Disillusioned with Palm desktop

C

CanadianDreamer

New member
I've recently switched to Apple Mac. I like the Palm Desktop application but keep finding a very low level of integrability between it and other applications that I run. It is almost impossible to reliably export the Palm data to anything else without serious loss of data and functionality. Plus, doing things like sucking in an address into a WORD document or simply printing an envelope is not supported.

I'm more and more switching to Web apps with GMAIL becoming my email manager. The Google applications really seem like they might do all the functions that I need to do. Problem is getting date to the Google applications and keeping things synched up.

For lots and lots of reasons, I'm now thinking about getting all my data off the Palm platform and onto Google. I've used the Palm platform for over 10 years now and it upsets me that Palm has not progressed much at all in those 10 years. I see no creativity with this company in a really hot market. Reminds me of Kodak and their slowness to adopt digital imaging in a major way; plus their management's maintaining proprietary technologies instead of supporting more open technologies where their competition went. I see Palm repeating this same story. Sad....

My Verizon Palm phone (centro?) will probably be my last Palm OS device. I'm please that I've found this forum as it will help me with my next decision.

Lee
 
Interesting.... sad really. No replies to my post. Figure its just an overall proper response to an uncreative and uncaring company like Palm.

Lee
 
Lee, why should anyone reply if you didn't actually ask a question? It just read like a statement (and a moan!) to me, and that didn't encourage me to reply - it read like you'd already made your mind up.

I switched from Palm a couple of years back because it didn't (and still doesn't) offer a PalmOS phone with 3G. I'd have preferred a 3G Centro or similar, but there you go. I'm now on my 4th Nokia Series 60 phone - it's a fast-evolving market with plnty of form-factor choices.

I'm keeping an eye on Palm though, and am intrigued by the Pr? - I really want to see one when it comes out here. From what I've heard so far it should integrate well with the Google stuff.
 
I hope that PALM reads the messages on this forum. If they don't hear about the complaints, how are they to react at all?

Yes, I'm now committed to moving off my PALM device. I was trying to upload my address list to Google Address Book and it simply did not work. I tried to create a CSV file from my Palm and then maintain it so it would be more consistent. I found I could not reload my Palm Contacts with the modified CSV file, PALM Desktop (MAC) would not recognize the CSV file after I'd modified it tho I only changed the data. This was HUGELY frustrating.

I finally managed to load my PALM contacts into both THUNDERBIRD EMAIL and then to GOOGLE ADDRESS BOOK, but the data is very incomplete. Addresses would not export properly into GOOGLE. Total Frustration!!!!

I had only one success. I exported PALM CALENDAR to a VCAL file and that VCAL file then uploaded with only a few errors to the GOOGLE CALENDAR.

I'm finding that GOOGLE ADDRESS BOOK and GOOGLE CALENDAR are both better apps than the equivalent on PALM. I can now easily print an address lable or start a Letter using an address from the GOOGLE ADDRESS BOOK app.

Its just a shame that PALM has not done a better job with their desktop App with integration. I'm probably leaning towards the IPHONE since it seamlessly integrates with GOOGLE and the MAC applications on the desktop.

PALM has been asleep at the stick for a very long time. I don't think there their new device will save them.

Appreciated your post tho. Your points ware well taken.

Lee
 
I used my TX with Lotus Organizer v5 instead of the Palm Desktop diary. There's a Palm conduit on the Lotus CD called EasySync, I think.

It did require a bit of playing about with - if I remember rightly, EasySync wouldn't work with the Hotsync from the TX's Palm Desktop and I had to downgrade to the version that came with my previous T3. Also, I don't think later versions of Lotus Organizer come with EasySync as standard.

But I got it all working fine in the end. Organizer will export my address book to VCF, DBF, text, etc.

I have also found conduits to sync Organizer with Google Calendar and Yahoo Calendar. I did have it working OK with Yahoo, but decided I didn't want my calendar online after all.

I still use Organizer with Nokia PC Suite and my S60 smartphone.
 
Back
Top