 35936 96- 02- 02 21 : 50 1~"~:i~.~'~'-~"~·"~.I~.;'.E"'$lIf:~4#II!·~!:J:olll~.om"'-~D'fI"!I"~5 if you have a file called FORTH.XFE I CONED IT. EXM 765696- 09- 1800: 00 LXC I C . DOC 1164498- 10- 1511: 36 I CONED IT. I CN 20095- 11 - 2400: 00 LXJO IN. EXE 898096- 02- 1701: 00 that starts HP-Pygmy Forth, then the KS .COM 318893- 10- 1415:23 LXSTAT .COM 1644896- 08- 2602:27 icon would be FORTH.ICN. Icons o MarKs LXCIC. COM 2312 1998 10 15 11:28:02 A o. can also be associated with file exten­ Screen 5: X-Finder can show the date and time stamp for all files sions. A collection of icons to use with

THE HP PALMTOP PAPER JULY / AUGUST 1999 9 REVIEW: Updated Products - X-Finder

XF is available as XICONS.zIP. rotates the display mode between could let you eliminate the FILERINI XF can launch more programs Detail (including date/time info), List file along with the CHOICE.LXB file than the built-in Application (names only - two columns per half­ and the LXBatch program if you use Manager. However, it does not have screen), and Icons. them. XF does everything these pro­ the ease of use of App Mgr. There is Probably the most significant grams and files can do and more. If no "Add-an-application" key. Rather, advantage is that XF treats .ZIP and you haven't tried using CHOICE. you have to create an .XF? file in the .LZH archives like directories. This LXB, spend your time setting up XF Palmtop directory. is transparent to the user. Selecting and save the LXBatch program for an archive will bring up a file listing something else. The File Manager exactly like a directory. File copy, The file association logic works Some configurations of the XF file move, delete, and rename work as with DOS programs, EXMs, and the manager may resemble Filer, but it's usual. Archived text files can be built-in apps. Lotus .wk1 worksheets really a lot more. Like Filer, it can use viewed or edited. About the only dif­ can be opened in 123, databases in either a full width or split screen ferences between working in a direc­ the appropriate app, HTML docu­ (Screen 4) display. It can also provide tory and an archive is that file attrib­ ments in HV etc. Add as many asso­ a GUI file listing - also full width or utes can't be changed in archives. ciations as you want in FINDERENV split screen. If you use the list view, XF provides the ability to associ­ XF can use long file names for you can tell XF to display the date ate file extensions with certain pro­ both files and for the path headings and time the files were last modified. grams (similar to using FILERINI on on the file manager screen. Using this At the bottom (just above the func­ the HP 200LX). However, unlike the feature is very simple. For files, just tion keys) a status line shows the associations in FILERINI, XF will let move the highlight (or box cursor in number of marked files (for copy, you link a file to several different pro­ the icon screen) to the file, and hit the move, or delete), the name of the file grams. You choose which program comma key to bring up the "Extra at the cursor, its size, date/time stamp to use by the [Enter], [Shift][Enter], Name" dialog box. Type the name and attributes. Read-only files are [Ctrl][Enter], or [Ctrl][Shift][Enter] and [Enter]. For paths, hit [Shift][.] underlined in the listing (Screen 5). keys. For example, .pcx, .gif, .jpg etc. (use the. on the numeric pad!) for The [Tab ]key switches the cursor files are associated with LXPIC. the "Extra Title" dialog. from one side of the split screen to the Selecting the file and hitting [Enter] Another powerful capability of other. Pressing [Shift][Tab] toggles displays the image. A .doc file could XF is the creation of symbolic links. between split screen and full-width be displayed using LIST when [Enter] This can be used to add entries to the display. The format for each side of is pressed, and with VIEW if Palmtop launcher screen. To use this the split screen can be chosen inde­ [Ctrl][Enter] is pressed. feature, select a file in the file man­ pendently. Zoom ([Fn][Spacebar]) This multiple association feature ager, press [Spacebar] to mark it, move to the /Palmtop screen or direc­ tory then hit [Ctrl][-]. Press [Enter] to New! Link-A-Printer II confirm and the link is created. This adds an .xff file to the palmtop direc­ Smaller size & Attached cable tory and gives the .xff the original Link-A-Printer II is a serial to parallel converter filename as an alias. Symbolic links to that allows direct printing from your OmniGo databases will let you open them in 100 to any parallel printer. It also works with the their proper application. EXMs and HP 100/200LX. DOS executables can be run from symbolic links. XF treats symbolic $79 links exactly as if the linked file was selected in the file manager. Link-A-Printer II has a built-in connectivity cable that plugs into your OmniGo For easy recovery of deleted files, 100 Since it does not require batteries or extra cable Link-A-Printer II is simple XF uses a trashcan. This, by default, is and easy to use. C: \ TRASH. Deleted files are moved there. Files deleted from Trash are gone. Also Available Link-A-Printer I Trash can fill up quickly, so it's a good Requires connectivity cable and optional battery Features auto idea to check it periodically, and clean on/off fixed 9600 baud . $59 it out. Trash is also used as a temporary Greenwich Instruments LTD directory when working with archives. 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 Continued on Page 31

10 THE HP PALMTOP PAPER JULY/ AUGUST 1999 OW TO USE YOUR PALMTOP USER PROFILE

s Wonder what Palmtoppers do with their vacations or travels? Here are some more Messages Upon a Palmtop from some Most Unusual Places.

By Linda Worthington

t's summer in the northern hemi­ Mach.85 (about 500 knots TAS). I have help their workers get to work from I sphere. Palmtop users are out-of­ a small Zelco clip on, flexible neck the town of Telemaco Borba, Parana, doors, taking in the sights, trav­ flashlight with a red lens so I can see Brazil. I pay one Real to cross both elling and recreating. They also want the HP 200LX screen en route. The ways. I am staying at the Ikape Hotel to let the rest of the Palmtop com­ main difficulty is using the keys with which is part of a small very peaceful munity know that they haven't left nomex glove and the small print on community named Harmonia. their personal computers at home. the screen, so I have to enlarge the Originally only supervisory employ­ Here then is the latest batch of screen. I will be using asCIS4 to get ees of the mill, and their visitors, Most Unusual Places from which to email and get forum messages while could enter here. The community is send a message with a Palmtop. I am TDY (temporary duty) in France. pretty much self-contained, although I am also trying to use WWW /LX to the only supermarket moved into Under water... get on the web. Can I use my town a few months ago seeking new This message is written while HPFlO11AAC/DC adapter (100-240V customers. scuba diving near Isla de Roatan, -0.3A)? Are the phone line connec­ From the skylift I have a good Honduras c.A. There's no phone line tions the same? Forum members have view of the valley. Most of the poor­ in the water. Will send this later. been quite helpful in getting me set est homes cluster about the banks of Happy bubbles, up to use my HP 200LX while on the river, their only water supply, Larry Nielsen, 104475,2520 TDY. Aloha, Ando "Sensei" while better ones sit atop the ridge. Richard Ando,Jr., 110562,2741 However, some of the more affluent In the air... March 19, 1999 Hickam AFB, HI citizens apparently decided they We are preparing to deploy our wanted to share the river too, as I see HIANG (Hawaii Air National Guard) In Brazil... some nice homes and some under KC-135 tankers to France. As aircrew This was almost an "almost" MUP construction on the higher banks. and PAX (passengers) go through because on my way to the skylift, it Telemaco Borba is a city of perhaps final briefing, AG inspection, baggage started to pour down rain, so I ducked 50,000 people (my guess) set across loading and PAX boarding, there is an under the eves of a storage shed to three small mountain ridges with the increase feeling of excitement and an start this. Then I only had to keep river between two of them. It takes anticipation as we all realize we are wiping the splashes of water from about 4 hours to drive here by car finally "good to go." lANG aircraft my screen. from Curitiba. There is an airport here and crew will be supporting Bosnia The skylift was built over the Rio used by only the brave or foolish. No-Flying NATO operations and Tabagi by Klabin Industries in 1959 to (Since I fit both categories I may try it refueling NATO fighters, should be interesting, if the air strikes start. ABOUT THE AUTHOR We flew 8 hours to a midwest Linda Worthington is a native New Englander living in Maryland. She ANG air base and stopped for fuel is a fly fisherman and loves hiking, photography and computing. and aircrew rest. It was easy to work Linda's company, LOW-TECH, is designed to help people choose and on my HP 200LX on a smooth riding use portable computers. She also uses computers to do extensive KC-135 tanker cruising at 35K at volunteer conservation-related work for several organizations.

THE HP PALMTOP PAPER JULY / AUGUST 1999 11 HOW TO USE: MUPs sometime. It can't Jeally_ be more On the road ... In a plane ... dangerous than the highways! Greetings to everyone from Bob I am flying from Pittsburgh to When the rain stopped I contin­ Newins, my mother and me! We are Albany at about 11:00pm on Friday, ued my l-km now slightly muddy having a late dinner at TGI Fridays in April 17. We are at about 35,000 feet walk to the terminal, and boarded Richmond, Virginia. My mother and and there is a spectacular display of the car. I am glad I started this before, I are passing through Richmond on the Northern Lights off the left side of because too much typing spoils the our way to Rock Hill, South Carolina the plane. Don't know if any of you view! Anyway, the ride each way is where my mother will be moving into saw it from the ground. only 3.4 minutes. her new horne. Bob was kind enough Victor Roberts, 70413,1423 Now I am back in my room with to help me with recommendations of the air conditioner on to dry my a place to stay and eat. I planned out On the stump ... clothes. I cannot connect my HP the route with Delorme Street Atlas, Right now, I am sitting on a tree 360LX directly to CompuServe (with­ and then fed the routing info into my stump on the grounds of a beautiful out making unacceptable changes to GPS so that I won't get lost. I also retreat house in north central New my CIS configuration), so I had to used GPSCGA to have a moving map Jersey. The tree stump I am sitting on upload this file to my laptop for that. display on the palmtop for the time I has some special significance. It used Now I will see if I can get this sent out. was driving the back streets of to be a giant pine tree. Several years Lately I have been able to get Maryland to stop at my uncle's house ago, the folks from Rockefeller Center CompuServe to work only one out for lunch. Bob carne to the restaurant bought the tree for use as their of three or four logins. I think it is with a huge brief case full of fun stuff Christmas tree in New York City. The bad telephone lines here, although it like an Omnibook 600CT, Pentax Sisters here told us all about how the does seem to work better when I use printer, cell phone, paper maps, pock­ Rockefeller Center people picked out the 800 number. (It is not practical to et modern, etc. I think he had a the tree and took care of it for a while log into the Sao Paulo number kitchen sink in there also, but he so it would not get damaged after it because it is long distance anyway, would not let me look inside. was chosen. Then, when the time is very slow, and almost always busy.) Well, it is time to finish eating and carne, they cut it down and hauled it So I dial back through AT&T to the get going. I will plug in my new away. The tree is long gone now, but USA. Usually it's cheaper that way, Smart Modular ApexData 33.6 PCM­ the famous stump will live on in MUP but not with all the problems I've CIA modern and connect to my cell history. been having the past few days. phone to send this message. As is my policy with MUPs, I will Marvin L. Zinn, 70714,1310 Stan Dobrowski [TeamHP], 71031,2162 attempt to transmit right from the MUP sight. So, I will whip out my cell phone and new PCMCIA modern to go online right now. Imagine! Stan Dobrowski [TeamHP], 71031,2162 On the grass ... Graphically analyze investment portfolios, market indexes, Greetings from Panoply, and exchange rates on your Palmtop! Huntsville's annual Spring festival of the arts. We are sitting here on the Hicroso£t 4/6/99 St.ocks grass of Big Spring Park listening to 1.00.0 1.09.0 90.0 90.0 Inkari, an Andean music group. 80.0 88.8 Earlier on we watched some dance 70.0 70.0 •0 .0 (Ballet and tap). The children got to '~ 60.0 68.0 '~ .. 50.0 58.0 .. meet Arthur (PBS character) and the 40.0 40.0 Puzzle Place characters put on a song 30.0 and dance routine. Faces were paint­ - Price - Data Regression - Range Regression ed, Helium balloons were tied to wrists, fish were drawn and colored, StockChart™ for the HP lOO/200LX tambourines were made, sand pits A product of Decision Point Systems ;~ were dug through for buried treasure and now we are resting before head­ Available on our website: http://www.leive.comldps Price $124.95 ing off to find something to eat. Also available from D&A Software, Inc. http://www.dasoft.com Gary Spiers, 74603,3001 Kan-Do Enterprises http://www.galaxymall.com!computers/palmtop

12 THE HP PALMTOP PAPER JULY/AUGUST 1999 NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS

A Light at the End of the Tunnel

For those who want to use their Palmtop in the dark, there may be a solution in the works.

By David Sargeant

EDITOR'S COMMENT: David presents Network and more recently by easier said than done. an illuminating article that describes the Thaddeus Computing. While this The screen of the palmtop is not "why's and why not's" of producing a solution is decent, the lighting is not really meant to be opened. There is a backlight upgrade for the HP Palmtop. At very even and the light itself adds metal retaining clip around it that the end of the article he mentions that bulk to a portable setup. must be removed to install any back­ several people are working on a solution. Recent discussions on the HPLX­ lighting device. While it's not terribly We do not like to print articles that pre­ L mailing list have focused on the difficult to remove this clip, it does announce future products. The products Photon LED (light-emitting diode) as require bending pieces of metal back all too often do not make it to market an external light source. The inter­ and forth and at any point one of because of "technical difficulties beyond esting thing about this choice is that these metal clips could snap off, our control." We chose to print this arti­ it's economical, if you have a Palmtop which would render the entire screen cle because, if nothing else, it shows that serial cable. You just insert the leads useless. So even opening the screen avid users of the HP Palmtop are still from the LED into the cable, and plug carries risk. interested in making something that the other end of the cable into the There is also very little room inside works well, work even better. Palmtop. The Palmtop's batteries sup­ the display part of the Palmtop. There ply the power. Stefan Peichl has even is a one or two millimeter clearance uring all the years that I've written a custom program to turn the between the glass part of the display Downed an HP Palmtop, the proper serial port signals on and send and the printed circuit board behind one thing I've wished for was power to the LED. However, in my it. Any backlighting solution is going a backlit display. opinion, external light sources are not to have to be extremely thin. If it's I often use my palmtop in condi­ ideal. You have to carry something too thick it will press against the LCD tions where lighting is not the best. But extra with you and, no matter how glass producing the characteristic dis­ isn't that the whole point of a palmtop: you adjust the light; you always wind coloration we're all familiar with to boldly go where no other comput­ up with "hot-spots" and dim regions. when liquid-crystal displays are put er can go? Yet, when I'm in a darkened What is really needed is a full­ under pressure. Even worse, the dis­ classroom, my dimly-lit living room or fledged backlight. However, this is play might crack. trying to read an etext in a car on a poorly-lit freeway, I can't help but think that this is an all too evident ABOUT THE AUTHOR deficiency in the palmtop's design. David Sargeant lives in Boulder City, Nevada with his wife I realize that there are already and two little girls. He is a computer engineering student at the some ways to bring portable lighting University of Nevada at Las Vegas and computer system admin­ to the Palmtop. For example, the best­ istrator for a local company. hl his spare time he maintains the selling solution has been the Flexible www.hplx.netWeb site that is devoted to things "LX". David can Pocket Light sold by the Palmtop be reached at [email protected]

THEHPPALMTOPPAPER JULY / AUGUST 1999 13 NEWS: A Light at the End of the Tunnel

It should also be noted that any small enough to slip under the screen would drive an EL display requires light source would require some sup­ very neatly something called an inverter circuit. port circuitry whether it is merely A big advantage of surface mount­ These circuits consist of a bulky trans­ wires to a power source or a full­ ed LEOs is that the power require­ former and some transistors and other fledged digital circuit board. This, ments are low and there is very little components, which would not fit in too, must be small enough to fit inside need for extra circuitry. Theoretically, the Palmtop. The solution to this the palmtop. (Most of the backlight all you'd need would be some wires problem, common to most of the cur­ kits developed in Japan use an exter­ and a switch to turn the LEOs on and rent backlight upgrades, is to carry nal power source to get around this off. However surface mounted LEOs along an external power supply for problem, but this means that you have a drawback. They produce the backlight. The power supply uses have to carry around a power pack.) uneven lighting. A point of light in the several AAA batteries. As an experi­ The greatest problem is that the middle of the screen just won't cut ment, I installed an EL panel in a screen is not designed for a backlight. it. On the other hand the HP 320LX, Palmtop and can report that it works To produce the typical light gray a Windows CE handheld device, uses quite well. I ran wires from the screen background on the screen requires just two surface mounted LEOs to into an external earphone jack on the an aluminum sheet stuck to the glass. light the whole screen. The LEOs are side of my palmtop and put an ear­ This aluminum sheet reflects the light mounted sideways on the right of the phone plug on the external inverter that hits the screen and allows you to display and shine into a plastic panel pack. Plugging the power supply into see the images on the screen. The dark with a frosted back. This panel dif­ the jack and hitting a switch brings up gray text and images come from fuses the light evenly across the screen a brilliant white light, suitable for polarizing filters that block the reflect­ and produces a bright, clear back­ operating the Palmtop in any lighting ed light. Simply putting a light behind light. conditions. It's hardly ideal, and I the display won't do anything since Unfortunately, such "light-pipe haven't installed it in my regular light would not penetrate the alu­ panels" are not sold separately. You palmtop because contrast, without minum sheet. One way around this is have to buy the whole display which the light on, is terrible but it's nice to to remove the aluminum sheet and let is two to three millimeters too thick to know that backlighting can be done. the dark green circuit board act as a fit in the Palmtop. A custom solution Some newer versions of EL back­ reflective surface (imagine black let­ might be possible but this could cost lights from Japan use an inverter cir­ ters on a dark green background!). quite a lot to develop. cuit that is small enough to fit inside Better yet, it might be possible to sub­ A better solution to backlighting is the Palmtop and is powered by the stitute a "transflective layer" that the electroluminescent display. Palmtop'S batteries. This may be a would allow light from behind to Many people are familiar with this good solution for the palmtop, but come through while reflecting light technology. It is used in wristwatch­ there is still room for improvement. like the regular screen does. This es and display panels for bedside With this in mind, several people are would be a better solution since the radios. EL panels produce a very even working to produce a commercial, backlighting would not have to be light in a wide variety of colors. The backlight upgrade for the Palmtop. on all the time. most common color is a blue-green With the talented engineers working So given all the problems with because this is the most power-effi­ on this, it may not be too long before backlighting the 200LX screen, is there cient color for EL technology. In addi­ we have a low-power, high-bright­ any way to get the job done? The tion, EL panels are thin and don't use ness, software-controlled backlight. answer is "yes." much battery power. EL displays are We promise to keep you posted about Since the HP Palmtop originally rarely used to light areas as large as the progress of this endeavor in future came to market, the producers of the 200LX screen (about 10 inches issues of The HP Palmtop Paper . • screens for POAs have come up with square), however there are EL panels at least two ways to make them more of this size available and they will fit readable. The two techniques are behind the screen with minimal fuss. LEOs and electroluminescent panels. Could this be the perfect backlighting Let's take a look at these. solution? Well, not quite. While EL LEOs are the little red, green or panels are power efficient, the power yellow lights that glow on your desk­ requirements are unusual to say the top computer or TV and VCR con­ least. Rather than a simple, 3-5 volt, trol panels. This type of lighting direct current, EL panels require a device is too large to fit in the cover of high-voltage, high frequency alter­ the Palmtop. However, surface nating current. To convert the power mounted LEOs come in packages in the palmtop to something that

14 THE HP PALMTOP PAPER JULY / AUGUST 1999 OW TO USE YOUR PALMTOP USER PROFILE

User to User What if HP were to discontinue the Palmtop? Can the latest HP Windows CE Jornadas pick up where the Palmtop leaves off?

By Hal Goldstein

umors abound. We haven't sales and upgrades than ever before. See Peniel Romanelli's article for more R heard anything official but We continued supporting the Portable about X-Finder. there is the possibility that HP Plus until 1991 when HP introduced In addition, the "open source" will discontinue the HP 200LX by the Palmtop. At that time we spun off movement for palmtop software con­ year's end. the Portable Plus business so that users tinues. Pioneered by Gilles Kohl and Since 1995 we have seen two HP continued to have support until 1994. the PAL project the open source OmniGo organizers and seven Win­ Although used palmtops are in movement means that new software dows CE PC Companions from the short supply now, if HP discontinues can be designed much more quickly HP Handheld division. Meanwhile the 200LX, we expect to be able to get since programmers can build on the the HP 200LX remains the same and large numbers of HP 200LX's from source code written by others and is, as many claim, the best of the lot. corporations and end users. That not have to reinvent things. The HP 200LX continues to sell means we will be able to recycle and To find out more about these despite HP's reluctance to market it. keep available HP 200LX's and HP developments and to get your On the other hand, it's possible that 1000CX's for years to come at rea­ Palmtop technical support questions sales of the Palmtop have dropped sonable prices. answered by strong, experienced to a level that HP can justify omit­ Furthermore, as this issue of The users, I recommend the HPLX-L mail ting it from their product list. Let's HP Palmtop Paper demonstrates, hard­ list. Thanks goes to Al Kind for mod­ hope this is only a rumor: another in ware and software solutions continue erating the list on his university's site a series of false alarms. to be developed for the HP 200LX. I and keeping the messages focused am hoping that in our next Ultimate on the Palmtop. So What if lIP Does Discontinue Palmtop Catalog we will be able to the 200LX? offer a backlight upgrade for the HP lIP's Latest Windows CE Machines? How might discontinuing the 200LX. See David Sargeant's article In the past six months HP has 200LX effect HP Palmtop users? The for more details. We also keep finding introduced the Palm Pilot-sized HP answer is "not very much." HP has a new software from Japanese pro­ Jornada 420, the almost-200LX-sized policy of supporting its products grammers. It's amazing what a pro­ Jornada 680 and the mini-notebook­ (repair, warranty, tech support) for gram like X-Finder can do to enhance sized Jornada 820. three years after it ceases production. the Palmtop. We can't thank Toshiki Our companion publication, We at Thaddeus Computing expect Sasabe enough for translating the Handheld PC Magazine (www.hpc to support the HP 200LX with repairs, Japanese documentation into English. mag. com) has reported on Windows software, knowledge products and upgrade services for a number of years ABOUT THE AUTHOR after HP stops selling it. We can make Hal Goldstein ([email protected]) is Publisher and Executive that claim with confidence. Weve been Editor of The HP Palmtop Paper and Handheld PC Magazine and down this road before. president of Thaddeus Computing. He has published, edited, and When HP quit producing the written for five magazines on portable computing since founding Portable Plus laptop in 1987 our busi­ Thaddeus Computing in 1985. He lives with his wife, Rita, and sons, ness actually increased. We had more Thaddeus and Solomon, in Fairfield, IA.

THE HPPALMTOPPAPER JULY / AUGUST 1999 15 Your palmtop can be up to ... - In I• ... with Windows-like flexibility!

"Absolutely fabulous. Quick, everybody run out and buy Software Carousel!" -Larry Nielsen Great with 8/32/64MB DoubleSpeeds or Flash Card! Talk about a Next Generation 200LX! Combine Software Carousel (and especially SUPER Software Carousel!) with the speed and memory of an Upgraded Palmtop, and you're talking about unleashing the full potential of your palmtop! Works with Flash card memory too! (Not quite as fast.) So if you already have an Upgraded Palmtop, or you're thinking about it, Software Carousel is the ideal way to make the most of it! And, of course, we offer a 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee so you can find out for yourself! New Version: BUY or UPGRADE Thaddeus Computing Software Carousel 7.0 fixes bugs from previous versions (6.8-6.92). Not iustlor the PLUS! An all new, greatly improved User's Guide makes learning and configuring much easier! Millions of people have purchased Software Carousel; and the Palmtop Edition, new or upgrade, is just too palmtop-enrich­ "technological elite"! ing to pass up. But don't order until you've looked at SUPER Software Carousel! It's true. Software Carousel has long appealed to the technologically elite . OK • This elite understood the usefulness of switching between built-in applica­ tions and DOS sessions with a hot key and were willing to endure a techy manual that HowToBuV required experimentation. Simple. If you only want Software Carousel (as opposed to SUPER Now Software Carousel is for the rest of us. HP Palmtop Paper editor, Ed Keefe, Software Carousel), we'll send it on a 3.5 Disk with an easy-to-use completely rewrote the user manual. His "Getting Started Tutorial" is all you need to User's Guide that will walk you through the installation and configura­ be fully functional in less than an hour. Even better, choose Super Software Carousel tion process. You'll need at least 1MB of flash or C driver space on and in five minutes you'll be using any of its 40 plus applications, and adding new appli­ 100LX, 200LX or 1000CX. cations. Software Carousel NEW $79.95 #SCN Software Carousel UPGRADE * $19.95 #SCU Have UP to 12 Palmtops in One! An easy-to-use control panel allows you to customize up to 12 DOS andlor System How To Upgrade Manager sessions to your exact needs. Switch between DOS and Built-In programs as easily as you open NoteTaker! *To take advantage of the Software Carousel Upgrade offer, you must supply Proof of Purchase of your current version. The easiest way to do Don't know what to do with all this new palmtop potential? Check out SUPER this is to email us your serial number, or send us a photocopy of your Software Carousel on the next page to see how Thaddeus Computing can save you many Software Carousel Manual or your disk. We can also accept any other hours of loading and configuring, and provide you countless hours of happy and pro­ Proof of Purchase such as a receipt or confmnation from the company ductive palmtopping! where you originally purchased. Fax, mail or email proof with your order.

Order Online: www.PalmtopPaper.com or Call: 800-373-8114/515-472-8330 Fax: 515-472-1879 Just like Built-In Apps!

... ~ .. ~ dP ~ ~~ Kef) EILER S FiXOB ...'t.¥.. LXP C· ... carl,c lIetlaOC5 N'ctHV(! ,...,. Read !'tel st«'eo .,."""'. 2m. """"""";1; - ~ Fin.... pllT ..r-- p~ ~ 1>"~ ... e.alnt ..... IZUtll~ ... . AN:nlUQ ~:. COlll"'OU"""AI ,uoar .•. CD C·· !!!'DrtlclE au_BUOOT c1iiiiiii1r2 UI::C5 if. ,.,. ~ ...dor 'fr_'rzav HELP HELP S.sslon S.!JSIDn. ___IIlIIIIIII8_J!!IIIIIIIII.Il_IIIIlIIIIIIIIICDlIIJDI2!!IIIIII .. Like fast task-switching? Like the Built-In Apps? Applications: Ready to go Immediately!

[j@~l!l ~ e§lii~n 421.11 77~ ~,il BIDl -- Te Br,tKterFm ""tlGAMES .,"""" JaCk: m 5~~ How About 40 More! $ ~ },ilf. 0.. Mff- I)~:!s 1:. I12a .0 [lOBors ...... ThVrOlfW cell Jt IIIIINPI .!t1* ~ 11 b .fil H astvr no !:!us:lc @;Uu ...... !J1 ___.mr - cUkeIIlIIIIIII8 ___~IIIIIlBmCDlllJDI2!!IIIIII POlk Easy To Learn, Easy To Use! .."" .. Pre-configured with the very best freeware and shareware Games: Years of challenging fun! Games, Utilities and Applications available for your Palmtopl Applications Here's a briefpreview of what SUPER HV (Hwpertext Viewer) LHA HTML browser to view Web down­ File archivericompressor. Software Carousel does for your palmtop! loads. LXPIC PE (PalEdit) Lets you view GIF, JPG, BMP, PLX A MEMO-like editor with many graphics files. - has built - In soettlng checker enhancements including spellchecker. - nendles flies of unliMIted size Andrew3 : !~~~r!~n't~c~a~CI~eb~P o!:n3~16~n~h~~:~t~~:e VR (Vertical Reader) - uses tne 5Y5"or CIIDl)o a,." If 5ys" gr I s runntng More readable palmtop font. - uses Its own clloboord IT S VlmO,. 15 not rUr'lnlno Lets you read doc files and electronic p .... Ptoductill~I~llliilln,\b""tOM5"ftw.,.lnCJliu s. fulUnltil - suooorts 1 the HP OCltMtOOS books, vertically on the palmtop. CloseFlr ~311S1uPdall . lI~rIl27 . 1 998 Close Filer to save memory. ~ 1IIi:IIImI1IIDIIII:.i~~g~~ ii ______~~es IIIIDIIIII __ DBV (DataBase Viewer) N.wWWW/UlPlUS - !ll!lSl!llDfarD".Usl . - can Shell Fast phone, appt and database file BuddW viewer. Zillion utilities in one. Use HV and LXPIC to view web documents graphics. View fastdb Lets you view files from a variety of Speeds up database programs (e.g. Phone). word processing formats. This ~ simpBample MoreEXM Tune --==:::::,. Metronome and musical tuner. Breaks system limitation of 7 EXM files. D Enable software like ZOOM. ZIP Fast PC to palmtop serial transfer pro­ lYping Tutor gram. Type faster on the palmtop. Paint, Flowcharts and maps with Draw Read literature or documentation on palmtop sideways. Draw Zoom Palmtop drawing/paint program. Wonderful Magnify-like program that r 10Am.t, .,.,. , 'MflOU1 , norMa' @ 'MI'! , ttl enlarges and makes more readable any PC Outline section of the screen in built-in apps. .::'::::'::::: ..... Enter thoughts, plans, ideas, and orga­ For example, can blow-up datacard for '::'11 ::i~:~:JL nize them into a hierarchical structure. .::. more readable phone numbers. ::::IL: ::::5::::: .::. ::::ii:::: •• ...... ir 5:::55··'5 Stereo Shell Subst DOS File Manager. DOS 5 utility superior to ASSIGN. garliC Vclock LXPIC can view PCX, BMP, JPG, GIF files on your palmtop. Visible Clock: Full screen clock, timer, stopwatch. Fixes corrupt database files. Whole screen clock and timer. PKZIP File archivericompressor. NfI.r. B Thaddeus Computing: Tc hao "Ichael ' Newto 4 Tnaddeus CO IIIPUt lng, Bonus applications and utilities included on CD ready for easy installation. III Tcck loIah 5 1 5 472 1867 H , 800 373 61 1 4 515 472 1867 H: 800 373 6114 IIITC Il)er. E ll 3 .i!J Fe. , 515472 1879 IIITc ttzMllln, Orlan h Fax : 515 472 1879 IIITelegroup - Glol)al A 8 III Telllck Patty 4 tI!. ~:: ~ ~ha~~~~~~~~=adde U5. COlli Ten- Ten Chinese 4 IHcrao . EIJ I 8 Email: [email protected] Games III Tcres ekl. Ke%Uhl Su 0 www.thaddeus.com III Terrv. S teve " D"HII" 'I" Dominoes Golf Mine Sweep Solitaire (many kinds) FreeCeli Blackjack Reversi (Othello) Zoom blows up any phone book, appointment book, or database item. Above is a before and after view. Yahtzee Bridge Sokabin Therapist 42lX Hearts Boggle Play Music Cribbage Backgammon Chess 3-0 Tic Tac Toe Tiles (Mah Checkers Go Worm Jhong) Tetrls 777 Klondike MasterMind Go-Moku rI~~~J~I~~I~I~.J"-"" m: . ~:i :.:. 0'0 I 0 gOg .,'00 How to Order ~LiJ I :.: " " : Super Software Carousel comes on a CD with complete, easy·to·follow installa· An •• ".ot... lO t · .. ·Ia .... r ..... '" lion instructions and a concise electronic User's Guide. ~r.·.r!~'1' .... l::t Ir..:~r~~d.~ n'rf,.. : ! ~.t~!.·U![ ·:t!:::. If you have Thaddeus Computing install it while your palmtop is with us (free installation) you'll still receive the CD. (You can even send your palmtop just for the free Super Software Carousel installation.) If you are upgrading from a previous version of Software Carousel, see "How Do I Upgrade?" on page 6 to save $60. 1 ~I~r;:'t::ori.' 1.1 rro ....d. Super Software Carousel (New) $139.95 # SSCN Super Software Carousel (Upgrade) 79.95 # SSCU Here's how Backgammon, FreeCell, Chess, and a Go tutonallook on the palmtop. Other games include Tetns, Checkers, a music selection, and a palmtop therapist. - System Requirements Includes the complete version of Software Carousel. plus lots of additional software. Runs on HP lOOLX, 200LX, or lOOOCX on flash disk or in system RAM (C drive). Full package requires 5 meg: a little over 2 meg for applications, 2 meg for games, and I meg for Software Carousel sessions. Even more applications than listed are included on CD. HOW TO USE: User To User

have to wait for Windows to load before I can type in an idea. It only takes a second or two to start the He wlett-Packard's ROM-based Pocket Word or Pocket Hot NEW Trio of Excel. The Jornada 820 is small and light and easily fits in my backpack. Windows CE PC Companions One of my biggest objections to Win CE in the past has been that you could not read native Word and Excel documents created on a Windows 95/98 machine on a Windows CE Jornada 680 machine. The latest version of the Windows CE Pocket applications for Handheld PC both the Jornada 820 and 680 elimi­ nates this objection. You can now import and export desktop Word and Excel files directly on a Windows CE device. If someone sends me an email with an Excel spreadsheet attached, I can read it! I don't have to mess with Jornada 820 Microsoft's temperamental serial transfer software. (Unfortunately, you Mini-Notebook can't read a Lotus WK1 file directly. You still have to save the WK1 file on a desktop, load it in a full version of Excel and then transfer it to the Win CE computer.)

Enter Jomada 680 When HP sent us the three differ­ ent Jornadas, Rich Hall, former editor Jomada420 of The HP Palmtop Paper and current Handheld PC Magazine editor, imme­ Palm-size PC diately laid claim to the palmtop­ sized Jornada 680. I acquiesced, telling myself that I already had a 64 Meg Palmtop, my HP 200LX. So I wound up with the larger Jornada 820 but Rich has let me play with "his" J680. After trying out both units, I know CE since its introduction in 1997. In well laid out and responsive. Touch­ that Rich got the better deal. The HP spite of the fact that we publish the typing is a breeze. The HP J820 uses Jornada 680 is the first Windows CE only Win CE magazine, I haven't used a touch pad as its pointing device. device I would even consider carry­ a Win CE machine until this year. I'm not fond of it since it takes some ing with me as my regular handheld. getting used to. I'd really prefer a Will I switch? No, but the HP J680 Using the Jomada 820 touch screen or a pop-out mouse. has some pretty tempting features. It So here I am, in a crowded air­ However, given a choice between a has the same built-in software as the port, typing this article on the mini­ sleek, sexy Windows 98 laptop and HP J820 plus limited macro capabili­ notebook-sized Jornada 820. I have my Windows CE Jornada 820, I'd ty and a NoteTaker-like program. to admit, the full-sized, color, backlit, have to go with the latter. Both handheld PC's have built-in 56K VGA screen is easy on the eyes. With the Jornada I don't have to with Pocket Outlook for Pocket Word, a subset of MS Word, worry about battery life. The J820 will email and Pocket Explorer has all the features that I need. I'm not keep on ticking for 10 hours or more along with several additional appli­ shooting for a finished product but on a full charge. When I have a ten­ cations and utilities. rather something that I can turn over minute break, I can turn the machine The HP J680 has a touch screen to our layout artist. The keyboard is on and work for ten minutes and not which I prefer. The most tempting fea-

18 THEHPPALMTOPPAPER JULY/AUGUST 1999 ture of the J680 has to be the keyboard. Solve has most of the HPCalc func­ Palm-size Jomada 420 Even though the keys appear tions but omits two of my favorites: The -size Jomada 420 is cramped, the engineers at HP did a List and Solver. Furthermore, the impressive in its own way. Like the superb job with the layout and key number of applications that work on other two Jomadas it has a color, sculpting. I can actually touch type the 200LX far exceeds what is avail­ backlit display. The voice recorder on this machine. Since I take a lot of able for Windows CE. works well and it has a useable set of notes at meetings and seminars and In fairness to Windows CE, its dials and buttons on the left side of spend much of my time on the road applications work well. HP has gone the machine that lets you navigate writing documents and email.Ilike the extra mile and included additional through menus and voice recordings. the idea of a useable keyboard on such software needed to make its devices Even so, I prefer a keyboard and a small device. more useable (and more 200LX-like). longer battery life. In addition, new Windows CE com­ Next issue I hope to examine, in So Why Not Switch mercial, freeware and shareware detail, a DOS emulator for the Win CE On the other hand, the Jomada appears every day. machines and data transfer strategies 680 is bulky and barely pocketable. I A fourth problem with the HP between the 200LX and Windows CE seldom wear a jacket, which means I color Jomadas is that they are not machines . • carry my 200LX in my pants pocket. very readable out of doors. HP has Given that the Jomada 680 is 1 inch done a respectable job addressing this HPLX-L maillist - See sidebar Page 32 longer, 1/2 inch wider, and weighs limitation and even has a configura­ for signup procedure to become part of about 8 ounces more than the HP tion setting for reading outside. this newsgroup. 200LX, it is an uncomfortable fit in However, the 200LX is definitely more my pocket. useable outside and the Jomadas are Secondly, although the battery life not readable in direct bright sunlight. of the J680 is good for a color handheld Fifth, Microsoft still hasn't gotten (6-8 hours), it doesn't come anywhere its synchronization/ file transfer right, HP Jornada 820 H/PC Pro - $999 near the battery life of the HP Palmtop. especially for those who use Wrndows HP Jornada 680 H/PC Pro - $899 The HP J680 requires rechargeable bat­ NT. You really need a free serial port HP Jornada 420 Palm-size PC - $519 Prices from HP's online shopping site, teries and, even though I favor on your desktop, one that you can www.hpshopping.com.Also available at rechargeable batteries for ecological dedicate to H/PC communication. Mobile Planet, www.mobileplanet.com. reasons, I realize there are times when Hopefully these problems will be For more information, contact your local the convenience of using off-the-shelf, solved in the next few months with a HP dealer or Hewlett-Packard Company; AA batteries is necessary. This is espe­ free update. Phone (USA): 800-443-1254; Web: cially the case on long trips and when A sixth concern is Pocket Outlook. www.hp.com/handheld. AC is not available. I don't like being You can always get inbox, outbox, dependent on anAC adapter and hav­ sent files, when connecting to Outlook ing to remember to bring it with me. It at your office. However, depending means the Jomada 680 is truly not self­ on your Windows CE setup, you may (6P.J ~!~K~;6 ' sufficient. (HP does offer an addition­ not be able to access or use one or Authortzed Palmtop al bulky, but long-lasting, second bat­ the other of these folders, and you Competence Center NOW --> ORDER YOUR EASY USE CATALOG FOR FREE tery for the 680.) cannot synchronize Pocket Outlook NEWEST PRODUCTS AND TOP PRICES Thirdly, although the built-in Win with Outlook Express. We offer full range of : CE applications are getting better and Seventh, the HP 200LX works well - HP 200LX (opt. 8/32164MB . OS), 1000CX, 700LXI2110i - HP Palmtop 360LX, 620LX , Jornada 420, Jornada 820e less dependent on the desktop, I find for me. I have it well trained and orga­ - Used / refurbished palmtops ( 100LX. 200LX and more ) the 200LX built-in programs are more nized and am used to the keyboard - Cabling, ATAICompact Flash Cards, /Fax Cards, leather-Cases, Micro AC Adaptors, Trans PC Card, capable and stable. The built-in 200LX and numeric keypad. I also have too Double-Slot, TravelFloppy, Travel Adaptors, mobile printers and more original HP and other accessories database engine is more powerful much of my business locked in my - Software : Special palmtop software DOS/PAL & WinCE then Pocket Access and the Windows Palmtop to leave it all behind and - Services : Customized solutions, Many EU bundles for mobile computing, InterneVEmail access elI:. CE phone application. Lotus 1-2-3 start over. Granted, it's possible to We also sell all HP OmniBooks (e.g. 800, 3100, 7100) and HP 200LX HPCalc are far supe­ convert most of the data to Win CE and provide best service and support for these - call

THE HP PALMTOP PAPER JULY/AUGUST 1999 19 W TO USE YOUR PALMTOP USER PROFILE Connecting the Palmtop to MS-DOS and Windows NT 4.0 An HP Engineer shares his experience and Palmtop software as his division moves from DOS to Windows NT.

By Steve Grotheer

manage a manufacturing test Many Uses for ZIP.COM ZEDIT.BAT copies a file from the I group of 14 people. The HP Perhaps the most important thing Palmtop, edits it using QEdit on the Palmtop has been my main tool I do when my Palmtop is connected desktop and then saves the modified for keeping track of my own activities to the DOS machine is to perform file back to the Palmtop. This lets me as well as those of my employees. I've incremental backups. I've tried all the use the faster keyboard and the larger used one or another of the HP connectivity software that's available screen of the desktop while preserving Palmtops since the days of the HP for the Palmtop and had settled on the integrity of my file on the Palmtop. 9SLX. Although I view myself as a Eric Meyer's ZIP.COM program. ZIP ZBACK.BAT backs up the A and C Palmtop power user my wife has her is small, very fast and can be run as a drives from my Palmtop to the desk­ own way of viewing things. She often standalone program on the PC and top. It copies only those files that have suggests that I need to find a "Palmtop the Palmtop. However, the thing that changed. It also reminds me to close Anonymous" group to work on my makes ZIP.COM ideal for my use is applications on the Palmtop before addiction. She's a long-time user of the fact that it can be run from with­ doing the backup. I have a ToDo item paper organizers and we often have in DOS batch files. When using ZIP I in my appointment book that reminds friendly banter over which system is put the Palmtop in server mode and me to run ZBACK once a week. better. I take every opportunity I get to run all ZIP commands from the Pc. ZDIR.BAT displays a directory on "one-up" the paper systems. To make ZIP easier to use, I wrote the Palmtop in case I can't remem­ several, DOS batch files to automate ber where the file I want is located. My Desktop Companion frequent tasks. These tools allow me ZAPT.BAT was written by Ed My Palmtop is never far from my to keep files on my Palmtop where I Keefe and lets me get the current side. It wanders the world with me can always have access to current appointment file from the Palmtop, and, when I'm in the office, it's information when away from my edit it using the Appointment Book plugged into my desktop Pc. desk, yet allow for easy access from from the HP Connectivity Pack and Over the past several years, I've my desktop PC when I am at my copy it back to the Palmtop. developed some unique ways of using desk. Not only do I use the desktop to In addition to the batch files, I cre­ the Palmtop as an extension to my Pc. back up the Palmtop but I also use it ated a C program that will let you All of these tools I developed were to edit, print or mail Palmtop files. build batch subroutines using vari­ meant to work with Windows 3.1 PCs. Here's a brief description of each of ous formats of the path name or file­ Since my company has recently the batch files I have created. They all name of the file on the Palmtop. This switched to Windows NT, I have had start with "z" to indicate that they program is called BLDZCMD.EXE. to develop a different set of tools to work with ZIP. That summarizes the tools I pulled work with NT. Perhaps I'll never use ZPR.BAT gets a file from the together for DOS or WINDOWS 3.1. the DOS and Win 3.1 procedures Palmtop and then prints it from my Unfortunately, once I upgraded to again but maybe you will. I'll gladly desktop computer using QEdit. WinNT, the ZIP program no longer share my DOS connectivity tools with you and share what I've created for ABOUT THE AUTHOR WinNT with the understanding that Steve Grotheer is a Manufacturing Test Manager with Hewlett­ I have not had as much time to build Packard. He uses his Palmtop for personal and work organization. He can robust NT tools. be reached at [email protected]

20 THEHPPALMTOPPAPER JULY/AUGUST 1999 worked. It relies on DOS calls and tion of files. I used this tool to deter­ possible to do date checking and direct hardware access. WinNT will mine if my adjustments increased or avoid backing up files that had not not tolerate that. So I started search­ decreased throughput time. changed since the last backup. This is ing for an NT program that would The first thing I had to do was set a very important feature on Palmtops provide the same script control and windows to 1 or off. Multiple win­ with up to 32 MB of RAM disk and flexibility of ZIP. dows allows Kermit to send and very large flash disks. Columbia University has recently receive multiple packets simultane­ I have only been using Kermit on introduced an NT version of Kermit ously to increase average communi­ my NT system for a short while and software. Kermit has become much cation speed. When I tried to use the thus I have not worked out all the more flexible over the years and now windows option I got too many time­ quirks yet. I would also like to hear has the capabilities needed for file outs. Receive packet size can be any­ feedback if you try these tools and backup including recursive copy and where from 100 to 9000 bytes and I have any suggestions for improve­ file date checking. I used K95 for chose 4000 so that if an error did occur ment. Here are some things you should WinNT and MSKermit version 3.16 the retransmit time was optimal. be aware of if you use this method. on the Palmtop. Surprisingly I had to set the transmit 1) I have not completely figured I've developed a set of Kermit script packet length to 100 bytes to avoid out the file and path formatting require­ files analogous to the ZIP batch files I errors and timeouts. The Palmtop ments between K95 and MSKermit. It used under Windows 3.1. These are must have a small receive buffer and is not as obvious as you might think. not as robust as the ZIP versions yet, cannot use larger packets. Kermit also For example, I cannot issue a "remote but I'm working to improve them. For has a mode called "transfer slow" that cd a: \ bin \ tools" command on K95 to NT, I have a KEDIT, KDIR, KPR, starts communication of each file with change a directory on the Palmtop. I KBACK and KGET. All are similar to very small packets and gradually gets have to do it in three steps: "remote the ZIP versions. KGET gets a copy of larger as confidence in the communi­ cd a:", "remote cd /" and then "remote the file and puts it in the temporary cation increases. I set this to off because cd bin/tools". Note the use of forward directory for use as an email attach­ this can waste a lot of time when trans­ versus back slashes. ment. KBACK.BAT utilizes a Kermit ferring many files at one time. I also set 2) I still get intermittent hangs or script file called BACKUP.KSC. I also carrier detection off because I am not timeouts when communicating and had to update the BLDZCMD. EXE using a modem. I set "file collision have not had time to work these out. file to accommodate the" /" character update" which always checks for the But communication works good required by some Kermit commands. existence of the file you are transferring enough for now. and, if one exists by that name and 3) Kermit is a very large and fea­ Kermit has an equal or newer creation date, it ture rich tool and there may be more Kermit is infinitely configurable. will not make the transfer. This is very elegant ways of doing some of these Getting both Kermits set up optimal­ good for efficient backups and pre­ things that I have not tripped over ly took a lot of experimentation. vents accidentally erasing a more cur­ yet. Unfortunately, I must say that I found that a baud rate of 57600 rent version of a file. ZIP.COM under windows 3.1 is still was the fastest I could communicate Now that the desktop INI file is faster and more reliable than my without getting too many errors or established, I created the mscus­ WinNT Kermit setup. But they are timeouts. I first set Kermit95 to fast tom.ini file on the Palmtop to match getting closer. mode which sets up large packets and this one. The commands are identical As you can see, I already have a optimizes many other Kermit para­ to the desktop version, so I just had to PC, and traveling, Companion that meters for high-speed communication copy the pertinent initializations from does everything I need. The most over clean connections like a direct the Kermit95custom.ini file. valuable thing about my Palmtop serial connection. Then I reconfigured I chose to use MSKermit 3.16 on Companion is that I can make it do some of the options set by the "fast" the Palmtop because it's the only ver­ what I want rather than what some command so that I minimized errors sion of Kermit that will automatical­ other programmer wants. I can add during transmission. I can't provide a ly copy directories within directories. software and even enhance the soft­ technical explanation as to why these The program is still in the beta stage ware to suit my style of working. If sub-optimal settings are required but it seems to work well. I consid­ you like the way that I do things, when connected to the Palmtop but I ered using the built-in DataComm please give my small programs a try do know they were necessary to program on the HP 200LX. Data­ and let me know what you think. achieve reasonable file transfers. Comm has a very basic Kermit serv­ In closing, let me mention that M5- Kermit has a nice statistics com­ er mode built in. However, this ver­ DOS Kermit 3.16 is available as copy­ mand that I used to measure average sion of Kermit does not send file righted freeware. However, as of June, transmit rate for sending a combina- attribute information so it was not 1999, the license prohibits anyone else

THE HP PALMTOP PAPER JULY / AUGUST 1999 21 HOW TO USE: Connecting the Palmtop to MS-DOS and Windows NT 4.0 from distributing it. You have to get it to meet my specific needs. I use only recently. It is easy to write a form let­ directly from the Kennit Web site. MS­ one PhoneBook file to improve speed. ter, copy addresses into it and refer­ DOS Kermit 3.16 and Kermit 95 are The combination of the category field, ence recent voting practices. two programs well worth having in subsets and sorting order allows me to your collection. view phone book entries for as many Software Carousel groups as needed such as my busi­ Due to the larger size of Qedit My Traveling Companion ness, personal, medical and others cat­ with its spell checker and the large I work with people in many coun­ egories. I have added an email address size of some of the files I edit, I could tries and travel quite a bit. The field, a Christmas list checkbox and not run QEdit in DOS and more than World Time feature is very valuable changed the address fields to be more one built-in application at any given for me. Whenever I travel I create a internationally friendly. time. Enter Software Carousel for the special directory for that trip. In it I At Christmas time I use a subset Palmtop. This task-swapping pro­ store an electronic copy of my travel and a smart clip to save all my gram lets me run Qedit in another itinerary, a copy of my expense track­ Christmas card addresses in a comma work area with lots of available mem­ ing spreadsheet and any other files I delimited format. I import this file into ory while having all my built-in appli­ will need on the trip. When I arrive in MS-Word on my desktop PC and use cations running in another work area. a new city I start World Time, find the mailmerge to print custom Christmas When I want to switch back and forth, city I'm visiting and switch to local card envelopes very quickly. I just swap to the other environment time for that city. by using Shift Fl or by pressing any In the notes section of World Time Appointment Book of the Blue application keys. It is very I include travel hints that my co-work­ Here are a few things that I do with quick as long as you put the task ers or I will use when we travel to my Appointment Book that I have not swapping file on the C drive and not this location again. I include infor­ seen before. When storing anniver­ a stacked A drive. Great application! mation about hotels such as phone saries I use the following format: and fax numbers and facilities they Description: Steve&Vickie anniv ClipVue have such as exercise equipment or Location: 1990 Unfortunately, the authors of restaurants. I also include informa­ This way, in the weekly and month­ Software Carousel or Qedit have not tion about local transportation, tolls ly views I can see "Steve&Vickie". In developed a way to use the Palmtop and directions to businesses, etc. This the daily appointment view. The clip buffer to transfer information information is very useful the next anniversary year shows up for birth­ from DOS to the built-in applications, time someone travels to that location. days and anniversaries. so I use Clip Vue written by Gilles Kohl, CIS:I00114,3146. With Qedit, I Phone application NoteTaker use the" k"r and" k"w to read from As many users have done, I have To better organize my personal and write to the clipvue.txt file. I press modified the standard phone database and business information I decided to the ClipVue hotkey to enter ClipVue keep all information about people or and either load or save the informa­ r •• ~ ":- :. .. ~ .... -...... ~ ro ,. , businesses in Phonebook. I store infor­ tion I want to transfer. )_ J' .... • mation about projects that my staff or HP Connectivity Pack, and Software Carousel are both I are working on in a database. I use Buddy available from Thaddeus Computing at www.PalmtopPaper.com NoteTaker for information about This application is terrific. It does Kermit 95 file transfer program is available at things or processes. I have notes so many useful things and provides ,,'WW.columbia.edu/kermit/k95.html divided into categories for the 200LX, many shortcuts to frequent opera­ Modems, my PC, Home, and various tions. I am sure that most Palmtop Shareware/Freeware mentioned in this article work topics. One of my NoteTaker users are aware of it by now. I have files contains 60 notes for political used it for so long that when I am Qedit, shareware text editor from TSE is available topics. It contains lists of politicians showing a new Palmtop owner how on the 1999 CD InfoBase from Thaddeus Computing, Inc. with categories for state and US con­ to use their new toy, I have to think ZIP.COM (version 2.12) shareware communications gress and senate as well as local coun­ very carefully which features are orig­ program ($30). ClipVue and Buddy200 are available ty and city categories. I keep track of inal Palmtop features and which ones on the 1999 CD InfoBase from Thaddeus Compu­ ting, Inc. as well as at www.PalmtopPaper.com/ how the politicians vote and how I are Buddy features. My favorite fea­ download.htm. can get in contact with them. When I tures of Buddy are the typing aids MS-DOS KERMIT 3.16 Be1a This formerly freeware want to do a letter writing campaign such as double click caps and autocaps communication program is only available fro m for my favorite issue I have all the for new sentences as well as the caps www.colurnbia. edu/ kermitl The most recent license expressly forbids dishibution through necessary contact data and have infor­ lock for making ALLCAPS words. I software collections and other Web sites. mation about how they have voted also like the file open function keys. •

22 THE HP PALMTOP PAPER JULY/AUGUST 1999 OW TO USE YOUR PALMTOP USER PROFILE Through the Looking Glass: Doing Windows on the Palmtop Ed discusses the pros and cons of running Windows 3.0 on the HP Palmtop.

By Ed Keefe

f you've thought about running remains the same. Most of the exper­ a set of instructions for configuring I on your imenters agree that Windows on the Windows 3.0 to work on the Palmtop. Palmtop read this article. It will Palmtop does have a "gee-whiz" He also wrote a small program, SLEEP­ give you some insights into the prob­ value but its usefulness is minimal. ON, that configured the Palmtop's lems that you'll encounter. More than a year ago, David screen for Windows operation. After you've read the article, you Lawrence proposed an article for The Several users tried Stephan's may decide that the problems are not HP Palmtop Paper on how to install approach and reported success. They worth solving and you'll save a lot of and use Windows 2.03 on the then tried adding other Windows pro­ time and money in the process. Palmtop. His reason for using grams to the mix and found that very Windows 2.03 was to share docu­ few, if any, of these programs worked. Some Background ments and spreadsheets between his The usual error message was that the In the 1996 book PC In Your desktop machine and his Palmtop program would not work in Real mode Pocket!, on page 11, we stated: without the hassle of converting the and required the Standard or Enhanced "The Palmtop will not normally documents from one format to anoth­ mode of operation. A brief explana­ run Windows. Granted, some users er. Since legal copies of Windows 2.03 tion of this terminology is in order. have shoehorned Windows 3.0 onto were extremely hard to find we put When Win 3.0 first came to mar­ the Palmtop. They've declared the the article on hold. ket, the computer industry was in its results of their experimenting as inter­ A later version of Windows (ver usual state of flux. Many people still esting but not very useful." 3.0) was more readily available. had older PCs with 8088 CPUs. The In the past four years some things Several people had copies of the pro­ standard computer, at the time, was have changed for the beUer. We now gram from recycled PC/ ATcomput­ a PC/AT with an 80286 CPU. Intel have Palmtops that run at twice nor­ ers and it seemed that Windows 3.0 80386-based computers were rela­ mal speed and have C: drives with up might be an alternative to the tively new. to 64MB of disk space. Palmtop's built-in System Manager. The folks at Microsoft tried to These hardware innovations have Both programs can do task-switch­ accommodate all three markets. They encouraged more users to resurrect ing and the Windows environment made sure that Windows 3.0 could copies of Windows 3.0 and try run­ might appeal to users who like the run on a PC/XT. This mode of oper­ ning them on their upgraded ma­ way that Windows does things. ation was called "Real mode." It only chines. With the extra memory on To make things easy for first time required 640K bytes of conventional their C: drive they found that they Windows users, Stephan Peichl wrote (real) memory and a mouse. didn't have to shoehorn the program into the Palmtop: there was plenty of room. With a double speed Palmtop, ABOUT THE AUTHOR they found that much of Windows Ed Keefe is an author and editor of The HP Palmtop Paper and runs at an acceptable speed. the book PC In Your Pocket: Information When You Need It. The hardware may have changed Ed is also a former college instructor of logic and computer sci­ but the consensus of those who have ence and a consultant in the computer industry. Ed can be tried Windows on the Palmtop reached at [email protected]

THE HP PALMTOP PAPER JULY / AUGUST 1999 23 HOW TO USE: Through The Looking Glass - DOing Windows on the Palmtop What Others Say Abont Windows on the Palmtop When I tried Win 3.0 on the palmtop, I used a Logitech to the LX platform as a powerful, portable, computing tool. trackball and its DOS mouse driver. This worked fine. I Please allow me to share my experiences with you.. . used the HP serial cable and the DB9-DB9 HP adapter to About a year ago I did quite some searching for use­ connect to the mouse cable. ful apps (shareware and freeware) able to run in real I was even able to run SysMgr as an application under mode under Windows 3.0 and came up empty. I even had Windows. I was not able to do much else but run a screen a small but capable group from the HPLX-L news group saver with it because all of the old Windows apps I could involved in this project. The apps we found all required find needed Windows to be running in Protected standard or enhanced mode Windows, neither being (Standard) Mode. capable on the 100/200LX. - Stan Dobrowski [TeamHP] 71031,2162 Although Wmdows 3.0 runs acceptably well on a speed­ upgraded machine with a fast disk and a generous help­ Running Windows on the Palmtop strikes me as a ing of EMS for good measure, the only real reason I kept good idea only for its WinCE appeal. In other words, the it was for Excel 2.1. Even the early version of Word that runs idea of Windows 3.0 on a machine the size of a 200lx (1) in real mode (l.x) is slow and didn't prove of very much is cute; (2) has 'gee-whiz' appeal; (3) is, practically speak­ use to me especially since I had suspected that printing ing, useless; and (4) is likely to distract from useful work. would be a problem (and the print preview was very This gives it almost all of the characteristics of the typi­ sloooow and tedious to pan around in). Another com­ cal WinCE device. Now if you can make it cost a lot, then pelling reason for Windows was the thought of using a full­ it will have all of the characteristics of WinCE. .. blown fax program like WinFax but even the early version - David Ness [email protected] I found was nothing short of frustrating since 'printing' to While running Windoze on the palmtop does have a the WinFax driver was the major stumbling block. substantial gee-whiz/wow factor, I don't see how it could Using Windows 3.0 without Excel or Word would really be useful given the issues of disk space, available leave you with only the bundled software like Write, RAM, speed, pointing devices, functionality, etc. Although Terminal, Calculator, etc., all of which are handled better I've done it once, I don't think I'd bother with it again. HP by the Palmtop's built-in apps. and many of the other developers who have contributed - Ian Melville [email protected] to the palmtop have done such a good job with it that run­ I have Windows 3.0 loaded on my Palmtop and it is sta­ ning Win 3 would only be a giant step down. It's do-able ble and works A-OK, but it's really just a novelty for me. on the desktop but a pain in the palm. Although I sometimes use WinFax to send a fax, I do so -Richard A. Smith [email protected] mostly to impress myself. I would be willing to bet that Your efforts to redistribute Windows 3.0 have not gone you would sell quite a few copies of it, so I say "go for it." unnoticed and demonstrate your continued commitment - Jeff Johns [email protected]

The next mode of operation was and Excel, a spreadsheet, that both munity so that both beginners and called "Standard mode" and required worked in Real mode. Each program old hands could usethem. an 80286 CPU and extended memory. cost $495.00 at the time. Of the hun­ Finally the 386- "Enhanced mode" dreds of other programs designed to First Problem: Finding a Legal required an 80386 CPU. run under Win 3.0, only a few were Copy of Windows 3.0 Since the Palmtop has an 80186 able to run in Real mode. Before offering Windows 3.0 we CPU it is limited to the Real mode of Before people could raise a cry for needed a source for legal copies of operation. This means that, for a more Real mode programs, the PC the program. Windows-based program to work on world had moved to '386 computers Hal Goldstein, the publisher of the Palmtop it must run under and Windows 3.1 had entered the The HP Palmtop Paper, took on the Windows and both programs must fit market. Real mode Windows pro­ challenge of getting Microsoft to in 640K bytes of memory. gramming was all but abandoned. revive the Windows 3.0 program and There were a few programs writ­ It was our hope that we would be let Thaddeus Computing selllicens­ ten for Windows 2.0 that could use able to offer Windows 3.0 along with es for the program. this Real mode of operation and Word, Excel and several other Real For the better part of a year Hal Microsoft sold Word for Windows mode programs to the Palmtop com- negotiated with the marketing and

24 THE HP PALMTOP PAPER JULY / AUGUST 1999 legal departments in Redmond, WA. and it's available for a nominal cost I could transfer a pre-installed ver­ All to often he found himself deal­ through most mail-order catalogs. sion to the Palmtop. I was wrong. ing with people who had never heard The Cirque Easy Cat does not come Installing the program on a desktop of the HP 200LX. He had to explain with any mouse software so I tried computer and transferring the files again and again why we wanted to various mouse drivers to get it to to the Palmtop resulted in an error use Win 3.0 and not Win 95/98. work on the Palmtop. Only later did message that said in effect "this is not In the end, Microsoft agreed to let I discover that the touch pad worked an original installation of Windows." Thaddeus Computing sell a limited fine using the Windows built-in The program would go no further. version of the product. The catch was mouse driver. It was best to let the SETUP pro­ that we would have to write our own gram have its way. This meant freeing Users' Manual since the Microsoft Third Problem: Installation Woes up 6 M bytes on both the C: and A: manual was a separate product and Once I had the touch pad working, drives of my Palmtop, copying all the could not be duplicated. it was time to install Windows. files from the five installation disks to Hal also asked Microsoft for per­ I tried installing the program the A: drive on the Palmtop and run­ mission to sell the Real mode ver­ according to the instructions from ning the SETUP program from there. sions of Word and Excel. Microsoft Stefan Peichl and David Lawrence. Sad This approach worked smoothly had a one-word response to that to say, their directions did not apply to and resulted in a C: \ WIN directory request: "No!" the version of Windows that we had. containing about 170 files consum­ At this point, no one at Thaddeus Their directions mentioned using an ing approximately 4.5M bytes of disk Computing had a legal copy of EXPAND program that was nowhere space on the C: drive. To reduce the Windows 3.0. That's when fate to be found. Our version insisted on number of files, I started renaming stepped in. Hal and I found two using the SETUP program so that it one file at a time and restarting shrink-wrapped copies of Win 3.0 in could detect the type of screen and Windows. If Windows ran, I deleted a curio-shop in Fairfield, Iowa. The how much memory was available. the file. That was another mistake. total cost for both copies: $10.00! I tried installing Win 3.0 on a desk­ Windows might start but it would Was this "too good to be true?" top computer on the assumption that often die when I tried to run one of Yes. It took us the better part of an afternoon to convert the software from five 5.25-inch disks to 3.5-inch Where there's a DoubleSlof"; there's a way ... disks and test the integrity of all the To use 2 PC Cards at the same time - even copy files between Cards files. Now that we had legal copies of To run multiple PC Card products - SRAM, the software we were ready for the fax/modem, memory cards, etc. next challenge. To connect Type I, II and III Cards - even a Type II and III at the same time Second Problem: Mouse or To externally power PCMCIA Cards - for No Mouse those power hungry PCMCIA peripherals Some people claim that you can use Windows 3.0 without a mouse. I To run ATA flash cards and hard drives - like the notebooks can! maintain that without a mouse, you'll have an experience akin to driving a DoubleSlot, PCMCIA Slot Expander - car without a steering wheel. You'll reaching new heights of performance for your HP Palmtop. get just so far before you have to stop. Add the Travel FloppyI" to your Palmtop ... I had to decide on what pointing device to use and how to get it to World's smallest 3.5" floppy drive work on the Palmtop. My choices PCMCIA, type II compatible were a standard mouse, a trackball For Palmtops or other DOS/Windows device or a touch pad. A mouse computers would work but needed a flat sur­ Use it to transfer files, archive, or run face. A trackball would also work but programs directly from disk they were hard to come by. After a couple weeks of experimenting, I set­ Portable like your Palmtop - goes anywhere tled on a Cirque Easy Cat touch pad. Uses inexpensive 1.44 Mb or 720K diskettes The touch pad is stationary and requires little room on a desktop or .=:-A ""I"r71I""'~® 48460 Lakeview Blvd, Fremont, CA 94538-6532 MI _= _. J ~: : 1"1 (510) 668-4900 FAX: (510) 668-4905 car seat. It doesn't need a flat surface T - E C ------H N 0 LOG [ E 5 [ N C. [email protected] http://www.accurite.com

THE HP PALMTOP PAPER JULY/AUGUST 1999 25 HOW TO USE: Through The Looking Glass - Doing Windows on the Palmtop the built-in applications. I reinstalled determine what all the tiny tool-icons a challenge worthy of any software Windows again and adopted the represented. The calculator functioned experimenter. The sense of accom­ motto "if it works, don't fix it." just like the calculator in every ver­ plishment may be reward enough. sion of Windows I've used. The File Windows is definitely not something Fourth Problem: Memory Manager proved to be a real challenge. I would give to a person who is new Considerations To copy a file from one disk to anoth­ to the Palmtop or to MS-DOS. To give Windows as much room er I had to open four windows on the To confirm our belief that as possible, I set it up to run in a sep­ screen and move the cursor from one Windows is not a good product for arate Software Carousel session. to the other without disturbing any the Palmtop, we posed a question on Others Windows users who do of the underlying windows. CompuServe and in the HPLX-L not have Software Carousel use MAX­ The Write word processor turned news list. We asked for the opinions DOS or use the [MORE, MENU, out to be less than ideal. Even on a of those who had used Windows on Applications, Terminate all... ] com­ double speed machine, typing was the Palmtop. We've included their mand to get the maximum amount of agonizingly slow. After every keypress replies in the sidebar for this article. memory for Windows. the whole paragraph would redraw On the basis of our experience, Actually, using MAXDOS or quit­ itself, letter by letter, on the screen. the opinion of many Palmtop users, ting System Manager might be a bet­ To make Windows a worthwhile and the simple economics of the sit­ ter way to run Windows. My reason product, we proposed bundling as uation, Thaddeus Computing has for choosing to use a SC session was many shareware and freeware pro­ decided not to pursue the develop­ to let me switch between a System grams as possible with the Windows ment of a Windows 3.0 product. Manager session and the Windows program. To expedite the search for If you want to explore Windows session without losing my place in more applications, I found a on your own and do not already have either session. However, when I book/ disk called Windows Gizmos a copy of Win 3.0, look on several of switched to the System Manager ses­ that contained over fifty different the World Wide Web auction sites for sion and then back to the Windows games, utilities, text editors, data copies of Windows 3.0, Word for session, the touch pad no longer bases and financial managers pur­ Windows 2.0 and Excel 2.0. I have a worked. I had to shut Windows down portedly designed for Windows 3.0. I hunch that the cost of all three pro­ and restart it to get the touch pad anticipated that 50 programs would grams will be far less than the cost we working again. This practice some­ make up for the inability to offer the would have had to charge for a com­ times caused Windows to lock up the Word and Excel programs. Perhaps mercial product. • machine with the error message one or more of these programs would "wrong DOS version. MS-DOS 3.1 or turn out to be a "killer app." better required." Since the Palmtop Sad to say only three of the fifty uses MS-DOS 5.0, this error message programs worked in Real mode. The Cirque Easy Cat touchpad ($31) avail­ made no sense. Perhaps Windows rest required Standard mode or better able from www.cirque.com and only sees the COMMAND.COM stub and many required an EGA or VGA from many computer retailers. program in the D: \ DOS directory and screen. gets confused. Who knows? We searched the Internet far and Windows Gizmos by Brian and Margie I also noticed that when I opened wide for Real mode programs but Livingston, IDG Books Worldwide, a DOS box in Windows the screen came up empty handed. Inc., 1983. No longer in print. "colors" would be reversed and would stay that way when the DOS Conclusions box was closed. If I tried to run a DOS We originally thought that the goal program, e.g. PalEdit, from within of turning Windows 3.0 into a turnkey Windows, and then quit the program, program for the Palmtop would be a I would get the error message that I worthwhile project. We hoped that Wm was using the wrong DOS version 3.0 would be useful especially to new and the Palmtop would lock up. users who could start with a familiar operating environment while learning Further Problems the nuances of System Manager and As long as I didn't try switching MS-DOS on the Palmtop. from one SC session to another, I could However, it appears that Windows put the built-in applications through 3.0 is a tool for power user's rather their paces. The Paint Brush program than beginners. Getting the hardware worked well but it was difficult to and software properly configured is

26 THE HP PALMTOP PAPER JULY/AUGUST 1999 ••• QUICK TIPS •••

All Quick Tips are by Ed Keefe unless otherwise noted.

Using Word for Windows on a desktop computer, along with the text exported by Set Screen Contrast Manually Games the Connectivity Pack I have been able to The LCD screens in many HP Mike Wagstaff, has made available a solve my export needs for the phone book, Palmtops show a variation in the contrast Web site for those who want to collect database and notepad and my import levels. This may be due to the variation in more games for their Palmtop. The "HP LX needs for NoteTaker. the transistors, resistors, and other hard­ Fun! Factory" can be found at If all you need to transfer is text, cate­ ware that go to make the display. http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/plaza/aj gories, numbers and notes, then the con­ The HP Palmtop lets you adjust the 93/waggy/hp/ nectivity pack or GDBdump plus a word contrast in System Manager through the The page contains links to the follow­ processor should work just fine. Setup (CTRL+Filer) program. In that appli­ ing games: If you do not need note fields with cation simply press MENU, Options, Anti-Ballistic Missile, Blockade, Bowling imbedded carriage returns, then SmartClip System, OK and Tab to get to the Contrast Champ, Commander Keen 4, Electrobody, is the easiest way to export ASCII text. Slider. Use the right or left arrow keys to Galactic Battle, Jill of the Jungle, Off Road, If you need to transfer check box infor­ adjust the contrast to a level that seems PC Darts, Rush Hour, Spacewar, Striker, mation use any technique except the best for you and press Enter to get back Tetlix, and Xonix. SmartClip feature: it won't work. to the main screen. If you're interested in adding these If you need "/" delimited dates from You can also adjust the contrast with games to your collection, now is the time your appointment book you are probably the [ON][+) and [ON][-) keys. This key­ to do so. The links to the sites may not be best off with SmartClip or ADBIO. board method of setting the contrast level maintained indefinitely. If you need am/pm time format in addi­ is useful if you are running Software As disk space permits, we plan to put tion to "/" date delimiters you are mostly Carousel. The contrast setting in System one or more of these games on future out of luck except for exporting with Manager only effects the main SC session. issues of The HP Palmtop Paper ON DISK SmartClip. Microsoft Access and Excel In the other SC work areas you can set the for those who do not have access to the allow you to specify the format of date contrast from the keyboard. The setting will World Wide Web. imports and you should be able to manip­ stay in effect until you reboot the machine. ulate the information for transfer to anoth­ er piece of software, if desired. Use CONTRAST in AUTO If your note fields are less than about EXEC.BAT 512 characters, Excel might work fine. If you want to have the same contrast Some Tips on Exporting and If you can live with shorter note fields, setting in all your different SC sessions Importing Data from the Built­ you could process most of these delimit­ without the hassle of pressing [ON][+) or in Database Applications ed files using the built-in 123 spreadsheet and calculating date and time values for [ON][-) repeatedly you can use a small If you use the note field in Phonebook, program called CONTRAST.COM. The Database, NoteTaker or the AppOintment program will set the screen's contrast Book applications to write more than a level to a specific value. few lines of text you may want to break the For example, if you are running lines into readable chunks by pressing Card-Link for SRAM and ATA flash memory cards Software Carousel, you could run CON­ the [ENTER) key to create paragraphs. If TRAST 22 in one session and CONTRAST you do this and then decide to export the 16 in another session. However the most information to another application you'll common way to use this command is to put have to do some additional processing. the statement CONTRAST 22 in your The HP Connectivity Pack exports note Autoexec.bat file and reset the Palmtop. fields that contain carriage returns with a The command will set the contrast level for tab character substitution. So if you want all sessions of Software Carousel. Why struggle with cables? Transfer to use these files in another application, files the quick and easy way by adding The number after the CONTRAST word you need to use a word-processor to con­ a memory card slot to your desktop PC. is a value that you determine for your­ vert these to carriage return/linefeed pairs. ¢ Works like a floppy di sk drive self. Just set the contrast level in System SmartClip adds its own carriage ¢ Connects to a desktop parallel port Manager's Setup and then press return/linefeed every 60 or so characters, Model CL680 for Type I and Type II cards CTRL+ 123 to get to the DOS prompt. creating a situation that is fairly difficult to 189.95 Model CL683 for Type I, II and III cards 199.95 Model CL682 has 2 slots for Type II Type CONTRAST at the DOS prompt and correct even with a word processor. We carry adapters for compact flash cards. press Enter. The program will tell you the GDBdump substitutes \r\n for imbedded contrast value to use. carriage retumllinefeeds and a word-proces­ Steele Creek Technologies, Inc. sor is again required if you wish to retain the 14035 Appling Lane, Charlotte NC 28278 paragraph structure of the original file. Phone or Fax (704) 588-1780 Find latest drivers at www.cardlink.com

THE HP PALMTOP PAPER JULY/AUGUST 1999 27 output to another program. This, howev­ A Doctor's Rx: Dr. Max Maizels Manager compliant programs that could er, requires a moderate degree of sophis­ has a unique way to use be added to an APNAME.LST file. The tication in the use of 123 functions. Software Carousel purpose of the loader was twofold: 1) it The doctor has categorized his daily would make it possible to assign a hot key How To Set Up an EXP Modem activities into Business, Home and to the loader program and 2) have the To make an EXP modem/flash card Avocations. He maintains Databases, loader program run a DOS program. For work concurrently with other flash cards Phone Books and NoteTaker files for example, if you used the VDE editor, you follow these simple rules: EACH of these categories. could create a VDE.EXM loader program • Place any drivers that need to be To make it easy to switch from one set to which you could assign a hotkey, say loaded during start up on your C: drive and of files to the other he created three differ­ ALT +V. Then you could run VDE,EXE NOT on a removable A: drive. There has ent Software Carousel sessions, all of which simply by pressing ALT +V. to be enough space to do so because run System Manager. In each SC session EXMBATCH is basically a generic you can't put ALL drivers on ALL cards in he loads and runs the appropriate loader program for the HP 200LX. Instead the same directory. Database, NoteTaker and Phone Book files. of using Forth to create a loader on the fly, • Load the EXP card driver LXM­ The technique of opening multiple data­ you use DEBUG to modify the EXMBAT­ DRV.SYS on start up even if there is no base applications in several SC sessions CH.EXM file and then rename the file to card or another flash card in the slot. This is potentially dangerous. But the latest whatever you want. Then you can install prepares your system to accept the EXP version of Software Carousel, v.7.07, pre­ the modified loader in Application Manager card when needed. vents this from happening. Doctor Maizels and give it a hot key. • Avoid any reference to the A: drive in uses a combination of Addkeys and EXMBATCH will let you create loaders your startup files CONFIG.SYS and Key200 along with special SC startup for any .COM, .BAT or .EXE program. AUTOEXEC.BAT. Remove the lines scripts to perform his magic. Needless to The loaders can also be set up to speci­ SUBST E: A:\ or PATH=A: or say a good backup system is the first pre­ fy how much memory to give to a DOS DEVICE=A:\LXMDRV.SYS or similar com­ requisite to such a practice. program and whether or not you'll need to mands from both files. That will avoid the Rather than print his semi-secret pre­ press the Enter key to return to System error message "drive does not exist" or scription and risk the wrath of someone Manager when the program end. similar annoying messages during start up who loses a PhoneBook or Database file Rod Whitby, the author of EXMBATCH, and makes your system "ready for all". we've chosen to keep the prescription in created the generic loader and wrote a set • Get a copy of DOS-S SUBST com­ its original electronic form. of instructions describing how to use mand (if you don't have it yet) to close the If you use Software Carousel and this DEBUG to tailor the loader for each DOS "gap" in the drive letter chain. sounds like something you'd like to try, program you want. Rod is also thinking of • In AUTOEXEC.BAT add the line look for the file called MAIZELS.ZIP on this creating a program that will create specific SUBST E: 0:\. issue of The HP Palmtop Paper ON DISK loaders as needed without the use of LXMDRV.SYS, by default, assigns drive The file will also be available on the DEBUG. A word of encouragement from F: (or G: in case of a 32 or 64MB palmtop) S.U.P.E.R. site on the WWW. (Go to satisfied users of EXMBATCH would prob­ to the flash memory part of the card and www.PalmtopPaper.com/download/htm ably tip the scales in favor of this extra pro­ leaves the drive letter E: unassigned. and put MAIZELS in the search field and gram. Closing the gap avoids the error mes­ click the Fetch button. Download the file EXMBATCH version 1.5 is available sage "drive not ready" because any and unzip it to your disk. You'll be able to on the previous issue of The HP Palmtop request to E: drive is redirected to the 0: read the prescription written by the doc­ Paper ON DISK The latest version of the drive, a drive which does exist as long as tor. Trust me, it is a rare work of comput­ program may always be obtained from your palmtop is alive. (The usually rec­ ing art that will take hours of study and http://exmbatch.hplx.netl (or www.hplx. ommended SUBST E: A:\ will break if no experimentation to appreciate. netlexmbatch/ for WWW/LX users.) • card is in the slot!) I've studied the prescription but, on the If all drivers and TSRs are loaded from advice of my doctor, have not imple­ Shareware/Freeware C: drive you have to reboot your system mented it. I don't want a reoccurrence of mentioned in this article once. From now on you can swap your my obsessive-compulsive disorder. I cards without rebooting. But don't forget CONTRAST.ZIP and MAIZELS.ZIP are to tum off your HP before swapping cards, available on this issue of The HP at least while inserting a new card! Palmtop Paper ON DISK as well as This solution to the problem with the from www.palmtop.net EXP flash/modem card is really a group EXMBATCH Revisited effort. Avi Meshar, Andreas Garzotto, EXMBATCH.ZIP is available on the We mentioned EXMBATCH in the last Alexander Gutfeldt, Steffen Demuth, previous issue of The HP Palmtop Quick Tips columns. Since then several Daniel Legendre, Tom Rundel, David H. Paper ON DISK as well as from users have asked that we explain what the Fisher and a lot of others from HPHAND www.palmtop.net program actually does. Here's a more forum did most of the work. My part has detailed review of this product. GDBdump and ADBIO are avail­ been to put some order to the solution so In the days of the HP 9SLX, users of the able on the 1999 CD InfoBase from that it could be understocid. UTIL Forth programming language fig­ Thaddeus Computing. Gottfried Burckhardt ured out how to create "loader" programs on-the-fly. Loaders were small System

28 THE HP PALMTOP PAPER JULY/AUGUST 1999 • •• BASIC TIPS •••

Unless otherwise noted, the Basic Tips are by Ed Keefe.

the X-axis values are in cells G1 .. G11. The A-F values are in cells A 1 .. A 11 How to Find Push keys Break the Six Range Limit in through F1 .. F11. Push keys is a hidden program in the 1·2·3 Graphs Be sure to leave the blank cells D:\BIN directory of the HP Palmtop. You With the Lotus 1-2-3 Graph command between the different data sets or else can't see the file name using Filer. you can specify which set of values to you'll get stray lines connecting the first However you can go to the DOS prompt use for the X-axis and up to six different and seventh series, the second and eighth (use FILER MENU, Options, DOS and at sets of values for the Y-axis. and so on. the DOS prompt, type D:\DOS\ATTRIB There may be an occasion when you When you're ready, view the graph by D:\BIN\P*.* and press Enter. You should would like to have more than six values pressing the F10 key or by choosing the see the reply: D:\BIN\PUSHKEYS.COM displayed on the graph at the same time. View command in the 1-2-3 Graph menu. Here's how to do this for graphs of the x­ You should see a graph like the one in How to Use Push keys y type. Screen 2 in which there are twelve differ­ To install Pushkeys use MORE, MENU, 1) Set up a spreadsheet as usual for the ent lines on the chart. Applications, Terminate AII. .. At the DOS X-axis and for up to the six data ranges (A The technique can be extended to han­ prompt type D:\BIN\PUSHKEYS II and - F) for the Y-axis. In Screen 1 the columns dle as many "pseudo ranges" as you like. press Enter. Type 100 or 200 to restart A-F will become the Y-axis values and the However, on the Palmtop, the screen res­ System Manager. G column will become the X-axis values. olution is such that too many lines produce To create a macro file for use with 2) Copy the X-axis values into the same a blur. Pushkeys, open the System Macro appli­ column below the first set of X-axis values. cation (CTRL+MORE) and use the MENU, Leave one blank row between the two sets. File, Save As ... command to save any 3) Construct up to six additional ranges, current macros as CURRENT. MAC. Then using the same columns as previously use the MENU, File, New command to defined for ranges A - F but, again, leave Enhance System Macros with start a new set of macros. Type a macro a blank cell between the sets of values. Pushkeys into the first macro's Contents field. Here 4) Repeat steps 2 and 3 if you want 18 In the Mar/Apr 1994 issue of The HP is a sample: ranges instead of 12. Palmtop Paper, we printed an article that {Enter}{More HMen u}AT{Enter}D I R 5) Tell the Graph program that you described how to find and use the built-in, D:VS/B>C:\DIR_ D. TXT{Enter}#1 000 want to plot an X-V graph and identify hidden PUSH KEYS TSR program that #200{Enter}{Memo}{Menu}FOC:\DIR_D.T your ranges as extending from the first row plays back ALL the macro commands in XT{Enter} of the first set to the last row of the last set. a macro file. The above macro will terminate all For example, in the spreadsheet above, Here is the summary of the article. Applications (be careful that Lotus is closed before using this macro) and cre­ A1: (6) [1016] 10 ate a list of the files on the D: drive and store it in a file called DIR_D.TXT. Then the macro restarts System Manager and opens the DIR_D.TXT file in Memo. Use the MENU, File, Save As ... com­ 25 35 45 55 65 1999 35 45 55 65 75 2000 mand to save the file as PK.MAC in the 45 55 65 75 85 2001 C:\_DAT directory. 55 65 75 85 95 2002 65 75 85 95 105 2003 Create a batch file that contains the line D:\BIN\PUSHKEYS C:'--DAl\PK.MAC and save this file as C:,--DAl\TESTPK.BAT. Screen 1: A Spreadsheet with 12 different graph ranges To run the program, start FILER and point at the TESTPK.BAT file and press 110 Enter. The batch file will load and run the 100 ~ .-.-- PK.MAC file. After a slight delay, you'll 90 ~ 80 see System Manager start and you'll see 70 -- 60 ~ --- =--- ::;:::;.. a list of filenames in Memo. so :;..- In the case of Pushkeys, System ~ - 40 ;.-- Macros MAY contain commands to exit 30 :=:--::::: --~ 20 - System Manager and run DOS com­ 10 it- o mands and then return to System 1.999 2 2.001 2.002 2.003 Manager. (This is something you can't do with an ordinary System Macro.) Also in Screen 2: An X-Y type graph with 12 different values for the Y axis

THE HP PALMTOP PAPER JULY/AUGUST 1999 29 the special case of Push keys macros, (CALC, MENU, Applications, Conversions) ren calc.env xxx you can have macros with up to 2,550 will let you convert between Currency, ren calcenv.bak calc.env characters. Each of the 10 macros in a Length, Area, Volume, Mass and ren xxx calcenv.bak macro file can hold up to 255 characters. Temperature. You simply key in a value, Push keys automatically goes from one press the appropriate function key and Do not run SWAPCONV.BAT while HP macro to the next. You don't need to use all the other values appear on the screen. CALC is open. the CHAIN command. I've looked at several different conver­ Pushkeys macros may contain another sion programs and I still prefer the HP unique command, #>00<#. For instance in the Calc program. It requires the fewest num­ sample macro I used #1000# which delayed ber of keystrokes to get an answer. the execution at that point in the macro by On the other hand, HP Calc won't let Use Memo to Announce about a second or two. This is a totally you convert values from miles/hour to Upcoming Appointments and undocumented command that is only used feet/second. You can use HP Solver for ToDo's by the Push keys program. It seems to work this type of conversion. For instance key Appointment Book can't warn you more only once per execution and you may need the following formula into an empty Solver than 24 hours in advance of a future to experiment with the delay number to see editor field and press F10 and then F9 to appointment or event. It would be more what it does on your machine. run the equation. FEEnSEC=(5280/ helpful if it could warn you a week in 3600)*MILES\HR advance of upcoming birthdays. That Enter 60 and press F3. Then press F2 would give you more time to purchase a ©&[1© and you should see FEEnSEC=88.0000. gift and send it. Note that, in this case, the conversion It's possible to correct this shortcoming Don't Do This in HP Calc factor (5280/3600) is actually a constant by using the Appointment Book print option If you press the Date or Time keys in value. This means that you can also use to print all appointments and events with­ HP Calc, the Palmtop will beep at you the Conversion function to find the answer. in a range of dates to a text file. This text and display some strange numbers on The only conversion routine that allows file can then be opened in Memo to give the Calc line. In Calc, use the MENU for additional entries is the Currency con­ an instant view of what is coming up soon. Clear Stack command and press the Date verter. However, before making any This can be automated by using a sim­ key, the Palmtop will flash some numbers changes to the built-in Currency conver­ ple macro to generate the file and load and end up with a number such as 99 on sions, close HP CALC. Open FILER and go Memo to display it. This will make the the calc line. This number is the last two to C:\..DAT and copy the CALC.ENV file to feature a single keystroke away. To further digits of the current year. The Y register will CALCENV.BAK. Otherwise, once you key automate the process the macro could contain the value for the day of the month. in a new set of conversions and close HP be set to run automatically at night so When you press the Time key you'll wind CALC, you'll lose the currency conversions. that when the Palmtop is turned on in the up with a value such as 913 which is hour Return to HP Calc and open the morning, your next few days of appoint­ and minutes, i.e., 9:13AM. Currency Converter. The Currency ments and events are on screen. This is a bug that was present in HP Conversion sub-application can hold up to Here is a System Macro that will give Calc from its earliest days. HP Calc should 21 possible conversions. Press the More a one week look-ahead. prevent the Date and Time keys from (F10) key a couple of times until you see {Menu}fp{Alt+H}{Tab}{Home}a{Tab}{Tab functioning at all. Instead, when you press a screen that is only partially full of entries. }+++++++{Alt+L}{Alt+F}{Alt+O} 1{Alt+ T}{F1 those keys, System Manager tries to put Press the F2 (Edit) key and move the O}c:\todo\event. txt{F1 O}{Memo}{Menu }foc:\ a date/time number on the calc line. The highlighter to the first empty line. Press the todo\event. txt{Enter} calculator tries to format the number F2 (Name) key and type in MPH and according to its own formatting options. press Enter. Enter the rate, 1, and press Laurence Harvey When the bug was first reported on Enter. Move the highlight to the next blank laurence @harvey-lfreeserve.co.uk the HPHand forum on CompuServe, the line and press F2 (Name). Type FPS and response from an HP representative was press Enter and type in the rate, 1.466667, that this was one of those bugs that could and press Enter. Press (ESC). In the Create Headers And Footers In be fixed by the user. The command to Currency conversion screen, key in 60 Memo Documents use is "Don't do that!" and press the MPH function key. The FPS You can create simple headers and foot­ To complete the picture, the Date Calc line will immediately show 88.0000. ers in Memo documents. Open MEMO and application in HP Calc uses a special for­ If the conversion factor is a constant press (MEMO) Forma(t) Header/Footer. mat for dates, namely DD.MMYYYY. For then you can use the Currency converter You are presented with a dialogue box with example May 10, 1999 would be keyed in to do the conversions. However if the the cursor resting on the Header line. as 10.051999. conversion involves a formula or expres­ Type in your header and press «Tab» And, just in case you were wondering, sion then you need to use Solver. to move to the Footer line. Type in your the date calculations in HP Calc are Y2K To restore the original currency con­ footer and press (ENTER) to return to the compliant. versions, close HP CALC and run a sim­ main MEMO screen. You will not see the ple batch file called SWAPCONV.BATthat headers or footers on the screen, but they you can create in MEMO. will be there if you print the document out. Conversion Values In HP Calc REM SWAPCONV.BAT The conversion routines in HP Calc @echooff

30 THE HP PALMTOP PAPER JULY I AUGUST 1999 New Products X-Finder continued from Page 6 continued from Page 10 The ccLXPOP (clicks-pop) pro­ The Icon Viewer/Manager gram by Brian McIlvaine will let you The file manager also acts as an use cc:Mail as the email reader and icon viewer when the iconized listing MAXDOS.ZlP, ICONEDIT, MIllEEXM, UIA255.EXE, composer and then connect to a POP3 is selected. This makes it simple to CLOSEFLR, UNZlP.COM, UST.EXE, VIEW.ZlP are all email server when you want to send add icons to the ICON.LZH and available on the 1999 CD InfoBase, previous ICONFLD.LZH files used by XF. Just issues of the The HP Palmtop Paper ON DISK as and receive messages. ccLXPOP well as at www.palmtop.net. makes use of the LXTCP utilities writ­ browse through the icons, mark the X1CONS.ZlP, XFMACICN.ZlP, XFS.ZIP, XFP3.ZlP and ten by Rod Whitby and has the fol­ ones you like, and press [ShlftJ[Enter] for ICON.LZH or [CtrlJ[Enter] for VDE187a.ZIP available on this issue of The HP lowing capabilities: Palmtop Paper ON DISK as well as at 1. It can send and receive email ICONFLD.LZH. Icons are automati­ www.palmtop.net. cally added to the .lzh archives in using ccMail as the means to view LHE1D2.LZ11 is a very fast .LZH file extractor and generate email. You can access uncompressed form. You may need and is only available at: www.vector.co.jp/ multiple email accounts for receipt to rename the icon(s) in your .lzh file, common/ / utili arc/lha/lhe1 02.lzh of email. but this is done transparently, just ZCOPY.COM available at www.vector.co.jp/ 2. It can be used to read news­ like renaming a file in a directory. common/ OOtools / zcopy.com groups. You can download news­ Remote Links PAWXFIC2.LZ11 and PAWXFPlS.LZ11 are available groups and then index that mail in Using the remote link feature of XF at: member.nifty.ne.jp / pawOO / ccMail into a seperate folder where requires the installation of a small your email goes. This indexing is done program (XFS.EXE) on the remote off line. machine. This works with IBM com­ 3. ccLXPOP can be used on a patible Windows or DOS computers desktop or laptop computer as well (including palmtops). The palmtop as on the Palmtop. (client) and the server are linked using Letters continued from Page 2 4. The address book and address the connectivity cable. Starting XFS on Like you, I long for the heydays of The HP list functions work cleanly and effi­ the remote machine and selecting a Palmtop Paper, when advertisers and authors ciently. • remote drive in XF will show the vied for space in each issue. Back then folks remote drive in the XF file manager were always describing new and interesting Shareware/Freeware screen. Drives and directories on the ways to put the Palmtop to work. mentioned in this article remote machine are handled just like Like you I've noticed the thinness of the local drives and directories. This is past several issues (That may be due to the lack OLC2LXinst.EXE - available directly of advertising). very similar to using Filer to transfer from members.aol.coml freewhL I know that the quantity of material in PTP 44/lxgames. html. files between a palmtop and the HP is approximately the same as before. In the past Also available on this issue of The HP Connectivity Pack on a desktop com­ four issues I've tried to increase the technical Palmtop Paper ON DISK as well as at puter. You can even run programs on quality of the articles, pushing the built-in www.palmtop.net the Palmtop using commands from apps to their limits and discussing the more the remote computer. popular add-in applications . • OL2LX_02.ZIP is available on this To transfer files between palm­ issue of The HP Palmtop Paper ON tops using XF you'll need a cable. DISK as well as at www.palm XF IXFS doesn't have IR capability. top. net. It is available directly from Summary www.tuug.org/ -hysky X-Finder offers incredible power PALRUN.ZIP, VDE187a.ZIP and and versatility for managing appli­ CCLXPOP.ZIP available on this issue cations, files, and archives. It's easy to of The HP Palmtop Paper ON DISK install but not particularly intuitive to as well as at www.palmtop.net customize. Because so many aspects TOD021.ZIP is available on this issue of XF are configurable, there's a lot of The HP Palmtop Paper ON DISK as to learn and master. • well as at www.palmtop.net and directly from hp. vector.co.jp I au thors/VA0149191 soft/todo.htm

THE HP PALMTOP PAPER JULY / AUGUST 1999 31 How To Contact Us Please note: The HP Palmtop Paper does not and cannot provide technical support. There are a number of ways to get in touch with Products Advertised in This Issue of The HP Palmtop Paper staff. You can write, mail us a disk with your comments, send Internet e-mail, The HP Palmtop Paper fax, or call. Our mailing address and contact infor­ mation is: COMPANY PRODUCT PHONEIFAX NUMBERS PAGE

Thaddeus Computing, 110 N. Court Accurite Floppy Drives for 100/200LXlDouble Slot ...... 510-668-4900; Fax:510-668-4905 .... 25 Fairfield, IA 52556 USA Phone: 515-472-6330 or 800-373-6114 Aware Micro Roentgen Radiation Monitor 800-729-5397/302-655-3800; Fax: 302-655-3800 ....6 Fax: 515-472-1879 Decision Point Systems StockChart ...... 12 Internet: [email protected] Easy Use Palmtops & Accessories ...... +492202 951781; Fax: +49 2202 9557760 ... 19 TO SUBSCRIBE, change address, or clear up any Greenwich Link-A-Printer ...... 800-476-4070 or 704-875-8490; Fax: 704-875-2801 ... 10 problem with your subscription, contact our sub­ scription department. Call or fax us at the phone PDA '99 Mobile & PDA EXPO ...... 415-641-2450; Web: www.pda-expo.com . ... 3 numbers above. E-mail usat:[email protected] Steele Creek Technologies Card Link Drives ...... Phone/Fax: 704-588-1780 ... 27 TO ADVERTISE in The HP Palmtop Paper contact Thaddeus Computing ...... 800-373-6114 or 515-472-6330; Fax: 515-472-1879 Tiffany Lisk at: 303-948-2840; Fax: 303-979-4322. 1999 CD InfoBase ...... IFC Knowledge products: Subscriptions, HP Palmtop Tech Ref. Manual, Ref. Books, CD .. IBC Technical Support Software Carousel ...... 16 Super Software Carousel ...... 17 HP Technical Support - HP offers technical sup­ port from 8 am - 5pm P.S.T. Phone: 970-392-100l. Upgrade Your Palmtop ...... BC On-Line Support-offered by these bulletin board services: o COMPUSERVE: GO HPHAND FORUM - Software on Call 800-848-8990 or 614-457-8650. o AMERICA ON LINE: Keyword The HP Palmtop Paper ON DISK PALMTOP - Call 888-265-8001 for membership information. July/August 1999 o INTERNET NEWS GROUPS: You can find all the software described In this Issue at www.palmtop.nel/super.html news:comp.sys.palmtops.hp which Is now sponsored by our Web s//e www.PalmtopPaper.com. news:comp.sys.handhelds news:alt.comp.sys. palmtops.hp PRODUCT FUNCTION FRE~ARBSHAREWARE o To sign up for the free Palmtop Paper Newsletter send an e-mail to listserv@ CCLXPOP.ZIP Use cc:Mail for POP3 email Freeware unbounded.com. The subject line of the email must be empty and the body of the FINDER.ZIP Replaces Filer and App Mgr and more Freeware message should contain the words Subscribe Palmtop Paper (omit the brackets). KERMZIP.ZIP Files related to Kermit Freeware o To register for the HPLX news service use LHE102.ZIP Fast LZH extractor Freeware your Web browser to go to news.hplx.net/ and fill in the form. You'll be notified by LXCIC.zIP Update to CIC program Freeware return mail with your registration. MAIZELS.zIP Use macros with Software Carousel Freeware o HPLX-L mailing list: To subscribe, send an Ol2LX-02.ZIP Outlook to LX database converter Freeware email to: LISTSERV@UCONNVM. UCONN.EDU In the message body, put: OLC2LXINS1EXE OutlookCalendar to LX WINDOWS Program Freeware SUBSCRIBE HPLX-L or www.sp.uconn. edu/-mchem1/HPLX.shtml . PALRUNI3.ZIP Update to Palrun for desktop Freeware PAWXFIC2.ZIP Icon files for X-Finder Freeware How to Submit an Article PAWXFPLS.ZIP More icon files Freeware The richness of Tl1e HP Palmtop Paper comes from the contributions of Palmtop PC users. We PTP46.ZIP Text version of this issue NlA and your fellow users welcome your submissions. PTPDSK46.ZIP Database of files on disk NlA (We do not offer payment for articles, your reward is knowing that you've helped others.) If you have RULERLN2.ZIP Macro files for VDE Freeware a good idea and want to "go for it," send it in via CompuServe e-mail [75300,2443], Internet: ed@ TOD021.ZIP Memate ToOo program Freeware thaddeus.com, or send disk or hard copy to Ed VDEI87A.ZIP Video Display Editor, Y2K Compliant Shareware Keefe at the above address. Alternatively, you can send an outline of your idea. We will try to guide VPC1.ZIP Macro file for VDE Freeware you as to when and whether we would use the article and contact you if we need clarification or XFP3.ZIP Make command files for EXM programs Freeware have any suggestions - please include your phone XFS.ZIP Connect X-Finder to desktop Freeware number. We may want to use an article but for a variety of reasons you may not see it for many XICONS.zIP Icons for X-Finder Freeware months. Please understand that we cannot promise to run any particular article at any particular time. ZCOPY.COM Support program for X-Finder Freeware If you can, especially if you write a Palmtop Profile, send us a photo of yourself.

32 THE HP PALMTOP PAPER JULY/AUGUST 1999 The UP PaltntoIJ Paper ON DISK

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WARRANTY Upgrading speed and/or memory voids HP's warranty. Thaddeus UPGRADE YOUR HP 200lX Computing provides a free 90-Day Warranty on all Used and Upgraded • Upgrade to 5, 8, 32 or 64 MB Palmtops, and a Free One-Year Warranty on New Palmtops. You have the option of extending these Warranties as follows: • Upgrade to DoubleSpeed 90-Day Warranty extended to One-Year '25.00 HI YR W Alternate Upgrade Contact in Europe • Free 90-Day Warranty (extendable) 90-Day Warranty extended to Two-Years '75.00 H2YRW E·Mall Runde! Datentechnik • Prices from $119 to $675! One-Year Warranty extended to Two-Years '50.00 HIX2W at [email protected]

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