U.S. Robotics Pilot

The fine art of appointment keeping

For many years, I've wanted a specialized component in my computing arsenalthat lets me check my schedule, look up contact information, take notes, andread my email. After owning no fewer than seven different electronic organizers(none of them satisfactory), my quest has ended with the U.S. Robotics (USR)Pilot.

Right Tool for the Job
My biggest problem with other electronic organizers is that they workindependently of my computer. They synchronize with my computer to some extent,but largely they are the masters of the information. Then a Pilot arrived forreview in the Windows NT Magazine Lab. Let me fast forward to the end: Ibought four of them. (After hearing me rave about the Pilot, several people inthe office wanted one, too. We all use them and love them! In fact, we foughtover who got to pick the Pilot as a favorite product for last month's annualreview--see "NT Stuff We Like," January 1997, to find out who won.)Now for the details: I reviewed the Pilot 1000 (with 128KB of RAM) and used itwith an AST Ascentia P series laptop running Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 1.

The Pilot comes with everything you need to use it immediately with your PC.A nifty cradle connects to the serial port on your computer and doubles as aHotSync connection for synchronizing data. The Pilot comes with both 16-bit and32-bit software that features a date book, an address book, a memo pad, and ato-do list. After you install the software, you need to configure the Pilot tolet it know who's boss. I configured my Pilot to notify me of changes fromeither data source (PC or Pilot).

You can enter data on the Pilot or your computer's keyboard. The Pilotsupports handwriting recognition via the Graffiti alphabet. (Some of you mayremember Graffiti from Apple's Newton computer.) Graffiti converts thesingle-stroke characters you draw with a stylus into computer type. Graffiti isnot hard to learn (an hour or two and you'll never look back), but USR alsoprovides the character formations on a sticker that you can affix to the back ofyour Pilot. After entering the appropriate information, just press the HotSyncbutton to put the data on both your PC and your Pilot. Remove the Pilot from theHotSync cradle, drop it in your shirt pocket, and you're ready to go.

Applications Abound
The Pilot is programmable. For $99 you can purchase USR's Palm OS Conduitsoftware development kit (SDK). With it, you can write software conduits thatwork with Pilot's Palm OS HotSync architecture on Microsoft Windows computers tosynchronize PC application data with data on the Pilot. CodeWarrior fromMetrowerks is also available. It runs on any Mac OS computer with SystemSoftware 7.1 or higher and lets you create programs for the Pilot. This toolcombines Metrowerks's CodeWarrior tools and USR's Palm OS Client SDK and Palm OSConduit SDK. The Pilot Developer Bundle is a deluxe developer package thatincludes the Pilot 5000 for Windows, a Pilot replacement stylus, a Macintoshadapter cable, and CodeWarrior.

Developers have created plenty of shareware and commercial applications forthe Pilot. For shareware applications, try InfoRamp's Pilot Software Archive orStingerSoft's Online Pilot Resources. The StingerSoft Web site lists more than70 applications and 40 Web sites. I downloaded StingerMail from StingerSoft'sWeb site. This application lets you insert email addresses from your addressbook into your outgoing email.

My favorite shareware Pilot application is Palmeta Mail from PalmetaSoftware. This application runs on your PC and delivers email from Exchange orother Messaging API (MAPI)-compliant clients to and from your Pilot. One handyfeature lets you filter which email messages you want to receive on your Pilot.You can write quick responses on your Pilot, and the next time you HotSync, awaythey go. Although I wouldn't want to depend on these shareware tools for all myemail chores, I've saved hours by using them to read and send email.

If you want to see the latest Pilot software from third-party developers,try http://www.usr.com/palm/pilotsoft.html. My favorite commercial applicationis IntelliSync for Pilot from IntelliLink, a subsidiary of Puma Technology.

IntelliSync lets you use your favorite personal information manager (PIM)and synchronize it with your Pilot. I use Schedule+ in Exchange (love thatMeeting Wizard!) so that I can connect with everyone I work with. IntelliSynclets me synchronize Schedule+ data with my Pilot. Now I can schedule a meeting(invite the participants; set the time; reserve rooms, equipment, and danish)from my Pilot or my desktop. IntelliSync for Pilot works with these popularPIMs: Day-Timer Organizer 2.0 , Lotus Organizer 2.1, Microsoft Schedule+,NetManage ECCO 3.03, Now Up-to-Date for Windows 1.0, Starfish Software Sidekick95, and Starfish Software Sidekick for Windows 1.0/2.0. IntelliSync for Pilotruns on Windows 95, NT, Windows for Workgroups, and Windows 3.1.

So now thanks to the Pilot, I can have important information about meetings,appointments, and trade shows with me anytime I need it, without maintaining twoseparate databases. I can use my computer for what it was meant to do and usethe Pilot to keep me on time, up to date, and informed.