Documents To Go 4.0 differs for Macs, PCs

The new Documents to Go Professional Edition 4.0 lets users of Palm OS handheld devices view PowerPoint files with a new application called Slideshow To Go. Well, Windows users, at least, can navigate through presentations in outline, speaker notes, and slide views.

PowerPoint viewing is not supported on the Mac platform in Documents To Go 4.0, according to Erin O’Connor, DataViz public relations manager.

“Unfortunately, we were not able to offer the PowerPoint viewing feature on the Mac side, as we did not have all of the technical specifications needed to address this,” O’Connor told MacCentral. “The full spreadsheet editing is a huge benefit, as Documents To Go is a key player in offering a handheld solution for using both word processing and spreadsheet files on a Mac. I know this is not ideal for our Mac-based Documents To Go customers, but the additional functionality beyond PowerPoint viewing is certainly more power in their handheld.”

Palm will bundle a version of Documents To Go 4.0 software free to buyers of the Palm m500 handheld series. Customers who have already purchased Documents To Go 3.0 software or Palm m500 series handhelds can download version 4.0 free of charge up to 30 days from their date of purchase. In addition, upgrades will be available for users who have purchased Palm m500 series handhelds or Documents To Go 3.0 software up to 90 days from date of purchase and more than 90 days from date of purchase for $14.95 and $29.95, respectively. Software upgrades are available directly from the DataViz Web site.

What’s more, the latest version supports synchronization with multiple Macs or Wintel systems. Documents To Go Professional Edition 4.0 is US $69.95. It’s currently available directly from the DataViz Website and is expected to be available for all Palm OS based devices by the end of August. French, Italian, German and Spanish versions of Documents To Go Professional Edition 4.0 are also expected to be available later this month.

A new version of the Documents To Go Standard Edition will soon be available for those who need to use only word processing documents and spreadsheets. It will include all of the functionality of Sheet To Go and Word To Go in Version 4.0, but will not have PowerPoint viewing or the bonus Add-On Kit. The Standard Edition will only be available in the U.S and Canada, and will have a street price of $49.95.

O’Connor said that DataViz is aware that the lack of support for PowerPoint viewing on the Mac may discourage customers looking to purchase Documents To Go that don’t have a previous version — the pricing is the same for the Mac and Windows version.

“However, our upgrade policy remains the same as all of our other products,” O’Connor said. “If we come out with an upgrade within 30 days of a purchase it is free, or if the customer has purchased outdated software they may fax us proof of purchase within 30 days and the upgrade is free (those who purchased the m500 or m505 devices can also upgrade for free within 30 days of their purchase). If the software was purchased within 31-90 days of an upgrade release, it is half price at $14.95. If the added functionality does not warrant the need for an upgrade, as there is no penalty for passing over an upgrade.”