This document assumes that mTrial for Palm is already installed on a Palm handheld. If mTrial isn’t installed yet, and you need assistance with the installation, please refer to the mTrial Installation Guide.

The first step in using mTrial is powering on the Palm handheld (Figure 10.1).

Figure 10.1 – Palm Handheld Powered Off

Press the power button to power on the Palm handheld; on the Zire it’s the button that’s highlighted in blue.

If a program other than mTrial is already running, for example the Date Book, use the stylus to tap the Launcher icon (Figure 10.2) which will open the Application Launcher screen (Figure 10.3).

Figure 10.2 – Date Book Program With Launcher Icon Highlighted

Figure 10.3 – Application Launcher Screen

Figure 10.4 – Application Launcher Screen With mTrial Icon Highlighted

While at the Application Launcher screen, tap the mTrial icon (highlighted in Figure 10.4) to launch mTrial (Figure 10.5).

Figure 10.5 – First Screen of mTrial

Before you can begin using mTrial on the Palm, the program needs to receive data from the PC, the companion application that runs on a PC. Examples of data that are stored on the PC and copied to the Palm handheld are: the Agency’s roster of Tutors, and the list of Curriculum Areas, Mastery Levels, Targets, and Discriminative Stimuli (Sd).

To receive the data from the PC, agency personnel need to complete a HotSync operation to synchronize certain data on the Palm and on the PC.

After completing a HotSync operation, the Palm handheld will have all the data it needs for you to begin using it.

Below is the first screen in mTrial (Figure 10.6) and the error message (Figure 10.7) that the Palm handheld and the PC.

Figure 10.6 – mTrial Screen Titled Begin Visit in Student Mode		Figure 10.7 – Begin Visit Screen with HotSync Message

To perform a HotSync operation, and to get the agency’s data onto the Palm handheld, complete the following:

Physically connect your Palm handheld — using the USB cable or the cradle that came with the Palm — to the PC that is running mTrial. Tap the title of the screen, Begin Visit, to open the Options menu, and then tap the menu item labeled HotSync (Figure 10.8).

Figure 10.8 – How to Start a HotSync Operation

The Zire has an additional shortcut for starting a HotSync: at the screen titled Begin Visit, tap once on the star-shaped icon. Make sure that every time you start a HotSync operation the Palm handheld is physically connected to the PC on which mTrial is installed.