Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Baltimore MD, USA
Posts: 717

The first thing I did when I got my Prism was to apply a piece of 8 gauge vinyl as a screen protector.
Accuracy of graffiti suffered.
I peeled it off the graffiti area, and it seemed to improve
accuracy. But I didn't put it to a rigorous test.

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<pre> ^<br> /_\ WINCHELL CHUNG Nyrath the nearly wise at the Praeternatural Tower<br> <(*)> [email protected] http://www.ProjectRho.com/home.html<br>/_/|\_\ ABSIT INVIDIA VERBO IDEM SONANS<br> //|\\ -------------------------------------------------------------------<br>SURREAL SAGE SEZ: I'm nobody. Nobody at all. But the secrets of the<br>universe don't mind. They reveal themselves to nobodies who care.<br></pre>

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 431

Re: Response from Handspring?

quote:

---

Originally posted by dtgillis
kalahari...

When you called to request a replacement, did the Handspring rep say whether this was a known problem? It seems too many people are complaining about it for it to be an isolated incidence.

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Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 3

The Prism Grafitti sucks!

I just got my prism two days ago and I can't write a word on it. I have tried everything, turning down the brightness, resetting it, everything, and nothing has helped. It doesn't recognize grafitti from chicken scratches. I used to have a Deluxe and the grafitti was awesome. This thing is completely unusable. I called tech support and they said they will send a new unit. We'll see what happens. I hope this is not a permanent problem because if it is, it definitely needs to be addressed because I hate tapping on the small keyboard which is just too darn slow. I'm sure we can all agree that for $450 bucks we should get a unit that at least works properly.

Tamim

Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Aberdeen, SD
Posts: 2531

I just spent 3 1/2 hours deleting everything (and I mean everything) from my visor and my computer. I had backed up everything from the backup module onto my prism. After exporting the info from the Big 4 in Palm Desktop to a floppy disk I hard resetted my visor, removed Palm Desktop, Avantgo, HotTime, etc, etc, etc from control panel and then used Norton to wipe all my former info off so there was no sign of ever having a pda on my computer at all. Then I re-intalled everything, re-registered everything, imported my info back into Palm Desktop, and hotsynced. Not much difference. Don't do it.

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-Joshua
Abortion: Darwinism at its finest.

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 6

Just Called Handspring and asked for Replacement

All,

I just got off the phone with Handspring and requested a new Prism unit. The rep stated that this was the first call he got with the graffiti recognition problem. He had me walk thru the usual digitizer and soft reset procedures. He wanted me to hard reset but I told him that had been done already to no avail.

Finally, a new one will be sent.

Has anyone received their replacement unit yet? Is the recognition any better?

Any help would be gladly appreciated.

TIA!

JNGold

Registered: Jun 2000
Location:
Posts: 594

I think TEXTPLUS, etc. apps can help, at least a little. I give lots more detail here:


http://discussion.visorcentral.com/...p?threadid=8991

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Spokane, WA, USA
Posts: 114

The following is a copy of my complaint/request-for-support from Handspring's site... We'll see what they say:

The Graffiti recognition on the Prism ABSOLUTELY STINKS! It's terrible! I've already adjusted contrast levels (something reported at VisorCentral), but it has no affect.

I've seen an M come out as an R, and L come out as an H (regularly), and Shift stroke sometimes comes out as the Dot stroke... It's disgusting and no, I haven't had this much trouble ever, not on a Palm III, IIIx, V, or my Visor Deluxe that I've had for almost a full year now.

What did you guys do, and what are you going to do to fix it?

"This is a test of the Graffiti handwriting recognition system" came out as "Tiis ij a)esi f tie Gr(fi i handwritiug recogwition system." -- I started writing bigger (and slower and harder) at "handwriting", and I still had to make several corrections trying to see what it takes to get it right.

So while I'm very impressed with the unit because of the color screen and a little bit of a performance increase, the first 24 hours have been tarnished with Graffiti woes. Help!

__________________
Chazzz Fishburn -- [email protected]
dedicated to better ideas...

Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 18

quote:

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Originally posted by Chazzz
I've seen an M come out as an R, and L come out as an H (regularly), and Shift stroke sometimes comes out as the Dot stroke...

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Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 21

Anybody having good graffiti w/prism?

OK, the list of people having the graffiti problem is getting pretty long, but I want to know if ALL Prism owners have it. I haven't seen this mentioned in any of the reviews I've read, even James', so maybe not all Prisms have the problem... if you have a Prism and good graffiti, let us know.

Waiting with credit card in hand...

Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 13

Sorry my first posting is on a sour note.

I ordered my 1st Prism the very day they were released. 2 wks later, I'm on my 3rd unit. All three have been infected with exactly the same graffiti problems described on this board -usless handwriting recognition, inaccurate taps and random characters. I've tried my units both virgin and loaded with software and hacks with the same results.

Incidentally, I'm experienced with both graffiti and handwriting recognition issues, having spent the last 9 months using various Palm Pilots as well as 3 years with Apple Newtons. So I can honestly rule out pilot error (no pun intended).

Tech support can't or won't help except to offer to send you a new unit. I've been in touch with customer support at the executive level where I was thanked for bringing awareness of this problem to their attention and given the choice of a refund or to wait for tech support to look into "my" problem.

Folks, as many complaints as I've seen here, it's not "my " problem - it's "our" problem and time for us to make it Handspring's problem. May I suggest everyone here take a moment to call or write to Handspring - preferably directly to the excecutive level - and tell them what you're experiencing. Maybe we'll get their attention the same way Palm IIIc users got 3Com's when they were attempting to dodge the issue with defective/cracking cases. When the press was made aware of the problem, 3Com's bigshots went public and took the problem seriously.

Again, I appologize for making my first posting to this board such a gripe, but I would hate to see any more customers pull their hair out (as I have) over such a high-priced, top-of-the-line product. It's like buying a nice Fire Red Ferrari - with no steering wheel!

BTW, aside from this issue I am completely delighted by my Prism and truly hope to recommend it to many potential customers.

Darrell

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 1571

Hmmm

Well I haven't received my very own Prism as yet. However. I have had the opportunity to play with two different Prisms in the past few weeks. The first one I tried was really bad...that is one of the reasons why this thread was started. The second one which I played it works flawlessly... No tapping problems. no graffiti problems. Perhaps there was a "bad" batch?

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Clarksville, VA, USA
Posts: 74

Re: Hmmm

quote:

---

Originally posted by yardie
Well I haven't received my very own Prism as yet. However. I have had the opportunity to play with two different Prisms in the past few weeks. The first one I tried was really bad...that is one of the reasons why this thread was started. The second one which I played it works flawlessly... No tapping problems. no graffiti problems. Perhaps there was a "bad" batch?

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Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Spokane, WA, USA
Posts: 114

I don't know if any other Prism owner has been paying attention to general tap accuracy or not, but I have...

This is what I have seen (aside from Graffiti errors)-
Games where you have to tap to move, say, cards are spectacular.... as is SimCity where you have to tap to place items or to move the scroll bars.

While playing the color KlondikeSE, I noticed that I could sometimes tap a certain card and watch a card two rows away flash and move a bit as if I'd tapped that one.

In SimCity, I tapped the far-left arrow of the bottom scroll bar, and the game registered two powerlines about one half inch away...

Then in Launch'Em, I have my games tab displayed with small icons, 2-per-row with labels. I went to tap on a game in the third row and it moved a game in the top row to my Utils tab (the tab to the left of the Games tab)... weird, huh?

So it seems quite certain, as kalahari and Brent Dax first pointed out here, that not only is it just Graffiti, but the whole stinkin' digitizer!

I'll be calling HS today to see if I can get a replacement that's a bit better... if not, they just saved me $489! ($449[Prism]+$40[Serial Cradle])...

__________________
Chazzz Fishburn -- [email protected]
dedicated to better ideas...

Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 16

I'm on my 3rd Prism in two weeks, but not because of graffiti or digitizer problems (first Prism wouldn't charge, 2nd went "black" after a full charge and wouldn't power back on). I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS BABY (can't wait for the Visorphone)!!!

HOWEVER, all these posts about recognition problems has me a little worried (or perhaps paranoid). I have noticed some graffiti recognition "issues", but I can't tell if its me or the Prism (see my post under the "Don't foget to digitize" thread).

I guess my question is: Should I hedge my bets and order a replacement, or stick with this one and assume it's just my paranoia getting the best of me? Anyone in the same situation as me?! Is there a doctor in the house?

Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Aberdeen, SD
Posts: 2531

quote:

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Originally posted by jlloydjunior
I guess my question is: Should I hedge my bets and order a replacement, or stick with this one and assume it's just my paranoia getting the best of me? Anyone in the same situation as me?! Is there a doctor in the house?

---

__________________
-Joshua
Abortion: Darwinism at its finest.

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 1571

Wait

Those of you who have had several replacements with the same graffiti/tapping issues -- Why don't you wait about a week or so for the "bad" Prisms to be "flushed" out of the replacement system?

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: bright side of the moon.
Posts: 996

some of you might be interested in this....

http://www.palmgear.com/software/sh...amp;prodID=9870

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Ever feel like the train left while you were busy reading the paper?

Stealth-Mod.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Baltimore MD, USA
Posts: 717

I was having problems with Graffiti recognition as well, but I'm pretty sure that the problem was due to my screen protector.

I installed TealEcho to see exactly what the digitizer was seeing.

With the 8 gauge vinyl sheet on the Prism, the recognition was terrible. Watching the line drawn by TealEcho, one got the impression that the Prism couldn't keep up with the stylus (a letter "C" might become a vertical line, for instance). I discovered that the recognition improved dramatically if I wrote each letter reeeaaalll sssslllooooww.

I took off the screen protector, and suddenly the Graffiti recognition became comparable to my old VDX.

I'm going to look into the TapPad, as it seem thinner than 8 gauge vinyl.

This results come from my personal Prism, your milage may vary...

__________________
<pre> ^<br> /_\ WINCHELL CHUNG Nyrath the nearly wise at the Praeternatural Tower<br> <(*)> [email protected] http://www.ProjectRho.com/home.html<br>/_/|\_\ ABSIT INVIDIA VERBO IDEM SONANS<br> //|\\ -------------------------------------------------------------------<br>SURREAL SAGE SEZ: I'm nobody. Nobody at all. But the secrets of the<br>universe don't mind. They reveal themselves to nobodies who care.<br></pre>

Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 13

Thanks to all of you who contacted HS regarding the Prism digitizer issues.

An HS Executive Relations Customer Care Specialist contacted me today to confirm that a new Prism that has been tested by a systems engineer was shipped to me with the assurance that it meets their quality and performance standards. She also acknowledged that HS is aware of such Prism complaints.

It also appears that HS staff do monitor boards here on VC, if nowhere else. SPEAK UP - your voices are heard and what you have to say, good or bad has value!

I look forward to posting a follow-up report of how a properly-tuned Prism should behave.

Darrell

Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 2

So has their been a definitive answer if there is a Grafitti problem with the Prism? I have one, and it definitely doesn't work as smoothly as other Palms I have used. Yesterday, I tested a friend's Platinum, and I didn't have any problems. I am trying to figure out if it's just the way the screen is different or an actual problem. Any help?