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Archive-name: hp/palmtops-faq Posting-Frequency: monthly Last-modified: 95/02/19 HP-100/200LX Frequently Asked Questions list. Editor: Richard Cochran rcochran@netcom.com This file is and always will be work in progress. Comments welcome. ------------------------------ Subject: 1. Contents 1. Contents 2. How to get this FAQ 3. Disclaimer 4. Basics -- What are these HP Palmtops, anyway? 5. 1MB vs. 2MB models 6. Hardware and physical characteristics 7. DOS compatibility 8. Built-in Software 9. Add-on software 10. Programming the 100/200LX 11. Modems & Telecommunications 12. Connectivity to desktop computers and other devices 13. PCMCIA Cards 14. Batteries, Battery life, AC adapters, etc. 15. Obscure undocumented tips, tricks, and trivia 16. Common problems 17. For more info 18. Public Domain 19. Acknowledgements ------------------------------ Subject: 2. How to get this FAQ This file is posted to the Usenet groups comp.sys.palmtops, comp.answers, and news.answers monthly, near the middle (+/- 5 or so days) of the month. If this copy is much over a month old, a newer version probably exists. Since this document is crossposted to comp.answers and news.answers, it gets archived at lots of different ftp sites. Ask your sysop for info on your nearest news.answers archive, or if there is no nearby news.answers archive, use anonymous ftp and get <ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/hp/palmtops-faq> If you have no access to anonymous ftp, send an email message to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu, subject ignored, body containing send usenet/news.answers/hp/palmtops-faq World Wide Web users may be interested in the hypertext version of this FAQ. It's available from the server: <http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu> Look for the Usenet FAQ's. One way to get to this FAQ is to go through the index by usenet groups through comp, sys, and finally palmtops. The html version is automatically generated from the ASCII version, and thus contains exactly the same information. Any FAQ that is crossposted to news.answers can be retrieved by ftp, email, or WWW using similar techniques. So before posting "Can somebody send me the FAQ?" to ANY newsgroup, please browse the ftp archives on rtfm.mit.edu or your local news.answers archive. If you can't do this, then please follow the netiquette rule of always reading a group for at least a month before posting. If there's a FAQ, it'll probably show up. ------------------------------ Subject: 3. Disclaimer This file is the work of unpaid volunteers. It does not represent the official position of anybody, much less anybody's employer. It is likely to be filled with errors. Mentioning a product or business does not constitute any sort of endorsement. If you act on any information in this file, any damages you suffer are just your tough luck. This is not intended as a substitute for the 100/200LX manual. There are many more useful tidbits located in the manual than will ever be in this file, and the manual is likely to be more accurate. ------------------------------ Subject: 4. Basics -- What are these HP Palmtops, anyway? Q: What is the HP100LX? A: Depending on your point of view, it's either an IBM PC-XT stuffed into a very tiny case with some Personal Information Management (PIM) software and Lotus 1-2-3 built into ROM, or it's a high-end electronic organizer that also runs MS-DOS software. Q: What is the HP200LX? A: It's the successor to the 100LX. It's essentially a 100LX with cosmetic changes and the addition of Pocket Quicken, LapLink Remote, and some feature enhancements for the PIM applications in the ROM. Q: What's the difference between the 100LX and the 200LX? A: Pocket Quicken from Intuit has been added to the 200LX. This is a limited version of the Quicken financial management software sold for MS-DOS and Windows. It does not use the same file format as Quicken for DOS or Windows. but if you buy the 200LX connectivity kit, you can share data with the full DOS or Windows version of Quicken. (Like the 100LX, the 200LX can also run the full version of Quicken for DOS outright.) The DataComm application is faster in the 200LX. It can pretty much keep up with a 9600 or 14.4 modem. The painfully slow DataComm application was a notorious deficiency in the 100LX, so this is a welcome fix. The case has changed color, from the black 100LX to a slate grey color for the 200LX. The keyboard layout has changed slightly, in order to give Pocket Quicken its own dedicated key. The labels on the keycaps have a slightly different, italic, look to them. The topcard (picture displayed when the machine is turned on, and the system manager is running, but no apps are yet activated) looks different. There is an extra megabyte of ROM (3M in the 200LX, vs 2M in the 100LX). This is how they managed to add the new built-in software to the 200LX without deleting any of the old 100LX features. There is a power-on password feature. Some extra goodies have been added to the d:\bin drive (in ROM). Hearts & Bones and Lair of the Squid are two games that are included. A hexadecimal calculator is also included. LapLink Remote has replaced the redirector for use with the connectivity pack. The appointment manager has a daily pop-up message reminding users of "to do's" and appointments. The on-line help has been improved. The phonebook can present phone and address details in "business-card" or the 100LX-style "form" format. Q: What is the same between the 100LX and the 200LX? A: Most things. Hardware is virtually identical, including size, batteries, AC adapter, serial port, PCMCIA port, display, keyboard (except very minor changes to keyboard layout, and cosmetic changes to the labels on the keycaps), processor, RAM, availability of 1MB and 2MB versions, etc. DOS compatibility is unchanged; both machines use MS-DOS 5.0 and CGA. Lotus is the same. All the same PIM apps are included, and they can share data between the 100LX and 200LX, but the 200LX versions have a few enhancements here and there. Most software written for the 100LX will run on the 200LX. All vanilla DOS software should run exactly the same. Most 100LX-specific software will probably run the same. One user reported that "about half" of the features of 100Buddy worked unchanged. 100Buddy is probably the most 100LX-specific (least portable) software available for the HP. Q: What's the difference between the HP-100/200LX and HP-95LX? A: The short answer is that the HP-100/200LX is faster, has better and more powerful software, much more MS-DOS compatibility (full CGA compatiblity), fully standard serial port with hardware handshaking, longer battery life, and has a PCMCIA Release 2.x slot. Q: Where's the best place to buy a 100/200LX? A RAM Card? A: The answer changes too quickly to put into this FAQ. Netiquette suggestion: Read the board for a few days. If the question hasn't been asked recently, call around to your local stores, call the dealers on hpdealer.txt, and post a note listing the best deal you found, asking if anyone can beat it. In other words, do a little homework yourself before asking the net for help. Consider giving your local dealer a chance to try and match or beat a mail-order price. List price of the 200LX-2MB is $699 (U.S.), $50 less than the 100LX-2MB list. The 200LX-1MB lists at $549, the same as the 100LX-1MB. Of course, actual selling prices vary, and they change too quickly to report in this FAQ. When pricing memory cards, be aware that some manufacturers package disk compression software with their cards, and some of these may advertise a 5MB card with compression software as a "10 MB" card. (or "10 MB compressed", or "Up to 10MB", etc.) Quoted disk compression numbers tend to be optimistic, especially if you're storing executables or compressed files. Be sure you do an "apples to apples" price comparison between different vendors. Q: How can I upgrade my 100LX to a 200LX? A: You can't. However, it's reported that Edu-Calc is offering a $225 trade-in allowance for a 100LX, good toward a 200LX. This is presumably for a limited time only. ------------------------------ Subject: 5. 1MB vs. 2MB models Q: Is the 2MB model worth the extra money over the 1MB Model? A: The only difference is the extra Megabyte of internal "disk" storage on the C: drive. It may be cheaper to buy the 1MB model and invest the difference in a bigger PCMCIA flash or SRAM card. But if you want to keep the PCMCIA slot open for a PCMCIA modem or other device, you're stuck with internal storage only, and the extra megabyte may be worth the money. Q: Does the 2MB RAM HP-100/200LX have more system memory? A: No, both models HP-100/200LX are MS-DOS machines which are inherently limited to only 640KB of system RAM. But an EMS (not XMS or himem) driver has been written; see emm040e.lhz or emm100.exe on eddie. Q: How do I upgrade a 100LX from 1MB to 2MB internal RAM? A: If you live in the U.S., send the 100LX to Hewlett-Packard. For a fee they'll swap boards and send it back to you. In other countries, contact HP to find out the policy. In many countries, there is no upgrade path. ------------------------------ Subject: 6. Hardware and physical characteristics Q: How big is a 100/200LX? A: Approx 16cm x 8.5cm x 2.5cm (6.25" x 3.3" x 1") closed, or about the size of a checkbook, only thicker. It has a clamshell-style case. Q: So tiny! Can I touch-type on it? Is the screen too small to read? A: Touch typing is quite a trick. The keys are much closer together than normal adult human fingers. But the keys have a positive click feel. Some people adapt quite well to them, others despise the 100/200LX keyboard. The screen is very sharp and contrasty, but your eyes might not be. Try before you buy, especially if you have trouble reading fine print in dim light. The print is quite small in 25x80 mode, but you can use special key combinations to zoom and pan around, displaying only a portion of the screen, magnified, on the 100/200LX physical screen. The screen is not backlighted, and is easiest to read in bright light. Q: Where can I get a carrying case for a 100/200LX? A: For a cheap padded case, look for one designed for a pocket 35mm camera, game machine, personal stereo, or calculator. For a fancy executive-style leather case, see ads in the Palmtop Paper, Edu-Calc, etc. ------------------------------ Subject: 7. DOS compatibility Q: Will it run <Random MS-DOS Software Package>? A: The 100/200LX will run just about anything that will run on an IBM PC-XT with a CGA monitor. To give you an idea of its compatibility, here's a partial output listing from MSD.EXE, Microsoft's diagnostic tool. Note that, although MSD seems to detect a bus mouse, parallel port, and game adapter, there is no physical hardware for these devices. This was run on a 1MB 100LX. ------------------------ Summary Information -------------------------- Computer: Phoenix/Phoenix, 80186 Memory: 636K Video: CGA, Unknown Network: No Network OS Version: MS-DOS 5.00 Mouse: Bus Mouse Other Adapters: Game Adapter Disk Drives: A: B: C: D: E: F: LPT Ports: 1 COM Ports: 1 ------------------------------ Computer ------------------------------- Computer Name: Phoenix BIOS Manufacturer: Phoenix BIOS Version: Version 1.04 A ROM BIOS Ver 2.14 BIOS Category: IBM PC/XT BIOS ID Bytes: FB 00 04 BIOS Date: 08/19/93 Processor: 80186 Math Coprocessor: None Keyboard: Non-Enhanced Bus Type: ISA/XT/Classic Bus DMA Controller: Yes Cascaded IRQ: Yes BIOS Data Segment: None ------------------------------- Video --------------------------------- Video Adapter Type: CGA Manufacturer: Unknown Model: Display Type: CGA Monitor Video Mode: 3 Number of Columns: 80 Number of Rows: 25 Video BIOS Version: Video BIOS Date: VESA Support Installed: No Secondary Adapter: Hercules or Compatible ----------------------------- OS Version ------------------------------ Operating System: MS-DOS 5.00 Internal Revision: 00 OEM Serial Number: FFH User Serial Number: 000000H OEM Version String: DOS Located in: ROM Boot Drive: A: ---------------------------- Disk Drives ------------------------------ Drive Type Free Space Total Size ----- ------------------------------------ ---------- ---------- [editor's note: PCMCIA card data removed] C: RAM Disk 211K 346K 512 Bytes/Sector D: RAM Disk 0K 501K 512 Bytes/Sector [editor's note: D: is the ROM drive, containing built-in software] ----------------------------- COM Ports ------------------------------- COM1: COM2: COM3: COM4: ----- ----- ----- ----- Port Address 03F8H N/A N/A N/A Baud Rate 57600 Parity None Data Bits 8 Stop Bits 1 Carrier Detect (CD) Yes Ring Indicator (RI) No Data Set Ready (DSR) Yes Clear To Send (CTS) Yes UART Chip Used 8250 Q: Can I run Quicken for DOS on it? A: Yes, users have reported success with DOS-based Quicken through version 8 (most recent Quicken version available as of this writing). Recent versions may require more memory than is available under the system manager, but it's easy enough to exit the system manager and run Quicken directly from the DOS prompt. The "disable filer" trick may allow you to squeeze even the latest Quicken in under the system manager. Some kind of extra storage (flash or SRAM card) will undoubtedly be necessary for recent versions of Quicken, especially for the 1MB 100/200LX. Of course, Pocket Quicken is built in to the 200LX, and it's available separately from Intuit for the 100LX. It's system-manager compliant, but some users still may prefer the full feature set of DOS Quicken. Q: Can I run 4DOS on it? A: Yes, but the advantages mostly occur outside the system manager. For swapping, usage of the EMS driver emm100.exe is recommended. Unfortunately, if you call DOS from the system manager, it will be the hard-wired d:\dos\command.com. Q: Can it do Windows? A: Sorry, try an Omnibook or another larger laptop. Windows 3.1 requires a 286 or better. Windows 3.0 is barely possible, but the 100/200LX doesn't really have the speed, processor architecture, display, or memory to make it a very practical Windows machine. Q: Why don't Intersvr, LapLink, Procomm, etc. work? A: They do work, but not under the system manager. The System Manager slows down the serial port. It can also interfere with console I/O. If you're having trouble running something under the System Manager, try exiting completely (Menu- Application-Terminate all) and run the program from raw DOS. If the program runs under raw DOS, you can probably get it to run under the system manager by putting an inverted exclamation point (keystroke Fn-Filer) into the comments field of the Application Manager. This effectively disables the System Manager and prevents switching to another application while the current application is running. ------------------------------ Subject: 8. Built-in Software Q: What software is built into the 100/200LX ROM? A: MS-DOS 5.0, Lotus 1-2-3 release 2.4, an appointment manager (capable of waking the 100/200LX up and sounding an alarm or running a program even when the machine is turned off), a calculator (similar to HP19B, capable of algebraic or RPN), a text editor, a phone book, a stopwatch/alarm clock, a world time database, a terminal emulator (but the 100LX version is too slow to use above 1200 baud, you'll want a different communications program for a fast modem), a general purpose database, a note taker, a file manager, a keyboard macro editor, and cc:Mail. Note that, although MS-DOS 5.0 is built into ROM, not all of the external commands (e.g QBASIC.EXE, EDIT.COM, ANSI.SYS) are included. These may be copied from a PC running MS-DOS 5.0 (Caution: copying parts of DOS is probably illegal and/or a violation of your license agreement unless you buy a DOS license for your 100/200LX). The 200LX contains Pocket Quicken and LapLink Remote, in addition to the above. Q: Does anybody actually use cc:Mail on the 100/200LX? A: Very few have posted to comp.sys.palmtops claiming to use it. cc:Mail on the 100/200LX requires that you have access to a full cc:Mail Post Office set up for dial-up access, and those don't seem to be very common, at least among usenet denizens. There is no way to use cc:Mail to read/write Unix mail offline, although someone has posted that he's working on a conversion program. Keep watching here. Q: What is the system manager? A: It's the core software under which all of the PIM applications run. It allows multitasking (suspending one application to run another), keyboard macros, data transfer via a clipboard, and other nifty stuff. The alarm clock and appointment manager will only wake up if the system manager is active. Certain 3rd party applications (*.EXM files) are "System Manager Compliant". Applications which are not system manager compliant can still be run, either by exiting the system manager entirely, or by opening up a DOS shell under the system manager. Q: How can I transfer data to/from the database manager? A: Read the manual on the smart clip feature, or use the gdbio software (C source code included) available on eddie to import/export in comma delimited format. ------------------------------ Subject: 9. Add-on software Q: What's some good software? A: The HP-100/200LX is an almost completely compatible MS-DOS machine. Just about any MS-DOS software will work if it: fits in available drive space, needs only what MS-DOS system RAM is available, needs only CGA graphics, and runs in Intel x86 real mode. Some HP-100LX specific software is at the URLs: <ftp://eddie.mit.edu/distrib/hp95lx/hp100LX> <ftp://ftp.cc.monash.edu.au/pub/palmtop> Q: What is 100Buddy? A: It's a shareware program available on eddie which lets you do lots of neat tricks, including make the filer automatically start an application based on a file's extension (e.g. click a .wk1 file to start 1-2-3), get a shifted value of a character by simply double-clicking the character, get battery voltage displayed in a status bar in the filer screen, reprogram the blue application keys, add password protection to the 100LX (registered users only), display the world-time map with nighttime areas shaded (also registered users only), and lots of other shortcuts and tricks. Q: Is there a 200Buddy? A: Yes, it was just released around the first of 1995. It's available on eddie.mit.edu in the /pub/hp95lx/NEW directory. It will probably be moved into the 100lx directory structure shortly, so you may have to look around for it. It is also available on the CompuServe HPHAND forum. Q: What is VR? A: Vertical Reader, a shareware program available on eddie for reading ASCII text files while holding the 100/200LX with the hinge vertical, like a book. VR has several attractive fonts available, and allows searching for regular expressions. This shareware may be registered by merely sending a postcard to the author, or by donating $10.00 to Project Gutenberg, an organization which makes public-domain documents and literature freely available in ASCII text form. Q: Can I use the 100/200LX as a remote control for my TV, VCR, stereo? A: The shareware program REMCOM, originally developed for the HP95LX, works on the 100/200LX and turns it into a universal learning remote control, using the infrared port. RC is a similar program which is also reported to work. There may be other such programs developed for the 95LX which work on the 100/200LX. Unfortunately, the 100/200LX has a fairly weak IR transmitter (weaker than the 95LX), so the range may be only a meter or two, less than the typical distance from couch to TV. Q: Can I use the 100/200LX as a phone dialer? A: The HP95LX had a D/A converter that could drive the speaker and produce touch tones fairly easily; sadly, this feature was dropped in the 100/200LX. That converter is instead used to monitor battery charging. However, there is a program, called ATDT, which uses some fancy tricks to get touch tones out of a standard PC-AT. It does work on the 100/200LX, and it's available on eddie.mit.edu in the hp95lx/unknown directory (ATDT01.ZIP). It is not integrated with the phone book application, it requires the video mode be set up different from standard (see the readme), and, depending on the phone you use it with, the 100/200LX speaker may not produce sufficient volume to reliably dial. There is also a program called TT available, with source code, on eddie.mit.edu. TT comes ready-to-use, but if you have a C compiler and know how to use it, you can modify TT and integrate it into other programs. Like ATDT, TT suffers from the limitations of the volume output from the 100/200LX speaker, and your success with it depends on your patience, the sensitivity of your telephone's microphone, and the placement of the 100/200LX speaker near the microphone. Q: Is there an EMS driver? A: Yes, EMM100.EE, available on eddie. It uses a paging file on C: and supports EMS 4.0 almost completely. There is a 200LX version in preparation; to avoid problems with Lotus 1-2-3 using EMS, copy D:\BIN\200.COM to C:\100.COM and call 100 to start the system manager as an intermediate solution. ------------------------------ Subject: 10. Programming the 100/200LX Q: What programming languages are available? A: Anything that'll run on a PC-XT, including various flavors of C, C++, Pascal, Basic, etc. QBASIC.EXE is not included, but will run if it's copied from a MS-DOS 5.0 machine. There are several ways to write "programs" with software in the 100/200LX ROM, depending on your definition of a program. You have the keyboard macro application, Lotus 1-2-3, the calculator's solver application (finds roots of equations, among other things), DEBUG.EXE (from DOS), and the DOS batch file interpreter. The calculator's solver application can be used with Lotus to "backsolve", that is, adjust the value of one independent cell of a spreadsheet to produce a desired result in another, calculated, cell. Q: How can I get information on programming the internals of the HP? A: This has been asked several times on comp.sys.palmtops, but a good official answer hasn't been posted. It seems HP had a program at one time which would allow approved software developers to get access to full documentation on things like writing system manager compliant apps, making the screen zoom, checking battery voltage, accessing the IR port, etc. However, this program seems to be in a state of flux at present. The only suggestion for getting official, complete documentation on the HP internals is, "Ask HP on your own, and if you find out how, let the rest of us know." In the meantime, many of the HP's interrupts are documented in the interrupt list, maintained by Ralf Brown, available at <ftp://oak.oakland.edu/pub/msdos/info/interNNx.zip> and elsewhere. Of course, if you only want to program the HP as a DOS machine, without accessing any of the palmtop's unique features, there are plenty of widely available books giving details on DOS programming. If you need the file formats for the built-in applications, gdbio (on eddie) has C source code which should provide a good starting point. ------------------------------ Subject: 11. Modems & Telecommunications Q: What's a good modem? A: Just about any pocket modem or PCMCIA modem. A full-sized external modem will work fine too, but of course it's not as portable. Specific features such as size, modulations and protocols supported, cellular phone support, power drain, and others vary considerably. Q: Should I get a PCMCIA modem or an external one? A: Advantages to PCMCIA -- Cleaner cable setup, uses same power supply as HP100/200, smaller overall package. Advantages to external -- allows use of RAM card and modem simultaneously, doesn't drain HP100/200 batteries. While a pocket modem typically draws power from a battery or from an AC power supply, a PCMCIA modem draws all power from the palmtop. Most PCMCIA modems are designed to work on larger machines with plenty of battery power so most modems also consume as much or more power than the HP-100/200LX. This drain can occur whether the modem is in use or not, consequently battery life is much shorter, as little as 15 minutes. Use of an AC adapter is usually recommended. Since there's only one PCMCIA slot, it can either hold a modem or a SRAM/Flash card, but not both. So a PCMCIA modem can only transfer data to and from the internal RAM drive of the machine. Q: What cable do I use for an external modem? A: The HP cable will work, but you'll have to use a gender changer/null modem adapter. See the description of the connectivity pack elsewhere in this FAQ. Or you can make your own cable. Q: Why is my modem so slow? A: The System Manager slows down the serial port. The DataComm application is even slower, at least on the 100LX. Together they are really slow. The solution is to not use either, although using any other communications software under the System Manager is better than using DataComm. MS-Kermit (various version from 60KB to 300KB), Procomm, Telix, and others are reported to work. See the minimal-software-list for details. Interestingly enough, the built-in DataComm application seems to be reasonably fast when doing file transfer, it's only when used as a terminal that it becomes painfully slow. The 200LX does not suffer from the slow screen update bug on the built-in DataComm application. Q: How can I read Usenet and mail offline with the 100/200LX? A: There's almost nothing special about the 100/200LX in this regard, it's just like any other DOS PC. Check out the newsgroup alt.usenet.offline-reader. Their FAQ may be found at <ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-group/alt.usenet.offline-reader> If you want to ask questions over there (AFTER reading their FAQ), just tell them that your HP is an IBM PC-XT compatible running DOS 5.0 with CGA. People have reported success using a UQWK/YARN combination to transfer mail and news via SOUP. The one area where the 100/200LX is unique is that it has cc:Mail in ROM. If you're one of those rare folks who has access to a cc:Mail post office, great. If not, there is currently no way to use the built-in cc:Mail program for anything else, so forget cc:Mail and try a generic DOS solution. But keep watching here, there is supposedly some work going on in this area. Q: What's a good fax program? A: There are several good fax programs available that will run on MS-DOS with CGA. Your modem may have come with one. Users have reported success with the following, but there are probably more. 1. SSFAXER: Shareware on eddie.mit.edu. Must register in order to receive faxes 2. BGFAX: Available at <ftp://ftp.csn.net/Computech> 3. There's a free demo package from TurboPower software that contains a small toolkit for sending and receiving faxes. Can send faxes from PCX, TIF, TXT formats. But fax viewer software only supports VGA, hence viewer won't run on palmtop. This package is actually a demo of their Pascal/C++ communications toolkit. Available at <ftp://rainbow.rmii.com/pub2/turbopower/faxdemo.exe> 4. ACEFAX contact info unknown. ------------------------------ Subject: 12. Connectivity to desktop computers and other devices Q: How do I connect the 100/200LX to a desktop PC? A: For the 100LX, HP sells the connectivity pack, (HP F1021A) which comes with a serial cable, (HP F1015A) a package of various adapters for different serial connections, (HP F1023A) and software for the PC. The PC software includes versions of the 100LX PIM software (but no Lotus 1-2-3, sorry). The filer applications let you transfer files back and forth, and the redirector program lets you use one machine's disk drive from the other machine (but it's slow). A similar connectivity pack is available for the 200LX (F1021B, w/English docs, F1021C with multilingual docs). The 200LX connectivity pack includes software to integrate Pocket Quicken with Quicken for DOS or Windows, in addition to updated versions of the software in the 100LX connectivity pack. A "software-only" version of the 200LX connectivity pack is also available, for those users who already have cables and such from a 100LX. If you don't want to buy the connectivity pack, you may connect the palmtop and desktop with a serial cable and use your choice of DOS connectivity software. The interlnk/intersvr programs that come with DOS 6 work fine. Q: Where can I get just the HP-100/200LX serial cable without the Connectivity Kit? A: EduCALC, etc. HP sells it as part no. F1015A. The same cable is used for HP's calculators (it comes with an adapter to fit their serial connector), so check the calculator section of a well-equipped store if you don't see the cable near the HP100/200LX display. Q: Where do I get an adapter to use HP's serial cable with a modem, serial printer, Sun workstation, etc.? A: HP sells a connector/adapter kit (HP F1023A). The HP serial cable ends in a female DB9 connection with a null modem, so it's ready to plug directly into the standard DB9 serial connector found on most desktop PC's. The adapter kit contains four adapters, which make the COMBINATION of HP serial cable + adapter look like: 0) female DB9 with null modem (stock cable with no adapter) 1) male DB25 with null modem (for serial printer) 2) male DB25 without null modem (for modem or other devices) 3) female DB25 with null modem (for PC with DB25 serial port) 4) male DB9 without null modem (for modem or anything else you'd plug into your desktop's DB9 port). Try the serial printer adapter to connect to a Sun workstation's DB25 port. Some other unix workstations are reported to use MacIntosh-style serial ports, and the MacIntosh serial cable will work with these. Similar adapters should be available at any well equipped computer/electronics store, or you can build your own. The adapter kit comes with the connectivity pack. Q: What software can I use to transfer files if I don't get the Connectivity Pack? A: You don't need anything beyond the software in ROM on the 100/200LX, as the datacom application supports xmodem, ymodem, zmodem, and kermit. Zip (not the data compression package), MS-Kermit, LapLink, Interlink, and other software works fine. See the minimal-software-list. Q: Where can I get a compatible serial port connector? A: EduCALC sells a cable with the appropriate connector at one end and bare wires at the other. For those who want to make a cable from scratch a contact and part numbers follow. Digi-Key Corporation 701 Brooks Ave. South P.O. Box 677 Thief River Falls, MN 56701-0677 800-344-4539 800-DIGI-KEY 218-681-6674 218-681-3380 fax $25.00 minimum order or $5.00 handling charge part# H2004-ND Hirose Electric Co., A3B series 10-pin dual-row, 2mm connector (HP 100/200LX) part# H9999-ND Hirose Electric Co., socket terminals, quantity 100 part# H2013-ND Hirose Electric Co., A4B series 4-pin, single-row, 2mm connector (HP-48, HP-95LX) If you already have the HP cable, it comes with an adapter to plug the 10-pin connector into a 4-pin HP95 or HP48. One clever use of this adapter is use it as a mold to make a "bump" on Digi-Key 10-pin connector using 5-minute epoxy. This "bump" is not essential, but it will help prevent you from inserting the 10-pin connector upside-down. Q: How can I connect the 100/200LX to an Apple MacIntosh? A: HP sells a serial cable to connect the 100/200LX directly to a Mac; it's part #F1016A. This handles the physical link, reducing the problem to "How can I get a Mac to talk to a PC across a serial link?" DataViz (1-800-733-0030) is a company which makes a product called MacLink Plus/HP Palmtop, which handles file transfers, and converts the HP100/200LX application's files (memo, database, phonebook, etc.) to popular Mac formats (Excel, MacWrite, Word, etc.). One current shortcoming is that the "Notes" section of the 100/200LX Database/Phonebook programs is not supported in the Filemaker translation. But this is reportedly being worked on. MacLink Plus works with all the HP Palmtops (95/100/200). It includes the serial cable. File translations include: Memo to: MacWrite, MacWrite II, MS Word 4 & 5.x, MS Works, Mac WP 2&3, WriteNow 2, RTF. Appt book to: Excel 2,3,4, Lotus WKS, MS Works SS 2,3, SYLK, Comma Separated, Tab Separated, Tab Text Phone book to: Address Book Plus, Dynodex 2,3, Excel 2,3,4, Filemaker Pro, Lotus WKS, SYLK, Comma Separated, Tab Separated, Tab Text Database to: FileMaker Pro, MS Works DB 2,3 Palmtop Lotus to: Excel 2,3,4, Lotus WKS, Ms Works SS 2,3, SYLK, Comma separateed, Tab Seeparated, Tab Text. Among other places, it's available directly from DataViz or from MacWarehouse (1-800-255-6227). The best answers to generic PC/Mac connectivity are probably found outside this newsgroup (anyone know where?), but here's a shot at some alternatives: Most any terminal program on the 100/200LX (including the built-in DataComm) will handle simple file transfers via kermit, xmodem, etc. MacLink Plus/PC is a commercial package made by DataViz which is intended for use on any IBM-Compatible, and is reported to work on the 100/200LX, and allow easy file transfer. But see above for a customized HP version that supports the HP apps. Q: Intersvr complains about the E: drive when I start it. What can I do? A: This is a stacker/interlink incompatibility. You could stop using stacker, but a less drastic solution is to get a copy of SUBST.EXE from a PC with MS-DOS 5.0 and include the statement "SUBST E: A:\somedir" in your AUTOEXEC.BAT. "somedir" refers to any existing directory on your A: drive. ------------------------------ Subject: 13. PCMCIA Cards Q: What's the difference between flash memory and SRAM? A: SRAM is fast, expensive, requires battery back-up, doesn't take much power to use. Flash memory is cheaper per megabyte, available in larger sizes, will hold data forever without power, very slow for writing (on the order of the speed of a floppy disk), requires significant power for writing, and will eventually wear out when written to many times (though some flash cards have a lifetime guarantee, and nobody has yet posted that their flash card wore out). Both technologies have plenty of satisfied users. Q: Will <Random PCMCIA Card> work in a 100/200LX? A: Best answer: ask the vendor, and be sure you're allowed to return it if it doesn't work. Most vendors will know if their cards are compatible with a machine as common as the 100/200LX. Longer answer: The 100/200LX PCMCIA slot is PCMCIA 2.0 compatible, and able to accept type I or type II cards. It supplies 5 or 12 volts. It has trouble with certain cards which attempt to draw high current. Most modems, SRAM cards, and ATA (Sundisk-style) flash cards work fine. Most ethernet adapters and GPS receivers draw too much current to work. Intel-style flash cards (like the Newton uses) are not supported, but see next question. Common confusion: PCMCIA _Type_ is always listed in roman numerals, and refers _only_ to the thickness of the card. PCMCIA _Release_ is listed in arabic numerals, and refers to the version of the interface specification. If a card draws too much current to work in the 100/200LX, using the AC adapter won't help. Q: How can I use a Newton flash card in a 100/200LX? A: This is not for the squeamish. HP does not support Intel-style flash cards on the 100/200LX, so if you have any problems making it work, you're pretty much out of luck. However, some users have reported varying degrees of success with them. They require that you obtain MS-FLASH.SYS for normal use, and MEMCARD.EXE is required to format the card. These files are NOT public domain, and not available at any ftp site. Some people have reportedly pirated them from an Omnibook (probably illegal). If anyone knows of an official way of obtaining up-to-date versions of these files, please tell the editor. At least one user has reported that there is some incompatibility between the system manager (or at least the database apps) and MS-FLASH.SYS, such that the flash card could only be used in raw DOS mode outside of the system manager. Other users have reported that continually writing and moving files around on the card slowly consumes small amounts of disk space, which can only be recovered by backing the card up, reformatting, and restoring. Note that this entire discussion is about Newton flash cards, not Newton SRAM cards. Several posters have been able to use Newton SRAM cards without difficulty. Q: How can I use a PCMCIA ethernet adapter? A: Most ethernet adapters draw more power than the palmtop can provide. The Socket Communications ethernet adapter is reported to work. The Xircom ethernet adapter is reported to come close to working, though there are problems getting the supplied drivers to work on the 100/200LX. Q: Why would I want to use a PCMCIA ethernet adapter anyway? A: Despite the small amount of storage, a palmtop network diagnostic tool is very useful. See usenet:comp.dcom.lans.ethernet for details. ------------------------------ Subject: 14. Batteries, Battery life, AC adapters, etc. Q: What batteries does it use? How long do they last? A: The 100/200LX uses 2 standard AA cells, either Alkaline or NiCad. It also uses a miniature lithium "button" battery for memory backup when the main batteries fail. Battery lifetime varies a lot, based on how much you use the machine, what kind of PCMCIA card you use, how much you use the serial and IR ports, how good your batteries are, etc. As a rough guess, several users have reported needing to recharge their NiCad's approximately once a week, when running it a few hours a day with a flash card. Users have reported in excess of a month of regular usage from fresh lithium AA cells, down to an hour or less with a power-sucking PCMCIA modem and NiCads. The HP manual claims that "for typical use without the AC adapter, fresh Alkaline batteries should last from 2 to 8 weeks. Rechargable batteries ... will get less life ..." (p A-2 of 100LX manual). Although the manual only recommends alkaline or NiCads, users have reported success with lithium AA cells. Lithium cells have a much longer shelf life and running life than alkalines. Setting the machine up for alkalines works for lithiums. Others have cautioned that inserting lithium cells backwards can permanently damage the machine, and the discharge curve for lithiums is very steep, leaving little time between the first "low battery" warning and completely dead batteries. The 100/200LX can charge installed NiCads by simply plugging in an AC adapter and selecting the option from the setup application. No separate charger is needed. Rechargable alkaline or NiMH batteries can be used, just like regular alkalines. However, to charge them, you must take them out of the 100/200LX and put them in a charger specially designed for rechargable alkalines or NiMH batteries. Q: Why won't my NiCad batteries hold a charge anymore? A: You probably use the AC adapter most of the time, and have NiCad charging enabled. There's plenty of mythology, folklore, and an occasional fact or two regarding NiCad "memory effect", which won't be repeated here. Suffice it to say that you can damage NiCad batteries by repeatedly overcharging them when they're already charged. The 100/200LX has two charge rates: for the first 6 hours after the adapter is plugged in, the batteries charge at a high rate (100mA), then charging switches to a low-current "trickle charge" (45mA). Each time you plug in the adapter the cycle repeats. If you plug the machine in each day at work, and again when you get home, you can kill the batteries fairly quickly. Simple way to avoid trouble: if your NiCads have a full charge or close to it, and you want to use the AC adapter, then disable charging. A slightly less conservative approach is to use 100Buddy or the shareware batset program to limit the fast charge time to one minute, since trickle charging isn't likely to damage the batteries as quickly. Q: What kind of AC adapter does the 100/200LX use? A: CAUTION: It's different from the 95LX! The 100/200LX uses 12VDC, negative tip, up to 750mA, approx 5.5mm OD barrel-type connector. HP recommends their part no F1011A, which is about the size of a credit card, except that it's an inch (2.5 cm) thick, with fold-away AC prongs. It will take any input voltage from 100 to 240 Volts, at 50/60 Hz, an advantage for world travellers. Radio Shack Cat no 273-1652B seems to work, and is probably cheaper. It's only rated at 500mA, so there may be problems when using with high-current PCMCIA cards. It appears to work ok with flash cards while charging NiCad's, though, and current measurements indicate that the 100/200LX draws much less than 500mA with this adapter even when writing to a flash card, charging NiCads, and using the serial port simultaneously. Other compatible adapters are certainly available from various sources. The 100/200LX does not include an adapter in the box. ------------------------------ Subject: 15. Obscure undocumented tips, tricks, and trivia Q: What is xine? A: It is a built-in file compression program (D:\BIN\XINE.COM). To use, type "XINE infile outfile". If infile isn't compressed, xine will compress it to outfile. If infile is compressed, xine will expand it to outfile. CAUTION: Don't specify infile and outfile as the same name, or you'll lose your data. Xine is not documented, although it appears in all versions of the 100/200LX (including non-English versions). Q: What is pushkeys? A: Pushkeys is a program to run keyboard macros from a DOS batch file. It's in D:\BIN, but it has its hidden file bit set, so you must use "dir /a:h" to see it. Run it once with the /i argument, and it installs itself as a TSR. Run it again with the name of a .MAC file, and it run the 10 macros in sequence. Pushkeys is not documented, and may be missing from some non US-English versions of the 100/200LX. It does appear in the European-English 100LX, however. International users who don't have it built-in may be able to get a copy from the Palmtop Paper. Q: What is hexcalc? A: It's a programmer's calculator that supports hex, octal, binary, and decimal. It's System manager compliant, and included in the 200LX ROM, but not automatically included in the system manager menu. Q: What is ICN200LX.COM? A: It's a simple icon editor in the 200LX ROM. Q: What are the special characters I can use in the comments field of the Application Manager? A: An inverted question mark (keystroke Fn-3) inhibits the "Press any key to exit from DOS ..." message after finishing the application. An inverted exclamation point (keystroke Fn-Filer) disables the system manager and prevents switching to another application while the current application is running, giving the application total control of the console and serial port. This is needed to make certain DOS programs (intersvr, terminal emulators, etc.) work properly. Neither special character is documented in early versions of the 100LX manual, though both appear in the 200LX manual and in later editions of the 100LX manual (they work the same on both machines). Q: How can I customize the fields in the phone book? (e.g. add an e-mail address) A: Close the phone book, open the database manager, select file/open and open the phone.pdb file (the file formats are the same for the database manager and phone book, only the extension is changed). Now use file/modify database to add/subtract/move fields to your heart's content, quit the database manager, and use the phone book. Be aware that certain other software which reads phone book files expects the fields to be "vanilla", so don't use this trick (or at least back up your data and test it first) if you plan to transfer your phone book data to such software. The "Xlate/Merge" feature of the connectivity pack is one program which wants the files to be vanilla. Q: How can I get the filer to run a program based on a file's type? A: On the 100LX, get 100Buddy. On the 200LX, you can create the file c:\_dat\filer.ini, containing file extensions and commands to run, as shown in this example: [Launcher] ICN=D:\BIN\ICN200.EXE % ZIP=A:\BIN\PKUNZIP.EXE % When you select a file and press ENTER, if the selected file has the extention ".ICN" the icon editor on drive D: is started and the file name (the `%' is replaced by the name of the selected file) is given as argument. If the selected file has the extention ".ZIP" it is automatically unzipped (assuming PKUNZIP lives on a:\bin). Q: What's the "disable filer" trick? A: As shipped by HP, the application manager always keeps the filer in memory, consuming approx 58K of RAM. This is so that, if you run out of disk space while using an application, you can enter filer, delete some files, and save your work. The "disable filer" trick allows you to completely terminate the filer, and recover that 58K of RAM. This is undocumented, unsupported, and nobody at HP has recommended it, although several users have reported success with it. Nevertheless, please back up your disk before trying this. To disable the filer, do the following: 1) Activate the application manager (press {More}). 2) Move the filer to the first position, using F7. 3) Close the application manager. 4) Start DOS (cntl-123), and type the following: debug c:\_dat\appmgr.dat e 10a 01 w q 5) Start the application manager and move the filer back to its original position, if desired. Now, you can close the filer by first opening it, highlighting it in the application manager and pressing F6, or by menu/application/close all. The filer's quit command will behave as before, just putting the filer to sleep, not recovering the RAM. If the filer is asleep, the application manager CANNOT close it. The filer must be open (awake) for the application manager to close it. If the filer has been completely terminated (not just put to sleep), it will take two presses of the filer key to open it up again. Q: How do I prevent the 100/200LX from powering down while on batteries? A: There are several utility programs to do this, but the following procedure will create a short assembler program that should do the trick. Warning: back up your machine before running this, as a typing error might wreak all sorts of havoc. The computer says: You type: A:\JUNK> debug - a 100 1970:0100 mov ah,46 1970:0102 mov bx,0000 1970:0105 int 15 1970:0107 int 20 1970:0109 - r cx CX 0000 : 9 - n timeout.com - w Writing 00009 bytes - quit A:\JUNK> Now, you've just created a short program, called timeout.com, that you can run to inhibit the automatic time-out feature. Re-booting will restore the default timeout limit, or you can create a corresponding "timein.com" program, by following the above procedure except change the second mov statement to "mov bx,0c9a", and change the n statement to "n timein.com". The number after the "mov bx," is a hexadecimal integer equal to 18 times the number of seconds desired for automatic power-down. 0433 corresponds to 1 minute, 0c9a means 3 minutes, 14ff means 5 minutes, 3efd means 15 minutes, etc. Again, back up your machine before running either of these programs, until you're confident the programs work correctly. Q: How can I get owner info and date/time on a custom topcard? A: Name the file "TOPCARD.PCX" and put it in the \_SYS or \_DAT directory on the A: or C: drive. There may be other directory names which work, but most random directory and/or filenames will not display the owner info and date/time. Q: How do I get the keyboard self-test diagnostics to work? A: Press each key, in order, starting at the top left, going across, and finally ending up at the bottom right. For further explanation of the self-test sequences, see the manual. Q: What are the various ROM revisions? A: (incomplete list of bugfixes/features, need help here) ***100LX ROM VERSIONS*** 1.01a Original version. Some were eproms 1.02a Infected by the HEU bug 1.03a HEU (sHift kEy bUg) fixed, speed up for carry-forward todos. 1.04a Last ROM version prior to 2MB Model. Currently shipping on many 1MB models. Does not need FS.COM that comes on the CPACK disk for the redirector. 1.05a Added support for 2MB 1.06a Most current. Some cc:Mail bugs fixed. Found on latest 2MB units, and on some 1MB models. At least one user reported a dramatic (2x) speedup in the calendar app monthly view when updating from 1.02a to 1.04a. ***200LX ROM VERSIONS*** 1.00a 1.01a 1.02a First spotted in Jan of 95 Q: How do I determine which ROM version I have? A: Reboot the machine (cntl-alt-del) and watch the screen. Q: What is the Shift Key Bug (HEU)? A: It is a bug that occurs on 100LX ROM versions 1.02a or less. Occasionally, the key that is pressed after the shift key is ignored and the next key pressed is capitalized. If you try to write "Shift Key Bug" it becomes "Hift Ey Ug". This problem is intermittent and not all users observe it. Q: What information is encoded in the serial number? A: The week it was manufactured. A serial number is of the form: SGywwnnnnn Where y is the last digit of the year of manufacture, ww is the week of manufacture, and nnnnn is the individual serial number. Thus SG45101234 is the 1234th unit manufactured in the 51st week of 1994. The "SG" is the country of origin (apparently all are manufactured in Singapore). It seems a similar scheme is used for many HP calculators. ------------------------------ Subject: 16. Common problems Q: Why can't I unzip this file? A: This isn't really a 100/200LX question, but it's been asked frequently enough. PKZIP works the same on the 100/200LX as on any other MS-DOS machine. Chances are you don't have your file transfer software set up in binary mode. If you're absolutely positive that the file was transferred in binary every step of the way, then maybe you have an old version of PKZIP. 2.04g is the most recent as of this writing. Q: I can't turn it off while it's charging the batteries! A: That's right. It needs to be awake to monitor and regulate the charging rate. LCD screens don't suffer "burn-in" from continuous use (think about LCD watches), so it's really nothing to worry about. Q: Help! My machine is stuck! What do I do? A: The manual's "Getting Started" chapter contains some suggestions. Try the following, listed in order from least likely to destoy data to most likely. 1. Reboot with cntl-alt-del. If the machine starts to boot, but freezes up during the boot process, you have a problem with something in your config.sys and/or autoexec.bat. Boot from the D: drive (press alt during boot for menu) and use the memo editor to remove the offending line(s) from the startup files. 2. Press cntl-shift-on. Cntl-shift-on will ask if you want to destroy your C: drive, so be careful. It will also alter battery settings from the setup application (if you were using NiCads, for example). 3. Replace your AA batteries with fresh ones and try again. Replacing batteries while the machine is hung up may destroy the data on your C: drive. 4. Remove PCMCIA card and all batteries, including backup battery, from the 100/200LX (but if you have a SRAM card, leave its battery installed while the card is out of the 100/200LX!). Let the machine sit without power for awhile, and reinstall fresh AA batteries BEFORE replacing the backup battery. This will, of course, erase your C drive, reset the clock, and in general make the 100/200LX forget everything you ever taught it. Data on the PCMCIA card should survive this process, unless you have a SRAM card with a dead battery. But there's no guarantee that your PCMCIA card wasn't already trashed by whatever crashed your system. 5. If none of this works, your machine may need service. Try running diagnostics by pressing esc-on, and following the menu if one comes up. Follow the instructions in the manual for obtaining service. Any time any MS-DOS machine crashes hard enough to require a reboot, it's a good idea to run chkdsk on all drives, to clean up the file systems and recover any clusters that may have been lost. Q: How do I fix a loose hinge? A loose latch? A: First, call HP and see if you can get them to fix it, preferably at no charge under warranty. Both the hinge and the latch problem seem to be somewhat common after a year or so of use. Posters have generally had very good results with HP's express exchange service in dealing with these under warranty. If your unit is currently under warranty, you may be able to extend it by two years by paying a fee. Contact your country's HP branch for details (see the manual). To fix the hinge yourself, pull off the left end cap (it should come straight off using no tools harsher than a fingernail), and insert a rubber band in the vertical slot under the cap. Trim off excess and replace cap. You probably just voided any warranty you may have had. Be careful not to get the hinge too tight, or else it may break after repeated use. To fix a loose latch yourself, you can stuff something compressible behind the latch. Posters have suggested rubber bands, surgical tubing, packaging foam, and other similar materials. ------------------------------ Subject: 17. For more info Q: Where should I read and post articles concerning the HP-100/200LX? A: The Usenet newsgroup comp.sys.palmtops. The comp.sys.handhelds group is for calculators, not palmtops. The commercial services include Compuserve HPHAND, America OnLine PDA section. If your question concerns using DOS on the 100/200LX, perhaps one of the comp.os.msdos.* groups might be appropriate. Just tell them the 100/200LX behaves like a PC-XT with CGA and 640K, running DOS 5.0. Q: What's the Palmtop Paper? A: It's a newsletter, published 6 times a year, that covers the HP palmtop computers. It's filled with tricks and tips, stories of how people use their palmtops, and ads for all kinds of accessories and software. Contact Thaddeus Computing at P.O. Box 869, Fairfield, IA 52556 (515) 472-6330, FAX:(515) 572-1879 ------------------------------ Subject: 18. Public Domain This file is in the public domain, which means you can basically do with it what you wish (though you can't legally claim you wrote it). If you post or distribute it, the editor prefers that you keep it unaltered in its entirety. If you extract excerpts from it, the editor would appreciate a credit to "The Usenet comp.sys.palmtops HP100/200LX FAQ". ------------------------------ Subject: 19. Acknowledgements Special recognition to Anthony Stieber <anthony@csd4.csd.uwm.edu> for maintaining the 95LX FAQ and for starting this document. Special recognition to David McLauchlan <davemac@adam.com.au> for being a 200LX consultant, since the editor only has access to a 100LX. Also recognition to all the folks who have shared info via comp.sys.palmtops. The following people have contributed to this FAQ by e-mailing information to the editor: Jim Breen <jwb@rdt.monash.edu.au> Dan Buckler <buckler@netcom.com> Sylvan Butler <sylvan@hpbs2024.boi.hp.com> Tony Clark <tclark@wv.mentorg.com> Andreas Garzotto <garzotto@swssai.uu.ch> Andrew Gryc <andyg@hpcvrb.cv.hp.com> Sheryl Katz <slkatz@netcom.com> Wee-Meng Lee <leewm@hpsgm2.sgp.hp.com> Wolfgang Lierz <wolfgang.lierz@gmd.de> Rob Logan <rob@ct.picker.com> J. Marot-Lassauzaie <n1epobtl@ibmmail.com> Phillip Nichols <pnichols@bbs.gatecom.com> Clark Ochikubo <cgochiku@uci.edu> Stephen Panarelli <jep@ulinfo.unl.edu> Edmundo Silva <matsilva@zeus.ci.ua.pt> Charles Stroom <charles@yc.estec.esa.nl> Peter van der Landen <landen@cir.frg.eur.nl> Stefan Wolfrum <wolfrum@uran.informatik.uni-bonn.de> Narutoshi Yoneda <yoneda@adm.nsc.nikko.co.jp>