Their first Web designer was a fellow named Herb Bogart, who created the look of the site simply by using Microsoft FrontPage. In the beginning, there was no database, and the e-commerce system was created using Perl (Practical Extraction and Reporting Language). Said West, "At the time, all I knew about Perl was how to spell it."

Everything was copied and pasted into place using FrontPage. It was a lot of work, but things moved along smoothly until one day a comma was inserted into the wrong place in a piece of code. Some kind of infinite loop was created, and eventually it brought down the entire Internet Service Provider.

In the ensuing chaos, West received an irate call from a PalmGear visitor by the name of Rodney Catron who demanded to know what the heck was going on. Needless to say, West was already having a bad day, and he replied with curt remark to the effect of, "If you can do better, I'd like to see you try."

West was surprised when Catron, who worked for Synthenet Corporation at http://www.synthenet.com, responded, "Well, I can."

Catron went to work for West and Crouch, rebuilding the site so that it was no longer necessary to use FrontPage. He added a real-time database so that developers could log in and add their software themselves. When it was done, West said, "It was like that commercial where the staff of a new e-commerce company is gathered around a terminal watching as the first order gets placed. Then another, and another, until orders start streaming in." West identified with the actors as their faces turned from excitement to fear as they realized just how big a thing they had created.

The right place at the right time
PalmGear H.Q. has been in business for almost four years now, and it remains unique among dot-com companies in that it's profitable. Their money comes from advertising, but they also retain 20% of fees paid for applications bought at PalmGear H.Q. According to their current estimates, there are between 8,600 and 8,700 applications listed in their database, and new developers continue to post their wares at PalmGear H.Q. everyday, as it's a great way to get their products known.

Recently, PalmGear H.Q. signed a deal with Handspring, Inc. Now when visitors to the Handspring Web site are looking to buy Springboard modules for their Visors, they're directly linked to PalmGear H.Q. When you visit PalmGear H.Q., you'll find an extensive selection of free and commercial downloadable programs. You'll also find handheld hardware and accessories, including carrying cases and styli. Another useful feature is "Calvin's PGHQ," where you can find answers to your questions concerning Palm devices. There are also news posts to keep you updated on what's going on in the Palm world.

"We were in the right place at the right time with the right product," West said. He adds, if it hadn't been for the Internet, a company like PalmGear H.Q. wouldn't have been possible. The Internet is also responsible, West believes, for the incredible success of Palm, Inc., as it allows users and developers to hook up and buy and sell products independent of geographic, cultural, or political barriers.