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Can I use a 8MB Springboard as a Backup Module?


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Topic: Can I use a 8MB Springboard as a Backup Module?

Goyena
Member

Registered: Nov 1999
Location:
Posts: 145

Don't have much money and was thinking about getting either a backup module or a 8mb SB.
Is there any software that will let me use the 8MB as a backup module?

I was thinking about a compression program like PZ (can anybody suggest others?) to copy built-in app DBs and a few other apps that I would really need when the Visor dies on the road, only it would a bit tedious to have to compress each program and DB one after the other.

08-14-2000 10:37 AM

visor empowered
Member

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: McLean, VA USA
Posts: 216

If money is a concern, then just buy the backup module and save yourself $40. The backup module is basically an 8MB module with built-in backup software.

------------------
What the Heck! It's what I want!

08-14-2000 02:37 PM

potter
Member

Registered: Feb 2000
Location: SW Virginia
Posts: 290

quote:
Originally posted by Goyena:
Don't have much money and was thinking about getting either a backup module or a 8mb SB.
Is there any software that will let me use the 8MB as a backup module?

I have not seen any other software to do backups as easily as the backup software that is on the backup module. But, the FileMover program that comes on the 8MB Flash can be used to do backups.

quote:
I was thinking about a compression program like PZ (can anybody suggest others?) to copy built-in app DBs and a few other apps that I would really need when the Visor dies on the road, only it would a bit tedious to have to compress each program and DB one after the other.

Sounds like the start of the specs for such a program. Any developers out there want to take a stab at it?

quote:
Originally posted by visor empowered:
If money is a concern, then just buy the backup module and save yourself $40. The backup module is basically an 8MB module with built-in backup software.

But the 8MB Flash is much more versatile. One can use most applications and some data store in the Flash, thus freeing up the main memory. Currently I have 6 Meg worth of stuff on the Flash Springboard.

----------

My comparison of the Backup vs. the Flash Springboards:

Pro Backup:
<UL TYPE=SQUARE> <LI>Price. <LI> Easy full backup and restore. </UL>
Pro 8 Meg Flash:
<UL TYPE=SQUARE> <LI> Can use most stored applications and some stored data. <LI> Can do full or partial backups and restores, though quit awkward to do. </UL>

[This message has been edited by potter (edited 08-14-2000).]

08-14-2000 04:06 PM

leojbramble
Member

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Jersey City, NJ
Posts: 170

Does the backup module make hotsyncs unnessary for data backup purposes, or are there additional benefits from backing up via hotsynch (other than as a backup in case you lose your backup module)?

Other than to download updated webpages/files, is any reason to continue hotsynching vs. using the module?

08-14-2000 04:23 PM

ProjectZero
Member

Registered: May 2000
Location:
Posts: 209

quote:
Originally posted by leojbramble:
Does the backup module make hotsyncs unnessary for data backup purposes, or are there additional benefits from backing up via hotsynch (other than as a backup in case you lose your backup module)?

Other than to download updated webpages/files, is any reason to continue hotsynching vs. using the module?

IMHO, you can never have too many backups and backup scenarios.

With that said, you can use the Backup Module in place of HotSync'ing for backup purposes. In fact, one of the original selling points of the Backup Module that Handspring pitched during their convention tours last year was that if you didn't want to be tied to a desktop computer and wanted to be entirely mobile, the Backup Module was a way to ensure you can make backups of (and restore to) your Visor.

It's not too heavily advertised as a selling point, which is surprising (to me) since a lot of the current advertising glitz is being focused on being "mobile" with PDAs (the "office on the go", etc.).

08-14-2000 06:37 PM

Goyena
Member

Registered: Nov 1999
Location:
Posts: 145

quote:
Originally posted by visor empowered:
If money is a concern, then just buy the backup module and save yourself $40. The backup module is basically an 8MB module with built-in backup software.

No...I hoped to get double duty out of the 8MB, but compressing the contents of my Visor and saving it as backup on the 8MB, I'd most likely have a few MBs left over to store more stuff.

However, your comment makes me think. I doubt that the memory in the 8MB and the Backup module are the same, else why the difference in price? However, there are some files which can't be compressed (by PZ - without getting a bigger zip), like my dictionaries from BDicty and ISilo. I wonder if a backup module can fail because of too much data such as this?

08-16-2000 01:06 PM

Tom LaPrise
Member

Registered: Jan 2000
Location: Monroe, Michigan, USA
Posts: 244

The difference in memory between the backup module and the 8MB module is this: The backup module only backs up what is on your Visor. If you back up a 2MB Visor, you only get to use (at the most) 2MB of memory on the module. The 8MB Flash module lets you use all 8 no matter which Visor version you use. (The backup module also has 8MB capacity, but since it only stores an image of what your Visor's RAM contains, you would have to stuff your Visor full to use the whole capacity of the backup module.)

If all you need to do is back up, get the backup module; if you want some extra memory too, get the Flash module. I have the Flash module, and I keep copies of DatebookDB, MemoDB, ToDoDB, AddressDB, and my images on the module. I also keep all my documents and several games and other apps on the module. I really only have to HotSync if I'm installing a program or if I have to hard-reset (to restore some apps).

08-16-2000 04:25 PM

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