Registered: Sep 2000
Location:
Posts: 33

To all Thincom users --

We would appreciate some input to help us steer some modem upgrade development. Any input would be great!

1. We will shortly be releasing a voluntary upgrade which will install FileMover on the Thincom and provide the ability to replace/add programs on the modem's built in flash. Unfortunately, there is only about 500K space available on the flash at this time. So, here's question #1:
Q. Due to the way FileMover works (this is basically SW licensed from HandSpring), the flash memory is divided into 2 areas, a System area (where we store all our modem code & drivers), and a user area (where we put the bundled apps and where any user-installed apps would go). We have two choices -- make as much flash area available as possible, with the negative aspect that when the V.90 upgrade comes out (which requires a larger system area), the user area will be reformatted, or we can cut down the user area to allow for V.90 code growth, thus improving the chance that the user area can remain intact through the upgrade.

So, in short: More memory or less upgrade hassle?

Question 2:
We are looking for feedback on importance of different features for e-mail clients. While we'd like to include the best possible e-mail, we realize some will still use other e-mail packages and therefore we want to be careful on price, etc. Here are some basic possibilities:

1) A 'lite' version, possibly limiting # of servers at one time, and not allowing attachments.

2) An 'old' version (similar to Xircom's shipping of Multimail Pro 2 on their modems), which may have limited support, etc., or not have all the newest features.

3) An 'oem' version which may be feature rich, but not 'popular'

4) A FULL version (with conduits and everything) where some cost is ultimately passed onto the consumer.

Thoughts are welcome!

Note: Please be aware that this has no intention of representing itself as product marketing, but is a simple attempt to improve future products. Card Access has gained significant respect for the participators of this forum and value its opinions.

-Card Access

Registered: Nov 1999
Location:
Posts: 109

I would suggest giving us more user area. We could always move our files out before upgrading.

Ok, here is my email wish list. Give us what Multimail Pro does (plugins are great) but most important to me, is the ability to connect to an exchange server that uses secure password authorization. There is not one email client for the Palm OS that can connect with it. Zero. (P.S.) I have checked every email client I could find, so I you find one let me know)!

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: at work...
Posts: 736

1. I recommend giving users access to the whole memory, and then requiring that they free up enough space before they can install the upgrade (the upgrade installer should of course make this clear in doc and 'error' messages).

2. Since you are making the memory available to users (thanks for doing this, by the way!), it's probably better to NOT bundle a full-featured client that will increase the price. Demo versions are fine, as long as you clearly document how they can be deleted and replaced with the full versions if the user decides to purchase them.

Registered: Sep 2000
Location:
Posts: 45

on multimail

I would prefere a lite version of multimail with perhaps only one or two possible mail servers. Not neccesarily an older version. This is the most expensive program I have considered buying for my Visor yet by a long shot. I doubt that many people connect to more than that.

500k not being all that much, I would prefer ease of upgrading to flexibility.

Registered: Sep 2000
Location:
Posts: 45

remembering categories?

It would be nice if the applications that are bundled with the CardAccess would remember what categories they are after I remove the module. Its a bit of a pain to recategorize the apps after reinserting the module every time.

Registered: Sep 2000
Location:
Posts: 33

Re: remembering categories?

quote:

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Originally posted by jakemonO
It would be nice if the applications that are bundled with the CardAccess would remember what categories they are after I remove the module. Its a bit of a pain to recategorize the apps after reinserting the module every time.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: USA
Posts: 75

let's have our v90 upgrade before you go off worrying about the Next Great Thing !

Registered: Sep 2000
Location:
Posts: 33

All,

Thanks for the input...expect a update to incorporate FileMover to be available in the next few days. I'll post again then.

As far as V.90 -- don't worry, its coming... We are currently in alpha and things are looking pretty good.

By the way, that brings up another question: in general, we have determined that without overclocking a Visor, the application used plays a tremendous role in whether *any* speed improvement is realized with the higher connect rates. Some of the more 'efficient' apps realize a speed gain, others (especially email clients) start tapering off not much over 19,200

If you have particular apps you suggest trying (that can be set up for more than an objective speed test), let us know!

-Card Access

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

I would prefer maxium user space in the Flash.

To address other users request for ease of upgrade, why not make an update program, that first moves all of the user's files out of the Flash and into RAM, upgrades the modem software, then moves the user's files back into Flash.

The only problems with this are 1) if the Visor's RAM is so full you can't move the files in Flash to RAM. And 2) What if all of the user's file will no longer fit in the Flash because of the increased size of the modem software. Personally I don't think that either of these scenarios will crop up very often.

Good instructions and a good user interface in the upgrade program could probably address these issues and make the upgrade easy to install.

Registered: Sep 2000
Location:
Posts: 45

recategorizing apps

Ah, yes, I'm using SilverScreen to categorize my apps. I see now that if I categorize the apps using the native Palm categorization tool, the categories "stick." Thanks for the tip

Registered: Sep 2000
Location:
Posts: 4

I would like as much user area in the Flash as possible. When the upgrades are ready, then I'll weigh the advantage of the upgrade against the other factors, such as possibly giving back some of the Flash to use the new system features.

As for the e-mail program ... I like "lite" versions with the option to upgrade. I think 10-day demos are a little harsh, especially when the license runs $39!

__________________
DexStory

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: San Antonio, Tx, USA
Posts: 6

I would prefer the user space and give me the ability to free up space for the upgrade.

Regarding email. I would suggest you look at the Eudora package for Palm OS. It provides a browser and email with no time limits (although without registering you have to sustain a "flash" screen). If users are using Eudora already, the conduit will provide a Sync with email. So the user gets the benefit of either getting email via HotSync or POP.

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 19

Thincom options

Thanks for requesting user input!

My vote would be for greater memory... it looks like MultiMail Pro and AvantGo together would take about 476 K, so they'd just about fill the modem. I'm not sure I'll actually store them in the Thincom (since the modem is not my default Springboard and I might want to access my stored mail even when the modem's not inserted), but if I were store *any* apps it would be those two. If the web browser were to go away when the file mover's installed then I would definitely want to store that (the web browser) on the modem, since I have no need for it except for when I'm online.

As to the email app to be included, I'd vote for a very lite version of an email client. I purchased MultiMail pro (once I cooled off) when I discovered the version bundled with the modem was a limited-use version. Your website originally didn't mention that the MultiMail bundled was a limited-use version as it does now, and I got pretty steamed. I didn't mind buying the software, and I appreciate having the choice.

Phil Frank

Registered: Sep 2000
Location:
Posts: 33

All,

Thank you for your patience... Just wanted to update that version 1.4 of code, which includes FileMover, is now posted on the Card Access Support page.

-Card Access

Registered: Sep 2000
Location:
Posts: 4

Article About Card Access Update

I've tested both versions of the ROM update that Card Access has just posted, (ThinmodemUpdater1_4full and ThinmodemUpdater1_4solo). The addition of File Mover (that provides access to the Flash memory on the modem) is terrific. I've written an article about the update for the O'Reilly Network -- http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/net.../thinmodem.html -- that also includes a picture of the new short phone connector.

__________________
DexStory

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 19

My feedback on the upgrade: it's works well. I elected to start with the *complete* upgrade, since I haven't been able to track down a copy of Browse-It, which I didn't want to lose. I wasn't quite sure if the File Mover came with the complete replacement, but it does (I didn't find it because I have an 8-meg flash module. I have the File Mover app that comes with that filed under Utilities. I didn't quite expect the Modem's File Mover to literally be the same app and so I was expecting it to show up with the Modem's software, or maybe under Unfiled, not where the existing File Mover had been).

Once I discovered the File Mover I was able to remove the demo version of MultiMail and replace it with my full version. And I still have Browse-It.

Phil Frank

Registered: Sep 2000
Location:
Posts: 4

I'd prefer maximum space available for loading stuff into the Thinmodem. Not a big deal to reorganize stuff after the upgrade.

For the bundled software: I'd prefer something that is a low-cost option, no sense in adding extra cost into the modem price.

But especially important is to have the software from vendor that has some kind of customer service: none of the e-mail I've sent to ActualSoftware have been replied to. And most of them were actually about purchasing their software. I was trying to find out if I could "upgrade" the demo version of MultiMail in the modem memory w/o downloading a licensed version into the regular Visor memory. Not an issue anymore since you guys made the file mover available (thanks!), but would have expected some kind of reply from them.

Jarmo