Handspring Hides Flash ROM in Handspring Treo

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?

Comments

That one is easy

[fidget42]

It allows them to remove the Flash at some point in the future and replace it with a cheaper ROM. If they don't tell you that they have a Flash, then you won't complain when it is removed. I would expect the next version to be missing the Flash.

Samsung i300

[The Jake]

Users of the Samsung i300 for the longest time were told that there was no flash rom, and that the operating sytem was not upgradable.

Then FlashPro came out and proved that there was flash in the i300.

Upgrading the OS is still not an option, considering that there are lots of propreitary extensions to the OS.

However, the flash capabilities of the devices were hidden for quite a while.

Jake

long range vision

[cr@ckwhore]

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.

Why? Support

[Your_Mom]

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?

My favorite quote

[mdahlman]

My favorite quote from the article:
I ask all these rhetorical questions for a reason: I want to know what you think.

er... you keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Some Earlier Examples

[twisty]

> 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.