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The Only Probelm With Handspring


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Topic: The Only Probelm With Handspring

CompuPika
Member

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: California
Posts: 108

I've been using a visor for almost a year now and love my little BVD. However, I am dissapointed at Handspring's reluctance to upgrade the OS. All they would need to do is make a patch (like HS Updater 1.0) that would put PalmOS 3.3 on and the visor would be a lot better (16-level greyscale, IR synching, PQA's, etc.). Anybody else out there feel the way I do about this?

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09-10-2000 09:55 PM

b1lanceman
Member

Registered: May 2000
Location: Houston, TX, USA
Posts: 194

there is 16bit greyscale support on the visor

09-11-2000 06:28 AM

nurcombe
Member

Registered: May 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 87

But most apps that use 16 bit check the version number of the OS, disabling it for devices with less than 3.3.

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09-11-2000 01:12 PM

yucca
Member

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 434

quote:
Originally posted by b1lanceman
there is 16bit greyscale support on the visor

Adding to nurcombe's reply - The app where you are most likely to notice this is AvantGo . . .

09-12-2000 07:31 AM

potter
Member

Registered: Feb 2000
Location: SW Virginia
Posts: 290

quote:
Originally posted by CompuPika
All they would need to do is make a patch (like HS Updater 1.0) that would put PalmOS 3.3 on and the visor would be a lot better (16-level greyscale, IR synching, PQA's, etc.).

I do not think I would call this a patch. The OS on the Visor is stored in ROM. To "patch" the OS to v3.3 would require storing MANY replacement libraries in RAM. I do not know how much space it would take, but I could image about 1 Meg.

quote:
Originally posted by nurcombe
But most apps that use 16 bit check the version number of the OS, disabling it for devices with less than 3.3.

Actually the apps are not disabling 4-bit (16-level) grayscale support based on the OS version number. What is actually going on is the OS does not support it, even though the hardware does.

All Palm Hardware supports the 2-bit (4-level) gray scale. Starting with Palm OS v3.0 support for this mode was added to the OS. Palm devices with a Dragon ball EZ support the 4-bit (16-level) gray scale in hardware (all Palms since the IIIx & V, save most of the original VII's). Palm OS 3.1 was written specifically to support the changes between the original Dragon ball and the EZ, however 4-bit (16-level) gray scale support was not added until Palm OS 3.3.

Avantgo, and other apps, have been written to the OS. If the OS does not supply the support for a feature, then the app does not either. FireViewer, and others apps, go beyond the OS and talk directly to the hardware in order to support the 4-bit (16-level) gray scale mode.

09-12-2000 02:25 PM

yardie
Member

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 1571

quote:
Originally posted by CompuPika
I've been using a visor for almost a year now and love my little BVD. However, I am dissapointed at Handspring's reluctance to upgrade the OS. All they would need to do is make a patch (like HS Updater 1.0) that would put PalmOS 3.3 on and the visor would be a lot better (16-level greyscale, IR synching, PQA's, etc.). Anybody else out there feel the way I do about this?

You bought the Visor knowing that it is not upgradeable so what are you complaining about? Most (was it 90% i read some where?) do not upgrade their OS because there is no need to. If you look at all the software at PalmGear.com 99% of them work on Palm OS 2.0 and above.

09-12-2000 11:44 PM

BEN
Member

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 638

quote:
Originally posted by yardie
If you look at all the software at PalmGear.com 99% of them work on Palm OS 2.0 and above.

Yeah, but the 1% of software that needs OS 3.3 or higher is usually the software that I want.
PS I'm not wanting a upgrade, just though I'd put that in.
BEN

09-13-2000 12:26 AM

CompuPika
Member

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: California
Posts: 108

quote:
Originally posted by yardie
You bought the Visor knowing that it is not upgradeable so what are you complaining about?

Hey, I knew it wasn't upgradable. However, once they demonstrated that they could upgrade the OS I just felt that it would be nice if they added some of the 3.3 features. And, if you read first few lines of my post, you'd notice that I said that I am happy with my visor, but more features are always nice

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09-13-2000 01:56 AM

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