Herein I discuss the Palm i705, VII and the VIIx (Ed. Note: All discontinued, and all obsolete, as the AMPS-based data service it used, Palm.Net, has been closed) as well as other PalmOS devices. When I am speaking about the i705 and either "VII" model, I will refer to them collectively as the "Seven". "Five" models are the IBM Workpad C3 plus the Palm V and Vx.

The i705 is a newer, thinner Seven.
It adds a SD/MMC card slot, the new Universal Connector (so 1xx/5xx peripherals work) and no antenna.
It still uses the Mobitex network operated by Cingular/BellSouth in the US, and works wirelessly nowhere else, just like other Sevens.
It still is not a cell phone.
It's still monochrome.

It now has internal rechargable batteries and now will alert you, like a pager, of emails received.
You do NOT have to extend an antenna or do anything else to receive mesages.

Otherwise, it's a Seven. See details below and The Gadgeteer's customary excellent review here.
 
 

¿Will the Seven notify me when an email appears, like a pager does?

No. You must extend the antenna and deliberately check for messages.
 

¿Is the email secure?

Yes. Although RIM Blackberries which use the same transmission system are easily hackable (see here) with off-the-shelf hardware, this does NOT apply to the Palm Sevens (incl. the i705), as they use 'elliptical-curve' crypto by Certicom.
 

¿Can I use a Palm Seven with other ISPs other than Palm.Net with its internal transceiver?

No. Only Palm.Net has access to the data from Mobitex via its internal radio.
 

¿Where does it work?

In these US areas (which are predominantly urban or near cities).
 

¿Is Palm.Net service available outside the US?

No. Even though there is Mobitex service in Canada (maps ) and Europe, Palm.Net does not contract with other providers outside the US. Bad Palm.Net! Bad, Bad Palm.Net!!

If you need wireless outside the US service area, you need to add hardware suitable for other providers (such as a data-capable celfon), and reconfigure the Seven to use it instead of the internal transceiver. At this point, you can see why I recommend against the Sevens if you live outside of the US.
 

¿If I'm out of range of Palm.Net/Mobitex, how can I connect?

You won't be able to get your Palm.Net mail, but you can get web surfing and web clipping (including picking email from web-based email services) via most (not all) celfons. BTW, this works for ANY PalmOS handheld.  See the Handheld Cellular Data FAQ for more details as well as the section below on celfon connections . You can also use external CDPD modems from Novatel, but they are spendy, as is the service.
 

¿Are other providers available?

Not through the integrated transceiver. However, you can add a cable to your existing cellphone (if it has an internal 'data modem', like all CDMA fons do) or use a (GSM only) IR-equipped data-modem cellphone, plus browser & email software, and use them for access, or use a landline-connected modem. This may be useful if you have to be in an area without Mobitex coverage for an extended time. The My Wireless Palm and Woggledog sites offer good advice in connecting a Three or a Five via wireless, and what works for a Three will work for a Seven when you're away from Mobitex.
 

¿What makes the Seven different from other Palms?

The Seven starts with the form factor of the Three series of Palm handhelds, and adds a data transceiver, plus firmware to display the data received from the transceiver. That hardware requires more space, so the Seven is longer and heavier than a Three.

The VIIx has a 20mHz Motorola Dragonball EZ CPU, 8MB of memory (essential to any ebook or AvantGo user) and uses PalmOS version 3.5; the (discontinued) VII has 2MB of memory, several different kinds of 16mHz CPU and uses PalmOS 3.2.5. Buy a VIIx, not a VII; it's faster and has 6MB more memory, which I personally covet for e-books, AvantGo feed and such.
 

¿What kind of a transceiver is it?

Palm included a Mobitex radio paging system transmitter-receiver (created by Ericsson , now coordinated by Bellsouth/Cingular in the states), which works in most major US metro areas and many suburban and rural areas (see coverage map ) (alternate map ), even indoors (YMMV). Mobitex is the same system used in 900 series RIM Blackberries (800 series Blackberries use DataTAC by Motient, who filed for bankruptcy protection; more on that later).
 

¿Can I send and receive email with it?

Yes. Anyone can send email via the Internet to you; you can send to any Internet email address. However, you can only see plain text email with the included iMessenger application; third party applications are required to deal with attachments.
 

¿Can I access web sites?

Yes. DPWeb (freeware and commercial versions) allows web browsing from a Seven, as do the freeware IKnapsack Browser , JPS Surewave (esp. good for OS 3.1 & below), Browser , the Thinker's Group web browser , PalmComm and Pendragon Browser . Java, JavaScript, Shockwave and complex graphics in general will not work, but better web designers build web sites which only provide text or simple to users of handheld devices; e.g., the Orycon XXIII website renders well on a Seven, as will any ADA-compliant site.
 

¿Can I access WAP sites, like many new cell phones can?

Yes. KBrowser can be loaded in a Seven for WAP browsing, as can Wapaka , the Thinker's Group WAP browser , j2wap and WAP Universe . Earthoid's WAP Search Engine may also be useful.
 

¿Can I do Instant Messaging and SMS?

Yes. ICQ has SMS support in their beta client ; PICQ is an ICQ client, as is ICpQa , or take a look at JabberPalm or Chat . SimpleWire claims to be able to send SMS to any SMS-enabled device.
 

¿What else can I do with it on the web?

Web Clipping Applications (WCAs, formerly known as PQAs or Palm Query Applications) allow developers to extract exactly the data which will fit over the narrow bandwidth of a battery-powered handheld. Practical handheld wireless requires the filtering of all the gubbage which bulk up web pages and WCAs do that well. Palm maintains a list of WCAs available for download, as does FreewarePalm .

The CBAV.PQA I find absolutely essential and pretty neat besides. ToDoLater will send the recipient a reminder email on the date & time you specify, also pretty useful.

Palm maintains a separate technical website at PalmOS , for developer's information which is handy for inquiring minds. Oh, yes, PQA/WCAs work on other PalmOS machines with a wireless connection of any kind, so long as the Palm Mobile Internet Kit or its files have been acquired; see Web Clipping with a Palm V .
 

¿How do I build Web Clipping Applications?

Palm's own information is a good place to start. Here are links to their Web Clipping Builder , a white paper on WCA development , info on Web clipping security and tutorials on Web clipping development. Other sources include PQANY.PRC in Boxer , the Poplet Kit and FileMaker Pro's Wireless Connection to Databases , as well as IBM's free web clipping tutorial .
 

¿What are the Palm.Net proxy settings? Palm keeps changing them.

Visit Palm.Net proxy settings at the PalmOS site.
 

¿What about accessories?

Stylii which fit the Three will fit the Seven. Other accessories for the Three are likely to work in the Seven, with the exception of cases, which must be custom-designed for the Seven. Accesories designed for the Five series of Palms will likely not fit the Seven, unless those items also fit the Three.

Most peripherals designed for the 5xx series and some designed for the 1xx series will fit the i705. It uses the same SD/MMC cards and the same Universal connector, but since the shape of the bottom is different, devices which fit to the body may not work properly on the i705 unless specifically designed for it.

Ask Before Buying. Always.
 

¿Which kind of battery should I use with the VII and the VIIx?

The Seven uses removable AAA batteries, as does the Three. Please note the Seven consumes batteries faster than Threes because the transceiver's internal NiCd battery must be recharged from the AAA batteries. Even if you don't transmit or receive with the Seven, the NiCd will need recharging periodically, due to its characteristic 'self-discharge'.

Throwaway alkaline batteries are the most popular, and can be obtained in bulk at discount from Costco , Office Depot , Radio Shack and other vendors.

Rechargable batteries will work, but will require changing more often, as rechargables do not hold as much of a charge as single-use batteries. Nickel-cadmium (NiCd) batteries are a bad fit for Palms, but nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH) and rechargeable alkaline (from Rayovac or Lenmar) batteries seem to work well. Rechargable alkalines live longer if recharged frequently, whereas Ni-MH batteries can be completely drained or only partially drained at charge time with no appreciable difference.

If you use rechargables,
   · choose a 'smart' charger that watches voltage to end charging, instead of ending by a timer
   · carry charged spare batteries and
   · use the {Shortcut}.7 feature to reset the battery meter for the type of battery you use.
 

¿What does Palm.Net cost?

It depends on which plan you subscribe to.

$/mo.	Free	Name	Step up at
10.38	100KB	ASSOCIATE	>200KB
41.71	all	EXECUTIVE	n/a
36.50	all	EXEC. ANNUAL	n/a

Use exceeding the free amount is billed to you at 20 cents/KB.

* Please note the Gore tax on telecommunications is included in this pricing, but other taxes can be added to your bill, depending on where you live. Caveat Tyrannis.
 

¿Which plan should I choose?

I suggest you consider starting with the Associate plan and monitor your usage. If your use exceeds 200KB every month, then consider increasing to the Executive or Executive Annual plan at that time. In the seven months my wife and I have used ours, I only exceeded the 50KB in the (no longer available) Basic plan three times, and my wife only once.

· If your use regularly exceeds 200KB/month, the Executive plan will save you money.
· Paying annually for the Executive Plan saves you $60/yr.
 

¿Can I pick up email sent to my Palm.net address through web-based email?

Yes. Visit the MyPalm site.

However, if you need to go outside Palm.net service area for extended periods, I suggest you get free web-based email with a forwarding option (e.g., Yahoo , among others).

Distribute that email address instead of your address at Palm.Net and use it in the Seven's iMessenger program (set it with Options | Preferences | Reply To). These services will forward your emails to the Palm until you tell them otherwise.

When you are about to leave the Palm.Net coverage area, turn off email forwarding, then pick up your email from the web until you return to a coverage area. When you do, go back to the web-based email service and turn forwarding back on.

This method can also be useful for folks who may at some future date (i.e., everyone) change their ISP, so you are no longer a captive of your ISP if you don't want to change your email address.
 

¿Can I use Sevens to pick up email from my ISP?

Yes. If your ISP has a POP3 email server, you may use these POP3 clients:  Eudora, Aileron, HoboMail, iPopper or ThinAirMail . Juno has a client, as does Yahoo! .
 

¿How do I buy a 705 for the best price possible?

New: See C|Net's Shopping | Handheld | Systems | Prices for a current list showing who's selling the i705 on line, but also make sure that freight, shipping, insurance while in transit and all other charges are included in the price you agree to pay.

Used: The USENET newsgroups alt.comp.sys.palmtops.pilot and comp.sys.palmtops.pilot (best read with Forte's Agent or Free Agent news reader software if you have a PC) often have postings from folks trading up, or who wish to sell for other reasons, as does eBay .
 

¿How fast is Mobitex? What are the speeds of competing wireless data systems?

DSL, it ain't. It's limited to only 8 kbps, which is 41% of the throughput ceiling of the 19.2 kbps analog CDPD data system  used for the US versions of OmniSky and Novatel  modems for the Palm Five and Handspring Visors, as well as Windows-based handhelds and laptops with PC Card and Compact Flash modems. CDPD is operated in the US by both ATT & Verizon Wireless; other providers just resell their services.

Many reports have appeared on Palm-centric web pages and in the USENET newsgroups alt.comp.sys.palmtops.pilot and comp.sys.palmtops.pilot to indicate the Mobitex of the Palm Sevens is more stable and that coverage is better when compared to CDPD. A comparison cnfirms the latter, but, of course, YMMV.

There's another wireless data system called DataTac (operated by Motient, who filed for bankruptcy protection), which, like Mobitex, also evolved from a paging service. Blackberries in the 800 series use 19.2 kbps Motient/DataTAC; the 900 series Blackberries use 8 kbps Mobitex (just like Sevens) and the Blackberry 5820 uses GPRS.

A $249 Motient/DataTAC sled for the Five with $50/mo. service is announced for US sale (see US coverage map ) following its US trade show debut ; it's been sold in Australia .
 

¿What are the special maintenance needs of a wireless Palm?

The cache of web pages will accumulate and consume memory. Deleting the web clipping cache file periodically or in periods of heavy web use will recover significant memory (especially with a VII). The file is named ClipperCache and its 'creator' is 'Clipper'. Freeware program which do this include dbCleaner and Filez but there are others you may prefer.
 
 

¿Why should I buy the Seven instead of another Palm and an add-on modem?

Click here for one fair-minded comparison.

CDPD add-on modems ( coverage map here ) are available for Palms, IBM WorkPad Palm clones and Handsprings from Novatel , WISPandOmnisky (no Palm III/Workpad modems from the latter). Depending on when and how you buy, there may be a rebate available which would eventually arrive and reduce the modem cost; but you pay for it in the cost of the service. For a review of where CDPD works and where it does not, check above. Also, visit the YahooGroup for Omnisky , which documents numerous problems with the now bankrupt service.

Service providers offer different plans (shown here in price order - prices may change);
Some plans only work in the carrier's service area:

· Omnisky ($400/yr, no service for the Minstrel III - look for price changes as now in bankruptcy)

· ATT Wireless ($30/mo. plus $45 activation - but no email service included!) (no roaming to Verizon territories)

· Verizon Wireless ($25/mo. - activation unknown) (no roaming to ATTWS territories)

· GoAmerica (repackaging Verizon and ATT Wireless, $45/mo. plus $30 setup)
    (warning: One subscriber noted in USENET his heavy use resulted in being removed from the unlimited plan) and

YadaYada has redshirted and has left the market, as has Snapscape. WISP is trying to sell through a reseller, Mobilegent.

Make sure you know if the CDPD service provider will also provide ISP services (email & web browsing). If not, know what adding the services important to you will cost before making your decision. If you need to add the ISP cost, then CDPD becomes more expensive still.

Some providers (Snapscape and WISP) add proprietary compression software which they claim improves throughput. Discussions by some in a.c.s.p.p. and c.s.p.p. reveal they found compression of little merit, and I have not found a disinterested review proving compression helps. YMMV.
 

¿What's available for data service on a Sony handheld?
Sony has released a $200 data-only CDPD sled using GoAmerica as a portal at $40/mo. It will only work on monochrome Clies .
 

¿How do I use cellphones for user device data service to my handheld?
See my Cellular Data FAQ at http://celdata.cjb.net
 

¿Can I use a Palm and a cellphone to connect to a free ISP?

Yes. See Connecting to 'free' ISPs via cellphone courtesy Dave's Info Page for information on using Palms with ad-sponsored ISPs. If you use Verizon, here are tips on using their free ISP and Verizon documentation in PDF format; Sprint users have a similar free ISP available, as does Voicestream . Other celfon cariers do not provide ISP service so you must use your celfon to connect to your ISP, and if your ISP does not support a 9.6-14.4 kbps connection, you are out of luck.
 

¿What about 802.11b, or Wi-Fi, for short-range connections to a LAN?
It's short range; you've got to have a LAN nearby which supports 802.11b (3 blocks or so unless there's some really good engineering involved) AND which will allow you to connect to the net.  The Xircom Springboard module will provide 802.11b connection for a Handspring; here's pricing for it and a review of it. You can also add a Parachute sled to a Palm III series and a PC Card 802.11b card if the drivers are ever tested - not yet, though.  The Orinoco and Symbol cards are said to be the best because they will use a full 100mw; most cards will not.  May I suggest you visit http://www.teleport.com/~samc/psuwireless for an introduction to short range wireless?
 

¿What about Bluetooth?
It's really short range; 20' or less if what I've seen work.  However, if you have an Ericsson T39 GSM celfon, it could be useful; see my Cellular Data FAQ at http://celdata.cjb.net for more info on GSM. Xircom has a Springboard module and Widcomm has a development kit with Springboard modules.
 

¿What else competes with a Seven as an all-in-one PalmOS wireless handheld?

Samsung's $420 SPH-i300 color PalmPhone started shipping in September 2001; here's the PC World review and my review. It's the only color PalmPhone with analog as well as digital (and that's very important for voice cellphone use if you travel outside urban areas).  It uses CDMA on Sprint's PCS (1900mHz) network, and has no data service when roaming.  There's also AMPS for voice-only service when off the Sprint net (but AMPS will draw down batteries fast). Sprint provides inbound email and paging connectivity, but no outbound email yet unless you use (free) Eudoramail to connect to your own POP3 or IMAP email host. It has swappable batteries, a must for the professional user.

New in the world of Palmphones are the Treos from Handspring. The 270 is a GSM 900/1900mHz phone, suitable in Europe as well as the Americas (with the caveat that GSM coverage is much weaker in North America; see http://celdata.cjb.net for details). The 300 is a CDMA2000 1xRTT 1900mHz phone,. with the backwards compatability with CDMAone networks that's built into CDMA. However, neither have analog service nor do they have swappable batteries.

Kyocera's QCP-6035 has earned goodreviews, and this second-generation PDAphone is available now from Verizon, Sprint and other carriers. See the Unofficial QCP-6035 page and the review from The Gadgeteer. It should be noted that you may not have data service if you are roaming, even if digital roaming, so pick your cellular carrier carefully. It does offer AMPS (analog) service as well as dual-band CDMA for voice service only. OfficeMax has offered the 6035 TFN in OfficeMax retail storefronts only, for $250 with a $50 rebate, requiring Sprint activation... sorry, Verizon fans. Here's the MySimon link for comparison price shopping.

The VisorPhone snaps into a Visor, Visor Deluxe, Prism or Platinum, and turns the Visor into both a PalmOS computer and a GSM cellphone (GSM, 900mHz & 1900mHz, for both North America and elsewhere). Data service is at 9.6kbps, marginally faster than the 8kpbs Mobitex network of the Palm Seven. Here's one review of the VisorPhone from Tech TV and also the Visor Phone FAQ . The VisorPhone is GSM-only; it does not support AMPS, so no analog roaming, the universal backup for North American celfons.

The VisorPhone is free in the states with the purchase of any Visor from Handspring, or $99 from the website without a contract. Since the cost of cell phone service from a GSM provider may not include data service, please check with the carrier before making any decisions.  Voicestream allows you to use voice minutes for data; their $30/mo. data package gives you 1,500 more data-only minutes for Mobile Web Addicts.

The VisorPhone will not work unless you have a local GSM cell phone system provider who will support it, and who offers data connectivity, and will not be as inexpensive as a Seven to operate for email and light browsing. Since only 69% of the US population has GSM coverage, you may be disappointed with it. It's also been reported that earlier Visors will not work with the VisorPhone, and that Handspring will replace them on request if you find your Visor will not work with a VisorPhone. YMMV.

Here is a review comparing the VisorPhone and the Kyocera 6035.

Sprint's $250 Airprime SB-3000 is a superior competitor to the VisorPhone. It is a CDMA, PCS-only-band (i.e., no digital roaming through Verizon, no AMPS analog for off-net roaming) device, AKA Digital Link . It delivers data at 14.4kbps today, 80-144kbps when Sprint goes 3G with just a software update. Today's rates are 50-500% faster than a VisorPhone, and CDMA has 7x the users in North America that GSM does. Here's more from PalmInfoCenter.
 

¿Is their email secure?

The SPH-i300, Kyocera 6035 and the original Qualcomm ('brick') pdQ are secure because they use CDMA, an inherently secure cellular system.  Less secure are GSM, iDEN and TDMA devices like the Handspring Treo 270 and VisorPhone, as it's much easier to evesdrop on time-multiplexed signals than on CDMA signals.
 

¿Are there wireless clip-on attachments for the m100 or m500 series Palms?

None shipping at this time. Vapourware abounds.
 

¿What's coming soon which competes with the Sevens?

Samsung's got a 3G color PalmPhone, the SPH-m330, in the works for CDMA2000 networks (Verizon, Sprint). The device is smaller and lighter than the orignial Color PalmPhone and uses packet data instead of dial-up, for significantly better throughput.  Tests at the Salt Lake City Olympic games were quite positive.

Palm's long-term plan is to offer GSM/GPRS connectivity in handhelds using ARM-type processors and Palm OS 5, sometime within the decade.
 

¿Are there wireless clip-on attachments for Five series Palms?

Three GSM 'sled' modems also provide cel service outside of North America; one's headed to the US from OhFish:

· Ubinetics 900/1800mHz GSM Palm fon

· RealVision 900/1800mHz CarpeDiem V

· OhFish ... tri-band GSM/GPRS M3 and 900/1800mHzGSM V51

Two other sleds provide Seven-like data-only service; one's headed for the US:

· DotWAP's NE01

· Wavenet's Dualwave ... AKA the Motient Mobile Modem.

The sleds use another wireless data system called Motient (AKA DataTAC), which, like Mobitex, also evolved from a paging service. Blackberries in the 800 series use 19.2 kbps Motient/DataTAC; the 900 series Blackberries use 8 kbps Cingular/Mobitex (just like Sevens) and the new Enterprise edition will use GPRS.

The $249 Motient Mobile Modem sled for the Five with $50/mo. service is now available for US sale; it's been sold in Australia. It's supposed to offer the 'always-on' pagability of the Blackberries which was a major selling point of the (postponed) Palm i715.  Motient (who filed for bankruptcy protection) claims to cover 220 million people nationwide and 99 percent of the 565 most populated cities (see US coverage map )
 

¿Where do I find other FAQs for Palms?

www.nicholson.com/rhn/palm is a good place to start; it lists other Palm FAQs.
 

¿What are good sites for wireless Internet links?

See MyMobileStuff, PlinkIt!, The Mobile Onion and Weathermatrix.
 

¿What about that WinCE thingy that Microsoft keeps pushing?

See a fair-minded comparison here .
 

¿What's a good book on Palms?

O'Reilly's PalmPilot: The Ultimate Guide, 2nd Edition (AKA the "flying squirrel" book).
 

¿Where do I get a current version of this FAQ?

This FAQ currently lives at 503bartley.com and at Kiloseven.blogspot.com
 

¿Where do I contact you?
Drop me a note with problems at my site above with suggestions, changes or really good rumours.