Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 2

I am still waiting for my Visor to arrive, and was thinking, how does Handspring plan on implementing any Palm-OS updating. Mostly everyone knows that the OS is not upgradable for us Visor owners. Suppose a huge Palm-OS update comes out, what then?
I was thinking that maybe Handspring could develop a Springboard module that completely take the OS out of the RAM updates it, then rewrites it. Is this possible? Anybody else have any ideas?

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 434

It is not possible. Some hack-like minor upgrades could be implemented, just remember though that the very popular IIIe can't really upgraded either. OS 3.1 compatible programs are gonna be around for a while.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Lincoln, NE
Posts: 56

Why would they want to upgrad the OS? What could they possibly add that is not already impemented? If they upgrad the OS it will be (as in the past) to support new hardware functionallity. OS 2 came out b/c backlighting came out. OS 3 came out b/c network services were needed. I think it is a waste of time to worry about OS upgrades. The OS that ships with the works very well. PDA lifetimes are not more that 2 years at most so it isn't worth fretting about upgrading. You will either break it or something better will come out. That is what happened to me, I had a palm 5000 and it finally started to fritz out and the screen was not good any more. So I bought a Visor.

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 434

"Why would they want to upgrad the OS? What could they possibly add that is not already impemented?"

Huh? While I agree that the Visor OS will last quite a while (esp. with extra hacks), upgradability is always a plus.

Wasn't it Bill Gates that said nobody would ever need more than 1 Mb of memory in a DESKTOP? Boy, was he ever wrong!

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 79

So what version of palm os comes with Visor 3.1 or 3.3?

I just ordered my Visor so I have a little wait. I use BackupBuddy with my Palm III to do a complete backup in case I need to restore from a hard reset. I was hoping when I get my Visor that I could just sync and have all my apps and settings on my Visor without having to re-install everything. Anyone else tried this yet?

Heyday

[This message has been edited by heyday (edited 12-20-1999).]

Registered: Nov 1999
Location:
Posts: 70

The visor comes with PalmOS 3.1H (note the 'H' means it was modified by Handspring).

It's a 3.1 OS with some enhancements made by the Handspring engineers. From what I've heard through the grape vine, some of the enhancements are similar to those in 3.3. The OS runs faster than Palm models running 3.1 and there are some other modifications. For instance, many if not most of the '.#' hidden shortcuts do not work on the Visor.

The Visor didn't come with flash memory so it can't be flashed to 3.3 -- BUT -- this was probably for the best in the long run because imagine what would happen if someone tried to flash their Visor with 3.3 from Palm Computing...

The Visor has USB, not serial. It has plug-n-play and an expansion port; Palm simply has serial. The Visor comes with DateBook+ (stripped DateBk3) and an 'enhanced' calculator standard... Palm's 3.3 still has the old ones. Flashing to PALM's version of 3.3 (even if on accident) would very seriously screw up your handheld -- maybe even to the point of not booting... and definately to the point where you coudln't hotsync to fix the problem -- 3.3 wouldn't know what to do w/ springboards or USB.

So, we have to stick with patches in RAM. Big deal. If you loose your handheld to a hard-reset or loss of batteries, you'll have to re-install your apps anyway... what's a few more? Just don't delete them off your PC and you'll have them.

- My $0.02... looking back it must be $0.05

_________
William

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Cedar Knolls, NJ
Posts: 38

As I mentioned before in other similar threads, it IS possible to upgrade the Visor's OS but not via a simple software upgrade.

The memory board on the visor is removable, so in theory HS could release a new one with an upgraded OS on it or with additional flash RAM.



------------------
Jason Perlow

Contributing Editor, PalmPower Magazine
www.palmpower.com

Sr. Technical Editor, Windows CE Power
www.windowscepower.com

Read My Articles at my home page:

www.argonautsystems.com

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Alberta, Canada
Posts: 34

Further to Jason's comment:

Just like I did from my Palm Pilot Professional to make it a "Palm III". It cost me just over $100 Canadian.

The only difference between my upgraded PPPro and a real Palm III is the screen.

------------------
Too err is human, to moo bovine.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 1

I'm thinking of purchasing a Visor Deluxe, but the inability to upgrade the OS is a bit disconcerting. I would happily make a purchase if Handspring formally announced an upgrade plan (perhaps something akin to Jason Perlow's option).

Some have argued that a particular PDA model has a lifetime of two years -- at which point a newer model is released. I think it's a waste to discard a working piece of hardware because of a limited OS. This is the Microsoft model: To run Windows 98, just throw out your i486 and get a Pentium III. Why not keep that old machine, and upgrade to
Linux? Waste not want not.

I'm still on the fence as to which way to go: Palm or Handspring.

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 434

It can be argued that to upgrade an average 486 to properly run Windows 98 is a waste of money and a waste of time.

So, what I did is bought a Celeron and sold my old 486 for a couple of hundred bucks. My new computer cost about CAD$1400. It probably would have cost over $1000 to get the same thing upgraded to something less than equivalent.

Similarly, in 2-3 years I doubt you'll want the Visor to do the same things as it's doing now. If you did, then you'd stick with your old Visor. If not, then you'll spend the $250 to upgrade the entire machine. That being said, I would have liked having flash upgradability. But I'm not gonna fret over it.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 52

JH,

"Some have argued that a particular PDA model has a lifetime of two years -- at which point a newer model is released. I think it's a waste to discard a working piece of hardware because of a limited OS"

It's not a matter of discarding a piece of hardware after 2 years just because the OS is outdated...it's because in 2 years the newer model will have much more to offer you. Imagine in two year wireless modems will likely be standard, you'll have more memory, maybe an actual hard drive, who knows at this rate? I certainly don't plan on using the same PDA in two years as the VDX I just got for that simple reason.

Harry