# Palm Lock

> hardware lock device for 95LX software

**Wikidata**: [Q121631731](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q121631731)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/palm-lock

## Summary
Palm Lock is a hardware lock device designed to provide software protection for the HP 95LX computer. It functions as a software protection dongle, an electronic device used for copy and content protection. Distributed by RhonSoft Development, it was created to help developers secure their software on the HP 95LX platform.

## Key Facts
- **Instance Of:** Software protection dongle
- **Platform:** HP 95LX
- **Publication Date:** May 1993
- **Distributed By:** RhonSoft Development
- **Alias:** Palm Lock: Software Protection for Developers
- **Primary Source:** The device was described in the March/April 1993 issue of *The HP Palmtop Paper*.

## FAQs
### Q: What was Palm Lock used for?
A: Palm Lock was a hardware device used to prevent unauthorized copying and use of software on the HP 95LX computer. It served as a physical key that a software program could check for before running, a method known as a software protection dongle.

### Q: What computer did Palm Lock work with?
A: Palm Lock was designed specifically for the HP 95LX computer. It was a dedicated hardware solution for software protection on that particular platform.

### Q: Who made or distributed Palm Lock?
A: Palm Lock was distributed by a company named RhonSoft Development, as documented in a 1993 issue of *The HP Palmtop Paper*.

## Why It Matters
Palm Lock is significant as it represents a dedicated effort to establish a secure commercial software market for the HP 95LX, a pioneering palmtop computer. In the early 1990s, software piracy was a major concern for developers, potentially discouraging them from creating applications for new platforms. By providing a hardware-based copy protection solution, Palm Lock offered developers a more robust way to protect their intellectual property compared to software-only methods.

The existence of such a device indicates the maturation of the HP 95LX ecosystem, where third-party developers were active enough to require tools to commercialize their products effectively. It highlights the practical challenges of software distribution in the pre-internet era and the industry's reliance on physical devices like dongles to enforce licensing. Palm Lock is an example of the specialized hardware created to support and sustain software development on a specific, emerging computing platform.

## Notable For
- **Platform Specificity:** It was a hardware security solution created exclusively for the HP 95LX computer platform.
- **Developer Focus:** Its alias, "Palm Lock: Software Protection for Developers," clearly indicates its target market was software creators, not end-users.
- **Hardware-Based Security:** As a software protection dongle, it provided a physical layer of copy protection, which was considered more secure than software-based alternatives at the time.

## Body
### Function and Classification
Palm Lock is classified as a **software protection dongle**. Its primary function was to serve as a hardware lock for software running on the HP 95LX. This type of device provides electronic copy protection and content protection, requiring the physical hardware to be present for the associated software to operate.

### System Requirements
The Palm Lock hardware was designed to work with a single platform:
- **Computer:** HP 95LX

### Commercial and Publication History
- **Distributor:** The device was distributed by RhonSoft Development.
- **Publication Date:** Palm Lock was published in May 1993.
- **Source Documentation:** The device was described in *The HP Palmtop Paper* in its March/April 1993 issue.

## References

1. [The HP Palmtop Paper](https://www.palmtoppaper.com/ptphtml/8/ptp80015.htm)