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Diabetes Pilot Desktop: Palm Handheld Devices

If you have a Palm handheld (made by Palm, Sony, Handspring, and others) Diabetes Pilot Desktop can work with the Diabetes Pilot for Palm software - use your handheld to record data while you're on the go, then synchronize it with Diabetes Pilot Desktop for later reporting and analysis.

This section of the instructions desctibes using Diabetes Pilot with a Palm handheld. If you have a Pocket PC (Windows Mobile) handheld (made by HP, Compaq, Dell, Toshiba, and others), you can use it with Diabetes Pilot too. For instructions on using Diabetes Pilot with Pocket PC handhelds, click here.

Diabetes Pilot for Palm is a separate product and is sold separately from Diabetes Pilot Desktop - if you own a Palm handheld and haven't already purchased Diabetes Pilot for Palm, you can use the trial version included with Diabetes Pilot Desktop so that you can see how it works. See www.diabetespilot.com for information on purchasing Diabetes Pilot for Palm.

Installing the Palm Software and the Palm Synchronization Link

Synchronizing Your Data

Controlling the Synchronization Process

Installing the Palm Software and the Palm Synchronization Link

If you plan to use Diabetes Pilot with a newly purchased Palm handheld, set up your handheld device and install its software (the Palm Desktop software) on your computer before proceeding (follow the instructions provided with your handheld device to do this). Then,

To install the software on your Palm handheld device:

Launch the Diabetes Pilot Desktop on your desktop computer.
From the "Handheld" menu, choose "Palm" then "Install Diabetes Pilot on my PalmOS Handheld"
Read the instructions on the screen and follow them carefully.

Synchronizing Your Data

To synchronize your data between Diabetes Pilot Desktop and Diabetes Pilot for Palm, place your device in its cradle (or connect its cable), then start a Hotsync by pressing the button on the cradle or following the instructions provided with your device. The HotSync will start and your data will be synchronized. Please be patient for this process - it may take a few minutes for the food database and your data to be transferred. The amount of time depends on your computer, handheld device, and how often you synchronize the device.

In the Diabetes Pilot Desktop program, your Palm data will appear as a dataset that is named after the HotSync ID that is programmed into your Palm device. If this data doesn't automatically appear, you can select the dataset using the drop-down list near the upper right corner of the Diabetes Pilot Desktop screen.

Controlling the Synchronization Process

Normally, you will want Diabetes Pilot to synchronize your data. This sends records back and forth between your desktop and handheld device as necessary to keep them in sync. However, you can control the synchronization process if you need to. If you'd like to control the synchronization process or if the synchronization isn't behaving as expected, change the settings as follows:

Right-click on the HotSync manager icon (usually a small circle of red and blue arrows) that appears on your desktop computer near the clock.
Select "Custom" from the menu that appears.
Choose your Palm device from the drop-down list at the top of the Custom window.
Double-click on "Diabetes Pilot" in the list of conduits.
In the window that appears, choose how you want the synchronization to work:
- Synchronize the files is the normal setting and is the appropriate choice for most circumstances
- Desktop overwrites handheld will cause the data on your desktop to overwrite the data on your handheld. Your handheld data will be overwritten and lost each time you HotSync.
- Handheld overwrites desktop will cause the data on your handheld to overwrite the data on your desktop. Your desktop data will be overwritten and lost each time you HotSync.
- Do nothing will cause your Diabetes Pilot to not be synchronized. This setting may be appropriate if you only want to synchronize your data occasionally, but normally want to skip the synchronization.
If you want this setting to be permanent and apply every time you HotSync, check the "Set as default" box. Otherwise, the setting will apply only to the next HotSync.
Click the "OK" button to close the settings window.
Click the "Done" button to close the Custom window.

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