Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Them Twin Cities
Posts: 1758

Prism, DB4, and a whole lotta #!$%@&*(*)$#%^

This is another long one from me, self-absorbed and such. Skip to the end for my pertinent question

Ok. So, here's my sob story:

As I've very publicly said on this board, I've gone from a IIIe to a m100, to a solo, to VDX, to a PLat, to an Edge, and finally, last month, to a Prism.

Well, about a week ago, the digitizer on my Prism started crapping out. I was in denial (aided by those around me contstantly saying things like "You've got ANOTHER one?" and "quit obsessing" and so on). Well, I found that a soft reset sometimes fixed the problem, and other times a warm, then a soft reset fixed it. The problem is that it registered my tap about a half inch off on the lefthand side of the screen, but spot-on on the righthand side.

Whatever, I assumed it was a software error and figured I'd take an hour and track it down eventually, despite my knowledge that people have had Prism digitizer problems in the past

yesterday, the digitizer issue raises its ugly head. Warm reset time. Only all I can get is the Palm Powered Screen flashing. That's it. and nothing but a HARD RESET could fix it. My most recent backup was a day and a half old. Annoying, but no big deal.

I get home and hotsync, setting the desktop to override the Handheld in almost all cases (since I'd hotsynced since I'd backed up to the module). All of the sudden, it starts "restoring" crap to the Visor!! What the hell is going on here?!?!

Anyway, everything worked out, except three things:

1) The digitizer problem persists after a hard reset (new Prism en route now)
2) Date Book 4 has lost every @#$^@!#$^ thing except for a few random appointments from last DECEMBER!
3) The Palm Desktop has also lost all my datebook data!!!

AAAUUUUUGGGHH!!!

I don't even care about having to re-enter stuff, but I don't know what to re-enter! it's just gone! categories! Preferences! Appointments!!! All gone. The only thing left are appointments I've happened to delete, they're in the archive. Lotta good that does me. And as soon as I hotsynced back home, I backed up again without checking the datebook (I checked every other damn thing), so the data isn't there either!

hell, I can't even enter data until the new one comes, because the digitizer is so screwed!!!

...pant...pant...pant...

AAAUUUGH!!

My Questions:

1) Has anybody ever had Digitizer problems this severe, or had digitizer problems that varied according to where you tapped?
2) Where, oh where, could my datebook data have gone? Who, oh who can I blame?
3) Am I cursed? While I like getting stuff in the mail, I just want to settle down with a nice gadget for awhile. Is Handspring's QC really that bad?

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Registered: Aug 2001
Location: ILLINOIS
Posts: 227

Can't help with much -- but -- I have had unusual lockups at times when only a hard reset would work.

AND I had problems with the desktop at the same time

The Springboard Module saved my butt on at least three occasions.

I wouldn't be without one!

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Pembroke,MA
Posts: 307

dietrichbohn, I jusy got mine overnighted (replacement) for a similar reason. My digitizer did mess up depending on where I was using the stylus. BUT, I noticed another thing. When I first turned on my Prism, I have decent grafitti recognotion, especially after a full charge. After leaving it on for 20 minutes or so, the grafitti recognition gets worse and worse.

I tested this with a hard reset as well.
- After a full charge, I simply wrote the alphabet in CAPS and lowercase 4 times in the Memopad without looking at the text I was writing (all 4 alphabets came out perfect)
- I loaded only a book reader and a book (for something to do for 20 minutes).
- After the 20 minutes, went back to Memo and did 4 more alpphabets. Every one of these was messed up with lots of punctuation, missing characters...etc. (same deal, no looking
- Read book for another 20 minutes, tried the alphabets again. Now only getting 4-14 characters, none of which are correct.

*Just so you know, there were no hacks installed. This was directly done from a Hard Reset with only Peanut reader and a book installed (also no springboard so as not to add another factor in). The ONLY thing I can think of other than a faulty difigizer is this started occurring when I got my VisorPhone.

So, I got my new (refurb?) Prism overnight form HS. Nice customer Service! All work well on this Prism.

Registered: May 2001
Location:
Posts: 3

digitizer problems

I would guess that you are carrying around your Prism in your back pocket and sitting on it too much. My experience was that flexing the case of the Prism (or the Solo I owned before it), would cause the problems to go away. Probably the stress caused by "rear-pocketing" your Visor is fouling up the delicate electronics of the screen/digitizer.

I was able to more clearly understand what was happening when I hot-keyed to my BugMe program and tried to draw on the screen. The stylus on the left side of the screen would draw in the middle of the screen, the stylus in the middle would only be slightly offset to the right, and drawing on the right side of the screen seemed unaffected. If I grabbed opposite corners of the unit and tried to twist or flex the case, and then try the same procedure, often the problem would clear up (for a time).

Needless, to say, I don't sit on my Visor as much any more and the problem has diminished.

My guess is that it is not a software-related problem at all, as suggested by another respondent. If the problem gets worse over time, perhaps the unit heating up (even slightly, over a 20-minute period), could be causing the stressed connectors to expand just enough to reveal the problem.

When my Solo first developed the problem, I opened the case and inserted little foam rubber pads at the points where the broken plastic pins holding the digitizer were located. This provided the shock and stress absorption that was needed to allow me to carry my Visor in my back pocket without worrying that I was tweaking the case too much and busting up the internals. This worked great for as long as I had the unit.

I ended up with an unrelated problem on my Prism that caused Handspring to willingly and quickly replaced the unit, so I have a fresh unit that has no digitizer problems (yet). Needless to say, I am twice burned, so being careful this time around.....

Registered: Sep 2001
Location: California
Posts: 20

Handspring sirte

Go to handspring.com and download update for handspring prism, and I think this should help. It help me with my digz. problem. Also I know what you are talking about I returned my unit twice, because it had problems. Return your unit to place of purchase if it is less than 30 days old, otherwise contact tech support for HS and demand a new unit (not refurbished).

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Phil Teves
'Jesus is the Way'

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Them Twin Cities
Posts: 1758

All:

thanks for the advice. No, I was not carrying around my prism in my back pocket (which is a foolish thing to do with any handheld except the Edge), and the problems starting happening after I'd already installed the patch. No, it was just hardware, and my new unit works like a champ.

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