Problem Hot Syncing my Palm 105 under OS X 10.4.4

Question

I get the message on the M105: "Your handheld computer & the desktop could not be established ..."
I am connecting the M105 via a USB/Serial cable, which works when I connect it to the USB port on my PC laptop. I have had it connected to the IMAC at start up.
I have installed Palm OS 4.2.1. I decided to try iSync and enabled Isync for the palm. ISync recognized the palm and told me to press the hot sync button on the M105. Before Isync completed, the M105 gave the "non-connection" message above. Isync help info. suggests syncing with Palm Hot Sync manager before using Isync. However, I was unable to do that -- I kept getting the same message on the M105. The Isync log indicates that it connected, but the M105 sure didn't think so, and my address/date info is not in the Palm desktop.
The Missing Sync tool does not list the M105 as being supported.
What to do?

Answer 1

Your assumption is correct -- that's what I'm trying
to do. The Radio Shack cable goes from serial to USB
and I hook the M105 to that cable and then into the
USB port on the Mac. It does work on the USB port on
the Dell machine. On the Dell, I do the same thing
I'm trying to do on the MAC. I connect the M105 to
the Radio Shack serial to USB cable and hook it into
the USB port. On the Dell laptop, I can also connect
the M105 without the Serial/USB cable to the serial
port on the Dell. Either way it works.
So, if I understand correctly, you're saying I need
to buy the kit from Palm, or if I buy the Keyspan
cable, does it also come with a matching OS X
driver?
Doesn't the Palm 4.2.1 Version A Desktop that I
download for OS X come with the matching OS X
driver? When I do the download, it asks me for the
device and for the MAC OS.
Thanks again
I had presumed that you were indicating that you
intended to synchronize an m105, using its serial
interface, to a Macintosh. A serial to USB
converter
is required in that case, similar to those
suggested
above, because your m105 is a serial device and
your
Macintosh has no serial port.
The serial to USB converter is a kit, containing
both
a hardware adapter and a matching OS X driver.
Without both, your m105 cannot communicate with a
Macintosh through its USB port.
I have now successfully hot synced the Palm 105 under OS X 10.4.4. I purchased a Keyspan 19HS USB Serial Adapter. I tried the installation over the weekend, and it didn't work. I entered E-Mail on their web site to give details but didn't hear back from them. Today (Thurs. 2/9/06), I called their support telephone no. I nice tech support person guided me through downloading a beta version of their software, necessary for OS X10.4.4, and lo and behold, it all worked.
I'm giving these details in case someone else has this problem -- may save you some time.
Thank you to Michael Lafferty for his good advice.