A guide for installing the Pentax PocketJet
on your PDA or Handheld Computer

Download the PDF version

Overview

Mobility means small, portable and powerful technology and nothing says "Mobility" better than a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) combined with the Pentax PocketJet printer. The PDA was originally designed in the mid 90's as companion products to personal computers. In the late 90's, it revolutionized the way business is transacted today by adding wireless access to the Internet to the familiar suite of PIM (Personal Information Manager) applications. The PDA has become a powerful tool in day-to-day business and with all day-to-day business comes the need to PRINT.
The ability to quickly print documents, spreadsheets, e-mail messages, a map, a calendar or address book - all while being mobile - not only improves productivity but guarantees success with the instant close of business.
Although the choice of PDA devices is increasing all the time, four main operating systems exist in today's market:

• Palm OS -by 3 COM
• Windows CE - by Microsoft
• Blackberry - by Research In Motion (RIM)
• EPOC - by Symbian

Pentax has ensured your success by either providing a printer driver from Pentax Technologies or developing "Business Partner" relationships with the leading PDA print driver providers to provide the ability to start printing today from a PDA. This series of monographs is designed to give insight into the different operating systems, the different drivers needed, and how to effectively connect the Pentax PocketJet printer to PDAs.

Printing from a Palm Operating System Device:

Printing your PIM (Personal Information Manager) applications:

The Palm OS does not provide printing capability directly from its "classic functions" such as e-mail, Address Book, To Do List, Calendar, and Notes. Printing directly from the Palm OS requires printing support from a third party accessory printing utility. Pentax is pleased to announce that the Pentax PocketJet printers are supported by Bachmann, InStep Group, IS Complete, and Stevens Creek SoftwareÖall the known printing utility software available for the Palm OS today.
Pentax has partnered with Instep Group, IS Complete, and Stevens Creek Software to provide a free trial versions of printing software for you to try. These drivers are still under evaluation and can be obtained by calling technical support at: 1-303-460-1820 or 1-303-460-1600 (Mountain Time) or e-mail technical support at ptctech@pentaxtech.com.Get all 3 and evaluate each to see which one you like best before you buy.

Note: Although Bachmann Software (PrintBoy) provides minimum printing support, Bachmann has requested that they be provided more time to extend their support to the Pentax PocketJet printer before being distributed through Pentax Technologies. Please refer all support questions to Bachmann directly at www.bachmannsoftware.com

Product Support:

PIM Application Support for Printing:

*Clipboard printing is any application document that supports copying data to the Palm OS Clipboard.
**Doc Printing is applications within the Palm OS that is document based (extension will be ". DOC").
*** Documents To Go application will print Word and Excel files.
****Wordsmith is a word processing application.
*****IS Complete can support both Clipboard and Print screen by using the add-on package "AltCtrlHack", which can be purchased directly from IS Complete.

Time limit on "Free Trial Version":

Connecting the Pentax PocketJet to the Palm Device:

Full support is provided by Instep Group, IS Complete and Stevens Creek with wireless printing provided by the Pentax IrDA offering (baud rate of 115200). Full support is also given to the Pentax serial offering (baud rate of 57600) which is intended to connect to the "Hotsync" cable or cradle supplied with the device

Printing from applications that are not Palm PIM applications:

Many applications can be printed either through the Doc printing support or by copying to the clipboard. If your customers must have direct application printing support please refer to the software developer to ensure that Palm printing functionality is supported directly from the software.
Note: Instep Group, IS Complete, and Stevens Creek provide a tool kit that is available to application developers that will allow them to embed print-enabled Palm OS directly from the software applications. Please feel free to contact Pentax if you should have questions. info@pentaxtech.com

Printing from Windows CE Operating System Device:

Confused with the terms "Handheld PCs", "Pocket PCs", and "Windows CE"? The quick answer is that Windows CE is the operating system that is at the heart of all Handheld PCs and Pocket PCs while Pocket PC and Handheld PC refer to specific types of mobile devices. Microsoft refers to both the Pocket PC and the Handheld PC as "information appliances". That description doesn't make it simple to determine the type of device so let's go into more detail.

Windows CE is a compact modular operating system that was designed from the ground up to support a broad range of client devices combining the flexibility and reliability of Windows with real-time processing support. Some examples of Windows CE-based devices include the Handheld PC, Pocket PC, X-Box, WebTV, MSN Web Companion, eBood Reader, Windows based Terminal, and Smart Phone

• Handheld PC is a class of devices using Windows CE that has a half VGA (320X240) or full size (640x480 or 800x600) screens with or without an integrated keyboard and contains a consistent package of integrated applications. Handheld PCs are available in four different shapes, size and types of mobile devices - half VGA screen with an integrated keyboard (clamshell devices), full screen with an integrated keyboard, tablets, and ruggedized devices. A quick way to know you have a Handheld PC device is that the drop-down menu in "PocketWord" will list a "print" option.

Handheld PC Windows CE Print Driver Availability:

Pentax Technologies Windows CE Handheld PC print drivers support both the Pentax PocketJetII and PocketJet 200 printers.
For your print driver installation of the PocketJet 200 click here (Handheld PC Class) or here (Palm-size PC Class)

For your print driver installation of the PocketJet II click here (Handheld PC Class) or here (Palm-size PC Class).

Note: Field Software offers a variety of printing options for the Handheld PC Windows CE. Please visit them at www.fieldsoftware.com for more information.

• Pocket PC is a class of device that has a quarter VGA (320x240) screen and contains a consistent package of integrated applications that have wireless and wired connectivity options. The Pocket PC Windows CE OS does not provide printing capability directly from the integrated applications and requires printing support from a third party accessory printing utility. Pentax is pleased to inform you that the Pentax PocketJet printer family is supported by a number of accessory printing utility products provided by Field Software.

What PDA Hardware supports the Pocket PC Windows CE Operating System:

Product Support for Pocket PC Windows CE Operating System:

Application Overview:

Connecting the Pentax PocketJet to the Pocket PC device:

Field Software provides full support with wireless printing provided by the Pentax IrDA offering (baud rate of 115200). Full support is also given to the Pentax serial offering (baud rate of 57600) which is intended to connect to the serial synchronization cable or cradle supplied with the device.

Printing from nonintegrated application packages:

Using the "copy to the clipboard", a function provided by Field Software, you can print many of your application pages. If direct printing support is needed from the application it must ensure that the software developer has added printing functionality to their software. Field Software has developed a tool kit available to application software developers that will provide print-enabled Windows CE OS in the software application.

Printing from a EPOC Operating System Device:

EPOC takes its name form the core of Psion's Series 3 Operating System. For the Series 5, EPOC became the name of the Operating System itself and evolved into a 32-bit open system. Psion joined forces in 1998 with Ericsson, Nokia and Motorola to form a new joint venture called Symbian, with the aim of establishing EPOC as the de facto operating system for mobile Wireless Information Devices.

Symbian (EPOC) Powered Devices:

• r e v oPlus
• r e v o
• Series 7
• Series 5mx
• netBook

Pentax Technologies EPOC print drivers support both the Pentax PocketJet II and PocketJet 200 printers. For your print driver installation of the PocketJet 200 click here. For your print driver installation of the PocketJet II click here.

Note: SIBO operating system is the operating system that supports the Workabout family of products and is exclusive to Psion Teklogix products (this operating system is commonly incorrectly referred to as EPOC 16 OS). At this time Pentax does not have support for printing from the SIBO OS. Pentax is working toward a solution and hopes to inform you of SIBO and Pentax PocketJet printer support in 2001.

( Pocketjet 200 and Pocketjet II are Discontinued.)

Printing from a Blackberry Operating System Device:<

Research In Motion (RIM) Wireless handheld devices are communication devices that allow mobile professionals to send and receive e-mail wherever they go. RIM handheld devices incorporate and are exclusive to the BlackBerry Operating System provided by RIM.

RIM Wireless Handheld Devices:

The Blackberry OS does not provide direct printing capability. Printing directly from the Blackberry OS requires printing support from a third party accessory printing utility. Pentax is pleased to announce that the Pentax PocketJet printers are supported by Instep Group. Pentax has partnered with Instep Group to provide a free trial version of printing software. This driver is still under evaluation and can be obtained by calling technical support at 1-303-460-1820 or 1-303-460-1600, or e-mail technical support at ptctech@pentaxtech.com.

Instep Print for Blackberry is designed to minimize the use of valuable handheld memory and power resources without compromising quality or limiting features. Instep Print supports customer's requirements whether they are printing a simple text or rich text file with attributes like bold, semi-bold, italics, underling, and proportional fonts

Connecting the Pentax PocketJet to the RIM Device:

• Serial connection from the RIM device cradle via serial interface available from Pentax Technologies.
• Serial connection from the RIM device via a serial cable available through RIM at www.rim.net (this connection allows you to print from the RIM without being connected to the cradle).

Pentax Printing Partners:

About Bachmann www.bachmannsoftware.com
In 1999, Bachmann leveraged its expertise in Palm development to deliver its first software products to the industry - Bachmann PrintBoy and the PrintBoy Developer Kit. These software products enable printing of application content directly from Palm Computing devices. These products are licensed by thousands of Palm users worldwide and the demonstrated requirement for printing directly from mobile devices continues to be an indication that this product line will see growth in market share and revenue.

About Instep Group www.instepgroup.com
The key to understanding the Instep product line is to understand quality and to have an appreciation of the needs of the mobile worker. Today's mobile community has a requirement to access vital data from an array of devices. A key factor is that they cannot fall back on a building full of office equipment and technology - they are on the road. Not only must the devices they hold in their hands be reliable, and of the highest quality, the software applications for these devices must also be first-rate. Additionally, these products must be designed to handle both current and future requirements without compromising quality or feature selection.

About Stevens Creek Software www.stevenscreek.com
A privately held company in Cupertino, California, which has been developing and publishing software for Macintosh, DOS, Windows, and the Palm Computing platform since 1988. Stevens Creek Software has been a leading developer of athletic software for Macintosh and Windows and more recently Palm since 1990, and was among the earliest and is now one of the leading publishers of business software for the Palm platform, with 17 shipping titles and numerous successfully completed custom development projects. Stevens Creek Software is the two-time consecutive winner of "Best Application" awards at the annual Palm Developers Conference, and our PalmPrint software was named one of the "Best Products of 1999" by Tap Magazine.

About Field Software www.fieldsoftware.com
FieldSoftware Products specializes in creating professional development tools, software applications and utilities for the Windows CE operating system.

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