Rick Cooper, The PDA Pro

Treo 755P Requires You to Remove Battery for Soft Reset

The Palm Treo 755P requires you to remove the battery in order to perform a soft reset. Amazing! I have the Treo 650 and you have to open the case and then use the stylus tip to reset it. It looks like for whatever reason, Palm engineers figured it would just be easier to have you remove the battery. Okay then.

Palm describes three processes to reset your PDA in the user manual on pages 288 and 289. The soft reset is the least invasive. Then there's the system reset. And finally the hard reset.  A hard reset on a Palm PDA will erase all of the data. It's a last resort. If you are not using backup software on the smartphone itself, you may lose data and not be able to recover it.

I haven't had to perform a hard reset on my PDA in a long time. I occasionally have to perform a soft reset. It happens a few times a month. It's not that annoying. But, I worry about having to keep opening the case and removing the battery. It just doesn't seem like the most desirable process.  I guess that's another reason to switch to an iPhone (although I have not explored what if any process is used to reset an iPhone).

Sync your PDA

When was the last time you synced your PDA or smartphone? Most people don't sync often enough and they're asking for trouble. Connect your device to your computer and sync it daily. It only makes sense.

And also be sure you backup your computer. Hard drives have a limited life. You need to backup your files daily to an external media device or back it up online. It's quick and easy to do.

Clean Up your PDA

Your PDA or smartphone contains a lot of information. Over time, you have probably created word processing documents and spreadsheets. You have taken photos and downloaded files. Your PDA is getting cluttered and clogged. It’s time to clean it up. Here are some tips to clean up your PDA.

Before you clean up your PDA, make sure you sync it and back up the files to CD or DVD. It’s always best to make sure you can retrieve information before you delete it.

Calendar – It’s a good idea to clean up your calendar periodically. But, first consider how much history you need. Some people like to be able to refer back to prior appointments with clients. If you use ACT! or some other contact management system, you may be able to simply filter the data being synced to your PDA. That way, your contact management system will still allow you to see the complete history of contacts with a client.

Task List – Some tasks will never be completed. So, why worry about it. Take time to prune your task list. Copy old tasks somewhere else if you want to. Life is short. You need to be realistic about what you commit to. Eliminate tasks if there is no longer a need to do them.

Email – Make sure your email settings allow email to remain on the server so it can be downloaded to your computer. Purge the email messages on your PDA or smartphone every now and then. You will be able to check messages more quickly.

Contacts – It’s a good idea to review your contacts every year and archive records that you no longer need to access.

Applications – If you download software onto your PDA, you should consider how beneficial the software is and delete unneeded applications. Shareware and freeware applications can cause problems. If you have to reboot your PDA frequently, it’s time to remove old apps. When you upgrade to a new PDA, reinstall your applications rather than syncing everything over. Your new PDA may have a more current operating system. Incompatible software can cause problems.

Audio and Video Files – Nothing will eat up your storage faster than audio and video files. Archive them and delete them from your PDA. Enough said.

Taking time to clean up your PDA will reduce your headaches and simplify your life. It takes time, but it’s worth it in the long run.

Bored with Your PDA?

So, you've been using your PDA for a awhile and it just doesn't seem to cut it anymore. What to do, what to do. Steve Sande, in a March 18, 2006 post to his blog, GizmoRanch, laments about his PDA. He wishes he could put  a Mac in his pocket and carry it with him. He's tired of using his existing HP iPaq and Palm Treo 650.  Both have shortcomings and he wants the full functionality of a laptop.

I see this all the time. People expect too much from their PDAs and smartphones. Let's face it, they have limited applications. They have small screens, limited computing power and application software and for the moment limited bandwidth. Now, the technology will continue to improve. But, a PDA will never duplicate the experience of a laptop or desktop computer. So, don't expect it to.

The power of a PDA is in its mobility and convenience. I strongly believe you should use the right tool for the right job. And, when the right tool is your laptop, use it instead. Master the fundamentals that really shine on your PDA, and you will be far more effective.

Cingular Treo 650 Patch

Palm Boulevard offers details on a patch available for the Treo 650 offered by Cingular. Click here to get the Treo 650 Updater 1.17 for Cingular. This update optimizes memory handling, adds voice quality enhancements and optimizes Bluetooth performance for certain Motorola headsets and other carkits.

Palm FAQ

The folks at PalmAddict are building a Palm FAQ Wiki. Check it out for questions on Palm PDAs. It's a work in progress. The Wiki provides has links to their forum and elsewhere.

Blackberry Sales Holding Steady Despite Lawsuit

According to Gizmodo, there is still a risk that Blackberry service may be affected in the U.S.  over a patent infringement. Patent holding company NTP won an injunction in 2002 to shut down service and halt sales of Blackberry devices in the U.S. ; but the penalty was scaled back and has not completely gone through.

Don't chuck your Blackberry yet though. I would expect a settlement to prevent that from happening, but we'll see. In fact, according to Reuters, a $450 settlement fell apart this summer. But, where there's a will, there's a way.

Saved by a Staple

At lunch today, my Treo 600 PDA/smartphone froze. I reached into my holster for my trusty paperclip to reset my Treo. Lo and behold, it was missing. For the rest of lunch, I was not able to use my PDA. Now, that's a loss of productivity for me.

Later, I stopped by The UPS Store and saw a stapler. I quickly pressed the stapler to eject a single staple. I unbent it and inserted it into my PDA. Voila! The PDA reset and I was back in business.

Why did I share that story? Simply to remind you to have a backup plan. You should always carry a few paperclips with you. They're handy for many things, but a good use is for resetting your PDA.

You can find the reset point for the Treo 600 on the back of the device. Unfortunately, the wizards at PalmOne decided to hide the reset point on the Treo 650 behind the battery. That's right, everytime you need to reset your smartphone, you'll have to pop out the battery first. What a pain!

I suppose they figured the device would never crash. On a recent installation of a new Treo 650, however, I had to reset the PDA five times. That's right, every time I had to first pop out the battery before I could reset it. I wouldn't be surprised if they are eventually flooded with product returns for the Treo 650 where the battery door will no longer stay shut. Hopefully, they'll switch it back when the next Treo comes out. Otherwise, the Treo 650 is a great PDA.

Tungsten T5 Update v1.1

According to Brighthand, PalmOne has released a ROM update for the Tungsten T5. The article states that the Tungsten T5 Update v1.1 improves synchronization of large databases, as well as fixing problems in the calendar relating to birthdays.

Here is the link to download the update and read more about it.

To Keyboard or Not to Keyboard

People ask me all the time whether they should get a PDA with a keyboard. Many PDAs including the Blackberry use a small integrated keyboard for data entry. The biggest factor in making that decision is based on the length of your fingernails. People with long fingernails typically have more trouble using a small keyboard. The keys are very small and short and are difficult to press easily if your fingernails are too long. How long is perfect? The ideal range is between 1/32nd and 1/16th of an inch. That’s pretty short. I find I need to clip my thumbnails about once a week to keep them at an ideal length.

Another factor is the size of your thumbs. The wider your thumbs, the more difficult it is to press a key precisely. Your thumb will spread over multiple keys and you may press the wrong key by mistake. Of course, you have the same issues with a standard cell phone. Thank goodness for speed dial. Smartphones also have speed dial capability.

Your other option is to use handwriting recognition. You may want to try out the handwriting recognition capabilities of Palm PDAs and Pocket PC PDAs (based on Windows Mobile) before you make your decision. They each have strengths and weaknesses. In addition, you can also use the small onscreen keyboard for selecting certain characters. It can be useful at times.

You can attach an external keyboard to some PDAs for serious data entry. And, finally, save the heavy data entry for your computer and then just synchronize with your PDA.

Palm User Groups

If you're interested in learning more about how to use your PDA, consider visiting a user group meeting. There are Palm User Groups across the U.S. To find a Palm User Group in your area, visit the PalmSource Palm OS User Groups.

In a recent conversation with John Waller, Founder and President of the Silicon Valley Palm Users Group, we discussed the value of training and coaching people on using their PDAs and smartphones. John trains people in the San Francisco Bay Area on using their Palm PDA. We both strive to help people use their PDAs to increase their productivity.

John is also a strong advocate of using Bluetooth headsets. Visit his company website Mobile Connectivity for more information on headsets.

Tech Support for Your Palm PDA

On his blog Rants and Raves, Jesse offers some advice on tech support for your Palm PDA. He says,

"PalmOS handhelds have become immensely popular largely due to their stability and ease of use. Sadly, though, in the end, Palm handhelds are really computers, designed and created by people, running software written and designed by other people, all of whom are decidedly imperfect. So, inevitably, from time to time, Palms still occassionally crash. Knowing the reasons why, and how to prevent them, is key to keeping your device as stable as possible and maximizing your handheld experience."

As Jesse mentions, your PDA is a computer. The more programs you load and the more information you store, the more likely you are to have issues. So, keep it simple. Use your PDA as a business productivity tool and you'll have better results. But, be patient when you do have a problem.