Discussion: Unknown Palm Apps?

One of my favorite less known applications is CityZen, a world map that displays capitals and major cities. You can measure distances between two points in addition to zooming in.

I love Pocket Monkey! its nothing more than a dancing monkey on your Palm, but its funny as hell!

As a hard working member of corporate america. The program that allows you to create and name a voddo doll on your palm gets a prodigious amount of use

BigClock 2.5- it's free, it's simple, it's got 4 alarms with snooze, and 2 up/down timers w/alarms. Handy.

CSpotRun 1.0.5- good free .doc viewer with some nice new features (such as a 'teleprompter' mode for scrolling text automatically). With this and Project Guttenberg, my palm is swimming in literature at times.

Runtime 1.5- Great free app that allows you to keep track of how often you change your batteries, what your average time is between changes, and how much runtime you actually get out of each change of batteries. It's a one-trick pony app, but I've found it an essential utility for predicting my next battery change.

CruiseControl 1.01- I guess it's freeware, as I can't find a price for it. This app increases your Palm's speed without overclocking the processor.. it reduces the wait states to get the extra performance. The only side effect I've heard of is grafitti recognition problems that pop up on the IIIc. My IIIe doesn't exhibit this behavior, and I see a noticable difference in the speed.

And the bonus payware endorsement...

LifeBalance 2.2- At $49.95 it's not cheap, but if you're looking to get a handle on a hectic set of tasks on your plate, this app may be exactly what you need. After I got used to the software's functional philosophy, I found that LifeBalance improves on the standard 'to do list' type program GREATLY, and it's now one of my essential apps. Check it out at http://www.llamagraphics.com" CLASS=NEWS>http://www.llamagraphics.com .

-kirby

It sounds boring, and perhaps it is, but I've found that the app "ShopList" is one of the most useful on my Palm V. It has these advantages over traditional shopping lists:

* Once you've entered an item ("Marshmallows", for example), you never need to write it again; it becomes a checkable item that you check off when you've bought it and uncheck when you need it again,
* Your Palm is always with you, so if you're sitting at a stoplight and remember you need milk, you can flip it out and uncheck "Milk"
* No more slips of paper, trying to find a pen, or forgetting your list when you go shopping.

It really does make life notably easier.

-Kurt
PS: There are two apps out there called "ShopList". The one I mean is here:
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Haven/1559/shoplist.htm
" CLASS=NEWS>http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Haven/1559/shoplist.htm

Time++ is the best world-clock.
Checklist Lte is a great little program for large and many lists of things you need to check.
DiddleBug! This is a MUST HAVE, it is the far best alarm-clock availible on the planet (for the Palm).
And all the above is working fine on Palm OS 3.5 (Palm Vx).

I use the following: SmartDoc (essential with a Palm Portable Keyboard), Datebk3, BigClock, HandyShopper, CSpotRun, Checklist, AvantGo, a couple of games (SolFree is my favorite - 3 solitaire games), FlashPro (but if you're still not to capacity with 2MB, you probably don't need it), DiddleBug, and several docs (including the Bible and a devotional book, as well as some novels). Of course I have an 8MB unit (TRGpro), but it's only half full.

I use CharHack all the time. With a user-defined swipe between softkeys it pops up a box with common non-numeric symbols that you can tap on to input the Graffiti character (and then the window is dismissed). I never need to know the Graffiti symbols.

Also, SwitchHack, which allows you with a different swipe to pop up a box with the last 10 apps you ran. You tap on one to run it without having to return to the main menu. A swipe from a softkey into the Graffiti area simply pops you back to the last app you ran. Nice for popping between apps.

Finally, ClearHack removes the dotted lines between text lines in memopad, etc. Once you use it for awhile, you hate to go back. No more straining to see if a character is a colon or semicolon, etc., and a cleaner look all around.

My 2 favourite "unknown" Palm Apps are:

1) Arranger (http://www.olivebr.com)" CLASS=NEWS>http://www.olivebr.com). Helps me in keeping track of all my projects that I do in my company. Time billing is not relevant, and Arranger is WONDERFUL at having links to all my various TODO, MEMO and DATEBOOK entries so I can tell at a glance what has taken place or will be taking place for a particular project.

2) ATool: I found this little gem somewhere (I can't remember where) and it's kinda like a swiss-knife of Palm mini apps. The primary use for it is to track my battery usage. It has a bar graph that shows you the last 5 battery changes, and from there plot your average battery lifespan. I found it immensely useful to tell when I might need to keep a set of spares with me if I ever do go out during those "critical low" days.

A fantastic little program that lets you encrypt any text entered in any app. Tremendously useful and easy to use. Couldn't live without it.

I'm really glad Palm Infocenter and UGeek ran this story, I've got a ton of new programs to check out, thanks!

I dont know if it qualifies as unknow, but dopewars(www.dopewars.cjb.net) isn't on palmgear.com and i the best program for the palm!
fizzy

There are a lot of really nice DA programs.
Cal Cal for one.
I never here any one talk about them much.

lefthack and appl list (www.thepalmtree.com) are essential. Having the scrollbar on the right is a pain . All appls should be coded for left or right.
Appl list is great. I run it periodically it creates a memofile with a list of all your appls and hacks.

Launcher III, definately. Palm should buy that and incorporate it - sooo much nicer than the default launcher. TealEcho is a great hack for helping learn Graffiti: it echos your stroke to the screen as you make it. Nice to learn why your Y's a K. SFCave is a wholle addictive game, as is Traffic. ProxiWeb is an essential for the modern mobile pro, and SmartDoc rocks as text in and out.

I am a palm junkie and add and delete palm apps all the time, Some must haves: Datebk3 for the appointment minded, Datemate so you don't forget birthdays, MPG for tracking gas millage, Spellman a spell checker for the Palm (can't beat this if you write a lot), Mulg a great game to pass some time, clock + a good timer and clock with its' own sound database. And tons more

What would we do with out our PDAs???!!!???!!??

Dan

I'm always surprised that CoLauncher isn't on more top apps lists. It's an application launcher that that launches apps assigned to hardware buttons or graffiti chars. I assigned it to my calc silkscreen button, and just hit it and write, for example an 'm' for mail, 's' for smart doc, etc. If you don't like remembering codes for all your apps, its not very helpful, but non-GUI-thinkers may kinda like it.

Like the readme file says, there is never an Ascii chart around when you need one. AsciiChart is a tiny little app that I don't use a whole lot, but when I do, it is very handy.

I read from SPUG that tenpin solitaire was nice & I tried it last year but I lost the file & can't seem to find this now on any of the palm sites :(

to me this is the most underrated app/hack for the palm..check it out. Also if you beam a lot Beamware is great, it lets you beam hacks among other things which I feel is a huge plus

I only wish I had too much ram.

Here's my top Ten Obscure but useful list.

1 Free time: Time code Calculator, for film and TV
www.ilap.com/pheg/hts or at palm gear.

2 Compass - point it at the sun find north.
3 Cavist - great wine database
4 assistant - see everything on datebook todo.
5 Thesaurus - it's just a big Thesaurus.
6 Sextype - Just a fun are you compatable quiz.
7 Palm ASL - American Sign Language Tutor.
8 Analog Clock - looks nice small.
9 FireWorks - what it says.
10 Found me? - Put this in Flash and Displays owner.

Find on PlamGear or Eurocool.

While they may not be completely "unknown", I split most of my Palm time between ActionNames and ListMaker. PayPal (http://www.paypal.com" CLASS=NEWS>http://www.paypal.com) really does a nice job as an "e-wallet" to keep track of online auction payments & handle bills with my housemates. FPSUtility is a great general system util. Convert (http://www.jps.net/brettnkt/pilot.html" CLASS=NEWS>http://www.jps.net/brettnkt/pilot.html) makes a real handy (and free) unit conversion reference. For games, try Kniffel (http://www.handango.com/product.shtml?sectionId=0&productId=459&catalog=1" CLASS=NEWS>http://www.handango.com/product.shtml?sectionId=0&productId=459&catalog=1) and MahJongg (http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Campus/1719/PalmPilot.htm)" CLASS=NEWS>http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Campus/1719/PalmPilot.htm). Also, try PilotPlot(http://www.codealchemy.de/" CLASS=NEWS>http://www.codealchemy.de/) for a graphing tool.

-Sidlon
sidlon@yahoo.com

Here are some great ones:

WhatzUp? Lists your appointment and datebook entries together.

ReDo Enters repeating appointments in the datebook.

RecoEcho Allows you to use graffiti and the built-in keyboard at the same time! (Very useful) Also, provides an "ink" echo of your graffiti letters. Can use either the graffiti area or the whole screen

Dinky Pad--for long handwritten notes. Use this when you want to write alot, and more quickly than it would take if you used graffiti. Also good for taking notes in a quiet room where you do not want to disturb others, since writing graffiti makes little "clik" sounds. Has a conduit so that you can beam your notes to the desktop. Diddlebug also has a conduit of this type.

TopSecret. A memo pad with encryption. Very useful for writing "confidential" notes to oneself. Has a desktop conduit.

MobilDB. This saves you the trouble of buying lots of other apps, since you can make a database of anything you want: addresses; phone extensions at the same business (or at a university)where they have the same basic number and lots of extensions; track things you borrow and loan; passwords (of course); keep a database of all your palm shareware apps with prices, versions, registration #s; keep track of any physical condition symptons as they occur so that you can report them acccurately to your doctor at medical appointments; keep track of tune ups, oil changes, tire rotations etc on your car. Has a desktop version.

QED. A document editor with a small footprint (unlike Smartdoc). Also freeware desktop applications like QEX and MakeDoc, PalmDocs and WordDoc Convert for converting Wordpad and Word applications to doc (Palm) applications.

CheckList Lite is great of you have the kind of job where you do the same thing over and over. In accounting (my work), you have a set of tasks that you must repeat each month. I have checkklists for daily, weekly, monthly (actually, the month is divided into a list for week 1 and 2 and another for week 3 and 4), quarterly, semi-annual and annual tasks.

PopHacks (by Bozidar Benc)are a suite of hacks that create popup screens in which you can enter appointments, find or enter memos and addresses, find out the time and your battery status, or use a calculator without leaving your original application. The pop up calculator is especially useful because it toggles to 3 sizes and because you can move the calculator around the screen so that you can see the materials in your original application as you work. There is also a pophack called PopUp Favorites, which provides a pop-window showing frequently used and recently used applications.

Other good ones: MenuHack; Date Plan (icons for your month view of datebook, integrates well with datebook); Multibook (freeware multiple phonebooks program, you can set the fields for each phonebook any way that you want); LookDA (word completion freeware program, essential if you are a physician or otherwise use alot of technical vocabulary).

Arranger (integrates datebook, memopad, todo list, address book)is quite ingenious. You can coordinate all the information from the different places on your Palm that pertain to one specific project. You can also enter related information from the datebook that occurs on different days. For example, if you are a doctor or lawyer (or have any job where you schedule appts with clients) you can use Arranger to make a list of only those datebook items that pertain to appointments with clients. You then have a list of client appointments for a particular week or month without having to comb through the datebook.

DateMate by MobiMate. Any entry in DateMate gets included on a list in DateMate and also entered in the Datebook. What I do is create a set of monthly categories: April 00, May 00, June 00 etc. I then enter only the "big events"--papers or projects due, visits from out of town guests, holiday celebrations that pertain to each month. So for any month (say April) I have a list of these major events without having to comb through datebook entries like "lunch" and "time to myself." I can also enter big events that will occur several months in the future and find them quite easily.

Hope that helps!

Is a program called 'Metro' - http://home.worldnet.fr/~patriceb/Technique/Metro/Metro-en.html

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A fantastic little tool that can find a route between any two stations on most of the metro/underground networks in the world (127 cities). Each city has it's own database, so you only need to install what you'll use, and if you go abroad you simply install another.

Originally a french program, there are now many language versions too.