Tungsten T3 Firmware Upgrade?

[stevejohnson460]

Friends

When I installed PalmOne's T3 upgrade for the SD card, my Palm told me it was already installed. Is there a way to tell if I have the upgrade properly installed?

[Vidge]

Yes there is. Open up a new memo. Make the shortcut symbol (looks like a cursive lowercase L) quickly followed by a period and the number 9. What it will return is the ROM date. If the date is 10/31/03, the update has already been installed (which is exactly what the installer has already told you, BTW).

[stevejohnson460]

Hmm. The shortcut shows an earlier date (September). But when I attempt the upgrade by tapping on the T3 upgrade icon, the first message I get is "Your ROM has already been upgraded."

[stevejohnson460]

I did a hard reset (yikes!); got a good ROM date this time. That's STRANGE. I wonder if I accidently typed in the wrong shortcut?

[Vidge]

No, you probably didn't do anything wrong. I was in a hurry and forgot to mention that sometimes, the first time you try that it shows the wrong date. I had a similar problem when I got my replacement T3 in Feb. It came in while I was out of the office and I had my assistant open it and check the ROM date, using the .9 shortcut. It came back with the Sep date. So when I got back, I proceeded to try to install the ROM update & got the message that it was already installed. When I did the shortcut .9 again, the proper date came back. I think it has something to do with the ROM update itself since others have reported the same thing.

I can't imagine that any T3s are out there that haven't had the ROM update already applied, anyway.

[stevejohnson460]

Thanks, Vidge. It's entirely possible that I mistyped the shortcut, and entered .3 instead of .9

All is well now: got the good date; deleted the upgrade .prc.

Yours
Steve

[technical1]

Vidge,

Perhaps you can help in something closely related:

I enter shortcut . 9 & the screen blinks, but doesn't show anything. Can you shed any light on this?

TIA,

[technical1]

Vidge,

Never mind, I forgot to disable my MessagEase program & to write on the number part of graffiti. I got sooo used to using ME that I forgot how to do stuff w/the regular graffiti stuff....

It is nice to know that there are those who post & help.

I got it fm Steve Johnson's post in sep. thread.

Tnx Steve,

[Vidge]

Glad you figured it out! (Honestly, I probably wouldn't have come up with that answer as I have never used ME)

[applejosh]

Along these sames lines, I noticed that I had files in ROM with the same names as those that are distributed with apps (eg. DateBk) that allow the app to take advantage of screen rotation, etc. Are these ROM files the same as those distributed with such apps, or are the RAM versions updated versions? Just curious.

Thanks,

[Vidge]

Along these sames lines, I noticed that I had files in ROM with the same names as those that are distributed with apps (eg. DateBk) that allow the app to take advantage of screen rotation, etc. Are these ROM files the same as those distributed with such apps, or are the RAM versions updated versions? Just curious.

Thanks,

The ones that are distributed with Datebk5 and other programs are updated versions of those in ROM. Palm, for whatever reason, did not include the updated versions of those files when they did the ROM update (even though the files were available :( ) so you still need them loaded in RAM.

It was pretty stupid IMHO of Palm not to include those files in the ROM update. Maybe they'll show up in the next ROM update, when thy fix the DataManager patch.

[applejosh]

It was pretty stupid IMHO of Palm not to include those files in the ROM update. Maybe they'll show up in the next ROM update, when thy fix the DataManager patch.

I'm not going to hold my breath on that one. :) I'd like to see updated Kinoma and DTG in the next ROM update as well. Of course we're assuming there will be a ROM update. Maybe I'll get up enough nerve to do the Jack Sprat thing some day...

Thanks for response, Vidge!

[Vidge]

Well, remember you heard it here first :D Actually, I hear they are working on a ROM update. CESD of Datebk5 mentioned it in a post last week on the Pimlico Yahoo group.

[applejosh]

I wonder what updates it will include, or if it's just the DM patch thingy. If I remember correctly, CESD said that the version of DM that's running on the newer Zire works just fine (for the most part). It's odd that it's taking PalmOne this long to get it ported to the other devices. Still waiting for the phantom Wi-Fi card from them, too. :)

[Vidge]

Yes, the DM patch on the Zire72 works fine. (I reported it on the Yahoo group when my other half got a Zire72.) But that patch does nothing on my T3 - I tried it. :( I'm not sure what the problem is but there must be something different in the T3 system than the Zire72.

[Ni+Mh]

Ay. Doesn't work on me T|C. Odd

[applejosh]

Hey Vidge,

Does the DM in the newer Zire's use categories in the datebook (i.e. will categories be transferred to/from the desktop to DateBk if I use the standard Palm "updated" conduits)? I know that while the updated Palm desktop uses categories for calendar items, the "classic" conduits don't push that info to the "classic" db's. As I also understand it, the current DM on the device doesn't pass along the category info when using a third party app that uses the classic PIM shim. I was just wondering (and hoping) that Palm allows that block of info to go through the shim to DateBk. Of course I'm clueless on the complexity involved with that nor am I exactly sure what I'm talking about. (Still waiting for the coffee to kick in.)

Thanks,
Josh

[Vidge]

Man, lay off the java :D

I think what you're asking is whether the Zire72 DM passes the category information. You know, I haven't really looked at it but I haven't masked my DM on my T3 and I'm using the latest Palm Outlook conduit (that came with the 4.1.4 Palm Desktop) and my category information passes from DB5 to OL just fine.

The issues with the DM patch for me are long delays in entering a new appointment in DB5 and that horrible clicking sound. The last conduit release fixed the tasks checkoff problem.

[Vidge]

Ay. Doesn't work on me T|C. Odd
You mean you tried the DM patch on your TC? If so, I guess it doesn't work. The TC doesn't have the updated PIMs that require the DM patch.

[applejosh]

Man, lay off the java :D

I'm actually working my way down. I was up to 8-9 cups a day for a while, which kind of scared me, but I've pared it down to 2-3 at most. (Don't even drink it on the weekends.)


I think what you're asking is whether the Zire72 DM passes the category information. You know, I haven't really looked at it but I haven't masked my DM on my T3 and I'm using the latest Palm Outlook conduit (that came with the 4.1.4 Palm Desktop) and my category information passes from DB5 to OL just fine.

I never even tried the DM on my T3. I heard so many horror stories that I just masked it to begin with. I'm just wondering if the upcoming ROM update that is supposed to have the same characteristics of the Zire72 will pass the category information between the new PIM database and the classic PIM database. I'm not holding my breath, but that would be a nice addition. I personally don't see where it would take a lot of work to make it happen, and it makes more sense to do so since the popular third party apps (eg. DateBk, Agendus) that the DM exists for do use that little block of info. It's not like Palm should be forcing you to use their Calendar app if you want to use categories since you've already bought that program with the device. It's not an aftermarket add-on they're trying to get you to buy.

As a completely OT remark, I did take the plunge and bought JackSprat to get rid of some ROM stuff (mainly DTG since I had an updated version in RAM). So far so good. :)

Thanks,

[Vidge]

I have never tried masking the DM on my T3. My whole sense is that the stupid thing should work, so I have suffered thru it since the beginning (bought my T3 9/26). From reading the DB5 Yahoo group, it appears that there are about as many issues with masking the patch as not, so I just left it alone. Like I said, the category information has been there all along for me.

I bought the Jacks but haven't used them yet. I've been too frustrated with other stuff to mess around with my ROM. Plus, I've been playing with PDAs from the 'dark side' since the beginning of June, and that has taken a lot of time.

[applejosh]

I bought the Jacks but haven't used them yet. I've been too frustrated with other stuff to mess around with my ROM. Plus, I've been playing with PDAs from the 'dark side' since the beginning of June, and that has taken a lot of time.

Yeah, I have an iPAQ which I break out every now and then. But I usually get more frustrated with it than I do with anything PalmOS, and I go back. (Right now I'm battling syncing between home and work with ActiveSync, and it's not looking particularly great.) I really like a lot of the "frilly" stuff on PPC (eg. the Today screen with weather plugins, etc.), but when it comes down to stuff syncing correctly, quickly entering information, and just basic PDA stuff, I prefer the PalmOS. I've even gotten used to Grafitti2 (although still learning a lot of the punctuation and special characters). Now where's that darn wi-fi card?