Do I really need to read the instruction manual?
Probably not. The beauty of Palm devices, even for non-power users, is that there's little, if anything, on it that you won't understand the minute you see it. The software on the CD should install itself and walk you through the process of setting up your Palm device. Glance through the "quick tour" tutorial on the CD, then put the manual in the same place that you keep those odd-but-useless little keys that came with your PC. You'll use the manual just about as often.

One thing not to do is to install extra software (like games) until after you perform your first HotSync. Some folks have had HotSync problems trying to install extra software on the first HotSync. It seems as if the system is a bit coy, and wants to get to know you before handing out the goodies. So, leave that install button on your desktop alone until after the device has introduced itself to your PC.

Should I use Graffiti?
That probably depends on where you fall on the Geek-o-Meter. I use it. My wife, even more technology resistant than I, thinks it's utterly stupid to learn a new alphabet to please a plastic brick with less brainpower than a Furby. At least Furby learns from YOU!. When I told her that you make an A by drawing an upside down V she stared at me as if I had suddenly sprouted an extra head.

She uses the on-screen keyboard, and she claims to be much faster than me. Given the results of my typical sentence, "if oou can read this oou have mastereb wraffiti!" she's probably right. But at least try it out. Success depends largely on your handwriting. Me, I'm a product of public schooling, but maybe you learned penmanship from nuns with steel rulers.

Palm's official line is that Graffiti is incredibly easy. In practice, I'm betting that less than half of us regular folks use it. On the other hand, I'm pretty darn sure that ALL the tech types ripped open their PalmPilot boxes, yanked out the Graffiti chart, and said, "Hey! The K is like half a squiggly infinity symbol! COOL!"