Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 3

I will be purchasing the Platinum really soon, however I wanted to be sure that the OS is upgradeable. Is it?

Thanks

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Connecticut USA
Posts: 2682

The OS is NOT flash upgradeable. It can be enhanced through the use of patches, however.

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God bless America, my home sweet home...

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 434

If Handspring's history is any guide, patches that enhance the PDA are not going to be forthcoming. However, their track record is fair re: releasing OS patches that correct problems (e.g. the Visor "bad" RAM patch and the Prism digitizer patch). In otherwords, patches that add new capabilities or improve existing capabilties are just not in the cards.

Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 3

Isn't this something that should concern consumers though? not being able to upgrade the OS. This will be my first PDA and I just don't want to have to replace it in a year and a half because no software will run on it..... Is this something that I should be concerned with?

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Posts: 216

quote:

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Originally posted by PsychoRaider
Isn't this something that should concern consumers though? not being able to upgrade the OS. This will be my first PDA and I just don't want to have to replace it in a year and a half because no software will run on it..... Is this something that I should be concerned with?

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Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan USA
Posts: 790

quote:

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I purchased my Visor Deluxe in June of this year. Now I see more and more software, and even some Sprignboards comming out that will NOT run on Palm OS 3.1H3.

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Jeff

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

PsychoRaider,

In the long run, OS upgrades do not really matter all that much. The next Palm OS upgrade will incorporate SD technology and multimedia functions. No current palm handheld (from any company) will be able to handle the new features except for the new hardware (the Palm Vc in this case). The next full number update to the Palm OS (version 4) which will debut in late 2001 or early 2002 will only work on Palm devices that will feature the Intel StrongARM cpu.

And who is to say that Palm will continue to put out handhelds that have upgradable ROMs? The m100 doesn't and if I'm not mistaken, the VIIx doesn't either. There is no guarantee that the Vc (due in feb/mar 01) will have one.

It is rare that you will find a piece of software that you will not be able to run on a VDX. Unless the program is color only, you can pretty much bet that it will work on whatever Palm OS PDA you buy.

If you're that concerned about longevity, buy a Visor Prism or Platinum. Both run the latest version of Palm OS v3.5.2. Software developers will be supporting that OS for years to come.

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Posts: 216

quote:

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Originally posted by PDAENVY

quote:

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I purchased my Visor Deluxe in June of this year. Now I see more and more software, and even some Sprignboards comming out that will NOT run on Palm OS 3.1H3.

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Can you give examples of software that doesn't run on 3.1? I haven't found anything I can't use on my VDX, except for color.

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Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 46

Actually, word has it that the Vc (and 4.0) is due in March. Look for PalmOS 4.0 to offer more than just support for new hardware, as the UI is slated for its first major overhaul in years.

The Vc will probably have FlashRAM because Palm has established a new precedent with their $15 3.5 Flash upgrade currently available on their site. I doubt they'll move away from that extra income. The existing V hardware also supports FlashRAM, so unless the whole thing is completely new, it's likely to share that feature.

Just because the Visors don't have FlashRAM doesn't mean that a). it's rarely if ever useful, and b). that OS upgrades for PDA's are irrelevant and of no concern.

b

quote:

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Originally posted by sluggo
PsychoRaider,
The next full number update to the Palm OS (version 4) which will debut in late 2001 or early 2002 will only work on Palm devices that will feature the Intel StrongARM cpu.

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bill s.
lead artist, the 3do company
visor prism / casio e-100
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

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

pixelator,

Where did you hear that 4.0 is in March? And that it will be on the Vc?

Palm's last statement on the Vc was that there would only be the SD slot and multimedia enhancements to the OS. Sounds alot like a Prism in a smaller case to me.

There is still no guarantee that Palm will continue to use flashable roms. Their last 2 units didn't have one.

The point of my comment about upgradable roms is that the next big update to the Palm OS will in all likelyhood only work on the new hardware (Palm has all but stated it as a fact). In the last 2 years being able to upgrade may have been useful. But, with a truly major update to the Palm OS coming in the next 12 months, whether or not you can upgrade your rom will be a moot point. Especially if the next OS requires much more powerful hardware to run it.

All I was trying to tell PsychoRaider was that with 4.0 coming in a year, either buy a device with the latest OS version or wait for the next big update to get one (or get a Vc in March). Having a Vx or a IIIc that can be upgraded is nice, but will it be able to handle the new multimedia extensions that the next Palm OS v3.x.x is going to have? Probably. Will it handle them well? Probably not. Unless Palm adds some really cool added functionality or enhanced embedded apps that older hardware can use, there is no point to being able to upgrade at this time. I kind of equate it to putting Office 2000 on a P100.

On another note, I read somewhere that Palm was forced to charge for the 3.5 update. If I remember where I read it, I'll post the link.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go recover from all the turkey I've eaten today.

Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 3

Thanks for all of your responses! After all of the research I have done, I will be getting the Platinum. Most of the reviews I have found has rated this product well and from all of the user comments that I have read it seems like it's the best buy for the money.....

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Posts: 216

Well, it seems like we have some answers...

quote:

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Originally posted in VisorCentral News: PalmSource Reading
...A beta of Palm OS 4.0 (due mid-2001) will be heading to developers next week...already hints of Palm OS 5 are coming out. OS 5 supposedly will have better multimedia support and utilize the ARM microprocessor...

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Registered: Dec 2000
Location:
Posts: 7

Handspring's Achilles' Heel

Def.: Achilles' Heel - A seemingly small but actually mortal weakness

According to recent news items, Palm OS 4.0 will incorporate much new functionality and be a significant step up from OS 3.5.X.

As we all know, Handspring failed to include Flash ROM in the entire Visor product line. They have also failed to provide OS patch upgrades for Visor/Visor Deluxe owners with an older OS 3.X release.

Obviously, this does not bode well for any current Visor owner in terms of an upgrade to OS 4.0.

One could question why people currently in the market for a Palm OS PDA should even consider a Visor, given Handspring's history of failing to provide an OS upgrade path, the Visor's lack of Flash ROM, and the imminent release of OS 4.0. At least owners of a Palm V or any other Palm OS-compatible PDA with Flash ROM can rest easy knowing that they will be able to upgrade to future OS releases and that they won't be left by the wayside with an obsolete product.

In my opinion, Handspring committed a monumental blunder by not including Flash ROM in its latest additions to the Visor line. While difficulties in sourcing Flash and the need to establish a competitive price point vs. Palm may have been the motivating factors in not including Flash ROM with the earliest Visors, Handspring has no excuse for not including it in the Visor Platinum and the Visor Prism. Buyers of these products are not as concerned with price and instead, are more interested in performance and expandability. With their increased visibility and the virtues of the Springboard platform, Handspring no longer has to compete with Palm on price alone. I, for one, would be willing to pay more for a Visor that included Flash ROM. Right now, I view the Visor's lack of Flash ROM to be Handspring's Achilles' heel. I would hope that Handspring would be wise enough to include it in their next series of Visors.

Apart from all of these issues, is a patch upgrade to OS 4.0 even possible?

And, if it is possible, will such an upgrade be practical given the amount of RAM that the patch would occupy? This is especially relevant, considering the significant changes entailed in OS 4.0 and its corresponding increase in size.

Finally, even if a patch upgrade is both possible and practical, will Handspring deign to offer it to current Visor owners?

[Edited by ripkim on 12-16-2000 at 02:26 AM]

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan USA
Posts: 790

Re: Handspring's Achilles' Heel

quote:

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Originally posted by ripkim
... In my opinion, Handspring committed a monumental blunder by not including Flash ROM in the Visor line...

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__________________
Jeff

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 434

Let's not get hysterical about OS upgrades

OS upgradability is an issue that a potential Visor owner should weigh, but it shouldn't overshadow all other considerations. If you think that a PDA purchase is going to last you more than two years, then you probably do need to give greater consideration to OS upgradability. However, it is increasingly is looking like 2002/2003 is going to be the year that we are in for a major change. That will bring OS 5, higher definition screens and a new CPU; and these changes will certainly break many old applications, and create a situation where many new applications won't run on anything less than OS 5. This is the upgrade that we all should be planning for now.

Now, re: OS 4 - - While there are some potentially very useful features (especially enhanced security), the point is application availability. There are still very few applications that won't work on the Visor; and, given its popularity, I doubt there are many new apps being written that won't run on it. Is it likely that there is going to be a flood of applications that run only on OS 4? I don't think so. Who'd want to alienate all those m100 and Visor owners?

While most applications will continue run on OS 3.x, it is also true that there will probably be some very compelling applications that will only run on OS 4. We'll know more about the kind of apps that will fall into this category when the specifics of OS 4 are discussed by developers and reviewers. If an OS 4 feature looks killer to you, then you should pass on any currently available Visor model.

As others have mentioned, Handspring's decision to place the OS in ROM makes sense from a price and availability point of view. Palm and PPC makers have had alot of trouble producing enough PDAs because of flash memory (and other component) shortages. Handspring, after initial problems meeting demand last year, has not had these difficulties. Palm's hotest selling line, the m100, also has the OS in ROM. So Handspring is not alone in placing the OS in ROM.

Handspring did make statements that led many of us to believe that the original Visors would get OS patches as new essential features are added to the Palm OS. Shame on Handspring. However, Handspring has long since clarified the matter on their web site, and it is now clear what a user can and can not expect. Users can expect OS patches that fix a significant problem, but they can not (and should not) expect a patch that provides functionality beyond what they got out-of-the-box.