Along with their MyPalm portal and Mobile Internet Kit announcements at Comdex, Palm also announced availability of the Palm OS 3.5 upgrade for the Palm III, Palm IIIx, Palm V, Palm Vx, and Palm VII. The upgrade for the Palm Vx is free, while the upgrade for the other units will be available for US$19.95 on CD-ROM, or US$14.95 via download. For owners of only one Palm or many Palms of the Palm brand, upgrade is a simple process, automated by a Java application. Those who sync a Handspring device along with a Palm device (as do I) will have a problem. I'm afraid I ran into quite a few problems with this download, since I tried to do it last Sunday, only a couple of days after the announcement, but most of them have been ironed out. The final remaining obstacle was new to the folks at Palm tech support--who unfortunately didn't even know the upgrade had been made available--but involved the above-mentioned conflict between the Handspring and Palm versions of the Palm Desktop. Note that the upgrades can be applied only to the device specified before download, and will not work with non-Palm products; no upgrade is currently available for Handspring devices.

For those upgrading a system that uses both a Palm and a Handspring device that syncs through USB, here's the solution as I found it:

1. Download the Palm Upgrade software, and let it install. Follow all instructions. When you come to the point where it fails, it will say, "The Palm OS Software upgrade utility encountered an error reading the handheld's product code. As a result, the software upgrade cannot continue. Timeout error." Just press OK, and you'll be dumped back onto your desktop. (If this doesn't happen, either they've fixed the application and you should let me know, or else you didn't have the Handspring version of the desktop running.)

2. Close all programs, like the browser you used to download the software.

3. Locate and run the Palm Desktop. There should be an icon on your Windows Desktop. Before it timed out, the install program put Palm Desktop 3.1 on your system, but it didn't fully update some aspects of the HotSync application. If you run the new Palm Desktop application, however, it finishes its update and you'll be able to complete your OS upgrade.

4. Find the install file. Don't try to go back to the website link that Palm emails you, because that link will no longer work. Go to the Windows Explorer and look for your Palm directory. It will either be in the root directory if you've been a Palm customer for awhile, or it'll be in the Program Files directory. Inside the Palm directory, you'll find another directory where the upgrade software is stored; in my case the directory is called PalmOS3.5. Go into that directory and double click the install application (for the Palm VII it is called "PalmOS350_ENG_PalmVII.exe").

5. Allow the application to re-install the Palm Desktop and then follow its instructions for HotSyncing your device and installing the upgrade. The screen will look funny as it upgrades, but this is normal. After the upgrade is complete, reboot your Palm device and your computer. Then, if you want to continue to HotSync both your Palm and Handspring device, you'll need to reinstall your Handspring-specific Palm Desktop. This is true whether you sync to the Palm Desktop or some other PIM, like Outlook, because the main HotSync application must be upgraded to support HotSync with the Visor through a USB port. Because the application has been upgraded recently, you might want to download the latest version from the Handspring website.

Note that the download may be updated (hopefully) before you read this, rendering these instructions unnecessary... Keep me posted. -Shawn Barnett

November 1, 2000
Visors on sale at Target

Continuing their push to sell to new audiences, Handspring has arranged to offer their Visor handhelds in Target stores. The move will effectively add 900 storefronts to the list of places people can walk in and buy a Handspring product. The rollout will be done in phases, starting in Arizona this month, then rolling out nationally before the end of the year.

Palm CEO talks about new products

Carl Yankowski yesterday appeared on the On24 Financial Network to talk about Palm's future products and the state of Palm in general. In the brief interview, he revealed a lot about an upcoming product, the new Palm Vx, which he said would include the SD expansion slot, and an option of both color or monochrome screens. He then mentioned in rapid succession the following, which it was unclear whether would be included in the Palm Vx or just available: AOL-style instant messaging, server sync, and email notification, plus something he calls "RIM-type functionality." As expected, the new OS, which will presumably run on a StrongARM processor, should also debut in the second half of the year. Yankowski also mentioned the cool uses the US Navy has found for Palm OS computers onboard aircraft carriers, including on the USS Constellation. There, the landing signal officers score each landing on a Palm, then sync the device so the landing report is available to the pilot immediately after they get out of the aircraft. To see the video yourself, click here.

October 16, 2000
New Visors, one color, both very fast

Handspring today announces and offers for sale their hot new Palm OS computers: the new Visor Platinum, which they say is 50% faster, and the Visor Prism, which also sports a 16 bit color screen (65,000 colors) and an internal rechargeable battery. The new units are the first to use the new Dragonball VZ processor running at 33MHz, and will go on sale today at Handspring's website. Check out our review.

September 29, 2000
Sony CLIE Review

Finally I have a little time between issues to put up web stuff, including the review of the new Sony CLIE. It's an impressive little computer. It's smaller than any Palm before it, has a Memory Stick slot for removeable storage, and a unique Jog Dial for quick, one-handed access to basic features. It retails for US$399, and I've already seen them in stock in a local Best Buy store. -Shawn Barnett

September 25, 2000
Phone module signals new generation

Today Handspring announced its new Visor Phone, a module that integrates a GSM phone into your Visor. Operation is simple, you plug it in and the software is loaded. You can use the included headset or simply hold the Visor up to your ear like a regular phone. Yes, the Visor's built-in microphone finally has a use. The first model is a GSM phone, but that allows for some pretty cool features, including 9.6Kbps modem functionality and compatibilty with any modem software. You can use the Visor's other programs while making calls, even holding conference calls. Speed dialing is done easily with the push-button interface, and calls are logged, including missed calls. There's even a short message service for chatting with your buddies no matter where you are.

Price will be US$299 and it will only available on Handspring's website. Orders can be taken early, but the phones won't be available until late November. There is a possibility of future phones that will be compatible with CDMA and other standards; whether those will come from Handspring or other vendors is unclear. Service will be through Bell South DCS, Pacific Bell Wireless, Powertel, and VoiceStream. Jeff Hawkins mentioned at PC Expo that he thought the future of handheld devices was voice, and he clearly meant what he said.

A similar phone was announced last Friday by Palm, Inc., probably in anticipation of Handspring's announcement today. This phone will also be available only on GSM networks, with a list of simliar features, and at the same price of US$299. It is designed for the Palm V. Release of this unit is expected in early 2001, and it will be made by RealVision. Arrival of the Handspring Visor Phone looks to be considerably more imminent, since I've seen a working model of the Visor Phone, and only mockup drawings of the as yet unnamed phone for the Palm V. Either way, it looks like there might be an integrated phone in your future. -Shawn Barnett

August 31, 2000
Sony CLIE' officially announced

The monochrome version of Sony's new Palm OS-based handheld for the US Market will be called the CLIE'. Pronounced "klee-AY," CLIE' stands for Communication, Link, Information, and Entertainment. The new device is designed to be more of a multimedia device than other Palm OS computers have been, as evidenced by its Memory Stick slot and bundled multimedia software. An 8MB Memory Stick is included with the CLIE' handheld. Another significant feature will be the JogDial, situated in the upper left hand corner. Turning this dial brings up a pull down menu with the applications list. With this Jog Dial Navigator, many simple selection tasks can be performed without even removing the pen, according to Sony.

The CLIE' is also a little smaller than other Palm OS devices, including the Palm V. While maybe a smidge taller than the Palm V, the CLIE' is 2.79 inches wide, while the Palm V is 3.1 inches wide. Other features are 8MB of RAM, 2MB of Flash, USB interface, Lithium Ion rechargable battery (which charges through the cradle and lasts up to 15 days on a single charge), PictureGear Pocket Software for viewing and sharing images (and even including images in an Address Book entry), and gMedia video player software. AvantGo is bundled with the CLIE', as well as TrueSync software for synchronization with MS Outlook and Lotus Organizer. The product is expected in stores sometime in September, and pre-orders can be placed on the following website: www.sony.com/clie/. No word yet on when the color version will be available. Watch this site for a comprehensive review when the unit becomes available. -Shawn Barnett

August 7, 2000

New Palms Announced

Palm today announces two hot new products in their lineup: the Palm m100 (US$149) and the Palm VIIx (US$449), as well as some special edition Palm Vxs and some accessories that will be made available soon. The most newsworthy item was scooped by a few in the press who just couldn't wait, but we bring you more than a surreptitiously-obtained snapshot and a few dubious facts: we have a comprehensive review of the m100 and the Palm VIIx online now. -Shawn Barnett

Also announced today are the Palm Vx models (US$399), now available with two new anodize colors: Millenium Blue and Champagne, described as a gold color.

The Palm Ethernet Cradle will finally ship as well. It offers a 10 MBps communication with Palm's new HotSync Server software, and allows easy HotSync to the network with no host desktop computer necessary.

The PalmModem Connectivity Kit was also announced today, offering enhanced dialup for existing Palm III type computers, including the Palm IIIxe, Palm IIIc, Palm VII-series and the TRGpro. The kit includes a 33.6 BPS landline modem and three connectivity applications: AOL Mail, MultiMail Pro, and Yahoo! Messenger. The new modem kit will be available at retailers in late August. -Shawn Barnett

June 1, 2000
Read the Jeff Hawkins Cover Story

If you don't know it already, Jeff Hawkins is the genius behind the continually expanding universe of Palm computers. Currently Chairman and Chief Product Officer at Handspring, Hawkins is leading the way to the next generation of handheld computers, and has some interesting ideas about how brains work, and how they interface with a computer. Read how he got to where he is and where he thinks the handheld computer market is going in our exclusive cover story:

Jeff Hawkins, the man who almost single-handedly revived the handheld computer industry.

To see the entire Palm contents of the April issue, scroll down to "Palm Content by issue." -Shawn Barnett