# Palm OS on a Mac **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 28, 2005, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-os-on-a-mac/296608 "2005-03-28T14:57:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-os-on-a-mac/296608/1 "2005-03-28T14:57:10Z")
My Friends, In a moment of weakness I bought a T5 PDA. I wanted to use it to read text files and like that. It was recommended by Mac Addict, although it does not synch with Mac OS X. You have to use it in Drive Mode. I would hardly complain if it did not work. I can deal with that. I regret to report that it works some of the time. Some text files I can see, others I cannot. Same for some photos. So I suspect that it is an Operator Problem, not a hardware/software one. **Do we have anyone out there who can engage me in an e-mail exchange on this problem?** My e-mail is in my profile. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-os-on-a-mac/296608/2 "2005-03-28T16:09:15Z")
I’m far from the best person to answer this question, but just so we all know, what application are you using to read these text files on the Palm, and what application created the text files? ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-os-on-a-mac/296608/3 "2005-03-28T16:17:28Z")
They are Word documents which I modify by adding a ‘.DOC’ extension. I load them on the T5 and (if I can see them) click on them. They open using ‘Documents to Go.’ Other documents get me to the ‘Docs to Go’ screen, but the system hangs and I end up cramming a paperclip in the reset button. Even worse, some documents simply do not appear on the Palm, but I can see them clearly in the PDA icon on my desktop. Why the heck don’t they include a good manual anymore? ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-os-on-a-mac/296608/4 "2005-03-28T20:36:22Z")
Doesn’t the T5 comes with [The Missing Sync](http://www.markspace.com/)? It was aftermarket for my Clie’s, but work supurbly. I’d thought the T5’s came with it included. If not, I can recommend it based on my Clie (Palm OS 4.x) experience. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-os-on-a-mac/296608/5 "2005-03-28T21:38:45Z")
Which version of Documents To Go are you using? I’m assuming you’ve checked [DataViz’s](http://support.dataviz.com/index_nr.html) support site to make sure you’re up-to-date…? I’m using Version 5 with my Tungsten C – I tried version 7, but found it dog-slow and not worth the price. And yes, the documentation for DTG sucks. I find I get the best results if I do the following: 1. Create a directory on your computer to act as a “mirror” for your Palm documents. 2. To load a document on the Palm, 2a. Copy your file to the mirror directory. 2b. Open Documents To Go on your computer. 2c. Drag/import your file from your mirror directory into the DTG window. 2d. Let DTG convert it to whatever Palm-friendly format it uses. 3. Hotsync. _However…_ If you want to **only** read text files/images/HTML/whatnot, you’re not limited to using Documents To Go. Go grab a copy of [iSilo](http://www.isilo.com/) (the Palm reader) and [iSiloX](http://www.isilox.com/download/iSiloXMac.htm) (a program to convert documents to iSilo’s format), and have at it. I find them indispensible for loading up web pages, RSS news summaries, and images for read-only use on my Palm. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-os-on-a-mac/296608/6 "2005-03-29T01:32:34Z")
Palm OS will not synch with Mac OS X. I have to do all this manually. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-os-on-a-mac/296608/7 "2005-03-29T15:07:35Z")
OK, so anyone want a free T5? I will give it to the first Doper who stops by my villa. It is the one down the street from the machine-gun post. (sigh, I hate technology) ---
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-os-on-a-mac/296608/8 "2005-03-29T18:54:01Z")
Darn you are just a tad too far away for me to come and get it ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-os-on-a-mac/296608/9 "2005-03-29T22:20:00Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > Palm OS will not synch with Mac OS X. I have to do all this manually. Whatjootalkin’ about, Willis? Last I checked, the latest Palm Desktop software will sync under MacOS X without any problems. You can also get Apple’s iSync Palm conduit to sync your contacts/meetings with Apple’s iCal and Address Book applications. Or have I been imagining the nightly Palm-to-MacOS X syncs I’ve been doing all this time? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-os-on-a-mac/296608/10 "2005-03-30T12:35:13Z")
Well I am in no position to argue (but) … The review in Mac Addict says that you had to use drive mode to use the silly thing with OS X. So does the (totally inadequate) manual that came with this technological boat anchor. Of course there are aftermarket software solutions to let it synch, but this PDA is still just about out-of-the-box, and so they are not yet part of the situation. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-os-on-a-mac/296608/11 "2005-03-30T13:40:34Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > Last I checked, the latest Palm Desktop software will sync under MacOS X without any problems. I think it’s Palm 5 and, ahem, “better” that no longer offers Palm Desktop for the Mac. And of course no one really uses Palm Desktop, but in Palm-speak, Palm Desktop “is” the syncing solution. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/palm-os-on-a-mac/296608/12 "2005-03-30T14:00:58Z")
So will some Smart Person send me an e-mail?