Palm Organizers by Jeff Carlson Book Review

Palm
Organizers, a book by Jeff Carlson, proclaims right on the front cover
that with it, you can “Teach yourself how to use Palm OS-based devices
the quick and easy way!” Does it do this? As we say here in West Texas,
“You Betcha!”

Not only is Palm Organizers easy to read, it actually does cover just
about every Palm OS device out there. Times being as they are – a few new models
have come out since this book was published in 2000; however, this book does
contain information that pertains to every model available that uses the Palm
OS.

This book begins with a hilarious excerpt from an interview between Microsoft
CEO and Chairman, Bill Gates and Charlie Rose on the “Charlie Rose” TV
show (March 4, 1998). If you never have a chance to read Palm Organizers
– this will at least give you a sense of the humor that this book was written
with:

Bill Gates: “The future of the PC is to be a tablet-sized device
or perhaps larger than a tablet….But then you also have a lot of other
devices, things like – I think I’ve got one in my pocket.”

Charlie Rose: “A Pilot in his Pocket.”

Bill Gates: “No, no, no, no. This is the competitor to the Pilot.
Don’t say “Pilot.” Geez. This is the – ”

Charlie Rose: “Does that look like a Pilot? I rest my case.”

I had to laugh! It’s true, whatever you want to call them – be it
“Pilots”, “Palm Pilots”, or “Palms”, the little
gray box that Jeff Hawkins made has completely permeated our society to the
point where “Palm” or “Pilot” is almost a generic
term!

But what if you are late getting on this “technology-bus”? What if
you have just made the purchase of a brand new Palm, and you haven’t got a clue
about where to begin?

I believe that this book will not only help you get started, I think there
are also some things in here that people who have been using the Palm OS for a
while will still find quite useful.

Written by a man who purchased his first Palm Pilot in 1997, Jeff Carlson has
a real grasp of some of the issues that face a new Palm user. As a current Palm
user, he also offers up some of the “tips and tricks” that he
personally finds useful in integrating the Palm with his day-to-day life.

Beginning with detailed descriptions of each of the available (at the time of
printing) Palm OS models, Jeff quickly jumps into all of the basic functions of
each device. From there,. he describes in detail how to do everything from
changing your batteries without losing data, to the importance of protecting
your screen from scratches, to what accessories are available to make your Palm
do even more.

I was surprised to see that TRG upgrades, Targus & Landware keyboards,
and even Concept Kitchen Write-Rights, among MANY other brand names, were
actually given mention in this book under accessories. I think it is refreshing
to see somebody say the names of the brands that they like…I kept looking for
one he didn’t like, just to see if equal time was being given. :0)

The subtle differences between the different versions of Palm OS available
are discussed in Palm Organizers, whether it be version 1.0 vs. 3.0, or
the date-book versions included with the Handspring Visor vs. the Palm III.
There is a enough information available in this book to get you started, no
matter which unit you are using.

If you have a question – this book will most likely answer it: Do you know
the four ways to activate the onscreen keyboard? Look on page 30; Having
trouble figuring out how to beam from your Handspring’s Date Book+? There is a
reason…check out the bottom of page106; Want to rename the Address Book custom
fields on your desktop and Palm? Turn to page 127; Wondering how to work
Handspring’s advanced calculator? There’s a great overview starting on page 165.

Want some info you may not have been aware of? Here’s a nibble: The Find
feature begins its search in the application you are currently running. Did you
know that all you have to do to quickly jump to a particular program on a Palm
screen so full of programs that the scroll bar is showing – is simply enter the
first letter of the program’s name, you’ll go straight to the first program
starting with that letter.

Sure there are parts of this book that may make someone with a lot of Palm
experience yawn, but if you are new to Palm, this book is a treasure trove of
information.

From the ins and outs of the Palm Desktop on both PC and Mac computers,
to the joys of actually discovering all of the hidden talents of your indispensable
“brain” that fits in your shirt pocket – there is something in this
book for everyone…Enjoy! :0)

Price: $16.99 MSRP

Published by Peachpit Press
322 Pages

Pros:
Reads like a conversation with a humorous friend – who just happens to know A
LOT about the Palm OS
Plenty of pictures, screen-shots, and demos of actual Palm OS devices and
software
The Gadgeteer is mentioned on page 20 :0)

Cons:
The Gadgeteer is mentioned as a resource for Palm cases on page
20. :0(