Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Cupertino, CA, USA
Posts: 7

There was a discussion sometime back (I am not sure if that is how it started) about how you can hotsync using your IR port. I own a PalmIII (and waiting desparately for my Visor Deluxe) and a Compaq Presario 1655 laptop. How can I find out if my laptop has a IR port and if there is one how can I configure it to be a COM port.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: CANADA
Posts: 46

Why would you want to bother doing an IR hotsync when the Visor comes with a USB connect? The point of USB is ease of setup and SPEED. The IR is tougher to setup and much slower. Quite a compromise for a Visor Deluxe. Why not biy a Solo and save some money?

DC

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 72

Or maybe we would not want to hassle with carrying a cradle or a cable around when we are traveling...

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Spokane, WA, USA
Posts: 114

Look for a little dark square on the back of the machine (or side near the rear of the machine).

Depending on how old the machine is, you may have to disable your serial port (COM1) and enable your IR port. The reason you would have to disable it is because the 9-pin serial port on the back of the machine and IR port may be hard-wired together so that you one or the other. If the machine is fairly new (year or so), the IR might be completely separate and should be easier to deal with.

If you think you have an IR port, you'll have to go into the machine's CMOS setup and find out where you can enable the IR. When you first start your machine, watch for a line that says, "<CTRL>+<S> for setup" or "<ESC> to setup"... something like that to "setup". That should take you to your CMOS. Be careful to note any changes you make (probably shouldn't make any changes other than the port selection... if you're uncertain, call your manufacturer).

If you can get the IR port selected, then you'll have to install the software drivers. Win95/98 might auto-detect it. If not, you can maybe add it via the Control Panel.

At this point, that's about all I can say. Hope this helps!

- Chazzz Fishburn

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 70

If it's a Compaq, you'll likely need the Compaq IR driver.

For those few the may have a Visor...the Visor Deluxe review (bottom of the home page)mentions loading the IR sync software causes the Visor to freeze...and one get better info?

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: brooklyn, ny, usa
Posts: 190

read the article on visor vs. palm Vx. there are links to 2 sites that have ir programs that will work with the visor.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 52

Sluggo, read the article more carefully, and you'll see that, apparently, OS 3.1H is not compatible with the IR software. If the IR software is loaded, the Visor won't turn on. The only solution appears to be a hard reset which results in deleting the IR software. So, at least for now, IR syncing with the Visor is questionable.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Redwood City, CA
Posts: 55

To post a reply to Chia's comments above, there are seveal of us who operate on laptops that do not have USB ports. At work I have a desktop, and at home I have a laptop. My work machine is top of the line and my cradle will live there (not to mention that is where I spend most of my time). I use my home machine for personal use and as a backup for my pilot (the chances of me losing my desktop, laptop and Pilot are slim). So would I rather use IR than buy another cradle for the occasional sync with my laptop? I sure would.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: brooklyn, ny, usa
Posts: 190

dmkozak,

OK. Here's the direct quote from the article titled "visor deluxe vs. PALM Vx" featured here at VisorCentral:

"Palm OS - The Palm Vx has the most current version of the Palm operating system, and now has support for syncing through the IR port. Handspring has improved on Palm OS 3.1 to speed things up, and has enhanced the main applications. Both organizers have support for the Euro (�) symbol. Visor owners that want the ability to IrSync can download IrSync+ or the IR Synchronization driver from IBM."

It does not mention anywhere in the piece that his visor crashed.

I did read in a message here on the board that someone downloaded and installed the ir enchancement from Palm which caused his visor to crash and require a hard reset.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Louisville, KY, USA
Posts: 4

I think folks might be talking about a different article which was posted on VisorCentral but now seems to be gone. Clint Thayer of the Michigan State Palmtop User Group reviewed the Visor Dx on October 12, 1999. (the article can now be found at: http://www.visorvillage.com/reviews/visor.html/)

One section of his article specifically addressed the IR issue:

[snip]

Sync: Joys and Concerns...

Having only worked with serial devices, I was excited to use the included USB cradle. Boy, was I happy to see the transfer rates when I performed my first sync! In what seemed like just a few moments, I had over 400 names, all my apps, data, and Avant Go data ready and waiting to be checked. I was so impressed with the USB speed that I woke up on Saturday morning to pick up a USB <=> mother board connector for my other machine. Glad to see some improvements in the syncing avenue! After the success of the USB syncing I decided to try my hand at syncing with the IR port on my laptop, something I've used with much success with my Palm III. I retrieved the additional needed IR files for the device from the Palm web site and loaded them up. As instructed by the documentation for the enhanced IR files, I performed a soft reset on the Visor. The Visor would not come back to life!!! I tried everything to get it to come to life, but only a hard reset (which deleted all my dat! a) would solve the problem. Upon further investigation of the problem, I found that if you load the AMX.prc file, which is an included file with the Sync software, you will get the above problem when a soft reset is performed. When trying to sync via IR without the AMX file, both machines sat quietly on my desk without speaking a byte to each other. I'm not sure if this is a huge problem for the Handspring models, but further investigation will be needed to sync my laptop and Visor via IR. Hey Handspring, got any info on this issue?

[snip]

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 52

WRSmith2, that's the article I was referring to. It's entitled Second Opinion, and I think it's in the Reviews section of VisorCentral. Sluggo, sorry. I thought that was the article you were referring to. In any event, I hope we can get this IR syncing confusion straightened out.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: brooklyn, ny, usa
Posts: 190

dmkozak,

no prob. i've actually d/led one of the ir progs that the visor vs. Vx article mentioned. i'll see if i can synch w/ my girlfriend's notebook.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: brooklyn, ny, usa
Posts: 190

update on the irsync. i installled the ir s/w from IBM. while it didn't crash my Visor, it did something to the hotsync process that prevented me from using the USB cradle to sync.

the solution was to just remove the 4 files that make up the ir enhancement and everything went back to normal.

sluggo

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 70

But does that mean you were able to use IR sync or not? Or you can use it providing you delete the files anytime you want to use the cradle (then reload again?)

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: brooklyn, ny, usa
Posts: 190

i didn't even get that far. i installed the ir s/w and then went to sync my visor again for another .prc i forgot to sync and couldn't sync the Visor. so i just deleted the ir stuff.

sluggo

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 27

this is the same problem i'm having. Trying to sync with desktop and notebook. When the IBM supplied IR files are installed, I can no longer sync with the cradle; even when the cradle option is chosen on the sync panel. Has anyone got this working? I'd rather not have to buy a serial cradle.