AOL Tests Several Anywhere Clients For Palm OS

America Online is currently beta testing several new versions of AOL Anywhere software for Palm OS devices. They are: AOL Mail VII, a client for AOL users to read their e-mail on the Palm VII wirelessly; AIM 1.0 for Palm OS, an AOL Instant Messenger client for Palm devices; and AOL 2.0 for Palm OS, the generic dialup client for Palm users. These betas are currently only available to AOL members at Keyword: Palm Beta.

AOL Mail VII 1.0 beta is for use with Palm VII or Palm V/Vx handheld computers equipped with OmniSky wireless modems. The client currently offers e-mail only, and runs with the Web Clipping application. Beta performance was spotty, however, with periods of several hours where the service was unavailable while all other aspects of OmniSky were working normally. As a backup, you can always access the regular AOL Mail web site via ProxiWeb if you’re an OmniSky user.

AIM 1.0 beta for Palm OS allows Palm devices running Palm OS 3.0 or higher to connect with the AOL Instant Messenger service via their Palm Modem, or Palm V users with their OmniSky wireless modems. To use AIM for Palm, you must already have an Internet account set up on your Palm. AIM 1.0 for Palm OS is not compatible with the Palm VII, but messages on the Palm Beta message boards indicate that this may be on the drawing board. A nice touch for AOL members is the fact that AIM 1.0 beta uses the Buddy List that users have already entered on the server from their desktop computers, eliminating the need to reenter all your buddies on the Palm.

AOL 2.0 for Palm OS beta, the successor to AOL Mail 1.0 for Palm OS, allows AOL members to connect to the AOL service with their Palm Modem using regular AOL access numbers. The client offers Instant Messaging and e-mail, although the Buddy List is not the one stored on the AOL server and you must reenter the whole list on your Palm device. TCP/IP connections are not yet supported, so this client cannot be used with the OmniSky wireless modem.