The m100 HotSync cable was Palm's second generation HotSync cable. Palm actually thought about the way people use these cables and how to make modifications to improve an already useful cable (the original PalmPilot HotSync Cable) without changing things just for the sake of being different. Thus the m100 cable is identical to the original PalmPilot HotSync cable other than two improvements:
1) The plastic around the connector is rounded to fit snugly against the m100 and m105
2) The connector includes a sync button
These are definitely useful improvements over the original cable. The rounded shape may look a bit awkward with the boxy traditionally shaped devices, but it still fits them quite nicely and so works easily with every device ever made with the original HotSync connector. That is to say, this cable will let you hotsync with the following devices:
* Pilot 1000
* Pilot 5000
* PalmPilot Personal
* PalmPilot Professional
* Palm III
* Palm IIIe
* Palm IIIe Special Edition
* Palm IIIx
* Palm IIIxe
* Palm IIIc
* Palm VII
* Palm VIIx
* Palm m100
* Palm m105
* TRGpro
* HandEra 330
Like the original cable, this is a very simple piece of equipment designed to fit easily into a laptop bag and travel more easily than a bulky cradle. The three foot long cable easily coils for transport but is also long enough to provide maneuverability while connected to a laptop. One end of the cable has the aforementioned rounded connector that snaps into the hotsync port of your Palm and the other has a 9 pin male serial connector. If your laptop doesn't have any serial ports you can certainly use a serial->USB connector like the Palm USB Kit or the Keyspan USB PDA Adapter but this adds another rather bulkier cable to carry around.
The main improvement is the addition of the sync button at the base of the piece that snaps into your device. With the old cable you had to initiate syncing from the device itself, opening up the hotsync application and hitting the sync button on the screen each time you wanted to sync. This added several steps to the process and, in tight quarters like on an airplane, could be awkward. Now all you have to do is hit the button and the sync starts automatically, just like on a cradle. It's both faster and less awkward - a vast improvement.
This cable is not a charger. Most of the compatible devices use removable batteries so this isn't an issue for most people, but if you have a IIIc or a HandEra 330 with a rechargeable battery pack it is something to keep in mind. You can still use the stand alone A/C adapter for the HandEra 330 with this cable but there's no way to charge the IIIc. If you need a cable that both syncs and charges a IIIc you'll have to buy a cable designed specifically for that model.
Palm gets a lot of credit for really improving the old cable without adding a whole bunch of features that impede usability. If you still use any of the compatible devices and travel a lot, the m100 HotSync cable is a lot more convenient than either the older PalmPilot HotSync cable or lugging around a bulky cradle. It's no longer sold in retail stores but you can still find it on eBay and other similar places.
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