Quickies: CF Drivers, Dataviz, GPS, and More

Posted By: Ryan Tuesday, January 7, 2003 11:06:45 AM

CF Memory Driver Contest
The Compact Flash Memory Driver Contest held at ClieSource ended without a winner. Even with a prize value of over $1,800, no drivers were submitted to be considered. All donors will be refunded.

Documents To Go Update
DataViz today released a free update for Documents To Go 5 users that includes new desktop add-ins for Word, PowerPoint and Excel, as well as two new hi-res handheld applications, Pics To Go (for image viewing) and SmartChart (for charts and graphs). In addition, Inbox To Go was also updated to include support for Lotus Notes e-mail client version 6.

Clie GPS bundle
Mapopolis.Com has announced the availability of the first GPS bundle for Sony CLIE handhelds. The bundle includes a “mouse” GPS from Holux and a Mapopolis Platinum +GPS subscription. The new bundle is available from the company’s website at Mapopolis.com for $219.99.

PIC Poll
If you haven't already, go back to the homepage look over at the right hand column, scroll down a bit and check out the current Reader Poll. This week's question is about Bluetooth adoption.

Tungsten T for $425
Starting 1/5/2003 and Ending 1/31/03, CompUSA is offering an 'Internet Only' sale on the Tungsten T. When purchasing the Tungsten T from January 5th, 2003 to January 31st, 2003, you'll get an instant $75 rebate. Offer good only to online orders. -Mike Hemmes

Palm Tipsheet 38
Palm Tipsheet #38, January 2003 is now online. This month's feature article should help clear up any confusion about Palm OS 5 and help you decide if a new ARM-driven Palm handheld is right for your needs. In the Tipsheet Interview, Italian Palm user Stefano Zenni shares his experiences using a Palm while traveling around Italy.

Universal File Dialog
Toysoft, Inc. has announced the release of Universal File Dialog™ for developers. Universal File Dialog is a complete tool for developers to integrate into their applications. UFD gives a unified way of prompting the user for a file selection. UFD is free to freeware developers. Site license is required for shareware and commercial developers.

SanDisk SD Card Ridiculed
"mobiprof", a respected reviewer at epinions.com, has posted a review of SanDisk's 64 MB SD Card. He ridicules their warranty as nearly non-existent, their user manual as written by lawyers, their registration as a marketing questionnaire without a privacy policy! He explains in details why the packaging of SanDisk SD Cards is dangerous and worthy of a class action. Best of all, he provides instructions how to open it safely!

Sony SJ Screens
PalmPilotUpgrade is now offering screen replacement for Sony Clie SJ-series. The price is $69.

PIC Feedback and Mail
We recently discovered a bug that prevented all communications to PIC sent through our feedback form or our advertising form from getting to us. If you tried to contact PalmInfocenter through these forms in the past month, please try again as we most likely did not receive it. The forms are now fixed and work fine.

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SanDisk 64MB SD Card not "ridiculed" enough

Scubsy @ 1/7/2003 1:08:51 PM #
The article, however, does conclude that the S-D S-D works "perfectly." As anyone who has tried one of these in a Tungsten can attest, it ain't necesarilly so. I had started to think that fifteen minutes to transfer a one megabyte file was somehow normal, until I noticed the warnings on PIC. After purchasing a 32MB Lexar card, the transfer time for a megabyte was measured in seconds.

Anyone want an almost new 64MB card? It's already out of its packaging, and there's no extra charge for that.

- Jeff

Any sufficiently advanced technology must appear...uh...pretty advanced.

RE: SanDisk 64MB SD Card not
IanJD @ 1/7/2003 1:54:04 PM #
Agreed; entertaining though the review is, it gives the distinct impression that the reviewer spent all his time on the packaging and manuals, and no time on evaluating a product for which there is a mountain of evidence for incompatibility with Palms.

RE: SanDisk 64MB SD Card not
jniola @ 1/7/2003 2:53:58 PM #
This may be a little off-topic [sorry :)], but since I have seen issues with incompatibilities with the Tungsten T first-hand, I was wondering if anyone here has used that Xircom 802.11b adapter for the Palm 500 series with a Tungsten? I been tempted to try it with the Tungsten, but I don't want to waste my money if I can't get it to work.

--Jon

RE: SanDisk 64MB SD Card not
djr @ 1/7/2003 3:43:53 PM #
Tried it and failed :( There's still no driver for PalmOS5 from Intel and I highly doubt it will ever see the light of day.

Check out for yourself @ http://www.intel.com/support/network/xc/wireless/palm/index.htm


For Dutch Palm-users: http://www.palmclub.nl

RE: SanDisk 64MB SD Card not
Altema @ 1/7/2003 4:06:43 PM #
Yes, I was expecting something beyond the packing material review. I noticed something interesting in my own testing: It appears the the SanDisk cards have a 12bit controller as opposed to the 16bit controller in Lexar and Toshiba cards. Can anyone with more technical knowledge give some additional insight here? I'm taking a guess based on card format testing using different file systems, and the SanDisk card formats always failed above 12bits.

RE: SanDisk 64MB SD Card not
Galley_SimRacer @ 1/8/2003 12:49:35 AM #
I purchased a Sony radio last year that was packaged in the packaging that the dude on epinions described. The thing that I thought was brilliant on Sony's end is that the permitter of the package was perforated! A person could actually tear the package open without needing any scissors, knives, or risking personal injury.

--
"Life is what you experience between racing games"
Galley

Tungsten T for $409

J Palm @ 1/7/2003 1:25:36 PM #
Ordered mine Saturday from Harmony Computers (http://www.shopharmony.com/). Shipped free/no tax - should be in Friday. (Found best prices at http://www.zdnet.com/ and http://www.techbargains.com/)


RE: Tungsten T for $409
gRendel @ 1/7/2003 2:21:55 PM #
I printed copies of that webpage and took them to my local Staples.

I had read somewhere about someone getting a line about Harmony not being an official Palm reselller or something, so I also printed copies of Staples price matching policy and took them with me.

I got ZERO hassle. They sold me my T|T for $409 (plus tax of course)

I never even needed to show them their own policy.

***
by the way the T|T is amazing! It really just takes every part of my Vx to the next level.

I looked very carefuly at the new Sony's and realized that Palm really integrated everything that was really nice in a classy form-factor.

All I need now is the OS update and a better driver for my XT keyboard and everything will be great.

RE: Tungsten T for $409
J Palm @ 1/7/2003 3:10:41 PM #
Wow! You took the printed web page to the local
Staples and they price matched it?! (I think the mistake I made a few weeks ago was calling their Customer Service Line and being told just as you said in the post: Harmony is not an authorized reseller, so no price match.)

Did they just match it at $409 or did they do it at the 110% price match policy?

RE: Tungsten T for $409
gRendel @ 1/7/2003 3:56:27 PM #
They charged me $409, so it was an exact match.

RE: Tungsten T for $409
useybird @ 1/7/2003 4:51:23 PM #
Even $409 is too much for a tungsten. There are New PPC's coming out that compete with(if not beat) the Tungsten that are $299. And I am a Palm fan. Palm should lower their prices alot if they want to sell more Tungstens.

-------------------------------
Microsoft is the root of all evil.
Right, Bill?
RE: Tungsten T for $409
J Palm @ 1/7/2003 6:19:04 PM #
Actually, I couldn't agree with you more. Personally, I really didn't want to spend more than $300 for this unit. (I briefly did try a Toshiba E310 several months ago, but just didn't like it.)

**But I HAD to get it because my wife wants my Visor - so I guess I just HAVE to upgrade :) **

RE: Tungsten T for $409
gRendel @ 1/8/2003 8:13:52 AM #
I have had many PDAs Palm IIIXE, IPAQ, Palm Vx, Prism, Toshiba Genio 550, (back to)Prism, and now the Tungsten |T.

I'm not trying to start a war here saying one camp is better than the other, but the simple fact is that
I keep going back to the Palm OS because THEY ACTUALLY WORK and Pocket PC doesn't.

I really wanted to like the PocketPC, but between the Active sync problems and the fact that they are unreliable with alarms, makes them useless.

It blows my mind that PocketPC owners rave about their machines that they can not even trust them to wake up for a simple reminder.

The fact that a PDA can not fullfil its core functionality makes all the other 'features' irrelevant to someone that actually uses their PDA as a PIM.

I use my PDA for many things every day:
Alarm clock
PIM
Watch
Entertainment
Music(Aeroplayer is good and will get better)
Email(will be getting a bluetooth phone)
Word processing(XT keyboard, i know current driver stinks)
File storage(SD card & Cruzer drive)
Universal remote(sounds silly, but is really useful)
Reading books
Calculator

The amount of convergence is incredible. It really does do all these things. I know have all the promised functionality of my PocketPCs, with the Palm simplisity and reliability.

$409 is a lot of money (plus Keyboard, Cruzer, and case) but, the only Poket PC with a similar feature set is the IPAQ with Bluetooth and that costs $600 the last time I checked.

People like to compare a $300 PocketPC, buit add the bluetooth card and it costs thee same AND you have no place for exetended memory.

If you don't need all of the features (like Bluetooth) and reliability, then PocketPC may be a great choice.

Lastly, I know lots of people that love their PocketPCs to death and have no problems with them. I think that's great, but I have tried two from two different companies with two different versions of the software and neither worked well for me. I have also heard Palm horror stories, but in the end Palm's track record has been much better for me.

I only offer my experiences to help someone else that wants the information.

RE: Tungsten T for $409
gRendel @ 1/8/2003 8:54:14 AM #
Oops. I didn't mean to spew like that.

RE: Tungsten T for $409
J Palm @ 1/8/2003 12:37:27 PM #
qRendel:

My experiences with my Toshiba e310 were the same (e.g. Active sync problems, unreliable alarms, etc.). Like you, I am NOT trying to start a Palm -vs- PPC war. I say that whatever tool works best for you is the tool you need! (Matter of fact, I owned the Toshiba for about 2 weeks, and tried to use it as my primary PDA, but just couldn't get it to cooperate. Guess it wasn't in the cards for me, then!)

I have a question for you, though. You said, among the many items you got, you have File a Cruzer drive. What's that and where can I read up on it?

Thanks!

Cruzer
Fammy @ 1/8/2003 1:32:52 PM #
I'll butt in and answer, J Palm. The Cruzer is a SD Card enabled USB device. It allows you to read an SD Card on Windows or MacOS. I just got one. It's pretty nifty.

The only drawbacks for me to far are the slow speed of the 128MB SanDisk card on my Palm and the difficulty I have extending and retracting the USB plug. It's also a hassle to plus into some computers because of the location of the USB ports. SanDisk includes a 2 inch USB extension to get you out of a boggle.

http://www.sandisk.com/consumer/cruzer.asp


_____
Fammy

DataViz Update

pgoida @ 1/7/2003 2:06:12 PM #
Is this for the packaged software as well? or just for the stand alone users?

I bought a Tungsten Docs to Go 5 and when I went to the update site, I didn't get the new applications.

RE: DataViz Update
gRendel @ 1/7/2003 2:27:54 PM #
You should probably go to the site and download the newest version. I had to download the whole program.

I went to the site and downloaded the new version, it was tagged as 5004. My old one was 5001.

There was no patch, but the new download was indeed an updated version. It was just under 15MB.

The website doesn't really advertise that it is a new version at all. The enhancements to Mail to Go are really nice. Haven't played with the rest yet...

RE: DataViz Update
IanJD @ 1/7/2003 2:43:53 PM #
Yes, it is available to users who purchased it with a T|T. If you start DocsToGo on the desktop, then select the Help menu item, go to "Check for latest updates", it'll take you to a web page where you can enter your registration number, which should be shown in the Desktop window, and thence to a download page.

RE: DataViz Update
Ronin @ 1/7/2003 5:56:16 PM #
Has anyone tried this update out with the Palm Ultra-thin KB?

Has this version eliminated the problems typing numbers with this KB?

In the Spirit of Umoja,
Ronin

RE: DataViz Update
sford @ 1/7/2003 6:37:44 PM #
This is free for Premium users only. I think Standard is what comes included with Palms and Clies (it's what came with mine, anyway).

RE: DataViz Update
IanJD @ 1/7/2003 6:38:09 PM #
I've used the ultra-thin with SheetToGo without problem since 5.001, and I just had a quick play with the latest WordToGo, which let me type numbers without a problem. Is there a specific test I can do?

RE: DataViz Update
Ronin @ 1/7/2003 9:58:37 PM #
"Is there a specific test I can do?"

Try typing numbers without using the numberlock, that is, hold down the blue 'FN' key and attempt to type numbers. On v5.001 this does not work. Also, the delete key does not work (the backspace does, delete does not).

At least these are the problems I have experienced.

In the Spirit of Umoja,
Ronin

RE: DataViz Update
IanJD @ 1/8/2003 4:35:15 AM #
OK; in WordToGo the numbers work on 5.004, but the(forward) delete still doesn't do anything.

RE: DataViz Update
Ronin @ 1/8/2003 7:28:05 AM #
Thanks.

In the Spirit of Umoja,
Ronin
RE: DataViz Update
gRendel @ 1/8/2003 8:42:03 AM #
I found a problem using the new Docs to Go on my T|T. when using it just for reading, you know scrolling up and down in a document, the D-pad no longer keeps the Palm awake, so it shuts off after a minute (or however long it is set to stay ON after no activity).

Is anyone else having this problem?

I e-mailed tech support at Dataviz.

RE: DataViz Update
Altema @ 1/8/2003 2:15:39 PM #
"This is free for Premium users only. I think Standard is what comes included with Palms and Clies (it's what came with mine, anyway)."

Yes, it's a free update for Premimum users. Professional version users can upgrade to the Premimum edition for $29. I'm not sure how much the jump costs if you have the Standard version. Sony bundles the Standard, Palm bundles the Professional version. It took me a couple tries to find out how to get the updated version of Premium. If you already have the Premium, just go to their download page as mentioned in one of the previous posts, select Documents To Go, then pick "redownload software". It will ask for your registration number, then take you to a page where you can download the newer version.

RE: DataViz Update
jjsoh @ 1/8/2003 3:18:55 PM #
gRendel

I get the same outcome regarding auto-shutoff while using the up/down only while reading a document in DocsToGo. Maybe I should go back to version 5.001, since I didn't really see any major differences in the standard version.

Jim

RE: DataViz Update
IanJD @ 1/8/2003 6:06:29 PM #
> I found a problem using the new Docs to Go on my T|T.
> when using it just for reading, you know scrolling
> up and down in a document, the D-pad no longer keeps
> the Palm awake, so it shuts off after a minute (or
> however long it is set to stay ON after no activity).
>
> Is anyone else having this problem?

Yup, I get that, too.


GPS for Clie

timewaster77 @ 1/7/2003 3:46:14 PM #
The GPS unit looks like it has a lot of promise however $219 is a lot to ask. I don't think that it will have a very large audience - also it does not list compatibility with the SL and SJ series. Is that a mistake or is there something different about their connector. Considering you can buy a color Clie for $249 (SJ-30) I don't think this product is going to do great. But, I am glad they made it - there is a huge lack of 3rd party accessories.

Happy Sony Clie User
RE: GPS for Clie
Isaiahp @ 1/8/2003 10:50:09 AM #
$219 is not too bad. I recently bought a GPS unit from www.navmanusa.com for the iPAQ 3850 and it was $300. But it is a really nice unit. I am tempted to buy a PPC for it!

But now that there is a GPS for the Clie, I might just get the NX or NR70v.

Isaiah!

RE: GPS for Clie
Altema @ 1/8/2003 2:38:45 PM #
I paid $200 for the Magellan GPS, but had to pay extra for a case, and extra for the charger. The windshield mount was an additional $50, so the total package deal is closer to $300. I was really bummed when I saw the offer for $49 for the GPS recently... but it saved me a ton of work and I needed it right then. No complaints about the accuracy, and having the GPS power adaptor charge the Palm was a nice touch. Mapopolis is fantastic and well worth any additional cost, and the newest version is really slick. Accessing the Palm address book for addresses lookups, and recent address lists for directions are just a couple of the enhancements. Don't call to give me directions, just give me the address and I'm on the way!

RE: GPS for Clie
IanJD @ 1/8/2003 2:55:00 PM #
> I found a problem using the new Docs to Go on my T|T.
> when using it just for reading, you know scrolling
> up and down in a document, the D-pad no longer keeps
> the Palm awake, so it shuts off after a minute (or
> however long it is set to stay ON after no activity).
>
> Is anyone else having this problem?

Yup, I get that, too.

Documents to Go & Powerpoint

richbell@pobox.com @ 1/8/2003 2:42:41 PM #
This is more of a question then a comment to the PIC community, I've been asked to find a PDA that meets our clients sales force needs. In general I prefer Palm OS PDA's but the one criteria that they gave was that they needed to be able to give a Power Point presentation from their PDA. At the moment I can only find PocketPC devices that can actually output full size presentations to an external VGA monitor. Does anyone out there know if there is some add on for the Palm or Sony that will allow me to do this?
RE: Documents to Go & Powerpoint
mklein @ 1/8/2003 2:57:36 PM #
Take a look at Margi's "Presenter-to-Go" at
www.margi.com.

RE: Documents to Go & Powerpoint
Marshall Flinkman @ 1/8/2003 3:11:29 PM #
Yes--Margi Systems makes the Presenter-to-Go--first available as a Springboard module, and now out in CF, SD and Memory Stick versions. www.margi.com

Ironic that the only ones you've found have been for PPCs when Palm OS had it first!

RE: Documents to Go & Powerpoint
richbell@pobox.com @ 1/8/2003 4:19:08 PM #
My mistake I did a couple of quick searches then posted before looking at Palm's site... Its really been one of those days. The reason I started with PPC was that was my original directive but after recieving the PPC option I think it could be much better and wanted to offer a Palm option. Thanks for all of the feed back.


RE: Documents to Go & Powerpoint
Toysoft @ 1/8/2003 4:47:57 PM #
you are wrong. Quickoffice has a solution for Powerpoint. They have a device that connects to the Palm to their hardware that projects the image to the wall or screen. Its alot better and just VGA.

contact www.cesinc.com about it.

danny

RE: Documents to Go & Powerpoint
enjolras @ 1/8/2003 5:32:11 PM #
Yes we (Cutting Edge Software) do, it's called Pitch. It allows you to do some fantastically cool things, such as run your Palm from any VGA monitor or projector. More importantly, Quickpoint has native support for Pitch which allows you to display presentations full-screen and in full color. It's a very cool system.

One place in which Pitch excels beyond anything on the market is in control. We have a pitch version that fits as a sled onto any Palm V form factor device. You can also use another version of Pitch from any other Palm device via USB...

You can find more information at http://www.igo.com/mapfiles/pitch.asp and http://www.cesinc.com . Also, I encourage you to contact us, we'd be more than happy to give your more information about Pitch and Quickoffice and how it can help you.

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