AstroViewPalm is the program you use to view a shared computer from a Palm Powered device. Once downloaded unzip or unstuff and then install it onto your handheld via hotsync. After running it you will have access to a menu named "View" with menuitems "View Desktop...", "Diconnect From Share...", "Connection Options...", and "Network Statistics...". Statistics shows you the amount of used memory, how much data has been sent and read on the current connection and average connection speeds. Options lets you set some security features and a slow connection option. Disconnect breaks down the current connection. View brings up a dialog which allows you to view and control a shared desktop supplying the IP or DNS address, port number, computer name and password.

AstroViewPalm also allows you to save whatever is currently in the viewer as a picture whether you are connected to a remote desktop or not. This ability is found under the "Image" menu. You can view a desktop or a saved image in 3 levels of Zoom: Normal (1X), Zoom Double (2X) and Zoom Quadruple (4X). This ability is found under the "Zoom" menu. You can also push the up and down page buttons on the front of your device to zoom in and out respectively. Viewing in Double and Quadruple modes decreases bandwith significantly.

Most likely you will be viewing a remote desktop that is larger than the display on your Palm OS device. Currently AstroViewPalm has 3 ways to view different parts of that larger desktop. You do this by "scrolling".

We offer 3 scroll modes: Grab, Scale and Mouse.

Grab Scroll works by moving to another part of the remote desktop in response to you pushing the stylus. While you move the stylus the same point on the desktop stays under it. It's sort of like putting your index finger on a piece of paper thats on a smooth desk. As you move your finger around the paper moves too but not relative to your finger.

Scale Scroll works by showing you that part of the desktop relative to where your stylus is on the palm screen. So if you tap the top left corner of the palm screen you will see the top left corner of the remote desktop. Tap the middle of the screen and you see the middle of the remote desktop. Hold the stylus down while moving it and you will see everything in between.

Mouse Scroll works by imitating the mouse on the remote desktop. When you touch the stylus to the palm screen it causes the mouse button to be down on the remote desktop. As you move the stylus in mouse scroll mode so does the mouse move on the remote desktop. If you move the stylus within about 1/4 inch of your Palm's screen border then the part of the remote desktop your viewing will shift so that you can see more of the desktop in the direction that you are moving the stylus.

You can switch between the different scroll modes via the "Stylus" menu. You can also switch into Mouse Scroll by hitting the leftmost hard button on the front of your palm also known as the DateBook button. Hitting it again will switch you back into the previous scroll mode either Grab or Scale. All 3 scroll modes work in real time as does zooming so you can zoom in and out at the same time you are using any of the scroll modes.

You can copy whatever text is currently selected on the shared machine to your handheld's clipboard. Do this by choosing "Copy From Remote..." under the "View" menu. You can also paste whatever text is currently on your handheld's clipboard to the text insertion point of the shared computer. Do this by choosing "Paste To Remote..." under the "View" menu. For both copying and pasting a maximum of 5000 characters are moved with one operation.

Note: If you don't have a network connection yet on your Palm OS device but would like to see how the viewer works then the two session links found in the downloads section will help you. Download, unzip, and install the file onto your handheld. Open it using the "Open Picture" menu item under the "Image" menu.

What's New in This Release:
· Maintenance release to prepare for future updates.