I know some would like backlighting and a color screen (without a loss in battery life) and a faster processor. Synchronization with Windows applications would be appreciated. However, the 200LX remains an incredibly durable, flexible, and practical tool for our daily handheld activities.
The stability of the HP palmtop platform gives us the luxury of exploring its nooks and crannies yielding surprisingly useful results. Ed Keefe, editor of the HP Palmtop Paper, has been given carte blanche to dig up hidden treasures. His in depth discussions of the database applications (phone, NoteTaker, and database) bring more possibilities to already useful applications both for casual and power users.
We have discussed a number of times how to view great literature on the palmtop. In this issue, you will learn how to view great art on the palmtop. Read Gene Dorr's tutorial on porting graphics files to the palmtop for great topcards.
Regular columnist David Sargeant, well known in the palmtop community thanks to his www.hplx.net web site, profiles himself. Engineer, father of two, and webmaster, David describes his creative uses of his palmtop in his role as a full time student. Finally, those with many files on a PC card or on a memory-upgraded palmtop will want to read about Magellan. This powerful file manager, once a several hundred-dollar product, and one of my favorites, is now free.
The good news is that although HP will not market or improve the HP 200LX, all indications are that it will continue to sell it. Based on the number of upgrades we do and the continued support and enthusiasm of users, I would not be surprised if the HP 200LX is not around for another six years.
Ed Keefe claims that the HP Palmtop is the computer equivalent
of the venerable HP 41C programmable calculator. The HP 41C held its place
in the market for ten years and is still the calculator of choice for many
professionals.