You got your Pre, you got your Classic, now you want to load of your beloved applications….here is how.

Current version of Classic is v1.0. Due to overwhelming requests for features and enhancement we’ve accelerated the release date and will be make Classic v1.1 available in a matter of days or weeks.

Classic v1.1 will be available as a free, OTA (you don’t need to do anything) to all users of Classic v1.0.

Getting started with Classic

1. Preparing Classic
Download and install the Classic ROM Updater utility from www.motionapps.com. This will significantly ease the process of installing Palm OS applications into Classic. You only need to do this once.
2. Installing Palm OS apps in Classic
Connect your Pre to your desktop computer via USB cable and activate USB Drive mode. Then simply copy your PRC and PDB files into the ClassicApps/Install folder on Pre. Disconnect your Pre from the USB port and launch Classic.

Types of applications that can be installed in Classic v1.0

Single PRC applications and OTA-ready installation packages can easily be installed into Classic v1.0.
Applications that are delivered to users in a format other than a single PRC file, can also be installed in Classic v1.0, but may require additional steps, as described below (installing the Classic ROM Updater).
Single PRC applications are Palm OS applications that are entirely contained inside a single PRC file. This PRC file can be the main application executable, if the application does not require additional files, or an installer that will unpack multiple PRC, PDB and other files required by the application.
OTA-ready packages are sometimes called “stub apps”. A stub application is a PRC file that when launched, connects to an external server and downloads all of the required files over-the-air (OTA).
Applications that are designed to be installed only through HotSync may be difficult to install in Classic, but such applications are very rare. Most of the modern Palm OS applications provide options for installing them without HotSync-ing, even when HotSync is the preferred method of deployment.

Installing single PRC and OTA-ready applications into Classic

Installation of applications contained in single PRC files is done through a process of “side loading” of PRC files into Classic. This is a straightforward process:

1. Connect your Pre to your desktop/laptop computer with the USB cable and activate the USB drive mode on your phone.
2. Copy the application PRC file from your computer to the ClassicApps folder on your Pre
3. Disconnect your Pre from the USB port and launch Classic. You will find the application icon in the “Internal” category of Palm OS launcher.

Installing apps that are not single PRCs or OTA-ready packages

Applications that are composed of more than one PRC file or a combination of PRC and PDB files can also be easily installed in Classic v1.0 through the process of side loading described above.
However, before copying them to your Pre, you will need to install the Classic ROM Updater utility. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Download the Classic ROM Updater from www.motionapps.com.
2. Install the Classic ROM Updater PRC file in Classic, as described in the previous topic and run it in Classic.
(Note that the above two steps need to be performed only once. But, if you perform a hard reset of Classic, it will delete the ROM updater and you will need to install it again.)
3. Copy all of the PRC and PDB files to the ClassicApps/Install folder that will appear when you connect your Pre to the USB port, and Classic will automatically import those files into main Palm OS storage memory during the boot.

Copying PIM and other data (PDB files) into Classic

PDB files (Palm OS Databases) can be easily imported in Classic v1.0 simply by copying them from your desktop computer to the ClassicApps/Install folder on your Pre.
Note that you will have to install the Classic ROM Updater utility to enable this feature (see previous topic).

Sound support

Classic v1.0 does not support sound but Classic v1.1 will provide a level of support for streaming audio.
Classic v1.1 will be released very soon after the initial launch of v1.0 and will be available as a free upgrade to all existing users of Classic v1.0.

Known issues with certain Palm OS applications

While we are working hard on achieving the maximum level of compatibility for Palm OS applications, there are literally thousands of Palm OS applications on the market, and it is impossible for us to test them all on Classic.
There will always be some applications that do not work on Classic simply because they rely on features that are not available in Classic (e.g. audio codecs, camera, BlueTooth, IR, messaging) or just because they have their internal issues that may not be exposed to users on Centro/Treo, but are on Classic.

MotionApps is trying to address this in several ways:
- By improving Classic. The next version of Classic, v1.1 that will be available very soon after the initial launch of v1.0 contains many improvements in the area of application compatibility, so the chances that a Palm OS application will not work with Classic is significantly reduced.
- We have created a Classic Certification Program for Palm OS developers to assure that the user experience with Palm OS applications on the Pre is identical to the one they currently have on their Palm OS based phones.
- We are working closely with many Palm OS developers to help them address issues in their Palm OS applications that may cause those apps not to work in Classic.

Networking access

If you are using a Palm OS application that accesses the network, please make sure that the data network is enabled on your phone when you run such an app. Some Palm OS apps may crash Classic if the network is not available on your phone when they try to access it but this issue is resolved in Classic v1.1.

Keyboard issues

Some Palm OS applications are using certain low-level and undocumented methods for reading the key events from the phone keyboard that may not be supported by Classic v1.0. Classic v1.1 will bring improvements in this area so most apps will be able to read keyboard events even through those discouraged methods