Figure D shows the MyInfo login screen on my Palm m505 handheld.

FIGURE D

Here's how MyInfo looks on the Palm handheld.

I successfully used it with both my cell phone--dialing my local ISP (Internet Service Provider) and an Intel Xircom wireless adapter, as shown in Figure E.

FIGURE E

Here are query results from MyInfo on the Palm handheld.

MyInfo is well suited to the query-response model Web clipping applications use, and the performance of the Palm OS application is much faster than using MyInfo on line. In fact, I generally don't bother with the Web site, but instead pick up my Palm handheld with its wireless adapter and check my bank balances before paying my bills.

Closing comments
On the user interface front, MyInfo shows significantly more polish than the rest of MyPalm, but even here there are a few things that deserve attention. Top on my list is the misnamed Alerts feature; I hope that either I'm wrong and Palm will add what I'd consider to be alerts soon, or that they rename Alerts to something more descriptive.

Similarly, button placement (both real buttons such as the MyInfo for Palm VII and icon buttons such as the lock and help) strikes me as odd. The MyInfo for Palm VII button, for example, is prominently displayed next to more commonly used buttons such as Add a New Account and Preferences. While it's good to have it there the first time around, it's annoying to see every time I log in, simply because I've already done it. Why take up the space? This is even true of "Add a New Account," which probably belongs in Preferences. It would be better if it were along the side bar, perhaps below the other MyPalm items. The lock icon is equally annoying; instead of signifying something being locked, it's a link to Palm's privacy policy. While I appreciate being able to access the privacy policy quickly, it's not something I do every day. Moreover, the lock's not going to change. It's a button, not an enunciator the way it is on other Web sites.

A final annoyance is the banner space Palm reserved along the top of each page, presumably for further advertising. The empty banner in MyInfo is disorienting, simply because my first instinct is to wonder why they don't slide the content up, so I don't have to scroll. Paradoxically, this never occurs to me when I look at a traditional advertisement-funded Web site! I admit it's a nit to pick, but I think it's an important one: some users may be surprised when advertisements start popping up there. It might have been better if Palm ran advertisements of their own products in that space, the way they did during the early days of MyPalm.

These, however, are minor blemishes on what is a fundamentally easy-to-use service. From a workflow perspective, MyInfo is easy to use (significantly easier than parts of MyPalm), and provides a clear benefit to users.

In one sense, it's easy to take MyInfo for granted. It's like paying for gas at the pump with your debit card--once you do it, you can't imagine doing it any other way. At the core, I think that's the sign of a successful online application. It's simple, unobtrusive, and saves time and effort. As an efficiency expert, that may be something to be extremely excited about, but the rest of us can just sit back, use it, and enjoy the rest of our day.

Ray Rischpater is a freelance author entranced by mobile devices, having published several books and articles on the topic, including Palm Enterprise Applications: A Wireless Tech Brief, from John Wiley and Sons. He lives near Santa Cruz, CA with his wife and son.