With the use of handheld computers increasing, one of the common questions we get is "is it possible to display a Palm device onto a large screen for presentations?" The answer is a resounding yes. Generally you can do so at little additional cost depending what type of Audio/Visual equipment you have access to.
This guide will cover two ways you can project an image of your handheld onto a large screen for presentations. First, we'll cover projection using a document camera, second we'll cover using the Palm OS Emulator on a laptop or desktop computer.
Projecting with a Document CameraPerhaps the simplest way (ignoring the cost for a moment) to project a Palm onto a screen is to use a document projection camera (see Fig. 1). This is a device that looks very much like an overhead projector but is basically a camera that displays whatever is placed on the bed of the unit onto a screen.
Document cameras are commonly referred to as ELMO cameras. ELMO is actually a manufacturer of the devices, although they are made by a number of companies (this is sort of like photocopiers being referred to as Xerox machines). Once you place the Palm device on the bed of the document camera, it will appear on the screen you are projecting to and everything that you do on the device will be viewable by the audience.
Unfortunately, if you do not have a document camera, the $2,000+ price tag can make this a much less compelling solution.
Projecting the Palm OSŪ EmulatorA more common way of projecting a PDA onto a large screen it to install a copy of the Palm OSŪ Emulator onto a desktop or laptop computer, and connect that machine to a projector. This will allow you to run a device from your computer and have the image appear on a screen (see Fig. 2). Because having the emulator on your computer enables you to enter data with the keyboard and 'tap' the screen with mouse, it makes it easier to use than a document camera that requires all input to be made with the stylus.
Installing the Palm OSŪ Emulator takes a bit of time, but once you have it working properly, you will find it almost indispensable for making presentations.
Step 1: Download the Palm OSŪ EmulatorThe Palm OSŪ Emulator is a free download available from the Palm website at http://www.palmos.com/dev/tech/tools/emulator/. Simply select which platform you will be installing the emulator on and begin the download. The file you receive from Palm will be compressed (in .zip format) so to open it you will need to have previously installed a decompression utility such as WinZip.
Step 2: Install EmulatorTo install the Palm OSŪ Emulator, double-click the file that you downloaded from the Palm.com web site. This should automatically start the decompression software on your PC (if you don't have decompression software installed, you will get an error message telling you that your PC doesn't recognize the file type).
From the zip archive window, select the file Emulator.exe and double-click. This will begin the process of installing the emulator, and when complete, open the application by showing the setup screen pictured in Fig. 3.
You must install additional components before you can use the Emulator software. Be sure the read the rest of this tutorial before proceeding.
If you already have a copy of the ROM image file, you can proceed to Step 4. If you do not yet have a ROM image file or do not know what a ROM image file is, go to Step 3.
Step 3: Loading ROM ImagesTo use the emulator, you must have a ROM image file, which is not included in the emulator download. There are two ways to obtain a ROM image:
- Download a ROM image from the Palm website
- Transfer a ROM image from a handheld
In order to download a ROM image from the Palm website, you must register with the Palm Alliance Program. Once you complete the application, it will be reviewed by Palm and generally approved in a day or so. Once approved, if you are based in the US you can download the ROM images directly. If you are based outside the US, you will need to send a signed form to Palm, after which you will be able to download the ROM files.
If you already have a Palm device, you can also download the ROM from your device to your desktop for use with the emulator. Because this involves no registration, it is often the easier of these two options. To transfer a ROM image from a handheld, you need to follow the steps listed below:
- In the emulator zip archive you download from the Palm.com website, there is a file called Transfer.prc. The first step is to install this file onto your PDA by double-clicking it to launch the Install Tool.
- Now place your handheld in the HotSync cradle that is connected to your desktop computer and press the HotSync button to transfer the file from your desktop to your PDA.
- Once the application is installed, select the ROM Transfer icon from the application launcher screen (see Fig. 4).
- Click the Emulator icon on your desktop computer to start the Palm OSŪ Emulator.
- On the setup screen that appears, select Download from the list of options (see Fig. 5).
- Closely follow the instructions that appear in the window that appears. This will copy the ROM file from your device to your desktop (See Fig. 6).
Mac Users: If you do not see the Download option in the box that appears when you start the emulator for the first time, you can dismiss the box and choose the Transfer ROM command from the File menu.
Step 4: StartupOnce you have a ROM file saved to your desktop or laptop (that you either downloaded from the Palm.com website or transferred from your Palm device to your computer) you are ready to start an emulator session.
Clicking the emulator icon on your computer will bring up the dialog box that you have seen previously if you transferred a ROM from your device. Select the New button to begin your first emulator session. This will cause another box to appear allowing you to configure your emulator session. It is important at this stage to select the same type of device to emulate as the ROM file you have.
Step 5. Using the EmulatorOnce you have the emulator working properly on your computer, you will find that you can use it exactly as you would your handheld. The buttons all function in the same fashion and you can enter data either by writing in the Graffiti area with the mouse or clicking on the file you want to enter data in and using the keyboard. You can also add software applications to the emulator by simply dragging and dropping files from your computer to the emulator. You will see a progress bar as these install. Once this is done, you may need to refresh the screen by tapping on something like the calculator and then back to the screen you were working on to see the changes.
When you are done with your emulator session, you can save it on your computer as you would any other file. This will allow you to start the same session at a later date. You can have multiple sessions on the emulator saved on your computer to use for different presentations.