Ok, I bought myself a Handspring Visor Pro a while back and I’ve scoured the net looking for more and more things to put on it. I’m starting to feel like I’ve seen most everything out there, but I hope I am mistaken. Can any of you Palm geeks out there fill me in on some killer apps I may have missed? I’m already using Eudora Internet Suite (mail), iSilo, iSiloX, and avantgo (web caching), Liberty for games , Space Trader (which is also a pretty cool game), Yanoff (freeware usenet reader), and a few other odds and ends that seem to have slipped my mind. Anything great that I’m missing out on?
Hackmaster, of course (or X-Master, the free clone). The most essential hack is MiddleCaps, which lets you make capital letters by writing them between the letters and numbers portion of the pad. Category Hack and EasyLaunch are also essential.
If you live in one of the cities supported, Vindingo is a great way of finding things to do and how to get there. Good for travel, too.
Same for MetrO – a database of subway systems around the world. If you live in or visit any city with a subway, this is great.
Yaps or the equivalent – for secure information. You can put in credit card numbers, etc. with good security.
Dope Wars! Very addictive and fun little game that has been around for years. There are a few versions that I am sure you could find in CNET or with a google search.
Prior to your second post I would have said TealScript. Makes the OS usable for my scrawl.
CIC has an app suite that includes QuickNotes, a free-form text and pen entry tool that I use for ideas and sketches. Word Complete is also very handy–it provides a list of possible words after you enter two or three letters.
Finally, HandyShop has replaced all those shopping lists I used to shlep around.
I have a Sony Clié 770 (the UK version of the 760), I have found a whole lot of very interesting stuff from freewarepalm.com (hmmm, the site seems to be down as I’m writing this), the most useful thing I got there is an app called Hours (I provide support and consultancy for a number of companies and it helps me keep track of the time billing).
I experimented with eBooks for a while, but got bored with that.
There are some fantastic games for palm now; two that I keep coming back to are Bejewelled and Astron.
I just found a neat currency conversion program called FXPilot. The great thing is that it downloads the updated exchange rates through the conduit every time you HotSync. A wonderful example of technology that acutally makes your life a bit easier, instead of complicating it. Admittedly not something everyone needs, but I find it useful since my hobbies and interests involve a lot of international mail orders.
Outliner programs are also useful on a PDA. You can use it for checklists and other hierarchical lists, project management (including personal projects), taking notes, or planning outlines of your work (software design, presentations, books, whatever). I currently use Shadow, but there are several other good ones out there.
I’ve been using DateBk4 and can’t live without it, but DateBk+ which comes pre-installed on a Visor has many of the functionalities of DateBk4.
If you lived in Japan, you’d be able to get a 32k data communication card like the one I have. These are awesome - the card is only slightly larger than the Springboard slot and is self-contained, antenna and all. I can get 32k connection in most areas of Tokyo as well as other major cities in Japan.
Of course, this is a “what works for you” (or YMMV) question. Avant Go (which you already use) is my most-used PDA s/w. Otherwise, how would you live w/o access to Cecil on business trips? Next, in order, would be:
Mapopolis. A mapping program they give you for free; you can get free low-detail maps, or pay for a year’s sub to get all the hirez you want. One of the few times I’ve felt really good about the money spent on a premium subscription. I use this tons in my job.
Documents to Go. Allows Gatesian file formats (Word, Excel, etc) to be viewed on Palm.
Games. Even if you don’t (like me) often play them, you have to have some distraction for the doctor’s waiting room, after you’ve read everything in AvantGo for that day. Also, I have an 11 year-old daughter who is totally content in the car/waiting room/bonding area as long as she has a game or two and a drawing program (like Diddle) on my Palm. 'Course, she wasn’t raised on Playstation and XBox, so, again, YMMV.
A picture program, like MGI Photosuite (there are a growing number these days). If you have a color PDA, this is a cool feature. It allowed me to get rid of that stack of my daughter’s pix I kept in my wallet, so I no longer list to the right.
PS: As an early Palm user (my first was a Pilot; I test-drove it for Space Command), I sampled a lot of the s/w as it came up. 1 and 2 above were relative unknowns when I first tried 'em, and I guess I should be happy I picked winners; both are now bundled with new Palms. I’d be even happier if I’d bought into the IPOs!
, Space Trader (which is also a pretty cool game), Yanoff (freeware usenet reader), and a few other odds and ends that seem to have slipped my mind. Anything great that I’m missing out on?