My Palm Vx


I have a Palm Vx which we got … sometime ago. History of it is a long time, as I had purchased DateBook5 for it soon thereafter, and in doing some things with my Palm yesterday and today I had to ressurect the registration code, which mean hunting through old Outlook files.

I found it: January 19, 2003. In that info was the email I sent to the support company, which stated “About 2 years ago I purchased DateBook …”

Well, it’s late 2004 now. I recall getting the Palm Vx at Staples in December. It was probably 2001 … whoa how time flies!

Here’s why I’m writing about it though: as in all things bad that happen to things around me, it’s so that I can learn how to help others. Helping myself firstly, and the dividends are in unknown numbers of help to others, just helping one though is dividend enough 🙂

For many months now my Palm Vx has layed around dormant. The charging/sync cradle cable broke and wouldn’t charge (the cable was split here and there in a few places). But the real reason for that was miscare of the cable due to not really using the Palm Vx, due to know way to sync to my laptop.

I can do so now though, via the network. Old days I tried doing it and didn’t think outside the box long enough to make it work.

Info for Palm OS says you can sync via Network, but FIRST MUST sync locally to the computer you wish to sync to over the network.

Plain English:

1. Sync to laptop locally — the one you wish to sync to over the network from another computer later
2. THEN you can go to the networked other computer and sync to the laptop via the network

This is right, but plain wrong as well.

1. Install the Palm software on both the laptop and the other computer on the network.

2. Sync to the other computer first. Copy that User file on the computer. Paste it onto the laptop (make it a Shared Folder on the network to do this easily). The HotSync file won’t copy over, that’s fine. Ignore that ‘problem’.

3. On the both computers, set up HotSync Manager to be open, and click the notification area icon on the PC’s and choose ‘Network’, as well as ‘Serial’ on the ‘other computer’.

4. In the handheld choose “HotSync” and drop-down the extra info and choose ‘LAN …’ There you choose between LAN or Direct syncing (Direct is the default, you only need to do this to sync over the network). Choose ‘Lan’ and then OK.

5. In HotSync Set-Up on the laptop computer, on the ‘Network’ tab, choose THAT User Name as Primary PC by clicking to fill the check box. Be sure on the netorked other computer that your User Name there is NOT CHECKED.

[Not exactly sure on this but I think the palm will fill out the primary pc info for you at some point, or you just have to input it yourself, just your network internal IP address of the computer you are sync’ing to over the network. That info is on your HotSync Mangager, Setup, Network tab with the TCP/IP settings for your User Name … as well as in the handheld under the HotSync extra info Primary PC choice. One way or the other, it does it automatically, or you may have to tweak it or fill it in entirely on one or the other.]

Try to sync. It should sync over the network to the laptop. Both computers must have Palm software installed, and HotSync Manager opened, with the right settings chosen.

You can sync to both the desktop and the laptop, how I’m configured, or whatever setup you have, to keep two locations sync’d. You have to go into the extra details in HotSync on the handheld to change your syncing method to the right settings each time you wish to sync to both, or the other, aka Direct Serial for to the Desktop PC and LAN for the Laptop over the network.


Another help: Say you want to change your handheld name: Go to Palm Desktop and choose Tools, Users. Highlight your user name and choose the “Rename” button on the right side. Do it.

Go to the other computer. HotSync over the network. The handheld name is changed.


I did that also this morning, to put my handheld back to the stated name it was with my old DateBook5 registration.

So my handheld is now running, as I got some new cables on eBay. Not the charger/cradle, but some nice stand alone cables for charging, as well as a cable with usb and serial connections for syncing and charging. I was under the impression that USB would sync on it as well, but that’s not a verifyable thing with the type of cables they are … not Palm originals. Might work with right USB setup, but both my laptop and the other computer don’t have USB 2.0 installed. My laptop can’t and my Desktop can but doesn’t yet. So for that, I wanted to sync directly to the laptop with USB, but it may not be possible with this Sony Vaio anyhow.

I like using IR though. One computer we had, old office one of Franks, had IR and it worked nice. Thinking of that, I must have gotten the Palm before Dec 2001 … eek … I must research. It hinges on Frank’s job, when he left the old company and struck out on his own because that comapny dismantled the department he was in. Well, my laptop here doesn’t have IR. And that’s key to what I want in a future laptop, which limits ability of choices to be large, or Sony mainstream.

So then, my Palm Vx is up and running, and Frank’s Palm V is running too. Now I have to twist Frank to use his. I’ll be happily using mine!

I only now have to dig up the old Palm CD’s for Outlook functionality. That is proving difficult so far … as my searching hasn’t turned over any of those blue-printed Palm CD’s.

All in all, it’s like having a new toy, just an old familiar friend that seems new. Sort of must be a piece of me that was missing. I feel a bit wholer now. Weird 😉


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