VisorCentral.com - First springboard module......

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VisorCentral.com (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/index.php)
- Springboard Modules (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/forumdisplay.php?forumid=10)
-- First springboard module...... (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/showthread.php?threadid=14985)

Posted by lpas304 on 05-14-2001 06:20 PM:

OK, I've been searching and reading through old posts for the last day or so now and I have to admit, I'm feeling pretty dumb. I'm ready to upgrade to more memory for my VDx and I assumed that I would just buy an 8 or 16mb flash module, but now I'm seeing all this stuff about MemPlugs and Innopaks/pockets and CF something-or-other and I get the feeling this is all much more complicated than I originally thought. What the heck IS all this stuff??

For starters, can someone please explain to me in layman's terms, what a MemPlug is and why I should want one? I've taken a look at Matt Nichols' memory comparison chart, which is very helpful, but I'm still a little confused. From what I can gather you get more memory for cheaper, but can't use it for the same things as the flash--is that right?

One other question--is it possible to use BackUpBuddy to back-up whatever's on a memory expansion module (of any type) when I hotsync? I have a feeling the answer is no, but thought I'd better ask.

Posted by Anomaly on 05-14-2001 08:04 PM:

Trying to decide if I really want to tackle this. I'm sure that I will get several corrections...

The MemPlug, InnoPocket, Matchbookdrive (and vaporware product from Nxist) are all currently not true springboard modules. That is, while they use the springboard slot to communicate with the Visor, they do not have plug and play functionality. With minor exception, in their current forms, none of the data can be accessed from the Visor without moving/copying it to the Visor first.

MemPlug uses SmartMedia cards and comes with programs to move files and to do a complete backup from your Visor to the card, as well as a picture viewer and movie viewer that do run from the MemPlug and do read the data on the MemPlug card. It also comes with a modified version of CSpotRun, which allows you to view doc files directly from the MemPlug card.

MatchBookDrive uses CompactFlash cards and uses FAFileMover from Kopsis Engineering to move files between the Visor and the Card. It can be bundled with JackFlash to do a complete backup. There is also a modified version of CSpotRun for this.

I don't know enough about the Innopocket to describe the differences.

Dave Kessler of Kopsis has teased us all with a CompactFlash Adapter that he has had the pleasure of beta-testing for some unnamed manufacturer that will be plug & play and will have more direct access capability to the CompactFlash cards.

The Handspring and Hagiwara modules are plug & play and with minor exception can run programs from them and view data files on them.

I know BackUp Buddy can be set to backup files from RAM (e.g., it does it if I have my Minstrel S or MiniJam in my Visor). I don't know about the other adapters but I doubt it.

Still confused - me too

Posted by dkessler on 05-14-2001 08:29 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by lpas304

...but now I'm seeing all this stuff about MemPlugs and Innopaks/pockets and CF something-or-other and I get the feeling this is all much more complicated than I originally thought. What the heck IS all this stuff??

In layman's terms, the MemPlug and all of the CF adapter modules give you a "solid state" (no moving parts) hard disk drive for your Visor. To use anything on this "disk", it has to be copied from the "disk" into RAM, just as it does on a PC. If the data is changed and you want to "save" those changes to the "disk", the changed data has to be written back to the "disk".

Now, the problem is that prior to version 4.0, PalmOS knows nothing about all this "disk" stuff. Moving data between RAM and "disk" currently has to be done manually via a "File Mover" application. New developments are in the works to automate and streamline this process of copying stuff between RAM and "disk", but the fact remains that SmartMedia, CF (and SD on the Palm m50X) are best thought of as disk drives and not memory.

The Handspring (and Haiga-whatever-they're-called) flash modules, on the other hand, are real live expansion memory. However, they expand your Visor's ROM (read-only memory), not its RAM. Applications and data on the module are automatically available to your Visor (just like the apps in it's built-in ROM), but the databases cannot be modified by an application. The module comes with its own "file mover" application that you can use to "program" whatever apps and databases you want onto the module.

Which solution is right for you naturally depends on your needs. The 8MB/16MB flash modules are the simplest to use and currently provide the most "seamless" operation. However your cost per megabyte is pretty steep, and the module really only performs one function (ROM expansion). If you have a lot of applications that you want to be able to run or large reference databases that don't ever changed, then these modules make an excellent solution.

The memory card modules (MemPlug and CF) give you more MB for your buck, but you have to deal with the need to move the stuff on the module back and forth when you want to use it. Memory card modules can also fill multiple roles. They can take the place of a backup module and they also give you a way to get files on your Visor without hotsyncing (put the memory card into a PC card reader, copy the files to it, then pop it in your Visor and you can move the to RAM at will). CF users will soon have a way that they can pop the CF card into a digital camera, take some pictures, then put it back in the Visor and email the photos without ever touching a PC. And we're just beginning to scratch the surface of what's possible with this technology.

And, with the advent of SD cards in the Palm m50X, we'll start seing Palm apps that can read and write their data directly to the memory card (instead of using RAM databases). I can't speak for MemPlug, but we hope to be able to give CF adapter users the ability to use those same applications in the near future.

So, if you're looking for a quick easy way to expand your Visor a little, the flash modules are probably the way to go. But if you're looking to really enhance the Visor's capabilities (not just storage) long-term, then a CF adapter or MemPlug module is definitely the way to go.

__________________
<ul><li>Dave Kessler<br>President - Kopsis, Inc.</li></ul>

Posted by tucson_sailors on 05-14-2001 08:29 PM:

Nxist Vaporware Springboard

The previous poster said that the Nxist springboard is not a true springboard as it requires a software install to work correctly. Per the information available it is actually a springboard with a 1 meg flash ram space for the drivers.

Now if we *ever* see one is a whole different ball o'wax.

Cheers!

Tucson Sailors

Posted by miradu on 05-14-2001 09:34 PM:

I'm not goign to repeat what has been lready said, but the Memplug IS a true springboard. It comes with all the Apps in it's own ram. In fact, it was the first TRUE springboard that let you expand memory exponentially!

__________________
-miradu

Posted by lpas304 on 05-14-2001 09:56 PM:

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone! This is *very* helpful. Now if I could just make a decision about what to actually do, I'd be home free.....

Posted by kalahari on 05-14-2001 10:26 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by lpas304
...Now if I could just make a decision about what to actually do, I'd be home free.....

If you can afford it, I would go with the 16MB flash module from Hagiwara right now. It's the simplest solution to use and it uses proven software (FileMover).

Later, when (or if?) you need a lot more storage space, look at what CF and SmartMedia solutions are out there. Someone may even develop Springboards that will use Palm's new SD cards.

Posted by bkbk on 05-14-2001 11:31 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by lpas304
Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone! This is *very* helpful. Now if I could just make a decision about what to actually do, I'd be home free.....

...Join the club...

__________________
"Great Spirits Have Always Encountered Violent Opposition From Mediocre Minds." -- Albert Einstein

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