SynCalc or RPN - The built-in Palm calculator is a bit toy-like. You'll want to replace with one that gives you more functionality and, most likely, financial functions. SynCalc ($17.95) is a popular choice. If you are a Hewlett Packard user, as I am, RPN ($15 shareware) with the HP "reverse Polish notation" (you either love it or you hate it) is a must.

A Doc Reader - Doc readers turn your Palm into an electronic book. Many books and other documents are available in Doc format (conceptually, it's like PDF files, read-only). You'll need a Doc reader to read them (conceptually, they're like the Adobe Acrobat reader). I like AportisDoc Mobile Edition 2.1 ( http://www.aportis.com) ($30). TealDoc ( http://www.tealpoint.com) ($16.95) is another excellent example of the category. The widely-praised Documents to Go ($39.95) from Dataviz ( http://www.dataviz.com) enables you to transfer your own word processing documents and spreadsheets to your Palm device. I've liked what I've seen with Documents to Go.

AvantGo - Simply put, AvantGo allows you to grab information from the Internet and pull it down to your Palm device whenever you hot sync. In essence, you can get news updates from the Wall Street Journal, USA Today and a variety of other "channel providers." You received stripped down info (no graphics). Very handy for grabbing news, sports scores and stock info. Using AvantGo makes it very easy to run up against the 2 megabyte storage barrier and will make you wish you had opted for the 8 megabyte device. Free and essential. ( http://www.avantgo.com)

Hackmaster - Hackmaster is the building block for a variety of "hacks," which are programs that work on the underlying Palm system and change a variety of features. Hacks can change screen highlighting, save battery life and do many, many other things. Hackmaster, free, is essential for any of the hacks.

BrainForest - BrainForest is my favorite program in the "outliner" category. Outliners really reflect the way most lawyers work. BrainForest may be the one program that convinces lawyers of the utility of the Palm devices. $39. (http://www.aportis.com)

BackupBuddyNG - Excellent backup utility. I feel much better with Backup Buddy on the job. $20. ( http://www.backupbuddy.com).

Worthy of Special Consideration.

You are likely to find that one or more of the built-in Palm apps will disappoint you in some way. You might want more calendar views. You might want to show to-dos on the same page as your calendar. You might want to be able to add drawings to your memos. You may have difficulty with the Graffiti handwriting recognition software. Here are some of the replacements to consider:

Action Names - A calendar program that gives you a number of helpful views (weekly, etc.) and places to-dos on the same page as your calendar appointments. ( http://www.iambic.com) ($19.95). Datebk3 ( http://www.gorilla-haven.org/pimlico/) is another excellent calendar replacement with tons of features.

SuperNames - I like the graphic file folder metaphor, so SuperNames is a welcome replacement for the address book. Each letter of the alphabet has a separate file folder and it's much easier to navigate your contacts. If you are importing hundreds or thousands of contacts, ease of navigation can be important. ( http://www.standalone.com) ($34.95)

Jot - I really like Graffiti, the built-in handwriting recognition system. What some people see as its limitations, I see as benefits. This split of opinion, by the way, is typical for Palm users. The beauty of Palm devices is that you can configure them to work in the way that you work best. Jot is the most popular replacement for Graffiti. The key points: with Jot, you can write on the entire screen and you can write your letters more "naturally." ( http://www.cic.com) ($40)

Launcher III - The standard Palm home screen is adequate. Launcher III replaces it with a more friendly, to me, graphic file metaphor and shows time, battery and memory information in a helpful way. I really like this program. Freeware. Checkit - A surprisingly useful application. Occasionally, you have checklists that you use over and over. You want to check items off, but still see the whole list, then blank the checkboxes and reuse the checklist. That's what Checkit does. Very nice app. $8. ( http://www.aho.ch/checkit)

Games - Sometimes you have time to kill and don't want to be productive. Your needs will vary. I like PocketChess, although it's humbling to find that it is a Palm IIIx, rather than IBM's Big Blue program, that can beat me consistently. Free ( http://www.eskimo.com/~scottlu).

Lefty - In essence, a hack to optimize the Palm for left-handed people. I can't really point to anything that it has enhanced for me, but we lefties loved to have our uniqueness considered. ( http://www.strout.net) As you might have guessed, almost all Palm software is available in demo or evaluation formats. There are lots of shareware and freeware programs. You will normally be downloading programs from the Internet.

Bonus:

Cases - It's comical how much time can be spent talking about the "right" case for a Palm device. I am convinced that the Palm becomes most useful when it is with you at all times. I wanted a case to wear on my belt on casual days and non-work days when I am wearing a shirt without a pocket. My answer: the Rhino Pak 1000, which gives you a kind of contemporary, outdoorsy, utilitarian feel. $19.95 ( http://www.rhinoskin.com).

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