The Tungsten PDA

PalmOS have always existed in the so-called "hacks", which are applications that will install in our Palm and adding or modifying certain properties caracterísistcas or operating system. To run the hacks was necessary to have a manager hacks like HackMaster, TealMaster or X-master.

The problem of hacks was to install a given that you can give us any problems. For example, to install the Afterburner or FASTCPU normally stop operating the infrared and accessories such as keyboards. It was settled just off the hack in question.

In view of the instability that could be introduced in Palm OS 5 and are not supported. In their place are used Accesories Desktop or DA. They're not hacks because they do not run constantly in the background, but only when they're called, but neither program because it alone can not run.

The advantage of the DA is the ability to run without having to leave the application in progress in which we find ourselves. In this way, for example, if we have Docs to Go and want to hear a paper by infrared, we can activate them without having to exit the program. Or we can vary the amount allocated to the games without leaving the game, among many other useful features. Another detail is that for most of the DAS that we can find are free.

As we have said, the DA require another application to be executed. For this reason these other programs are called Launchers. There are few Launchers, but that I use, which is also free DA Launcher. Its operation is simple: when we activate it adds a new icon on the command bar PalmOS, so we see if we wrote a diagonal line from bottom to top in the area of graffiti. This icon displays a list of all the DAS installed, and you just have to select the one we want to launch. In addition, it gives the option to select two DAS favorites that appear with its own icon in the toolbar (in yellow and green) to allow for a fast pitch. For those who uséis a Palm with Palm OS 5 above, you have a version of DA Launcher as a hack.

The menu of DA Launcher with all our DA

Now that we know how to use the DAS, we need to know they exist. In the post on the solution to the problems with the NVFS already talking about DbCacheTool, and that included a DA to release the DbCache when quisiésemos without going into the program. But there are many more. Then I include a summary list of the most useful DAS, which I have benefited from the excellent tutorial Experts PDA in which I'm basing:

• AsciiPop: Shows a panel with the ASCII characters of the operating system, displaying all kinds of information about them and allowing copied to the clipboard, very useful in introducing international characters.
• ClipDA: A simple clipboard that can be used in applications that do not support the Palm OS itself. It allows you to add a tap with the time and date.
• CoolDA: An essential, available in shareware and freeware. The difference is that the shareware version offers more functions. The DA can control all the choices of our system since the implementation where we are. Provides information about the battery, date and time of the system, available memory and RAM on all cards, the ability to edit the volume, activate the infrared, change the status of the records hidden, perform a soft reset and adjust the brightness.
• EzConvDA: A DA for working with international measures. Convert weights, lengths, temperatures, etc., and from different units. It allows the option of transferring the results to the clipboard, making it ideal for launching it on a spreadsheet or a Word document.
• Tiny DAS: A set of four DAS. Flipper, the screen rotates 180 degrees at T3 and T5. StatBar, a small utility that hides the bottom toolbar in these two models. ToggleFS, to activate and deactivate rapidly FontSmoother. RotateDA, the screen rotates 90 degrees for the T3 and T5 (does the same as the icon on the toolbar, but in combination with Flipper can get extra rotations).
• NetConnectDA: Allows you to enable or disable the default connection that we have in System Preferences, or directly open the pane of Network Preferences. Can be used to establish connections without having to leave the web browser or mail client in which we find ourselves.
• OmakeDA: A program note by show of hands, which displays a field to transcribe Graffiti through what we have suggested in the note and be able to copy it directly to the clipboard. In this way, we can use the field hand to jot a note or a number of quick and, later, and with more calm, move it to the clipboard and copy it in a memo, a contact or appointment.
• Rakuda: Insert a memo, a task or an appointment quickly, without fail what you're doing. Simple, easy and efficient.
• StopWatch: A stopwatch that can stop running even with our machine turned off. Useful if you do not have a precise agenda for this specific need.
• ToUpperDA: Allows you to select a text and convert it to uppercase, lowercase or uppercase only the initials.
• Battery DA: throws with basic information about the battery status.
• NoDoze DA: prevents the palm goes off at the scheduled interval.
• Passwordd: generating random keys of different lengths and allows copy to the clipboard.
• Daylight Saving DA: allows delaying / advancing the clock as the hours of winter / summer in devices that do not incorporate this feature.
• RAM DA: sample summary of the report expressed in Kbytes.
• AOControl DA: lets you select the intervals off the device, ever since up to 30 minutes.
• SHChanger DA: Allows you to change the status display private records.
• QuickSync DA: You can make up for the absence of the sync button on some devices.
• ExpenseReport DA: shows total amounts drawn from the implementation costs included in ROM.

CoolDA integrates many functions

There are more DAS by the network, but this list is already starting to experiment. There are real gems, we avoided a lot of steps to perform certain tasks. If any of your favorites are not on the list, you can recommend them through the comments.

Published: Leo adds more to the list. Some are in the original article PDA Experts, as StampDA, and omitted because my intention was to bring only one of each type. Here are the most that I have drawn attention:

• Melody DA: curious music keyboard to compose melodies. Allows to export later in a memo.
• DaMemoPad: DA version of the memo, for quick annotations.
• CalCal: always a calculator handy for quick accounts.

Israel recommends we SnapCalc: another calculator, with very good looks.

By: Mark Gonzalez Troyes in Palm Analysis
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