Spreadsheet Alternative?

S

salsagirl40

New member
Has anyone seen this:
http://www.freewarepalm.com/utilities/pdbconverter.shtml

I'm wondering if this makes it possible to take a tiny sheet pdb and convert it to Excel manually. That would

1. free me from the Docs2Go bloat/sync nightmare (not really a "nightmare," but very elaborate for the simple sheets I need to sometimes view in excel at home)

2. Alleviate the headaches of the Iambic Tiny Sheet SyncManger (which has a habit of deleting spreadsheets, especially if I encrypt/unencrypt them on desktop between hotsyncs)

3. Possibly allow me to switch to Linux should this converter or something like it be available at SourceForge or somewhere else. The problem with KPilot is it does not handle the "synchs you really need" like MobileDB, Docs2Go, etc.

I downloaded this and looked at the extracted zip - there seems to be odd files in there other than the main installer for the converter; just wondered if any of you out there have tried this and/or can recommend a freeware alternative to Sheet2Go (I've looked at QuickSheet and MobiSystems) that allows simple spreadsheets which can be viewed, possibly with the above converter, in Excel or OpenOffice. I like TinySheet (now discontinued, purchased it long ago) because the STATIC SIZE of sheets on the handheld don't fluctuate wildly between hotsynching; Docs2Go/Sheet2Go spreadshheets can zoom up from 20k to 30-40 until you synch them; I don't know why other than they're storing temporary "changed information." TinySheet doesn't do this, but doesn't give landscape view (too old!).

Once I solve this "spreadsheet dilemma," I'm well on my way to making some system changes that might involve a "new" Palm, depending on what the successor to the TX is in May/June, if any. My alternative would be just "go to a laptop," and forget handheld altogether. I'd have "true web" w/EVDO, for openers. Problem is I can do almost everything I need with the PALM T3 and "on my belt" is quicker in terms of no boot-up and obvious portability. I'm amazed that PPC's don't give the spreadsheet editing/viewing options that Palm do and yet are Windows Mobile OS! Amazing.

Thanks in advance - sorry for long post but I wanted to explain what I've tried and where I'm at so you all don't waste your time. I have a feeling D2G is the "only game in town;" just wondering if I can gerry-rig my own conduit using the above app and go back to something simpler and less bloated (TinySheet is 294k TOTAL vs 1.2MB for Sheet to Go, and you save 35MB on the desktop as well). Cheers! /p
 
Paul,

I haven't tried the application mentioned in your post. However, it does look interesting.

Personally, I have been trying to keep all my documents in their respective native file formats and forget document converting altogether. I store the native documents on my T3's SD card. I use Card Export 2, which treats the T3 as a USB mass media drive. When at home using my desktop computer, I launch Card Export on my T3 and am able to open the files without copying them to my c drive first.

Card Export 2 is a great program, although data transfer is a little slow at times. You can connect to computers that don't have Palm Desktop or the HotSync Manager installed. I have been able to connect my T3 to Windows, Macintosh, and SUSE Linux using Card Export 2. Since the documents are accessed directly from the SD card, the documents always stay in sync. With the files in their native file formats, you can use Microsoft Office, Open Office, etc. to work on your files.

I remember you mentioning a while back you were unsuccessful at connecting to a certain version of Linux because it did not have USB drivers. I cannot recall the name of the Linux you used. However, SUSE and other versions of Linux have support for the USB mass media drives.

http://www.softick.com

I, too, am starting to think about what route to go once my T3 dies on me. I've been using my T3 for over 2 years and it is starting to show its age in terms of wear and tear (certainly not in the lack of features!). If anything were to happen to my T3, I'd feel a little lost in finding a replacement. The T3 has all the features I need. I would find it hard to give up voice recording and vibrating alerts. At the same time, many of the newer devices have smaller-sized screens, which make it dificult to read ebooks and office documents. I wish Palm would update the TX and include voice recording and vibrating alerts on the new model.

I have no idea what the new generation of Palm handhelds will be like. I don't want to replace my T3 until I have seen the new devices so I can make an informed decision.

This week, I read an interesting message thread about TX users who actually have been able to install microphones in their device. They apparently soldered the microphone wires to pins 16 and 17 of the cradle connector. For software, they are recording voice messages using Agendus Pro or copying the Voice Memo app from other Palm devices. This actually makes the TX sound like a good replacement for the T3.
 
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