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Handheld Computing Magazine Review,
issue 5.0
"Top Pick"
HandStory Suite
The Swiss Army Knife of media viewers
Is your handheld's memory cramped with multiple file viewers,
each of which displays just one or two file types? Ever wish there
was just one program that could handle your information needs?
If so, HandStory Suite may just be what you've been wishing for.
HandStory Suite is a multi-function Palm OS and Windows software
suite designed to handle all your handheld documents, memos, ebooks,
and images in one streamlined package. Included with HandStory
is Windows software necessary to convert images and text for handheld
viewing. Mac users can use HandStory to view files, but no conversion
software for the MacOS is currently available.
Once you install HandStory, you'll find a new menu item on the
Explorer browser called "Save To Palm". You can easily
send the text of an entire web page to your handheld with one
mouse click.
Copying smaller items of text, or individual images, is just as
easy. Select the item you wish to copy, right click on it with
your mouse, and choose "Save To Palm" from the menu.
The HandStory converter will open on your desktop. Using the converter
you can edit the selected text, format the image, and name the
file the HandStory converter creates. If you're working with images,
HandStory's converter lets you specify the size of the image and
whether you want to save it in black & white, 256 colors,
or high color format. Any information you've converted is sent
to your handheld at the next sync. HandStory supports storing
files in expansion memory.
HandStory's converter offers a number of options for modifying
an image's viewable size. These include an automatic function,
fitting either width or height, or a doubling of any of these
options. HandStory recommends starting with the automatic conversion,
but these images were small when viewed on my Sony Clie. I found
that the double size automatic conversion was much better suited
to the Sony's high-resolution screen. Some experimentation is
recommended so that the resulting images suit your needs.
On the handheld, HandStory provides a full-featured viewer for
your files, or you can use HandStory to create your own memos.
HandStory opens with a list of the available files. You can choose
to see all of the usable files, or you can restrict the view to
show only memos, docs, images, or ebooks. You can also choose
to see only the items you've read or have yet to read, or categorize
individual files.
Once you've tried HandStory it's hard to imagine how you got along
without it. HandStory's website offers weekly tips on using the
software. Some of the current tips show you how to save images,
get news from CNN.com, copy your favorite comics from the web
to your handheld, or find recipes at Martha Stewart's website.
I've found HandStory very useful for grabbing maps at mapquest.com.
I tell MapQuest where I want to go and then copy the map to my
Clie for later viewing.
If HandStory eventually adds support for PC file formats such
as Word and Excel, it could be the only viewer most users will
ever need.
--Bob Eller
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