Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Detroooiiit Rock City
Posts: 21

hey all, my little brother just bought a CASIO PV-200a, its a BASIC PDA with like hotsync, memo, drawing, schedule, contacts, expenses. REal basic, but its nice. He paid 85 bucks for it. And now he wants to return it and get the visor solo. A couple questions; is the solo any good? Is it worth it, with only 2MB? (Since he can just get the Springboard expansion anyway.... I think..) Does it have any reduced capabilities besides the memory?

Oh yah, since I'm getting a VDx, he could just use my HotSync, right? so he can save 30$ on that? (hopefully)

thanks

-matt

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 1571

PaQmann:

The visor solo is the same as the deluxe. the only difference between the two apart from the choice of colours is that ine us 2 Mb and one is 8MB. The 2MB can hold a lot considering that the average software for the Palm OS is about 25K. The Deluxe is really for heavy users of the visor.

To answer your secons question: yes you can indeed share the hotsynch cradle with your brother, You can just set up a username for your him, That way his information don't get mixed up with yours.

Hope this helps .

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Detroooiiit Rock City
Posts: 21

thanks yet again, yardie, exactly what i needed to know.

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 434

If your brother is going to use AvantGo, then you may want to consider the VDX instead. Content from AvantGo typically runs 500KB to more than 1MB (depending the number and nature of the channels you subscribe to). This is probably only an issue if your brother considers AvantGo an imperative, but I thought that I should mention it.

BTW, if you are counting on using the 8MB Flash Module to supplement the Solo's 2MB, there are some limitations. Many applications don't like running from the Flash Module, and only "static" data files can go there. Yes. You can rotate files into and out of the Flash Module as you need them. However, this is a pain; and it can lead to crashes if you forget to rotate applicaitons and updateable data files out of the Flash Module before running them. The good news is that I can confirm that iSilo and Peanut Reader are both content running with their big data files in the Flash Module - - so you needn't worry about e-books giving your brother grief if he chooses to go the Solo + Flash Module route.

One final point, the cost of the Solo + 8MB Flash Module = $230. That is only $20 less than the VDX. Good luck!!

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 94

PaQManN,
To add more fuel to the fire. I got a VDx on Friday, it now has less than 2 megs free. 1.5 megs for AvantGo, 1 meg for HandBase (with only like 2 database programs I use). 1.5 megs for ISilo (i have some books and cooking recipes). You add in another 1 megs for various applications and hacks etc and you start running out of space quickly. Granted I might delete some AvantGo channels and the books will go in and out, but it's nice to have all that space.

Minh

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

Also keep in mind that the 8meg Flash RAM springboard can only double the amount of available RAM.
This means that if you put the Flash RAM springboard into a 2 meg Visor Solo, you will wind up with only 4 megs of RAM total.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Metro Station, Hollywood and Highland
Posts: 1018

Is 2 Megs adequate? I've been getting by just fine with a 2 Meg Palm III. I have AvantGo, but only download a few channels. If you need a PDA primarily as an organizer and notepad, with a few apps thrown in, then it's not a problem.

Consider more RAM if you want to install:
�a lot of AvantGo channels
�a lot of e-books (the Bible, for instance, fills up most or all of 2 mb)
�a lot of .jpegs (which look horrible in b&w)
�a database

Most apps fall somewhere between 20-60k, which is pretty tiny compared to WINCE programs (typically above 100k, so they Palm-sized PCs really need all that extra memory). Nevertheless, some Palm enthusiasts go hog wild and throw everything but the kitchen sink into their devices. If you can't let a program go, then go for 8 megs.

Incidentally, does the PV-200a use CE?

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 94

GB,
I don't think 2 megs is enough for this device (unless ALL you do is use it for appointments and addresses) I think 4 would be a better compromise then 2 megs to be honest.

If you're like me using it to track my spending, mirror my checkbook, keep track of my documents, then those 2 megs would run out quickly.

Even if i didn't have so many AvantGo channels, I'd still have a lot of data. I mean I only have two HandBase databases--one for my checkbook, and one for my expenses. There's only about 1.5 months worth of data in them, I also have a couple of empty databases (I haven't filled them up yet) but they take up almost a meg! Not to mention my documents i keep on it.

I guess the biggest thing is whether you'll take advantage of the extra space. With so many uses and the versatility of the device, i think more memory can only benefit.

Minh

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Detroooiiit Rock City
Posts: 21

thanks to everyone else also.

Yucca: AvantGo isn't a problem. He uses it mainly for typing reports, notes, and using 3rd party apps (games, etc.) But Does AvantGo really take up that much space?? when mine gets here, I'm HOPING on using AvantGo but I didn't think it would take up that much... (I should be ok, I'm getting the VDx.) and about the Flash module, I know about that but he wants one RIGHT now. So, if he has problems, thats what he gets for not waiting. And thanks.


Winchell: REALLY??? I thought that the 8MB flash springboard added 8MB no matter what, not just doubled it!!!! are you sure? i didn't know that. I might have him reconsider .


Gameboy70: For most of us, I doubt if 2 megs would be good enough, but for the cash impaired, it should be ok. I dunno ... like you said, those people who use E-Books (me for one, I LOVE it) besides all of the usual organizers and apps. I think that I am gonna have to do the 8 MBs, but for my bro, 2 MB should be good. especially since he doesn't even KNOW about the apps. But seriously, I really do love the apps.... And I think that people who are a little pressed for money, and just need a good organizer, the Solo sounds pretty good.

about the PV-400a.. as far as I know, it uses Casio's own system. It definitely isn't PALM OS or WinCE... I'm pretty sure its Casio's own. (<koff>ITSUCKS<koff> )

-matt

[This message has been edited by PaQManN (edited 03-06-2000).]

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: California
Posts: 108

Just a quick note on the casio PV series. They run *hehe* "Casio OS". They are what got me considering the visor in the first place (I saw one at K-Mart ). I was gonna buy one until I realised that there wern't any 3rd party apps that I knew of, and if even, very few. Then I saw the visor and said, "Thats the one for me!!! It runs on a very popular OS, has colors, ability to add programs, and a usb connection for my new computer." Anyway, I now realise how much better the visor is, whith a lot more memory, better apps, expandability, USB hotsync, springboard, need I go on?
Anyway, to give closure to the story, 2 weeks later, the syncing cradle was ruined and the system was blacking out, since the batteries were low (it kept insisting on recalbrating the digitizer). Also, I found out that the way you turn it on is just by touching the screen, which could cause major problems. I am so glad I didn't buy that model at K-Mart!

[This message has been edited by CompuPika (edited 03-06-2000).]

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

quote:

---

Originally posted by PaQManN:
Winchell: REALLY??? I thought that the 8MB flash springboard added 8MB no matter what, not just doubled it!!!! are you sure? i didn't know that. I might have him reconsider .

---

Registered: Jan 2000
Location: Monroe, Michigan, USA
Posts: 244

Winchell (and anyone else confused by the 8MB Springboard capacity issue):
The 8MB Flash springboard is indeed 8MB, whatever device it is used with. You could fill a Visor or Visor Solo 4 times and dump the contents to the module each time, then move 'em to RAM as you need 'em. (You move apps, DB's, etc. manually, so you pick and choose which to do.)
The backup Springboard, on the other hand, just backs up whatever is on your device. It has 8MB capacity, but if you're backing up a 2MB Visor, you can't use the other 6MB. It just makes an "image" of whatever your Visor contains at the time of backup, and will restore that image on command. (It will back up the entire contents of a Visor Deluxe, too.)

Registered: Nov 1999
Location:
Posts: 145

I started with AvantGo but now use ISilo, saving me tons of memory. That was my first reason for doing it (we have a 2mb Visor), but if I ever get a Deluxe, I'd stick with ISilo and ISiloWeb.

You download the pages from the web when you want and they're automatically placed in the Install folder. With ISiloWeb and ISilo (which is already a darn good reader) you aren't in danger of being stuck in sync for 15 minutes and then receiving the "out of memory" (ok, prolly not an issure for Deluxe owners). You can control the link depth, images, etc.

It's also interesting if you want to copy text from articles too.

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

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tom LaPrise:
The backup Springboard, on the other hand, just backs up whatever is on your device. It has 8MB capacity, but if you're backing up a 2MB Visor, you can't use the other 6MB.

---