Last Palm Pilot model to use serial connection/Classic OS support?

[Byrd]

Hi,

I've always had a love for Palm Pilots (I used a Palm V for years for work, and I still miss it); I'd like to pick up the last Palm Pilot that came with a serial connector/docking station and run Palm Desktop 4.x on a 68K or PPC running a Classic OS (most likely a TAM with OS 9.1).

I suspect it might be the Palm OS 4.x-based "M" series (eg. M500, M515), they all came with USB docking stations but you could get a serial cable for it.

I'd consider a later Palm OS 5.x-based Tungsten, but I can't seem to find any information if it works with Palm Desktop 4/Classic OS, and it's definitely USB only.

Thanks

JB

 

[bibilit]

Hi,

I am a big fan of Palm units, i should have most of them, as they worth next to nothing (my wife still using her Vx everyday)

Never have used any with my Macs, just after the Vx series, all of them used USB instead of Serial, including the M 1xx series.

If you have the choice, try to find yourself a Vx, in  my opinion is the best of the line, being light and thin, a nice battery.

If you want something vintage, go for the III series.

 

[lisa2]

FYI, the newest Palm OS 5.x-based Tungsten palms DO support serial comms, it's just that the serial is TTY level and not RS232.  These Palms and others that have the "Multi-connector":

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Multi-Connector

These can hotsync via serial, but you will need a TTY to RS232 level converter in the cable.

Older  OS 5.x units with the "Universal-connector" have true RS232 signals and will work also.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Universal_Connector

Also, there were some USB only palms like the Zire 72, but even those have bluethooth support and could do serial syncing via a bluethooth to serial adapter.  

All these Palm can hotsync via IR also, and there are IR to serial adapters out there.  

HTH,

Rick

 

[Gorgonops]

FYI, the newest Palm OS 5.x-based Tungsten palms DO support serial comms, it's just that the serial is TTY level and not RS232. 

Nitpick: TTL not TTY.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Handspring Visor Deluxe + SpringBoard Expansion Slot +

Wikipedia

Cell Phone Module = way precursor to modern Cell Phones. Never got a phone module though as I had adopted cell phones fairly early on (Motorola DPC550?) but the EyeModule 2 was my first digital camera. Targus Stowaway Keyboard (folding portable) was the bombe!

I too loved the Palm MacPac version 2 Desktop organizer software. Just pulled the whole shebang out of the IKEAboxen. Never realized the software worked all the way back to OS 7.5.3 and up! I may need to set this up again if only for shiggles and gits. Thanks for the romp down memory lane!

It's too bad the stickers are a little too big to put on the back of my accursed iPhone. }

 

[Byrd]

Hi all,

I've been looking for a suitable Palm PDA for a while to run alongside my Classic Mac setups, M5x0 models are pretty common and cheap but the USB cradles (and associated serial connector) are very light on the ground these days.

Ended up getting a boxed Palm Vx for $1.25 off eBay with the works - considering I used a Palm V as noted above for years, this will go down nicely.  Unfortunately it's not the "Claudia Schiffer" edition, as  mentioned in the wiki page!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Vx

JB

 

[bibilit]

Congrats,

Again, the Vx is one of the best units made by Palm.

Never seen a CS unit myself, as IIRC those were only sold online, but apart from a different color and some software, where standard units.

 

[Byrd]

Thanks bibilit!

The Palm V was probably one of Palm's finest models as their PDA range made after this seemed to always be playing catch-up with Windows CE and early smartphones of the time.  I don't think the PIM side of things has ever been matched in another other PDA/smartphone since.

Looks like I'll be doing a head to head of this vs. a Newton 2100 - I suspect the Palm will win out on most features.

JB

 

[bibilit]

The Palm V was probably one of Palm's finest models as their PDA range made after this seemed to always be playing catch-up with Windows CE and early smartphones of the time. I don't think the PIM side of things has ever been matched in another other PDA/smartphone since.

I agree with you.

 

[Bunsen]

MiniMusic make MIDI control software for old serial Palms (as well as musical apps for newer Palms, and iPhones).  The below is from their hardware recommendations page.
 

Some Palm Tungsten and Treo models support both USB and limited serial, but special expensive cables [1] are needed for MIDI over serial on these models.
 

The Tungsten T is probably the best bet for both software synthesis (our Krikit Audio Engine) and MIDI connectivity, although it requires a patch to do MIDI (called SerialFix). For connecting to MIDI hardware we recommend older handhelds like the Palm m500, m505, m515, m100, m105, m130, and older models.

[1] presumably, that's the TTL to RS232 converter, which nowadays can be had for a handful of small change on ebay, if you don't mind making up your own cable.