Palm computing operating systems and Palm Pilot compatible software.

Here's a little start-up, recommended warmly by Yair Sakov, director of Pan-European Business Development for 3Com Corporation. The start-up is called Common Sense and is located in a private home in Herzliya Pituah.

Common Sense has developed Handscape, a sort of overall operating system for the Palm Pilot, distributed as freeware and stirring up all sort of interest at Palm Computing (a division of 3Com). Moreover, the four people who make up Common Sense have more ideas that could, in the future, overshadow the current development.

Let's start with Handscape. Click on the address book icon and you can move it, transfer it using Palm's infra-red technology or erase it. Windows can be minimized or maximized by dragging a corner as in a Macintosh interface. (Common Sense's founders, by the way, grew up on Macs).

Handscape has drag and drop capabilities and the option of starting applications on start-up, and more. Common Sense has managed to do all this without disturbing the simple, beloved Palm Pilot look.

Another Common Sense application: WorldMate, a clock that shows the time in several locations around the globe; DateMate, which stores birthdays and other occasions. Jesus Tracks, currently featured on my Palm Pilot, includes maps, archaeological data and source material for the Mount of Olives, Jericho and the Judaean Desert.

And that's not all. There's the IOUMate debt management program and KidsMate, a little intelligence development game for children. The company's entire software suite for Palm Pilot is called PalmMate, as is their website at www.palmmate.com.

Aside from kids games and Handscape, other software products are sold at between $15-28. They can be downloaded from the company's site or at popular freeware sites like Download.com, CNET, PalmCentralm PalmGear.com, ZDNet and TUCOWS. Most places have given Common Sense software very high marks.

Common Sense was founded in 1995 and used to do something completely different – develop applications for Macintosh and Windows platforms. In October 1998, founders, Benny Tomer, Kelly Morad, Ramel Levin and Dan Hod fell in love with the Palm Pilot and decided to develop products for the hand-held computer.

When you purchase a Common Sense program, the company says, you've got a product for life. The company requests that subscribers register at their site; in return they receive free updates and upgrades every time they release a new version of the software. There's also a patient support staff. Tomer calls this approach, "Getting into the user's bloodstream." In return, the company gets a documented subscriber base to whom other products can be offered. "Our customers get service," says Tomer. "We support them, correspond with them, answer their questions."

Globes: Do you see yourselves doing that with half a million customers?

Benny Tomer: "We'll have people to handle that."

Kelly Morad: "We've built a customer management system which allows us to maintain contact with people. It's important to us to create a community. We have a reputation for reliability."

In order to support Handscape, the company posted a page on their website asking developers to develop applications for the program, a sort of open Palm Pilot sub-platform. As if that wasn't enough, Common Sense representatives made a pilgrimage to Silicon Valley and Handspring, where they spent two "enjoyable" hours with Handspring co-founder Jeff Hawkins ("a fantastic man") and one of the founders of the Palm computing division at 3Com. They say he liked the Common Sense product.

Reactions from 3Com left the Common Sense folk feeling a bit confused. Morad: "We showed the product to a couple of people. Everyone was interested but it wasn't clear what the point of the meeting was. In any case, things move slowly there." If one of the big boys wants Handscape, Common Sense says the arrangement would be on a royalty basis.

Common Sense hopes to penetrate Handscape deep into the Palm platform and subsequently into intelligent phone platforms. This is backed by a desire to build up a brand name and increase the customer base. Initially, the company thought Handscape would be its flagship product. In the meantime, the other Common Sense products are bringing in a steady cash flow and the company reports it has several hundred thousand users. But in the final analysis, this means a few hundred thousand dollars in revenue.

How do you make money?

Morad: "Our business plan is to gain a foothold in the market until we find the next big thing. If some one wants to play, develop products and profit from Palm applications, it's possible. There are two companies that have done it but they're more in the information field."

To date, Common Sense hasn't looked to outside sources of funding. However, they're currently raising "a couple of million," for a new, secret idea. The only thing they're willing to say is that it's a system that uses Palm computers, cell phones and Internet access. Sakov, by the way, is very excited.