Registered: Apr 2001
Location: Bismarck, ND
Posts: 114

quote:

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Originally posted by Anomaly
Well, it seems that most of you were early enough in the queue to have received your Memplugs. Having been late to the party, I have not. So I'll keep this thread alive

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__________________
J. Sean McKay, Ph.D.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"In every work of genius....
we recognize our own rejected thoughts."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Registered: Apr 2001
Location: Bismarck, ND
Posts: 114

TO esjro and PIDeveloper

quote:

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Originally posted by esjro
By the way, I don't have a digital cameral but I would like to use the PiViewer. Does anyone know if there is a way to transfer jpeg's to my Visor during a Hotsync, and would I then be able to view them with the MemPlug software?

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__________________
J. Sean McKay, Ph.D.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"In every work of genius....
we recognize our own rejected thoughts."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Registered: Mar 2001
Location:
Posts: 159

Re: TO esjro and PIDeveloper

quote:

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Originally posted by headgamer


Esjro,

What I would do is purchase an SM Card reader. I just purchased the ZIO USB Smartmedia card reader for around $25. Pretty cheap, and it works great. Once installed, it works just like an extra drive on your computer. With a card inserted into the reader (which is tiny, BTW), you can just copy jpegs directly to the card in Windows Explorer (or whatever file manager app you use). It's just like copying files to a floppy or second hard drive. It can't get any easier than that. Then you can view the jpegs with PIViewer.

Now to PIDeveloper,

1) I have heard that PIViewer automatically reduces jpegs 8x. If you have megapixel jpegs, they can still be viewed "full screen" on the visor. However, if you just have 640x480 jpegs (a lot of mine are because they are just digital snapshots with my Intel webcam/digicam combo), then the images are actually reduced on the screen and are VERY SMALL. Is PI planning on updating their PIViewer software to allow people to set their own image reduction rate? Or for PI Viewer to automatically make images full screen, regardless of the resolution of the source image? It would be very annoying to have several "postage stamp sized" images I am trying to look at with PIViewer. If this cannot be altered or fixed, it will be very upsetting.

2) I think I have seen you state that you are in the software development end of the Memplug. Can you tell us how close PI is in developing software that will allow us to run apps directly off the SM cards? A friend of mine contacted PI directly after receiving his Memplug asking this question, and was told PI was "70% sure it would happen" but they could not promise anything. Can you give us any more information on this please?

Thanks.

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Registered: Dec 2000
Location:
Posts: 175

The Saga Continues

After sending PalmGear an e-mail asking why the bundled are available at an exorbitant price and the unbundled are back-ordered (considering PalmGear isn't getting the Smartmedia from Memplug), and asking why they can't seem to figure out how to order product, and suggesting that I was going to cancel my order shortly, this is the measly response I received from Tiffany Wells:

"We are waiting to receive these from the manufacturer. They are located in Hong Kong and sometimes they have trouble getting it passed customs. We should be receiving them in sometime this week or next."

PIDeveloper, do you know whether Palmgear has placed an additional order that has been shipped (beyond the 500 that they got last week and shipped)?

If none of this is true, it truly ticks me off that Palmgear continues to lay the blame at Memplug's feet. I'd really like your product, but I don't think I want to do business with PalmGear anymore. (Maybe you should suggest to your salespeople that they actively pursue a relationship with Amazon.com).

Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Derry NH USA Earth
Posts: 154

They're waffling AGAIN!!

I ordered one with a 32MB card on 4/2 and haven't received it.

I fell for the bait & switch routine. "Well the module is on backorder but the ones with memory aren't, so..."

Even if they were on backorder, I probably still would have ordered one because at that time, the backorder date was only a few days off.

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<div align="left"><font size="+2" color="#FF8000">Mike</font>
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Registered: Mar 2001
Location:
Posts: 43

I cancelled my order and may still get one when amazon starts shipping, but i'm definitely done with palmgear. I would recommend cancelling any orders you have with them, i'm all the better for doing it.

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 63

I'm thinking of purchasing the MemPlug for my Handspring Prism to evaluate and review (and hopefully to perform 100% reliable backups/restores for my new 16MB memory upgrade). However, I'm having second thoughts after reading this thread. I've orderd MANY items through PalmGear and never had any problems, thank goodness. This nonsense about the "bundled" memory certainly is troubling.

I have some questions - I hope either members of this thread or PiDeveloper can answer them. I sent an e-mail to PI, but I doubt they'll have time to answer it while trying to keep up with what looks like incredible demand for the MemPlug. Here are the questions I posed to PI:

1. How much does the SmartMedia Card stick out of the MemPlug Module?

2. Do you plan on making a version where the SmartMedia is inserted all the way in (possibly using a cutout for your thumb and forefinger to grab the edge of the media while it sits completely flush with the top of the module)?

3. Does PiBackup make an EXACT copy of memory including saved preferences (where many of my software registration numbers are stored), unsaved preferences and hidden system files? I currently use the HandSpring Backup Module and it will restore my Prism to it's EXACT state after a hard reset. I want PiBackup to work as well as that solution does.

4. Is gMovie included in ROM on the MemPlug? I see on your website that version 1.1.3 is available for download. Where do I install the application?

5. What color depth (8-bit, 256 color or 16-bit, 65,536 color) does the gMovie Player support? The Prism is a 16-bit device.

6. What happens when you upgrade the pre-installed applications? Does the MemPlug have FlashROM to install the new apps onto the Module?

Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Seattle, Washington
Posts: 293

1.2-3mm

3.yes
4.yes, but it's the older version, you can still download the update, but the new ver will stay in your prism RAM.
5.the 1.1.3 support 16 bit, but the one inside the Flash Rom support 256 color. So, if you get your memplug just download Gmovie ver 1.1.3.
6.yes

Note for Pi developer: can you put the Gmovie ver 1.1.3 to the flash rom(maybe on the next update)?
Thank's

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Have A Good Day!
I Love My Prism!

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 63

Thanks Akur. Now I only need an answer to the flush fitting SmartMedia Card question. If the MemPlug has Flash Memory and gMovie is in ROM, why won't the newer version replace the older one when I flash it into ROM? Isn't it silly to have two versions of the same application, one in main memory and one in Springboard ROM?

Registered: Feb 2001
Location:
Posts: 6

I ordered the MemPlug from PalmGear on April 6. I only ordered the module and no bundled memory card.

I noticed PalmGear still lists the ship date as 4/30, so I e-mailed them last night and got back this reply this morning:

"The items you have ordered are currently on back order until May 8th.. We
are extremely sorry for the untimely delay. I apologize and as soon as we
get the item in we will ship out to you ASAP."


So they claim the new shipping date is May 8. If it doesn't ship on May 8, I will definitely cancel my order. I think a month is more than enough time for them to order enough modules and ship them.

Registered: May 2001
Location:
Posts: 11

KristenA, your reply from palmgear sounds familiar - I went through a few shipping dates too before it was actually shipped. I did buy mine bundled with an 8 meg card, but it was still over a month from the time I placed the order so it seems odd that Palmgear has been saying that the bundled ones are not backordered. The "bundle" was a smart media card Scotch taped to the outside of a SEALED Memplug box!

Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 714

quote:

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Originally posted by Scottster
Thanks Akur. Now I only need an answer to the flush fitting SmartMedia Card question. If the MemPlug has Flash Memory and gMovie is in ROM, why won't the newer version replace the older one when I flash it into ROM? Isn't it silly to have two versions of the same application, one in main memory and one in Springboard ROM?

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__________________
Matt Nichols
[email protected]

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 63

quote:

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Originally posted by Matthew Nichols


...Just today they released the Flash Update that included the new gMovie, so it doesn't really matter (For now at least).

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Now if we can all just get our hands on a MemPlug that we can flash the new gMovie upfdate onto

Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Derry NH USA Earth
Posts: 154

"We are suppose to receive them in sometime this week ot next depending on if it gets held up in customs. The shipment is coming from Hong Kong." -- PalmGear shipping

Which will get here first the downed surveillance plane from China or the MemPlugs?

__________________
<div align="left"><font size="+2" color="#FF8000">Mike</font>
<hr width="200">
<font color="Red"><i>Programming is the struggle between programmers<br> building bigger and better idiot proof systems<br> and the universe building bigger and better idiots</i></font>
<hr width="200">
<b><a href="http://enhanceyourlife.com">http://enhanceyourlife.com</a><br>
<a href="http://www.furrbrain.com">http://www.furrbrain.com</a></b></div>

Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Derry NH USA Earth
Posts: 154

There are 163 orders, presumably we're waiting on the 500 to come.

__________________
<div align="left"><font size="+2" color="#FF8000">Mike</font>
<hr width="200">
<font color="Red"><i>Programming is the struggle between programmers<br> building bigger and better idiot proof systems<br> and the universe building bigger and better idiots</i></font>
<hr width="200">
<b><a href="http://enhanceyourlife.com">http://enhanceyourlife.com</a><br>
<a href="http://www.furrbrain.com">http://www.furrbrain.com</a></b></div>