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Handhelds Hardware

Palm Vx Coming Soon 79

Posted by justin++ from the another-one? dept.
Justin Ng writes "CNet reports that the 8MB Palm Vx is due October 4th, and as a result Palm V and Palm IIIx models will be slashed in price. Read about it here. " Seems like it will be what the the Palm IIIx was to the Palm III. Wonder what sort of upgrade path will be provided...
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Palm Vx Coming Soon More

Palm Vx Coming Soon

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  • Palm entry is fairly easy, I'll be honest. You can (as has already been said) use "Graffiti" (the palm's own text entry system), the onscreen keyboard, or the gotype! or a twiddler. Of these, the easiest are graffiti and the gotype.

    Some people think graffiti is "like shorthand", but really, it's very much like regular print handwriting. The odd ones are A, F, K, Q, T, and V. An A is the same as a capital A minus the cross stroke, so it looks like an upside down v. F is an F minus the middle line, K is like the two diagonal lines of the k connected by a loop, Q is like an O with a little line at the top, and V is a U with a line extending to the right (or a backwards U)

    Once you learn these graffiti is very fast, often faster than regular handwriting. The gotype is also very nice, since it almost feels like a regular keyboard, but is very thin, has low power consumption, and is nice and handy with quick, customizable access buttons to the major palm apps.

    I can write at about 25wpm using graffiti, which is pretty good for handwriting (it's a bit faster than my normal handwriting) and it's MUCH neater since it outputs typed text. On the gotype I can type about 60wpm, compared to 90 on a regular keyboard, but I think 60 is about the limit for the gotype, and I doubt it'll slow down anyone at 60wpm or under.

    All in all, text entry is quite easy on the palm devices.. I love my Palm V8!
    -efisher
    ---
  • One of the best uses for an older Palm with IR capability is to use it as the ultimate universal remote control.

    The problem I see with traditional programmable remote controls is that they attempt to conform all the funtionality of many remotes into a bunch
    of buttons. You have to remember that when the remote is in stereo mode, the channel buttons actually control the track number, or that when in TV mode, the fast forward controls the contrast. This "moded method" of control is nonintuitive.

    Thinking about it, something like the Palm Pilots would probably be idea. They have infra-red, and you could have a meta-menu on screen from which
    you could chose which device to control, and sub-menus which are graphical representations of each device's remote. They wouldn't have to look like the true remote, just have clearly understandable functionality.

    Chris

  • I know... I ran EcoHACK on my old Pilot, and I run Afterburner on my PalmV.

    What I meant is, is there a technical reason why they can't use a CPU that runs at between 16 and, say, 100 MHz? Quicksheet would run a hell of a lot better...

  • Off-topic, but don't hurt me (Score:3)

    by jabber ( 13196 ) on Friday September 17, 1999 @05:00AM (#1676274) Homepage
    Alright, so the Palm stuff is really looking good.
    The Visor is promising, and the PdQ [qualcomm.com] phone is a great hybrid...

    The WinCE machines are surging over the retail counters.

    Some time ago (a year or so) I bought the Philips Nino... It's a neat little device, and the virtual recognition area really appeals to me. But I think I would like to jump ship to the PalmV or Visor. I hate to just throw the Nino away, and it's not worth half of what I paid for it.

    My question to /. then is this: What's there to be done with old PDA's?? They're still functional, they're still potent hardware. The Nino has a 75Mhz chip in it. Can I plug it into my fuse box and have it serve as a power consumption controller?? Obviously, I'm being facetious, but I'd like to dedicate the PDA to a task rather than just pitch it off a bridge - it's a matter of principle - I don't like to throw things out.

    What have those of you who didn't throw out or retire the old PDA done with them? Are they of any use? Can my Nino run Linux (and hence be a web server) ? Can I wire it to my car, and have it at least show me what it's computer is thinking - i.e. diagnostics, efficiency, etc??

    I'd be much more willing to buy a new one if I didn't feel the old one was going to go to waste.

  • If someone is currently carrying around four different pieces of gear to stay "connected," they'll be TOTALLY out of commission if, using an integrated unit like the PdQ, it gets lost, stolen, or damaged. If one were to lose access to one of the four separate pieces of gear, at least they could fall back on the others. A single unit means a single point of failure...and if it fails, it could fail in a big way.
  • 8mb worth of friends? tsk tsk.

    I have a IIIx, and the memory is almost full. I use its PIM a lot, but most of the space is used up by 3rd party alls (1 meg's worth), and reading material (doc files: 1.8 megs!).

    There's tons of apps for the palm[pilot]. Too many, in some cases... (better than WinCE...)

    Oh. Your remote control program already exists - it's called OmniRemote, by Pacific Neotek. www.pacificneotek.com. It's creates a learning remote, and with the optional high-power addon, can transmit IR further. I think Omniremote is $20 (shareware), and the module is another $20 or so.

    BTW, it was this program that started the "Palmpilots can break into cars" newsarticles. (Oh, *YES* tehre are cars that use IR remotes. But they inevitably use rolling codes, so it only works once, only if you programmed OmniRemote out of sight of the car).
  • Wow! That was an astonishingly funny article. I implore everyone to invest the ten minutes required to read the whole thing. It's a hoot!

    -awc
  • you can always run palm apps using the palm emulator for CE....could even run the emulator with like 10mb of ram or something for fun.
  • This is it, there aint no more. we have a 20mhz CPU and 8 meg mem. Dragonball will support 16 meg... but am thinking that the mainboard design won't cut it.

  • Well for one I assume they wanted more then just compact flash. For example the sprinboard connector has to use two pins for the mic input. I don't doubt someone will do a CF adaptor, even if springboard memory drops in price there is still going to be a desire to read CF from cameras and all...

    Just remember a new bus (even with an old conector) isn't just an incompatable pain in the ass, but also a chance to add new functionality, or at least new features.

  • goddess, how funny. i really like the one about unix...

    nmarshall
    #include "standard_disclaimer.h"
    R.U. SIRIUS: THE ONLY POSSIBLE RESPONSE
  • > They include the GoType keyboard, wireless modems, voice recorders, vibrating modules, extended IR transmitters (longer range than the dinky port on top), and even thermometers.

    All of a sudden those pilot ads with the naked woman and her pilot make a certain amount of sense...
  • Multimedia Applications? Has the Palm line grown that much since I bought my PalmPilot Personal (since upgraded to professional)???

    Reminds me of the Droopy Sound program made way back when... It showed the capabilities of PalmPilots to reproduce sounds... poorly. LOL it sounded like the Cartoon Character Droopy (the dog with the floppy ears) but it was no technical marvel.

    Patrick Barrett
    Yebyen@adelphia.net

  • Ummm... *all* pocket/palm computers already use variable clock rates. The clock rate drops to almost zero whenever the CPU isn't doing anything special. Then when the CPU does something, it runs at max speed so that the user doesn't have to wait. It's pretty much useless to use a clock rate below maximum.

    --Bud
  • If you think THAT'S bad, talk to Honda about their special edition SUV in Japan, the Honda CRV-EX. (Cervix?)

    I find it even funnier, personally, that the new German sportscar from Audi is called the Audi TT.

    How many American CPAs are going to buy a car called the AUDITT? :)

    -RT

  • As others have mentioned you use Graphiti.

    However ISTR a report on comp.risks about people who use their Palmpilots a lot. It seems that after a while they "forget" how to write with pen and paper. The brain gets confused uses the Graphiti symbols written all in one place, instead of the English ones written along a line.

    Being the wierd sort who enjoys playing games with his brain, I'm looking forwards to experiencing this.

    Paul.

  • Hey! I've got a Mac IIvx and it's - AUUUGGGHHH! c a n ' t b r e a t h e . . . .

  • So far WindowsCE devices are the only ones that have Compact Flash slots,

    Actually Psion [psion.com]'s 5 & 7 range both support CF disks. Psion uses their own OS, called EPOC, and this OS is supported by most of the mobile phone manufacturers [symbian.com] through an aliance called Symbian [symbian.com]

  • Yes, there are some negatives -- namely, hardware compatibility. There are a bunch of neat add-ons for the Palm (Pilot) (III) (IIIx), and with a product called "The Bridge," you can use a Palm V(x) with them. They include the GoType keyboard, wireless modems, voice recorders, vibrating modules, extended IR transmitters (longer range than the dinky port on top), and even thermometers. The Visor's serial port, AFAIK, won't be compatible with these accessories, although the protocols will likely be similar.
  • The Nino has a 75Mhz chip in it. Can I plug it into my fuse box and have it serve as a power consumption controller??

    Not without possibly blowing your 30 amp fuse!
    8^)

  • Build a robot with your old PDA as its brain. Most PDA's have a reasonably powerful CPU, with a very low power consumption - perfect for a little robot. You might even be able to do this without opening the PDA if it's got a connector for a cradle.
  • I realize that the Handspring Visor is not out yet, but how on Earth is the Palm Vx going to compete against it with a pricetag $200 more expensive? ($250 Visor Deluxe vs. $450 Palm Vx)

    It's smaller and prettier. Think of it as the High School theory of marketing.
  • Would there be any interest in getting the ROM (PalmOS 3.3) from this gizmo?
  • I am a moron. Moderators, please pulverize the first post. Thank you. (goodbye karma)

    I must be the only Geek who thinks $450 is waaay too much to spend for a digital address book (and really, who has 8MB worth of friends). Call me when that price includes the ability to recieve pages and use it as a phone dialer.

    The Visor is looking very good, but even $180 makes me wince.

    Disclaimer: I am not cheap- my wife is! ;-) (I love you, honey)

    Cool Palm/compatible idea: Software that has the capability of using the IR port to allow me to use it to control my entertainment center. I currently have to juggle 3 remotes to use all of the functions of all my equipment. I have seen receivers that include backlit LCD remote controls in the $1000+ range. Very cool.
  • I remember Apple doing that on some of their earlier powerbooks, you could throttle down the CPU to save battery life. (and possibly your lap as well, those things could get rather warm. :)

    I haven't seen it for awhile though, I doubt that hardly anyone ever used it.

  • Palm (Score:1)

    by drwiii ( 434 )
    I still love my PalmPilot Professional (with Palm III upgrade board). I just hope the PalmOS units can withstand the Microsoft handheld onslaught.

    Currently, MS has their hands in too many cookie jars to concentrate on destroying any one market, but if there's one thing I've learned it's that Bill will always find a way to rain on your parade.

  • I heard somewhere that Palm were going to replace their wireless protocol with WAP for the next release of a wireless Palm. Can anyone confirm or deny this?

    Hamish
  • For my money, I still think I want a Visor to replace my aging Palm III. The options just look more promising, and it's the OS I'm backing anyway.

  • Better, but we need more (Score:3)

    by bjb ( 3050 ) on Friday September 17, 1999 @03:37AM (#1676301) Homepage Journal
    I own a Palm III and I've played with every model out there. Its nice for them to bump the memory up to 4MB, but I think the next release needs something a little more than a better screen or memory.

    I guess I have two points to make. One is that I also own a Philips Velo 1 (one of the first CE machines), and my roomate is on his second Casiopiea (first one was stolen, and was the E-10. The new one is an E-100; color version). While I dislike the CE operating system for numerous reasons (real reasons), I do find one thing pretty cool: you can load an MP3 on it, plug headphones in, and listen away. Pilot has no such ability. Yes, I own a RIO, but that's not the point.

    The second point I want to make is that recently I have also had an opportunity to play with a new type of PDA; the Motorola StarTac add-on organizer. One of the big complaints of some of my coworkers is that they have to carry around their pager, cell phone, pilot, etc. With the StarTac add-on, they can merge the pilot and cell phone into one device. The limitation is that there is no PocketChess on the train ride home nor can you really do much else other than the standard apps, but for most people, the Schedule, Contacts and ToDo list are all that matter. Additional bonus is that you can use the synchronized contact list to dial the cell phone.

    Currently I carry around a pager, Nokia 6120 cell phone, Palm III and the occasional Rio. Now wouldn't it be nice if some of those could merge together? At the least, I'd like it if I could make my cell phone and pilot synchronize their contact lists. I've heard that there is something sort-of out there that lets you do that, but the cable appears to cost as much as a pilot.

    Nice improvement on the Vx, but some other features might be nice.
    --

  • Efig [efig.com] has offered a Palm V with 8MB for some time now. Of course, at $635, they won't be able to sell them for long. Mm... Visor.
  • the Symbol palm pilot has RF built in. (I don't think it's released yet)

    I don't know if the Symbol Palm Pilot based on the palm III has it or not. I know it has a scanner (duh) built in.
  • Yes, but this is a third party upgrade to a standard Palm V. That means no 3Com warranty.
  • EFIG requires breaking the seal on the unit, and while the work is very good, it doesn't seal up exactly like the factory model.

    Not to mention that it voids your warranty.
  • My upgrade path from Palm Pro involves a HandSpring unit.
  • Can you say none? While I'd like to think that Palm will allow me to trade in my Palm V for a rebate against the Palm Vx, I'm not holding my breath.

    Of course, they did offer a trade in once before back in the early days, but that was on the 1MB upgrade card and not on an entire unit....

  • Re:Visor (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    One of the biggest features of the Palm V is its slimness. I carry it much more than I carried my old PalmPilot and more than I would carry a PalmIII or a visor which are twice as thick. This, and not the fact that I just paid $350 for a PalmV, is the reason I am not going to rush out to by a Visor. That Springboard slot is going to look pretty appealing in 6-12 months though. In the meantime, I think the compactness of the Palm V is more important.
  • VX, as in the poison gas [ilpi.com]?!? That might not be the best product naming strategy we've heard recently....

    --

  • Moore'sLaw(Palm Devices)=1 (Score:2)

    by Anonymous Coward

    If I had to create a wishlist for the next Palm, it would be: Unbreakable (titanium case and some kind of bulletproof screen), more memory (around 8-10 mb would be fine), waterproof (I don't want to have to worry about it getting damaged), and I want it to be equipped with the ability to receive content via RF (such as the continually updated slashdot content or the NY times on the web (two sites which constitute 70% of my web browsing))).

    I don't think that we should worry about being able to send anything with it yet, mostly because it isn't a great text-input device...

    I do, however, want it to double as a hammer, crowbar or frizbee... or at least I'd like to be able to sit on it or throw it in my bag without worrying about it breaking.

  • Everyone remember the ITSY? It's a handheld computer prototype with a 200 MHz StrongARM CPU that had active down-clocking software to save battery life. I runs Linux too. It's not being mass-produced, however.

    Well, what I want to know is, why doesn't anyone else use a "variable-speed" CPU so that you can run your CPU intensive apps with decent performance, but still get good battery life when running PDA apps?

    Imagine EPOCH32 or PalmOS running on one of those... WinCE could use it too I suppose, though you'd have to run at the fastest CPU speed most of the time anyway, so why bother? :-)

    Anyway, adding the above CPU and a color 320x320 resolution screen to the Palm (thus allowing the old 160x160 apps to run) would make it a tough act to follow.

    Is there a reason why it can't be done with the Palm?
  • I've been thinking about a Palm-type handheld organizer for a while. One thing I haven't been able to find out yet - maybe it's too obvious to be mentioned anywhere -- how do you enter text? By clicking on little letters on the screen? Ugh. By handwriting recognition? Double-Ugh.
  • Oops. I meant EPOC32 (you know, the Psion), not EPOCH32.
  • hmm, I don't know about the "Fast" thing. I hate having to wait for my screen to redraw, even overclocked to 19Mhz... CE runs on 133Mhz nowadays, and though the OS may be VERY non-downscaled, the CPU and memory compensate for it. Just my take on things. Oh, and one more thing: i use the PALM upgrade and love it, I am just expressing wishes that they use a FASTER CHIP, damnit!

  • Re:Better, but we need more (Score:2)

    by Anonymous Coward
    You'll like the Visor. It looks almost exactly like a Palm (uses the same OS too), but can have a module plugged in. One of the planned modules is a 48? MB MP3 unit (which apparently can also be used as a voice recorder).

    Check out www.visorcentral.com [visorcentral.com] -- they have a lot of those addon modules listed. Of course, it doesn't appear until somewhere in the year 2000...

  • In theory (according to 3com) you should enter text on your desktop machine, and let the Palm be just an extension of the main machine.

    I totally agree with that theory. I pump my whole address book, or dump a tree of web-pages, or whatever. I do very little text entry on the fly. It's really an extension of my computer. I do a little date-book entry, and sometimes I add an addressbook or 2, but nothing much.

    I have a keyboard for data entry. I can Grafitti pretty well when I have to, but only then.
  • You don't need Perl - just use Pricewatch.

    I was using the MSRP for the items in question to emphasize the inflated values placed on them by their manufacturers. Years of shopping at stores that discount products have proven to me that manufacturers are more concerned about price points more than getting the product to market at a fair price related to what it actually cost them to MAKE the thing.

  • Better combination of functions? (Score:2)

    by Anonymous Coward
    I like the handspring device, but it's not quite as sexy as the Palm V, you know. And let's face it, unless you're a true geek and will accept a less sexy look in order to be able to tinker with it, looks and size are going to be high on the priority list (which sounds like how we evaluate our fellow human beings :-)

    What I'd suggest is a dual mode device as a better compromise. What I'd like is a pair of devices that maintain all of the functionality of both a Palm V and a cell phone, while allowing the two to be combined at will to allow for wireless Net access. Simply put, sometimes I just need the capabilities of a cell phone, sometimes I just need the capabilities of an organizer, and sometimes I'd like quick e-mail access through a Palm device. But I generally don't need one device that can do all of these things at once. Plus, if the devices can be decoupled, then one piece can go in one pocket, the other can go in another pocket, which I think is better than one bulky device that won't fit in ANY pocket. Also, this may allow a person to separate the providers of various services. My understanding is that with the Palm IIIx, you're kind of limited in the ways that you can access the wireless Net. Why not leave that up to a dedicated third party telecom company, and allow people some choice in the matter?

    As a further extension, I would like to see a device like this in a form that one could strap around one's wrist as a replacement for the wristwatch. Kind of like the doohickey that appears in Reboot and its cousin in Futurama. If you keep the telecom and messaging device funcions in separate devices, then perhaps you end up with the best of all possible worlds. A complex of devices that could be attached to the "top" and "bottom" of a wrist mount (to keep it from being too bulky on one side of your arm) or that could be combined in a handheld configuration, or ultimately used in separate handheld configurations.

    What the Palm Pilot component of this system needs is a lot more memory, for which I would be willing to trade a little bit of size considerations. With more memory and a headphone jack, the Palm has the potential for MP3 play without memory add-in cards, and also to store electronic books for reading on planes, bus stops, etc, etc. (for the e-book function, I can see a need for a slightly better screen - however, it is not inconceivable even now). Plus, the addition of a headphone jack introduces the interesting possibility of adding a small microphone to the headset and allowing one to use this in place of the speaker/microphone incorporated into the cell phone unit (assuming that the cell phone has been attached to the Pilot unit, which has the headphone jack). Why would this be a good thing? Well, I'd love this capability in a wrist-mounted configuration, simply because it separates the cell phone's transmitter and its questionable brain cancer risk from the side of my head and moves it to my wrist, which has minimal delicate tissues, and can be held away from the body if one is really paranoid. Or, put a tiny CCD camera in the Pilot unit, and you could hold the combined Pilot/cell phone in front of you to acquire the occasional still snap while the headset/microphone picks up your voice.

    I think that this configuration of devices would allow for maximum functionality as well as maximum degrees of freedom for the use of these functions. The only thing I'd add is that I'd like to see a standard interface line to the Palm Pilot and other handhelds pop up everywhere. Hanging from every pay phone, bank machine, restaurant table, etc., allowing me to carry my information with me in my Pilot and using its interface wherever I go.

    Anyway, just a few random thoughts.

  • Smaller yes, prettier no... I like the Visor
    colors! Yeehaw iMac-itis I guess...

    -WW

    --
  • That may be true, but I imagine that there will
    be plenty more modules available for Visor
    due to the fact that it was made with that purpose
    in mind. Those add-ons you mention will likely be
    the first modules available for it... no doubt
    made by the same companies that produce the PP
    versions...

    -WW

    --
  • but I guess that's because my mind is in the gutter.

    Have you noticed the they don't pronounce the name of the car in the adds. I guess they don't want to bring attenttion to it.

    Of course naming things in an international marketplace is tough. Although the well known story of the failure of the Chevy Nova in Latin America is apparently apocryphal there are many pitfalls of international naming according to http://www.intuitive.com/taylor/gs/gs-ch ap5.html [intuitive.com]

    --
  • There's also a little commercial addon called the FITALY keyboard (http://fitaly.com [fitaly.com])which is a pop-up keyboard with the letters arrainged for the most efficient stylus input. Sort of like the Dvorak keyboard for hunt and peck typing. It has gotten a lot of good comments on usenet. I haven't played with the demo enough to decide if I want to spring the $25 though.

  • I guess you haven't seen the Qualcomm pdQ [qualcomm.com] phone + Palm computer.

  • Do you know where to get further information on this? 3com's website doesn't seem to have anything about it.
  • The WinCE machines don't get it. The Windows UI doesn't scale down gracefully, and trying to force that paradigm on to a palm computer doesn't work gracefully. PalmOS, for all its flaws, is light and responsive. And, the minimalist UI philosophy is far better suited to the size of the device.

    --

  • You have basicly three options for text input. First is handwriting recognition, sorta. It's called "graffiti". To save processor power and increse acuracy you write differently (an a is an upside down v like /\. it sounds odd and some don't like it but I can write with it almost as fast as I can write with a pen on that flat white stuff.

    The second is an onscreen keybord. That sucks.

    The third is an external addon (70USD?) keybord that is about twice the size of the palm. I havn't used one but there was a favorable review of it on ugeek.com

    IMHO all of these beat the rest of the PDAs (winces have tiny keybords or none at all and/or they have onscrene keybords/handwriting...

    --Ben
  • Text is input using a graphiti language. It is a cross between handwriting recognition for shorthand. Try this demo: http://www.palm.com/products/input/index.html It takes a while to get used to - but then you write without even thinking.
  • Text input with Graffiti (the Palm's built-in text capture method) is a snap - it takes about .5 hour to become proficient - and much more reliable than traditional (Newton-style) handwriting recognition. You learn its style, not the other way around. Consequently, it's less processor and memory-intensive

    For heavy-duty input, use a desktop tool and import the text at HotSync.

  • Text is input using a graphiti language. It is a cross between handwriting recognition for shorthand. It takes a while to get used to - but then you write without even thinking. Try this demo: http://www.palm.com/products/input/index.html
  • Search for "grafitti". It's slow, but not at all hard to learn. I went out and bought a GoType keyboard for my Palm, which is great for any applications where text entry is needed (and small enough to fit in my pocket, while being large enough to touch-type on).

  • Re:Text input? (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward
    In theory (according to 3com) you should enter text on your desktop machine, and let the Palm be just an extension of the main machine.

    Palm uses character recognition; however you need to type the characters in a special way to make the Pilot recognize it (basically, all letters are one-stroke, punctuation is two characters where you first type a dot then another special character (you can get software to change this, so you can add your own shortcuts for the system (called Graffiti))). It works all right for short notes, appointnments, todos etc. but is tiring in the long run. Under the Linux Kongress, I tried taking notes using it, and got tired after the Filesystems 2000 keynote, and I only wrote mostly keywords...

    It's handy though, and I am very happy for my Pilot. I've used it a lot for the Peanut Press books-- I found reading from a small screen surprisngly easier than reading from a book on the bus. It's much more handy and it's easier to concenetrate on a small screen. There are literally thousands of different programs for it -- which might seem useless on a desktop but are cool on a palmtop :)

    Check out www.pilotfaq.com for some more answers.

  • Paging and phone dialing are presently extra-cost options, yes... but ones I (at least) have little-to-no use for. I do use my Pilot's address-book features, but only secondarily.

    What makes the Pilot so great?

    Three words: "Third-party software". Going somewhere new? Upload a map (there are multiple suppliers of maps and software, including address searching and the like). Taking a LISP class? Upload an interpriter. Want to edit your spreadsheets on the fly? There are multiple programs for the purpose available.

    With the Visor, where you'll be able to install a modem as a module and still have the serial port free for a keyboard, the Pilot will become a fantastic platform for the occasional ssh session (yes, software exists), and with a cell modem (see the Minstrel) and keyboard it's already great for email (though you must swap between the two parts).

    In short, the coolness of PalmOS devices isn't from their ability to act as address books. Rather, it's all the cool Other Stuff you can do with them.
  • There've been upgrades avaiable for the Palm III and the Palm V for a while. I'm just about to get my Palm III upgraded to 8M of memory, and you can get the same for the Palm V. The major caveat is that it does void your warranty by opening the case. I'm not going to mention where I've seen it, because I haven't personally seen his work, but the place I'm looking at has screenshots of a modified palm device that had 12M of total memory after an 8M upgrade and 4M flash upgrade, usable with FlashPro. I guess the major advantage is, the package is already integrated, and warratied, but for those of us who already have a palm device, the upgrades are there. On the flipside, the Visor with 8M built in and the expansion slot is cheaper, and looks cooler too.
  • That surfaced on Slashdot earlier this year. Turned out to be a joke article, sorry.
  • What's next?
    The Palm VIIIXIVXX?
  • Grafitti is an easy way to input alphanumerics. But it's a lousy way to input punctuation. I don't think I'll ever memorise all the punctuation marks. Alot of the grafitti strokes for punctuation don't look at all like the strokes they're supposed to reprisent. So if I need anthing more then -,.!() I just leave it blank and go back with my GoType or my PC.

    There's also a onscreen keyboard, and an onscreen grafitti help thing.
  • I don't know. I've been useing the pilot for only a couple of months now. But already every once and a while, I'll look back at something I wrote on paper and see that some of the characters are Grafitti strokes.

    Well, at least I'm still writing along the line.
  • I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks this. They name thier devices with roman-numerals. Fine. But then they use 'X' to denote "eXtra"?

    I think someone didn't think that through.
  • Isn't there a particularly unpleasant nerve gas named VX? Or did Jerry Bruckheimer just make it up?

    bumppo
  • The only real advantage the Palm Vx will have over the Visor, is size. Otherwise the high end Visor has the same speed and memory plus expandability. Is this damage control for Palm? Perhaps Palm has a better upgrade in the works, but slapping a bigger ram chip into the PalmV was the best they could do to compete on short notice. Maybe they didn't expect Handspring to spring up so quickly. :)

  • Is there a reason why it can't be done with the Palm?

    Actually, it can. [slashdot.org]

  • On a related note; why haven't Palm or especially Handspring come out with support for Compact Flash cards? There is the obvious power strain, but is that enough to rule it out? Why did Handspring use the same connector and almost the same form factor as CF, but it's not CF compatible? So far WindowsCE devices are the only ones that have Compact Flash slots, but perhapse thats because you need that extra 96 megs of ram for the MS-BLOTE factor. Anyway, there are lots of useful devices built on the CF platform. Why is MicroBorg the only one taking advantage of it? I for one could live with the tiny added weight and power drain of a CF card on a PalmV.
  • I realize that the Handspring Visor is not out
    yet, but how on Earth is the Palm Vx going to
    compete against it with a pricetag $200 more
    expensive? ($250 Visor Deluxe vs. $450 Palm Vx)

    I just got interested in the palmtops, and I'm
    trying to decide which one to buy. Right now, it
    seems like a no brainer. Especially with the
    Visor's module slot and 8mb RAM. And it runs the
    same OS as the Palm! Compatability -- yeehaw!

    Are there any negatives?

    -WW



    --
  • One has to wonder if this isn't some sort of attempt to divert attention from the Handspring Visor which is ALLGEDLY cheaper and better than any of the Palm versions. Face it, Handspring is the first serious Palm OS challenge that Palm has had conidering other Palm OS licencees try not to compete against Palm.

    Another point, a couple people who had surface mounting skills and a background in electronics figured out how to get 8MB into a Palm V. It's apparently not rocket science and it costs as little as $99 USD.

    For me, the only thing the Vx will do for me is to allow me to buy a cheaper IIIx as it will drive prices down.

  • Here's your wish - almost (Score:3)

    by jabber ( 13196 ) on Friday September 17, 1999 @04:45AM (#1676349) Homepage
    Take a look at the Qualcomm PdQ [qualcomm.com] PDA... It's a cell phone, pager and Pilot all in one.

    But I agree with your statement. Integrated functionality, and modular items, are sorely needed. Hopefully this new Handspring Visor - with it's expansion slot - will spurr the other vendors to get on the bandwagon.

    Of course we will see a bunch of competing standards until either a de facto standard is chosen for technological superiority, or more likely a consortium forms, and royalties are paid.

    In any case, in about three years, there's sure to be a PDA bus standard, for which expansion modules, port duplicators and such are available. Hopefully the modules will be intelligently enough designed that their functionality will be software definable - so the MP3 player will be able to do multi-duty as a voice recorder & speach-to-text convertor etc...

    This way we'll be able to buy the hardware option that matches all the software options we are interested in (storage, special purpose processing, DSP, opticals, audio I/O...). That Transmeta chip might be in for a broader market then they realize. :)

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