Up and Running with Your Treo


If you're like me, you're probably ready to put the theory and background information aside and start using your Treo device. Fortunately, your Treo is just about ready to roll out of the box. The only thing you must do is charge the battery. I also highly recommend installing the Palm Desktop software so that you can start synchronizing data, installing applications, and moving files back and forth between your Treo and your PC.

Note

You will more than likely find yourself in one of three scenarios in regard to the Treo 650 memory issue. Ideally, you are fortunate enough to have a newer Treo 650 that already includes the memory system update. If that's not the case, you might find that a software update is available for your device. And finally, the worst case is that you snag a free memory card from Palm while you await a software update for your device. The two web pages mentioned previously should help clarify your status and options.


Following are the general steps you should take to get started using your Treo:

1.

Charge the device.

2.

Set up the device.

3.

Install the Palm Desktop software.

4.

Synchronize with your PC.

5.

Turn the device on and off.

Your Treo device includes instructions on how to initially charge the device. Unlike the Treo 600, the Treo 650 uses a removable battery, so you need to install the battery in the device before you begin charging it. The initial charging might take up to four hours, but it's an important part of the setup process.

After the device is charged up and ready to go, you can turn it on and proceed with the setup. This setup procedure is simple and really involves simply calibrating the touch screen and setting the date and time. Press the red Power/End button (Treo 650) to turn the device on, after which you are prompted to calibrate the screen by touching several targets with the stylus. This is an important step in setting up your device, so make sure to touch the targets accurately with the stylus (see Figure 1.13).

Figure 1.13. The screen on the Treo 650 is calibrated by touching the stylus on several targets.


After calibrating the screen, you are prompted to confirm an option that automatically sets the date and time on your device by using the phone. If you choose to use this feature, the date and time are automatically set each time you access the mobile phone network with your device. You'll probably want to use this useful feature, but if for some reason you'd rather have control of the date and time on your device, tap the check box with the stylus to disable the option. If you disable the option, a few fields appear where you specify your location, date, and time (see Figure 1.14).

Figure 1.14. You have the option of allowing your mobile phone network to automatically set your Treo's time or setting it manually yourself.


Note

The available locations are limited to fairly large cities, so yours might not be listed. For example, Chicago is the closest location to me even though I live in Nashvillewhat's important is choosing a location in your same time zone.


After setting the date and time, you are prompted to take a Quick Tour (or Tutorial on the Treo 600) of your device. If this is your first experience with a Treo device, I highly recommend taking the Quick Tour. I realize that you bought this book to learn about your device, but the Quick Tour is unique in that it shows you how to do some Treo basics in the context of the device itself.

Install the Palm Desktop Software

The Palm Desktop software is by no means required for you to start using your Treo, but it does serve an important purpose in allowing you to install additional applications and synchronize data with your PC. For example, if you use Microsoft Outlook as your desktop PIM, you'll no doubt want to pull all your contacts, appointments, tasks, and notes into your Treo. Even if you don't use Microsoft Outlook, you can still take advantage of the Palm Desktop software on your PC to make PIM data management on your Treo much more efficient.

To install the Palm Desktop software, place the installation CD that came with your Treo in your computer's CD-ROM drive. If you're using a Windows PC, the setup program starts automatically. If you're using a Macintosh, you need to double-click the CD-ROM icon on your desktop to get the setup program started. The setup program is specific to each wireless service provider, but Figure 1.15 shows roughly what you can expect; this figure shows the setup program on a Windows PC for a Treo 650 using Sprint.

Figure 1.15. The setup program for the Palm Desktop software steps you through the installation process.


Tip

If you're upgrading from another Palm device, make sure to provide the same username to your Treo so that it can synchronize with your old Palm data.


The Palm Desktop software installation proceeds much like the installation of any other desktop application. At some point during the installation, you are prompted to enter a HotSync username, which is used to establish a named link from your Treo to your PC. This name can be your first name, your full name, or some other name that you want to use to identify yourself for the purposes of synchronizing your Treo device. Figure 1.16 shows how you specify the HotSync username during the Palm Desktop software installation.

Figure 1.16. The HotSync username is used to establish a connection between your Treo device and your PC.


Another important step in the Palm Desktop software installation is specifying what software you'd like to use for synchronization. This decision comes down to whether you use Microsoft Outlook as the PIM on your PC. If so, go with the option that includes synchronizing with Microsoft Outlook. If not, choose the option that uses only the Palm Desktop software for synchronization. Figure 1.17 shows how these options are displayed in a typical Windows installation.

Figure 1.17. Use the synchronization options to choose between using the Palm Desktop software by itself or using it with Microsoft Outlook.


The Palm Desktop software installation finishes by leading you to synchronize your Treo device with your PC.

Tip

Synchronization isn't the only way to move PIM data to your Treo device. If you have an older Palm device that you are upgrading from, you can easily beam PIM data from that device to your Treo. See the chapter relating to the specific PIM data type to find more information on how this is done. For example, the "Send and Receive Contacts Wirelessly" section in Chapter 5, "Managing Treo Contacts," explains how to beam contacts with another Palm device.


Synchronize with Your PC

You have the option of skipping the synchronization process if you'd rather worry about synchronizing later. Incidentally, Chapter 4, "Synchronizing with Your Desktop Computer," covers synchronization in much more detail. For now, however, it's not a bad idea to go ahead and synchronize, especially if you have Microsoft Outlook data (contacts, appointments, tasks, and so on) that you'd like to access on your Treo. Figure 1.18 shows the step in the Palm Desktop software installation that gives you an opportunity to synchronize your device.

Figure 1.18. Synchronizing your Treo at this point isn't imperative, but it's not a bad idea if you have Microsoft Outlook PIM data that you want on your device.


If you elect to synchronize your Treo, you must initiate the synchronization by plugging your device into your PC. Plug the device into a USB port on your computer using the Multi-connector that came with the device, and then press the HotSync button on the connector. A HotSync window opens and shows the status as the synchronization takes place (see Figure 1.19) Although Palm Desktop is the application used to configure synchronization settings, HotSync is the actual application that car ries out the synchronization.

Figure 1.19. The HotSync application provides a status window that gives you detailed information about synchronization as it takes place.


With the Palm Desktop software successfully installed, you're now ready to fire up your Treo and start using it. I realize that I've spent the majority of a chapter without even asking you to pick up your device, but from here on I can assure you that the remainder of the book focuses on doing interesting things with your Treo.

Turn Your Treo On and Off

Tip

If you have trouble getting your desktop/notebook computer to recognize your Treo for synchronization, check to see which USB port you're using on your PC. Some PCs use an internal USB hub for the USB ports on the front of the PC, which can sometimes cause problems. If your device is plugged into a front port and isn't working, try plugging it into a rear port. The same rule applies to docking stations for notebook computers; try the port on the actual notebook if the docking station port is giving you trouble. For the record, my Treo syncs fine on a front USB port of my computer, so this might be an isolated problem.


The Treo 650 includes the familiar Send and End buttons you find on a traditional mobile phone. The End button on the 650 is actually called Power/End and serves a dual purpose as a power button and an End button for the Treo phone. To turn your device on and off, just press the Power/End button.

When you first turn your device on, a feature called Keyguard is used to lock the keys in case you've accidentally pressed the Power/End button. This feature prevents you from inadvertently pressing additional keys that might cause data loss or, even worse, the embarrassing situation of calling someone without realizing it. This has happened to me, so I know of what I speak! Most mobile phones put the responsibility of locking the keys on you, the user, but the Treo assumes the role of locking the keys every time you turn the device off. To unlock the keys after powering on your device, just press the Center button on the five-way navigator centered just below the screen. After Keyguard is turned off to unlock the keys, you're free to use your device however you want.

The Treo 650 is somewhat different from most mobile phones in that it allows you to turn the mobile phone radio on and off independently of the device's power. If you've just turned your device on and have yet to use the phone or any Internet features, there's a good chance the mobile radio isn't turned on. You can easily check whether the mobile radio is on by looking in the upper-right corner of the screen for a signal strength indicator. This indicator appears just to the left of the battery indicator and shows a small antenna and bars to indicate the signal strength. If you don't see a signal indicator, odds are your device's mobile radio is off.

Note

Note that email isn't automatically synchronized with your device, even if you elect to synchronize with Microsoft Outlook. You must go in and set up each email account as part of the VersaMail synchronization option. Email synchronization is covered in detail in Chapter 4, "Synchronizing with Your Desktop Computer."


To turn on the mobile radio, hold down the Power/End button for a few seconds, after which a special tone sounds and a screen appears to indicate that the mobile phone radio has been activated. More important, the signal strength indicator appears in the upper-right corner of the screen and shows you how good the current wireless signal is (see Figure 1.20).

Figure 1.20. The signal strength indicator provides a quick and easy way to tell whether the mobile phone radio is turned on.


The reason for allowing you to turn the mobile radio on and off independently of the device is that you might want to work with applications on your device while offline. In fact, taking your device offline is a good idea if you don't need the mobile radio to receive phone calls because the radio puts a considerable strain on the battery. Granted, the Treo is designed to be used as a wireless mobile communicator, so you can certainly leave the mobile radio on all the time if you want. However, you might find it handy to turn the radio off while on an airplane so that you can keep working on your device while adhering to the strict airline policies on mobile phone usage.

Note

The Bluetooth wireless connectivity feature on the Treo 650 also puts a noticeable strain on the battery when it's in use, albeit less than the mobile phone radio. Bluetooth is turned off by default, as shown by the small gray indicator icon to the left of the signal strength indicator (refer to Figure 1.20). To find out how to turn on Bluetooth and wirelessly connect to headsets, hands-free car kits, other Palm devices, and your PC, see Chapter 11, "Communicating Wirelessly with Bluetooth."


Getting back to the mobile radio and your device's battery, it's important to understand that the battery life is largely in your control. You'll probably want to leave the mobile radio on most of the day to make and receive phone calls, not to mention surf the Web, check email, and so on. However, if you get in the habit of turning off the mobile radio when you truly don't need it, you'll find that each battery charge carries you much further than if you leave the radio on all the time. This is especially true if you're in an area with no wireless coveragethe radio expends a lot of battery charge continuously searching for a base station.

To turn off the mobile radio, hold down the Power/End button for a few seconds until you hear a special tone and see a screen that indicates the mobile radio is powering down. To turn your device off but leave the mobile radio on so that you can receive phone calls, just press the Power/End button without holding it down. The screen turns off, but you won't hear any kind of special tone or screen, which means the mobile radio is still on.



    TREO essentials
    Treo Essentials
    ISBN: 0789733285
    EAN: 2147483647
    Year: 2005
    Pages: 189

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