Roger: first off: serial/usb isn't really built in. you have to plop it into a cradle to get the usb/serial connection or get a usb/serial adaptor to plug into the palm, it is NOT built in on most models that I know of. Second, the idea of the mini portable PC is to take something slightly larger than a palm and give it some real power so you can connect it to anything you feel like it in the field. Say, I go over to Sridhar's house and decide I want to grab the docs on an old DECServer, most palms don't have the storage space or interface unless you go find a program written for the machine you are on and have an IR port or happen to have a Palm cradle for that model (nowadays one cradle does NOT fit all). A mini-PC portable, like the idea I had, would have standard built-in interfaces that would allow for this, plus the needed storage space. Like simple FTP'ing the data over a standard tcp/ip protocol on the built-in Ethernet or such, this would make portable data sharing easier. You know, something to do more, have actual standards and work better (much like some of the ClassicComps we all know and love). This is why I was considering RISC or such, since it is technically Classic technology and will allow for already existing programs, O/S's, hardware, etc. to be used. I cannot make claims as to the Visors of today or past since I've only worked with two older models and both were much like Palms where you had to have a cradle or an add-on. I agree with the idea of OS9 for your 68k, it will be more complex and troublesome than it is worth and an alternative would be more effective in your situation. At least someone else still reads the goodie mags. The Palm3c battery can be changed out on your own if you can get the housing opened on it. There are actually a few companies that make the cells for them. Might be worth a look-up. My father had one of the original Palm Pilots. There was no built-in serial on it. It had the Serial cradle which obviously required a PC or Mac to plug into and was kinda buggy until later releases 6 months later. As for just an adaptor cable to go directly to serial or usb; yes, there are some, but you then need software to make them work and they don't always work either (IE a few demos I saw at TechX at the Jacob Javitz Convention Center in NYC in 2000. A company making Palm adaptor cables had the PalmVx fail to work right with a serial cable hooked into an HP desktop. Obviously, they left after the 2nd day). Though, I do agree, Palm and Visor should release the schematics and possibly the Palm O/S source to the older units such as the Pilot and the IIIc's. It would help the open source community and us hobby guys would then have something to tinker with when our Vaxen or what-have-you are down due to oversized power bills or missing/broken parts. If need be, maybe we can put our heads together and work jointly on getting something going on classic Palms (they passed the big 10 now, haven't they?). I'd like to tinker with these buggers since they are technically just modified old Macs/PCs crammed down into a tiny size and are nifty if you play with them enough. If interested, contact me off-list. -John Boffemmyer IV ---------------------------------------- Founder, Lead Writer, Tech Analyst and Web Designer Boff-Net Technologies http://boff-net.dhs.org/index.html --------------------------------------- At 01:26 AM 2/7/2003, you wrote:

I've seen a security system in a couple of the local Home Depots or Lowe's (can't remember which) that used a Palm. You can only see the LCD, but that's enough to tell. -- Eric Dittman dittman(a)dittman.net Check out the DEC Enthusiasts Club at http://www.dittman.net/

I don't follow all threads on this list (if I did, one thread might drift like so "What's the melting point of an igloo, if you made one out of silicon tiles?", but thought I'd point out that the Palm tends to do anything serial only one at a time. That is, IR port -or- RS232 -or- USB, but never two at once, limiting it somewhat. For hobbyist, the Zaurus/linux box might also something to check out, although it looks dead in the market right now. John A. PalmOS v1.0: Mar _1996_

I'm pretty sure that the connector on the bottom of the serial Palms are electrically identical to serial. I'm not sure about the USB Palms. Peace... Sridhar