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Handspring Hides Flash ROM in Handspring Treo

Posted by timothy on from the plus-it-has-a-pot-of-gold dept.

miradu writes: "TreoCentral has just posted an intriguing article about how the Handspring Treo has Flash ROM - something that Handspring claims it doesn't. They've worked with Brayder Technology to create applications to utilize this newly discovered feature. It brings up the question, Why do developers lie about features in a device - especially if they are features that are wanted? Does anyone know any other examples?" Strange -- hardware manufacturers don't often underestimate their products' capabilities, do they?

3 of 191 comments (clear)

  1. long range vision by cr@ckwhore · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I think at least in Handspring's case, they've had a philosophy of planned obsolescense by building their products with hard ROMs.

    Obviously, they can't be upgraded that way, so in their all knowing marketing minds, they're hoping users will continue to upgrade to newer products from Handspring.

    Originally, they claimed that the lack of a flash ROM was a price saving measure, but I tend to think that in some cases, a flash rom would actually be cheaper.

    Now that the treo has a flash rom, and they're lying about it, what do they expect? Of course users are going to make use of that 'hidden feature' now!

    Handspring, you ought to 'embrace and extend' now that the gig's up.

    --
    Skiers and Riders -- http://www.snowjournal.com
  2. Why? Support by Your_Mom · · Score: 5, Interesting
    It brings up the question, Why do developers lie about features in a device - especially if they are features that are wanted?
    Easy, one word: Support. I am quite sure that Handspring doesn't feel like supporting a million handsping Treo's where their users downloaded the lastest PalmOS upgrade that theire neighbor used on their m 505 and burnt out thier Treo. I am reminded of the PA cartoon where nintendo has to support GBAs when peoepl try to install the Portable Monopoly sytem.

    Maybe they planned to tell us later, maybe its a fluke and is only in certain models. Who cares?
    --
    Objects in the blog are closer then they ap
  3. Some Earlier Examples by twisty · · Score: 5, Interesting
    > Strange -- hardware manufacturers don't often underestimate their products' capabilities, do they?

    It's common for the aspirations of engineers to be lobotomized a little by the larger marketting beast. I've read several articles on the web where a Celeron motherboard could be greatly sped up by placing celophane tape over a single pin of the Celeron's card edge connector. But then we stray into the area of overclockers...

    THE EARLIEST EXAMPLE that springs to mind is on Radio Shack's TRS-80 Color Computers. There was some story about doubling the RAM by bending two pins on a socketted IC chip. The story was that the onboard capacity was crippled for the sake of easy in-store upgrades.