Edit SD Cards On the Windows Desktop

Posted By: Ed Thursday, October 18, 2001 1:36:22 PM

Envi.con has released SyncWizard, which allows users to access files in RAM and the contents of an SD or MMC card on the Windows Desktop like they were a folder or a drive. With the handheld in its cradle, files can be moved between the PC and the handheld via drag-and-drop. It is similar to the paired apps that ship with current versions of the Sony N series and is available now for $30.

Certain Palm files on the device can be edited directly with the appropriate desktop application by double-clicking on them. SyncWizard is able to open a Palm doc files directly with the desktop application and saves the document back to the handheld.

According to user review of SyncWizard on PalmGear, the app lists only the first 150 files in a folder and has a 450 file limit on Palm RAM. It doesn't support copying folders and still has bugs causing it to hang.

It requires at least Palm OS 3.0 and Windows 98.

Thanks to blind505user for the tip. -Ed

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Neat and all

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/18/2001 1:56:40 PM #
or you can purchase a hardware USB MMC/SD for around the same price.

RE: Neat and all
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/18/2001 2:02:42 PM #
I found one as cheap as $23:
http://www.us.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=10277999
I like not having one more thing junking up my desk. Already have the cradle. If this proggie can see RAM, that's a plus over the reader.

RE: Neat and all
Berliner @ 10/18/2001 2:05:12 PM #
Right, but that requires a USB connection...

I just checked it and it looks pretty good to me. It doesn't hang as often as Filebox when using a serial cradle and big files which are moved from and to the SD card (the serial is considerably slower than the USB connection, I guess that's the reason why these programs have hickups with larger files).


-B.

...Wherever you go, there you are...

RE: Neat and all
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/18/2001 3:05:22 PM #
This is the kind of feature that should be included with any HotSync software that comes with a device that has an expanstion slot.

When I got my Handera, I had to go out and buy a serial to USB cabe so I could sinc to my Thinkpad then had to go out and get a USB card reader to put data onto the SD cards. Then I have to swap these 2 on the same port whenever I need them, major pain in the ass. It also cost me an additional $85

This kind of stuff is what irks me about companies that provide good features but barely any useful tools to use the features.

RE: Neat and all
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/18/2001 7:04:16 PM #
instead of buying a USB CF reader for a ThinkPad, why not get a cheap CF->PCMCIA adaptor and slide it in your pcmcia slot?

RE: Neat and all
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/18/2001 7:05:23 PM #
my bad on the post above. I just re-read your post and I wasn't paying attention. you are using the SD in your Handera and not the CF. my bad...

RE: Neat and all
Ronin @ 10/18/2001 7:39:16 PM #
Here is an interesting possibility.

Since this program allows drag and drop from the built-in memory as well, can it be used to back up/copy the entire contents of the a Palm's internal memory to a hard drive w/o a hotsync?

RE: Neat and all
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/19/2001 12:15:27 AM #
For the HandEra user above, there are SD readers available for the PCMCIA slot on your thinkpad.

But regardless, why not just hotsync to ram and use CardPro to transfer to the SD card? It's free.

Another cheap route would be to buy a small CF card bundled with a PCMCIA adaptor. You could put the files on CF from your Thinkpad and then transfer from the CF to the SD via CardPro on the 330.

If you look for them, there are USB, PCMCIA, and even Floppy disk adaptors for all of SD,MMC,CF, and MS now.

And as one might expect, when HandEra releases their version of OS4, you'll be able to hotsync directly to CF or SD with the Palm OS4 Desktop software.

Besides that there are a half dozen apps to send files directly to CF on a TrgPro or 330 via various means. Apps like CFX which use the serial port, LFTP to read/write to CF via FTP over a network connection, CFZap to let you beam to CF via IR.

RE: Neat and all
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/19/2001 9:05:52 AM #
You can't sync something to RAM and put it on your expansion card if the file is bigger than your free RAM. Realize that people are using 15+MB files on their expansion cards - no way can you install this to your handheld and then transfer to internal memory.

RE: Neat and all
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/22/2001 3:32:04 AM #
I have a DV Camcorder with MMC slot, and digital camera using CF card. When I bought my M505, I raise a question in a local palm discussion group: "Is there any program treat M505 as a MMC/SD reader ?" And now SyncWizard can do (at least a little bit of what a reader can do) but I still prefer buy a reader instead, $29 is too expensive as much as a 6 in 1 reader (Type II CF, Microdriver, Smartmedia, MMC, SD). And now I have a 6 in 1 to replace my old CF+SM reader.

But I still waiting someone can write the "M505 MMC/SD reader".

RE: Neat and all
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/22/2001 3:32:04 AM #
I have a DV Camcorder with MMC slot, and digital camera using CF card. When I bought my M505, I raise a question in a local palm discussion group: "Is there any program treat M505 as a MMC/SD reader ?" And now SyncWizard can do (at least a little bit of what a reader can do) but I still prefer buy a reader instead, $29 is too expensive as much as a 6 in 1 reader (Type II CF, Microdriver, Smartmedia, MMC, SD). And now I have a 6 in 1 to replace my old CF+SM reader.

But I still waiting someone can write the "M505 MMC/SD reader".

Benchmark for moving files?

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/18/2001 3:25:08 PM #

Has anyone compared this when installing a big file? I know that when I try to install a big file to SD (like >2 meg) it takes a loooong time via HotSync. I finally went out and got a USB card reader that will copy the file to SD in a matter of seconds vs minutes for HotSync.
How does this compare? Just as slow as HotSync or Just as Fast as SD Reader?

RE: Benchmark for moving files?
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/18/2001 3:31:59 PM #
You've tried it with the palm desktop and a SD reader. Your as close to being an expert as we're going to find. Why don't you try the free download of this proggie? Then you can tell us. Discussion boards like this aren't just about asking questions. Someone has to answer them and your in a good spot to do it.

RE: Benchmark for moving files?
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/18/2001 5:44:00 PM #
What's the speed limit on a serial port? I think it's 118 kb or something similar. I think its safe to say that anything using a seria port is slow, since it all has to bottleneck.

RE: Benchmark for moving files?
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/22/2001 12:25:15 PM #
Here are some quick test results for a 3775Kb file being transferred directly to a 64Mb SD card in a Palm M505 via USB.

Palm install tool: 141 seconds at 26.77Kbps
SyncWizard upload: 164 seconds at 23.01Kbps
Internal move to card using McFile: 18 seconds at 209.72Kbps

Those measurements are in bytes, not bits. I did not attempt a serial move, as that could take over 20 minutes based on past experience. The file being tested was a TealMovie rendering of the Final Fantasy movie preview, which was converted from a 33Mb AVI file at 12 frames per second in color with no audio compression.

What type of files you are moving should decide if this app is for you. The Palm Install tool lets you pick between Palm RAM and the card for the install destination, but all files sent to the card go to the launcher folder and must be a Palm application file. To move the file to another folder on the card, your free space on the card must be greater than the size of the file being moved.

SyncWizard will let you load right to the folder of choice, and does not care what kind of file is loaded. I have a folder set aside as a virtual floppy with EXE, TXT, and DLL files loaded for transfer to another PC.

RE: Benchmark for moving files?
Altema @ 10/22/2001 12:51:37 PM #
Just for clarification in regards to using the Palm Install tool, I meant to say that you can only install Palm app *related* files, which would include database files.

Sony Clie has this software and it's free

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/18/2001 5:17:23 PM #
It was my biggest expectation when I owned a Palm m505 with 64MB MMC card. And I have changed my PDA to Sony Clie N760C, which includes a software called "MS Import", and it allows you access Memory Stick as a removable hard disk. The speed of trasfer file is quite fast. Most important, it's included on standard Clie, which means it's free... because Palm m505 is as same price as Sony Clie.
Beside this software, you will get more... hi-resolution, brighter backlit, MP3 music, integrated photo viewer. Palmpilot has only focused on hardware and OS development, and push away responsbility of software development to others venders.

RE: Sony Clie has this software and it's free
rldunn @ 10/18/2001 5:32:00 PM #
Uggghhh, I'm so sick of these flame-bait comments. I'm a Clie owner, and I do think MSImport is a great feature of the Clie and probably doesn't get mentioned enough when comparing models. However, the Palm series comes with Documents To Go, and whether you prefer DTG vs other office apps, it is nice that Palm provides that functionality out of the box. It would be really nice if someone offered both of these features right out of the box.

RE: Sony Clie has this software and it's free
Sartre @ 10/18/2001 5:50:59 PM #
The other thing that seems to have been missed is the fact that this application can edit (file management) the pda's RAM - which I don't think my Clie's software can do.

(If it can, tell me how!)

--

Also I agree that the closing of the opening post is unecessary - just propagandist material fir the Clie, which is useless in this forum.

RE: Sony Clie has this software and it's free
shoryu @ 10/18/2001 8:44:42 PM #
Yeah, I'm a clie n760 owner, and I do like MSImport. I also like Documents to Go Mobile, which I had to purchase. I agree that many CLIE users are overzealous, as to the reasons, i would think they are just a *bit* too excited about their clies. As has been said many times on this board, to each his own. What might be right for you might not be right for another. Anyway, It's good that this is coming out for other pdas; its annoying to install to the card with palm desktop.

It also can download ROM
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/18/2001 11:37:49 PM #

Is this became an illegal download ROM from my Palm m505??

SK-
Thai Palm Users Group - - www.TPUG.org

Windows-style nickle-and-diming

mj6798 @ 10/19/2001 12:44:03 AM #
It's pretty silly that remote file system access to a computer, handheld or not, should cost extra money. There are several well-known and functional file sharing protocols, and both handhelds and desktops should implement them. In particular, PalmOS and other handhelds should run SMB, DAVS, and/or NFS out of the box.

Selling little utilities like this at $30 a pop is the same kind of nickle-and-diming that makes Windows itself such an expensive platform. And each piece of special purpose software requires separate updates, bug fixes, installation, and effort.

RE: Windows-style nickle-and-diming
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/19/2001 7:12:46 AM #
And the fact that their product is tied to Windows and can't be used on any other platform that Palms are used on is absurd. Palm should be crossplatform with everything but so many companies make Windows only enhancments.

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