Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 38

I just received my flash module via Fed Ex. I ordered it on Sept. 16, at the same time as the Visor Deluxe. If the VisorCentral staff finds this informative, feel free to include it on the reviews page.

Here's my quick impressions. The module arrived with a four page instruction booklet and a "springboard module end user software license agreement." There's a one year warranty for the hardware and a 90 day warranty for the software.

When inserted or removed, the module turns on the Visor if it's off. Or, if the Visor is already on, "re-boots" it by turning it off then back on.

Inserting the springboard module takes a little getting used to as it seems to be installed before it's completely seated. Likewise, some slight force is required to slide it out and disconnect it from the unit. I foresee some users calling Handspring tech support to complain of faulty springboards when it may only be a case of the module not being completely inserted.

When the module is correctly installed, the application "File Mover" will appear on the screen. The icon, appropriately enough, is of a handheld next to a springboard module.

When started, File Mover defaults to a view of installed applications, but can be changed to show only data files or both data and apps. When "all" is selected, there's a list of each app and its associated data. Apps that can't be moved to the module, such as Address, Datebook, Datebook 3, and City Time have the universal "no" icon (a circle with a line through it) displayed. If a file exists without its associated app, there will be quotation marks around the file type.

File Mover shows how much free memory is available internally and on the module. You can view either internal or module file lists. You may also sort by name, size, or creator and ask to show version, creator, or type. The defaults are sort by "name" and show "none".

When copying or moving files, a new screen appears to let you know which file is being moved or copied. This screen also has a progress bar to indicate how much of the task has been completed. This is approximate because there's no percentage or other gauge to show the exact progress.

There's also a warning not to remove the module while files are being moved, copied, or deleted. This screen also shows whether files are being moved or copied from the handheld to the module or vice versa.

Files moved to the module show up under App -> Category with a bullet point beside them to indicate that they exist only on the module. Under App -> Info, there's now a choice of either "internal" or "card" from the info screen, with card of course being the flash module.

According to the instruction card, data files moved to the module are only available as backups. When I tried to move Peanut Press files to the module (Tap Magazine and Internet Movie Database), I received a warning that I should copy rather than move these database files because files on the module can't be modified. As a result, the associated app might crash or "behave unpredictably" when it tries to access a file available only from the module.
However, when I moved both the Peanut Press reader and the files to the module, it worked without any problems.

One word of warning: if you've purchased books from Peanut Press, you must re-enter your name and unlock code to access the book from the module. I'm guessing that if you move registered software to the module, it might appear on the module as being unregistered.

I moved several games to the module, and they seem to run the same as from internal memory. Moved applications still show up in the originally assigned category from the Palm launcher. However, I noticed when using a third-party launcher, such as GoBar, the moved apps switch to "unfiled." I haven't tried other launchers but suspect this might be universal.

So, do I now have a 16 meg Visor? Yes, and no. The additional 8 megs can be used to run some programs and to selectively backup files between hotsyncs (such as address and datebook databases). But, as I've mentioned, there are some limitations. If you can live with these, then I would certainly recommend ordering one.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: San Francisco, USA
Posts: 75

How well does the memory module work with standard Doc files, rather than the Peanut Press titles?

Is it possible to put a bunch of doc files on the module, and then view them directly from the module with a standard Doc reader like TealDoc or CSpotRun?

Can you put the Doc reader and the Doc files all on the module, and run it all from the module?

Thanks.

[This message has been edited by mportuesi (edited 11-01-1999).]

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 38

Yes, this works, which is good because it's a major reason why I purchased the flash module

I'm been trying out a freeware doc reader called MobiBook (www.mobibook.com). I moved this app and several doc files to the module. I can read these as I normally would with no problems.

I can also access the docs on the module with C Spot Run, which is on my Visor. Again, no problem. Of course, I'm not trying to modify these files, only read them.

I also moved MobiBook from the module back to the handheld. (The docs were still on the module). The last doc I opened appeared on the screen so the app didn't seem to care where the doc resided, but for an interesting reason.

When I used MobiBook on the handheld to open a doc on the module, the doc was moved from the module back to the handheld. This was transparent, and I only learned of it when checking the file list in File Mover. So, in order to keep the docs on the module, this particular doc reader must be on the module as well.

C Spot Run, while on the Visor, was able to open docs on the module without moving them back to the Visor. I haven't tried other readers, such as SmartDoc, TealDoc, or AportisDoc, to learn how they handle this.

[This message has been edited by JT (edited 11-01-1999).]

[This message has been edited by JT (edited 11-01-1999).]

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 12

An excelent review. Thanks! You answered all the questions that I wanted answered before I bought one.

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osjedi uses
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Registered: Sep 1999
Location: San Francisco, USA
Posts: 75

JT,

Thanks for answering my question! Your review has been very useful - before it appeared, there were lots of unanswered questions about exactly what the module could do.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: College Station, TX
Posts: 143

JT

Thanks for the review...but I have a naive question: Does running "on" the flash module really happen on the springboard, or do you need to keep free memory in the Visor's main memory in order to run something from the flash memory?

In other words, can I read a doc that is 7Mb if I've used >1Mb in the datebook/address etc?

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 38

As far as I can determine, applications on the springboard module run solely from the module itself. However, there doesn't appear to be a way to install directly to the module. As a result, you must first install to the Visor then move the files to the module. So if you have a 7 meg file and only 1 meg of open memory on the handheld, I see no way to get it directly to the module. Perhaps a future version of the Install Tool will make this possible.

I've learned that the files on the module are recognized by DB Explorer and Z'Catalog as if they were on the Visor itself. Also, Backup Buddy reads the module as additional Visor memory and backs up the files on the module.

I neglected to mention earlier that you can edit the module's label. Perhaps this is for cases where you have more than one module to allow the File Mover app to distinguish them from one another. And the module can be formatted to erase all of its contents.

I haven't use the flash module long enough to determine whether there's an appreciable difference in battery usage. This is the only reason I can think of not to keep it installed all of the time. When inserted, there's only a very slight protrusion from the unit itself, certainly not enough to create any inconvenience.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Potomac, MD, USA
Posts: 90

Just wanted to say thanks for the review. THIS is what this board should be used for--not people posting a million posts about how they're going to sue Handspring for all they're worth, etc.....

Excellent job....

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 61

JT:
Thanks for the great review and your follow-up post. Please can you clarify your statement about having a 16MB visor. Can you access applications in both the on-board RAM and the springboard seamlessly? I ask this question because from using a TRG xtra xtra pro board on my Palm IIIx, I know that the installing the board "inactivated" the on-board RAM on the Palm (ie you had a IIIx with 8MB RAM (and not 16 MB RAM) and 4MB ROM.

Thank you.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 38

Yes, you can run apps from either the Visor or the flash module seamlessly. All of them show up on the Visor screen either with the Palm OS launcher or third-party launchers. When using the default launcher in list view, apps on the module have bullet points beside them.

I would compare it to the Visor being a local, or C, drive, and the module being a network, or F, drive. If you're not logged on to the network, the apps and files on the F drive don't show up. There is one big difference, however, which perhaps I didn't emphasize yesterday.

Data files moved to the module are read-only. In fact, you are warned about this when you try to move them to the module. Games like Hardball and Sub Hunt and apps like Tricorder and Phaser run without difficulty from the module. When running CSpotRun, it sees docs in both internal and module memory simultaneously and can open any of them. (I have CSpotRun itself on the Visor). So you could keep short docs that you always need handy on the Visor and long books on the module.

Again, I see the flash module as a way to backup important data between hotsyncs and as a means to store read-only files (like games and docs)which you don't need to access all of the time.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: College Station, TX
Posts: 143

JT,

Thanks for the review and the reply to my question...this sounds GREAT!! One of the major reasons I wanted the extra memory is for docs to read when stuck somewhere without a paperback. On my late Palm, I had to guess how many chapters of a book I was likely to finish on a trip, leaving myself in cliffhanger mode if I guessed wrong.