Four.Zero is a student manager for the Palm OS. It can track your classes and the coursework in them, the grades, and calculate your current grade(s) and tell you them.

Features include:

• "Hidden Data" such as Instructor's Hours, email, Class webpage, etc
• View Coursework as a to-do list--check things off when done
• Lots of View modes -- Daily, Weekly, Due, Due by a date, Past, and by coursework type.
• View your grade right now--as well as your GPA
• View your grade for specific types of work in your classes.
• Sophisticated grading procedures including 3 weighting modes (including none) and low coursework drops.
• Great Grade Prediction so you know what you can get and what you think you can get.

You have classes. Add them first in the program. Input the teachers information, time of class, office location and hours, webpage, etc. If you don't know it now, enter it later. They give you the syllabus at the first of class - enter his grading style. Lots of grading styles including weighting, per type weighting and normal. Enter in the types of cousework, like tests, assignments, and such. Organize your homework by those types, view your grade overall or by type - find out your weak link. View your grades overall in the report card and track your progress - know what your grades will be before the grades come out. Even predict your grade by using the What If tool by scenarios you choose. Even schedule time to study for tests and homework with the Add to Datebook feature. To see what it really does, take a look at the  screenshots.

At the the end of Summer Semester in 1999, I had a Palm and was thinking how great it would be to track assignments and what not on your Palm. Sure you could use the memo pad and to do list but those were quite inadequate. After searching the web all over and finding nothing that pleased me, I decided to try developing my own program.

This was my first Palm application, so I found some GNU Palm OS tools and a nice tutorial, and played around and developed a test application. Then bit by bit, following the Palm SDK reference and the tutorial I was able to develop an application. During the process, I had the idea to try to sell the software as shareware on the Internet, especially since at the time the handheld market was still in it's infancy; mostly all software was written as shareware by individuals or small companies. The first version took about 2 months of intense programming to launch. After posting it and receiving some money, I invested in Metrowerks Codewarrior, the standard IDE for Palm OS. Development went faster as I know had a good debugger, and I worked on improvements and new features as I took a big load of classes.

Sales we ok, but for the time I was putting in it was a low paying part time job :) But, during the time people noticed me, people donated web space, bigger organizations reviewed my application (all giving 5 stars), and things got better. Sales really picked up after Christmas, and things were going well.

During January of 2000 I entered Four.Zero into a contest put on by the Center for Innovative Learning Technologies. It was a Educational Handheld Design Contest. I entered my application into the contest and was awarded a category winner. Here's a little pic of me talking at the awards convention. You can find out more about it and even see a web broadcast of it on CILT's website

After that, due to changing circumstances in my life and competitor products being sold to larger companies, I sold the application at version 2.88 to Mobile Generation Software, now Handmark, for $27,000 (total with web sales is $45,000)

Assessment Category Winner - Center for Innovative Learning Technologies Handheld Design Contest 1999-2000

- ZDNet Computing, Inc.

5 Cows - TUCOWS Network.

Hot Palm Software of the day - October 6, 1999

Featured Educational Software by PalmCentral.com and 3Com

Featured Home and Hobby Software by ZDNet - December 1999.

This software has really helped me get my life in line, and that with as only one class. Thanks a million, or at least 4.0.
-- Eddie Rodger

Four.Zero is the best study program that I have seen yet
-- Randall J. Million

I love it! [Four.Zero]
-- David Alex Spencer

I had been looking for a Palm app to keep track of my schoolwork, but was unable to find anything until I found yours. I have used it for about 2 months and it has been great!
-- Michael C. Renne

I happened to find your program one night while searching for college palm software. Four.Zero is absolutely fantastic, I can't believe how handy that software is. I bought it immediately.
-- Erik Flowers

Your software has everything on it! It's just what I was looking for!
-- Burt