InnoPocket to Release Updated CF Springboard

Posted By: Ed Friday, May 25, 2001 2:19:30 PM

InnoPocket has announced the FlashPlus, a Springboard module that allows Visors to use CompactFlash cards. Previous versions of this Springboard required the file management applications to be manually loaded into RAM by the user. The FlashPlus is a true Springboard with the apps residing on the module. It will be available June 1 for $50.

FlashPlus comes three built-in applications. FAFileMover copies files between the card and RAM. FAUtil handles formatting CF cards, and a special version of CspotRun allows reading Palm Doc files directly off the CF card.

There are other CF card Springboards available but the FlashPlus is the first to have the applications built-in to the module. The others are less expensive, though. InnoPocket's original CF adapter is $40 while the MatchBook Drive is $30.

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Finally

Coyote67 @ 5/25/2001 2:25:32 PM #
About time. Now Visor users actually have to put some thought of whether they will use smartmedia or compactflash. Oh choices....sweet choices. Maybe we'll see a price war between pi(whatever) and innopocket.

OH my god...becky, look at her....Prism.
RE: Finally
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/25/2001 2:31:54 PM #
Will this be like the TRGpro now with seamless access to the card?

RE: Finally
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/25/2001 2:48:02 PM #
>Will this be like the TRGpro now with seamless access to the card?

Nope. There is still no 'Auto-CF' type functionality that automatically moves portions of databases in and out of main memory as needed. Kopsis *is* working on a way so that apps programmed against the PalmOS4.0 VFS APIs will work with CF Adapter modules, but this isn't ready yet (and I'm not sure that InnoPocket will release flash updates)

OH my god...becky, look at her....Prism...it's so...big!

RE: Finally
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/25/2001 3:16:16 PM #
Why is it that a small company like HandEra was able to do something that noone else seems to be able to duplicate (AutoCF)?

RE: Finally
JET8810 @ 5/25/2001 3:25:08 PM #
fist, one company has almost got it. Sony, i think, devbeloped MCfile an app for sd and cf cards that does the same tying-just slower. Also, just because a company is small does not mean they are not smart...

RE: Finally
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/25/2001 3:31:40 PM #
These guys at HandEra were also consulting for palm before they started their company. Maybe they got some inside knowledge that none of the other licensees has. Plus they've been doing external memory for PalmOS longer than anyone else has (even palm), so they've had a long time to develop/refine a good solution. Speaking of (and to get back on topic ;-)) does the HandEra/TRG software work with this module or would it conflict with the built in software?

IMHO I think that the same thing will happen with their screen technology. High-res will be the next big leap for Palm and these guys already have a jump on the development.

2c


RE: Finally
Satan @ 5/25/2001 4:07:48 PM #
HandEra/TRG is the only company with formally released software for using files stored on the secondary storage cards seamlessly. There is a beta program called MSMount made for the CLIE by a Japanese hobby programmer that does the same thing as AutoCF. Why Sony and Palm did not come up with AutoCF-like programs is a very good question. It probably relates to trying to keep things simple for unsophisticated users and also the fact that the Palm community has not demanded more functionality fron these manufacturers.

RE: Finally
Coyote67 @ 5/25/2001 4:08:48 PM #
The handera/trg software is written on the rom and can't be copied, even with backupbuddy if I'm not mistaken. The PI guys are working on a VFS patch kinda thing for the smart module that would work with OS 3.5. I'm pretty upset about this because my Visor Deluxe only has 3.1. I'm starting to see what everyone was talking about when the Visor first came out regardding the no flash mem. I would definatly pay for a 3.5 os upgrade if it would let me use VFS with the memplug. Oh well...just more incentive to get a Prism.

OH my god...becky, look at her....Prism.
AutoCF question
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/25/2001 4:24:15 PM #
I didn't mean that a small company couldn't have smart people. They obvioulsy created a wonderful piece of software in AutoCF that I wish my m500 had.

Basic question: I've been wondering exactly how AutoCF works and how it compares with the VFS that Sony and Palm use. If someone could give an explaination dealing with how the external memory is used and how everything 'looks' to the user I'd appreciate it.
I know on my m500 with the new reader from Handheldmed that I can read large databases (~4MB) with no free memory in RAM and it does it pretty quickly. How is this different from the AutoCF besides the fact that the card shows up as a seperate directory under the PalmOS.

RE: Finally
Satan @ 5/25/2001 4:33:28 PM #
AutoCF copies small parts of the programs stored on the CF card back into RAM on an as-needed basis. Depending on how the program was written, users can run programs that are several MB in size with only a few hundred MB of free RAM. VFS compliancy allows the programs to see the files in secondary storage as if they were in RAM. This is a VERY simplified explanation of how these systems work. If you need more details, you should read the documentation on AutoCF available on the HandEra site as well as the VFS documents from Palm's developer pavillion. Learn to answer questions like this yourself by using www.google.com to do web searches.

RE: Finally
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/25/2001 5:13:21 PM #
What a relief! The smart media cartridge was a true SB, but the card stuck out above the case

RE: Finally
GregGaub @ 5/25/2001 6:25:44 PM #
Coyote67 wrote: "I would definatly pay for a 3.5 os upgrade if it would let me use VFS with the memplug. Oh well...just more incentive to get a Prism."

LOL! Haven't you learned your lesson, then? Why in the world would you go out and get a Prism, which also does NOT have flashable ROM, when you just found out first hand what sucks about not having it? Sure, you'll be able to use this module with it's new software on the Prism... but what about the next killer module that requires OS 4, or even OS 5? Why not petition that Handspring come out with a high-end model that HAS flashable rom? :)

-Greg

RE: Finally
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/26/2001 3:38:40 AM #
Visor user will have auto CF(using smart media) ability using memplug new software "PiDirect". It will be release on June 15th. check out visorcentral.com for the news.

RE: Finally
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/26/2001 8:51:14 AM #
>>I've been wondering exactly how AutoCF works and how it compares with the VFS that Sony and Palm use.<<

The biggest difference is that AutoCF will work with almost ANY application; there is no need for developers to write "AutoCF-compatible" versions of their programs as with VFS. The reason I said "almost" is that some programs that use external databases are hard-coded to look for their database in RAM, and therefore will not run from the CF card. Thankfully, these are few and far between.

So, why hasn't anybody else come up with something like AutoCF? Simple...it's a complicated piece of software to write, although it works beautifully.

[ No Subject ]

I.M. Anonymous @ 5/28/2001 9:54:26 AM #

Waiting for Memplug cf

Dishnu @ 5/28/2001 5:06:34 PM #
Nothing against InnoPocket but I think I will wait for the MemPlug to come out in cf, you have 6 applications as opposed to only 3

new cases

I.M. Anonymous @ 5/29/2001 6:21:31 AM #
you must remember that the m500 series came out less than a month ago. that mean that unless a case company got one ahead of time the probably would not have had enough time to get one out. it makes me wonder how much time e&b put into theirs
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