Struggling With The USB Cable
As I've already hinted and as you'll soon see I really like using the Palm TX. But there were lots of small to medium potholes on the road to use. It's a shame that such a user friendly device has to be so difficult to set up. The TX is designed for the business user on the go. So I guess Palm assumes that the devices will be set up by an IT department where frustration with hardware and software setup is a daily reality.
On paper setup is fairly straightforward. You charge the unit for three hours. Then you calibrate the screen and set up such things as time zone, time and date. You can also take a Quick Tour that introduces you to the TX's functionality. Next you install supporting software on your Windows or Mac OS computer. Finally you synchronize the TX with the computer. That sounds simple enough. Well, not always in my experience.
First to charge the unit you're instructed to plug the USB sync connector into your computer and into the TX's USB jack. You're also told to plug in the power connector. Though it isn't mentioned, if your computer's USB port can power a device connected to it, you don't need the power connector when the USB cable is in place.
OK, so that's a minor issue. The next one is a bit more of a concern. The USB connector has prongs that have to be pushed into and removed from the USB socket on the device with considerable force. The fit between the power connector and its socket is very tight. So you also have to push really hard to insert it. Once connected, neither of the connectors is likely to fall out on its own, but while I was pushing each connector in or pulling it out the first few times, I literally feared that I was going to break the TX. Removing the USB connector is especially unnerving because one of the prongs can get caught on the socket and you can't just pull it straight out. You have to wiggle it a bit to the left or right to disconnect it. With a little experience I became comfortable with the big push and pull and passed that milestone, but I still get an occasional fright when doing it.
The PDA end of the Palm TX USB cable can be difficult to connect and disconnect.
With the unit charged and the USB and power cables still connected. I went smoothly through the setup phase, getting screen calibrated and time and date set. Then it was time to install the Palm software on my Windows XP laptop. Installation is guided by a nice wizard. The software installed with no problem. Now remember the USB and power cables are still connected, because the instructions don't tell you to disconnect them.
