Support for an independant version of SideKick 14

[mickygriff]

I thought I would start a thread to show how much support there is for either an individual, group or company, to provide a reworked/updated version of Sidekick. Someone surely possesses the skills to do this? Please just reply to give this indication.

 

[james33]

I will add my voice to that, it was something I started doing in Access, but even though I could get the cardfile section up and running, I felt intimidated by the fact that there was just sooo much in Sidekick and I only have so much time to spare.
It wouldn't be a bad idea to actually set up a wish list of the features that people really needed/wanted because even now, after all these years, I don't use half of the program.
These are the Main features that I need in the program:

1. Cardfiles
i. User defined fields (At least 35)
ii. Labels
iii. Envelopes
2. Basic Calendar with:
i. Events (recurring ones too)
ii. Alarms
iii. ToDos
iv. Phone calls
v. Daily / Weekly and Monthly views
3. Write/Memo Section with
i. Merge Document ability (with user defined fields)
ii. Fax (well printto at least)
iii. Send to Email

What do you think you can't do without?

Regards
Jim

 

[Zoltan627]

I was talking with a friend of mine who does programming about SK's date problem and he said if he had the source code it wouldn't be a problem to fix. The next question is, how do we get the source code?

 

[newsnet]

100% agree it would be great if someone was able to revive Sidekick. My (ancient) Sidekick 2 is indispensable - even through the diary can be flaky and unpredictable (so much so that I now use MSN diary to make sure my entries won't disappear wiothout trace as they sometimes do in SKW2).

The source code - presumably - was written by Borland before the Starfish takeover and extra trimmings added on after that.
I think I've got installation software of all the versions brought out since SKW1 - but SKW2 is still my favourite.

I was concerned to see that the mobile phone company T Mobile is now using the name "Sidekick" for one of its products - so whoever took up the challenge of re-making and re-marketing the product would have to sort that out.

 

[bigdent]

Resurrecting SK is a great idea. There is no program on the market that comes close to SK98. I keep looking, but nothing. I have often thought that there could be a business opportunity to buy the SK source code, update it and remarket the software. But I'm not in that business.

Starting in 99, Starfish began eliminating features from SK. They believed that the money was in their syncing software, Truesync. They changed SKs name to Truesync Desktop and bundled it with Truesync, but it was completely stripped-down. The exact same skin as SK, but without most of the features.

Motorola bought Starfish, then sold it to Pumatech, which changed its name to Intellisync Corp. Intellisync now distributes a product called Intellisync Desktop. I can't find a screenshot, but it seems to be just a syncing template to interface with other programs, like Outlook. It may not be related to SK at all. Does anyone know?

If Intellisync has completely abandoned all of the SK code, they might make it available free or for a small royalty to someone that wants to run with it. But it is also possible that the reason Starfish abandoned SK in the first place is that the source code is inefficiently written and labor intensive to maintain and update.

 

[jimalex]

Great idea. How do you do it? Who owns it. Who has the source code. I'd like to take on the job.

 

[jimalex]

I checked with Intellisync and they said they no longer handled Starfish products; Motorola were supporting Starfish- contact number 1.800.289.6080

 

[ThomasHDowney]

Returning the auto-dialer to an updated Sidekick would be a big help, particularly if (as believe I am correct with earlier versions) one could enter calling-card information, pauses, and then have a selected number auto-dialed. With the proliferation of area codes, the feature would be even more helpful now.

The ASCII table would be useful on occasion, but I never understood what the "Vogon poetry" (I believe it was in Version 2) was all about.

The synchronization system seems to work well with Palm OS vesion 3.+ so it would help (those of us who still use obsolescent Palm Pilots and Handsprings) if that could remain the same.

It would be nice to be able to have differing type faces/sizes within the calendar and a fix for the post-2005 "To Do List" problem.

 

[WDane]

I too would add my desire to see SK98 resurrected. It is the best PIM on the market. I use the same functions that James33 indicated above. It would be very useful to add the ability to import it into any of the popular PDAs in use.

 

[Zoltan627]

Ok, we know what we would like to see; what is the next step to resurrecting SK98?

 

[mickygriff]

I had some recent contact with a programmer called Nico Cuppen, from the Netherlands, who does utility programmes for Windows. He had a look at SK99, and unfortunately he felt it was too big a project for him, as it would use up his resources for too long a time. I also sent e-mails to Intellisync regarding interest in either developing it or allowing use of the source code to this group, with no reply.
If the existing software has the time limit that makes it unuseable, could the basic source code be obtained from the programme, and recompiled? Forgive my ignorance/naivity if this is technically impossible, but it seems as though no-one (from a corporate point of view) is bothered. If we as a group of interested users, choose to resurrect SK, we may also be able to improve on it.

 

[Topdraw]

I want to add my support for a SK revival. I have used it since day one. I am not sure why it was dropped b/c i always bought upgrades before 98. I have a lotsa of data to redo if SK98 fails the next new laptop and OS upgrade. I will not upgrade from XPpro to Longhorn/Vista or what ever BG is calling it w/o SK98. Whoever resurrects SK will get a life long profit from me.

 

[mickygriff]

In Jim's wish list he mentioned 'ToDo's' - this field should have a higher limit if possible. My colleagues and I have used it to keep track of regular evaluations required for patients care plans (we work for the NHS. There is a limit of 97 entries but as ever, more is best. I also see that some people prefer the more usuable sk98 version but '99 is sufficient for our purpose.

I may try to open a dialogue with Microsoft to consider a version - what do you think? sk99 d(eath)-day is near!

 

[james33]

Dear All,

I don't know why that suggestion jars a little, but I guess why not?

I guess it could be seen as a contender to be developed in Works?

Jim

 

[jimalex]

Motorola's reply is that Sidekick98 is an obsolete product, in fact, 'not one of their products'. TrueSync is also obsolete and also no longer supported through the live call center. It appears all have been replaced with Mobile Phone Tools. FAQ on TrueSync can still be found on hellomoto.com. I have often wondered why it is not possible to get into an exe file and sidekick.exe is a prime candidate.

 

[james33]

Dear All,

It is not a problem getting into any .exe file (Resource Hacker is one program that can do that), it is the Copyright that is the problem.

Mind you, Sidekick98 like Windows contains a lot of Legacy code some of it pre-dating Sidekick95.... and the reason it was left in, I imagine, is because they weren't sure what would happen if they left it out and these people I might mention, were the people that wrote it!

So we are not talking an easy job here.

Regards Jim
Check the FAQ area of this Forum for answers (If there are any FAQs!) , it could save you a lot of time and effort!

 

[Zoltan627]

The key to resurrecting SK98 is the source code. I have been told by my business partner (the programming half of our consulting organization) that if he had the source, he could fix it with out any problem. But Starfish does not exist any longer and Motorola does not seem to care; where does that leave us? I am no expert on the law, but could Sidekick be considered to be “Abandoned”? Meaning that it is in the public domain?

 

[philipw2]

I would not assume that it is in the public domain, not after 6 years. No judge would consider it abandoned after a mere 6 years, even if the technology has rendered it obsolete.

 

[james33]

Dear All,

I am not trying to be negative, but the Synchronising software in Sidekick is probably copyrighted separately and it is an underlying part of all versions of Sidekick including and after Internet Sidekick/Sidekick97 it is that which allows you to Sync with a handheld.
Motorola bought it for that synchronising software which underlies a lot of their software I imagine and it may prove difficult to separate from those versions.
Having said that, there might be a way to purchase (for a very small sum) Sidekick95 and then work on that as it is probably simpler code and has less baggage.
Adding something to a program has to be simpler than trying to work out what to take out.

Jim

 

[jimalex]

I thought ResHacker was no good for Sidekick as it is for Win32 executable files- anyway point taken. More significantly, my queries to Intellysync and Motorola have all been aimed at copyright. Copyright is a protection for the originator who wants it but no interest has been shown and I think anyone could work on Sidekick without worrying about copyright. Even is something turns up it is easy to demonstrate that an attempt was made to find it: nobody intends to pinch it. My latest comment to Motorola is that we (mickygriff?) are contacting Microsoft- if that does not wake them up why should there be any worries about copyright? I think James33 knows more than the rest of us put together about Sidekick and it may be that the work involved is the real obstacle.