VisorCentral.com - Memory expansion help please...

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Posted by hengme on 04-30-2002 05:32 PM:

Memory expansion help please...

I need some suggesstions on memory expansion for my deluxe.
I've been looking at a few options, including the wintec modules,
h.c.l. modules, memplugs/memory stick and flash card modules,dataquake...etc.

I just wanted everyone's suggesstions and comments on their experience
with these modules. How do they fair against one another. I've considered
the memplug but I really doubt I need 128 megs or so worth of space.
Furthermore, does the memplug drain batteries like crazy? I wan't something
that takes as little battery as possible. memplug seems expensive too, 50 bucks +
a card or stick which adds up to another 50 bucks, why not just buy another
pda? the 16 mb wintec modules are only 50 bucks, and at least the dataquakes
throw in an alarm too.

Basically, i'd like to fill the deluxe with maps, dictionaries, books, and so
forth.

So if anyone could just let me know what they've thought about
any of these
modules, or any other suggesstions on what will give me the most productivity
for what i'm spending, i'd really apprecciate it!

__________________
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Hard work might pay of later,
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Posted by Jupe on 04-30-2002 06:55 PM:

I replaced my Visor with a CLIE and I use the MS for the same types of things you say you want to use it for. I got a 64 Mb MS and I wish I would have gone with 128. IMO that 16 Mb would go pretty fast. If I were you I would reconsider the Memplug.

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Mike
I'd rather be upside down in my kayak than rightside up at my desk.

Posted by marqone on 04-30-2002 11:08 PM:

I just bought a memplug, that i like a lot so far. One of the key things was that we already owned a couple of SmartMedia cards that we weren't using for our camera, so i didn't have to pay that cost. Most important is to download the latest software, mine shipped with a very old version!
It does several things, in addition to being able to store lots of maps on it, i can back up both my and my wife's visor. It also comes with a trialware product that lets programs see it seemlessly. You need palm 3.5 for this. The picture program is a little silly, but fun for show-off purposes. The memory card looks a little precarious in the top, so you might want to take it out of the slot if you're storing the module.

Posted by miradu on 04-30-2002 11:14 PM:

this will get even slightly more complicated soon. Trust me. heheh

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Posted by terrysalmi on 04-30-2002 11:40 PM:

First off, Miradu: We know you are in the inner circle. So PLEASE stop dropping hints of the twist device...it does us no good!

Ok, back now.
I recently considered the same thing. I have a Visor Deluxe (blue) and was filling it up with memory pretty fast. I wanted to keep books and maps and pictures with me at all times, and possibly a dictionary.

I'm cheap, so I was looking for a used 8/16mb module, but couldn't find any good deals. I didn't think I needed THAT much memory. Then I got a great deal, and picked up the MatchBook Drive (the precursor to the memplug) for just $5 (thanks ashmed)! The deal got even nicer the next day, when CompUSA had a sale of 64mb CF/SD/SM/MS cards for $19.99. I didn't think I could ever use up that much memory, but it was the same price as a 16mb card, so I went for it. Am I ever so glad I did.

On my card, I keep books (if you look, you can find really current books for free!), a 9mb dictionary (Websters Unabridged) that I can run off the memory card, Wordsmith Documents (so I can prove I did the homework...), and all my games/useless programs (if you use Launcher III or PowerRun, you can run these off the card). This is currently using about 30 megs. I am glad I didn't get the 8/16 modules, because I could of never used the dictionary (there are smaller ones, but this is the best...). With the card, I can also have that 30mb of space to put whatever I may want on it (should come in handy if I find a good deal on an eyemodule (anyone selling them for $20?) and if I feel I want more memory, I can buy a new memory card instead of a $40-$150 module.

With that said, the things I don't like about my matchbook drive is that there is no built-in software, and I have to manually install the drivers, making the device useless for backups (solved by the memplug), and that the card sticks out just enough to make my HS slim leather case useless (solved by certain types of the memplug).

Depending on what case you have, I would recommend a memplug where the card does not stick out (CF, SD). With a SM or MS memplug, the card sticks out a lot.

If battery life is a concern, as it is for me, you can set different transfer rates (slower = more battery life), though I have had my setting at max and have had no problems. The SM card is also very slow, and is great at battery life (but slow transfer rates).

The memplug is great since there is built-in drivers, so you can use the device as a backup, just like a dedicated springboard. It also has cheaper memory (8 mb springboard=$40-$80, 64mb flash card $20-$60). I would suggest trying to find a good deal either in the marketplace forum, or on ebay, and the memplug will be worth it.

When you get any expansion option, like the memplug, go to www.launchplug.com - it is the best site I have found to make programs be "card happy"!

Any questions? Feel free to reply, PM me, or e-mail me!

__________________

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Victory 2002 - Republicans Win Control of the Senate
Now onto Victory 2004 - FOUR MORE YEARS

Posted by miradu on 05-01-2002 12:51 AM:

quote:
Originally posted by terrysalmi
First off, Miradu: We know you are in the inner circle. So PLEASE stop dropping hints of the twist device...it does us no good!

I wish that was true.. I might be in the inner circle, but there are 6 more rings up above me. Handspring isn't talking about the new device at all.

The thing I'm talking about is another springboard. You figure the rest out. I have no other info.

__________________
-miradu

Posted by terrysalmi on 05-01-2002 01:00 AM:

quote:
Originally posted by miradu

The thing I'm talking about is another springboard. You figure the rest out. I have no other info.

That still does us no good! We know you are in the inner circle about new springboards, but please stop dropping hints of new modules!

__________________

Friends don't let Friends vote Democrat
Victory 2002 - Republicans Win Control of the Senate
Now onto Victory 2004 - FOUR MORE YEARS

Posted by Pathdoc on 05-01-2002 01:20 AM:

I have a 16 meg DataQuake and I have been very happy with it. The vibrating alarm is strong (I always jump when it goes of in my coat pocket) but the flashing alarm is sort of useless. You cannot have both sound and vibrating alarms at the same time but supposedly Pogo Products is working on it (The update that is supposed to correct this is now 1.5 months past the promised delivery date). With the LED alarm going off for system alerts (the default setting), I saw a real battery drain. When I turned that off, I saw no noticable difference in battery life with the module in or out. The module accesses data fast, I detect no noticable lag between when programs are run from the module or my Platinums memory.

Having said positive things about the module, I wish that I had gone with a Memplug instead. My reason for this is that programs cannot write data to a flash module. It is read only. As a result, some really big files (such as the data files for ePocrates) cannot be placed on the module. A Memplug with VFS enabled through PIT's software would allow VFS aware programs to do this.

I also previously used a ThinModem Plus as a memory module. It does go through batteries faster that the DQ. I now use it only when I need a modem. (I do store my email and browser programs on it, moving them to my Plat's memory when needed).

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Posted by speegle on 05-01-2002 01:34 AM:

MemPlug

I've had a MemPlug-CF card for a few months now and have had pretty good luck with it. If you look around, you can find compact flash or other expansion memory for pretty cheap. Try dealram.com maybe... The only complaint I have (and this goes for pretty much every other OEM and software developer) is that to find out about firmware/software upgrades, you have to snoop around their web site. You think that they would have the courtesy to send you an email (assuming you registered the product) to let you know about the update. That being said (whine, whine, whine), MemPlug doesn't seem to drain power so much that it's a problem as long as I charge every day or two (depending on use). And VFS Manager seems to work pretty well to enable access by programs like WordSmith or Silver Screen (VFS aware applications). What are you waiting for? 8 MB is not nearly enough, time to start living large!!

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Posted by Madkins007 on 05-01-2002 04:21 PM:

if the MemPlug does not appeal to you, TerrySalmi's suggestion of the MatchBookDrive is an excellent one- the Drive is a great way to store data.

I really, really like the FlashPlus module from Innopocket, MatchBookDrive.com, or GetHighTech.com (who seems to have it for the cheapest price!)

Your point that '$50, I may as well get another PDA' is the wrong way to think of it. For your $50, you are adding a huge chunk of cheap memory and expandability to your current PDA, and money spent on 'remodelling' usually goes further than money spent on 'new'.

MemPlugs are also pretty common 'Marketplace' and ebay fodder, so the price is even lower.

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Posted by hengme on 05-02-2002 10:47 PM:

Okay, thanks for all the replies guys. now i think i'm going to go for the cf of smart media card.
only there's a few problems...i keep on hearing how the cf cards drain batteries like crazy of the
deluxe, whereas smart media is much more efficient, but way way slower. does anyone know anything
about this? if i'm searching a map on a smart media card and it takes 5 minutes, than i don't think
i'll want that.

i'm also hearing that
databases sometimes can't be stored on the card, whereas the program can,
so what's the point if the databases are what's hogging the memory.
Because i'm using a deluxe, i know that i need a program like launcher III
to run some of the apps. I here that it basically transfers the program
to the visors ram? does that mean the visor must have plent of free space
if i'm using a big app, like a dictionary?

__________________
Procrastination-
Hard work might pay of later,
But laziness pays of now.

Posted by volcanopele on 05-03-2002 12:15 AM:

quote:
Originally posted by hengme
Okay, thanks for all the replies guys. now i think i'm going to go for the cf of smart media card. only there's a few problems...i keep on hearing how the cf cards drain batteries like crazy of the deluxe, whereas smart media is much more efficient, but way way slower. does anyone know anything about this? if i'm searching a map on a smart media card and it takes 5 minutes, than i don't think i'll want that.

i'm also hearing that databases sometimes can't be stored on the card, whereas the program can, so what's the point if the databases are what's hogging the memory. Because i'm using a deluxe, i know that i need a program like launcher III to run some of the apps. I here that it basically transfers the program to the visors ram? does that mean the visor must have plent of free space if i'm using a big app, like a dictionary?

I would recommend the SM version of the Memplug. With the latest updates, the speed problems have been largely fixed. While still not as fast as the CF version, the module is now fast enough to use with VFS-enabled programs.

As far as taking 5 minutes to search a map, I don't experience that. First, Mapopolis, a map program which has VFS-support, copies maps to ram before using so when you search a map for an address, it is in ram. Mapopolis then deletes the map when you exit the application. So searching a map isn't any different when the card is stored on the card and had the program copy it over than if it was just in RAM.

Sadly, because you have the Dlx you can't use PiDirect which would have allowed you to store read-only files like dictionaries on the card. However, if the program has VFS support, like Wordsmith, MiniCalc, MiD, and Tomeraider, just to name a few, you can store the databases of that program in its appropriate directory. Most databases are stored in /Palm/Programs/ProgName where progname is the name of the program in question. You can use a file utility like PiMover (which comes with the Memplug), Filez, or McFile (my fav) to move the databases, or you can use the program's move/copy function. If in doubt, use the program's move/copy function, if available (like Wordsmith, MiniCalc, Mapopolis, iSilo, and Tomeraider).

Launcher III works only with programs, not databases like dictionary files. It copies the entire program to RAM so you must have enough RAM to copy the entire program. Don't let this scare you off from the program. When you have as many games as I do, I could never store them all in RAM. I do have enough ram for each program to run, but not for all of them to be in ram so it is useful. Therefore, for dictionaries, shop around. Make sure the dictionary program supports VFS so you can store the dictionary in the appropriate VFS directory.

Jason

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Posted by terrysalmi on 05-03-2002 02:47 AM:

I recommend the CF version of the MemPlug. The batteries do not have a significant power drain on max power, I have experienced the same 4 days battery life as I did before the adapter (Mainly due to my using the Stowaway about 2-3 hours a day taking notes).

The SM version of the MemPlug also sticks out of the visor quite a bit, from what I have seen. The CF one sits flush (completely inside the module) so you can use any case that you might already have.

Besides, CF Cards are more common and more likely to go on sale (from my personal experience) than smart media.

__________________

Friends don't let Friends vote Democrat
Victory 2002 - Republicans Win Control of the Senate
Now onto Victory 2004 - FOUR MORE YEARS

Posted by redhed777 on 05-07-2002 06:27 PM:

I just bought the memplug sd/mmc and I like it when the card is in it, however, I was really unhappy that for the $67 I spent to purchase it and have it shipped, you think that Visor could have included AT LEAST an 8mb card for it! I was really upset that I spent $67 for JUST an adaptor. My suggestion to Visor is that if money is so tight, they get rid of half of the useless software that they are including with it, and throw in a card! But once you have the card for it, it does work really well. I agree on the fact that they are charging too much for the memory though.

Posted by Pathdoc on 05-07-2002 07:26 PM:

Umm, PIT manufactures the Mem-Plug, not HandSpring (that is who I assume you are referring to when you say "Visor"). The modules are sold without memory because a lot of folks already have memory for other devices (e.g. cameras, MP3 players, etc) and because if you shop around, you can usually get a better deal on memory than they would give you. With regard to the software being useless, most of it you need to run the module so how is it useless?

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