Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) have come of age. New-generation PDAs let you back up data on your PC, retrieve email, and surf the Web. Handwriting recognition even works! We've found 3Com's Palm III connected organizer (http://www.palm.com) to be an ideal travel partner in a Microsoft Exchange Server and Outlook client office environment. In this article, we'll discuss using the Palm III organizer to retrieve and send email remotely. Specifically, we'll describe how to use conventional Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)/Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3) and Palm III's HotSync features to connect to Exchange Server.
In a Windows NT 4.0 domain with Outlook 8.03 clients and Exchange Server 5.5, we conducted tests on Palm III PDAs running Palm OS 3.0.2 and the Network HotSync software add-on. (Enhanced HotSync technology, which enables remote TCP/IP-based network synchronization, is now standard with the Palm III.) We used two PDA modems: a NetComm SmartModem 336 (http://www.netcomm.com.au), which requires the Palm modem cable, and 3Com's PalmPilot Modem. We used Smartcode Software's HandStamp Pro (http://www.smartcodesoft.com) for the email client on the Palm III; a newer version, HandStamp 2.0, is now available. . . .
Matt Darby October 05, 2001