VisorCentral.com - Anyone actually USE silent alert???

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- Visor Edge (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/forumdisplay.php?forumid=25)
-- Anyone actually USE silent alert??? (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/showthread.php?threadid=17200)

Posted by Shel on 07-26-2001 01:11 AM:

Anyone actually USE silent alert???

O.K. I figured having had my Visor now for a few weeks,I'd finally give the "silent alert" feature a try.

Having an important, early morning appointment, the night before, I set an alarm for 5:30 am, went into Datebk+, and set alarm on. Then (diligantly following the instructions), I went into "alarm preferences", and set it to Silent.

Well, I gotta tell you... I SLEPT right through the damn thing!!!

Seriously... does anyone really use this feature? My Visor Edge is either in my pocket, or on a table. Unless I were in a movie theater, and the Edge was in a shirt pocket, with the bottom pointing up, I doubt I'd really see it....

Anyone use this feature???

Posted by dwrd on 07-26-2001 01:16 AM:

I havent used it at all yet. As you said, it is rare that my Edge is on the table, and when it is, it is in the Handspring aluminum case so it is hard to see the light. If I need a silent reminder for something then I set a reminder in the calendar that is built into my phone, since I can set the phone to vibrate.

Posted by dick-richardson on 07-26-2001 06:06 AM:

I use it once a week. When I'm finishing my 8 hour route Friday nights, that silent alarm is fantastic.

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Abortion: Darwinism at its finest.

Posted by hlbiii on 07-26-2001 06:48 PM:

I use my quite frequently. As a physician assistant student in first phase i spend a lot of time in the classroom. I use the silent mode so i don't distrub my classmates or instructors. Love it!!!!

Posted by on 07-26-2001 06:54 PM:

I just wish HS put a small hole in the flipcover so that the flashing alarm could be seen better. You basically have to have the unit sitting on a desktop, with the flipcover open to see the alarm.

I have the blue Edge, so the plastic trim is a dark color. The flashing alarm can barely be seen thru the dark color. I wonder if the silver Edge (which has a light colored trim) would be any better.

Anybody who has the Silver model, does the flashing alarm so thru the trim better?

On a similar note, The should be a shortcut that toggles the silent alarm on/off without going into datebook+. I know I can go into DB+ and do a 2 to bring up the alarm prefs, but I really want to do it from the launcher.

Anybody have any ideas on how to get this to work this way?

Posted by septimus on 07-26-2001 07:01 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by smittyofdhs
I just wish HS put a small hole in the flipcover so that the Anybody have any ideas on how to get this to work this way?

Why didn't handspring just take that DB+ functionality and have it take care of ALL sound calls!?!

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Posted by on 07-26-2001 07:08 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by dietrichbohn

Why didn't handspring just take that DB+ functionality and have it take care of ALL sound calls!?!

That would have been great and probably easy to do. I wish someone would come out with a hack to make this work the way we want.

As it stands, if I go into a meeting and want silence from my Edge but still want the flashing alarm for reminders I have to:

Turn on Silence Hack and Turn on Silent Alarm in DB+.

I know, it's not that big a deal to do both but it would just be easier if I could shut off sounds and turn on the flashing alarm with one stroke. And dietrichbohn's suggestion would take care of this task.

I guess that's too much to ask.

Posted by Shel on 07-26-2001 07:09 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by smittyofdhs
I just wish HS put a small hole in the flipcover so that the flashing alarm could be seen better. You basically have to have the unit sitting on a desktop, with the flipcover open to see the alarm.

I have the blue Edge, so the plastic trim is a dark color. The flashing alarm can barely be seen thru the dark color. I wonder if the silver Edge (which has a light colored trim) would be any better.

Anybody who has the Silver model, does the flashing alarm so thru the trim better?

On a similar note, The should be a shortcut that toggles the silent alarm on/off without going into datebook+. I know I can go into DB+ and do a 2 to bring up the alarm prefs, but I really want to do it from the launcher.

Anybody have any ideas on how to get this to work this way?

I have the Siver model, and you can see the flashing quite well even with the flip lid closed.

Posted by on 07-26-2001 07:15 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by Shel

I have the Silver model, and you can see the flashing quite well even with the flip lid closed.

I knew it!! I saw the silver model at Best Buy and thought that the trim would allow the flashing to show thru. But....

I had to have a colored one because the silver was just so basic IMHO.

Oh well, I don't have to use the silent mode that much so I can live with it.

Posted by MbassadorK on 07-27-2001 01:44 AM:

I use Datebk4 and wish IT would use the silent alarm...

Posted by Shel on 07-27-2001 02:41 AM:

Silent alarms

quote:
Originally posted by MbassadorK
I use Datebk4 and wish IT would use the silent alarm...

I read that the author of Datebk4, who licensed Datebk+ to Handspring (it's basically a stripped down version of Datebk4) is working on adding Silent Alarms to Datebk4...

It would make sense, since he basically already has the code.

Posted by mr_yellow on 07-30-2001 05:44 PM:

Re: Silent alarms

quote:
Originally posted by Shel

I read that the author of Datebk4, who licensed Datebk+ to Handspring (it's basically a stripped down version of Datebk4) is working on adding Silent Alarms to Datebk4...

It would make sense, since he basically already has the code.

Datebk4e has support for m50x flashing and vibrating alarms. but no where in the docs did I see edge support.

I think it's time to send the developer some email.. =)

yellow

Posted by dick-richardson on 07-30-2001 11:12 PM:

Re: Re: Silent alarms

quote:
Originally posted by mr_yellow
...I think it's time to send the developer some email...

I just picking your quote because it reminded me of a bone I've been meaning to pick - not yours necessarily.

I don't think we can really blame any developers for coming out with products that utilize Palm enhancements first, since they are just playing the marketshare game. That doesn't excuse Targus (where's my keyboard, damnit?!?!

the rumor I've heard about delaying production better be smoke you whimsically decided to blow up my chimney), but it does make developers like BlueNomad look really good for embracing the smaller market as well and completely as they have.

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Abortion: Darwinism at its finest.

Posted by on 07-30-2001 11:38 PM:

Re: Re: Re: Silent alarms

quote:
Originally posted by dick-richardson

I just picking your quote because it reminded me of a bone I've been meaning to pick - not yours necessarily.

I don't think we can really blame any developers for coming out with products that utilize Palm enhancements first, since they are just playing the marketshare game. That doesn't excuse Targus (where's my keyboard, damnit?!?! the rumor I've heard about delaying production better be smoke you whimsically decided to blow up my chimney), but it does make developers like BlueNomad look really good for embracing the smaller market as well and completely as they have.

I agree with dick-richardson and have an additional 2 cents....

After considering this thread more, I feel that the developers really can't be blamed for this specific issue. The vibrating/silent alarms in the M50x series is handled by a new feature in OS4 called the "Attention Manager". The "AM" will be available to any device that 1) runs OS4 or can be flashed with OS4 2) has some type of vibrating or silent alarm feature. In the future (or maybe present) any vendor could make use of the "AM" to toggle silent/vibrating alarm features.

Handspring's Edge, on the other hand, has "hacked" or customized their version of 3.5.2 to add this feature. This is not a feature you'll find in any other vendor's model.

It's not fair to the developers for them to have to create a new version for every "hacked" OS. I know Kyocera, Handera, & Sony all modified the OS to fit their specific machine, but it's not fair for us to expect the developers to come out with an updated s/w version to take advantage of these customization. This is also true for Handspring's silent alarms in the Edge. Palm is using a new feature of OS4, and since it's a new feature of the entire OS (and OS's to come) that's the only time we should expect the developers to provide an update.

By the way dick-richardson, which keyboard are you waiting for? The Edge model? If so, I spoke with Think Outside (makers of the Targus keyboard) last week and they said it would be the first of October for the release of the Edge Stowaway. I'm waiting for this too!

Posted by mr_yellow on 07-31-2001 12:11 AM:

Re: Re: Re: Silent alarms

quote:
Originally posted by dick-richardson

I just picking your quote because it reminded me of a bone I've been meaning to pick - not yours necessarily.

I totally did not mean to flame or disrespect developers. I was just mearly suggesting that we let the developer know that there is a voice behind this request for functionality. The developers rarely ever "think" of ideas themselves. I'm sure 90% of all functionality in datebk4 has been *user* requested functionality. We just need to be heard, that's all. Edge users might be a smaller minority, but if no one says anything, the developer's will never know.

I agree that developers need to prioritize their work. Satisfy the greater need/want before others.

Posted by dwrd on 07-31-2001 05:35 AM:

In reference to the keyboard for the Edge, I wonder if they are going to ever come out. When I talked to ThinkOutside when I first got my edge the release date was September. I contacted them again around the end of June or beginning of July and they said August. Now they are telling smittyofdhs October. Does anyone know of any definite time?

Posted by septimus on 07-31-2001 02:46 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by dwrd
Now they are telling smittyofdhs October. Does anyone know of any definite time?

I got the same fun-time run-around. If Mathias beats ThinkOutside to the punch, I'm going there without looking back.

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Posted by on 07-31-2001 03:41 PM:

Re: Silent alarms

quote:
Originally posted by MbassadorK

I use Datebk4 and wish IT would use the silent alarm...

quote:
Originally posted by Shel

I read that the author of Datebk4, who licensed Datebk+ to Handspring (it's basically a stripped down version of Datebk4) is working on adding Silent Alarms to Datebk4...

It would make sense, since he basically already has the code.

I sent an email to Pimlico Software regarding this issue. He told me to check the FAQ on their website and this is what I found...

Is DateBk4 compatible with the new Handspring Visor Edge?

Yes. But Handspring's flashing LED alarm feature is NOT Palm OS compatible and requires proprietary code to support it, so it is not supported at this time by DateBk4.

For this reason alone, I doubt we'll ever see the flashing alarm working with anything except the builtin DB+.

Posted by septimus on 07-31-2001 04:02 PM:

Re: Re: Silent alarms

quote:
Originally posted by smittyofdhs
Yes. But Handspring's flashing LED alarm feature is NOT Palm OS compatible and requires proprietary code to support it, so it is not supported at this time by DateBk4.
For this reason alone, I doubt we'll ever see the flashing alarm working with anything except the builtin DB+.

Why, Handspring, why? Why didn't you just integrate it with the standard call for an alarm? I know I'm clueless about this stuff, but, well, it seems like it woudn't be that hard!!

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Posted by cjones on 08-06-2001 09:06 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by dietrichbohn

I got the same fun-time run-around. If Mathias beats ThinkOutside to the punch, I'm going there without looking back.

Question... who is this 'mathias' company? I too am just *itching* to get a stowaway keyboard for my Edge. It's just got to be the most functional and neat product I've seen in a long time. But did some small web searching and didn't find anything on 'mathias'. Spill the info!

-chris

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