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PALMPOWER SITE OF THE MONTH
The art of Palm computing
By Steve Niles
Since hearing about the announcement made on October 1, 2000 that an artist by the name of Tom Kemp had produced what is being touted as "the first serious contemporary artwork produced entirely on the handheld Palm computer," I've developed an interest in Palm device artistry. You can sort of get a look at Kemp's "painting," called Analysis, at http://www.twice.demon.co.uk/paintings/gallery/palm/palm1.html. An excerpt from it is pictured in Figure A.
FIGURE A
 
Here's just a portion of Tom Kemp's Analysis. Roll over picture for a larger image.
However, I'm not terribly impressed. To me, this four-foot by seventeen-foot arrangement of a thousand TealPaint screen-captures resembles a bad intestinal problem. If that's art, I don't want any.
What I do like is the wonderfully inventive artistry on display at pocketpig.com, December's PalmPower Site of the Month. You can find it at http://www.pocketpig.com, and the site's home page is pictured in Figure B.
FIGURE B
 
The pocketpig.com home page features a self-portrait of the artist. Roll over picture for a larger image.
The work of an "Internet technologist" named Sabrina, pocketpig.com showcases daily, hand-drawn renderings of her meals. Using an application called Diddle (at http://blevins.simplenet.com/diddle/diddle.htm) installed on her Palm IIIxe, she draws a picture of what she had to eat during the course of the day. Along with each picture she includes a brief account of the meal. You can see an example in Figure C.
FIGURE C
 
A bagel, mparrettati, and a cookie were the order of the day on November 27. Roll over picture for a larger image.
Why does she do this? Don't ask. She really doesn't know. The closest thing you'll find to an explanation on her Web site is that she had a URL and needed something to put there. For me, though, the charm lies in its utter purposelessness. It's the sound of one hand clapping and all that. Browsing through her archive of food drawings, which dates back to May 28, 2000, I find myself slipping into a quiet state of meditation. The relaxed and friendly drawings combine with the simple prose-refreshing in its lack of irony or cynicism-to carry me to a state of inner peace.
Consider this example of her work from August 22, 2000:
so i got to make it to the quarry today.
the quarry is where forum keynotes are at.
they give you free breakfast.
i saw molly there,
we both grabbed breakfast burritos.
it would have tasted okay, if it wasn't so cold.
we both ended up throwing it away and eating pastries instead.
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Now that, my friends, is poetry.
You'd do well to pay a visit to pocketpig.com, but don't just go for the enlightenment. It's also a great example of a fun and creative use for a Palm computer.
Product availability and resources
For more information on pocketpig.com, visit http://www.pocketpig.com.
For more information on Diddle, visit http://blevins.simplenet.com/diddle/diddle.htm.
For more information on TealPaint, visit http://www.tealpoint.com/softpnt.htm.
For more information on Tom Kemp's Analysis, visit http://www.twice.demon.co.uk/paintings/gallery/palm/palm1.html.
For more information about Palm computers, visit http://www.palm.com.
Your site can earn this special banner
Do you run a special site, one that provides a great resource for Palm device users? If so, your site may be eligible for consideration as the PalmPower Site of the Month. If chosen, you'll even be entitled to display the snazzy banner shown in Figure D.
FIGURE D
Is your site cool enough to be the PalmPower Site of the Month?
If you'd like your site to be considered for the PalmPower Site of the Month, send email to steve_niles@palmpower.com. Please specify "PALMPOWER COOLSITE" in the subject field of your email, and include a paragraph or two about what makes your site special.
Bulk reprints
Bulk reprints of this article (in quantities of 100 or more) are available for a fee from Reprint Services, a ZATZ business partner. Contact them at reprints@zatz.com or by calling 1-800-217-7874.
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Steve Niles is Senior Editor for ZATZ Publishing. He is also an independent filmmaker and freelance writer. For more information, visit http://www.sn-films.com.
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