# Can I synchronize two Palm PDA's with each other without using a PC? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 20, 2003, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-synchronize-two-palm-pdas-with-each-other-without-using-a-pc/162674 "2003-03-20T00:24:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-synchronize-two-palm-pdas-with-each-other-without-using-a-pc/162674/1 "2003-03-20T00:24:32Z")
I have a Palm V and a Palm M100. I’m trying to make the M100 synchronize the Palm V’s data set via the infrared data transfer function, but when I try to use the sync function between the two it just says “Waiting For Sender” on the receiving unitil it times out. Is there a way to make the two PDA’s sync between themselves to one another without cradling them to a PC? ---
**Author:** ![LordVor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90ced4/32.png) [@LordVor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordVor)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-synchronize-two-palm-pdas-with-each-other-without-using-a-pc/162674/2 "2003-03-20T00:28:49Z")
Is the beam receive turned on on both of them? -lv ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-synchronize-two-palm-pdas-with-each-other-without-using-a-pc/162674/3 "2003-03-20T00:32:44Z")
According to the [Palm website](http://www.palm.com/support/handbooks/m125_gsg_US.pdf) you can only beam info if you have it displayed on screen. Not what you want, I think. If there’s third-party software to do this, I can’t find it. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-synchronize-two-palm-pdas-with-each-other-without-using-a-pc/162674/4 "2003-03-20T00:57:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LordVor \* > \*\*Is the beam receive turned on on both of them? > > -lv \*\* Yes. They are aware that another PDA is receiving from and broadcasting to them, but they will not initiate synchronization between the two PDAs and hang with the “waiting for sender” message if I set them both to sync via the IR connection and activate the sync function on one of them. It might be that synchronizing is something only the PDA and the PC can do which will defeat my goal. ---
**Author:** ![LordVor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90ced4/32.png) [@LordVor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordVor)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-synchronize-two-palm-pdas-with-each-other-without-using-a-pc/162674/5 "2003-03-20T01:34:12Z")
On my Palm IIIxe’s hotsync screen, I have the option to sync via direct serial or ‘IR to computer or handheld’, so it seems that syncing to another handheld at least was possible in the past. Sorry, I can’t help past that, as I don’t have another Palm to try and sync to. -lv ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-synchronize-two-palm-pdas-with-each-other-without-using-a-pc/162674/6 "2003-03-20T02:25:49Z")
I have IR to PC/handheld on my m505 as well althoguh I have never tried it. Have you tried having one sync and the other just sitting in the desktop? ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-synchronize-two-palm-pdas-with-each-other-without-using-a-pc/162674/7 "2003-03-20T10:36:55Z")
The Palm HotSync function is limited to between a Palm OS device and a PC or Mac. You can use the “IR to computer or handheld” to HotSync between a Palm OS device and a PC, but not to another Palm OS device. There is no conduit software available for the receiving Palm OS device to enable this. The PC and Mac use the Palm Desktop software or other conduit software to enable this operation. This does not mean that you cannot send or receive data through the IR port to another Palm OS device or handheld. This just means that you cannot “HotSync” between two Palm OS devices without the use of a PC. The Palm OS itself has a built-in beam option that is rather basic. **Q.E.D.** , it is very much possible to beam items that are not displayed on your screen. The built-in beam option will allow you to beam most applications to another Palm OS device, which in most cases does not copy the database entries made in that application. So, when you beam an application across to another Palm OS device, you will often see that the device to which you beamed has no data within the application. However, I recommend [BeamWare](http://www.palmgear.com/software/showsoftware.cfm?sid=FA178143-A313-4AF0-A1A26CA7E45540F5&prodID=5666). It will allow you to beam applications as well as databases, which the in-built option does not support. Note that beaming a database, say an address book database, from one Palm OS device to another, will **overwrite** the existing address book entries, not append nor synchronize the data within. This defeats your goal of synchronizing the two devices, but it can allow you to transfer all data from one device to another via IR without the use of a PC. Alternately, you can synchronize the two devices using a PC.