We ask Palm: Where's HotSync and Palm Desktop to go with Pre?

(Credit: Matt Hickey)

While Palm has likely done a notably good job with the new Pre smartphone of reversing its slide into obscurity, the company has said little about the other half of its historical strategy, that of desktop syncing.

With the original Pilot 1000, Palm made handheld devices viable by including a technology it called HotSync with every device. HotSync allowed for one-touch synchronization of personal information data--like phone numbers, to-do lists, and even e-mails--between the organizer and your desktop or laptop software. That allowed you to carry your most up-to-date appointments and contacts around before there were ubiquitous wireless networks.

It also featured the Palm Desktop, custom software that gave users a centralized interface to manage this content. Palm did a reasonable job keeping it updated, but it's looking old by 2009 standards.

The Pre, though, uses Palm's system called "Synergy" to pull multiple address books, to-do lists, and e-mail and calendar sources over the air via the Internet into a single interface in real time. This makes both HotSync and the Palm Desktop redundant.

But don't count the desktop element out yet. I called Palm, which responded that it's not commenting yet on the software end, but there might be more news closer to launch time.

Sounds to us like there might be some desktop or laptop client software involved, but is it HotSync, Palm Desktop, or some other application to work with Synergy? Our guess is the latter, but we can't be sure yet.

[CharlesgKnight]

Isn't it clear where palm desktop is going? It's going on-line.

Why is palm going to provide a desktop sync app for a cloud based device - it complete breaks the concept and the idea that they are trying to push. Also why provice a desktop, when you can provide a subscription based online model that increases your revenue streams.

Oh look palm have http://www.mypalm.com just sitting around. Handy name for a online desktop....

[dc2772]

Whatever Palm comes up with, you can be sure it won't work with Vista 64-bit.

[cjohnbrown]

Will it allow Current Palm OS users to sync over contacts, note, and calendar? I hope that they do not lose the desktop software. I like being able to see my calendar and contacts and even photos on my desktop.

Sure hope there's more news on this front. Kudos to Palm for extending the Zen of Palm cleanly into a more modern OS environment, but without substance behind it the best UI doesn't count for much.

An example conduit-based app which I use today is a password safe (TurboPasswords) in which I keep credentials for many web accounts. Needless to say I do _not_ wish to keep this in the cloud, nor even my PIM data really. Through the magic of hotsync both the built-in PIM data and the password app data are seamlessly synced to desktop systems at home and work. All without any of those bits ever hitting a network.

It will be enough of a bother to have to change apps if no emulation (a la ALP) emerges, but without local sync and some sort of desktop (local access) I'm afraid I won't be buying a Pre.

[gPtrope]

As great an idea as Synergy is, I have no intention of putting my primary PIM data anywhere in the 'cloud' - my desktop IS the authoritative source of my notes, tasks and contacts, with my Treo being only a portable extension of that, so a lack of desktop sync would be a definite deal breaker on the Pre; it would probably be the only one, but it's a whopper. I have yet to see a drag-and-drop function that will deal with those. What I think is short-sighted is the assumption that cloud/desktop should be "either-or"; where's the "synergy" in that?

[rackafee]

I completely agree with this comment and wonder whether a third party could take up the slack?

[alefragnani]

Right after Pre appeared I did search for this information all around the web. I searched an entire week, and no one had the answer. I mainly liked Palm exactly because of the Palm Desktop. Itt doesn´t force me to buy Microsoft Office to be able to syncronize my Contacts, Calendars and E-mails, while using Windows. And since it also works in Mac, it would give me freedom while migrating to Mac world. I definitely loved Palm Pre, its UI and design, but even its Synergy concept being a wow factor, I rather prefer having my contacts, calendar and e-mails right in my laptop instead of hosted in some Google / Facebook site.

Besides the PIM software, I would also to know if will it have some Office tools like Documents To Go in Palm OS. Until it doesn´t appears there, I am sure will not buy one. Without Office tools it can't be called a Palm PDA.

[ramit99]

I'm with gPtrope and alefragnani.

I want my main PIM to be on my local machine. I can't depend on web access to get my info.
I was sold on PALM due to their desktop PIM and the availability of it and not forcing me into outlook.

I was on a long flight once checking my appt's as they were on my 680 and wanted to sort out some schedule changes I was given just before I left for the airport. I had shock and horror when the phone gave me a funny screen I had never seen before and the died and locked up. I finally removed the battery and it came back to life and it was at day 1, no data in it what so ever.
I had m laptop with me, did a hotsync and was back in business on the PDA part of the phone..
No way on the plane could I have done and over the air sync to get my 680 back up to date. I would have landed and then had to spend the time to get my act together and changes to my schedule if I had a good cell connection where I landed. And all the time sitting in the metal tube at 40K feet would have been a waste if I had to depend on cloud apps and computing.
If my phone was dead and couldn't be restored, I still had it all on my laptop.

I have the Palm Desktop on my home machine, my laptop and my office machine.
It's been one of my most robust and loved peices of software.

Due to it's common sense deployment, it's real easy through batch files to keep all my copies of desktop updated.
My wife has a 680, and with a 3rd party app, I can merge (selectively) our calenders and the merge denotes what came from where with the addition of inititals and use of catatorgies. So we both have each other's schedule on our Palm Treos and desktops.

The Treo's have been it for me for a phone and PDA in one.

I would love to see PALM come out with a model just for us folks that worry less about the WOW factor and more about getting work done and feel secure that our info is secure.
Sure they have the centro, but it's too small for my hands, the 650 or 680 are the ones for me. 650 has a much better battery life. 650 remains my fav.
I have free apps that let me back up my calender to google calender..... so the cloud computing is there for anyone that want it, eve with the 650.... and works. Please PALM , dont throw out the baby with the bath water

[kmeindin]

I would not be without my Palm Desktop. This is the reason I have not changed from my Treo 650. This is my 4 th. palm devise. I use the palm desktop at work all day and at home as well. I have 1092 entries in my contacts. I have tried to send this information to outlook to see if it would work with a conduit program. It left out all kinds of information that I have entered. I use Splash ID, Splash Photo , documents to go rarely. I can not be with out the information in Splash ID as well. I like what I saw about the Palm Pre being able to perform multiple tasks at the same time. It's new look, size, etc. but without the ability to link to Palm Desktop ALL THE INFORMATION it is of no use. Thank you Ken

[rshah29]

Here's a YouTube video on how to sync Palm Desktop with the new Palm Pre.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWwQhS1OhNw

[mbrossi]

While I think the sync of Palm Desktop and the new Pre through Google is quite clever, there is still data that I do not want in the clouds. Also this would stagnate the Palm Desktop program. I hope the Pre will come with a local sync. If not then the Pre is a toy just like the iphone.

[melindawarren1]

I am so disappointed that I can't hot-sync my Pre with my computer! I have 2 apps that I need for work and can't hot-sync them. Palm is unless! I have talked to 3 people none of the know a thing about the Pre they keep telling me to press the button. Pre doesn't have a hot-sync button!! I have only had the phone for 24 hours and it is going back if I don't get some help on how to sync it!!

[22HYDRO]

I feel the same, the Hotsync is not working and no one is able to tell you how to transfer the information from the Palm Desktop. I have called Sprint, which doesn't know. I was getting a busy signal from Palm when I attempted to seek help from them. I waited for Palm to create a device with what I thought would outdo iPhone. But it looks like I should have simply purchased an iPhone because I'm not happy w/the applications especially the absence of the HotSync feature'_(

Any word on HotSync yet?

[sam99999999]

I agree with the above comments. Palm seems to have purposely alienated their most loyal users--the ones still sticking with Palm Desktop. What a brain dead marketing group.

[rbbartho]

I agree...No palm Desktop Sync means no purchase of Palm Pre...Simple as that.
I have used Palm products that sync with Palm Desktop for more than 10 years. I want a tool ...not a toy !!

Pal Pre does not have voice activated dialing...a must when driving using "hands free dialing". WHAT IS PALM THINKING???? Do they want to go out of business???

Get a clue, Palm ..listen to your customers or go out of business!!!!

[zarkobiz]

I had to move away from Palm when I got my first Blackberry from work (got tired of carrying both cell phone and PDA). It's been about 5 years and I still miss Palm Desktop. I was hoping that I could use Pre instead of my current iPhone and regain that absolutely state-of-the-art organizer desktop software that I got so much accustomed to in last decade. Meanwhile I moved up the totem pole next to the IT top and now I miss the task management and memos even more. I want to keep my memos and contacts secure, thus sync to the cloud is absolutely pointless and worthless for me. It's good for those who might not have anything confidential (personal or corporate). Others need to think twice before storing their information out there in "the cloud" where definitely some employees of the host and who knows how many hackers can get to it. I lost my interest as soon as I found out that Palm Pre wasn't using Palm Desktop.

[bonecall]

No Mac hotsync with Palm Destop, no graffiti, NO DICE. Until then the Pre can kiss my backside. What better way to alienate its most loyal customers than to leave us high and dry on two of the most important Palm legacy features. Its obvious the company could care less about the folks that supported them when the company was struggling to stay in the game. What no-brainer goofs for a firm that once changed the face of computing.