How to sync Palm and Mac text files?

December 16, 2005 9:26 AM

Help me simplify my life. Need help with Palm .txt and Mac. I want to sync a text file (large) between the two.

Basically, I am generating a large .txt file with everything that I ever want to remember in it. When I need something like the web address for widgets, I just use the find function on my mac for widgets, and there is the address on it's own line like:
widgets www.widgets.com
I am basically storing all the little tidbits of information that I am not smart enough to remember in one large .txt file and searching it when I need to remember something.
Anyway, given that my Palm Tungsten T has a search function as well, I figure that I should be able to automatically load this file to the palm when I sync.
Problem is that I cannot seem to find a .txt editor for the palm. I found some info on QED, but it seems to be from about 2000, and I cannot find a download of it.
Bonus points if you can direct me to a system that will automatically merge the two files from wichever one has the most recent entry. That way (in theory) I could update and add info to the palm and when I get home sync it to the Mac.
Anyway, this seems like it would be something very simple and usefull to lots of people, but I am having a devil of a time figureing out how to make it work.
Please point me in the right direction....

posted by TheFeatheredMullet to computers & internet (7 comments total)

i know mine (tungsten E) came with a copy of "Documents to Go". you can create a word doc there and sync it with yr comp. best of luck
posted by ShawnString at 9:31 AM on December 16, 2005

You could try Plucker.
I know the desktop client (all platforms) has various automation features. I haven't used it in awhile, but it would be the first thing I would try. (I used to use it with my Clie UX50 constantly)
posted by zerokey at 10:41 AM on December 16, 2005

Oh..download Plucker Desktop - it will have everything you need (there's a bunch of things to download there..just wanted to clarify)
posted by zerokey at 10:42 AM on December 16, 2005

If you're dead set on the flat single-file thing:
ZDOC is a GPLd DOC editor, but is sort of bare bones. There are several pay ones besides QED here's a comparative review from The Gageteer.

I've never seen a synchro conduit for DOC files that will manage differing content gracefully - Even the palm memo conduit, when a given memo is modified on handheld and desktop, will just duplicate the record on both ends and force you to reconcile the two versions yourself.

Personally, I use 'To Do' for tidbits of information - attaching memos to them when they start getting beyond tidbit stage. Since Todos are more granular than large text files, they tend to take care of themselves as far as synchronization goes.

Most of the OS X < -> Palm solutions are pretty poor when it comes to handling to-do and Memo stuff. (Other people claim to have gotten JPilot working with the help of FINK, but it's not working for me yet. This would, IMO, be a much better solution.)

You might also want to consider Progect, which could fit your needs quite nicely - There's a desktop interface that works with OS X, as well.
posted by Orb2069 at 10:42 AM on December 16, 2005

(On Preview: Zerokey - I think he wants on-Palm editability, which I don't believe Plucker can provide)
posted by Orb2069 at 10:45 AM on December 16, 2005

I haven't tried it, but Missing Sync for the mac might help you out.
posted by RikiTikiTavi at 9:36 PM on December 16, 2005

Someone emailed me to say that MacNoteTaker is exactly what you need.
posted by mathowie at 8:17 AM on January 24, 2006