Category: PalmCorner

March 31, 2008

Gadget catharsis

My employer consolidated the management of cell phones and plans, forcing me to abandon my Treo 650 for a Blackberry 8830. Yeah, I know. The Blackberry vs random other brand mobile phone here comparison post is way too overdone. You don't need me to tell you the differences.

This isn't one of those posts.

At first I got ticked. It's not just the money down the tubes or the time invested. It was a bit like being dumped. It's been a few months, and I still miss using my Treo.

Some of my remaining Treo co-workers haven't been forced to move yet. But as some make the move, most seem to be expressing similar concerns and reach out to the Treo group to vent and support.

It may be obvious to you, but I'm still not sure why I (and other folks) get so attached to some of these devices.

Posted by Bob in PalmCorner and Wireless
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February 3, 2004

PalmCorner Weekly Feature--Indispensable Utility Program 1

If you use your Palm religiously as I have done for the past 8 years, you start to understand that there are a number of programs that become so indispensable. For the past few months, and especially last week or so, Tealscript emerged as one of those programs in my T3. Ever since Palm abandoned the original Graffiti writing recognition system (G1) for the new Graffiti 2 (G2) system, I had not particularly enjoyed using G2. I have always found the letters i and t were cumbersome and inefficient in G2. I installed G1 over G2 in my Tungsten C and Tungsten T3 for a while, but number of conflicts got in the way (including restoring the handheld from hard reset--if you installed G1 over G2, then you cannot restore the device after hard reset w/o getting rid of G1 from the backup directory to prevent fatal exception loop).

So, several months ago, I switched over to using Tealscript from Tealpoint Software. One of the biggest advantage of Tealscript over either G1 or G2 is that you can customize your handwriting stroke to fit your needs. As seen below, I've programmed "g" to accept the standard "g" in G2. You can turn on the option to allow alternate strokes, and I've also programmed "g" to accept the standard "g" in G1 as well (see picture below). Also, as you can see, I am now using the original "t" from G1 instead of the cumbersome "t" from G2. You can train the program to recognize your stroke and save your customized profile--you can also backup or clone your profiles. . You can also test recognition to make sure the program is recognizing your stroke.

There was however one feature that was sorely lacking for the T3 users including myself. That was the incompatibility between the T3's write anywhere system (activated from the button in the status bar) and Tealscript. Well, with the latest release of Tealscript, this incompatibility has been resolved. Now, when you activate Tealscript globally, Tealscript takes over G2 completely (including the write anywhere mode), and you can also activate or deactivate Tealscript from the status bar button as well. This has been one of the best upgrades.

All in all, a great and indispensable utility if you ever want to customize Graffiti to your liking rather than to become a slave to the prefixed system (especially if you don't like it).

Check it out at Tealpoint software.

Posted by Ken in PalmCorner
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January 1, 2004

PalmCorner Weekly Feature--New Year's Resolutions

2003 is gone, and 2004 is here! Here are my new year's resolutions:

1. I will not rush out and buy a new Palm OS6 device the first time it comes out. As we have learned from the Tungsten T3, perhaps the third time is the charm. It's likely that the new OS6 device will be released in the late spring, but it might be better to wait for the Fall release.

2. I will not hold onto too many PDA's in my possession. I have a tendency to keep the old PDA's when I get the new ones. Perhpas it's due to a sentimental reason, but it doesn't make any financial sense. So, I'll sell the old ones as soon as I buy the new ones (For instance, my old Sony Clie N60X with the Sony CF Wi-Fi card is going on E-bay this week at an incredible low price).

3. I'll not buy any more new smartphones this year. I have found my T610 and the Tungsten T3 to be a perfect combination for now. Besides, I'm locked into T-mobile till December 2004. In 2003, I ended up buying the Treo 180, but then I switched over to the T610. It's good thing I got the T610 for free; otherwise, it doesn't make any financial sense.

4. I'll play less with my new Palm toys this year and write more reviews. This is a dilemma every reviewer or writer faces--should we play more or write more?

5. Last but not least, I will not buy any more digital toys this year. Last year I invested heavily on my digital photographic gear when I transitioned from my Nikon film SLR to my Nikon digital SLR (D100) with several brand new lenses (due to digital's 1.5 magnification factor), several large capacity CF cards, and many others. Unless we get the 24 mega-pixel digital camera in the reasonable price range (less than $3000), I don't see upgrading this camera for a long time.

Well, that's my new year's resolutions for technology-related items. What's yours?

Posted by Ken in PalmCorner
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December 22, 2003

PalmCorner Weekly Feature--End-of-Year Review

So, 2003 is almost over. I know everyone is busy buying gifts and attending holiday parties, but this might also be a good time to think about how your year went. Was 2003 a fruitful, enjoyable, and rewarding year for you? Well, for someone who writes about Palm OS topics, 2003 was indeed a busy year. It was a little more than a year ago that both Sony and Palm released the first Palm OS5 device, but they and other Palm OS licensees kept me busy during the year. So, what are some of the highlights of this year? Let's review PalmCorner's top 10 memorable moments in 2003.

1. Palm broke the 16MB Memory Barrier. Now the Tapwave Zodiac features 128MB of RAM, and even the low-end Palm Tungsten E features 32MB of RAM. For years, we've been tied down to having only 8 to 16MB of RAM, but when the Tungsten C came out with 64MB of RAM, Palm rewrote the book on this front.

2. First built-in Wi-Fi in a Palm OS device. The Palm Tungsten C showed us how to design a device that both web and battery friendly. The Tungsten C set the new standard for web enhanced device (excellent screen, useable keyboard, built-in Wi-Fi, and battery life).

3. Fast Intel X-scale 400MHz chips. The Tungsten C and the T3 now boast the fastest chip ever in the Palm OS device. Bring on more speed.

4. Built-in GPS in a Palm OS device. Garmin released the IQue that has built-in GPS capability. Those of us who needed the navigation system, our prayer had been answered.

5. First built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in a Palm OS device. Sony released the UX50 that has both wireless capabilities. The jury is still out on this device, but if you want to have it all including the built-in camera and the keyboard, this is it.

6. Lower price barrier for Palm OS5 devices. The new Palm Zire 21 features 126 MHz TI OMAP 311 ARM processor and 8MB of RAM. Who would ever thought this is going to be possible about a year ago? Kudos for palmOne for making this possible.

7. Tapwave Zodiac. The gamer's paradise. Need I say more?

8. Palm Tungsten 3. The 320 x 480 Virtual Graffiti screen (plus hardware driven landscape mode) is awesome. Sony has had the 320x480 screen for awhile, but Palm got it right the first time.

9. Not having to listen to Pocket PC users boasting about their technological superiority over Palm OS devices.

10. GearBits, the most interesting and creative web site for technology-related topics, was launched, and PalmCorner finds a new home.

Well, that's it. I'm sure you have your own favorite or memorable Palm OS moment(s) in 2003. Let us know what yours is.

Posted by Ken in PalmCorner
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December 9, 2003

PalmCorner Weekly Feature--Fonts4OS5

You have just bought a new Palm OS5 device, and you are excited about all possible things you can do with your new device. It kind of brings back memories of your childhood when you got a new toy for Christmas. Well, just like the Christmas gift, such excitement will soon wear off, and you start to find certain faults with your device. Well I have heard so often from my readers that they are not happy with the way the texts look in their devices. In other words, some people do not like the way the default font looks in their device.

In the pre-OS5 world, we had a program called Fonthack (a hackmaster extension program) that could manipulate the fonts globally (or for a specific program), but in the OS5 world, we can no longer use any hacks (although Tealpoint’s Tealmaster is an exception, it has quite a few limitations including the number of hacks it supports). Lubak (short for Lubomir Veselovsky) created a number of programs that were device specific for the previous OS 5 devices (such as Sony Clie, Palm Tungsten T, C, etc), but the program was specifically tied to the model and/or brand, and if you switched the model or brand, you were out of luck or had to buy another one of his programs.

Well, Lubak has just released a new program called Fonts4OS5. The program was designed from scratch and now has a footprint of only 32Kb. As you can see, the user interface is also different, and it’s much more user friendly. You can even see the preview of how the new font will look like before you apply it to your device. The program comes with 13 new fonts including Tahoma, Sans Serif, and Handera fonts. See below for the comparison between the Tungsten T3 default font (top) and Tahoma 18 points (bottom). According to Lubak, the number of fonts available for selection should be unlimited and he plans to release additional fonts in the near future.

The program costs $12.90 for new purchases and $4.90 for anyone who owned his previous font program.

I upgraded and installed the program yesterday, and so far I have not encountered any problems, and my T3 looks so much better (i.e., to my liking). You select the font you want and the program will reset the device. That's all there is to it. You can always go back or switch fonts on your whim. I've settled on Tahoma 18 for the time being. If you are not satisfied with the current font, or you just don’t like the way the texts looks in your device, then I recommend this program highly.

Posted by Ken in PalmCorner
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December 2, 2003

PalmCorner Weekly Feature--Sony Ericsson T610 and Palm Tungsten T3

A few days ago, I wrote a brief article about my new combo gadgets -- not one gadget but a combination of two gadgets. I now use the Sony Ericsson T610 and the Palm Tungsten T3 instead of the Handspring 180.

There has been a lot of noise in the industry about the proliferation of smartphones and the bleak prognostication for the stand-alone PDA device. I for one do not believe it's going to happen. Yes, I have to agree that carrying one device is much more convenient than carrying two devices, but what if you have to compromise how you work in order to do carry one device. To me, that is not an ideal solution and so far not acceptable.

Having separate devices offers certain advantages that all-in-one devices cannot. Each device can be selected for its features without making compromises. Also what happens if you want to replace one device in your chain? Well, you can simply replace one without replacing the other.

I do however believe the key to carrying separate devices is integration. If you want the separate cellular phone and the PDA, then both need to be seamlessly integrated that it feels like you are using one device, not two.

After having used the Tungsten T3 and the Sony Ericsson T610, I can now tell you this is one combination that offers the seamless integration and simplicity.

As far as setting up the combination, it couldn’t be easier. You just go into the Phonelink application in the T3 and select your model and the network service you currently use. In my case, it was the T160 and T-Mobile GPRS. When you hit “connect,” the T3 will seek out the T610 via Bluetooth and then you just need to follow the instructions to set up the Bluetooth connection. It is easier if you put both devices as trusted devices so that all your future connections are done automatically. Well, I hate to stop here, but that’s it. That’s all you have to do to set up both devices. How simple can it be?

Now you are ready to use your T3 and T610 combination. You can use Dialer in the T3 to place a call, or use Quick Connect from your Contact program to place a call as well. Just hit the number you want and the T610 will place the call. So, you don’t need to carry all your phone numbers in the T610. However, if you want to keep certain phone numbers in the T610, you can simply transfer the number from the T3 via Bluetooth. Nothing could be easier and no more manual double entries (entering the same number in each device).

You can also send/receive your SMS from the T3 as well. You can both send and check your messages from the T3, and it’s a lot easier entering messages using Graffiti than the numeric keypad in the T610. Although T610 offers T9 text entry system (I call it smart entry), it is still not as convenient as using a keyboard or Graffiti.

You can now surf the Internet or send/receive e-mails using the latest Palm Web browser and SnapperMail in the T3. Now the T3 will automatically connect to the GPRS network using the T610 as the conduit. Of course, you can now use the beautiful T3 320x480 screen to browse the web. I typically use the landscape mode and it’s so much easier to read the web pages. I use SnapperMail (the latest beta has the T3 full screen mode) to send/receive my e-mails. I haven’t tried the Treo 600; so, I can’t tell you how fast it is, but this combination beats my old Treo 180 hands down.

It has been a great experience so far, and I believe the reason for that is the seamless integration between the two devices. I have been a skeptic as far as Bluetooth technology, but now I’m a converter. If you want to go with the separate-but-better route, I don't think you will be able to find a better combination than the T3 and the Sony Ericsson T610 (now new model is called T616, but it’s pretty much identical to the T610). Oh, did I tell you the T610 is small and light as well?

Posted by Ken in PalmCorner
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November 26, 2003

Happy Bluetoothing with the Sony Ericsson T610

Well, I have been sick and tired of waiting for Handspring (Oops! I mean palmOne) to release the Treo 600 for T-Mobile and seriously contemplated exploring an alternative route. Interestingly, I was buying a CD from Amazon the other day, and I came across a great deal for the Sony Ericsson T610--Free!. Yes, I got the free phone after the combined Amazon and T-mobile $200 rebates, and Amazon even included $79 BT Jabra headset for free. So, it was a great deal to pass up. Furthermore, T-mobile is now offering the unlimited GPRS service for $19.99 per month. Serendipity also played a role here. My Treo 180's flip cover broke over the weekend, and I had to get it replaced anyway. To make a long story short, let's just say I passed on the Treo 600 and went with the T610.

Also, ever since I got the Palm Tungsten T3, I was itching to find out how great a T3 and BT phone combination might be. Needless to say, I thought the BT feature in my T3 was one of the most underutilized features. So, this was too great of an opportunity for me to pass up.

My initial impression: This is a fantastic combination. Everything worked as advertised or expected first time: transferring phonebook data, connecting to the web and sending/receiving e-mails using GPRS, and so forth and so on. I never realized how convenient BT was until I tried this combination. I was also pleasantly surprised to discover how much faster this combination was compared to my old Treo 180 when surfing the web and downloading e-mails.

I will have more later, but I'm pleasantly surprised and wildly impressed with what I discovered today. Stay tuned . . .

Posted by Ken in PalmCorner
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November 24, 2003

PalmCorner Weekly Feature--Zen of Palm Part II

Hopefully, by now, you’ve been thinking about Zen of Palm as much as I have been for the past few weeks. So, let’s fast forward our clock to 2004 from 1996. So, where are we now? In 2004, Palm is no longer just one entity, but two separate entities. PalmOne, the hardware company, still makes Palm-branded devices, but Palm Source, the OS company, is now the brain of any Palm OS device. Now there are many Palm OS licensees including Sony, Tapwave, Garmin that produce their own unique Palm OS devices. So, we no longer have one company that does everything, and in one sense, that is great for having more diversity, but what about Zen of Palm? Let’s briefly review what happened in the past few years to see if we can make sense of what’s going on today.

For many years since 1996, Palm has been making steady improvements with its devices. Around April of each year, we could count on Palm to introduce a new device, and when the new device was released, we could count on an upgrade path for existing owners. That eventually had to stop. However, the ever-popular Palm Vx still epitomized Zen of Palm, but as we heard, “For the times they are a-changin”

In 2001, Sony surprised the Palm OS community by releasing a new device that revolutionized the Palm OS device as we had known it. The 710C had a high-resolution color screen (320x320), a MP3 player, a memory card slot. This was truly a leap in innovation that the Palm community hadn’t seen in the past. Sony did not stop there, but continued to innovate, releasing a new device in every few months. A few months before that, Handera released the Handera 330, a monochrome (240x320) device that was much superior to other monochrome devices from Palm. The race was on, and it was only a matter of time before other companies would be releasing their new devices.

With the introduction of Palm OS 5.x, new Palm OS devices have new ARM-based processors that can hum at more than 100 MHz (400 MHz to the fastest) and finally broken the 8MB RAM barrier. The latest Palm Tungsten T3 is powered by Intel 400 MHz X-scale ARM processor and 64MB of RAM. The new Tapwave Zodiac now boasts 128MB of RAM. Remember my Pilot 1000 only had 128K RAM. So, how much is enough?

Speedier processors and an increase in RAM size are only the tip of the iceberg. More and more Palm OS licensees are offering unique and specialized devices to their customers. The Tapwave Zodiac is geared toward gamers in the market while the Garmin iQue is designed for those who want GPS technology in their Palm device. So, we the consumers are better off with more diversity of features and styles, right?

Well, adding more features and complex programs often mean that things can break down more often and easily. Also, diversity of features from different Palm OS licensees also mean more complexity in terms of programming and potential complications in compatibility. If you have been talking to any of Palm software developers recently, you would know that most developers hate having to deal with so many proprietary API’s and hardware idiosyncrasies these days.

So, what’s going on with Zen of Palm? I believe simplicity in learning, simplicity in use, and portability have been more or less honored and preserved over the years, but the current trend toward more sophistication and diversity seems to threaten that continuity–that simplicity we once enjoyed might no longer be there in a few years. The Tungsten T3 is still a joy to use, but the recent problem with the SD card corruption makes you wonder whether this is the bellwether of things to come in the future.

Interestingly, in 2004 we saw Handspring merging with palmOne, and who says you can’t go home again. So, who is to say Zen of Palm is going to disappear into oblivion in the future. It may have nine lives and may continue in another incarnation. Only time will tell . . .

Posted by Ken in PalmCorner
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November 17, 2003

PalmCorner Weekly Feature--Zen of Palm Part I

Zen of Palm

So, what is Zen of Palm? We have often heard folks talk about Zen of Palm, but what is it really? Well, this is my attempt to put some clarity into the phrase: Zen of Palm. I believe Zen of Palm is related to a couple of design principles or philosophy (whichever you want to call it) that seem to separate Palm OS devices from the rest of the PDA community. When Jeff Hawkins and his gang started to design the first Palm OS device, they set out to give the user a different experience than using desktop computers.

I believe one of the ingredients to Zen of Palm is “simplicity in learning.” Things need to be simple. You cannot make a device so complicated that the user needs an extended learning period, or a “thick” manual to figure things out. My first Palm OS device Pilot 1000 was definitely simple. I didn’t even read a manual to figure out how to use the device. Well, I did peek at how to use the Graffiti for a few minutes, but that’s about it. So, I think the original Pilot passed this test.

Another ingredients is “simplicity in use.” I don’t care how technologically fancy or sophisticated the device is. I just want to the device to work and do things that I want quickly. The Pilot 1000 was simply that. It did what it was supposed to do extremely well. The four basic applications (Datebook, Addressbook, To-do, and Memo) worked as advertised. They were simple and fast to use. The instant on and instant entry on the Pilot 1000 was a far cry from what I was used to in my desktop PC. In fact, I think most people use their PDA’s differently than their desktop PC’s. Most of the time, the PDA is used to enter/access/retrieve short information quickly and conveniently. However, that’s not how I use my PC. In fact, my desktop PC was not designed with that functionality in mind. I believe this is one of the major shortcomings of any PDA device that tries to mimic the desktop PC

In fact, although we have had pundits who criticized the Palm devices and touted the technological superiority of WinCE devices, I still maintain that most of the time (i.e., 80% of the time), we don’t need all that sophistication in what we do with our PDA day in and day out. I recently tracked my own usage with my Palm, and I came very close to meeting the 80% rule (there were several applications that were used 80% of the time–4 basic applications occupied the big chunk of that block). So, keeping the core functionality easy to use and reliable, the Pilot 1000 definitely met this design philosophy.

The third and final ingredients in Zen of Palm is “portability.” What good is a handheld device or a personal digital assistant, if you don’t or can’t carry the device with you all the time. Sure, we can put a bigger device in our briefcase and carry it that way, but how often do you carry your briefcase while at work, or when you are out doing errands or entertaining. So, you need to keep the device small (not too small as to compromise the usability mind you) so that it is not cumbersome when carrying it. Needless to say, the Pilot 1000 was the first device I owned that I could carry in my shirt or pants’ pocket without feeling uncomfortable or being conscious about the bulge in my pocket.

So, there you have it. This is what I mean when I say Zen of Palm.

Palm has gone through a lot of changes in the past 7 years. The first Palm OS device, the Pilot 1000, had a low-resolution monochrome screen (160x160), a Motorola chip (8MHz), and believe or not 128K of RAM. When comparing that device to my current device T3 that has a high-resolution extended 16-bit color screen (320x480), an Intel X-scale ARM processor (400MHz), believe or not 64MB of RAM, and an expansion slot, you realize that’s a huge change in seven years.

Next week, I will examine, the progression of Palm OS devices (focusing on the latest devices) and whether Zen of Palm has survived the transition to more sophisticated Palm OS devices.

Posted by Ken in PalmCorner
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November 10, 2003

PalmCorner Weekly Feature--No Feature This Week

Sorry, folks, but there won't be any Weekly Feature today. Instead come back toward the end of the week for the PalmCorner Monthly Feature: Reviews of the Palm Tungsten T3 and the Tungsten E.

Also next week, I'll be featuring two-part series on Zen of Palm in my Weekly Feature.

So stay tuned.

Posted by Ken in PalmCorner
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November 8, 2003

What's the story with the Treo 600?

The much anticipated Treo 600 was released on October 8, 2003; however, if you are like me and most of other previous owners of the Treo smartphone, you might be still waiting for the Treo 600. Existing Treo owners were excited to learn that you could get your new Treo 600 for $399 if you decide to upgrade with any one of the carriers. However, the caveat is that most carriers do have a hefty penalty for breaking your existing contract; so, if you do not want to pay the penalty, you are stuck with your current carrier.

Interestingly, if you check any of the Treo specialized websites such as Treocentral, you will also notice that there are a lot of frustrated customers out there. So, what's going on?

One of the problems is that it looks like Handspring and carriers have decided to do a staggered rollout for the different versions of the device, and also the upgrade is only available for 3 weeks after each version is released. So, only Sprint version (CDMA) was available from Oct. 8 (10/8 to 10/29 for upgrade), and now Handspring is offering Cingular version (GSM) starting Nov. 3 (11/3 to 11/24 for upgrade). There is a rumor going around that T-mobile version will be available around Nov. 24. Perhaps AT&T will follow suit after T-mobile, and general unlocked GSM phones will be available sometime early 2004(?). I don't know who is to blame for this "moronic" scheme--Handspring or carriers, but I'm getting to a point where I'm going to pass on the Treo 600, and wait for the next version. Perhpas when my T-mobile contract expires next March, I'll get one of the Bluetooth phones (Nokia or Ericsson) to use with my T3 instead of the Treo 600.

To make things worse, even though Cingular version was released on Nov. 3, Handspring won't be processing orders till Nov. 17, and I've been hearing a week to two weeks delays for customers who ordered the 600 earlier. This seems to suggest that Handspring has a real problem meeting the market demand (whether it's manufacturing or supplier issue I don't know). So, perhaps this staggered rollout is nothing more than Handspring's way of resolving the supply issue. Handspring has done a great job creating a lot of hype for the Treo 600, but in this case, it might backfire on them if they make their customers frustrated or leave a lot of customers out in the cold.

What's been your experience, or what do you think?

Posted by Ken in PalmCorner
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November 6, 2003

T3 Update

PalmOne has just released the update for the Tungsten T3. This update fixes the problems we've been experiencing with SD cards. You can download the file here. Thanks to Rik for pointing this out. I'll update this report after I apply the patch to see if it solves a number of problems I have had with my backup software.

UPDATE:

I applied the patch, and now everything is working great. Now I feel like I'm back in Paradise again. By the way, if you installed the original Graffiti (G1) on top of G2, then make sure you don't restore these files after you update the T3. Take them out of the backup directory and then reinstall them when the device is restored to the previous condition.

Thank you, Palm, for making my night!

Posted by Ken in PalmCorner
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November 3, 2003

PalmCorner Weekly Feature--Palm Wireless Keyboard

One of the rituals we often go through when we get a new Palm device is to buy a new keyboard since our previous keyboard does not work with our new Palm device. There are several keyboards lying around in my study that are painful reminders of such experience. However, Palm has just released a new infrared keyboard that will save us from investing in any more keyboard even when we switch our Palm-branded device. Unlike other traditional keyboards that use the hotsync port connector, the new keyboard uses the ubiquitous IR port. I have tried the keyboard on my Tungsten C and Sony Clie NX60, and I’m happy to say the keyboard worked great on both devices. In fact, I was able to use both Wi-Fi and the keyboard at the same time in my Tungsten C, making it easy to work on my e-mail and surf the web.

Appearance

Unlike the Ultra-Thin Keyboard, which uses the metal finish, the Wireless Keyboard is made entirely of plastic. Perhaps that's how Palm kept the cost of the keyboard down--the Wireless Keyboard is about $30 cheaper than the Ultra-Thin keyboard ($99). You can probably get it for $49 if you surf the Net for a lower price.

The keyboard is definitely thinner than the original Palm keyboard but slightly thicker than the Ultra-Thin keyboard. It is also slightly longer than the other keyboards. The opening mechanism securely locks the keyboard, and it takes a bit of efforts to open up the keyboard. The opening mechanism also serves as the brace to hold up the area that holds the Palm device. The only concern I had was that the mechanism seemed a little flimsy, and I wondered how long it might last.

The folding mechanism worked well (it opens left to right) revealing the laptop sized keys. Unfortunately, unlike the Ultra-Thin Keyboard, this keyboard didn’t have any center support, and that made it almost impossible to type on my lap.

Battery

Instead of using the handheld to power the keyboard, the keyboard is powered by 2 AAA batteries. I’ve been using the keyboard for several weeks, and the battery hasn’t shown any wear yet.

Driver

palmOne released a new driver for the Wireless Keyboard (2.0p), and in addition to general and command keys preference setting tabs, the driver has two additional tabs called connected config and IR config to handle multiple keyboard types and IR settings.

The driver was quite responsive, and there was no typing lag as far as I can (This was not my experience in the past with other IR keyboard). However, I did notice that whenever I activated the driver, the beam receive function toggle under power preference became automatically turned to off, and as long as I had the driver turned on, I could not change it to on again. I’m not sure whether this is by design or bug, but I was able to receive beamed applications/data from other devices even with beam receive turned off.

There is also a setting in the IR config tab to turn off IR after certain number of minutes, and I suggest you use that to turn off IR since the use of IR can drain the main Palm battery. Also this setting did fix the beam receive on/off issue I mentioned earlier (however, it didn’t seem to work all the time in my experience).

Functionality

As with any portable keyboard, there are compromises to be made in order to maintain portability (size and weight). The dedicated row of number keys is no longer there, and you need to use the blue function key to type numbers. Symbol keys are then access using the green function key. I have to say it’s not as convenient as having a dedicated row of number/symbol keys, but after several weeks of use, I got pretty comfortable with pressing the function keys to access number and symbol keys.

The tactile feel and touch was similar to the Palm Ultra-Thin keyboard, and that meant the keyboard was extremely comfortable to type, but it still took me a few days to get comfortable with the two-piece space key.

One of the huge advantages of using this keyboard with the Tungsten T3 over other keyboard is the support for the landscape mode. You can lay the T3 sideways (landscape) and then take advantage of 480x320 mode. I was however somewhat disappointed that you cannot use the T3 right-handed (i.e., lay the T3 with its IR port facing the right side). Due to the design of the keyboard, you have to use the T3 left-handed landscape mode. It’s a minor annoyance, but here the benefit far outweighs the inconvenience.

Another minor issue was a missing stylus holder that we have in the Palm Portable Keyboard. I usually had to lay down the stylus on the desk and watch it roll away. One issue that was more than a minor inconvenience was trying to wake up the device when the device went into sleep. In other keyboards that use the hotsync port, you can wake the device up using the keyboard, but in the Wireless Keyboard, you cannot do that. I typically pressed the center of the 5-way navigator to bring up the clock and press OK to wake up the device.

Dimension:

5.45 x 3.75 x .75 closed
10.25 x 3.5 open (x 5.75 if you include the brace at the back)

Verdict

All in all, it is a winner. It’s not as comfortable as the full-sized Palm Portable Keyboard, but it’s acceptable for my small hands. I am not sure how the keyboard will fare for folks with bigger hands though. I use the keyboard all the time with my T3. I don’t know what it is, but it so much easy to write and read documents while the device is in the landscape mode, and if you happen to own a T3, this is a must-have accessory. Beside, the cost of the keyboard is reasonable, and you don’t have to change the keyboard when you switch your device to another Palm OS brand sometime in the future.

Posted by Ken in PalmCorner
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October 27, 2003

PalmCorner Weekly Feature--Sony Clie NX80

It was two years ago when Sony released its N710C, I wrote an article at MemoWare about Sony disturbing the peaceful Palm Universe, and true to its form, Sony has continued to innovate its Palm platform product line in the past two years. One of the latest additions to the lineup the NX80 is however more of an evolutionary change rather than a revolutionary one.

The Clie NX comes with an Intel ARM processor running at 200 MHz and Palm OS 5. It features a high-resolution plus screen (320x480), it has a built-in digital camera (1.3 Mega-pixel), a built-in voice recorder and MP3 Player. This is a classic clamshell design with a built-in QWERTY keyboard and a new retractable CF slot. The device is also compatible with new Memory Stick PRO cards. Although the NX80 comes with 32MB of RAM, only 16MB of RAM is available for use.

The Clie NX80 is priced at $ 549.99 and Sonystyle is currently offering a free leather case at that price.

The Clie NX80 is the improved version of the Clie NX70. I have reviewed the camera-less version NX60 in my MemoWare Features (I and II), and I won't repeat the same characteristics but rather focus on the changes from the previous models.

The screen resolution is superb at 320x480, but I do not believe Sony's screen is the same as the latest transflective color screen used by Palm in their latest Tungsten and Zire models. It really had a heavy bluish tint, and although bright and clear on its own, it just did not compare favorably when it sat side-by-side with my new Tungsten C and Tungsten T3.

The one big change is the improved resolution of the built-in digital camera. The built-in 1.3 mega-pixel camera now supports SXGA (1280 x 960) resolution, and you can save JPEG images or MPEG4 motion video to memory stick cards. The digital camera now offers a couple of new features that help you take pictures in low ambient light conditions: the new “Capture Light” and a slow shutter mode. Although the capture light is not a true flash, it was bright enough to use as a flashlight, and both features helped to take indoor pictures under the insufficient light condition. The NX80 also comes with the Neutral Density Filter that reduces the amount of light entering the camera lens. The new camera allowed me to take a number of photos in varying lighting situations, and most of the time, the camera produced decent pictures. Anyone who has any interest in digital photography knows that a 1.3 mega-pixel camera is limited in its usefulness, but for quick snap pictures, the camera served me well. It was only a few years ago, the entry-level resolution for digital camera was 1.3 mega-pixel, and I'm glad to see that Sony has incorporated this into their PDA's.

The biggest news for CF users is that the new Clie NX now allows you to use the CF slot with a CF memory storage card. The previous NX series only allowed the CF slot to be used with Sony's own Wireless LAN Card (PEGA-WL100/WL110), but Sony has now released the driver to use the CF slot for memory CF cards (However, you still need a third-party program if you want to use the CF card for MP3 play capability). Furthermore, the Clie NX now has the retractable CF slot, and when the CF card is not inserted into the slot, it can retract into the back of the unit, maintaining the slim profile.

The Clie NX incorporates a new input mechanism besides familiar Graffiti and the QWERTY keyboard. The NX80 features Decuma input handwriting recognition software, which converts your natural handwriting into text. I have to say it took me awhile to figure out how to use this feature, and even after I figured it out, it did not work as well as it was supposed to. One of the main failings of the Apple Newton was the handwriting recognition, and I was saying to myself, "Oh, No! Not again!"

Sony has listened to its customers, and now there are four hardware buttons below the screen in the NX80. So, even though the screen is flipped on top, you can access at least four applications using the buttons. Unfortunately, you still don't have the up-and-down button, but I guess we have to take it one step at a time. Sony however also hasn't listened to its customers also since the up-shift key in the built-in keyboard does not stick as in the older NX devices.

Sony has also changed the hardware configuration for the left and right side panels. The capture button, jog dial, and back button are still on the left side, but the headphone jack is moved to the right side. Now the left side has a new power switch that double as the hold button. On the right side panel, there is a memory stick card slot as well as a voice-recording switch

The Clie NX is really showing its age right now, when other Palm OS devices have faster processors, more RAM (128MB for the Zodiac; and 64MB for the Tungsten C and the T3), and higher visibility transflective screens. This is not to detract from the NX80 at all. It is a good device, and it does everything competently, but there is nothing here that is ground breaking. Sony has reduced the price of the NX80 to $549, but to me it is still expensive. In order to do Wi-Fi, you would need to spend more than $150 to buy the Sony Wi-Fi card, and that would push it up to the $700 price range. You can easily buy the Tungsten T/C for $499 and get a 1.3 mega-pixel camera for less than $100, or you can get the Tungsten T3 for $399, get a camera and keyboard for less than $150. Either way, you would be saving $$$ compared to the Clie NX.

Sony has been facing a stiff competition of late from several upstart companies as well as venerable palmOne. The biggest difference I see now is how Palm has come back with a vengeance and stolen most of the headlines with its latest releases. The Palm Tungsten C broke the 16MB limitation by 4 times, and The Palm Tungsten T3 brought the extended screen while maintaining the slim form factor. Tapwave has been garnering a lot of attention with the Zodiac, its newest release. So, unless Sony comes up with something exciting (I don't think the latest UX50 or 40 is the answer by the way) in the next 6 to 12 months, Sony may not be able to hold onto innovation leadership in the Palm platform.

As far as the NX80 is concerned, I do not think it offers a good value for its money right now even though it is a competent performer.

Next Week: Come back and read about the new Tungsten T3 and Tungsten E next week. I have already looked at the latest basic PIM applications, but now it's time to examine the whole package since I have been using them for several weeks now.

Posted by Ken in PalmCorner
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October 20, 2003

PalmCorner Weekly Feature--Sena Tungsten C Case

Can you improve on something that is already great? If the case you are talking about is Sena, then the answer is yes. I had a chance to try out the new Tungsten C case from Sena, and the short answer is it is definitely staying put with my Tungsten C.

The case comes in three different colors (black, tan, and red). The case I have came in tan and without a belt clip, but you can order one with it as well. The Tungsten C slides into the case, and the transparent plastic cover offers the keyboard protection. The plastic cover did not interfere with using the keyboard, but it did introduce a different tactile feel. The cover did not also interfere with the hardware buttons and the 5-way navigator button.

The quality of the leather was superb. The quality of workmanship was also of first class. The cutouts were where they are supposed to be, and the edges were clean. I loved the fresh smell of the leather when I first opened the case. Sena also improved the finishing on the edges of the case, and all the edges looked smooth and made the case more attractive and quite expensive. Also the packaging the case came in was simply superb. It came packaged in a nice box and a clothing pouch.

The acrylic mirror, one of the unique features of the Sena case, does not come with the case any more, but you can order one for $1.99 with the case. The cover was well padded and with the mirror inserted, it offered a solid protection for the screen (By the way, I borrowed the mirror from my old Clie NX case). The cover also has three slots for business cards or credit cards (one of them could be used for the mirror), two SD card slots, and one multipurpose pocket. Unfortunately, the multipurpose pocket worked OK for storing my headset, but the addition of the headset increased the bulk of the case at the front. The case did not look slim and attractive any more, but I guess that is the trade-off you need to decide. So, if it had the dedicated headset slot, it would have been perfect, but I don't know how anyone can do it without adding more bulk to the case.

The cutouts at the top of the case provides the access to the IR port, stylus, and headphone jack.

The cutout at the bottom of the case provides the access to the hotsync connector, and you can hotsync your T/C in the cradle while it is still in the case. Unlike other cases that advertise as such, this case worked the first time I tried to hotsync--there was no break-in period needed to hotsync the T/C in its case. The front of the case has a loop at the bottom that comes around to cover the hotsync cutout and snaps close in the back of the case. The back of the case also has a cutout for the reset button.

All in all, a winner in my book, and at $39.99 ($44.99 with the belt clip), you don't feel bad about spending $ to buy the case after shelling out $$$ for your Tungsten C.

Posted by Ken in PalmCorner
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Update on T3 Speed Discrepancy

Last week I posted an article about the speed discrepancy between the Tungsten T3 and the Tungsten C. It now seems the problem has been identified by a couple of folks, and better yet, the solution found.

According to mobilevoodoo.com site, "T3 Optimizer corrects the processor speed loss problem with the Tungsten T3 PDA from PalmOne. The T3 is designed to run at 400 MHz, and after a reset it does just that, but as soon as you power it off and then back on, the processor appears to slow to approximately 75% of its original speed. This problem is easily verified by any benchmarking utility."

If you are interested in fixing the bug, check out the two free utility programs that would allow you to do it.

I prefer T3 optimizer since you can change its setting via the preference panel, but T3 bug fix from Clievideo also does its job well.

Posted by Ken in PalmCorner
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October 14, 2003

Palm's New Basic Applications--PalmCorner Weekly Features (Updated)

Believe or not, Palm has revamped three of their four basic applications with the release of their new Palm devices, and as a result, I'm back to using these applications once again. Datebook, Addressbook, and Todo List programs have been replaced by new programs Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks, and I'm happy to report that it's more than a simple name change.

The new program called Calendar has an agenda view that has a new interface (with color background) that is pleasurable to see and use. If you use Versamail, it can also display a number of unread messages as well. As you can see it also displays the birthday entry from the contact database (I'll talk more about this later). If you set up the default view to the agenda view in the display option, then whenever you use the hardware button, the program will start in the agenda view.

By the way, one thing nice about all these new applications is that they should work on other Palm OS5 devices. I installed these programs in my Palm Tungsten C, and I'm using them without any problems.

Read more about these programs by clicking the hyperlink below.

Besides the agenda view, the program now offers a modified monthly view and a new yearly view. When the screen is expanded, the monthly view shows the previous and next month's mini-calendar.

By tapping on the mini-calendar, you can navigate to a different month in the monthly view. Another feature I like is the preview function in the monthly view. If you tap on a date with events, a pop-up window shows the list of that day's schedule. If you move your stylus away from the date, then you are still in the monthly view. If you lift the stylus, then you go into the daily view of that day (previous behavior in Datebook). The pop-up schedule is really a nice feature that I used in the Datebk5, and I'm glad to see it here.

The yearly view now gives you the annual calendar, and tapping on a month will bring you to the monthly view. Also, now you can color code the categories, and they will show up as a circle in front of your entry in the daily and the agenda view, and as color blocks in the weekly and the monthly view. Furthermore, you can have the category list shown in the daily, weekly, and monthly view and filter the appointments or events using a category. So, if I want to see only appointments or events related to one of my categories teaching, then it's really easy to do. Nice touch, Palm.

One of the major shortcomings and gripes (depending on who you talk to) in Addressbook was the lack of additional address fields in the program. So, if you put someone's work address, then there was no way to put in their home address. The new version overcomes this. Now we have three different address fields in the program, and several additional fields such as chatroom ID and birthday.

In fact, if you enter someone's birthday in that field, it magically shows up in the Calendar program (see the Agenda image above). You can even assign a alarm reminder to the birthday (e.g., 3 days before). In addition, there are now 9 custom fields (yes, 9 instead of 4).

One of the nice features is name searching using the navigator pad. If you press the right side of the pad, a list of blocks shows up at the bottom of the list, and you can use the navigator pad to scroll up and down the alphabets to move the contact list. Pushing the right side of the pad will move you to the next letter on the list and so forth so on. This is a handy feature when you don't want to take out your stylus to navigate.

Finally, the improvement in the task view is also extremely useful. Now you can filter your tasks by pre-assigned dates: due today, last 7 days, next 7 days, and past due, and when you tap on the filter, you can see how many items fall under each filter. Furthermore, you can now set an alarm to a task as well as schedule repeated tasks.

Most of these improvements are significant, and I've been using third-party software to compensate for the lack of these features in the original built-in program. So, perhaps now you see why I have returned to using these built-in applications.

Palm has also released the new Outlook conduit and new Palm Desktop to take advantage of the new features in the Palm applications.

All in all, these are significant improvements, and kudos to Palm for making this happen.

Posted by Ken in PalmCorner
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October 13, 2003

Palm Tungsten C and T3 Discrepancy

According to palmOne, my Tungsten T3 and Tungsten C should have the same Intel processor running at 400 MHz. However, my recent experience shows that my Tungsten C is a tad bit faster. So, today I ran the upgraded version of Speedy to check. Guess what? My Tunsten C is about 33% faster than the Tungsten T3. Did palmOne intentionally slowed down the processor in order to give more battery life in the T3 (since the T3 comes with a slimmer battery)? What gives?

Posted by Ken in PalmCorner
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October 6, 2003

PalmCorner Weekly Feature--Natara Daynotez

PalmCorner Weekly Feature will cover top Palm software programs and accessories on every Monday starting today. There will be other major features that covers new Palm OS devices on a monthly basis or as needed. The honor for the first PalmCorner Weekly Feature goes to Natara's Daynotez. The reason? It's one of the programs I use everyday. If you are a professional, or anyone who wants to keep track of your work, contacts, or daily records, there isn't a program that is better than Daynotez. I've been using the program since its inception, and the developers have done a real nice job improving the program to make it more useful each time.

The program features three useful views: daily view, list view, and monthly view. Each note entry can have its own category, and there are plethora of other options such as follow-up flag, keyword entry, contact entry (with auto-fill feature). The program also has a nice search feature where you can jump to your searched entries one by one (using next/previous icons). The list view allows you to filter the entries by categories, or you can set up multiple filters for your special viewing needs. For instance, you can filter for flagged items, certain keyword, contact information or any texts in the entry. Recently, one of my colleagues asked me what I have for my community service during the past year, and I was able to provide him with the whole list within a few seconds. He was definitely impressed. The developers have recently added the voice memo feature and the expanded screen viewing for the Sony UX-50. Hopefully, they will add the VG support for the new Palm T3 soon.

There is also a companion desktop version that adds spellcheck and sophisticated filters. If you purchase the desktop version for $24.95, you get the Palm version as well. However, if you want to use the program just in your Palm, the Palm OS version only will cost you $14.95. Believe me the desktop is worth more than $10 you are getting charged for. There is also alternative desktop conduit that allows you to sync the Palm version to your Outlook on your PC. For me, I tried both versions, and I always come back to the regular Daynotez desktop version (I think it offers more features than Outlook).

I use the program every day, and it is one of those programs where the return on your investment is really huge. I can assure you this will not one of those programs that we paid for but rarely use. So check out the program, and let us know what you think about the program.

Daynotez Desktop

Posted by Ken in PalmCorner
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October 4, 2003

Battle Rages On-Palm and Sony fight for lower-end Palm OS devices

Looks like palmOne and Sony are going to go head to head in fighting for consumer dollars in the lower-end market of color Palm OS devices. As most of you know on Oct. 1, Palm announced the new Tungsten E at $199 that includes such goodies as 320x320 transflective screen, MP3 player, 32MB (28.3MB useable), OS5, ARM processor (all coming under 5oz, 4.6 oz to be precise). That to me was the price breakthrough for most consumers who wanted a faster and more versatile Palm OS5 device but were unwilling to lay out top $$$ for the device.

Now, Sony is joining the fray by introducing two new devices at this price point: TJ25 and TJ35. Both devices feature high resolution 320x320 screens, 200MHz ARM processor, OS5, and a slim form factor (and also coming under 5 oz, 4.9 oz to be precise). However, the T25 only comes with 16MB RAM (11MB available) and no MP3 player. The T35 does come with a MP3 player and 32MB RAM (23MB available). The T25 and the T35 cost $199 and $249 respectively; so, they are a tad more expensive than the Palm Tungsten E. Now Sony is upping the ante by offering $20 and $30 rebates for their models until January 3, 2004 (making them $179 and $219 effectively).

So, it will be interesting who will win out this market segment at the end. Let us know what you think.

Posted by Ken in PalmCorner
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A Trouble at Paradise--T3 Update

There seems to be a major problem with the new Palm Tungsten T3 SD card drive system. I've been using Sandisk SD card with the Palm T/C, and when I started to use the card in the T3, I ran into all sorts of problems. I had a problem with file corruption and had to reformat the whole card, and when I ran my backup programs (such as BackupMan and JBBackup for OS5). So, I thought the card went bad, and went out and purchased a PNY SD card (manufactured by Toshiba). Unfortunately, I am still getting the backup error (such as system error #0x2908 "A sector that was accessed is bad." or unknown error). However, I have never had these error with my T/C, and the Sandisk card that gave me the problem is running fine when I returned it to the T/C and reformatted. So, I was both puzzled and disturbed to say the least.

However, when I got in touch with Mike Waldron at Bits' n Bolt Software, it seems that the problem is more wide-spread. According to his website, there is a SD driver problem in the T3 that exhibits such symptoms, and there is a big warning not to use any Sandisk SD cards.

So, there seems to be a trouble at Paradise, and let's hope palmOne takes action to remedy this situation quickly.

Posted by Ken in PalmCorner
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October 3, 2003

Sweet Sensation--Palm Tungsten T3 First Impression

I'm not sure where the new Palm Tungsten T3 would rank in the land of classic Palm's in the future, but one thing that is for certain is that I definitely got a warm feeling when I obtained the device several days ago (before the release date). Of course, since I signed the NDA, I couldn't talk about it. Well, it took me a few days to navigate around the new features and to be able to write about my impressions.

Briefly, the Palm Tungsten T3 is the third-generation T series featuring the Intel 400 MHz Arm processor and 64MB of RAM (52MB useable). Also it is the first device from PalmOne to utilize the Virtual Graffiti (320x480) screen.

Needless to say, the title gives it away. I find myself liking this device more and more. About 2 years ago, Palm was criticized for not innovating enough, but since the release of the original Tungsten T, Palm seems to be on track. Along with the T3, Palm also released two lower priced models. Now Palm has a device at every price point ($99, $199, $299, $399, and $499). I'll be getting the Tungsten E and the Zire in a week or two to review as well. Click the link below to read more about what I found out during these few days.

So, what do I like about the device?

Here is the list of my likes: (Top 10?)

1. 320x480 Transflective screen (It's gorgeous and as good as the Tungsten C)
2. Small form factor (it's smaller than the T/C and the Zire)
3. Instantaneous screen rotation to landscape (my Word and Excel documents thank thee).
4. Convenient status bar--The status bar contains a number of useful features such as screen rotation, time/battery/memory indicator and brightness slider, Bluetooth on/off, Onscreen writing on/off. The onscreen writing feature is really convenient (this feature makes the slider really shine since you don't have to open up the slider to input your data when you are in a hurry).
5. New updated built-in applications. Palm decided to update the built-in applications and I applaud them for not waiting before OS6 to do this. Now the updated calendar program (it's called Calendar) has a new agenda view (which shows future events as well as mail status) , a yearly view, and the expanded 2-month calendar in the monthly view (when viewing in 320x480). The new contact program now accepts multiple addresses (work, home, and other), and also 9 custom fields. There is even an entry for putting down chat room ID and birthday. Obviously, Palm has listened to their customers and responded. The updated task program now features multiple time view filters (such as today, next 7 days, past 7 days, etc).
6. Tap and hold application button on the status bar to access recently used applications. Wow! Now you don't need the 3rd party software to accomplish this. Since the status bar is available at all times, this is really convenient.
7. Docs to Go with native Word and Excel support. I know some of you might prefer other programs, but it's free and now includes native Word and Excel support.
8. Loud alarm. This is probably the loudest Palm device I have used period. Now alarm is finally useful. Also the speaker is polyphonic, and you can listen to your MP3 tunes w/o speakers (it's loud enough).
9. New keylock feature--Now you can lock your device down so that accidental key presses don't turn on your device. You can do this automatically or manually depending on your needs.
10. The new flip cover (OK. I'm running out of things to say, but it is really much better than what we used to get, especially compared to the cover that came with the original T).

My only concern is the less powerful battery (900m Ah) as compared to the Tungsten C (1400m Ah), but I guess you have to sacrifice something to maintain the portable form factor. Also, the screen was pretty much unreadable under the bright sunlight. I tried to use it outside a few days ago, and I had to create a shade using my hands to accomplish this.

OK. That about covers it for now. I'll do a full-blown review of the Tungsten T3 here in a week or two, but in the meantime, if you are in the market for a new device in this price range, the T3 is an extremely attractive choice. This device really shows Palm has spent considerable time thinking about and implementing features that are not only new but user friendly. This thoughtfulness really comes out when you are using the device (I have caught myself blurting out my appreciation for the designers several times so far). Kudos for Palm for listening to their customers and continuing the tradition of Zen of Palm.

Posted by Ken in PalmCorner
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September 5, 2003

Dana Wireless Shipping

Looks like the Dana Wireless is officially shipping. A recent brochure I received from Alphasmart shows a detailed description of the Dana Wireless as well as the new Internet software package including a wide-screen web browser and an e-mail client as well as a chat program.

The new Dana will also include the wide-screen versions of Documents to Go from Dataviz as well. Looks like I'll be leaving my laptop at home more often in the future.

I will be getting a review unit soon; so, look for the review in the near future.

Posted by Ken in PalmCorner
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August 28, 2003

Going Wireless with Dana

I've been reviewing the latest Dana by Alphasmart, and I'm quite impressed with the device (see my upcoming MemoWare Features review). However, I sorely missed not having Wi-Fi. I like many others have been waiting for the promised wireless version of the Dana by Alphasmart. Well, it turns out, I don't have to wait any longer. With the latest ROM update (1.2), you can go wireless now with a number of available USB wireless adpaters. I am using a Microsoft USB Wireless Adapter, and it worked flawlessly the first time I tried to connect. The setup was extremely simple (I mean really simple). I installed SnapperMail and Blazer, and both programs worked great. Besides, MS MN-510, you can also use any of the following adapters: D-Link DWL120, Samsung WL-S150k, or US Robotics USR1120.

I'm not ready to say good-bye to my ThinkPad yet, but more and more I'll be leaving it behind and just carrying the Dana with me.

Posted by Ken in PalmCorner
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July 18, 2003

T3--Palm has done it?

No, it's not Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines with Arnold Schwarzenegger. It's the new Palm Tungsten 3 with a 320x480 screen.

Looks like Palm is finally going to deliver what most people were clamoring for the past couple of years. eNet, the website from China, is showing off the new T3 with 320x480 screen with the current Palm Tungsten T form factor. The Virtual Griffit screen is hidden until you pull the bottom part (just like T/T). Since Palm Source has incorporate the VG into its OS, it was a matter of time this was going to happen, and looks like Palm SG has done it.

The T3 also comes with quite a few goodies as well. Everything the current T/T has plus more RAM (64MB total), landscape mode, and more.

This is just a rumor, but we can dream, can't we?

Check out the pictures at eNet web pages here.

Posted by Ken in PalmCorner
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July 8, 2003

Return of the Tungsten C

My Tunsten C has finally returned. Well, I should say, a brand new (reconditioned?) Tungsten C has arrived. I received the e-mail last week (7/3/03) that they had shipped the unit, and I knew that they must have sent a different unit (given the turn-around time). Unfortunately, due to the July 4th holiday, Airborne didn't pick up the unit till yesterday (7/7/2003--Bummer). I tried to track the pakcage over the weekend, but nothing showed up on the Airborne website. I am not sure whose fault is it that it wasn't actually shipped on 7/3 as stated in the e-mail, but I don't care any more.

I have just installed the ROM update (believe or not, the Tungsten still came loaded with the older ROM), and it worked fine. Now everything is back to normal. Anyway, Palm included a new stylus and a flip cover. So, now I have a spare stylus and a flip cover (equivalent to $12.06 I paid for shipping, I wonder). I guess that's a consolation for not having my Palm for 8 days (might have been shorter if there was no holiday).

The only downside to this was the Palm's service status check web page. I had a terrible time accessing information in the page for the past several days, and I only wish they improve on that. All in all, not bad.

Posted by Ken in PalmCorner
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July 2, 2003

Palm Update

UPS delivered my Palm T/C to the Palm Repair Center on 10:37 a.m. (Central Time) this morning. So, start the time counter . . .

Posted by Ken in PalmCorner
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June 30, 2003

Palmless for ? Days . . .

Well, my Tungsten C is off to the Palm repair center at Laredo, Texas. I shipped it via UPS 2nd day (afternoon). With insurance, it came out to $12.06. I thought about sending it next day afternoon, but it would have been $26.27, and there was no way I'm going to pay that much after having paid $499 for my device.

Of course, Palm offered me an advance exchange for $39.99, but that to me was ridiculous as well. I can be without Palm for a few weeks (I still got my Treo 180 and Sony NX60, plus a few classic Palm's), but I can't imagine how other folks who don't have any spare device supposed to deal with this withdrawal.

I have a bunch of wireless adapters/cards, and this is the first time I have to deal with this issue. I suggested to Palm they should reexamine their repair/exchange policy, especially when it clearly involves "negligence" on their part, but don't hold your breadth.

Stay tuned for future updates.

Posted by Ken in Mobile & PDAs and PalmCorner
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June 26, 2003

Is there something wrong with this picture?

I've been pretty happy with the Tungsten C since I purchased it for my MemoWare Features review as well as personal use. It has been my primary PDA for the past few months. However, that is going to change (at least temporarily). You see I have to send it back for repair. Although there have been a number of issues I have discovered since the purchase (See MemoWare), I have tolerated those. Also, I have found quick solutions to those issues such as the Boxwave hotsync cable for the hotsync cable issue.

However, today I have learned that I have to return the unit for repair (at my expense), and it will take 7 to 10 days once it is received at the repair center. The funny thing is that this saga started on a positive note: Palm's newly released patch for the Tungsten C. I was excited to find that Palm released a new patch for the Tungsten C. However, when I read the update instruction, I discovered something was amiss. The update instruction says, "If the MAC Address does not match the MAC label on the rear of the handheld contact Palm Customer Support. DO NOT continue to step 3." So, I contacted Palm Customer Support, and then I was told that there was an issue (upon further checking with Palm Tech Support, the issue seems to be related to the device losing its MAC ID), and it can only be repaired at the repair site. I don't have any solid data, but I suspect that this issue might be more widespread than just affecting a few individuals. It's hard to believe that Palm would have overlooked something like this before the release (for me, if you have to send the unit back for repair, it's not a minor issue any more).

Well, I've had my Palm T/C for exactly 2 months, and now it is going back for repair. Needless to say, it doesn't bode well for me to have to spend extra $$$ and time (not having Palm for more than a week). I remember when I had my earlier Palm’s, Palm sent me a box for me to send back the unit overnight, and then I would have the unit back in 2-3 days. Well those days are forever gone I guess. I'll update my readers on my experience, and it will be interesting to see if my positive past support experience with Palm continues to hold true. Stay tuned . . .

Posted by Ken in Mobile & PDAs and PalmCorner
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June 7, 2003

First Look--Fellowes Stowaway XT Keyboard for Sony Clie

One of the key accessories missing from the Sony NX lineup has been the portable "full-size" keyboard. As most of you know (it's also mentioned in my earlier MemoWare article), Sony changed the wiring of the NX devices, and as a result, the previous Sony portable keyboard was not compatible with the keyboard. So, the current owners of the Sony NX devices have been waiting for a new keyboard for a long time (7 months is eternity in the high tech world).

Well, the long wait is finally over. Fellowes has just released the Stowaway XT keyboard for the Sony Clie NR, NX, T, and SJ. I just received the review unit, and I was eager to try it out. I installed the driver and off I went. The driver is an updated version (1.96F) of the ThinkOutside driver for Palm OS5.

The keyboard and driver worked perfectly during my brief testing. The only thing I've noticed was that there was a slight lag when I typed fast (the screen display was delayed by a second when I typed). Since I type 70 words per minute, it is understandable, but I did not notice the same lag when I was using the Palm Ultra-Thin keyboard with the Zire 71 and the Tungsten C.

Anyway, it's great news for the Sony Clie NX owners--actually for other Clie owners as well since we now have the first thin Stowaway keyboard for the Sony Clie's.

Stay tuned for my MemoWare Features for the full review of Sony Clie accessories including several cases for the Sony NX devices in the near future.

Posted by Ken in Mobile & PDAs and PalmCorner
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June 2, 2003

Review to Go (Acrobat Palm OS Reader)

I know I have been writing my MemoWare Features for more than a year now, but I haven't been able to turn any of my reviews into a portable document that I can carry with me and still be satisfied with the quality. That is until now.

Adobe has just released the new version of its free Acrobat Reader for Palm OS Version 3.0. So, I figured why not try to convert my latest Palmcorner review of the Zire 71 into a Palm OS pdf file and see if it can fly.

Of course, given the smaller Palm screen, it would be impossible to duplicate the identical format, but the new version did a good job preserving graphics and tables in the review. While it's difficult to read the table as it appears in the program (see the picture), you can zoom on the table and read the contents of the table. I was impressed!

The conversion was simple as adding a pdf file to the PC Acrobat Palm OS program and synchronizing to a Palm device.

Check it out by downloading the converted PDF (.pdb) file here: Palm Zire 71 Review

Posted by Ken in Mobile & PDAs and PalmCorner
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