Palm Desktop
| Company type | Software |
|---|---|
| Industry | Personal information management software |
| Products | Personal information manager software compatible with Palm OS |
Palm Desktop serves as a personal information manager compatible with both Microsoft Windows and Mac OS/Mac OS X. It is intended for standalone use or in conjunction with a Palm OS personal digital assistant.
Features
The software encompasses four primary components that mirror the original functions of the Palm Pilot:
- Contacts, functioning similarly to an address book
- Calendar, supporting one-time and repeating appointments
- Tasks, which can be organized by priority, date, or category
- Notes, used for storing reference data or journal entries
Included with every current Palm device, Palm Desktop synchronizes through Palm's HotSync utility. Additionally, it is offered as a complimentary separate download. The Mac edition features a more sophisticated user interface and additional capabilities derived from its Claris Organizer heritage, such as improved printing options for labels and organizer pages.
History
At first, the Macintosh and Windows editions shared comparable features until 3Com acquired Claris Organizer, a Mac-exclusive product from Claris, subsequently rebranding it as Palm Desktop 2. The development team behind Palm was influenced by Claris Organizer due to their familiarity with the Macintosh platform.
Palm Desktop 4.2 for Windows was temporarily removed from Palm’s website because of installation problems and was replaced by version 4.1.4E. This replacement maintained the same functionality but included an enhanced installer.
Support for synchronization with newer devices like the Palm Pre was introduced via third-party applications, allowing Palm Desktop to extend its compatibility beyond its initial hardware range.
Last release
The final version released was Palm Desktop 6.2.2 for Windows Vista, appearing around 2008. Users should note that this edition lacks support for color-coded calendar events prior to updating.
Compatibilities
Palm Desktop 6.2.2 is compatible with:
- Multi-core CPU architectures
- Windows operating systems including:
- Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10 (64-bit versions require manual driver installation)
- Windows Vista (32-bit versions: Basic, Home Premium, Business, Ultimate)
- Windows XP Home and XP Professional (32-bit)
- Windows Media Center 2005
Incompatibilities
The following are not supported by this version:
- Computers with multiple CPUs
- 64-bit Windows editions—USB synchronization is unsupported; alternative synchronization methods include serial port, infrared, WiFi, or Bluetooth HotSync. Although the desktop software operates on Windows 7, 8, and 10 without a connected device. ACEECA developed a driver to enable 64-bit support for Palm/Garnet OS.
- Windows Server
- Microsoft Tablet PC
Linux support
There is no official Linux support provided by Palm, nor do they endorse third-party synchronization tools such as:
- ColdSync (discontinued in 2005)
- Gnome-Pilot
- J-Pilot
- Kpilot
- PilotManager (discontinued in 2006)