Customer Reviews

How to Do Everything With Palm Handheld

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

You want a cell phone, calendar, e-mail, fax machine, play games and access the internet and you want all this in one piece of equipment. Sounds like you're out of luck, right? Then you don't own a Palm, and if you do there is so much you can do with it. Everything to do with your palm handheld is the book that brings it all together.

The book starts off with a chapter on buying the right Palm unit for you, giving you the choices of features, the different type and makers of Palm units and the ways to find the best cost. I like the fact that the author has not prejudged any unit; it's your choice.

After that you get chapter about setting up the palm, how to get information from the palm and using the Date Book, address book, To Do List, Memo pad and planning a trip. The author ability to detail information without boring the reader is one of the reason I like this book very much.

Part 3 of the book is communications, using the modem, e-mail and messages and the Internet. Part 4 give you chapters about others thing the palm can do like games, graffiti enhancements and software. Finally Part 5, which deals with troubleshooting. The book is complete and everything your need to know is right here.

If you are looking for a companion CD with a zillion Palm programs, this is not the book for you. If you are looking for a book that blows away the book that came with your Palm, this is not the book for you. However, what this book does well is really make you think about all the things you can do with your Palm, including things you never imagined you would or even could do with it.

It also makes you think about using the Palms built-in features and programs you probably aren't using now, and does a good job of explaining how to use them. It's not Gone With The Wind, but it's a pretty good reference worth having around.

I received this book only two days ago and have spent several hours poring through it. It is exteremly well written, concise, and explains things in a way that everyone can understand. You won't have to be a techno-nerd to enjoy this one. Hats off to the authors. I have learned a lot just in the short time I have had this book. I would consider this to be the ultimate reference source for palm handheld users at this time.

I recently purchased a Palm Vx and, subsequently,this book. I found this book to be so much more informational than the instructional manual that came with my Palm. It explained so much more in detail,And then there were these little extras:

1. A section of the Handspring Visor 2. Each Chapter has a section devoted to the Macintosh 3. Chapters devoted to various add-ons like software, modems, etc. 4. Chapters on downloadable programs

Honestly, this book has everything you'll need to know about the Palm, Palm Accessories and maximizing your Palm's potential.

What I found most valuable in this book were the numerous 'Tip' Boxes found throughout the pages. These presented some really great ideas for how to organize certain things and how to make the most of the Palm. For a 'creatively messy' individual like myself, these were very handy.

Addresses a lot of questions that seem to be overlooked by other Palm texts, which either focus on how to do graffiti and screen navigation or get right into programming Palm apps. This one explains the internals AND in-depth use of apps.

I've finally found a book that gives me help with Palm basics and addresses current generation (Palm TX) products. The single biggest thing that sold me on this book were the explanations of WI-FI and Bluetooth; why does every other Palm "how to" book assume we know the ins and outs of the new technologies - if those technologies are included at all? The Troubleshooting Tips are succinct and well-documented. Also, Dave Johnson has a good sense of humor which adds value to any technical presentation for me.

...How to Do Everything with Your Palm Handheld is pretty much what it says: a book all about the Palm OS (not just Palm Pilots but any PDA that runs the palm operating system). The authors, Dave Johnson and Rick Broida, clearly love the Palm OS...in the same way a lot of Mac users love the Mac. In this book you'll find a nice defense of the Palm OS and all the instructions for using said miracle of miniaturization.

The first two thirds of How to Do Everything with Your Palm Handheld are pretty standard fair. Mostly how to do this and that with your Palm PDA...How to Do Everything with Your Palm Handheld really comes into it's own around chapter fourteen. The chapter is entitled "How to use you Palm as a laptop Replacement"...you'd be surprised with just how close you can come...other niftiness abounds system hacks for avoiding the capital letter stroke, hacks to use that leftover flash memory and methods to print to just about any printer with an IrDA port. Those are just a few of the enclosed tips that make the book worth having for the...power Palm users.

The style of the book is perhaps it's most appealing feature. Sure it's full of pictures and useful instructions...This keeps the book light and enjoyable instead of devolving into a monotone how to manual. The instructions are clear and easy to follow and the reasons to try something or the reasons to not try something are presented with equal weight with the consequences noted. All factors noted How to Everything with Your Palm Handheld is an engaging (for an instruction manual) and useful read.

Bottom Line: This is not a ground breaking book (perhaps it was three editions ago) and most if not all of the information is available elsewhere. Yet owing to the writing style and advanced user tips How to Do Everything with Your Palm Handheld would be a useful addition to any Palm user's library from novice to just short of Palm OS programmer.

MacMice Rating: 4 out of 5

I just purchased a Palm m515 and ordered this book as a help to get me started. The book covers a lot of information, but is for older models of PDAs. It is out of date. So if your looking for material for a new model PDA, look for a newer edition book.

Having been one of the first people to buy the first PalmPilot, I am an individual who has learned to use the PalmPilot to augment my activities. Little things can have tremendous affects on our life, and the PalmPilot is one of those little things. If you own one, and can not agree wholeheartedly with that last statement, then this book is for you.

Before I actually review the book, let me begin by saying that the PalmPilot is much like the human brain - most people get by with using only a small fraction of its ability. I have NEVER met someone who did not compare palmpilots with me, who did not go away from the exchange with some exceptionally useful technique or two. Each person has left with the idea that the technique would vastly improve their abilities.

I owe my prowess with the palmpilot to this single book. It was wonderful when I bought it new, and then having had it borrowed from me permanently, I was forced to buy another copy - this time a perfect condition used copy. It is almost irrelevant which model you have because the book is filled with generic information regarding palmpilots. In fact, my newest palmpilot, the LIFEDRIVE, still offers me the same features and amplified abilities.

Others have reviewed this book in not a favourable light, and while I do agree there is some overlap with manuals, I am struck by the fact that the PalmPilot is an example of good hardware. They are sold as used now. I have recently sold my PalmPilot IIIc to a former teacher, and he is quite enamoured. So, anyone purchasing a used unit would find this book to be exceptionally useful.

But, I would answer the negative reviewers by saying that there will always be a book that offers sometype of review. It is a good practice to offer a beginner the basics. So, I was not disappointed with this aspect of the book at all. However, once the basics are covered, the book covered many other aspects. Sharing my information with others was an exceptionally important chapter for me. I would think that it saves me hundreds of dollars in useless cell phones, and many, many hours of redundant emails and voice calls.

If you have been using a Palmpilot, you will have things to learn. The specialty chapters will be sure to have you thinking about how you could further use your palmpilot, and make your life more efficient, and more effective.

If you have picked up your first PalmPilot for the first time, this book will become your bible for the next few weeks. And then, like any good book, you will pick it up again for another installation of how to use your palmpilot even more effectively. It will have great hints, and help you avoid some pitfalls too. A "must purchase"!!

I owned a Palm V a few years ago and haven't had a Palm since, until buying one last week (M500). Although I consider myself Palm literate, I am very glad that I bought this book. I would recommend that every Palm user / owner have a copy. Even topics that I thought I could gloss over, I eventually found a tip, trick or pearl of wisdom contained within. A most useful book, get it and read it cover to cover, a chapter a day.