Availability of Palm Desktop by ACCESS 6.2 for Windows Vista

We previously released a beta version of the Palm Desktop by Access (version 6.2) that is compatible with Windows Vista. Since releasing the beta version, we have been working with users and adding functionality to provide a more complete solution, which is now available. This application includes the following features and enhancements:

Integrated Desktop: Provides a single desktop and conduit compatibility across all Palm OS 3.5.x through 5.4.x devices.

Enterprise Friendly HotSync Enhancements: HotSync Manager 7.0 is a standalone application, and no longer requires Palm Desktop to be installed on the computer. All use management functionality has been moved into Hot Sync Migration Tools: installer checks for the latest settings and reports any known incompatibilities with third-party software.

Multilingual Support: Localized in Brazilian Portuguese, English, French, Italian, German and Spanish.

Install Tool: The Install Tool, which replaces the "Palm Quick Install" tool, allows you to sync .prc and .pdb files (Palm OS applications and databases) to your device.

Outlook 2007 Synchronization: Allows you to use your USB sync cable to synchronize with Outlook 2007's Calendar, Contacts, Tasks and Notes. This version includes all previously released software updates such as the Outlook 2007 Update.

Supported Devices: Palm Desktop by Access 6.2 was designed to support the following devices on the Windows XP, Media Center Edition, and Vista platforms:

• Palm Centro
• Treo 650, 680, 700p, 755p
• Palm TX, Z22
• Tungsten E2

Who should update: Customers using Palm Desktop 4.2 on Windows 2000 or Windows XP do not need to migrate to version 6.2. Customers using Palm Desktop 6.2 Beta should migrate to the full version of Palm Desktop 6.2. Macintosh customers should take no action.

You can find additional information about the New Desktop here and on the Palm support site.

Tim P. - Senior Product Manager, Smartphones

Comments

[stevew]

Where are the colors????? I've had Palm devices since the initial Palm Pilot and have been very loyal....but, apparently, its time to switch to some other system. I've finally had it with Palm!

[TammyC]

Why on earth would you get rid of the color coding feature. Being able to visually see where my time is alloted is a big plus.
Please bring them back.

[Dominick]

With HotSync Manager 7.0, can I choose just to sync Outlook Calendar and nothing else? If so, can I sync one-way from Outlook (and not to Outlook)?

Thank you.

[Skip Sanders]

When will Palm Desktop for Vista 31 be available?

[Mike Bassett]

I would like to see the color come back on the calender entries please.

[Mark]

When is the 64bit Vista version going to be ready?

[Paul]

It's amazing that this is Palm's official blog and they aren't taking the opportunity to actually communicate with the user base. This is a basic truth of today's Web 2.0 world... you need to speak to your users' needs. There are no excuses. Palm clearly must be in real trouble if they are letting these problems go unanswered and unaddressed for so long. My advice to Palm is to seek a change in management, rethink and relaunch your company before it is too late.

Between Windows-based and Apple-based devices (not to mention the Blackberry) there is not much room for another competitor anymore, even one like yourselves who helped to launch the industry. Your best bet from a business perspective would be to reposition yourselves as someone who enables pluggability with open-source systems. Use Mozilla as your browser, OpenOffice as your document formats, and make your desktop products easy to synchronize. Everyone else is staying proprietary, so this would give you a leg up.

From my perspective, as a late adopter of personal handheld devices, using the latest Sprint deal to get myself into a Palm, I have to say I am quite dismayed about the lack of features, lack of support for synchronization, no support for Windows Vista 64, and lack of responsiveness on the blog. Not to mention that your support person actually recommended that I downgrade my OS to support my phone, or run a dual operating system. I had to laugh at him. That is like buying the wrong spark plug for my car and being told to buy a new car. Ludicrous and out of touch.

[Michael]

Palm Desktop 6.2.2 has no color for the categories???!!!. Since when did we go back to the 1950's and only have black & white?
You'd think that they could figure out how to work in color - everyone else has.

[Still Waiting]

Long time Palm owner with new Vista x64 machine. Where's the support guys? How hard could it be? You are forcing me to start looking at alternatives.

[WHAT'S THE DEAL PALM???]

like many here I've been a loyal and true user of palm...10+ years...and SHOCKED that there is no colors for calendar or category. Also, where is the repeat for TASK!!! Hello, some task need to happen over and over...i happily went and bought my palm centro this past weekend, so finally I didn't have to carry around my phone and my palm, but heck if I want what I had I need to carry around my old palm and use my centro as a phone....FIX IT ALREADY...LOOK AT ALL THESE POST, IT'S THE SAME COMPLAINTS MONTH AFTER MONTH....

I agree with sippakorn. It would be very helpful if you brought back the color coding in the calendar application. It makes it so easy to identify when you can color code. Please Please make another update and include the color coding in the calendar application.

[Dana]

If I would have know that palm would remove the color coded option on the new version of palm I would not have changed versions--now I cannot get the older version to sync properly and I am very, very frustrated.

I would got as far to say that if I had known that color coding would not be a possibility I would have thought about switching to the Iphone instead of the Centro, even though I have always been a fan of the palm software-the lack of color coding is a huge issue for me and I am very, very disappointed.

[newphnnewcomp]

Really? I have a brand new computer with Vista64 and a brand new phone and they can't talk to each other. Where's the patch please?!

[Jon Zilber, Palm Inc.]

Palm OS users who use a 64-bit PC are having a few issues, including the fact that they can’t color code items – for example, a Treo 650 might support tagging an item in green, but, depending on what version of Palm Desktop you’re using, the color coding may be lost when you view your data on the PC within Palm desktop.

While we frequently provide software updates to rectify product issues, we don’t currently have one in place for this specific one. We explored the possibility of creating a 64-bit Palm Desktop and HotSync Manager, but decided against it for now. Like any business, we have finite resources we need to continuously weigh the tradeoffs involved as we decide which upgrades and new products to pursue. Palm will explore offering support for this issue then, and your feedback will help guide us. In the meantime, all Palm users can continue to take advantage of our support site at http://www.palm.com/us/support/.

[brum]

Avoid download!

If you need more answers that Palm just wont give about the compatibility of Centro etc with older (more functional) Palm Desktop versions, see here: http://forum.treonauts.com/palm-smartphones/centro/7835-palm-desktop-4-1-4-vs-access-desktop-6-2-2-a-2.html

It really helped me.

[DM Ressegue]

I just loaded Palm Desktop by Access because my handheld was not recognized by desktop (after loading all software after Vista crashed). When the new software loaded all of my old palm data was gone completely. Now I want to sync to the handheld to load old information and it asks for a password. I have never used a password and cannot get past this problem. HELP!

[Luis Torres]

WAO!!! You guys just released 2 new phones with a lot of potential but that's it!! If the customers are considering jumping from the iPhone to the Pre they better think again. When was the last time you updated this software?

Not only the software your website... I did a search for Palm Desktop 6.2.2. and came across this post from January 21, 2008 and not only that almost ALL the comments are negative ones! Do you really expect to save the company with this kind of service?

I been reading a lot about the Pre deciding if a should get 1 now or wait for Apple to send the iPhone via another carrier and all I have came across are negative comments from lack of quality (plastic feeling of the unit, cheap finish) sharp edges, not enough memory without upgrade posibility, no video recording capacity.

Really Palm we are in the 21st century the age of technology if you want to save whats left of the company get along with the program and use some up to date technology not that Windows 3.1 look and do a better workmanship with the units! We the customers what a unit that can deliver in every possible way, software and hardware wise, that can stand the every day use and abuse!

Grab an iPhone in your hand, feel it, play with it, work with it and them make one better with the same or even better quality and support!

[Greg]

I have used Palm for over 10 years and have been waiting for the Pre for a long time. I presently use the 700p. The fact that the Pre does not sync color categories WILL prevent me from moving to the new platform. I hope you guys fix this or after 10+ years I will be loking for a new vendor.

[PanPeter]

IMMEDIATELY INFORM THE LOYAL PALM USERS WHEN DO YOU PLAN TO UPGRADE TO COLOUR CODING VERSION. DON'T JUST SIT THERE - START WORKING ON IT.

[Fred]

My local user account recently got corrupted so I had to create a new user account on this computer. Of course I had to reinstall Palm Desktop again because it refuses to run under any other user than the one on which it was installed, fine. I was pleased to find that there was a new version, but was horrified to find all of my data missing after reinstalling. This was a feature that I had used for the past 11 years, being able to just install over top of the previous install/uninstall and have the user data come back. Even after creating a new user and syncing, the data was missing from the palm desktop due to the software reverting back to a previous Palm Device->Outlook setting that I once used. It was only after going to a command line and running a "Outlookswitch.exe /palm" was I able to get the data from my Treo to show up on my desktop.

Once I got my data on the screen, I was once again aghast in disappointment seeing the color categories removed, a feature I fell in love with when I first saw it on my Palm TX a few years ago.

This forced upgrade was actually a downgrade for me. I can't see any reason why someone would want to actually upgrade to this version. This ugly version has been out for a year already and I can't believe that it hasn't been fixed yet. I plan on uninstalling it immediately and reinstalling with the old version if I can find it. Let's just hope that it hasn't messed up any of the databases on my handheld.

[Jane Rodgers]

Yeah, the colors being gone is a huge inconvenience.

I have been a loyal and happy Palm user for years, but if the features are now stepping back rather than forward, I can't justify my next purchase of Palm. It's very disappointing.

I read you can download an older version to get the old functionality, but haven't tried it yet.

[hj]

Where are the colors gone?

removing ACCESS software.

..
installing old palm desktop 4.1.4

the tx does not care.... it works and my old tungsten|t is still going strong ( 9 years old !)

[Sue]

I just installed the new palm desktop and like all the other postings, a BIG feature for me was the use of colors for the calendar, also to keep work and kids straight. Also, like the other users, when my contract is up on my 700p, I will go to another manufacturer. Truly disappointing.

[Chris]

What an absolute nightmare! Bought a new laptop so thought I'd update the Palm OS at the same time as I transferred .... no support for coloured categories!! I use it to separate social from business and to distinguish logged from charged time. Going to uninstall and see if I can get back to v4.1.4; it worked well enough on XP so fingers crossed for W7.

At a time where everyone is fighting to introduce bigger, brighter, better features.... Palm take several steps backwards!! :(

[J_G]

I can only echo the dissapointment stated by others. It is very difficult to workout the rationale of releasing such harsh (ugly) looking interface in today's market and to defeature the application on top. What were you thinking?????

Having been a user of desktop for a very long time, I am really baffled by the decision making at Palm. You should provide some sort of explanation.