Many lawyers have recently joined the ranks of the more than 5 million users of Palm OS devices. Many other lawyers have become interested in the potential value of these powerful and portable "information appliances."

These devices are not just toys for gadgeteers and techies. Even the unsophisticated computer user can find great utility in a Palm device. For lawyers, however, the happiest Palm OS experience will not come right out of the box. You will want to take a few simple steps to improve your Palm OS experience.

This article will discuss three important considerations when planning your purchase of a Palm device and five tips for getting off to a good start. But first, a note on my use of the term "Palm device." While many people routinely use the term "Palm Pilot" to refer to all Palm devices, Palm Computing (http://www.palm.com) now offers the Palm III, IIIc, IIIe, IIIx, V, Vx and VII in addition to the original Pilot, and so it is not quite correct to use "Palm Pilot" in a generic manner. I use "Palm device" to cover all handheld computers running the Palm Operating System, including the popular new Visor from Handspring (http://www.handspring.com).

1. The Most Important Thing to Know About Palm Devices A Palm device extends the range of your PC. It does not replace your PC, but with certain accessories such as the Stowaway, a full-size keyboard that folds up and fits in a pocket (http://www.thinkoutside.com), it can replace a laptop at meetings and on short trips.
2. Are You a Good Candidate for a Palm Device? Based on my observations, if you spend all your time in your office, a Palm device will have limited value. You are a good candidate for a Palm device if: (1) you are mobile and spend a lot of time in your car, on the run, or going from meeting to meeting; (2) your purse or your pockets contain numerous scraps of paper with notes to yourself; (3) you are a heavy user of a Day-Timer or a similar conventional organizer, or (4) you carry a lot of information with you on a regular basis (maps, telephone lists, directions).
3. 3. What Palm Device Should You Buy? Since many Palm devices now sell for under $300, it's hard for the average user to make a wrong choice, with one caution: investigate carefully the total cost of owning the wireless Palm VII, including access charges, before buying one. A few tips: more memory is better than less, the Palm Vx is the most stylish choice, and the Visor is the most expandable thanks to its proprietary Springboard expansion slot, which can accommodate a range of devices (GPS navigation, modem, wireless phone, etc.).

1. Prepare for a Little Sticker Shock. In my opinion, most lawyers need to add about $300 worth of software to the Palm device as it comes out of the box to make it an effective practice tool. You can limp along with the bundled applications, but the value of your device will skyrocket with the purchase of programs best suited to your life. Training and installation may add several hundred dollars more to your cost. Compared to the $6,000 to $10,000 cost of a typical lawyer's PC (software, training, support, etc.), a Palm device is a bargain on a total-cost-of-ownership basis, but you'll want to get that "$200 miracle" notion out of your head.
2. Buy this Book. Because training is not widely available, I recommend that you spend $30 on David Pogue's essential book, PalmPilot: The Ultimate Guide (2nd Edition)". It's packed with great information and tips. It also comes with a CD-ROM with over 3,100 free programs and trial versions of software.
3. Get the Hotsyncing Right. The true value of your Palm device comes from its ability to synchronize its data with that on your PC. Forget everything else people tell you about Palm devices -- HotSync is the feature that matters. In other words, the address book on your PC and the one you carry in the Palm device can be the same. Make a change on your PC or the Palm device and it can show up in both places with, literally, the touch of one button.
4. Because syncing is so important, it is vital that it work well and work in the way you want. If you use Outlook or GroupWise on your PC, you will want to buy a third party product such as Desktop to Go http://www.dataviz.com/products/desktoptogo/index.html or Intellisync http://www.pumatech.com/ce-palm_fam.html to ensure optimal syncing. If you use a case management program such as Time Matters http://www.timematters.com, you will also want to take full advantage of the ability of such a program to lynch with a Palm device. These third party applications will cost about $50-$80 apiece.
5. Take the Time to Determine How You Will Use Your Palm Device. I use my Palm IIIx largely for taking notes and capturing ideas. Other people rarely use their Palm devices for input -- they lynch information down from their PCs and use the Palm device to read that information. A surprising number of people use Palm devices as electronic books and teleprompters. Many people use Palm devices to read and respond to e-mail and to grab news from the Internet. Spend some time thinking about how you would like to use your Palm device.
6. Experiment. A certain level of experimentation is key to a great Palm experience. The endless number of clever and genuinely helpful programs people have created for the Palm platform will never cease to amaze you. For example, a program called StreetFinder enables Palm users to obtain the nearest cross street for Manhattan avenue addresses -- a must for anyone who works in or travels to New York City.

Don't get hung up on trying to develop a list of the "best products"; instead, find the products that best fit the way you work. If you do any kind of financial calculations, the Palm calculator will be the first thing you replace. If you want to sketch out notes, you'll replace the built-in notes program with one that has drawing features. You may want more powerful calendaring features or the ability to have different calendar displays. A Doc reader is a must for reading books and articles. I found a powerful outlining program called BrainForest http://www.aportis.com that has become an essential tool in my practice. Most Palm programs are available for download and trial use -- start at Palm's Web site http://www.palm.com and work your way outwards from there.

Today's legal world requires a tool that helps lawyers keep track of everything around them. Though other solutions exist, none match Palm devices for sheer versatility and convenience. The basic principles and tips set forth above should help you get off to a great start with your Palm device and improve its usefulness. Once you have become comfortable with your Palm device, you will find it limited only by your imagination.

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