Z22 & TX software on same system?

[Alex Ethridge]

I have had a TX for the better part of a year and so far it has spent about nine weeks gone for repair. So I figured I should have a backup and I got a Z22 which arrived today.

Can I have software for the Z22 and the TX on the same system? Are there any conflicts or gotchas?

(I don't know why it didn't occur to ask this before now.)

[Alex Ethridge]

Oh, and can the Solitaire that is on the TX (just plain old solitaire like one plays with a deck of cards) somehow be transferred to the Z22?

Or, maybe there is a close free substitute?

[_Em]

Most TX and Z22 software is interchangeable... there are probably a few caveats. Check the TX compatability page to make sure your Z22 stuff will work on the TX.

As for solitaire, try Patience. It's free, and in my opinion, it's the best PDA solitaire out there.

[Dick Tracy]

Believe the Solitaire game is locked in TX ROM.

Check with the developer of each third-party application that it is compatible with low resolution screens before attempting to install on Z22.

[pgenie]

Make sure both have 2 different usernames!

[Alex Ethridge]

Two user names would defeat the purpose of the backup device. The Z22 is here to use when the TX is away for repair, which has happened too often and too long each time. It has been away for repair nine of the last 40 weeks.

I may have to find a work-around; but, the same data has to go on both of them.

[_Em]

Believe me -- you want two user names; the two devices are not hardware identical, and there are some files you won't want to overwrite.

However, you can easily share files between them by moving files between their backup folders, etc.

As for Solitaire, it is in the extended firmware, meaning that it gets copied to NVFS on hard reset. You can delete the app and it won't come back until the next hard reset -- same with VersaMail, Docs2Go, and a bunch of other stuff.

[potter]

If this is truly a backup device, meaning it will sit in a drawer most of the time, being pulled out when the TX is unusable for some reason, then both can have the same user name, with some caveats. Basically you cannot be using both devices at the same time.

Scenarios:

Normal Operation:
TX is the primary device.
TX is Hotsynced with the desktop often.
Z22 sits in a drawer.
Z22 is pulled out every month or so just to top off the battery [1].

Switching to Z22:
If possible, Hotsync the TX one more time.
Hard reset the Z22.
On the desktop:
Make a copy of the the entire Palm user data directory [2] (just in case).
Find the user data Backup folder [3] and rename it to something like Backup.TX.
Hotsync the Z22. When prompted, select the user name normally used from the TX.
The Z22 will now have all the PIM information from the TX, but none of the third party data or applications.
If possible, beam any needed third party applications and data from the TX to the Z22.
Z22 is now the primary device.
TX is sent of to repair, or what ever.

Switching back to TX:
Hotsync the Z22 one more time.
Hard reset the TX.
On the desktop:
Find the user data Backup folder [3] and rename it to something like Backup.Z22.
Find the old user data Backup folder Backup.TX and rename it back to Backup.
Hotsync the TX. When prompted, select the user name normally used.
The TX will now have all the up to data PIM information from the Z22, and all the third party applications and data as they where when you switch to the Z22.
Beam any needed third party data that has changed on the Z22 since the change over back from the Z22 to the TX.
TX is now back to being your primary device.
Store the Z22 until needed again.

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Footnotes:

[1] It is my understanding that LiIon batteries in storage have the best life span if kept at about 40% changed. In storage the LiIon battery will loose change over time, slowly. It is bad for a LiIon battery to become completely discharged.

[2] The Palm user data directory can be found by: In Palm Desktop:
Perform a menu, 'Tools', 'Options...'
In the Options Dialog box:
In the General Tab, there is a text field labeled 'Data directory'. Note the value of this field. Typically values for this field are:
C:\Program Files\PalmOne\
C:\Program Files\Palm\
C:\Program Files\Handspring\
C:\Palm\
Press 'Cancel'
Exit Palm Desktop.

In the Windows File Explorer (Windows-Key E):
Navigate to the 'Data directory' noted above.
Off of this directory there will be several sub-directories. One of these sub-directories will be named a shortened version of your device's Hotsync ID. Example: If you device's Hotsync ID was "John Smith", the directory might be named "SmithJ". Navigate into this directory to double check that this is your device's directory.
My current understanding of how the shortened name is derived from the Hotsync ID is as follows:
If the Hotsync ID has two or more words, take the first six characters of the second word followed by the first character of the first word. Examples:
"John Smith" becomes "SmithJ"
"James Johnson Smith" becomes "JohnsoJ"
"Jane Q Doe" becomes "QJ"
If the Hotsync ID has only one word, take the first six characters of that word. Examples:
"PDAMaster" becomes "PDAMas"
"John" becomes "John"
If there already exists a directory with that name, appends a number to the end of the name to make it unique, starting with 0. Examples:
"John Doe" and "Jane Doe" both sync against the same desktop, John's was synced first. Therefore the data directory for "John Doe" would be "DoeJ" and the data directory for "Jane Doe" would be "DoeJ0".
Later their son starts syncing a new device to the same desktop. If this new device was named "James Doe" it would use the data directory "DoeJ1".
Inside this directory there will be several sub-directories, such as: address, Archive, Backup, datebook, Install, memopad, QuickInstall, todo. If you are using Hotsync Manager 6.X or latter there will be the file 'HotSyncLog.htm'. (Since you have a TX you should have 6.X).
If 'HotSyncLog.htm' is there, double click on it to open it up in your web browser. This first line will read 'HotSync operation started for NAME on DATE TIME', where NAME is the full Hotsync ID of you device and DATE and TIME is when you last performed a Hotsync.
Assuming this all checks out, this directory is you device's user data directory.

[3] The user data Backup folder is a subdirectory named Backup off of the user data directory[2]. This stores most all of the other palm databases from you device that do not have an associated conduit of their own.

[_Em]

Thank you :) Potter's post is what I was considering writing, until I realized how long it would take to type/write. But now you have a fully documented way to pull it off, should you wish to do so.

[Tam Hanna]

Hi,
IMHO, two different hotsync names are the way to go. Having different HS names does NOT mean that you cannot share your data. Here is what I do(I have a Treo 680 and LOADS of other handhelds):

1) Each handheld gets its own user name and gets synced once right after it was purchased.

2) Each handheld is set up to SYNC WITH OUTLOOK(!!!)
-this ensures that the PIM data is the same on all boxen

3) The standard set of apps I use on each machine is purchased and installed onto the box with another HotSync run

4) Plucker Conduit, VersaMail Conduit are configured so that the new box shares the sync repositories for email and news.

Now, when a handheld needs to go, it gets synced one last time. Then, a backup is made to its SD card. After that, its replacement handheld gets synced to put all current data onto it(!!!configure DocsToGo!!!).

Some files that didnt make it automatically are then copied from the SD card...

P.s. Posted it to TamsPalm!

[Alex Ethridge]

It's been a long time, I know; but, I found a workaround that works for now. I simply do a hard reset on the Z22 and sync it with the same desktop and using the same name as is used on the TX. There are some programs on the TX that won't work on the Z22 and Documents to Go simply won't fit as I have some 600+ documents which exceed the capacity of the Z22.

So, I set the hotsync to do nothing on the programs and data that either won't work or won't fit while the TX is away.

As a side note, the TX is going away for repair again today (07/11/2008) due to digitizer problems. This is the third replacement (maybe more, I've lost count) due to digitizer drift. It's now stuck in a digitizer calibration loop. If it weren't for a program called PowerDigi, a program by a developer other than Palm that corrects digitizer drift, it would probably have gone for repair at least a few more times.

If I had to judge the Palm company on the service record of my TX, I would predict a quick demise for the company. I've owned the m505, m515 and now the Treo 680; but, the TX is a real dog and a real disappointment. I feel like I just really wasted $300, not to mention all the shipping charges to repair and all the time on the phone to tech support. As I write this, I have now been on telephone hold to the Palm Corporate Office for 38 minutes.