JurisPDA@NYLS.edu

Grace's Quick Tips

"In my spare time, I run a Palm OS® user group.  Whenever I meet someone who?s a new handheld user, I invariably run through this checklist with them."
        -- Grace Lee, NYLS Electronics Services Librarian

        Setting Up

• Read the manual: PDAs are pretty easy to set-up and use. But you'll get more out of your device if you take the time to read the manual.
  
• Make sure your organizer can synchronize with your desktop computer! You don't want to input all your data in your organizer and lose it if you aren't able to synchronize. If you're having problems connecting your organizer to your computer or if data isn't showing up on your desktop, call your Tech Support immediately, while your unit is still under warranty. Once your unit is out of warranty, there may be a charge to use technical support.  
• Protect the Graffiti® writing area: Place a piece of Scotch brand 811 Magic tape or Post-It Tape Flags over the Graffiti® area. It  will give you  a more "paper-like" feel and prevent wear on the pressure-sensitive surface.  There are also full screen clear plastic overlays which can  help reduce glare and provide a nicer writing surface, such as  WriteRight® Screen Overlays or Brando Workshop's Screen Protector (washable and reusable), but which are also more expensive than tape.
   
• Configure your Preferences:
  • Unless you're  going to be beaming a lot, turn "Beam Receive" to off. Tap on the "Applications" menu, and select "Preferences." Under the "General" tab, change this from "On" to "Off."  You can always beam individual items when you're in an application.
  • Shorten the "Auto-off after" duration. This will also help save batteries.
  • Under "System Sound" turn the system sound off, so others won't hear you tapping.
  • Tap on the "Owner" drop down menu and fill in your name and contact information. If you misplace your device, it'll help the finder get in touch with you.
     
• Buy a case: A good case will help protect the PDA, and most importantly, the screen. A good case reduces the possibility of a cracking the screen. Once a Palm handheld is out of warranty, it costs money (around $100)  to repair the screen.
   
• Shrink your Day view: You can get rid of all empty time slots and only display your scheduled events by, tapping the "Menu" button, then select "Options" and "Preferences."  You can tap the black triangle buttons to adjust the starting and ending times to the same time. To create a new appointment, write the first number of the appointment time in the Graffiti® writing area.
   
• Free up memory by erasing past events in the Date Book and completed events in your To Do list. The next time you Hotsync® your PDA, these events will be moved from your Desktop program to an archive (DBA) file which can be viewed from your Palm Desktop program ("open archive).
   
• Create your business card: With the introduction of the Palm III, the ability to beam your business card quickly was among one of the best new features. But, you must set it up and tell your PDA which Address book entry is your business card. You do this by creating a record for yourself, and then  tapping Menu | "Record" | "Select Business Card." Beam your business card by holding down the Address Book for a few seconds.
  
  
• Get a good backup program: The Hotsync® function will back up the data from your built in Palm OS® applications (Date Book, Address Book, etc.) and any third-party applications you've installed, but not the data files or databases that accompany third-party programs, Hackmaster files, etc. A good backup program, like BackupBuddy, will backup all programs and data on your PDA and SD card to your desktop PC, and if necessary, restore them to your PDA.

Graffiti® Tips

• There are four different Graffiti® cheat sheets available for reference. Carry them with you or paste one of them to your handheld.
• Put a piece of tape over the writing area - it will give you more control and help improve Graffiti® recognition accuracy.
• Use the built-in on-screen Graffiti Help screen. You can also assign the pen stroke feature to pull up the Graffiti® Help screen.
• Use the on-screen keyboard. Tap the tiny dot in the lower left hand corner of the Graffiti® writing area. Just tap to select each letter.
• Make your letters BIG.
• Don't write on a slant.
• An easier way to write "B" is to write a "3" in the Graffiti® letters writing area.
• Write a reverse "V" for the letter "V."
• Install and play the Giraffe game to practice your strokes and improve accuracy.
• Get a larger stylus or stylus pen, to replace the small stylus that came with your unit.
• Buy a folding keyboard for your handheld.

Need More Help?

• For more tips and tricks visit the PalmGear Knowledgebase.
• You can contact Palm Technical Support by email at support@palm.com.
• PalmOne Customer Care and Technical Support: Lists all email and telephone addresses. Note: We have observed a real decline in the responsiveness and quality of telephone support...be prepared for a long wait and have all your information ready.
• Also check out our Palm OS® Bookstore.