If PalmOne drops Mac support...

[Guest]

It's unclear what's going to happen, but here's a question for Mac users: If PalmOne models no longer support Mac out of the box, what will you do? Let's see how much business Palm is risking losing.

Note: I didn't put "give up Macs" as an option because I hope no one would consider that extreme, but if you would, vote Other and post below.

[AlanG]

I chose to stay with the Palm, and go with Mark/Space Missing Sync for Macintosh. The beta of Missing Sync 4.0 looks really cool.

I think that Missing Sync and the desktop PIM apps of your choosing will better serve the people using Palm OS PDAs with their Macintosh.

Alan G

[imported_orca]

If PalmOne drops native Macintosh support, I'll get myself a Zaurus. I'll then stick with Linux devices that I know I can program myself. I would rather leave support in my own hands with the developer tools. My Vx "just works." I don't have to fight with anything. I won't pay extra to use a device with my computer.

[Guest]

No votes for PocketPC so far. Maybe it's not as bleak as I thought.

Only problem is, *I'M* starting to think about PocketPCs. I like my Palm and I'm sticking with it for now, but sometimes I feel like both platforms have problems that I think are unacceptable. WHY can't Palm's be more flexible about where you save stuff? WHY can't PocketPC's handwriting recognition work decently? WHY can't Palms have Wifi? WHY are PocketPCs so slow even on much faster hardware?

I'm not due for an upgrade for a while, but I guess I've got some thinking to do.

[Neilxt]

Originally posted by Guest
It's unclear what's going to happen, but here's a question for Mac users: If PalmOne models no longer support Mac out of the box, what will you do? Let's see how much business Palm is risking losing.

I purchased my Palm on the strength of the Palm Desktop.

If Palm Desktop for Mac is unsupported then I have no reason to choose Palm hardware (in fact it would significantly devalue my Mac hardware; too).

The ability of the Palm Desktop to link any entry to any other entry, including one of the same type (e.g. link an address book item to another address book item).

Without that facility I'm not sure I can even justify having a Palm and will probably just get a better phone with a smarter address book and bluetooh.

For me it's not the syncing that's the biggest issue but continued support of the Desktop software.

[Guest]

Now I wish I had made those two options read:

"Switch to PocketPC or Zaurus (via The Missing Sync)" and

"Give up PDAs or just use an iPod or cell phone"

Thanks for the responses all. PocketPC is still very unpopular here.

[imported_orca]

Originally posted by Neilxt
The ability of the Palm Desktop to link any entry to any other entry, including one of the same type (e.g. link an address book item to another address book item).

This feature is an amazingly useful component of Palm Desktop. Unfortunately, it's more due to the application's heritage as Claris Organizer than anything related to the PalmOS.

I started using Palm Desktop two years before I got a Palm--it was simply the best PIM available for free. I used it for everything. I still do, but it's usefulness has waned due to how out of place it feels in MacOS X. I still don't use iCal because it just hasn't approached half the usefulness of Palm Desktop.

I have to agree that a PalmOS PDA without the Macintosh Palm Desktop really isn't very appealing at the moment. I can get other PDAs at a much better value. Hopefully, PalmOne recognizes this as well. My Sony Ericsson T610 is never going to replace my PDA. Without a decent link to applications on my laptop, I'm much more willing to look at alternatives.

[WolfUK]

I don't use the more advanced features of the Mac Palm Desktop but I do prefer it to iCal and Address Book which seem a bit restricted by comparison. I would be tempted to try a Pocket PC if they were both a little more stable (I believe that they still need regular soft resets) and if they were more Mac-friendly (ie there is almost no hope of Mac desktop counterparts to Pocket PC apps and there is still no way to deal with Pocket PC apps distributed via Windows installers).

I'll stick with Palms for as long as I can and I have already switched to The Missing Sync over HotSync Manager. I suppose it all hinges on PalmOne developing their own conduits and perhaps taking over and developing the Mac version of Palm Desktop themselves.

[imani08]

My old m130 is missing two screws on the back and is starting to come apart at the top from having the cover changed so many times, but it still works. I'm usually one of those early adopter types, but since hearing of the possible lack of Mac support for the new models, I've held off buying a new one. I will ride this m130 until the wheels fall off for real, but I'm still a little unclear about what my options will be after that if I want to stick with Palm & Mac. As was wisely stated in the poll, dropping Mac is simply not an option - is there a web site I can go to where this whole mess is all outlined clearly?

[Cacus]

Have faith in the Large Fruit! If palm do drop mac support then I reckon Apple will just include it in iSync after all it has done this for most things already. I understand that Palm support will only be dropped with Palm OS 6 which is indeed a totally new OS so if Apple do fully iSync then theres no point in doining it till then, as Desktop 4.1 does currently work!

We need to remember that Apple wan't us to use iCal and Address book etc and the Desktop 4.1 is just a middel man!