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.FLYINGHEAD LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
.TITLE The antidotes for Palm envy and HotSync headaches
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.SUMMARY In this month’s edition, two of our editors come to the rescue for some troubled readers. Claire Pieterek offers some tips when an inability to HotSync leaves one user cold, and Jason Perlow writes a prescription for a fellow with a bad case of Palm envy.
.EDNOTE In this month’s edition, two of our editors come to the rescue for some troubled readers. Claire Pieterek offers some tips when an inability to HotSync leaves one user cold, and Jason Perlow writes a prescription for a fellow with a bad case of Palm envy.
.H1 That sync-ing feeling
Okay, my trusty 2MB upgraded Palm III (it was originally a PalmPilot Professional) is giving me the willies. I recently built a new PC, and now I can’t HotSync. The COM port is available, it’s enabled in Windows 98, everything looks good on the Device Manager and in the Palm Desktop (version 3.0.3), and I installed HotSync 3.0.4. I push the button on the cradle, and a few seconds later the PC responds.
However, it never connects to the handheld. Ultimately, the Palm device gives me the "connection could not be established" message. I have checked my serial port (even reinstalled it), and Windows says it’s working properly. I don’t have another serial device to plug in and test. I have a second cradle at work and that synchronizes fine with HotSync 3.0.4. In fact, I was very pleased with the speed, so it’s not the unit.
It might be the cradle, it might be the PC, but since they both make gestures that they’re trying to work together (like the HotSync beep and the HotSync window on the PC), I’m just as confused as before. Any clues on where or how to troubleshoot? Thanks.
Dan Amrich
San Mateo, CA
.H2 Senior technical editor Claire Pieterek responds
Well, Dan, HotSync problems can be tough to diagnose and troubleshoot, but here goes:
First off, let’s check something that’s easily overlooked. Is "Local" checked in HotSync Manager? If Local isn’t checked, and if there are no check marks next to Modem or Network, you will get the Time-out error. I found this out after installing a lot of new hardware into a PC. Of course, I thought it was the hardware. Boy, did I feel stupid when it was something as simple as this!
The next thing to try is backing the speed down in HotSync Manager. Right click on the HotSync Manager icon in the system tray and then select Setup. Click on the Local tab and then pull down the Speed menu. Choose something pretty slow, like 19200 or 9600 baud. It’s a drag, but a slow synchronization is usually better than none at all.
Make sure you have the right port number. You’ve probably got USB, an internal modem, and maybe even an IR port in that new PC. You might have to make sure that HotSync Manager is pointing to the correct port, since HotSync Manager 3.0.4 officially provides support for USB and IR synchronizations.
You might also want to check on the brand of motherboard used in your new PC. I corresponded at length with a fellow Palm device user last year who’d gotten a new PC and could not perform a HotSync. It turns out he had a Tyan motherboard. If I remember correctly, he ended up swapping motherboards before he could synchronize. As long as we’re talking about odd hardware problems, Palm, Inc.’s Web site mentions an issue with inability to synchronize on COM4 if the PC has an S3-based video card. See http://www.palm.com/support/helpnotes/desktop/com4s3.html for details.
Have you tried your home PC HotSync cradle at work? Maybe the cradle you have at home is faulty.
Another way to test the connection is to hook up the cradle and drop your Palm device in it as though you’re going to synchronize. Close HotSync Manager and fire up HyperTerminal by selecting Programs->Accessories->HyperTerminal->HyperTrm.exe from the Start menu. You’ll need to create a connection using "Direct to COMn," where n is the number of the serial port you’re using. In Figure A, you’ll see how to create a new connection in HyperTerminal. You can name the connection whatever you’d like and choose any of the icons displayed. Click OK to continue.
.FIGPAIR A Create a new connection in HyperTerminal.
In this example, I’m creating a connection to COM2. In the Phone Number screen, pull down the "Connect using" box and select "Direct to COM2." As you see in Figure B, choose the COM port you want to test. Then click OK to continue.
.FIGPAIR B Choose the COM port you want to test, then click OK to continue.
The next step is to configure the COM2 settings. The only thing you need to change is the speed. The default speed is 2400, but you should change it to 9600. In Figure C, you see how to select 9600, which is a good speed for testing. Click OK when you’re ready to continue.
.FIGPAIR C Change the speed in the COM port properties.
Now you’re ready to test the connection. You see in Figure D that you should select Call->Connect. Then press the HotSync button on the cradle.
.FIG D Select Call->Connect and then press the HotSync button on the cradle.
If you see gibberish on the screen, your serial port is receiving data from the Palm device, indicating you don’t have a hardware problem with the Palm device or cradle. Figure E shows you what you might see.
.FIGPAIR E You’ll see something like this if your hardware is working.
Some other things you might want to try can be found by visiting, http://www.palm.com/support/helpnotes/desktop/comports.html and http://www.palm.com/support/helpnotes/hotsync/timeout.html.
If none of these suggestions work, I’m stumped!
.H2 Dan Amrich reports back
Thanks for your good advice. In the time between sending my question and receiving your answer, the problem was fixed. The only thing I changed was my memory DIMM–I had to return the stick I bought three weeks ago and borrowed some RAM from a friend while I waited for the new stuff to come in–but that fixed a lot. The memory was causing random restarts and crashes, so it’s very likely that unstable serial connections were part of the problem.
Thanks,
Dan
.H1 How to choose a new device when envy’s not nice
Dear Mr. Perlow:
Based on reading your writings in PalmPower Magazine and elsewhere, it seems to me you have quite a vast knowledge of Palm products. If I may, I’d like to ask you for some advice.
I purchased a PalmPilot Personal back in February of 1996 and upgraded that to a PalmPilot Professional a year and a half later. As you can imagine, I drool every time I see someone with a newer Palm device with more memory. Currently, I have to delete apps such as Tinysheets and Avantgo every time I want to load a big book to keep me entertained when I’m on the road.
I was planning to simply upgrade my existing unit again with more memory, but my PalmPilot has developed the "tap bug" and the screen is a bit scratched. Also, after seeing the crisper screens on the new Palm devices, my unit seems like yesterday’s technology.
My problem is this: I can’t decide between the Palm IIIx (I think this is the 4MB version), the Palm V, or the Visor Deluxe. And I don’t want to spend much more than $300.
Obviously, the Palm V’s form factor is its most attractive feature, but its limited memory is a big negative (as is the Palm Vx’s price)! I like the Visor’s abundant RAM, but I worry about the inability to upgrade its OS.
Any advice you could provide would be most welcome.
Kenneth Hong
Seoul, Korea
.H2 Contributing editor Jason Perlow responds
With so many different Palm devices out there now, it’s tough to make a decision as to which one to buy. For me, the four top considerations in order of importance are memory size, price, expandability, and ability to upgrade the OS.
Currently I have a Visor Deluxe, a TRGpro, and a Palm V. If I were a consumer, I would not consider a PDA with less than 4MB of RAM, which eliminates the Palm V, the Visor Personal, and the Palm IIIe. Since your budget is at $300, you might consider the Visor Deluxe. The Visor Deluxe is not easily upgradeable (it has a removable memory board, though nobody has announced a replacement for it yet), but it gives you the most bang for the buck. The Palm Vx is really nice but is out of your price range, even with the recently announced cuts. If you are willing to spend an extra 30 bucks or so, the TRGpro is a really good choice because it has tremendous memory expansion capabilities (plus, CF memory cards are relatively cheap) and it has an upgradeable OS with 2MB of flash. Not to mention it can use any peripheral for a Palm III or Palm Professional.
However, the Palm IIIxe is the one I would recommend in your case as it meets all your criteria. It has 8MB or RAM, it’s upgradeable, and it costs only $249.
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.H1 Product availability and resources
More on checking HotSync cradle performance can be found at http://www.palm.com/support/helpnotes/hardware/terminal.html.
For details about an inability to perform a HotSync on COM4 if your PC has an S3-based video card, see http://www.palm.com/support/helpnotes/desktop/com4s3.html.
Some other resources to help with HotSync troubles can be found at, http://www.palm.com/support/helpnotes/desktop/comports.html and http://www.palm.com/support/helpnotes/hotsync/timeout.html.
.H1 Bulk reprints
Bulk reprints of this article (in quantities of 100 or more) are available for a fee from Reprint Services, a ZATZ business partner. Contact them at reprints@zatz.com or by calling 1-800-217-7874.
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