The Mail issue
On the included CD is a product called VersaMail, and it explains that it can synchronize with Lotus Notes. So I installed it on both my PC and my Tungsten T. It has configurations for both. The setup is quite simple. You need to create a new account from within VersaMail; I called mine Lotus Notes. The key to getting this to work is to mark it on the first screen as a "Synchronize Only Account." This is because the VersaMail application will also do POP or IMAP mail to a Domino server. You also fill in a name and password on the next panel, but for synchronization only, I don't think they're used. I entered my HotSync name.

On the next panel I entered the Internet address of my Notes mail (which is mick_moignard@unipart.co.uk) and the server names. You have to enter these, but for synchronization only, they're not used. I just entered my Notes home server's name. And that seemed to be it.

On the PC, you start the VersaMail Setup program, shown in Figure A.

FIGURE A


This is VersaMail's PC setup program. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Select "Synchronize Accounts" and "Configure Accounts." On the first panel, shown in Figure B, create a new Account.

FIGURE B


Create a new VersaMail account. Roll over picture for a larger image.

I called mine Lotus Notes. On the second panel, shown in Figure C, you define the account details by selecting the mail program to synchronize with--Lotus Notes--and supply the name and password.

FIGURE C


Set up connectivity to Lotus Notes from VersaMail. Roll over picture for a larger image.

On the right, you can see that I only synchronized my Tungsten Outbox with Notes. I don't use the Tungsten to read my mail.

The last panel, shown in figure D, can be used to synchronize attachments.

FIGURE D


This is the VersaMail attachment converter setup. Roll over picture for a larger image.

As I'm not sending mail to the Tungsten, I left this all blank, but you can see from the screenshot how this is used. The Documents To Go and Acrobat converters, along with the Palm OS applications for these are included on the CDs that came with the Tungsten.

There are two last things to do. First is to check the VersaMail conduit settings in the HotSync Custom dialog box, shown in Figure E.

FIGURE E


Check HotSync conduits for Pylon Pro and VersaMail. Roll over picture for a larger image.

The second is to disable Pylon Pro's Mail HotSync in the Notes location documents, as shown in Figure F.

FIGURE F


Stop Pylon Pro Mail synchronization. Roll over picture for a larger image.

And it works, mostly. There's just one little problem with VersaMail and Notes. When you're at a remote location, it causes Notes to dial your server! I can only think that this is because the developers were trying to be too clever. They must have figured that if you synchronize the Outbox to Notes, you'd want Notes to replicate with the server so that the mail gets sent. Well, maybe you do, but then again, at a remote location, maybe you don't. Even then, they just missed the mark, because it does it even if no mail is transferred across. This would be the case during most HotSync operations, I would think.

So what's the Tungsten really like?
I like the Tungsten T. It's a good bit smaller than the Clie, especially when the Clie is in a Brando case (at http://shop.brando.com.hk/). It's also smaller than my old Palm IIIc. It's a bit thicker than Palm m500 devices, but it's so much faster than all of them and has a screen as big as the Clie. This is a 320 x 320 hi-resolution screen, like the Clie, but I feel that the color rendition is much deeper and richer than the Clie's. It comes with much more software, including all the connectivity, including Bluetooth, which is mostly aimed at connectivity with phones. It records voice notes too and seems to be very sparing with memory in doing so. It has a very dinky telescopic stylus. It's short enough closed to fit in the Tungsten when it's slider section is closed, and it's long enough when open to hold and work with. And did I say the thing is fast?