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Palm Pilot - Installing the News Rover / Palm Pilot Software
  1. Before News Rover can HotSync to the Palm Pilot organizer, you must be running version 6.0 or greater of News Rover. You can verify your version by clicking "Help/About News Rover" from News Rover's main menu. The version is listed on the "About" tab.

  2. Download and install NRPalm.exe. This install program does two things. It installs the conduit software onto the PC as well as the News Rover application that runs on the Palm.
    a) The install program will install the conduit software "NewsRover.dll" into the default "Palm" directory. (Note: We are using the Palm IIIxe Handheld - Franklin Planner Edition, so NewsRover.dll was placed in the "C:\Program Files\Franklin Covey\Planner\Palm" folder.)
    b) NRPalm.exe also installs the file NewsRover.prc into the default "Add-on" directory, usually \Palm\Add-on. NewsRover.prc is the actual News Rover application that will run on the Palm Pilot. Note: (We are using the Palm IIIxe Handheld - Franklin Planner Edition, so NewsRover.prc was placed in the "C:\Program Files\Franklin Covey\Planner\Palm\Add-on" folder.) 

  3. Use the "Palm Install Tool" program (provided with the Palm Pilot software) on the PC to install News Rover onto the Palm organizer. This builds a HotSync file that installs the News Rover application on the Palm during the next HotSync.


  4. HotSync the Palm. News Rover should then be installed on the Palm, without any data. You should then verify that a nifty News Rover icon has been installed on the Palm Pilot. Do not run News Rover on the Palm at this point. There is no data, and you will get an error stating, "Error Cannot open categories database". This is normal.

Basic Operation

  1. Start News Rover on the PC. From the main menu select "Handheld/Select groups to sync". This will display a list of your Email, Autoscan Interest Groups, Filing folders, and newsgroups that you have configured in News Rover. 


  2. Select the Email, Autoscan Interest Groups, Filing folders, and/or newsgroups that you want to Sync with the Palm by putting a check in the box next to the group. (Note: Only text messages will HotSync with the Palm, so generally it doesn't make sense to select binary news groups.)

  3. Download some messages into the selected groups that you want to HotSync. If you plan to HotSync subscribed newsgroups, be sure and download the entire message; headers will not HotSync with the Palm, only full messages will HotSync.

  4. When you are finished downloading messages, click "Handheld/Generate HotSync files" from the main menu. This generates some database files in the "\NewsRover\Sync" folder.


  5. HotSync the Palm. This may take several minutes, depending on the number of messages that you Sync.

  6. You can now run News Rover on the Palm. This is done by tapping on the nifty News Rover icon.


  7. You should see the list of "Message Groups" that you selected to HotSync, along with one that says "E-mail & Outgoing".


  8. When you select one of the "Message Groups" you will be presented with a list of the messages. The plus "+" sign expands the thread and the minus "-" sign collapses the thread.


  9. Tapping on the message will display the body of the message. Several options are available on the bottom of the screen. "List" takes you back to the list of messages, "Prev" displays the previous message in the thread, "Next" displays the next message in the thread, and "Nx.TH" displays the next message in the next thread.


  10. To send a reply or delete a message, first select the message and display its body. You can then tap on the "Menu" button located under the "Home" button. This opens up an "Options" bar and gives you two options, "Reply" or "Delete". Taping on "Delete" deletes the message and displays the next message in the thread. Taping on "Reply" will open a display that shows the subject and sender of the messsage and asks if you wish to reply via newsgroup or via e-mail. Select one or both and tap on "Enter reply". You are then presented with a screen where you can type a reply then you simply tap "Send".


  11. After you create a reply, you will need to HotSync the Palm. This will send the Reply message into the \NewsRover\Sync folder. Next you will need to run News Rover on the PC and click "Handheld/Generate HotSync files" from the main menu. After you close the HotSync summary window a window should pop-up asking "Outgoing messages were queued to be sent. Do you want to send them now?" Click on "Yes" to send it now or "No" to send it later.