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Kalatti is offline Kalatti
2021-03-18 , 14:00
Posts: 151 | Thanked: 222 times | Joined on Aug 2017 @ Spain
#1
Hello everybody!

I recently became interested in the old Palm system: Palm OS, and its PDAs. I wanted to know what this system looked like visually and what would be the best device to test it (and the one that I liked the most). This search through all devices with the latest Palm OS public OS led me to one result: Palm Centro, which seemed like a combination of PDAs of the time and a smart mobile phone.

It was a small device, compact, compared to typical PDAs ... and very nice, really beautiful on the outside (and I hope also on the inside).

I thought I would find a Palm Centro for sale easily, but I didn't. The ads I found for the Palm Centro I found were extremely expensive, in very poor condition, or without shipping to my country. Hope was almost lost.

I remembered The Forum, which is really The Family: TMO. So I posted a thread in the buying and selling section asking if anyone had one of these phones.

Our partner @deutch1976 helped me by sending me some eBay listing links, but they had the drawbacks I mentioned earlier. I had already given up hope of finding a Palm Centro.

I looked for a second best option: Palm Treo 680. I thought it would be easier to find a good one, but it was not like that either.

When I posted my message in response to @deutch1976 I realized that there was a message from another colleague on this forum.

This message from @robthebold could not bring better news: his wife has a beautiful Palm Centro in elegant black.

A box of dreams:



The good news did not end here. This Palm Centro was GSM, compatible with the networks of my country. In addition, it had its box and accessories.

Well, I was very lucky this time, but there was a last detail that I did not expect. Phones surprise us, but it is no longer common for people to do so. And that's what happened. Colleague @robthebold was kind and generous not to charge me anything for this wonderful machine from the past, just the shipping costs.

And here I am, very grateful to find a new illusion in the form of a trip to the past and excited to belong to this family.
Last edited by Kalatti; 2021-03-18 at 14:17.
 

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Kalatti is offline Kalatti
2021-03-18 , 14:00
Posts: 151 | Thanked: 222 times | Joined on Aug 2017 @ Spain
#2
Message to post my progress with Palm OS.
---

Palm Desktop and HotSync (Installation and Configuration):

https://palmdb.net/help/hotsync-windows-10

Installing Palm Desktop 6.2.2 on Windows 10 gave me no problems. This also installs the HotSync Manager.

Before starting Palm Desktop, I set up the HotSync Manager. In this I did have a small problem: the Bluetooth connection option did not appear in the Connections section.

Solution: close HotSync Manager and activate Bluetooth in Windows Settings. When I opened the HotSync Manager again, I was able to see and activate the Bluetooth connection option.
---
When I have the phone, I will install the Aceeca 64-bit drivers and link the phone with HotSync. As it was one of the last Palm phones, I don't think I need to buy a serial to USB adapter.
---

Next step (PowerSDHC):

https://palmdb.net/app/powersdhc

Connect your Palm to the internet via a Windows computer:

https://palmdb.net/app/softick-ppp

Hacking tools:

https://palmdb.net/app/hackme

https://palmdb.net/app/hackmaster
Last edited by Kalatti; 2021-03-20 at 17:32.
 

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bradvesp is offline bradvesp
2021-03-21 , 09:56
Posts: 70 | Thanked: 112 times | Joined on Aug 2010 @ USA
#4
cool.
...
i remember considering Palm devices when I bought the N900. I like that the N900 is palm (not Palm) sized and has a stylus one can use so it looks like I'm writing notes on my hand's palm.
...
so, now, how does one install the Palm OS on an N900 so as to keep a palm shape and sized device?
 

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Kalatti is offline Kalatti
2021-03-21 , 12:49
Posts: 151 | Thanked: 222 times | Joined on Aug 2017 @ Spain
#5
Originally Posted by bradvesp View Post
cool.
...
i remember considering Palm devices when I bought the N900. I like that the N900 is palm (not Palm) sized and has a stylus one can use so it looks like I'm writing notes on my hand's palm.
...
so, now, how does one install the Palm OS on an N900 so as to keep a palm shape and sized device?
I've never read that PalmOS can be installed on the N900, but ...

https://palmdb.net/category/tools-emu/
 

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robthebold is offline robthebold
2021-03-21 , 15:41
Posts: 1,038 | Thanked: 3,980 times | Joined on Nov 2010 @ USA
#6
There is a Garnet VM for N900, but the device will, of course, remain physically the same size.

It's a decent emulator, and completely usable, except that if it crashes -- and it occasionally does -- it takes all your data with it and starts over fresh. That's sad if you have a lot of data, because you can't sync it AFAIK. But having it was great, since I no longer needed to bring my Visor and my N900 along grocery shopping to use my favorite app: HandyShopper.
 

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javispedro is offline javispedro
2021-03-24 , 00:42
Posts: 2,355 | Thanked: 5,249 times | Joined on Jan 2009 @ Barcelona
#7
Originally Posted by robthebold View Post
It's a decent emulator, and completely usable, except that if it crashes -- and it occasionally does -- it takes all your data with it and starts over fresh. That's sad if you have a lot of data, because you can't sync it AFAIK. But having it was great, since I no longer needed to bring my Visor and my N900 along grocery shopping to use my favorite app: HandyShopper.
You can enable a SD card on GarnetVM and then use a standard PalmOS backup application to quickly load/restore. It was my first post on this forum

Actually it was my second message . However, use this better approach which does not require a desktop Garnet VM.
Last edited by javispedro; 2021-04-04 at 16:10.
 

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bradvesp is offline bradvesp
2021-04-04 , 13:30
Posts: 70 | Thanked: 112 times | Joined on Aug 2010 @ USA
#8
Originally Posted by javispedro View Post
... It was my first post on this forum
So, back to the start to do it again.
(there's a Metallica song with lyrics like those)
...
I've liked the N900 and Maemo, the ash shell et. al. and imagine I'd like the next iteration (you know, depending on the improvements).
 

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levone1 is offline levone1
2021-04-04 , 16:04
Posts: 202 | Thanked: 385 times | Joined on Jul 2018
#9
Brings back memories ... I loved PalmOS. I had 3 Centros over the course of a couple of years, and tried a couple of Treos, but preferred the Centro. I dropped it when WebOS came out, which I thought was excellent, (I still have 2 Veers and 2 Pre2s). I can't imagine getting back into PalmOS at this point, but I'll tell you one of my favorite things to play with was the JVM. I don't know if there's still a way to get it, but there was a series of prc files packaged as "PalmOS IBM JVM" or something like that, and if you installed them, you could run mobile java (jar) apps on your Centro. I remember using a Sprint Centro on Boost mobile, (not officially supported by Boost, but you could get them to do it), and installing the JVM, then installing Opera Mini browser, and somehow getting free internet, as long as I was connected to the cell network. Couldn't download, but could load web pages withoit any data charge... It got more interesting on WebOS, when the Classic app came out, and then you could run java apps on PalmOS on WebOS...
 

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Kalatti is offline Kalatti
2021-04-04 , 17:17
Posts: 151 | Thanked: 222 times | Joined on Aug 2017 @ Spain
#10
Originally Posted by levone1 View Post
Brings back memories ... I loved PalmOS. I had 3 Centros over the course of a couple of years, and tried a couple of Treos, but preferred the Centro. I dropped it when WebOS came out, which I thought was excellent, (I still have 2 Veers and 2 Pre2s). I can't imagine getting back into PalmOS at this point, but I'll tell you one of my favorite things to play with was the JVM. I don't know if there's still a way to get it, but there was a series of prc files packaged as "PalmOS IBM JVM" or something like that, and if you installed them, you could run mobile java (jar) apps on your Centro. I remember using a Sprint Centro on Boost mobile, (not officially supported by Boost, but you could get them to do it), and installing the JVM, then installing Opera Mini browser, and somehow getting free internet, as long as I was connected to the cell network. Couldn't download, but could load web pages withoit any data charge... It got more interesting on WebOS, when the Classic app came out, and then you could run java apps on PalmOS on WebOS...
https://palmdb.net/app/jvm

This?
 

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