Bachmann Software has announced that they will be releasing PrintBoy Documents at PalmSource 2000 this week. This is the first stand-alone commercial app that allows Palm users to print Doc files directly. It will sell for $20.

They will also be releasing PrintBoy 2.2, a suite of applets that prints appointments, addresses, to-do lists, memos, e-mail and info stored on the clipboard directly to most printers via infrared or serial connection. PrintBoy 2.2 is priced at $15.

Motorola has scheduled a press conference for later today to discuss the future of its Dragonball chip, the processor that powers all of Palm's and Handspring's devices. Cnet, citing "sources", is predicting that Motorola will "will outline a move to make the chip compatible with the ARM architecture, which is capable of giving [Palm's] handhelds a considerable performance gain."

Just last week, Motorola licensed ARM's 32-bit processor architecture. Palm has already stated that at some point in the future they will switch to ARM processors.

According to a report released this week by market researcher Cahners In-Stat Group, shipments of handheld computers, including both Palm and Pocket PC, will grow an average of 28% per year through 2004. "Wireless data communications is the key feature driving this explosive market," says Robyn Bergeron, In-Stat's e-Business Computing Infrastructure Analyst. "Internet connectivity, coupled with audio applications such as MP3 capability, will push the mobile computing device market to record shipment levels."

Gateway is offering the Glenayre @ctiveLink two-way wireless messaging module and the special Visor Deluxe that is required to use it for $550.

YadaYada Inc., the new wireless ISP, is bundling a CDPD Minstrel S wireless modem, a Visor Platinum, and YadaYada wireless service installation and registration for $449 (after $150 modem rebate). YadaYada costs $40 per month for unlimited wireless service.

According to Cnet, Microsoft plans to try to lure Palm developers away. Ed Suwanjindar, Microsoft's product manager for mobile devices, is leading a contingent to PalmSource 2000 next week to "actively" recruit developers. They are putting on an invitation-only reception and dinner at an undisclosed time and place. "We're interested in engaging the guys developing for Palm and discussing porting their apps over to Pocket PC," Suwanjindar said.

Now the #Palm EF-Net channel isn't just for Desktop and Java users anymore. You can now access it from your wireless Palm VII. This free app is available for download as a PQA or ZIP file. If you just want to access the #Palm channel, you can use a browser version.

The next meeting of the Los Angeles Palm User Group (LAPUG) will be on Saturday, December 9 at 10:30 am at Border's Books + Music at 1360 Westwood Blvd. The meeting will feature all the latest news from the recent COMDEX computer show. -Ted Arlauskas

The next Houston Palm Users Group (HPUG) meeting will be December 9 at 4:00 p.m. and will focus on the two new handhelds from Handspring, the Visor Prism and Platinum, as well as a number of modules. They will have the first "Newbie Session" where Adrian Heath will go over one or two power tips for beginning users. Givaways include a PalmPix Camera, Liberty 1.2.3 (2 copies), Zap! 2000gs/2000c/2016 (3 copies). -Matthew Mullenweg

Handspring Inc. announced Wednesday it shipped its one millionth Visor PDA. To celebrate, the company is going to offer up the unit, a Visor Prism, and the first hotly anticipated VisorPhone module on eBay.

The Visor Prism and VisorPhone are signed by Handspring Chief Product Officer Jeff Hawkins, who is often referred to as the father of the PDA for inventing the PalmPilot in 1994. All procedes of the auction will go to benefit the Special Olympics of Northern California. Read more on the story, at ZDNet.

GraphOn Corporation today announced that its GoldMine Everywhere Server and Palm VII client will allow users real-time wireless access to their customer, prospect, calendar data, open tickets and GoldMine Sales and Marketing using the Palm.Net service.

Computer Associates has released InoculateIT for the Palm OS Platform free of charge on their Web site. It protects against all current known malicious attacks targeting the Palm, including Palm OS.Liberty.A, Palm OS.Phage.A and Palm OS.Vapor A. This is a limited time offer.

Palm's new Enterprise Alliance Program (EAP) is intended to help system integration companies create mobile solutions for field salespeople. Palm has a variety of mobile solutions like E.piphany E.5, an application designed to provide realtime information to remote workers, and SalesLogix, which allows remote users to access live account, contact, and calendar information. Companies that have joined Palm's EAP include Inforte, IBM's Global Services, Ciber, and Condor Technology Solutions. The partners are targeting businesses of all sizes with Palm-based solutions.