On the Web at: http://www.nettechinc.com/lts.htm

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR - By Dennis Kennedy (dennisk@nettechinc.com)

I invite St. Louis readers (and others as well) to take a look at a new feature of the NetTech web site: "Internet Resources for St. Louis Lawyers" (http://www.nettechinc.com/stlouislaw.htm). We wanted to provide a one-stop shop for St. Louis lawyers to find resources essential for practicing in the St. Louis area.

Bruce Dorner's article on how he set up a solo practitioner with a PalmPilot solution in Issue 8 (http://www.nettechinc.com/dorner01.htm) really got me thinking about how attorneys can use PalmPilots. That, and a month's experimentation with a Palm IIIx, convinced me that I wanted to do an issue devoted to the Palm computing phenomenon. This issue includes lots of great, practical information on Palm computing and some new authors. If you've held off on taking a closer look at the Palm, you should get a few ideas from this issue what all the fuss is about.

Oh, yeah, this issue and the articles I wrote were planned and initially outlined using the BrainForest application on a Palm IIIx. And, for close observers, I've given up on the Casio E-11 I bought about 6 months ago and moved completely to Palm.

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FIVE REASONS PALM COMPUTING HAS BECOME SO POPULAR - By Dennis Kennedy (dennisk@nettechinc.com)

I've been using my Palm IIIx regularly for the last month or so and trying out all sorts of different programs. I think that a Palm device (there are several models) can benefit many attorneys, especially those who spend a lot of time on the go and who rely on calendars and to-do lists. I've quickly grown to like the Palm IIIx and have been surprised at how useful it has become and the power that it holds.

I see five factors for the Palm devices' popularity (in addition to simple "gadget chic" or the "gee whiz" factor):

1. It does a limited number of things but it does them very well and very quickly. One of the big complaints about today's software is that programs tend to have "feature bloat." The typical user uses only a fraction of the features of any program and many programs are slow-loading monsters. The Palm devices are "instant on" and take you to the application of your choice as soon as you hit the "on" button. No need to go get a cup of coffee while first Windows 95 or 98, then Word or WordPerfect, load. The Palm IIIx has the standard features you want and the simplicity to be used on a quick basis when you need it.

2. You can synchronize data with your home or business computer. When you meet someone, you can enter the contact information immediately into your Palm device. You can even "beam" information by infrared waves with another Palm III or higher user (see Tom Bassett's article in this issue). When you get back to the office, you slip the Palm device into its "cradle," push the "hot sync" button and the information is added to the address book on your office computer. At the same time, any new information your secretary added to the office address book is downloaded into your Palm device. The same for notes. Didn't get the chance to read all your e-mail before you left the office? Download your e-mail into the Palm device and take it home and read it at your leisure.

3. Because of the large installed base (3 million users), software developers are writing new programs for the Palm devices. There has been an explosion of new software for Palm devices, from productivity software to games, which have added new feature and enhanced the value of the Palm devices. There are over 4,000 Palm programs and new programs allow you to import your documents and spreadsheets into your Palm device and read them at home. Don't want to read your own documents? Books, articles, the Constitution and Bankruptcy Code, among other things, can be downloaded into your Palm device, making it an electronic book.

4. It is priced sensibly. The Palm IIIx, which I recommend, can be found at mail order houses for under $300. The Palm III, with less memory, can be found under $200. The more expensive Palm V (less memory, but a more stylish look than the IIIx) costs less than $400. The brand new Palm VII, with a built-in wireless modem (but limited geographic availability at the moment), should cost $599 when it become more widely available.

5. It actually fits into a shirt pocket. Because it is small, lightweight and legitimately fits into a shirt pocket, you really can take the Palm devices anywhere, greatly increasing its utility and value. This "always-with-you" factor is key to its utility.

Owners of the early Palm Pilots have loved them and I'm quickly learning why. There are Palm web pages (see NetTech's Palm page at http://www.nettechinc.com/palm.htm), e-mail mailing lists and user groups. It's great to see people so excited about a product that they feel enhances their productivity. I'm reminded of the excitement of the early Macintosh community.

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HOW ONE ATTORNEY USES A PALMPILOT - By Don C. Aldrich (dondo@skypoint.com)

The really great thing about the Palm III is that its uses are limited solely by your imagination. Basically, anything you ever put on a sticky note is available to you in a far more convenient form.

I am an attorney, and here is how I use my Palm III:

It hot syncs with my Calendar/Docketing software. Thus, I walk around with every important piece of information about every file in my office in my Palm III. This is very useful, especially when I get phone calls from clients, courts and attorneys outside the office.

I have time/billing software that hot syncs as well. Thus, I can easily bill for time, keep track of expense outside the office. When I return, it automatically ships the info where it's supposed to go.

Docs. I have downloaded the entire criminal code for my state onto my desktop. When I go to court, I download the necessary statutes to the Palm. If an issue comes up, I can find what I need almost instantly via bookmarks or searching. I also have the relevant case law, again bookmarked and searchable. I also include all the relevant documents and letters from the case. This saves me from carrying a lot of books and papers.

For oral arguments, I use outlining software, and again load that.

For speechifying in court, I limit myself to 20 minutes. Studies have shown this is the attention span of the average juror. I load up Big Clock with its huge timer, and have the Palm lying open on the podium. I like to move around a lot, and I can see the time from quite some distance without anyone knowing what I am doing.

I have it loaded with shortcuts for taking notes, making appointments, etc. I would not like to have to depend on Graffiti for anything lengthy, but short stuff is great. I can then shoot this right into my Docketing software as a note that is attached to the relevant file.

The key to most of this stuff is it eliminates double entry. I input stuff exactly once, either to my desktop or my Palm III, and don't have to worry about losing it, not finding it, retyping, etc.

It is a lifesaver for those indefinite periods of waiting a working lawyer is constantly faced with. I swear, I spend half my life sitting in a courtroom or hallway waiting. There are plenty of cool time wasters available, for cheap or free.

My main passion in life is chess. Chess Recorder allows me to record or load games, with notes. Knight Pad allows me to directly download my email games to the Palm to be worked on in spare moments.

That's how I use my Palm III.

[Don originally posted these comments on the useful Palm newsgroup: alt.comp.sys.palmtops.pilot.]

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ATTORNEYS CAN BENEFIT GREATLY FROM THE PALMPILOT - By Alan Steinberg (alanjesq@steinberglaw.com)

Let me change your life. I want to tell you about my Palm Pilot, a product that is now distributed by 3Com, Inc.

Why are so many people talking about the Pilot? The Palm Pilot has sold well over 3,000,000 units and those statistics represent what is probably the most successful introduction of a single Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) in the history of computers.

Why would the utilization of the Palm Pilot be so important for an attorney? Most attorneys have been trained to keep their docket in some type of Day calendar, Daytimer, or some kind of diary. I have seen many attorneys walking round the courthouse carrying a diary that is jam-packed with what appears to be hundreds of slips of paper which probably have important notes written upon them. Just ask yourself, what would happen if you lost your diary? You would think you had suffered a tragedy. I know of what I speak. Years ago I used the Daytimer system and I lost a Daytimer Diary. It was not fun to reconstruct my stuff. And, I was never able to do it accurately. However, we can put an end to that type of tragedy. By the utilization of the Palm Pilot, you have a complete record of your docket in the Palm Pilot, and a duplicate record of the data on your personal computer.

The beauty of the Palm Pilot, therefore, lies in the ability to synchronize the Palm Pilot with my PC, and, thus, have a back-up of the important data.

The elements of the Palm Pilot count basically four in number. I will deal with each of them separately.

The Datebook: The Datebook is a docket that you can configure in a very flexible manner. You can have your docket maintained in the Datebook format that comes with the Palm Pilot, or you can utilize third party vendor programs that act as a docket calendar. At our office, firm-wide, we use ACT version 4.0. ACT 4.0 is, in my opinion, very similar to Time Matters, the case management program. By synchronizing my Palm Pilot with my PC once or twice a week, I am able to carry with me six months of activities from the "sync" date forward. Synchronization is as simple as placing the Pilot in its cradle and pressing the Hot Sync button, and the computer does the rest.

I synchronize my docket forward only, but the Palm Pilot is capable of carrying even more data both forward and backward (historical) depending upon on the manner in which you configure the Palm Pilot. Therefore, while in court, for example, if we are considering the taking up a motion in the future, I can access my docket which is maintained by my legal assistant at any moment of the day and, thus, avoid or reduce the likelihood of conflicts. And, if I remember to consult my Pilot, I always know where I'm supposed to be.

The Telephone List: The Pilot comes with software that enables you to maintain a telephone list of your clients or other persons which include name, address, various telephone numbers, e-mail address and some lines that the user can configure for other data. Again, all of this information can be synchronized between your Palm Pilot and your laptop or desktop, just by pressing a button. The synchronization feature in this regard has the effect of making your office telephone list changes coincide with your synchronization to your Palm Pilot. Suppose you see someone you know, but can't recall his or her name. Do a "Find" on any data in the Pilot and the utility will search out the person, and you can say "Hi John, how have you been, and how are Martha and your kids, Ralph and Susan." Smart, very smart!

The "To Do" List: The Palm Pilot also comes with a "To do" list. A most essential feature, as I think most attorneys are "list makers". Throughout the day, the evening, and even on weekends (as I carry my Palm Pilot with me almost everywhere I go), I am able to jot notes into my Palm Pilot where they remain until I "purge" the notes, after having accomplished the various activities.

The Memo Pad: The Pilot comes with a memo pad that is designed to hold more data than the "To do list". The memo pad is nothing more than a blank screen with lines, which enables the Pilot owner to write data text directly into the Palm Pilot for future reading. Often I attend conferences and enter my notes directly into the Palm Pilot. The beauty of this method, of course, is that when I synchronize my Palm Pilot with my PC, I now have the notes in my office computer for posterity.

The user enters data through a handwriting recognition language called "Graffiti". It's a very simple language that would only take about an hour to learn for the entire alphabet. It really and truly is very user friendly. Once the Graffiti language is learned, the user writes the text into a small box and from the box the actual letters are displayed on a screen. Numbers are handled in a similar but separate box. The user simply draws the number in the number box, and watches the numbers write to the screen. That's all there is to it.

These are the basic functions of the Palm Pilot. Because 3Com and the predecessor developers of the Palm Pilot were "forward thinking", the Pilot programmers and managers opened the source code of the pilot to developers the world over. That is why today there are hundreds of programs that are downloadable into the pilot for the user's business and other enjoyment.

I have downloaded the following programs into my Palm Pilot:

1. "Bug me" - that let's me set a date and time and have it turn on the Pilot with a chime to alert me to do something that I have to do.

2. Viewer - a program that will allow me to import scanned images (I have a picture of my grandson on my Pilot). This program can be used to import any scanned image of a relatively small size. The user can import maps, photographs, or other pertinent data into the Pilot, all based upon the user's wishes.

3. "Found Me" - a program which, hopefully, the finder of my pilot will activate which identifies me as the rightful owner, by my name, address, telephone number, e-mail address and Social Security number. The program also states that there is a reward for returning the Palm Pilot.

4. An "Analog clock" - Just a big old round faced analog clock that I can use for time purposes.

5. Hackmaster - A super utility for any serious Palm Pilot user. This is what I would call a composite program, with regard to which many developers subscribe. It acts like its own operating system over many other third party available programs enabling the various programs to work. As an example, I use the Hackmaster program, Echohack, which manages the Pilot's power consumption.

6. AportisDoc - a program that enables the import of tremendous amounts of text data, i.e. stories, novels. The Magna Carta is available, as are certain portions of statutes. The gist of the Doc program is its management and compression program that enables a great deal of data to be stored on a two MB device (though upgrades are available up to 8 megabytes), and that is a lot of memory for a device that will fit in your shirt pocket.

7. Compass - Hey, what can I tell you? I get lost.

8. Games - Solitaire, chess, a synthesizer, and piano, both of which emit real "tones", and while you shouldn't "give up your day job", you can play them while waiting for a docket call, and get a lot of enjoyment from them.

9. List Maker - a program that enables you to easily make and keep lists, e.g. grocery lists, lists to check before leaving town, and other type of lists.

10. SynCalc - a more sophisticated calculator than that which comes with the Pilot. It will even handle equations.

There is so much more to tell about my Palm Pilot. Feel free to contact me at alanjesq@steinberglaw.com and I will regale you with stories of my Palm Pilot.

[Editor's Note: A video playback of Alan's seminar on PalmPilots can be found at http://www.legalspan.net//insession/speakers/0007.asp.]

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THE ESSENTIAL PALM COMPUTING SOFTWARE LIST FOR LAWYERS, VERSION 1.0 - Dennis Kennedy (dennisk@nettechinc.com)

In the preceding article, Alan has provided a good list of useful programs for your Palm device. At NetTech, we've been sampling a great number of Palm programs and are working toward a recommended "standard" configuration for attorneys who use Palm devices. While much testing remains, we've seen enough to put together version 1.0 of "The Essential Palm Computing Software List for Lawyers." We'll continue to update and improve the list and keep it at the NetTech web site (http://www.nettechinc.com/palm.htm). Your input into this list is welcomed.

We are currently convinced that the Palm IIIx is the Palm device of choice for lawyers. The current price point (under $300 street price) and the standard 4 megabytes of memory give it the nod for us.

One of the things that it is important to realize about Palm Computing is that while the Palm IIIx is quite functional out of the box, expect to spend another several hundred dollars getting it into the configuration that's best for you.

At least 4,000 programs have been written for the Palm devices. It's not so much the case that the preloaded programs are inadequate but that there are better versions of many of the standard programs. The Palm is a productivity device and one that can be programmed in ways that reflect the ways you work best. Most of the "I wish I could . . ." thoughts you will have can be resolved by a program already in existence.

Another key point to keep in mind always is that the Palm is an "extender" of your desktop and notebook computer, not a "replacement" for them. Keep that firmly in mind and you will not be disappointed with a Palm, but will begin to revel in its power.

Here is a list of essential Palm programs:

• Desktop to Go (http://www.dataviz.com) - You absolutely want to be able to synchronize your desktop e-mail and calendaring packages (Outlook, Notes, GroupWise, et al.) with your Palm device. Desktop to Go ($49.95) allowed me to make a few choices and then ported over 500 contacts and personal and public calendar information from Outlook to my Palm IIIx and took additional info from the Palm and placed it in Outlook. Because of the power and utility of this type of synchronization, you want to have a powerful program that will handle the task. I simply would not leave this operation to the Palm's built-in functionality. There are also other products in this category, like Puma's Intellisync (http://www.pumatech.com) ($69.95), that have been well-reviewed.

• SynCalc or RPN - The built-in Palm calculator is a bit toy-like. You'll want to replace with one that gives you more functionality and, most likely, financial functions. SynCalc ($17.95) is popular, as Alan indicated. If you are a Hewlett Packard user, as I am, RPN ($15 shareware) with the HP "reverse Polish notation" (you either love it or you hate it) is a must.

• A Doc Reader - Doc readers turn your Palm into an electronic book. Many books and other documents are available in Doc format (conceptually, it's like PDF files, read-only). You'll need a Doc reader to read them (conceptually, they're like the Adobe Acrobat reader). I like AportisDoc Mobile Edition 2.1 (http://www.aportis.com) ($30). TealDoc (http://www.tealpoint.com) ($16.95) is another excellent example of the category. I'm in the middle of testing the widely-praised Documents to Go ($39.95), from Dataviz (http://www.dataviz.com), which enables you to transfer your own word processing documents and spreadsheets to your Palm device. I've liked what I've seen and heard about Documents to Go.

• AvantGo - Simply put, AvantGo allows you to grab information from the Internet and pull it down to your Palm device whenever you hot sync. In essence, you can get news updates from the Wall Street Journal, USA Today and a variety of other "channel providers." You received stripped down info (no graphics). Very handy for grabbing news, sports scores and stock info. Free. (http://www.avantgo.com)

• Hackmaster - Hackmaster is the building block for a variety of "hacks," which are programs that work on the underlying Palm system and change a variety of features. Hacks can change screen highlighting, save battery life and do many, many other things. Hackmaster, free, is essential for any of the hacks.

• BrainForest - I review BrainForest in more detail later in this issue. BrainForest is the best program in the "outliner" category. Outliners really reflect the way most lawyers work. This may be the one program that convinces lawyers of the utility of the Palm devices. $39. (http://www.aportis.com)

• BackupBuddyNG - I concur with Alan Steinberg's review of Backup Buddy in this issue. I feel much better with Backup Buddy on the job. $20. (http://www.backupbuddy.com)

• Lefty - In essence, a hack to optimize the Palm for left-handed people. I can't really point to anything that it has enhanced for me, but we lefties loved to have our uniqueness considered. (http://www.strout.net)

Close to Essential.

You are likely to find that one or more of the built-in Palm apps will disappoint you in some way. You might want more calendar views. You might want to show to-dos on the same page as your calendar. You might want to be able to add drawings to your memos. You may have difficulty with the Graffiti handwriting recognition software. Here are some of the replacements to consider:

• Action Names - A calendar program that gives you a number of helpful views (weekly, etc.) and places to-dos on the same page as your calendar appointments. This program has won the NetTech contest as best calendar replacement. (http://www.iambic.com) ($19.95)

• SuperNames - I like the graphic file folder metaphor, so SuperNames is a welcome replacement for the address book. Each letter of the alphabet has a separate file folder and it's much easier to navigate your contacts. If you are importing hundreds or thousands of contacts, ease of navigation can be important. (http://www.standalone.com) ($34.95)

• Jot - I really like Graffiti, the built-in handwriting recognition system. What some people see as its limitations, I see as benefits. This, by the way, is typical for Palm users and the beauty of Palm is that you can configure to work in the way that you work best. Jot is the most popular replacement for Graffiti. The key points: with Jot, you can write on the entire screen and you can write your letters more "naturally." (http://www.cic.com) ($40)

• Launcher III - The standard Palm home screen is adequate. Launcher III replaces it with a more friendly, to me, graphic file metaphor and shows time, battery and memory information in a helpful way. Freeware.

• Checkit - A surprisingly useful application. Occasionally, you have checklists that you use over and over. You want to check items off, but still see the whole list, then blank the checkboxes and reuse the checklist. That's what Checkit does. Very nice app. $8. (http://www.aho.ch/checkit)

• Games - Sometimes you have time to kill and don't want to be productive. Your needs will vary. I like PocketChess, although it's humbling to find that it is a Palm IIIx, rather than IBM's Big Blue program, that can beat me consistently. Free (http://www.eskimo.com/~scottlu).

Still Testing:

• We have not yet been able to find a timekeeping app that we really like.

• Memo replacers - My sense is that it is useful to be able to add drawings to memos. I'm currently looking at TealDraw as a drawing program and at some of the memo replacers.

• Password programs - One useful feature of a Palm would be to hold your passwords, PIN numbers, credit card numbers, et al., in a secure fashion. I'm looking at a program or two that may fit the bill.

As you might have guessed, almost all Palm software is available in demo or evaluation formats. There are lots of shareware and freeware programs. You will normally be downloading programs from the Internet.

Bonus:

Keyboards - Bill Coplin and I have been evaluating the GoType keyboard. Insert your Palm into the keyboard and your can type away on a small keyboard. Our experience so far has been pretty positive. About $80. (http://www.landware.com)

Cases - It's comical how much time can be spent talking about the "right" case for a Palm device. It's a personal choice and a personal statement. For me, I am convinced that the Palm becomes most useful when it can be with you at all times. I decided that this meant that I needed a case to wear on my belt on casual days and non-work days when I am wearing a shirt without a pocket. I went with the Rhino Pak 1000, which gives you a kind of contemporary, outdoorsy, utilitarian feel with just a dash of youthful zest. Or so I want to believe. $19.95 (http://www.rhinoskin.com).

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PALM PILOTS, BUSINESS CARDS, AND YOUR "PERSONAL PERSONAL" INFORMATION - By Tom Bassett (tom@circlez.net)

The Palm Pilot is an increasingly present tool in the business environment. Over 3 million of these devices have been sold. Recent versions include infrared beaming capabilities to transfer information. Older versions can also be upgraded to have this capability (the upgrade also gives you more memory and the latest versions of the software).

One feature of the newest operating system is the ability to share an electronic version of your business card with someone else who has a Pilot. Simply pressing the button for the Address Book function and holding it down starts a sequence of events which results in your Pilot exchanging your "e-business card" with another Pilot. You simply create an entry for yourself, with the information you wish to exchange, and mark it as your business card. If someone else begins such a transfer, you may accept or decline the trade.

I just recently completed my first transfer. It was the second for the other party ("B"). B then looked to see what I had sent him. It seems that the first time B traded information this way, he got quite a bit more than expected (from "C").

As you might imagine, people store all kinds of information in their Pilots. They're handy for phone numbers, PINs, credit card numbers, and the like. And, before the beaming capability, there was little reason to segregate this personal personal information from the merely personal information about yourself.

Yes, you know where this is going. It seems that C had put all of this in his personal entry in his Pilot - PINs, credit cards, the works. He then later tagged this entry as his business card, apparently forgetting that it contained "personal personal" information.

B got ALL of that when they traded their cards.

Lesson to be learned - if you're going to even think about doing this, create a separate entry in your Pilot for this personal personal information. To be even more sure it wouldn't be traded, put it in the ToDo list or the Memo pad functions of the Pilot and not in the Address Book portion. Even if you buy a Pilot and NEVER expect to do this, segregate your input now - you may later change your mind and forget what you tagged as acceptable information to transmit.

Happy computing!

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REVIEW: BACKUPBUDDY NG - By Alan Steinberg (alanjesq@steinberglaw.com)

They say that "Timing is Everything".

In that regard, I want to tell you about a "LifeSaver" program called BackupBuddy NG (New Generation), that saved me a lot of time and trouble. It is in my opinion, a "Must Have" for Piloteers.

The use of BackupBuddy arose from certain problems that I encountered recently which resulted in my having to purchase new hard drives and initiate a huge restoration job from tapes to the new hard drives to get my Workstation up and running, at least in a temporary mode. This article arises from my poor choice of date for installing a brand new pager card on my Palm Pilot, namely, during the same weekend the hard drive work was being done.

Here is the story. I use a Palm Pilot Professional Edition with the Motorola Paging chip that makes my Palm Pilot a pager, as well as a PDA.

I chose the same weekend as the technical people who were scheduled to assist me in the re-formatting of my new hard drives and re-installation of software for my workstation to install a new paging chip to my Palm Pilot.

Here was the sequence of events. My system failed, due to "technician error". I purchased two new hard drives (I run a mirrored system) and, thus, all data and programs were "on tape", including BackupBuddy and all of its data.

The fact that I had chosen this particular weekend as the weekend to reformat my hard drives just complicated the matter of restoration.

This means everything we were going to do relied on a series of backup tapes which I use every night as a "paranoid backer upper".

BackupBuddy is a $19.95 program that reads your Pilot's brain every time you sync with your desktop. It makes an identical backup and stores all the data on your hard drive.

While the technicians were performing the installation of the new hard drives, I took it upon myself to install a new Pagemart paging card for my Pilot. Pagemart is my paging service. The upgrade was sent to all users to enhance receipt of electronic transmission of data.

I left my office where the install work was underway, and sat in the conference room and pulled out the paging chip and reinserted an upgraded chip. This operation resulted in the Pilot being a "brand new" configuration having no knowledge of my custom programs, preferences data or whatever. In essence, I was starting out with a brand new Palm Pilot.

The installation stuff and restoration from tapes on my workstation took most of the day. After the hardware installation, the technicians and I reinstalled as much of the software and data as we could do in a weekend from my various backup tapes. Included in the backup tapes was BackupBuddy and the data stored on the tapes. I restored the Pilot Desktop program from the original CD ROM, and then after downloading the Pilot link from Symantec that syncs my Pilot with our ACT Contact Manager, I began the Hot Sync process.

With all systems seemingly on GO, I placed my Pilot in the Pilot cradle and set the HotSync Manager for BackupBuddy NG to overwrite my Pilot. (Remember, there were no programs on my Pilot except the default programs from 3Com, the seller of the Pilot.)

At the end of the synchronization, I turned my Palm Pilot on and checked out the results, while holding my breath. The HotSync Manager said a Log had been created (as is always the case), and I turned on the Pilot and read the status report. Everything looked good. I called up my Datebook, which on my Pilot is supposed to be a replication of my ACT Contact Manager on my Office Workstation, and noted that it had successfully been downloaded to my Pilot.

I quickly hit the other buttons on the Pilot and ran through a sequence of checking out programs, including activating HackMaster, which is an overlay program upon which many other useful programs depend.

I am happy to report that I had completely restored my Palm Pilot to its Pre-new paging card status, which included the restoration of all data, preferences, and programs in place before I pulled out the old paging card.

Could I have done this in the old days before BackupBuddy? Yes, as the Pilot comes with a system that allows one to restore from the backup directory that comes with the Pilot Desktop Program, but that system is not nearly as forgiving as BackupBuddyNG. In the Palm system, a copy of the Palm Pilot is maintained from the last Sync. It is not unusual for the Pilot to "crash" from time to time. Often the crash is caused from the installation of new programs. Often, users install more than one program at a time. Thus, if a Pilot crashes after a multi-program install, the user has to be right the first time and the user must make sure that he does not reload the "crash-causing" program because if the Pilot crashes a second time, there will be no backup directory for reference. This means all programs have to be re-installed manually. That is a time consuming chore.

With BackupBuddy, you can restore unlimited times. This means you have the flexibility to mess with newly installed programs to your heart's content until you find out which program is causing the Pilot to crash and then take the appropriate action.

The bottom line is that for the cost of $19.95, every Palm Pilot user should have BackupBuddyNG. Information on BackupBuddyNG can be found at http://www.backupbuddy.com. Price $19.95.

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REVIEW: BRAINFOREST - By Dennis Kennedy (dennisk@nettechinc.com)

I recently shared the podium with Cliff Holleran, an attorney and innovative technology user in Fort Wayne, Indiana, at a presentation on litigation technology to the Indiana State Bar. While I was talking about all the cool new dedicated litigation software that is now available, Cliff was making an excellent case for using tools like outliners for similar purposes because lawyers are used to making outlines.

I was thinking about his points because one of my pet projects is helping people get more use out of the programs they already own and Cliff had given me some good ideas. I then started to look at the outliners available for the Palm. The light went on.

I want the Palm to be a way for me to record ideas, sketch out ideas for articles and presentations, and to jot down ideas that I can develop from time to time. My initial thought was that the memo pad function of the Palm would do the trick. But it didn't. I decided to look at outliners.

There seem to be three major outliners for the Palm platform: BrainForest, ThoughtMill and Arranger. As with all Palm software, one may fit the way your work better than others do. I really believe that every attorney will want to test one or more of these programs.

BrainForest is my favorite. It is a classic outliner tool that allows you to create outlines with collapsible and expandable subsections (called "branches" and "leaves" in the BrainForest metaphor). You can highlight subsections and "drag and drop" the subsections into new places and change priorities. Double tapping on a subsection will open it to reveal all of the details of that subsection.

BrainForest places a triangle in front of sections that can be expanded. Tap in the triangle and the section expands to show details. Tap again and the section closes up. Don't like the outline number system? You can easily switch to other numbering and lettering choices.

BrainForest can shift into a "to do" mode that will allow you to create sophisticated to do lists and check off items as you complete them. A project mode will even allow you to list the "percentage completed" on the project.

It's a classic example of the Palm as PC extender, not replacement. I can jot down ideas for articles quickly and put together an outline. I can export an outline out of BrainForest into a "to do" or memo format and sync it to my PC and easily use it. More important, I can record and organize ideas as I have them, add new ideas when I want and reorganize the outline whenever I have a few minutes.

BrainForest seems like a great tool for lawyers to work on arguments, briefs and presentations on the fly when they have a few minutes free. BrainForest is a powerful and easy-to-use tool that should be in every Palm lawyer's toolbox. Aportis will soon release a Professional Edition of BrainForest with even more features. (http://www.aportis.com)

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TEN GREAT PALM COMPUTING RESOURCES FOR LAWYERS - By Dennis Kennedy (dennisk@nettechinc.com)

I've been scouring the Net for great Palm resources over the last month or so. Here are some of the best resources for lawyers:

1. Nettech's Palm Resources for Lawyers Web Page (http://www.nettechinc.com/palm.htm) - I keep a list of the Palm resources I like best and find most useful on the NetTech web site. I plan to update this page on a regular basis.

2. PalmLaw.com (http://www.palmlaw.com) - As best as I can tell, this site was the first, and, until recently, only comprehensive Palm site for lawyers. It contains quite a few useful resources and links, especially to legal Docs.

3. Bruce Dorner's Palm article (http://www.nettechinc.com/dorner01.htm) - Bruce originally wrote this article for Lawyers Weekly USA. This article will definitely make you think about the potential of Palm computing for technophobic lawyers.

4. Alan Steinberg's online seminar (http://www.legalspan.net//insessions/speakers/0007.asp) - I was there when Alan taped this seminar. It's a very practical discussion of how a practicing lawyer uses a PalmPilot. It was taped before the Palm IIIx, V and VII were released and you will want to take that into account, but it's an excellent intro to Palm computing. Also worth finding: the audiotape of Alan's Palm presentation at TechShow 99. Alan's other Palm materials can be found on his web site (http://www.steinberglaw.com).

5. 3Com's Official Web Site (http://www.palm.com) - "Official" web sites tend to be disappointing, but this one is an exception. There's a lot of great info here.

6. PalmCentral (http://www.palmcentral.com) - A comprehensive site with lots and lots of great features and resources. An essential software resource.

7. ZDNet's Palm Resources (http://www.zdnet.com/products/pdauser/palm.htm) - A great "all you can eat" resource - reviews, software downloads, news, articles.

8. Gadgeteer (http://www.gadgeteer.com) - A great source of reviews. Opinionatesd and highly personal. Essential!

9. PilotGear.com (http://www.pilotgear.com/) - Another excellent comprehensive resource for finding software and accessories.

10. Palm Power Magazine (http://www.palmpower.com) - I rely on magazine web sites for news, reviews and other info. Here's a good one.

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Dennis Kennedy will be speaking on Y2K and Internet topics at the Missouri Bar's Solo and Small Firm Conference at the Lake of the Ozarks on June 4 and 5. LTS contributor Alan Steinberg will also be speaking on that program. For more information, contact Linda Oligschlaeger at the Missouri Bar (lindao@mobar.org).

Dennis Kennedy will also be speaking at two session of an all-day seminar called "Advanced Issues in Legal Technology for the Missouri Paralegal" on June 24, 1999 at the Marriott Pavilion Hotel in St. Louis. For more information, call the Institute for Paralegal Education at (715) 835-7145.

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TECHNOLOGY IN THE PRACTICE OF LAW COMMITTEE (Next meeting: June 1)

If you are interested in legal technology and the Internet, the place to be at noon on the first Tuesday of every month is the Technology in the Practice Committee meetings at the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis headquarters at the Metropolitan Building downtown.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday, June 1, when the committee hold a roundtable discussion that will likely focus on the recent Missouri disciplinary opinion on e-mail confidentiality. For details and reservations, call BAMSL at (314) 421-4134.

The Committee also has an e-mail discussion group. Contact Bob Babione (rcb@babione.com) for information about joining the list.

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Don C. Aldrich (dondo@skypoint.com) practices in the areas of litigation and appeals, mainly criminal defense, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He's written articles, done CLE seminars and competed frequently for the Minnesota State Chess Championship. First computer was a TRS-80 and now has more computers in his house than people and animals. Palm III user since May, 1998.

Tom Bassett (tom@circlez.net) is a member of the Federal Tax practice at KPMG in St. Louis. He also runs Bassett Internet Services, Inc. which offers web presence provider services to small businesses as they establish their presences on the WWW (http://www.circlez.net). He has also been an occasional speaker at BAMSL functions on technology.

Dennis Kennedy (dennisk@nettechinc.com) is the Director of Legal Technology of NetTech, Inc., a technology consulting firm focusing on law firms (http://www.nettechinc.com). Dennis writes legal technology columns for Lawyers Weekly USA and the Indiana Lawyer, and is a frequent author and speaker on legal technology and Internet topics.

Alan Steinberg (alanjesq@steinberglaw.com) is a partner in Steinberg & Steinberg, LLC, a law firm consisting of Alan and his son (http://www.steinberglaw.com). Alan is a frequent speaker and author on legal technology topics, a Palm Pilot guru and owner of the most souped-up computer and the most gadgets of any attorney in St. Louis.

NetTech, Inc. was founded by Bill Coplin and Mehran Shahnam in 1995. NetTech is a technology consulting firm based in St. Louis, Missouri that specializes in law firms and the legal market. The presence of technologists who are also lawyers is unique and gives NetTech the ability to provide technology solutions that mesh with the business and practice needs of law firms, from small to large.

NetTech's web site will become a resource for both lawyers and technologists. Watch it grow.

NetTech's people write, teach and speak on a variety of technology topics and are able to break the communications barrier between technology people and lay people. There is a powerful combination of talent at NetTech and a wealth of ideas that can help law firms change their practices through technology.

Want to know more? E-mail us at info@netttechinc.com or call us at (314) 231-5005.

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We're always looking for writers. We hope to have a few regulars and a large group of people who will contribute items from time to time. And by contribute, we mean contribute. No pay at this time.

If you have an idea or an article, send it to Dennis Kennedy by e-mail at dennisk@nettechinc.com. We prefer that you simply copy your article into your e-mail rather than attach it to e-mails. Shorter (a page or two), informal articles with practical information are best. For longer articles or ideas, get in touch with Dennis first.

Although the primary focus of the newsletter is St. Louis and St. Louis authors, we're looking for great material of general appeal.

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1. Copyright. The copyright of each article belongs to the author of the article. Any unattributed material was written by Dennis Kennedy.

2. Recirculation. I have no problem with, and even encourage you, to pass along copies of the newsletter to your friends and colleagues. Be sure to include attribution information.

3. Republication of articles. Highly encouraged, but get in touch with authors directly to work out details and arrangements. Similarly, if you quote from articles, let the author know as a courtesy. Cite as: Legal Technology Strategies, Issue __, (date).

4. Subscriptions. Subscriptions are free. Subscribe by sending an e-mail indicating that you want to subscribe to Dennis Kennedy at dennisk@nettechinc.com. Issues will appear monthly on the 1st of each month.

5. Archived issues. Legal Technology Strategies will be published simultaneously on the Web and archived on a web site at http://www.nettechinc.com/lts.htm.

6. Feedback. Greatly welcomed. Let us know what you think at dennisk@nettechinc.com. Reach us at NetTech, Inc, 710 N. Tucker Blvd., Suite 602, St. Louis, MO 63101, (314) 231-5005.

7. Problems with delivery, et al. Let me know and we'll try to work them out. The newsletter is being produced at the simplest level (text in an e-mail) to produce the best results for the most people.

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Let me know if you'd like to write something on any topic that interests you. I'm always looking for new authors.