In the meantime, here's a tip for you NowSynchronize users who want access to their Memo data too. Install the Mac Desktop software. Find the Pilot Desktop application, and make a copy of it. Now remove the Mac Desktop software. Then, install Now Synchronize. Look for the Pilot Desktop folder, which contains the Now Synchronize application. Drag the copy of the Pilot Desktop application into that folder. Now, you can run the Pilot Desktop application to read and edit Memo data. However, you should leave the data which Now Synchronize controls (Date Book, Address Book, and To Do) alone. For more information, see Qualcomm 's Software's support Web page at http://eudora.qualcomm.com/techsupport/#kb.

The oasis of QMate
If Palm Computing doesn't provide a conduit kit, what's a Mac software developer to do? Well, if you are Steve Dakin, you do plenty! He is the developer of QMate, a companion to Quicken personal-finance software, and its Mac partner QSync Mac. QSync is a shining example of how good a connection you can enjoy between aftermarket software on your PalmPilot and on your Macintosh.

FIGURE A

QMate and QSync combine to partner your PalmPilot with Quicken. Click picture for a larger image.

QMate is a PalmPilot application that lets you record cash, checks, and credit card purchases on your PalmPilot. When you HotSync, all your QMate records are copied to your Macintosh.

Then you run QSync, a Macintosh application, shown in Figure A. QSync copies the data transferred to the PC by HotSync and converts it to a QIF (Quicken Interchange Format) file. You can then import the QIF file into Quicken, and voila! Your purchases are now in Quicken. The genius of QSync is that it is able to reach directly into the file of QMate records, even without Palm Computing having provided a conduit kit to help. The downside is that you have to run QSync manually after performing a HotSync, but on the plus side, QSync is streamlined so that once it's set up, running it is nearly a one-click operation.

There's much more great Mac software out there. I'll run down some of my favorites next month.

Jim DeLaHunt is an independent PalmPilot software developer. In his spare time, is an engineering manager with a multi-national software company and a tenor with local opera companies. He can be reached via E-mail at jdlh@jdlh.palo-alto.ca.us.