Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 17

For you techies...

(Yes I ordered a while back too, but I thought I would do something productive and get ready for actually plugging the thing in!)

In the documentation on line, Handspring says that you need to have Win 98 to use the USB port...

I have Win 95 version 4.000.950B... and my computer has USB slots. (K62 300) While I never have gotten the compaq camera I bought at the Dayton Hamvention to work on my USB, at least the dang thing was recognized as plugged in.

So I think the USB is working...

Has anyone who has gotten their Visor used the USB with Win 95?

Hoping to see a little package soon...

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 69

I'm in the same situation, running 95osr2.1. Although I have yet to receive my Visor, from what I gather the USB support in W95 isn't 'extensive' enough to handle the job. I too am able to have osr2.1 recognize usb hardware (e.g. joysticks), I haven't been able to get them to work.

SO, basically, it looks like you've either got to upgrade to 98 or downgrade to a serial cradle (which I ordered anyway).

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

hi,

i was using 95b at work and had to install 98 to get the visor and the pc to talk to one another.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 17

Thanks Sluggo...

I looked at a page referred to in another post and "evaluated my usb" It said that I had USB support but recommended that I upgrade to 98 to get full support...

From your answer and what it says on the tech page, looks like I need to upgrade to use the USB. I'd call and get a serial cradle, but its too hard. Easier to spend the two hours upgrading than waiting to connect to the site.

UGH!

Here we go reformatting C again!

Rick

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

why reformat? if you have a full 98 cd you can trick it into doing an upgrade.

all you need to is this:

1. move the file "win.com" from your c:\windows directory.

2. restart your machine booting from the cd or a bootdisk that will give you cd support.

3. once you get to a A: or C: prompt, go to the cd drive and run setup.

that's how i upgraded my pc at work to 98. i had no desire to spend hours upon hours to reinstall everything.

sluggo

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Rio Rancho, NM, USA
Posts: 129

I'm surprised you have to trick your w95 to upgrade to w98. All I had to do to upgrade was stick the w98 disk in the drive and run setup.exe off the CD.

It took about 45 minutes to do the upgrade. I haven't had any problems since I did the update to 98 Release 2. Unfortunately, I don't have a USB port on the machine... Might have to force myself to visit the local PC store to get one... hehehe

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

nachtwerg,

were you using a full version cd or the upgrade?

the full win98 cd i used at work would not let me use it as an upgrade. hence the reason for the little 'deception'

sluggo


[This message has been edited by sluggo (edited 10-23-1999).]

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 17

Sluggo!

What a cool idea. I will save your instructions for the next time I have to do the conversion....

Unfortunately, I am just finishing with the reformatting and reinstalling problem. It was 2 hours last night and an hour today to get it all back to right.

Fortunately, I do have a network at home and was able to get most of the programs and all the documents etc on a different computer through the network.

I had never seen the method you propose. I have tried to upgrade with my 98 disk in the past, but it would not allow installation on top of Win 95.

The USB analysis program now tells me I have FULL USB services. Yeah!

Unfortunately, (off topic) I still can not get a pesky compaq USB camera to work... I give up on it. But at least the Visor should work when it arrives.

Rick

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 69

Even if the upgrade does work, it's usually a good idea to start with a clean system. Just like with upgrading from Win3.x to Win95, there's a whole bunch of stray crap left during the upgrade that could possible cause problems later on.

I've been reluctant to upgrade my main system to 98 but it appears that it may be time. But it's go SO much stuff on it, it usually takes me DAYS to get it set back up.

In the mean time, I'm syncing with another computer on my LAN that's running 98lite. Works fine.

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

i picked up the method for upgrading from a techie at a computer show one weekend.

i usually do clean installs, but i don't have the time at work to spend hours on end upgrading my pc, so i took a shortcut. the method i used actually does a full install, but it retains your settings and shortcuts.

pretty cool.

sluggo


[This message has been edited by sluggo (edited 10-24-1999).]

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Beavercreek, OH 45434
Posts: 29

Hey Beavercreek,
I, too, live in the fine suburbia of Beavercreek, Ohio. I'm enjoying my visor (except for a maddening number of resets).

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Mt.Vernon, IN, US
Posts: 18

I too have ordered and decided to get USB ready. I installed an Entrega USB 2-port PCI card and am running Win98 SE. I bought a cheap Micro Innovations USB mouse to test the USB. My mouse DOES run well and I have been using it for two days. Do you think this will suffice as a pre-flight USB check for my Visor? Thanks!!!