Another neat little application is SyncControl version 1.0, by Joe Santaniello of jofish software. As Joe describes it, this is "A small program for Mac based PalmPilot users. SyncControl turns the Hot Sync Monitor on or off quickly, and allows easy switching between the printer and modem ports. SyncControl loads in 2 seconds on my machine vs. 14 seconds for the Hot Sync Control Panel." I couldn't have put it better myself. You can see it in Figure B. It can open to a menu which lets you turn HotSync monitoring off and on and set the port which HotSync uses, or collapse the window down to an icon indicating whether monitoring is on or off. SyncControl is available for only five bucks.

FIGURE B

SyncControl menu (left) collapses to an icon showing HotSync status (right). Click picture for a larger image.

SyncControl was as fast as advertised for me. I encountered one glitch, due to the fact I use a PowerBook. My serial port is listed as a "Printer - Modem Port", which is not on SyncControl's menu. So, if you select either "Printer Port" or "Modem Port" from the menu, that would be an invalid setting for my machine. However, if you set the port in the HotSync control panel and don't touch it in SyncControl, you'd be fine. And if you have a Mac with separate printer and modem ports, SyncControl's menu likely works perfectly. For my use, HotSyncCSM is more convenient, and you can't beat the price. If you don't use the control strip, or have a machine with separate ports, you might prefer SyncControl. You won't go wrong either way.

There are at least two other solutions available! LaunchQuit HotSync 1.0, by Mike Hill, is an application which turns on HotSync monitoring, waits for a specified number of minutes, and turns it off again. It's built using AppleScript, though it runs like an application.

AutoSync 1.0, by Jim McCarthy, also uses AppleScript to turn on and off HotSync monitoring. It also includes scripts to check three of the most popular PalmPilot application archives.

Problem: It's cumbersome to mark PalmPilot applications for installation
Recently, my PalmPilot Professional began malfunctioning. It would completely lose power when I changed batteries, and I would have to reinstall all my applications. And I have a dozen applications I use! Boy, did I get to know the InstallApp's tedious cycle of selecting a file, marking it for installation, and repeating.

Fortunately, there is a better way. SimpleInst 0.1d4, another little marvel by Yukinari Suzuki, is a Mac application which does the same job as InstallApp, only more conveniently. You simply drag the icon of the PalmPilot application file on top of SImpleInst's icon, and release. It marks the application for installation, and then quits. Behind this simple exterior lie a few extremely useful options. You can see these in Figure C. If you sync multiple PalmPilots to the same computer, you can select to which PalmPilot to install. You can use SimpleInst with Now Synchronize (you'll know if this applies to you). And you can have SimpleInst keep a log for you. As with HotSyncCSM, the low version number doesn't do justice to this nifty and reliable product. And it's free!

FIGURE C

SimpleInst is simply wonderful, and provides these options. Click picture for a larger image.

I don't know how I lived without this great utility.