VisorCentral.com (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/index.php)
- Springboard Modules (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/forumdisplay.php?forumid=10)
-- Finally! A 16mb memory module!! (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/showthread.php?threadid=9683)

For those that limited storage on their Visors using the 8mb Flash, there will soon be another alternative. Card Access is working with Audible.com on the Audible Advisor, a Springboard module that will have 16MB of memory and up to 4 hours of playback time, all in a standard-size module. The Audible Advisor will street for $119 and have rebates that can bring the price down to $20 in the first quarter of 2001. Very cool! Now, I am just hopeful that it isn't another Flash ROM module.

While the intended use of this module is for downloaded audio files from Audible's web site, you could use it exclusively for other files. Here is a copy of an email response I recieved from Audible's Senior Manager:

Dear Aaron,

Thank you for your email and I apologize for the delay in replying. Yes, upon release the Audible Advisor could serve as a storage module for content other than Audible audio.

Sincerely,
Jonathan

Jonathan Korzen
Senior Manager, Media Relations
Audible, Inc.

(973) 837 2718
(973) 890 2442 fax

http://www.audible.com

YES!

Good research DOCVISOR! For that price I'm in for sure. 'Nuther good example of application of the SB.

__________________
"Stupid Handspring."

Its always nice to see interest in our upcoming products!

The 16MB on the AudibleAdvisor *IS*, however, flash memory. It will be usable in a similar fashion to the HS 8MB Flash module. This is due to a number of factors.

1. Cost (although flash memory is at an all-time high cost, it is still much cheaper than static ram.

2. Non-volatility. To put pseudo-static ram in a module would require a battery on the module.

3. Power consumption.

4. Even if pseudo-static RAM (the same stuff inside a Visor) was placed in a SB module, it would *not* act like a real memory expansion. This is due to the fact that the address space occupied by a SB module is mapped to 'Card1' space by the Palm OS, whereas the internal Visor memory is mapped to a logical 'Card0' space. This is why HS urges the consumer to carefully select their model of Visor based on their initial memory needs.

P.S. Along these lines, Card Access would be interested in the following info (the main reason this is being posted):
What applications would rank high on your wish list to run directly from the flash memory which currently do not. These would fall into two categories:
1. Apps that theoretically *should* run directly from flash but for some reason crash
2. Apps that can't make good use of flash because they maintain (modify) large databases which still must be kept in internal RAM.

-Card Access

Is there a URL with this info?

Sounds interesting...is Audible data in MP3 format or a proprietary format?

__________________
We're all naked if you turn us inside out.
-David Byrne

quote:

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Originally posted by Card Access
What applications would rank high on your wish list to run directly from the flash memory which currently do not. These would fall into two categories:
1. Apps that theoretically *should* run directly from flash but for some reason crash
2. Apps that can't make good use of flash because they maintain (modify) large databases which still must be kept in internal RAM.

---

I have put mapopolis maps and photo album albums onto the 8mb flash module and used them with no problem. I can even run Liberty roms and activesky movies off the flash module too. I wouldn't try putting the programs onto the flash. Could be messy. Putting the data on the module works just fine.

I also keep all of my books and docs on flash modules.

The only data I have found that I can't move to a Flash module is AvantGo and FireViewer content.



[Edited by sluggo on 11-27-2000 at 06:59 PM]

16 MB Memory Module

Card Access:

Please check with http://www.skyscape.com:
5MCC and LexiDrugs are two of the most popular medical programs and take up over 5 MB of Internal memory space.

We'd love it if you could help them solve this.

Bruce, The PDA P.A.

Dear Card Access:

The Merck Manual is a 5MB data file available from http://www.handheldmed.com for doctors and other health providers. To read the Merck Manual file, it uses a custom Reader program also available on their site. Currently, on my Visor with 8MB Handspring Memory Module, I can leave the Merck Manual on the module and keep the Reader on the Visor itself and it works fine. I hope this combination will continue the work when I buy your memory module when it comes out.

Regards,
Cathy Towner
[email protected]

quote:

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Originally posted by homer
Is there a URL with this info?

Sounds interesting...is Audible data in MP3 format or a proprietary format?

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But wouldn't that make sense if they can place over 4 hours of content on 16 MB modules. I think you are looking at this wrong... it's 16MB. Even with a Deluxe, these color apps and "do everything but voice recognition" apps are taking up so much space.

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what?<br>

Well, contrary to JEBaldwin's experience, I find the Audible quality fine for voice stuff, but I don't listen on the desktop. I use my Rio 500 almost exclusively as an Audible player, in fact. (Aux it into my car and I can listen to Car Talk whenever I want.

Admittedly, the original compression did result in very scratchy sound, and it got annoying at times on the car stereo. But now I can use the #4 compression (which is least compressed) on the Rio and it sounds great.

The only problem is that an hour of audio at compression level 4 takes up about 7MB. The Rio only supports #1 (pretty bad quality) and #4. Hopefully this Visor player will support the mid-range compression levels as well, which will let you cram more audio in the 16MB of the module while still getting decent audio quality.

__________________
Denny Atkin / [email protected]
Editor-in-Chief, Handheld Computing Magazine / www.hhcmag.com

Yeah, Level 4 on audible is really good quality but it really eats up the memory. I have a Rio 500 too, and I find that I really don't mind Level 1 as long as I have headphones on, but if I run into into a stereo or car system level one is really hard to deal with. If this things only gonna have 16 megs I really hope Audible is gonna have it support level 2 or 3. Entire books on Level 4 will have no chance of fitting into 16 megs.

-Visorholic