Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Kansas City, MO
Posts: 295

Innopocket CompactFlash adapter VFS upgrade

Posted @Palminfocenter:

http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_Story.asp?ID=2097

InnoPocket is the maker of the FlashPlus CompactFlash adapter. They have announced that this Springboard will allow direct execution of applications stored on a CompactFlash card by including the latest software from Kopsis, Inc., which includes VFS support. InnoPocket will be posting a beta of the required application onto their site soon.

In a related story, until July 24, owners of the original Innopocket CompactFlash adapter can upgrade to the latest FlashPlus for only $10.

VFS is a standard part of Palm OS 4.0 but the functions can be put in an operating system extension that makes them available on earlier versions of the OS. The new software from Kopsis allows applications stored in external memory to be accessed directly even on the Handspring version of OS 3.1 (Visor Deluxe) and OS3.5 (Visor Prism, Platinum, and Edge)

Innopocket CompactFlash upgrade:

http://www.innopocket.com/upgrade/

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<><

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Wichita KS
Posts: 99

I am really unclear about how this will work. Someone on palminfocenter posted this commment:

"VFS support is *different* from AutoCF or PiDirect capabilities. While VFS read-only support is working in the latest beta, MSMount/AutoCF/PiDirect-type functionality is not supported yet, so programs can't be run "directly" from the CF card yet."

My question is: if it is "read only", then cant you store apps or read-only databases on it? what limitations does it have I guess would be a better question, what CAN'T I do with it? How does it compare with the 8MB flash module in capabilities and speed?

Also, anyone have any idea if there will be a mmc module like this? My rio uses mmc and I may end up upgrading to a Palm-brand unit which could use any mmc's which I would have to buy.

Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 714

quote:

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Originally posted by jeffbeerman2
Also, anyone have any idea if there will be a mmc module like this? My rio uses mmc and I may end up upgrading to a Palm-brand unit which could use any mmc's which I would have to buy.

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Matt Nichols
[email protected]

Registered: May 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 87

VFS support for the FlashPlus (& Matchbook drive et al) is still in beta, this is not a released product!

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Regards,
Jim Nurcombe
[email protected]

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Plant City, FL
Posts: 385

quote:

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Originally posted by jeffbeerman2

I am really unclear about how this will work. Someone on palminfocenter posted this commment:

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

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Plant City, FL
Posts: 385

quote:

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Originally posted by nurcombe
VFS support for the FlashPlus (& Matchbook drive et al) is still in beta, this is not a released product!

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

Registered: Dec 2000
Location:
Posts: 152

quote:

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Originally posted by dkessler
The current VFS beta is not read only. VFS enabled applications can read and write to the CF card (SplashPhoto is a perfect example).

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Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Luxembourg
Posts: 36

Programs don't need to support VFS in order to be run from the CF. With the VFS Helper fom Kopsis and a modified version of Launcher III (both beta status) you will be able to run any program from the CF card. I tested it, it works fine and is already very stable.

But if you want your programs to read and write data on the CF card then they need to have VFS support. If you only need to read documents from CF you can use the CSpotrun Plugin and FAFilemover, you don't need VFS for that.

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Carlo

Registered: Dec 2000
Location:
Posts: 152

quote:

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Originally posted by Carl0
Programs don't need to support VFS in order to be run from the CF. With the VFS Helper fom Kopsis and a modified version of Launcher III (both beta status) you will be able to run any program from the CF card. I tested it, it works fine and is already very stable.

But if you want your programs to read and write data on the CF card then they need to have VFS support. If you only need to read documents from CF you can use the CSpotrun Plugin and FAFilemover, you don't need VFS for that.

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Registered: Dec 2000
Location:
Posts: 16

Kopsis has indicated that the "current" beta does NOT support PowerRUN on OS3.1 However, I get the impression that it will be included in a new beta release in the near future.

Oliver

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Oliver

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Plant City, FL
Posts: 385

quote:

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Originally posted by dvIceT
I figured as much. What I'm asking more specifically, is whether AutoCF/PiDirect/MSMount capabilities are possible on a PalmOS 3.1 device, these capabilities being the ability to read code and data piecemeal from the memory card w/o VFS support. This is in contrast to the present VFS and MemPlug-enabled Launcher III beta copying whole programs and databases to handheld RAM automagically. In short, it'd be nice to know if these capabilities are just a matter of time in coming or if they are impossible or too difficult to implement on PalmOS 3.1 Visors.

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

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 501

OS 3.1 is hard to do

When I've seen the rare comment by AutoCF/PiDirect/MSMount development personnel re: Palm OS 3.1 support for these tools, it's not be encouraging. The common thread seems to be that there were some things in OS 3.5.x that make "virtual memory" apps like AutoCF/PiDirect/MSMount much easier to do on 3.5.x than on 3.1.

The other factor for these products, however, is probably market: how many external memory card products are there with VFS support for 3.1 out there at the moment?

Once Kopsis (and perhaps Memplug, if and when they provide VFS support for OS 3.1) get their products out there, demand would change. However, I believe the primary market for most VFS products would be the Palm m505, the Sony Clie, and future OS 4 PDAs that are coming out. I'd suspect Handspring Springboard modules would be a fairly small part of the market, and Visor/VDX models (OS 3.1) an even smaller sliver.

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Jeff Meyer

"And he died like he lived: with his mouth wide open."

Registered: May 2001
Location: San Francisco, California, USA
Posts: 90

VFS is incredible!

I have been playing with the initial beta of the VFS software from Kopsis and I have to say it is incredible! Applications can be moved to the CF card and run from there. VFS enabled apps such as SplashPhoto and Bdicty can read data from the CF card. A lot of apps have announced plans for VFS support, so more will be coming soon.

Note that it is still very much in beta, but with Kopsis, that means it's working extremely well and any bugs that pop up will be shot down in no time.

If you haven't got a cf adapter yet, hop on over to <http://www.matchbookdrive.com/> and get one!

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 501

Re: OS 3.1 is hard to do

quote:

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Originally posted by bookrats
Once Kopsis (and perhaps Memplug, if and when they provide VFS support for OS 3.1) get their products out there, demand would change. However, I believe the primary market for most VFS products would be the Palm m505, the Sony Clie, and future OS 4 PDAs that are coming out. I'd suspect Handspring Springboard modules would be a fairly small part of the market, and Visor/VDX models (OS 3.1) an even smaller sliver.

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Jeff Meyer

"And he died like he lived: with his mouth wide open."