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Stories and comments across the archive that link to handspring.com.

Comments · 288

  1. Palm or Handspring... by Menacer · · Score: 3 · on What PDA Would You Recommend?
    Well, looking at your message, it's pretty safe to assume that you want a black-and-white PDA, either for the money or the battery life, so my recommendations would be either the Palm IIIxe or Visor Platinum or Visor Deluxe.

    I've personally never seen the advantage of paying a lot more money for a Palm Vx, when all you get is the "sleeker" look (which isn't that grand if you have it in a leather case like I keep my Palm IIIxe in, anyway), and the LiIon battery, which I don't particularly like. I haven't spent but maybe 5-10 dollars on AAA batteries since I bought my IIIxe back in August.

    Keep in mind that you'll also be paying about $200 more for your Vx, since they're listed at $399, and IIIxe's are now going for $199 thanks to a Christmas rebate. All in all, I like my Palm IIIxe, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking to buy a Palm.

    On the other hand, I also like the looks of the Visors. The Springboard Modules look like great add-ons, and the Platinum runs at twice the clockspeed of normals Palms and Visors, meaning you might not get those slowdowns when playing pinball (darn it all!). You'll be paying an extra hundred dollars over the Palm IIIxe's price, but you'll still save over a Vx.

    The Deluxe also looks nice, with the same Springboard capabilities, with the lower price and lower clockspeed. It's still $50 more expensive than the IIIxe thanks to Palm's rebate, but I was always amazed that the Deluxe was the same cost, when it had more features (included the m100's changeable faceplate, yay :-| ).

    Unfortunately, I can't answer your questions about Linux interface.. I can only give details of my experiences in the handheld world.

    Overall, I can personally recommend the Palm IIIxe, since it's been a dream to use, and it's on sale. However, if I was going and buying a new PDA right now, I, personally, would look into the Handspring market.

    Menacer

  2. Palm or Handspring... by Menacer · · Score: 3 · on What PDA Would You Recommend?
    Well, looking at your message, it's pretty safe to assume that you want a black-and-white PDA, either for the money or the battery life, so my recommendations would be either the Palm IIIxe or Visor Platinum or Visor Deluxe.

    I've personally never seen the advantage of paying a lot more money for a Palm Vx, when all you get is the "sleeker" look (which isn't that grand if you have it in a leather case like I keep my Palm IIIxe in, anyway), and the LiIon battery, which I don't particularly like. I haven't spent but maybe 5-10 dollars on AAA batteries since I bought my IIIxe back in August.

    Keep in mind that you'll also be paying about $200 more for your Vx, since they're listed at $399, and IIIxe's are now going for $199 thanks to a Christmas rebate. All in all, I like my Palm IIIxe, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking to buy a Palm.

    On the other hand, I also like the looks of the Visors. The Springboard Modules look like great add-ons, and the Platinum runs at twice the clockspeed of normals Palms and Visors, meaning you might not get those slowdowns when playing pinball (darn it all!). You'll be paying an extra hundred dollars over the Palm IIIxe's price, but you'll still save over a Vx.

    The Deluxe also looks nice, with the same Springboard capabilities, with the lower price and lower clockspeed. It's still $50 more expensive than the IIIxe thanks to Palm's rebate, but I was always amazed that the Deluxe was the same cost, when it had more features (included the m100's changeable faceplate, yay :-| ).

    Unfortunately, I can't answer your questions about Linux interface.. I can only give details of my experiences in the handheld world.

    Overall, I can personally recommend the Palm IIIxe, since it's been a dream to use, and it's on sale. However, if I was going and buying a new PDA right now, I, personally, would look into the Handspring market.

    Menacer

  3. Palm or Handspring... by Menacer · · Score: 3 · on What PDA Would You Recommend?
    Well, looking at your message, it's pretty safe to assume that you want a black-and-white PDA, either for the money or the battery life, so my recommendations would be either the Palm IIIxe or Visor Platinum or Visor Deluxe.

    I've personally never seen the advantage of paying a lot more money for a Palm Vx, when all you get is the "sleeker" look (which isn't that grand if you have it in a leather case like I keep my Palm IIIxe in, anyway), and the LiIon battery, which I don't particularly like. I haven't spent but maybe 5-10 dollars on AAA batteries since I bought my IIIxe back in August.

    Keep in mind that you'll also be paying about $200 more for your Vx, since they're listed at $399, and IIIxe's are now going for $199 thanks to a Christmas rebate. All in all, I like my Palm IIIxe, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking to buy a Palm.

    On the other hand, I also like the looks of the Visors. The Springboard Modules look like great add-ons, and the Platinum runs at twice the clockspeed of normals Palms and Visors, meaning you might not get those slowdowns when playing pinball (darn it all!). You'll be paying an extra hundred dollars over the Palm IIIxe's price, but you'll still save over a Vx.

    The Deluxe also looks nice, with the same Springboard capabilities, with the lower price and lower clockspeed. It's still $50 more expensive than the IIIxe thanks to Palm's rebate, but I was always amazed that the Deluxe was the same cost, when it had more features (included the m100's changeable faceplate, yay :-| ).

    Unfortunately, I can't answer your questions about Linux interface.. I can only give details of my experiences in the handheld world.

    Overall, I can personally recommend the Palm IIIxe, since it's been a dream to use, and it's on sale. However, if I was going and buying a new PDA right now, I, personally, would look into the Handspring market.

    Menacer

  4. Palm or Handspring... by Menacer · · Score: 3 · on What PDA Would You Recommend?
    Well, looking at your message, it's pretty safe to assume that you want a black-and-white PDA, either for the money or the battery life, so my recommendations would be either the Palm IIIxe or Visor Platinum or Visor Deluxe.

    I've personally never seen the advantage of paying a lot more money for a Palm Vx, when all you get is the "sleeker" look (which isn't that grand if you have it in a leather case like I keep my Palm IIIxe in, anyway), and the LiIon battery, which I don't particularly like. I haven't spent but maybe 5-10 dollars on AAA batteries since I bought my IIIxe back in August.

    Keep in mind that you'll also be paying about $200 more for your Vx, since they're listed at $399, and IIIxe's are now going for $199 thanks to a Christmas rebate. All in all, I like my Palm IIIxe, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking to buy a Palm.

    On the other hand, I also like the looks of the Visors. The Springboard Modules look like great add-ons, and the Platinum runs at twice the clockspeed of normals Palms and Visors, meaning you might not get those slowdowns when playing pinball (darn it all!). You'll be paying an extra hundred dollars over the Palm IIIxe's price, but you'll still save over a Vx.

    The Deluxe also looks nice, with the same Springboard capabilities, with the lower price and lower clockspeed. It's still $50 more expensive than the IIIxe thanks to Palm's rebate, but I was always amazed that the Deluxe was the same cost, when it had more features (included the m100's changeable faceplate, yay :-| ).

    Unfortunately, I can't answer your questions about Linux interface.. I can only give details of my experiences in the handheld world.

    Overall, I can personally recommend the Palm IIIxe, since it's been a dream to use, and it's on sale. However, if I was going and buying a new PDA right now, I, personally, would look into the Handspring market.

    Menacer

  5. Palm or Handspring... by Menacer · · Score: 3 · on What PDA Would You Recommend?
    Well, looking at your message, it's pretty safe to assume that you want a black-and-white PDA, either for the money or the battery life, so my recommendations would be either the Palm IIIxe or Visor Platinum or Visor Deluxe.

    I've personally never seen the advantage of paying a lot more money for a Palm Vx, when all you get is the "sleeker" look (which isn't that grand if you have it in a leather case like I keep my Palm IIIxe in, anyway), and the LiIon battery, which I don't particularly like. I haven't spent but maybe 5-10 dollars on AAA batteries since I bought my IIIxe back in August.

    Keep in mind that you'll also be paying about $200 more for your Vx, since they're listed at $399, and IIIxe's are now going for $199 thanks to a Christmas rebate. All in all, I like my Palm IIIxe, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking to buy a Palm.

    On the other hand, I also like the looks of the Visors. The Springboard Modules look like great add-ons, and the Platinum runs at twice the clockspeed of normals Palms and Visors, meaning you might not get those slowdowns when playing pinball (darn it all!). You'll be paying an extra hundred dollars over the Palm IIIxe's price, but you'll still save over a Vx.

    The Deluxe also looks nice, with the same Springboard capabilities, with the lower price and lower clockspeed. It's still $50 more expensive than the IIIxe thanks to Palm's rebate, but I was always amazed that the Deluxe was the same cost, when it had more features (included the m100's changeable faceplate, yay :-| ).

    Unfortunately, I can't answer your questions about Linux interface.. I can only give details of my experiences in the handheld world.

    Overall, I can personally recommend the Palm IIIxe, since it's been a dream to use, and it's on sale. However, if I was going and buying a new PDA right now, I, personally, would look into the Handspring market.

    Menacer

  6. Handspring Prism by maddogsparky · · Score: 1 · on Palm Talks About New OS
    Handspring already is selling a 16-bit color Palm OS device called the Visor Prism . I wonder if can be upgraded to the new OS, or if it uses ROM to store the OS like the Visor Solo or Visor Deluxe?

  7. Re:Too much crap to carry... by Nastard · · Score: 1 · on Palm Talks About New OS

    So buy a Visor. You can get the cell phone module for it, it can tell time, there are a few MP3 player modules out there. Then all you need are your smokes and your SecureID.

    And you may even get chicks.

  8. Re:And USB is standard! by wonderbar · · Score: 1 · on Palm Talks About New OS

    I got curious and looked here where it says "Yes (USB native, up to 4x faster than a serial connection)"

  9. This is new? by setec · · Score: 2 · on Palm Talks About New OS
    So what? Handspring has had all of those things for quite some time now.

    A bigger deal would be voice activation support working well. THAT'S something that has a pre-made niche in the handheld market.

    ================

  10. Handspring and important code questions by vees · · Score: 4 · on Palm Talks About New OS

    The most important questions to me are:

    Did Handspring fork off their version from the Palm OS code tree by moving to their 3.1H3 for the module support?

    If so, is Palm OS 4 going to reincorporate the code for modules to work with the Handspring? Springboard developers like Xircom are already working on modular Bluetooth solutions. It would seem silly to not consider that.

    --

  11. visor already does by wonderbar · · Score: 2 · on Palm Talks About New OS
    The Handspring visor supports a usb sync

    has a slot for a bluetooth card

    and the Visor Prism supports 65536 colors

  12. Various ways of entering information by SeanAhern · · Score: 2 · on PDA Keyboards Compared
    I think that having a range of options is really useful.

    I have a Handspring Visor that I use for pretty much everything in my life.

    I use three different ways of getting information into the PDA:

    • Grafitti: The built-in text recognition software that recognizes individual characters written in a special area. I can get about 25 words per minute with this method.
    • Fitaly Stamp: A little flexible sheet that sits in the Grafitti area that has little squares to represent letters. (See the picture in the link.) When you tap a letter, the PDA thinks that you wrote it. I can get about 40 wpm with this.
    • The Stowaway keyboard (as mentioned in the article): This keyboard is a fold-up one. It folds up pretty darn small (small enough to fit in my back pocket) and is a full-sized keyboard when unfolded. I can get regular typing speeds (80 wpm or more) with this.
    So, depending on what I'm doing at the time, I'll use one of the three. When I'm trying to keep eye contact with someone while writing or if it's too dark to see the Fitaly letters, I'll use Grafitti. Most of the time I use Fitaly. When I need to enter a lot of text, say, at a meeting where I want to type action items or take down a paragraph or more, I'll whip out the Stowaway and enter to my heart's content.

    The other place that the Stowaway is really useful is when I'm on travel and need to dial into the modem pool at work to log on and check email. There's no way that I'm gonna navigate a shell, mutt, and vile with a stylus!

    So I would suggest to people to think about how they intend to use their PDA. If it's just for occasional text entry, you probably don't need a keyboard. But if you plan on putting lots of information into it, I would definitely recommend getting a keyboard.

  13. Various ways of entering information by SeanAhern · · Score: 2 · on PDA Keyboards Compared
    I think that having a range of options is really useful.

    I have a Handspring Visor that I use for pretty much everything in my life.

    I use three different ways of getting information into the PDA:

    • Grafitti: The built-in text recognition software that recognizes individual characters written in a special area. I can get about 25 words per minute with this method.
    • Fitaly Stamp: A little flexible sheet that sits in the Grafitti area that has little squares to represent letters. (See the picture in the link.) When you tap a letter, the PDA thinks that you wrote it. I can get about 40 wpm with this.
    • The Stowaway keyboard (as mentioned in the article): This keyboard is a fold-up one. It folds up pretty darn small (small enough to fit in my back pocket) and is a full-sized keyboard when unfolded. I can get regular typing speeds (80 wpm or more) with this.
    So, depending on what I'm doing at the time, I'll use one of the three. When I'm trying to keep eye contact with someone while writing or if it's too dark to see the Fitaly letters, I'll use Grafitti. Most of the time I use Fitaly. When I need to enter a lot of text, say, at a meeting where I want to type action items or take down a paragraph or more, I'll whip out the Stowaway and enter to my heart's content.

    The other place that the Stowaway is really useful is when I'm on travel and need to dial into the modem pool at work to log on and check email. There's no way that I'm gonna navigate a shell, mutt, and vile with a stylus!

    So I would suggest to people to think about how they intend to use their PDA. If it's just for occasional text entry, you probably don't need a keyboard. But if you plan on putting lots of information into it, I would definitely recommend getting a keyboard.

  14. Newton by Big+Brass+Balls · · Score: 1 · on Scanning The Landscape Of Palmtop GUIs
    There are several Linux-based palmtop OSes emerging, and I would like to know what people are expecting from a non-WinCE, non-PalmOS handheld.

    Too bad the Newton was discontinued a few years back. If I had the money back then, I certainly would have gotten one. Now that I have the money, and now that I'm looking to acquire a hand-held device, I have to go with what's on the market, and quite honestly, I'd rather just stick with a pen and notepad.

    (Although I have to admit that the Handspring Visor does look tempting, with all of its expandability...)


    --

  15. visorphone by SuperQ · · Score: 1 · on AT&T Could Soon Offer GSM To U.S. Customers

    hopefully i'll be able to transfer my company AT&T service to a VisorPhone so i don't have to change my number, and use voicestream's service..
    according to the goobers at best buy, the visorphone will be out next week, sold as just another GSM phone through voicestream

  16. IrDA by Mike1024 · · Score: 2 · on PDA + Cellphone + ISP = Internet Access?
    Hey,

    Many of the more expensive phones have built-in infra-red modems; these are 'data enabled' phones. You often have to call the mobile provider to get it activated. In the UK, I'm on an 'Orange' plan with 180 minutes a month and a Motorola L7089 phone. I called the provider, Orange, and got the data features enabled (Details are probably in the manual) and now can point it at my laptop and get on the internet, like a normal modem.

    If you have a pre-pay plan, or one of the cheaper ones (or a bastard provider), you might not be able to get the data features enabled on your phone, but if you are on a contract and have a data-enabled phone, you probably can; Phone them and ask about it.

    If your PDA has infra-red stuff on it, and has software availiable for web browsing and internet access, it should just be a case of enabling infra-red, pointing the two together and doing some settings. Psion has a nice site at mobile.psion.com; you'd be interested in This page I expect.

    Check with your palmtop's manufacturer and phone manufacturer. Actually, don't: I've done it for you. Look here for handspring-related details:

    Q. Can my Visor communicate with IR-equipped phones or other IrDA devices?

    A. Yes. Visor Platinum and Visor Prism have built-in support for establishing IR communication with IrDA devices. For Visor and Visor Deluxe, there are two simple steps to take.     [snip]

    Short story, you need a (free) update, and you need a program. There are links on the page.

    The Samsung site seems very unclear. this page says

    Both SCH-3500 and SCH-850 are internet access available and have no speaker phone.

    Aha, manuals online... You can get one for the SCH-3500 on Sprint here and for STA here.

    I only have a dial-up connection, so I won't bother downloading either, but I'd have a look if I were you.

    Just helpin' things along.

    Michael

    ...another comment from Michael Tandy.

  17. Use a Palm or Visor by RichiP · · Score: 1 · on Alternatives To The Floppy Disk?

    I would suggest using a Handspring Visor! It's got 8MB RAM and you can store files in it. I'm not sure if an application exists to store arbitary files there, but I'm sure it's easy to develop one. Not only a good file repository but an indispensible tool as well.

  18. Is my math wrong here... by dvicci · · Score: 1 · on Handspring's New Palm-OS Entrants: Color and Speed

    ... or is the stated, relative speed increase of the Visor Platinum wrong? On the site, they say "50% faster than the Visor Deluxe", but with a new speed of 33MHz, and an old speed of 16MHz, doesn't that make it 206% faster? I read that and immediately thought "So what?" (I'll typically wait for cpu speeds to more than double before I upgrade)... but if what they're trying to say is "The Visor Deluxe is half the speed of the Platinum", then there's a little (not much) more cause for a double-take.

    Please correct me here... I'm certainly no mathmetician. ;)

  19. Re:How long will it run? by CowbertPrime · · Score: 1 · on Handspring's New Palm-OS Entrants: Color and Speed

    The spec sheet

    http://www.handsprin g.c om/products/visorprism/compare.jhtml

    http://www.handsprin g.c om/products/visorprism/details.jhtml

    says that it has a built in LiIon battery which will last 2 weeks or 6 continous hours.

    The thing i find more of a disadvantage is that it still only comes with 8M of ram but is only $50 less than the iPaq. I would personally ditch the Visor Prism and get an iPaq because it comes with double the RAM and is only $50USD more (at MSRP $500USD), and you can never have 'enough' ram (no one needs more than 640K? yah right!).

  20. Re:How long will it run? by CowbertPrime · · Score: 1 · on Handspring's New Palm-OS Entrants: Color and Speed

    The spec sheet

    http://www.handsprin g.c om/products/visorprism/compare.jhtml

    http://www.handsprin g.c om/products/visorprism/details.jhtml

    says that it has a built in LiIon battery which will last 2 weeks or 6 continous hours.

    The thing i find more of a disadvantage is that it still only comes with 8M of ram but is only $50 less than the iPaq. I would personally ditch the Visor Prism and get an iPaq because it comes with double the RAM and is only $50USD more (at MSRP $500USD), and you can never have 'enough' ram (no one needs more than 640K? yah right!).

  21. Re:Can anyone clarify? by fReNeTiK · · Score: 2 · on Handspring's New Palm-OS Entrants: Color and Speed

    RTF Web Page

    But since I'm such a nice guy...

    Prism product details :

    Battery Life: 2 weeks or 6 continuous hours

  22. Re:not holding my breath wrt Linux support by LL · · Score: 1 · on The Amazing Integrated Microprocessor
    Parallelism at that level requires cooperation of the hardware system because you are interacting with a very complex cache system. As for vendors taking their own proprietary path, that is because they've aimed for a slightly different target, IBM with its multiple System on a Chip, Alpha with its simultaneous multithreading, Sparc with their snoopy bus on node card, and SGI with their cache directory. Now if anyone can reconcile these approaches within the same kernel tree, I think they deserve a Gorden Bell prize or two! You also have to keep in mind that Linus intended LInux to be for small (typically one) CPU systems. SGI have publicly said that they design node cards (e.g. the 4-8 CPU brick for their O3000 line) to sacrifice some performance in low-end to gain massive scalability at the high end. You don't expect a jet turbine to be powering your car right? (interesting though it may be).

    What might be a more interesting question is can you mix cards and CPUs of different frequencies and even architectures. For example, if there is enough critical mass opt-in for say the RapidIO standard (a big if), then if CPUs/kernels (not just Linux) standardise on compatible IPC mechanisms and shared data structures/objects, you can possibly have a system where you only upgrade the CPU rather than throwing out the whole machine every 2-3 years. Due to its complexity and human intensive nature, software changes more slowly than hardware where you can just ramp up the shrink process. There are already some hints of this with the HandSpring module, where you retain your familiar interface but just up the capabilities according to your preference. However, I suspect to do this properly with Linux may require some thought into how the ELF object code format can support mupport multiple systems.

    Perhaps something to discuss at that new 64bit unix mailing list set up recently. LL

  23. My list by ptomblin · · Score: 2 · on Your Holiday Present Wish List
    In the midrange class:

    In the higher end:
    • A deHavilland Beaver on floats.
    • A really fast computer.
    • A 21" monitor.
    • An empeg.com MP3 player for my car.


    See, I don't want much.
  24. Visor by kirn_malinus · · Score: 5 · on Your Holiday Present Wish List

    I love my Handspring Visor. Everyone college student should have one, or at least sort of PDA for keeping track of your schedule and assignments.

    Handspring


    ________________________________________________ _______
  25. Phone / Pager / PDA by vbrtrmn · · Score: 1 · on Suggestions For Pagers?
    Why don't you just get a VisorPhone, sure you'll have to wait for a little while, until it is released. On the plus side, you can use it as a Phone, Pager and PDA.

    I used to carry a Palm V and Nokia Phone. I got rid of the Palm V, because I was paying more attention to it, than to the world around me.

    Though the features of the VisorPhone are really cool:


    --
    you are not what you own
  26. It's a Competitive Press Release, People by Lextext · · Score: 1 · on Palm/Motorola to Develop Combo handheld/phone

    This was a press release designed to coincide, to the day and hour, with Handspring's new cellular phone plug-in.

    Who knows whether the Palm thing is really in the works or not? The product wasn't the point. The point was the press release and the attempt to scoop a competitor. Handspring has a real product today, and Palm is hoping the press falls for the "vaporware." And most of it did.

  27. Check out VisorPhone demo by Gameboy70 · · Score: 1 · on Palm/Motorola to Develop Combo handheld/phone

    You can see the screenshots for the VisorPhone UI and and Flash demo of the VP in action at Handspring.com. It's actually very well thought out, especially the SMS feature. And because the VP has a modem, you're not stuck with a WAP (CRAP) browser for internet connectivity.

  28. Handspring doing similar by kootch · · Score: 2 · on Palm/Motorola to Develop Combo handheld/phone

    Handspring is also doing the same thing with their
    HANDSPRING BRINGS VOICE COMMUNICATIONS TO HANDHELD COMPUTING WITH VISORPHONE(TM) <BR>
    Bell South DCS, Pacific Bell Wireless, Powertel and VoiceStream to provide services for breakthrough Springboard(TM) module that makes wireless phone experience simpler than ever
    <P>
    MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIF. (September 25, 2000) - Handspring, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAND) today introduced the VisorPhone Springboard expansion module, combining the power of voice communications with the simplicity and versatility of the Visor handheld computer. VisorPhone is a compact expansion module that snaps into the Springboard expansion slot on any Visor handheld computer so people can use Visor to make and receive phone calls. VisorPhone combines two mobile products into one, creating a single integrated product for all voice and handheld computing needs.
    <P>
    "The fundamental idea behind the development of VisorPhone was to re-invent the user experience for voice calling. The last major milestone in phone design was in the late 1960s when touchtone phones replaced rotary dial phones. We felt it was time to make it easier for people to use all the new features and services available," said Ed Colligan, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Handspring. "With VisorPhone, we've leveraged the robust PIM functionality and larger screen of Visor to make things like speed dialing, caller ID, and conference calling more accessible to the average user."
    <P>
    Handspring plans to deliver a U.S. version of VisorPhone by the end of the year for U.S. $299, with simultaneous purchase of a service plan. Initially, Handspring.com will be the exclusive channel for VisorPhone sales, providing one-stop shopping for people who want to purchase a Visor, VisorPhone and a nationwide service plan in a single transaction. Current Visor owners will also be able to purchase the VisorPhone module (sold separately) and a service plan at Handspring.com. Handspring expects to sell VisorPhone through physical distribution channels in the U.S., and to deliver a European version of VisorPhone, in the first half of 2001. Four leading GSM (global system for mobile communications) carriers in the U.S., Bell South DCS, Pacific Bell Wireless, Powertel and VoiceStream plan to provide comprehensive service plans for VisorPhone that can be purchased directly through Handspring.com.
    <P>
    "We believe offering VisorPhone provides our customers with another simple solution for their wireless service needs," said Steve Sitton, president and general manager of Pacific Bell Wireless South Region. "Customers can now enjoy Pacific Bell Wireless services such as wireless Internet access and Handspring's handheld computing capabilities in one combined, easy-to-use tool."
    <P>
    more info at the link above

  29. Handspring just did this by CmdrChalupa · · Score: 1 · on Palm/Motorola to Develop Combo handheld/phone

    Handspring just recently (today) announced their visorphone. I think it looks kinda cool. GSM and everything!

  30. Re:handspring/springboardb by steveha · · Score: 1 · on New Sony Palm, With Removable Memory Stick
    I seem to recall reading somewhere that springboard is actually the same interface as a current format (someone want to help me out here?)

    Springboard is a completely new bus. However, Handspring used the standard 68-pin connector from PCMCIA cards. The pinout is completely different, but the connector is the same one.

    Handspring did their best to make it easy to make new Springboard hardware. The connector is standard. The plastic shell is not standard, but you can buy five different shells off-the-shelf. (This is great if you don't want to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars for injection molds and tooling to make your own.)

    By the way, Springboard is an open spec: no secrets, no royalties. You can download everything from the Handspring web site Developers page. For example, the Springboard White Paper.

    steveha

  31. Re:handspring/springboardb by steveha · · Score: 1 · on New Sony Palm, With Removable Memory Stick
    I seem to recall reading somewhere that springboard is actually the same interface as a current format (someone want to help me out here?)

    Springboard is a completely new bus. However, Handspring used the standard 68-pin connector from PCMCIA cards. The pinout is completely different, but the connector is the same one.

    Handspring did their best to make it easy to make new Springboard hardware. The connector is standard. The plastic shell is not standard, but you can buy five different shells off-the-shelf. (This is great if you don't want to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars for injection molds and tooling to make your own.)

    By the way, Springboard is an open spec: no secrets, no royalties. You can download everything from the Handspring web site Developers page. For example, the Springboard White Paper.

    steveha

  32. Re:handspring/springboardb by steveha · · Score: 1 · on New Sony Palm, With Removable Memory Stick
    I seem to recall reading somewhere that springboard is actually the same interface as a current format (someone want to help me out here?)

    Springboard is a completely new bus. However, Handspring used the standard 68-pin connector from PCMCIA cards. The pinout is completely different, but the connector is the same one.

    Handspring did their best to make it easy to make new Springboard hardware. The connector is standard. The plastic shell is not standard, but you can buy five different shells off-the-shelf. (This is great if you don't want to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars for injection molds and tooling to make your own.)

    By the way, Springboard is an open spec: no secrets, no royalties. You can download everything from the Handspring web site Developers page. For example, the Springboard White Paper.

    steveha

  33. Re:No Mac or Linux support by 0xdeadbeef · · Score: 1 · on New Sony Palm, With Removable Memory Stick

    Because of the USB cradle. It says they have a serial cradle in the works, but is still MS-only. Actually, the accessories page lists Windows 95 on both cradles. Hmm...

    Anyways, any operating system should able to write to a serial port. If they don't support Win95 or MacOS, it simply means they are too lazy or too incompetent to write portable software.

    Palm supports Linux, indirectly, by cooperating with the developers of the Palm-targetted gcc and the Linux Palm utilities, and have taken the Palm emulator (including the Linux port) under their wing.

    Handspring actually promotes the palm-targetted gcc under Windows for those who don't want to use CodeWarrior, though, like Palm, I don't think they officially support Linux conduits. But that's ok, we have this and this, and I'd rather our stuff be open source anyways. I wonder how Sony will react when someone reverse-engineers their cradle protocol...

  34. Re:handspring/springboardb by drinkypoo · · Score: 1 · on New Sony Palm, With Removable Memory Stick
    I agree, but at the same time, I think handspring's decision to use their "springboard" format was rather silly. The TRGPro does the smae kind of thing, but with a CF slot - which is much more of an industry standard than the springboard slot. I seem to recall reading somewhere that springboard is actually the same interface as a current format (someone want to help me out here?), but the moduels still have to be specially shaped for the springboard slot.

    Compactflash is only really suitable for storage devices, mostly memory. Using it for anything else is cumbersome.

    Springboard is more of a traditional bus, and it is easier and cheaper to use it for general expansion.

    One suspects that TRG already had the CF hardware designed and merely grafted it onto palmpilot because they were seeking direction, but one could be wrong.

    On a technical note, WRT the springboard bus:
    "There is only one bus on the system - the Dragonball bus and both Dragonball RAM and Springboard ROM are attached to this same bus. So, transferring the application to the inside memory will not change much. "

    I hope this clears up your question.

  35. Handspring -- A step ahead... by sooner_or_later · · Score: 1 · on New Sony Palm, With Removable Memory Stick

    When handspring first came out(and still today), they not only had a "memory stick", but they also had a expansion port. You could easily add 8MB of memory to your existing 2MB or 8MB, and you can run apps directly from the stick. The best part is, all of those applications that have been created for Palm, ALSO WORK ON HANDSPRING! PLUS: you can choose from a great assortment of colors!

  36. Re:What's the Point? MP3! DivX! by sunking7 · · Score: 1 · on Palm M100 "Kaizo" Hack: 8 Megs On the Cheap

    With 8MB you can hold like 2 3minute MP3s or a whole movie trailer on your palm!

    Oh wait, the PALM can't play those back yet...

    Handspring anyone?

  37. Re:Too small for Americans by netjeff · · Score: 1 · on Sony Announces Transmeta Notebook
    Believe it or not, I kind of like the combination of my Visor (palm clone) plus the very portable Stowaway keyboard. The Stowaway is a full size keyboard that folds into a package about the same size as my Visor.

    My biggest complaint with this combo is that the Palm screen is a little small. Why can't someone combine a somewhat larger screen like the Picturebook's with an exapanding keyboard like the stowaway? The best of both worlds.

  38. Re:All I can say is that... by JHromadka · · Score: 1 · on The new Palm VIIx
    The speedup of the HotSync time by using USB instead of serial is negligible. My serial sync takes about 1.5 minutes, downloading of four fairly large AvantGo channels over dialup included. On the other hand, USB synchronizing is not supported under Windows 2000, and may be flakey elsewhere. The serial cradles are extra.

    Um, There's been Win2K USB support for the Visor since March 31. And the difference in syncing time between USB and serial is anything but negligible.
    ------
    James Hromadka

  39. Re:the memory problem by WolfPup · · Score: 1 · on The new Palm VIIx
    The memory problem does have a fix. The update to the OS that is on the handspring site includes the fix for the memory problem for those that have the bad dram. The link is:

    http://www.hand spring.com/support/ts_handspring_update_download.a sp

    My roommate and I have visors and we both were lucky enough to have good dram in ours. However, some of our friends at work weren't so lucky with their Palm IIIxe's.

  40. Re:Don't forget the m100 by underactive · · Score: 1 · on The new Palm VIIx

    Yeah, the Visor doesn't have flash memory for OS upgrades, but instead offer software patches. In fact, the first Handspring Updater came out a while back... It upgrades to Palm OS v3.1H3.

  41. Re:Apples and oranges? by nosilA · · Score: 2 · on The new Palm VIIx
    Talk about apples and oranges... there is no wireless 'net for the Handspring yet

    Actually, according to their grid they do have a few different wireless modules, including an 802.11 compatible module. And it still should come out cheaper than a palm VII, which requires you to use their expensive Palm.net dialup service.

    nosilA

  42. Handspring... by ChiaBen · · Score: 1 · on First Look At The New Palms

    I just picked up my first PDA, a Handspring visor deluxe, and it's fitting my needs very nicely, that is it is a toy. I will definitely have a use for a wireless networked webpad, when they come out, but these PDA's are strictly toys for the moment. I think a couple of things Handspring has going for them are the expansion module, and the PalmOS.

    Unlike wince, the Palm OS is very open to being developed, and is (as far as I can tell) native to *nix, hence the GNU tools being ported to windows.

    I am a web designer not a programming, but I am trying to get the hang of programming this thing to allow better access to my website customers, and it seems pretty intuitive (so far).

  43. Re:Why Waste a Good Processor with Windows? by nitehorse · · Score: 2 · on Transmeta To Unveil New Notebooks Next Week

    You can play MP3s on a Visor, at least. Check out the Handspring home page. Or maybe you'd be more interested in the SpringBoard addon that actually does the MP3 playing.

    You'd be surprised what that little PalmOS is still capable of. Especially in capable hands.

  44. Re:Survey of Linux iPAQ vs Palm vs ??? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1 · on Linux On iPAQ 3600 Handheld

    • state of open connectivity software (to Linux, *nix, `doze)
      There are official versions of palm desktop for windows and macintosh. There is a complete suite called PilotManager which provides connectivity on unix platforms.
    • usefulness of applications
      There's all manner of cool stuff on the palm device. The stuff I use the most is:
      1. Calculator: 'nuff said.
      2. To-Do list: This lets you create tasks and then check them off. They can have priorities and due dates and they get ranked appropriately. I use this for all kinds of checklists, including DVDs I want to buy.
      3. Address book: The address book is pretty good, and if you're on windows (maybe also on unix) you can print out the address book in all sorts of formats, use it for mail merge, and so on.
      4. Notepad: Featureless, but fast and efficient. Uses the system font choice so you can make it bigger if you can't see.
      5. AvantGo: IIRC, this only runs on windows. It downloads news via the 'net when you hotsync. I get Wired News, DiscoveryZone, and some other stuff.
      6. Omniremote: A friend of mine wrote this IR Learning Remote software which is now one of the most popular software packages for palm. You can rearrange the buttons and stuff. There's also a Springboard Module for Handspring Visor owners. (The Visor is a palm clone which runs palmos, has 8mb ram, no flash, USB, and it's $250. Sweet deal.)
      7. Tealdoc: This lets you view Tealdoc format documents on PalmOS. You can generate those documents from HTML or Text, or with software from Teal. Handy.
      8. Tealpaint: It's basically macpaint for PalmOS. I use it as a sketchpad and super-quick notepad.
    • user interface sux/rox evaluation
      The UI isn't amazing, but it's pretty good. The menus can be tough to navigate but that's just because the pen tends to be in the way. There are pageup and pagedown buttons, which help quite a bit.
    • color screen readability
      All the color screens are great in the shadows (Though the Cassiopea is supposedly better than the PalmIIIc) and crap in sunlight. Go for black and white, you just don't need color in a handheld.
    • storage limitations
      It takes quite a while to run out of 8mb. Other handhelds like iPaq and Cassiopea have vastly more storage and power, so you can use them as mp3 players and whatnot; They're just a lot more expensive and get much shorter battery life.
    • battery life
      Palm Pro w/2mb upgrade gets like 60 hours, Visor Deluxe with the Omniremote module in it seems to get about 40, but the battery drains over time as well for some reason I haven't figured out, which may be because I still have a beta version of the omniremote hardware. Cassiopea gets about six hours, but it has li-ion or nimh or something in it rather than taking alkalines or AAA nimhs.
    • upgradability
      Most palms aren't upgradable at all, any more. The Visor has a handspring slot where you can put a bunch of stuff, including GPS, Digital Camera, MP3 player, Modem, etc.
    • wireless connectivity
      Palm VII has it, nothing else does. I hear it sucks, though, unless you're in the Big City(tm).

    I like my Visor a lot. It hotsyncs amazingly quickly (USB is good) and everything moves quick. It gets great battery life and it looks extra-snazzy. On top of that, there is an absolute ton of software for PalmOS, much of which is freely available. If it's not free, it tends to be cheap.

  45. Re:Survey of Linux iPAQ vs Palm vs ??? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1 · on Linux On iPAQ 3600 Handheld

    • state of open connectivity software (to Linux, *nix, `doze)
      There are official versions of palm desktop for windows and macintosh. There is a complete suite called PilotManager which provides connectivity on unix platforms.
    • usefulness of applications
      There's all manner of cool stuff on the palm device. The stuff I use the most is:
      1. Calculator: 'nuff said.
      2. To-Do list: This lets you create tasks and then check them off. They can have priorities and due dates and they get ranked appropriately. I use this for all kinds of checklists, including DVDs I want to buy.
      3. Address book: The address book is pretty good, and if you're on windows (maybe also on unix) you can print out the address book in all sorts of formats, use it for mail merge, and so on.
      4. Notepad: Featureless, but fast and efficient. Uses the system font choice so you can make it bigger if you can't see.
      5. AvantGo: IIRC, this only runs on windows. It downloads news via the 'net when you hotsync. I get Wired News, DiscoveryZone, and some other stuff.
      6. Omniremote: A friend of mine wrote this IR Learning Remote software which is now one of the most popular software packages for palm. You can rearrange the buttons and stuff. There's also a Springboard Module for Handspring Visor owners. (The Visor is a palm clone which runs palmos, has 8mb ram, no flash, USB, and it's $250. Sweet deal.)
      7. Tealdoc: This lets you view Tealdoc format documents on PalmOS. You can generate those documents from HTML or Text, or with software from Teal. Handy.
      8. Tealpaint: It's basically macpaint for PalmOS. I use it as a sketchpad and super-quick notepad.
    • user interface sux/rox evaluation
      The UI isn't amazing, but it's pretty good. The menus can be tough to navigate but that's just because the pen tends to be in the way. There are pageup and pagedown buttons, which help quite a bit.
    • color screen readability
      All the color screens are great in the shadows (Though the Cassiopea is supposedly better than the PalmIIIc) and crap in sunlight. Go for black and white, you just don't need color in a handheld.
    • storage limitations
      It takes quite a while to run out of 8mb. Other handhelds like iPaq and Cassiopea have vastly more storage and power, so you can use them as mp3 players and whatnot; They're just a lot more expensive and get much shorter battery life.
    • battery life
      Palm Pro w/2mb upgrade gets like 60 hours, Visor Deluxe with the Omniremote module in it seems to get about 40, but the battery drains over time as well for some reason I haven't figured out, which may be because I still have a beta version of the omniremote hardware. Cassiopea gets about six hours, but it has li-ion or nimh or something in it rather than taking alkalines or AAA nimhs.
    • upgradability
      Most palms aren't upgradable at all, any more. The Visor has a handspring slot where you can put a bunch of stuff, including GPS, Digital Camera, MP3 player, Modem, etc.
    • wireless connectivity
      Palm VII has it, nothing else does. I hear it sucks, though, unless you're in the Big City(tm).

    I like my Visor a lot. It hotsyncs amazingly quickly (USB is good) and everything moves quick. It gets great battery life and it looks extra-snazzy. On top of that, there is an absolute ton of software for PalmOS, much of which is freely available. If it's not free, it tends to be cheap.

  46. What about Handspring? by Penguin_99 · · Score: 2 · on Looking For Wireless Handheld E-Mail And Web?

    What about a Handspring Visor? I have one and love it, it's cheap (relitively speaking) and it has the Springboard port. Right now there are a number of companies working on wireless Springboard modules. For instance there is Xircom, who is in the process of building a wireless modem, bluetooth modem and an ethernet module. According to their site, they should be released later this summer. Innogear also has some cool products for the Springboard available and under development.

    In the meantime if you want movie times and maps there are some apps for Palm OS that you can install. For movie times there is a little program called Showtimes that allows you to download movie times for you favorite theaters from Yahoo! and stores them in a database, on your Visor or Palm, that you can access very easily. It's an awesome program and it is free!! As far as maps go, there is software available from Mapblast.com, called PocketBlast, that allows you to import maps to your handheld device of choice.

  47. I wish it had... by I0ta · · Score: 1 · on More Yopy, The Linux PDA

    I wish they went with the modular design like the Visor from Handspring. The flash is cool, don't get me wrong, but it's the same story of adding and deleting applications to free up space rather than plug 'n go. I wonder if it's possible to put some sort of ethernet connection directly into it. It'd make checking mail/browsing a lot smoother when you're in the office. Still.. A great shot a 'real' linux pda. Hopefully this will spawn off more linux pdas.

    -I0ta.

  48. Re:PalmOS: Serial Sync works, USB doesn't in Win2K by BigD42 · · Score: 1 · on Microsoft Pits Pocket PC Against Palm

    That is not true for the Handspring Visor which comes default with a USB cradle.

  49. Re:Too many PDAs by desrever · · Score: 1 · on Microsoft Pits Pocket PC Against Palm

    Bluetooth and 802.11 Wireless Ethernet modules are due out soon for the Handspring Visor. See the bluetooth press release and the 802.11 press release . I just worry about battery life with the wireless ether.

  50. Re:Too many PDAs by desrever · · Score: 1 · on Microsoft Pits Pocket PC Against Palm

    Bluetooth and 802.11 Wireless Ethernet modules are due out soon for the Handspring Visor. See the bluetooth press release and the 802.11 press release . I just worry about battery life with the wireless ether.