I currently have a Sony Clie with Palm 4.X. Most of my use with this unit is limited to the software utilites I’ve loaded to it. I have Documents To Go which I have limited use of. Perhaps I’m missing something with Palm OS or haven’t dug too deep, but I could never find an easy way to load up text files or images using Palm 4x. I’ve got software that allow me to transfer images and files, but that’s such a pain. I’d much rather transfer the files to the memory card, pop the card into the Clie, browse to the files, click and open them.
I’ve never had much luck doing that.
I’m considering upgrading to the new Palm TX unit running Palm OS 5.X. I like the idea of wireless internet in a tiny package for basic use. I’d like to stick with PalmOS because I have a handful of software utilites I use alot.
I don’t think I’m going to bother upgrading if I can’t overcome the file issues. I’d really like the ability to transfer and open files via the memorystick. If I can’t figure this out I think I’ll just lug the laptop around more.
My questions:
Does Palm OS 5x allow for easy file browsing? Is it built in? Can I open txt and jpg files nativly?
Does 4x do this and I’m just missing something?
Has anyone used the web browser in these Palm devices? Is it any good?
I’ve googled and found some reviews on the unit (and the browsers) but I’d rather ask some questions to users directly.
I look at images all the time on my Clie NX-60. It came with an app called Clie Viewer that can view JPEG files from the Memory Stick. It also came with a PC app called Image Converter that converts images to JPG. Finally, it came with MS Import (for the PDA) and MS Export (for the PC) that in combination set up your Memory Stick as a separate disk device on your computer.
You can use Documents to Go to make text files and sync them to your Clie. I don’t use that, since you can also use the Palm Desktop memos to send text to your Clie. To send text to the Memory Stick you probably need the full version of Doc To Go, although you can also use WordSmith by Blue Nomad or even Acrobat Reader for Palm OS (free).
In short, you can do it, but you have to do work.
I like the images feature because I can save maps from mapping SW and download them to my PDA!
Sorry, I missed that part. You’re right, it’s Palm 5.0.
You may know this already, but I’ll warn others who may read this thread: Sony has pretty much scrapped the Clie line. There’s one very high-end Clie left. The others are discontinued. The high-end model doesn’t have the same vertically-oriented form factor, which means that it doesn’t use the same type of stylus. You may discover that Clie accessories are impossible to buy.
I don’t know what my next step is. I’ll probably wait for a while before I get a new PDA, hoping that someone will produce a useful phone/PDA combo with handwriting reco. If it’s Palm-based I get to re-use my existing apps, but I don’t hold out much hope. Linux/Java would be cool!
I forgot to make mention of web browsers: forget 'em. I haven’t seen one/ that’s usable. PDAs don’t work for browsing the web; they’re just too small.
I think the issue is that palmOs, whether 4x or 5x, doesn’t really have a ‘palm explorer’ like desktop OSs or pocketPC does - this is something that some individual apps have done pretty well with though.
DocumentsToGo has not jumped on this bandwagon. It’s a great program in my opinion… if you’re willing and happy to go the hotsync route. If you want to load up any files on it that you haven’t hotsynced, the only option available to you is ‘search for all supported file types’, which takes a while, because it scans every database in your palm main memory, and every file on your card, to see if it’s loadable. Also, it doesn’t support reading plain text files from a card at all. Not sure about images because I’ve never done much with the picsToGo feature.
There are other programs that will do what you want. RescoViewer is a nice one, I’ve found, for jpeg viewing on a palm. TealDoc or SiEd (the latter of which happens to be free) will do the text file thing. Like a lot of things on a palmpilot, which software you use really makes a world of difference.
Oh, and I’ve used the web browswer built-in on my tungstens and found it okay… some of the time. Not a great browsing experience, but alright to check something important when that was the only tool I had. (Have even read SDMB posts on my tungsten W, though it’s a little hard because you can’t see more than one column at a time of the forum view.)
I broke down and bought a Palm TX today. So, to answer my own questions.
No. Palm OS still doesn’t open txt or image files nativly.
Using the software chrisk suggested - SiEd - I can open text files off the SD card in the device. Great. Another utility called VSFI allows me to open most jpgs and bmp files from the card. Super.
4x would do this as well with this utilites.
The web browser Blazer 4.x came with the unit. It’s pretty good for a mini browser. It has issues dealing with some url formats, and is somewhat limited, but it will do what I need it to.
I found a ping and ftp utility as well so haivng mini-wi-fi access might be a little more useful at the end of the day.