1SRC Podcast SixtyThree

[Alan G]

This week Jeff Kirvin joins me as my special co-host and we cover: writing on your Palm, this week's 1SRC editorial, the debate over "handhelds" vs. "smartphones" and the Treo 700p. [details (http://www.1src.com/?m=show&id=1435)]

[JAmerican]

I tried to decide between a LD and TX and can't decide which is better for me. LD is reported to be very laggy still and the TX doesn't really impress me much. I felt as if I was going to get a TX because everyone told me to. The LD's 4GB was the only tradeoff I was willing to make over the keyboard and camera of the UX. I'm very saddened that even when trying to update, I find it most difficult to because of the little selection. The TX doesn't have voice memo out of the box while LD has while TX is stable and LD isn't as much.

Updating becomes more and more difficult as the year goes on. Hopefully the new Treos are better but they will most definately have 320x320 (which is bad for widescreen viewing).

LOL, Kirvin, I remember you used to make fun of the UX's screen. I feel the same way sometimes about the UX screen to other devices screens.

Ed Colligan is all about making the Treos the best and the handhelds worse every time. You can see how the handhelds are reducing and Treos are going to increase.

JAmerican

[cgarrett1974]

I tried to decide between a LD and TX and can't decide which is better for me. LD is reported to be very laggy still and the TX doesn't really impress me much. I felt as if I was going to get a TX because everyone told me to. The LD's 4GB was the only tradeoff I was willing to make over the keyboard and camera of the UX. I'm very saddened that even when trying to update, I find it most difficult to because of the little selection. The TX doesn't have voice memo out of the box while LD has while TX is stable and LD isn't as much.

Updating becomes more and more difficult as the year goes on. Hopefully the new Treos are better but they will most definately have 320x320 (which is bad for widescreen viewing).

LOL, Kirvin, I remember you used to make fun of the UX's screen. I feel the same way sometimes about the UX screen to other devices screens.

Ed Colligan is all about making the Treos the best and the handhelds worse every time. You can see how the handhelds are reducing and Treos are going to increase.

JAmerican

I never did own the UX50. I wanted too SOOO badly, but at the time, I did not have the money.

I purchased the Euro version of the LifeDrive back in August. Prior to this I had played around with demo models in many of the office stores. I experienced the “lag”, but thought nothing of it.

If you search around the forums, I have a few posts where I go back and for on the LifeDrive—I even go as far to say that I am going to use my m500 till I can sell the LifeDrive and get a TX.

I still have my LifeDrive. After the 2.0 update it has fixed 98% of my concerns. The remaining 2% consist of the lag, which, at least since I know why this occurs, I can deal with it. Especially after using it for several months now. I only get jealous when I use my wife’s T5…. Alas, I digress. The other percentage point goes to say that regardless of what Palm says with their Versamail 3.1c update, the darn thing still crashes. This is so annoying since I have 5 accounts I check regularly. It would not be so bad if the LifeDrive’s reset took 4 seconds, but 3 minutes to wait sucks.

I do not mean to paint a poor picture of the LifeDrive JAmerican. I think that once you get over the lag, it is a very diverse device. The only thing it can’t do is a phone. But, just like Jeff had said in the Podcast, I concur that in the future, everyone will have a Bluetooth headset and the device will resemble something LIKE a LifeDrive.

The 4GB of space comes in SOOOO handy. I can place documents (I have about 300 megs of files I use) on the LifeDrive and never have to worry about space. I take voice memos all he time, particularly on the car ride home.

All I can say is that the LifeDrive really is a way to manage your life. I keep EVERYTHING in it. And, since I have the Euro version, I have the HD backup conduit, which from what I understand does not come with all models of the device’ very odd. Let me know if you have specific questions about the LifeDrive and I will see if I can answer them for you. Good luck deciding on what to do.

[cgarrett1974]

I really enjoyed this Podcast; it was great to hear Jeff’s perspectives again. I almost always agree with 80% of what he says! I have owned a Treo 600 and got rid of it for the LifeDrive. I do not regret this because the screen real-estate is so much more valuable to me than what the low-res screen could provide- it just cannot compare the 320x480 behemoth.

The 700p is intriguing to me, but still the 320x320 thing, and having to spend $$$ to buy memory cards to have the same storage functionality I currently have is crazy; this is all ready going to be expensive as it is without the addition of high-capacity memory cards.

I also think that the notion of the Z22’s life being short because as soon as Lowrider is released, no one will buy it is a little preposterous. I am not sure I agree that it is going away, as a matter of fact, Alan had stated several times in the past that these devices will still be around for niche markets, yet Alan, you gave into Jeff and agreed with him.

To say that the Z22 will go away as soon as Lowrider comes out is like saying that just because my automaker has a new model out with new features; I am going to trade in my car. I think, for people like myself, this is entirely true :) , but for the common man or woman, I doubt that as soon as the device comes out they will all drop their 22’s and make a run for Lowrider . Eventually, perhaps- but not as quickly as hinted to here.

I agree as well that Hollywood will debut in Europe first, after all, that is the market they are targeting, but I think we will also see a domestic limited release at least. Heck, I would not mind having a cool stylish antenna-less Treo smartphone, would you?

I think that concludes my rant.

[Jimmie Geddes]

Great podcast guys. Great to hear kirvin again, hope he comes to the chat tomorrow night. I'll be there.
"Once you start down the Treo path forever will it dominate your destiny"
-Jeff Kirvin

Love that statement, and it's so true.

I got to use a Treo 700w, and I was so impressed. It feels better than my 650 does, the keyboard is also better. I wrote up first impressions on my site.

http://gadgetsonthego.net/2006/02/treo-700w-first-impressions-its-treo-i.html

Treo 700p users are going to be in store for a nice device, it's an update to a classic. I will be getting one the day it's released :)

[Jimmie Geddes]

I test and use chatter while driving. I know I'm bad :)

Alan and Jeff great podcast!!!!!

[Jimmie Geddes]

Jamerican, go for the TX. I had both a lifedrive and tx. I returned the lifedrive after having it for 4 days. It is buggy, and slow. The TX is one of the best Palm pda's I have ever used, but recently went back to being just a Treo guy. I got weird looks carrying around a TX and Treo 650, I felt like Alan,lol. The Treo 650 is "nirvana" a Kirvinism.

Alan you need to just go with one device, and that device is the Treo 700p. $15.00 unlimited EV-DO data is CRAZY, but it's true. Switch to Sprint, you will be so happy you did.

See you guys at the chat.

[rcartwr]

Jeff and Alan,

Your podcast was so good my wife liked it.<G> I will say that I am not so sure about the phone formfactor morphing to something else along the line of a PDA. I suspect that the Joe Average user is not ready to "go Borg" as Jeff put it. That means that they are going to want a phone that they can put up aganist their ear. I know people who do not think twice about using a hands free kit in the car, but think that walking around with it is "just too nerdy".

I beleive that I will be at the chat as its snowing like the bejesus in my little corner of the world with about 3 inches on the ground in a place where flurries causes an Armageddon like rush to the stores for milk and bread <G> and most folks down here have no winter driving skills. (Those of us who do have the good sense to stay off the roads.)

[JAmerican]

The main reason for me updating was the need for something new in the new year. Don't you get that feeling that when ur birthday passes or new year comes that you need something new to play with. My EB40 Battery Mods have been successful in that they have given me more user time with my UX but I've been having problems configuration wise. I think I hit the nail on the head this time. Not sure, it will take a few days of usage and charging to see if this configuration works. Like I'm watching music videos right now @ 40% brightness and my device is at 96% and I hadn't start charging yet. I hadn't used it all day but still for a UX, thats amazing. Usually when I didn't use my device, it would be in the 80s anyway due to the RAM sucking power.

Everytime I look at the UX, I just know deep inside my heart that I'd be making a mistake if I moved from it. If this setup with the battery works as it should, I may still sell due to I need the cash. That depends. My UX or UXtreme as I like to refer to it is officially the best PDA out there (in my opinion). The loss of WiFi really bothers me but it hasn't bothered me much. I'm still annoyed by that though. I've got like 3 DOA UX motherboards (2 w/ WiFi & 1 w/o WiFi) and who knows, the WiFi probably on those works. :mad:

JAmerican

[manielse]

I loved the podcast with one major exception: the fact that people like Jeff don't understand why people like myslef want WiFi. I can understand his view for many but there's a whole other group of people that want WiFi for other reasons.

Using Movian/Mergic VPN or even bluetooth really sucks when there's a better way to connect to things in your home or work networks. I agree that hotspots are not a compelling reason to use WiFi but that's not where the value of WiFi is on a Treo. If I'm in a meeting that's too far for my computer's bluetooth (virtually every meeting), I should be able to grab files, SSH, VNC, etc on my Intranet without using slower cellular with VPN.

This is becoming a bigger issue for me every week. I'm actually considering looking for alternative for my 650 (very long time handspring/palm user) such as the DualCor ( www.dualcor.com ) when it comes out almost because of the lack of WiFi in near term Palm Treos. I perfer having the Treo be in the form of a phone that I put to my ear and a keyboard but this thing looks to be a powerhouse otherwise! The DualCor makes the 700w look like the wrong move if heading to Windows-based smartphone.

Overall a great podcast but don't assume hotspots is the reason for the push of WiFi.

<rant over>

--Mark Nielsen

[JAmerican]

I personally love WiFi but have learned to live without it. If I had a chance to actually put WiFi back into my CLIE (or get it working again) I would. I have a WiFi card but its large and annoying. Built-in WiFi is amazing and should not be discouraged. I myself have a BT dongle and have WiFI router. When I had WiFi, I was able to go down to my basement from my top floor and still control my PC while with BT, can't even go across the top floor without loosing connection.

But WiFi should not only be considered for one market. There are many. I see WiFi and 3G as both great ways to recieve data or send data super fast. But for those who are more into home networking, WiFi may be more suitable while people who are constantly on the run might favor 3G. I'd take both personally due to I wouldn't want to open ports in my router to access my PC. But if I had to choose one, I'd go with 3G because I'm a person who loves to access things via the Internet on the run and if I had to open a port in my router, I would although not for long.

JAmerican

[cgarrett1974]

If you don't need an all-in-one solution, I would get a T|C and a mobile phone of choice. You get Wi-Fi, built in VPN and keyboard- just a thought.

[JAmerican]

If you don't need an all-in-one solution, I would get a T|C and a mobile phone of choice. You get Wi-Fi, built in VPN and keyboard- just a thought.

I was going to look into getting a TC but a few things annoyed me. 320x320 screen, mono headphone output, no BT and high price. I need BT more than I need WiFi. The TC and UX came out around the same time so they have the same OS. The processor on the TC is truly amazing. But for me, I need a device with at least a device with at least BT, some video/audio playback thats enjoyable, and a 480x320 screen if the device is a handheld. Smartphones are the exception (at least for now).

[Alan G]

I also think that the notion of the Z22’s life being short because as soon as Lowrider is released, no one will buy it is a little preposterous. I am not sure I agree that it is going away, as a matter of fact, Alan had stated several times in the past that these devices will still be around for niche markets, yet Alan, you gave into Jeff and agreed with him.

Guilty! I'm all over the place on this issue. I'm way to conservative/diplomatic to fully dismiss a non-cellular PDA. When I say PDA here, I'm talking about non-Treos. Look, if Palm is making money selling Z22s, TXs, and to a lesser extent, LifeDrive's, then I think Palm will continue to make them.

One point that I didn't get to bring up in the podcast is that when you pair up a disconnected PDA with services like AddIt and AvantGo, it is entirely possible to securely transfer data back to a central server. (Again, I'm talking niche markets here: Think medical, clerks, inventory, surveys, etc.)

And here are a few other confessions:

1. I like using AddIt (Palm TX edition) and AvantGo. Like I said in the podcast, Verizon's data plan rates are waaay too expensive and my T5 + Wi-Fi card or Tungsten C are a perfect alternative for reading the news in the morning while I'm ironing and eating breakfast. (SnapperMail works well too!)

2. I like larger screens. No, I don't have trouble reading text on the screen. I like the extra realestate for Word/Excel/PDF documents. I really don't use Blazer much at all.

3. I'm really interested in getting a LifeDrive. Why? Many people think that there will be a new Mobile Manager out this year, and I agree. I'm just not sure if it will be this spring or fall. But, I want it not for the display. Not for the Wi-Fi. No, I want the LD for the 4GB hard disk. I'm using my T5 and a 1GB SD card now (so I can keep almost everything on it), but I'm finding that when I need to move some files around, there just isn't enough free space on the card for the file(s) I need to sneaker net. I just think that the LD would work better. Oh, and I'll probably keep using the 1GB SD card if I get the LD. What I won't do is pay full retail price for one. I'll wait until I can get a blemished open box unit or they go on clearance.

I guess I'm still on the fence about the Treo vs. non-Treo.

Alan G

[Alan G]

To say that the Z22 will go away as soon as Lowrider comes out is like saying that just because my automaker has a new model out with new features; I am going to trade in my car. I think, for people like myself, this is entirely true , but for the common man or woman, I doubt that as soon as the device comes out they will all drop their 22’s and make a run for Lowrider . Eventually, perhaps- but not as quickly as hinted to here.

I never said that once Lowrider comes out there will be a mass migration from the Z22. What I do expect to happen, if Jeff is correct, is that the Z22 will be discontinued and Palm will start pushing the Z22.

That said, this isn't China, and when it comes to cell phones and new technology, the US isn't all that gung-ho about smartphones. So I expect the average user to continue to use their existing device until they are ready to upgrade. Not when Palm or GM or Ford say so.

Alan G

[rcartwr]

I never said that once Lowrider comes out there will be a mass migration from the Z22. What I do expect to happen, if Jeff is correct, is that the Z22 will be discontinued and Palm will start pushing the Z22.

That said, this isn't China, and when it comes to cell phones and new technology, the US isn't all that gung-ho about smartphones. So I expect the average user to continue to use their existing device until they are ready to upgrade. Not when Palm or GM or Ford say so.

Alan G
This is a good point. I keep my cell phones an average of 3.5 years at a time. My last cell phone I would still have but for the carrier going all GSM. Since Sprint's EVDO coverage is pathetic in my area I suspect I will stay two bodied (TX and Nokia 6230) for the next two years at least. This lets me enjoy wifi and still be able to pull e-mial with Snapper and my EDGE phone. I do not see the wifi shutdown that Jeff sees. The direction the law is taking on unauthorized wireless access is such that someone piggybacking onto a signal for unlawful purposes would be no different than someone breaking into your home and using your telephone to set up a drug deal. I do think we are going to see a clash of the telecos vs Google, the cable providers and the muni wifi movement.

[Alan G]

Jimmie wrote:
Alan and Jeff great podcast!!!!!

Thanks! I'll be sure to have Jeff back on the show again. It really is lots of fun to do the show with two wind bags. :)

Alan G

[Alan G]

Jimmie also wrote:
Alan you need to just go with one device, and that device is the Treo 700p. $15.00 unlimited EV-DO data is CRAZY, but it's true. Switch to Sprint, you will be so happy you did.

I know. I know, but if Ed Colligan can be a 3 device guy, surely I can be too! (Don't forget, I have to carry my laptop with me all the time, so shoving all of these "business tools" into my bag of tricks really isn't all that bad. I do want to switch to Sprint, and get a Treo 700p. (I have to get a suplus PowerBook G4 first. By the time the 700p is ready, I should have made back the cash I used to by the PowerBook.)

Alan G

[Alan G]

rcartwt wrote:
Your podcast was so good my wife liked it.<G>

I wonder how may other women listen to this show? RC, does your wife use a Palm? I'm still waiting for the first woman Palm podcaster to show up. But, since the majority of Palm users are men, that may not happen for a long time.

Alan G

[Alan G]

Hello Mark, and welcome to 1SRC!

I can understand his view for many but there's a whole other group of people that want WiFi for other reasons.

I fully agree with you. I use my home network's Wi-Fi connection all the time - for my laptop and my T5. Works really well. I just ran AddIt (with the Reuters new service) on my Treo 600 and not only did it use up about 730kb of my 5MB/mo data plan, but it also took alot longer than it would on my T5. I'll be sticking to the HotSync conduit or doing the Wi-Fi update on my T5. Until I get set up with a Sprint Treo 700p! ;>

Alan G

[Jeff Kirvin]

Using Movian/Mergic VPN or even bluetooth really sucks when there's a better way to connect to things in your home or work networks. I agree that hotspots are not a compelling reason to use WiFi but that's not where the value of WiFi is on a Treo. If I'm in a meeting that's too far for my computer's bluetooth (virtually every meeting), I should be able to grab files, SSH, VNC, etc on my Intranet without using slower cellular with VPN.
The emphasis above is mine, and exactly my point in the 'cast. Right now, your 650 is slower than WiFi. But once you have a 700p with EVDO, it's not. I can see the need for WiFi to augment 2.5G data, but not 3G. 300-600kbps will be fast enough to all you describe, perhaps not quite as fast as WiFi, but you'd need a stopwatch and damn good reflexes to tell the difference.

[rcartwr]

I wonder how may other women listen to this show? RC, does your wife use a Palm? I'm still waiting for the first woman Palm podcaster to show up. But, since the majority of Palm users are men, that may not happen for a long time.

Alan G

Her listening was special circumstances. She has informed me that she wants to try out my T3 so I am setting it up for her. FWIW, I see a lot of women using Palm products. I will say however that women do seem to prefer pen and paper products on the the whole.

[Alan G]

Jeff wrote:
you'd need a stopwatch and damn good reflexes to tell the difference.

Hmmm...another real world test required? Maybe once I get a 700p!

Alan G

[Alan G]

RC wrote:
Her listening was special circumstances. She has informed me that she wants to try out my T3 so I am setting it up for her.

Cool! Good luck with your project.



FWIW, I see a lot of women using Palm products. I will say however that women do seem to prefer pen and paper products on the the whole.

I was able to convert one pen and paper ladie to a Zire 21 addict. The other has a Tungsten E, but keeps it with your oversized day planner.... :rolleyes:

Alan G

[Rob_T]

One thing I appreciate about these podcasts is that while listening I still catch a "gem" along the way that I somehow missed before with regard to the use of Palm OS. After first searching for squeezer, I finally found Skweezer and how it allows ordinary web pages to be optimized for the small screen. I had never heard of Skweezer before the podcast and am sitting here amazed as I surf wirelessly with my TX using Skweezer.

Now suddenly everything fits!! (the screen that is).

Thanks!!

Oh, for anyone who doesn't know about this, go to www.greenlightwireless.net

[manielse]

The emphasis above is mine, and exactly my point in the 'cast. Right now, your 650 is slower than WiFi. But once you have a 700p with EVDO, it's not. I can see the need for WiFi to augment 2.5G data, but not 3G. 300-600kbps will be fast enough to all you describe, perhaps not quite as fast as WiFi, but you'd need a stopwatch and damn good reflexes to tell the difference.

Maybe you're right Jeff but if I could eliminate connecting to a VPN, I'd be much happier with WiFi for access to internal LAN data for home and office. Being that I'm a GPRS user (on TMobile), I'm sure I'd be pleased with the speeds of the newer CDMA networks for other functions such as downloading this podcast in QuickNews.

It will be interesting to see the real specs of the 700p, I was skeptical jumping from 600 to 650 and it was a greater jump than I first thought.....

--Mark

BTW (off topic):
This might be a crazy concept but after PalmOS can run on top of Linux, who else would love to see PalmOS running on TiVo? Think of all the functions this could add to TiVo on a TV with the remote being the 5-Way rocker. Browser, Contacts, Email and virtually any other Palm app complements TiVo's core functions with things HME can't do today....

I know it sounds a bit crazy but it would turn TV beyond a Media Center to an Personal Information Center.

[sego]

Jeff and Alan

Where can I get the fat 32 ROM upgrade and will it work with a Treo 600? My hotsync times have went to a crawl since I went from a 128 mb SD card to a 1 gb SD card. I hotsync podcasts, storing them on the SD card. Would this help? Any suggestions?

Also do you think that with the 700P that we will be able to listen to podcast thru
Bluetooth?

Thanks

[Alan G]

Hello sego and welcome to 1SRC and the 1SRC podcast!

Where can I get the fat 32 ROM upgrade and will it work with a Treo 600?

I don't believe Shadowmite has done a FAT32 ROM for the Treo 600. Most of his work is done for the Treo 650.

I hotsync podcasts, storing them on the SD card. Would this help? Any suggestions?

Don't HotSync .mp3 files. The HotSync process is way to slow for this. Use a SD card reader to mount the SD card on your desktop and copy the .mp3 files the audio folder. (You may want to HotSync one file, and then copy the rest to that folder.)

Also do you think that with the 700P that we will be able to listen to podcast thru

The Treo 700p is still a few weeks away. I'm sure that the final software tweaks are being applied, but it's hard to say. I'm going to guess that no, it won't be possible, but I hope I'll be suprised on launch day.

Alan G

[g-funkster]

Alan,

I had to unsubscribe for Techtalk because I just couldn't take it anymore. At least Kirvin visits in the 1src 'cast every so often. Alan, it hurts that you have all this responsibility, I'm not convinced the palm world has enough news for all your shows, and 'documents to go' is a boring topic.

I remember listening to Kirvin talk about his T5 at length, and that was kinda bad, and then he saw the Treo 650 and was impressed. I was impressed, negatively, that Kirvin only saw a 650, for the first time, in October of last year for the first time. It was introduced October 25, 2004. I've had every treo since the 300 (late 2002), and when you're connected, you don't go back.

Ask Kirvin. Vision was 10 bucks back then. It was never prohibitive. But would Kirvin go back to a disconnected device now? Probably never, and now he's jumped on Treo. And then, he tells us about all these cool things, like 4cast, where you can schedule weather updates...and then he leaves like two weeks later!!! I still tune in, like the other poster, to catch the gem here and there that I didn't know about. But Alan, using an old, slow Treo 600 without an unlimited data plan is about as ridiculous as paying $20+ dollars for 5MB of data with Verizon. You'll never know the good things, like checking the weather whenever, live tv listings, news, getting email without having to check the headers, downloading attachments, browsing the web without worrying..the list goes on, and you are not with those of us who are, and have been able to sit on a bus and buy movie tickets. Without worrying.

Alan, I like your shows, and I know you're a great host/guy, and I wish not start off negatively here (first post!). It's just that Palm has placed it's focus and emphasis on the connected device and I wish that you too, whom I choose to be my source (or 1src, if you will), would be with us. here's hoping that you'll come to the 700P when it's released. At least, I think you'll be a lot happier.

Just don't be so happy that you have to quit! :p

[Alan G]

g-funkster,

Thanks for the honest input. I know that I can't please everyone all the time. If you look around, there are really only two Palm OS podcasts still going on a regular schedule: 1SRC and Tyler's Palm Addict podcast. I've taken to doing Tech Talk twice a month because I've switched to mostly software reivews. I didn't want to kill Tech Talk outright when I took over the 1SRC podcast, because I wanted to change the focus from news/commentary to reviews. With me doing both the 1SRC podcast and Tech Talk, there is no reason for 2 shows covering the exact same topics.

But Alan, using an old, slow Treo 600 without an unlimited data plan is about as ridiculous as paying $20+ dollars for 5MB of data with Verizon.

But, that's exactly what I have currently. For want I'm doing with the Treo currently, the 600 is fine. Would I like to have an unlimted data plan? Sure. Am I willing to pay the $50/mo Verizon is charging for it? Nope. My 2 year contract is up in October so there isn't much I can do about that. I would like to get a Treo 700p on Sprint when the become available. I do have some questions about their voice/data coverage in my area thou.

You'll never know the good things, like checking the weather whenever, live tv listings, news, getting email without having to check the headers, downloading attachments, browsing the web without worrying..

Actually, I do. Before I picked up a Treo, I was using an i705 with the unlimited data plan. Back then, I could get away with paying the $35/mo because there was no voice plan to buy. (I'm not a big cell phone user.)

It's just that Palm has placed it's focus and emphasis on the connected device and I wish that you too,

I don't have the kind of cash hanging around to go out an buy a new device just because Palm is promoting the heck out of it or because it's cool. That's just the way it is. I feel that I do keep up on what's going on in the Palm world and offer tips where I can. The reason why the show notes/discussion thread is here, the reason why there is a 1SRC chat each week, is so that you, the 1SRC podcast listeners, can contribute to the show. It's just not possible for one person to know everything about Palm devices, applications, and the Palm OS.

Just don't be so happy that you have to quit!

I really do enjoy working with you all here in the Palm OS community. Really. This stuff really is freakin' cool. I've said it before, I will continue to be an active member in the Palm OS community and do the podcasts for as long as I can and as long as there are listeners.

Alan G

[quasar]

For me, using a wifi-enabled handheld instead of a smartphone, or pairing it with a BT phone, means that I don't have to be tied to a carrier for my device. I can get whatever I want, without carrier issues. If I don't like the phone my boss got me, I pair a pda with it and use that mobile computing power, regardless of whether or not my boss wants to buy me the phone I want. It makes it that much easier. Same with te phone your parents get you.

[greghoro]

Alan,

You mentioned purchasing a WiFi card for $19 plus shipping. Where?


Greg

[Alan G]

You mentioned purchasing a WiFi card for $19 plus shipping. Where?

Hello Greg.

I got my Palm Wi-Fi card from Palm as part of their Palm Pays You Back program. I racked up $100 in credit. The difference was $19.

Alan G

[PDAJah]

JA, have you looked at the following SE Smartphones: P990, M600 & W950? Any look attractive to you?

Edit: great podcast by the way!

[Alan G]

have you looked at the following SE Smartphones: P990, M600 & W950? Any look attractive to you?

Are any of you using these phones as part of a two body solution and what is your opinion of them?


great podcast by the way!

Thank you.

Alan G

[rcartwr]

For me, using a wifi-enabled handheld instead of a smartphone, or pairing it with a BT phone, means that I don't have to be tied to a carrier for my device. I can get whatever I want, without carrier issues. If I don't like the phone my boss got me, I pair a pda with it and use that mobile computing power, regardless of whether or not my boss wants to buy me the phone I want. It makes it that much easier. Same with te phone your parents get you.


You have it all with a 2 bodied solution. THe fact that you have a phone on your belt and a Palm in your pocket is no big deal. With all respect to Jeff, a 2 bodied solution lets you have a Palm with a big screen, wifi and storage combined with a phone with EDGE (the best I can do with my carrier) that does what I need it to do whle still letting me use the Palm while I am on the phone with no strain.

[Jeff Kirvin]

You have it all with a 2 bodied solution. THe fact that you have a phone on your belt and a Palm in your pocket is no big deal. With all respect to Jeff, a 2 bodied solution lets you have a Palm with a big screen, wifi and storage combined with a phone with EDGE (the best I can do with my carrier) that does what I need it to do whle still letting me use the Palm while I am on the phone with no strain.
Yeah, I used to think that.

While you're right on all your points, Rick, I just have to say that the convenience, the Zen of having everything in one Treo is just something you have to experience to understand. I came from a big-screened T5 and BT phone with 1xRTT, almost as fast as your EDGE. And the Treo is so much better.

[Alan G]

I came from a big-screened T5 and BT phone with 1xRTT, almost as fast as your EDGE. And the Treo is so much better.

I'm still addicted to the display on the T5. Maybe it will be less of an issue for me when I get around to getting a newer Treo, but for now, I'm happy with my 2 body solution.

Alan G

[rcartwr]

I'm still addicted to the display on the T5. Maybe it will be less of an issue for me when I get around to getting a newer Treo, but for now, I'm happy with my 2 body solution.

Alan G

Yes, Yes! one day Jeff's eyes will succumb to middle age and the two bodied solution will be more visible. <G>

At the rate things are going with Palm OS, I don't know when I would want to buy a Treo, if ever.

[Jeff Kirvin]

Yes, Yes! one day Jeff's eyes will succumb to middle age and the two bodied solution will be more visible. <G>

At the rate things are going with Palm OS, I don't know when I would want to buy a Treo, if ever.
First, it helps a lot that I use FontSmoother and a lovely 13pt Trebuchet MS system font. Trebuchet is one of the best fonts out there for readability even at small sizes. The letter shapes are carefully tuned so that it's really quite impossible to confuse one for another.

Second, the way things are going with Palm OS? My Treo works great today and I doubt that will be any different six months from now, a year from now. The software on my device doesn't change just because someone else releases something new. But also, Palm maintains Garnet now and will probably own it outright eventually. Access's new Linux thing isn't Palm OS, don't be confused that part of them used to call themselves PalmSource (quite a few of the PalmSource developers left in the merger). Palm makes Palm OS, and Palm OS works well and is in good hands.

[Alan G]

First, it helps a lot that I use FontSmoother and a lovely 13pt Trebuchet MS system font.

Good Lord! 13pt? Hold up your Treo. I'm sure I can read it from over here!! :D I'll have to try out Trebuchet on my T5 and load up FontSmoother on my Treo 600. (Actually, I'm not sure I can use FontSmoother on a low-res device. I'll have to go read the manual - Ick!)

Alan G

[Jeff Kirvin]

Keep in mind that those point sizes are misleading on double density screens. The standard Palm font is roughly equal in size to Trebuchet 14pt, so my preferred font actually packs a bit more text on screen than if I were not using FontSmoother.

[jmorr]

Jeff,

Out of interest what applications have you got on your treo?

[Jeff Kirvin]

Jeff,

Out of interest what applications have you got on your treo?
Apps on my Treo as of just now:

1 Acid Solitaire (best solitaire game out there and the only game on my Treo)
2 Audible Air (download's Audible programming rather than having to
sync with the PC)
3 Card Export II (mounts SD card as PC drive via USB)
4 Daynotez (journalling)
5 Fieldplus (hack to do better selecting via the keyboard/dpad)
6 Fontsmoother (lets me use Trebuchet MS as my system font)
7 Handyshopper 2 (shopping lists)
8 Initiate (the best launcher for the Treo or even the TX if you use
on screen Graffiti; like Mac Spotlight or Google Desktop, start typing
to narrow the list and launch)
9 Keyboard driver for PUWK
10 Keycaps (faster way to get caps and punctuation on Treo keyboard)
11 Life Balance (GTD-like planning)
12 Memunfragment (530byte piece of freeware than forces Blazer to load
at one end of the dbcache rather than fragmenting it by loading in the
middle)
13 OfficeSuite (stub for MobiSystems Office; the actual apps are on the card)
14 On Cradle On (keeps device on when powered)
15 PalmaryClock (desk clock, used mostly to autorun LifeBalance every
so often to force me to look at it)
16 Audible (audiobooks)
17 PalmFiction (Great ebook reader for txt, rtf, doc, etc.)
18 PalmPuke (screams "Yikes!" if my 1GB SD card pops out)
19 PocketTunes (great for podcasts and streaming music)
20 Quick Budget (on the fly budgeting)
21 Resco Backup (awesome and reliable backup)
22 Resco Explorer (the best file manager out there)
23 RoadLingua (dictionary engine used by PalmFiction, but usable by itself too)
24 Slap (quick data entry for PIM dbs)
25 Soft Reset (quick way to soft reset the device)
26 TCPMP (best video player for Palm OS)
27 TMP (calendar app with better UI than Palm's)
28 Wordbox (application for generating random pronouncable words, used
for alien names)
29 YAHM (Yet Another Hack Manager, necessary for FontSmoother)

The big one is Initiate. I have several memos listing mobile-friendly bookmarks and many of those show up in my main app listing mixed in with the apps, as well as a handful of contacts. For example, my Favorites listing in Initiate starts like this:

Acid Solitaire
Audible
Camera
Card Export
Clock
cnet
Daily Kos
DayNotez
Dictionary
engadget
Explorer

etc. etc.

And since I have a Treo, I can launch anything with just a few keystrokes on the QWERTY thumbboard. For example

sc launches Blazer and loads SciFi Wire
pt launches Pocket Tunes
josm calls my writing parter Josh at his mobile number
joss takes me to the SMS app ready to send Josh a message
gm launches Gmail mobile in Blazer

My devices have never been this fast and intuitive.

[jmorr]

Thanks for the list!! Just when you said that you had 11MB free in main RAM on the Treo 650 I was wondering how you did it. I think I need to move DTG apps over to the SD card and maybe even get rid of AvantGo.

The data plan (GPRS) I am on is about $5.50/MB so you (I am in Australia on Optus GSM carrier) have to be careful on what you download.

[Striker]

Jeff mentioned a "modified ROM" version for the Treo 650 that has FAT32 support and runs apps from the card and NVFS "twice as fast" (Jeff's words). I have an unlocked GSM Treo 650 running the 1.20 firmware. Can I use this modified ROM? :confused: Where can I get it? :D Does it remove/alter programs as well?

By the way, since we're talking ROM "hacking" here... Is there a Treo 650-capable ROM edit tool? I am a registered user of JackSprat and have used it succesfully on all my previous Palms but I understand it is still not compatible with my Treo. :( :mad: And does the freed space add up to the NVFS available space? Or not? :confused:

[Jeff Kirvin]

Search for FAT32 on TreoCentral and you'll find it pretty quick. I don't want to post the stuff here and tick off Reggie.