Figure C shows the basic configuration screen, showing the standard six syncs at the top, and three extra database syncs below.

FIGURE C


Here you can see the basic Pylon configuration screen. Roll over picture for a larger image.

It would be very useful to have a button beside each configuration to go directly to the selected filter, rather than having to go back to the Folder pane, open another view, and open the filter from there. Be aware that when you first use the Config database, you are likely to get a whole pile of Notes security violation messages like the one I got in Figure D.

FIGURE D


Be sure you're really installing what you think you're installing. Roll over picture for a larger image.

As with all Notes security warnings, verify the signature name -- in this case, AvantGo Designer2/AvantGo -- and trust only those that you recognise. This one appears to be OK. Figure E shows my ECL (Execution Control List) and what I'm going to allow this user to be able to do.

FIGURE E


Configure your Execution Control List with care. Roll over picture for a larger image.

I tried all the synchronisations I could. Standard Pylon stuff, custom Notes databases, the works. Pylon Pro's sync of custom Notes database is rather basic, and you should be aware from the help -- where it is explained quite well -- what the limitations are, but don't be put off by that. It is genuinely very useful.

I used it to sync corporate phone books onto my Palm, among other things, and that worked well. At least, it did once I managed to get the data onto the Palm. I would make the point here that if the amount of data you have is large, a "Desktop Overwrites Handheld" setting isn't a good idea. It takes a long time to do one of these, because it rewrites all the records into the Palm, and it also tends to lose any column order information that you have set up in the Palm.

Even if you don't plan to make any changes to the data on the Palm, use a synchronise action optimized for speed. Large volumes of change can mean a long clean-up cycle at the end of HotSync while the databases are re-sorted.

With Pylon 5.2.2, I had a few problems with Palm hangs on cleanup after a HotSync, specifically when I made Pylon configuration changes. I was finding, quite consistently, that when I added a new Pylon Pro database to the Palm, or made any other Pylon Pro configuration change, the Palm would hang on the next Sync -- it did not come back from all the "Cleaning Up - Please Wait" message. A soft reset would the machine to run again, but then the next sync would sometimes crash on the Palm with a message like this:

The machine would need another reset. Or, more occasionally the "Cleaning Up..." phase ended with a message like this:

Either way, my Palm needed a reset. While I was working on this review, Pylon Pro crashed a lot, and I began to have a sense of humour about failure. But once I left the configuration alone, and just used Notes and my Palm, these crashes and hangs went away. I can live with a little hassle when I make config changes, because I don't do that very often, but I shouldn't have to.