The Palmdoc Chronicles

Here’s some updated news since the WebOS 1.04 firmware update from Palm. Sadly, it seems you still cannot install UpToDate for PalmOS on the Palm Pre under Classic, the PalmOS emulator. This is despite there being a virtual SD card. Bulls96 in the forums has been trying and in his latest attempt, he is still getting a “white screen” when running the installation prc, with the appropriate UTD data files in the root of the virtual SD.

Nevertheless, UpToDate users can still use the excellent Pre’s browser and access the Mobile UpToDate site: http://pda.uptodate.com
Unlike the Epocrate mobile site, there doesn’t seem to be any issues when testing it with the emulator’s browser.

After logging, you get a nice and simple Search screen

The search results seem to format nicely on the browser

I understand that this is not the solution for everyone with a mobile since it depends on a good signal, and adequate data speeds which may not be the case in all corners of your hospital. Nevertheless I think if you can, it’s a viable option, at least till the problem is fixed (hopefully soon UpToDate!)
The best thing is for a native WebOS version of UpToDate and this is what we all look forward to.

Brian wrote in:

Unbound Medicine has announced the release of their Merck Manual family of products for download to iPhone and iPod touch which includes:

* The Merck Manual for Mobile and Web (Dx)
* The Merck Manual with Patient Symptoms Guide (Dx+Sx)
* The Merck Manual Suite + Davis’s Drug Guide (Dx+Sx+Rx)

Features of The Merck Manual on the iPhone:

* Interface optimized for iPhone and iPod touch
* Personalized favorites
* Cross-links for fast navigation between resources
* Frequent updates
* Superior navigation and graphics
* iPhone and web access

Animated GIF demo:

Some of you might not want to fork out $30 for the MotionApps Classic emulator just to run Epocrates PalmOS on your Palm Pre. I had suggested as an alternative, you could surf over to the Epocrates mobile website http://m.epocrates.com with your Pre’s browser and since it is a webkit browser, you should basically have the same experience like the iPhone’s safari browser.

However, Don pointed out in this comment that “the epocrates website places a Welcome announcement on top of the webpage that makes it impossible to read the top or enter commands-”. I see what he means as when testing this out on the Emulator’s browser, this is what one sees:

There doesn’t seem to be a way to close the Welcome box and it renders the monograph page useless.

The solution is to surf over to the main Epocrates webpage first, http://epocrates.com, then login with your Epocrates account (the basic account is free, so you should create one if you haven’t). After that when you go back to the Eopcrates mobile site you won’t see the Welcome box anymore.

Now that the WebOS 1.04 update on the Palm Pre appears to have fixed issues with Classic compatibility, it’s time for some good news. I’m sure many are like me who use Andre “Statcoder” Chen’s fabulous PalmOS apps (if you want to gain some insight into the Statcoder himself, do read our interview with the Statcoder part I and part II)
Anyway I am grateful that Bob Castillo once again has provided feedback that the apps (Stat Cholesterol in particular) will install now in Classic. Bob says:

Your recent blog post about your exchange with MotionApps got me thinking about the recent Palm Pre update so I tried the Statcoder app again and it still didn’t work. But I also wondered if the .prc you emailed me might have been damaged in some way. So I went directly to the Statcoder website and downloaded their cholesterol app at http://www.statcoder.com/cholesterol.htm (this is the application you wanted me to test right?) and installed it in Classic’s Install folder. (Interestingly enough, the other Install folder under the PALM/Launcher folder no longer does anything and can be deleted.)
Anyway, I’m happy to report that this application worked perfectly and have attached some screenshots of it. I hope this helps….

Bob, you made my day. I don’t think I could do without Stat Cholesterol and I am sure glad I can run this in Classic once I get my hands on a GSM Palm Pre

Danijela wrote in:

We came across the article at http://palmdoc.net/?p=2443, and we wanted not only to respond to it, but to provide you with relevant info that you can use to correct the given assumptions.
The fact regarding 1.0.3 update is that Palm has omitted to include a file critical for Classic in the ROM update, which caused the issues for some users when running Classic (and after the 1.0.3 update is released).
You can learn more about this on our blog. Also, feel free to check other posts regarding this issue, as we tried to stay on the top and provide a workaround.
Back to the article: posting a user’s feedback, without trying it yourself and without contacting us (developer of Classic) has been not only irresponsible, but you allowed for language such as: “Well, I found the solution! And, MotionApp caused their own problem!” and malicious statements (again from an individual user) like: “It seems stable for now. Guess you can start answering the phones again MotionApps!”.
We do answer our phones, and currently we only do not provide telephone support to individual customers. Please always feel free to contact me to the number given below.
If you would have contacted us to check the “facts” given to you by an individual user, you would not only have the whole truth, but would also offer your readers with a professional answer to the issue.
Please check our blog, FAQ and feel free to contact us directly in the future to avoid such omissions, because it is this approach exactly where someone guessed something (without checking it with us, developer of Classic) that caused the “1.0.3 issue” in the first place.
Finally, after checking our blog and relevant FAQ, you can update your readers regarding the fact that Palm (again) has now released the 1.0.4 fixing the issues 1.0.3 caused for Classic.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions in the future and provide us with your contact info so that we can address not only issues but positive feedback as well, timely and professionally.

Regards,

Danijela

Hello Danijela.
Thanks for writing in and informing us. I appreciate developers who engage users and are open to criticism and I feel it is warranted criticism as clearly a lot of users were frustrated when the Palm 1.03 update broke Classic. Responsible developers (and I see quite a few in the forums) will engage the community outside their own website/blog and I hope to see Motionapps actively participate in the PreCentral/TreoCentral forums. I think your participation there will go a long way to allay such frustrations now and in the future. Believe me there was even stronger language in the forums which is why it is important to engage customers there.
The user community is resourceful and in fact a user responded with a quick fix before Motionapps did in their website.
Frequent BSODs are not what I would call a “good experience”. However I, and I am sure many other Palm users appreciate Motionapps’ efforts in getting the Classic app together so that our legacy apps can live on in our future WebOS devices. We users of pioneering apps do not also think that everything will work well 100% from the word go. There will be problems now and in the future, such is the nature of software and bugs. I think the onus is also on developers to monitor the forums and independent blogs - I suspect you’ll get much earlier feedback there as that’s the place many run too, apart from support from the developer. Indeed when I have faced problems with other apps I like to share it with other users in the forums (apart from opening support tickets with Motionapps). Strange as that may be but it seems the feeling of being in a “community” is a compelling factor for many.

I do not know if there are lingering issues with other PalmOS apps with the latest 1.04 update. It would be highly unusual if there weren’t any, WebOS being so new! Believe me despite these hurdles, I would get a Palm Pre NOW if a GSM version were available. For the record, I would also be off the blocks to register Classic on my Palm Pre if I had one. However I would not be so naive to think there won’t be any future issues or problems so I think the best way is to work with each other and solve the problems as they arise.

As a medical user, I would be very interested to hear how UpToDate for PalmOS fares with latest versions of Classic and WebOS as I am not aware that there is any success to date. I would be interested also to know if Statcoder apps can install onto Classic as there have also been problems. We reported earlier on problematic issues with these apps (see this and this post).

One thing I wonder if Motionapps will consider is to independently certify freeware apps. There are many useful freeware PalmOS apps, and I doubt if the original author will want to pay $99 to certify apps which he or she is giving out for free anyway. I for one will not be forking out $99 just to certify Haemoncrules!

Cheers

Palmdoc

Classic is important for Palm Pre medical users who want to run their PalmOS apps. Yet somehow the latest WebOS 1.03 was causing problems for Classic and we mentioned the temporary fix. Fotoframd claims to have found the cause and has posted steps on how to fix this BSOD problem:

Well, I found the solution! And, MotionApp caused their own problem!

As part of the different fixes, MotionApps created two Readme.txt files. These files are causing the Blue Screen!

If you are having a Blue Screen issue, I would recommend the following:

* Start Classic and after the Blue Screen appears, select from the top menu: Options > Hard Reset. It will warn you about deleting all of your data, but it is the best way to get a stable program. Classic will automatically close and bring you back to the Pre’s Launch window.

* Hold down the orange key and click Classic. You are going to delete this version of classic and all of its remaining files. Next, connect the Pre to your computer through sync cable using the USB Sync and delete the entire ClassicApps folder. Disconnect the Pre from your computer.

* Go Back to the Launch window and select the App Store. Download and install Classic again. This gives you a clean install. Launch Classic to be sure that it opens and is stable (no Blue Screen).

* Now, from your computer, download the latest ClassicROMUpdater.prc from MotionApps. Connect the Pre with the sync cable again using the USB Sync. Copy the ClassicRomUpdater.prc to the Pre’s ClassicApps/PALM/Launcher folder. Disconnect the Pre and launch Classic. In Classic, switch to the Internal category and double click on the ROM Updater icon. When it has finished, click the OK button. Now, minimize Classic and toss the card away.

* Connect the Pre to your computer again through the USB Sync. You have to find those readme.txt files. They are two in these locations:

* ClassicApps\Install\readme.txt
* ClassicApps\PALM\Launcher\Install\readme.txt

* DELETE both readme.txt files!!

* Now you can install your PalmOS apps. Just copy them to the ClassicApps\PALM\Launcher\Install\ folder. Once you launch Classic again, you will need to click the Importer icon to import them into the Classic PalmOS emulation. You can also now use the HotSync ID to add your old hot sync name.

At this point, I would limit installing programs one at a time. The environment is still a little buggy. I did manage to install Bejewelled 2, Chuzzle and Hammerheads. Although, when I installed Chuzzle, I did get a Blue Screen again. This time, I selected Safe Mode from the menu and relaunched Classic. It worked in Safe Mode and openned Classic without a problem. I imported Chuzzle and it worked properly! The game’s sound even works now.

It seems stable for now. Guess you can start answering the phones again MotionApps!

This is a follow up to the Medical apps on Classic update post. Since then Bob Castillo has kindly got back to me with a couple more medical apps I asked him to check.

The good news for all is that the great freebile, Medcalc for PalmOS will run in Classic. You have to place it in the ClassicApps/PALM/Launcher folder and not the ClassicApps/PALM/Launcher/Install folder as Bob says it does not appear there.

Here are some screen shots

The Splash screen

The Main screen showing the formulae

Next I passed Bob Statcoder’s Cholesterol application. This is another freebie I use fairly often. Unfortunately there are problems with the latest version of Classic:

Statcoder does not appear at all when it is placed in either folder. I even tried using the ClassicApps/Install folder but that causes Classic to crash every time (this is because of the same bug that showed up when Palm pushed out its 1.03 update).

There are clearly some bugs in Classic which need to be fixed. Nevertheless, Classic has given physicians the opportunity to run many of their tried and tested PalmOS applications on their Palm Pre. Imagine when Apple first launched the iPhone, there were no medical applications. Joe Kim has a post on Medical apps for the iPhone - how far have we come? and yes I must say the iPhone has attracted lots of developers who are naturally attracted to a large marketplace there being so many iPhones and iPod Touch devices out there now.
On the other hand Palm and Sprint have already shipped 150,000 Palm Pre’s in the early days and there are already 1 million downloads from the Palm Appstore/Catalog . Palm has not yet officially publicly released their WebOS SDK and that is hindering a lot of developers who I suspect are itching to get their hands on it. However I suspect also that some might have already got their hands on the WebOS SDK which was recently leaked.

Classic, the Motionapps PalmOS emulator for WebOS has been updated to v 1.1 and there is also now a Classic Certified program. It unfortunately costs money to get one’s app “certified” - $99 for 20 apps. If the author is giving out his app for free, I doubt if many will be paying to get the app certified under this program. Perhaps Motionapps should reconsider the pricing policy and allow free certification for PalmOS freeware.
Anyway what do we know of PalmOS medical applications and Classic so far?

Epocrates was initially put as a certified app but then withdrawn. I guess this was because of some quirks (according to Epocrates it will be ironed out) but it can run and here’s how you can install Epocrates on your Palm Pre

Skyscape has apps certified for Classic and have put up installation instructions

Unbound has references listed as Classic certified (5MCC, Davis)

iSilo, the document reader of choice for medical users (since there are tons of iSilo medical references) is also Classic certified

HandBase, a database program which is popular amongst medical users (judging from their medical section) including me is Classic certified.

UpToDate will not install despite the latest version of Classic supporting a virtual SD. bulls96 in the Palmdoc Forums provided an account of his experience trying to install UpToDate for Palm in Classic and it is a no go for now. Most unfortunate but I am hopeful that in future versions of Classic, there’ll be UpToDate for PalmOS compatibility. For the time being, I think subscribers can use UpToDate’s mobile portal.

I am pleased to report that my own little app Haemoncrules will run in Classic. Thanks a whole bunch to Bob Castillo for “Classic Certifying” my app since I don’t have a Palm Pre (yet)
Here are some screen shots:

If you have tried other PalmOS medical apps, please post your experience here. I’ll post more updates as well once I have more information on other apps.

Final note: we posted a Warning for Palm Pre users: WebOS 1.03 update breaks Classic causing it to crash (the infamous BSOD), and also a temporary fix. Motionapps has an official support statement on this issue.

I had an interesting email today. It was from Michael Mace no less and I am honored :).

Michael pointed out to me that although Access has taken down the original Expert Guides (see Resurrecting the Expert Medical Guides), they are still available via the Internet Wayback Machine.

The Expert Guides of interest to medical users:
Medicine - by Kent Willyard
Medical Student - by Matt Delaney
Anaesthesiology - by Donald Voltz
Dentistry - by Elise Eisenberg

These are useful lists that would help medical users starting off with their Palm Handhelds for the first time. It’s true that PalmOS (Garnet in the last version) is now an old operating system but it still powers useful devices like the Palm Centro and the Treo 755p. Windows mobile devices can run PalmOS applications if you use Styletap, and now we have Classic, the PalmOS emulator for WebOS, Palm’s new operating system.
So it seems PalmOS medical applications are not dead. They are very much alive and still very useful. Some indeed live up to the adage “old is gold”.

No, I am not talking about the thousands of PalmOS apps which you can run on the Classic emulator, I am referring to the Webapps for the iPhone.
The Palm Pre’s browser is basically a Webkit browser like Safari so my guess is many of these webapps should run. I have also tested some of these on Iris, a webkit compatible browser for Windows mobile and they work.

There are some medical gems out there like the ICD-10 which allows you to browse or search for the ICD code for the various diagnoses.
I also noticed this Medrez on-call scheduling viewer which might be useful for those of you faced with this tedious task.

The thing about the Palm Pre is that these Webapps need not only be bookmarked in the traditional sense from one’s browser - you can click ‘add to launcher’ from the browser menu and then it becomes an icon on your launcher that loads up the browser directly to that page.

Found any other medical webapp that is useful? Let us know.