"The Palm that Time Forgot"
By Jonathan Seff
When Apple released an update to OS 9 on April 4, users of Palm and Handspring handheld organizers received
quite a surprise. OS 9.0.4, it seems, was incompatible with Apple's newest system software, causing HotSync
operations on many Macs to quit without doing their job--synchronizing and backing up information between your
handheld and your Mac.
Of course, it's impossible for Apple to check with the creators of every application and peripheral released for the
Mac before releasing an operating system update. But Palm is a Mac heavyweight, creating the operating system
for the only handheld organizers that work with the Mac OS--its own Palm line and Handspring's Visor.
After Apple's update broke the Palm Hotsync, Palm apparently got tripped up by its own bureaucracy. More
than a month later, Palm users are still waiting for the company to provide an update to their software that
addresses the incompatibility. By removing some of the items in the Palm's Conduits folder, many people have
been able to synchronize some functions--but the important task of backing up files still doesn't work.
Handspring, the company started by Palm founders Donna Dubinsky and Jeff Hawkins, was relatively quick to
provide a fix (about two weeks after Apple's posting). The result is that Handspring has managed to fill the
void in which Palm is still floating aimlessly -- "aware of the problem," according to the company's official
statement. (In addition, the company has yet to release an updater that will bring older Palm devices up to
version 3.5 of the Palm OS, the release that ships with the Palm IIIc organizer.)
The good news for Palm users is that the Handspring update--although labeled "build 10" and evidently not a
final release--works with some (and maybe all) Palm models as well. The bad news is, in order to download
the software update, you need the serial number from a Visor. Maybe it's time to cozy up to that friend of
yours who grabbed a Visor when you picked Palm?
macworld.zdnet.com
Mang |
