Tuesday, July 29, 2008

My Palm to iPhone migration challenge -- summarized

Google Docs - Palm migration is a spreadsheet that captures in a glance how very hard the Palm to iPhone migration is. There's a feed for change notification.

I'm omitted Palm apps that are readily replaced. Obviously the media, communication and entertainment capabilities of an iPhone spank the Palm.

On the other hand, those capabilities are not nearly as essential to me as the core "PDA"/"PIM" (personal digital assistant, personal information management) capabilities of the original PalmPilot -- and the database I use to extend those capabilities.

Of the 10 core functions I have identified migration strategies for exactly 3 of them.

Suggestions are most welcome, but I need suggestions that allow me to migrate my data as needed. Data lock is not acceptable for this material.

PS. I now wonder if some of the missing functionality is tied up in software patent issues.

Update 8/3/08: Why the Palm Centro may incent Apple to address Palm to iPhone conversion.

3 comments:

disnevil said...

I'm feeling this pain.

I'm a retired software developer; and this is feeling like one of the most painful technology transitions I've made in my life. It's a far cry from punch cards and papertape.

My list of things I'm annoyed with are growing, and I'll eventually compose a coherent letter to someone at Apple that might listen.

I found that exporting my contact database from Palm into a CSV file, importing into Windows Addressbook, iTunes will then import from there.

My Palm bit me last week, and deleted my entire calendar; so I'm going to worry about finding a backup and getting my history back once I'm familiar with the calendaring tools in iWorld. I'm already missing the desktop/handheld integration. I'm a high speed touch typist, and the on-screen keyboard on the iPhone is going to make me insane. Once I get the essentials worked out, and have me and my partners addressbooks transferred; I'm shopping for a bluetooth keyboard, and praying that iPhone will do the right thing when I try to pair them up.

Indeed, from the entertainment point of view, the iPhone is a beautiful piece of human engineering; as a working PIM/PDA tool, I'm initially afraid it's going to fall very short. It's something, however, that can be fixed with software; the device is brilliant.

Typical Silicon Valley development.

JGF said...

Don't bother with the bluetooth kb -- it definitely won't work with iPhone 2.0.

Bluetooth kb support has has been much requested - it's a no-show.

I'm going to add a link to some commentary on the Palm Centro ...

Anonymous said...

Gordon, I waited until Apple introduced the 2.0 software before I migrated from my Palm T3 which I had for years..and as stated as a PDA/PIM the iphone leaves ALOT to be desired. Apple can solve this EASILY with I-Tunes...add Calendar, Notes and Contacts tabs in I-Tunes that syncs with the I-Phone.
pdmcom@aim.com