VisorCentral.com - Implications of MemPlug & PiDirect

VisorCentral.com >> Discussion >> Visor Related >> Springboard Modules
Implications of MemPlug & PiDirect


	Post a New Thread \| Post A Reply

Pages (4): [1] 2 3 4 »

Last Thread Next Thread

Author

Topic: Implications of MemPlug & PiDirect Pages (4): [1] 2 3 4 »

MHCohn
Member

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Mineola, NY USA
Posts: 161

With PiDirect, the potential uses of MemPlug are far reaching. I have the Handspring 8 mg Flash module, but MemPlug is already far better:

a) size, obviously
b) ability to make directories
c) included programs
d) most importantly, ease of use. I had wanted to put the full Noah dictionary onto my 8 meg flash card, but dreaded the thought of having to delete 5megs of programs from my Visor, load the Noah dictionary, transfer it to the module, then restore my programs. With MemPlug it�s a cinch: just pop the card into a smartcard reader, then copy and paste.

Now I can put dozens of games on my Visor without feeling guilty about losing space, I can have whole libraries of articles of various sizes to read on the line at the bank, or books to read on the train etc. Even buying books from Peanut Press now makes sense since I don�t have to worry about losing the space. I can also finally have all those programs I rarely use, but really want to have on my Visor for the times when I would like to use them, like Planetarium, Tide Timer and others I can now load even if I will only use them occasionally.

Of course, MemPlug won�t help me readily improve the map usage of a GPS or add to the number of tunes an mp3 player can play without transferring first, or any other modules which require something else to be inserted where the MemPlug is. And of course, there�s the issue/drawback of �read only� databases. But I�m not sure fully of what that means. So many programs seem to work. and I don�t fully understand why my games, which keep track of high scores etc. seem to work OK.

I�m curious about what other uses others intend for their MemPlug, and what programs or kinds of programs won�t work.

__________________
-Michael-

05-31-2001 02:02 PM

gbgood
Member

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: June 10, 2001 San Clemente Pier , CA
Posts: 211

Maps.
I live in SoCal and am surrounded by 4-5 counties that each take up 2mb of space. But at $2.95 ea for great maps, I'd love the convenience. I have emailed the developer and sent him the memplug/developer link. He responded that he would contact them.

Pictures.
Now that I have SplashPhoto, I can't tell you how rewarding it is to look at vacation pictures when you're in the middle of an intense meeting. I have a pic of a Local feeding a chicken to a 10ft crocodile in Costa Rica. Yup, that'll do it.

Dictionary.
Everyone's suggests Noah's. Maybe even Thesaurus.

SAT Hangman. 2mb

Avantgo. MORE channels and link levels.

My 64mb smc is already here so the world is my osyter when it comes to pda.
Expecially, since I have the best, Prism.

Attachment: croc.jpg
This has been downloaded 173 time(s).

__________________
"I cannot live without books." Thomas Jefferson

05-31-2001 02:20 PM

alexmathew
Member

Registered: Sep 2000
Location:
Posts: 53

PIDirect will NOT work on OS3.1H..

So Visor and VDX users are outta luck.
Bye
AM

05-31-2001 03:26 PM

mcristia
Member

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Cincinnati, OH USA
Posts: 107

quote:
Originally posted by MHCohn
With PiDirect, the potential uses of MemPlug are far reaching. I have the Handspring 8 mg Flash module, but MemPlug is already far better:

What about it you want an on-board modem (wireless or otherwise) and lots of extra RAM of whatever type? Personally, I am thinking of something like the ThinModem+ approach. Are there any CF or SD or whatever solutions for the Visor family that meet this "need"?

__________________
MANY BLESSINGS!
Peace and Every Good!

Michael W. Cristiani
[email protected]

05-31-2001 03:55 PM

enhanceyourlife
Member

Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Derry NH USA Earth
Posts: 154

MemPlug works fine on both my Plat and my son's VDx. The filemoving features in Launcher III beta work fine on both units.

The PiDirect utility (which no one has seen or used) will work (as rumoured) with Plat and above at first and Vdx later.

I'll reserve my own opinion of PiDirect's implications when it's installed on my units.

__________________
<div align="left">Mike
<hr width="200">
Programming is the struggle between programmers building bigger and better idiot proof systems and the universe building bigger and better idiots
<hr width="200">
<a href="http://enhanceyourlife.com">http://enhanceyourlife.com</a> 
<a href="http://www.furrbrain.com">http://www.furrbrain.com</a></div>

05-31-2001 04:49 PM

briker206
Member

Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 61

As far as GPS maps go. You can keep a crapload of maps on the memplug then transfer them to the Visor when you get in that state/area and plug the GPS back in. Would have saved me a huge headache on my last trip if I had been able to do that.

05-31-2001 05:19 PM

MHCohn
Member

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Mineola, NY USA
Posts: 161

quote:
Originally posted by briker206
As far as GPS maps go. You can keep a crapload of maps on the memplug then transfer them to the Visor when you get in that state/area and plug the GPS back in.

Well, maybe someplaces. I live on Long Island in New York, and to get just the complete maps for just the two counties Nassau and Suffolk, I had to load 100 maps, ranging in size from 704k to 0.4k all apparently named the same when I try to view them in PiMover. So, just driving from my home into NYC, I wouldn't begin to know which ones to load on and off.

What I need is somewhat less detailed maps that cover larger areas and can be used for driving.

__________________
-Michael-

05-31-2001 05:35 PM

MHCohn
Member

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Mineola, NY USA
Posts: 161

quote:
Originally posted by enhanceyourlife
MemPlug works fine on both my Plat and my son's VDx. The filemoving features in Launcher III beta work fine on both units.

The PiDirect utility (which no one has seen or used) will work (as rumoured) with Plat and above at first and Vdx later.

I'll reserve my own opinion of PiDirect's implications when it's installed on my units.

Why would you use the file moving features of Launcher III over PiMover? Unless, that is, Launcher III beta lets you move files from one directory of the SM card to another directory on the card. That is the only major drawback I see of PiMover. In order to get files from one directory to another (that is, away from home and my smartcard reader) you have to move the files to Visor RAM and then back into the new directory on the card.

__________________
-Michael-

05-31-2001 05:42 PM

Gameboy70
Member

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

quote:
Originally posted by mcristia
What about it you want an on-board modem (wireless or otherwise) and lots of extra RAM of whatever type? Personally, I am thinking of something like the ThinModem+ approach. Are there any CF or SD or whatever solutions for the Visor family that meet this "need"?

I don't have a MemPlug yet, but one thing I intend to do is use its PiBackup feature to give me ~8mb of temporary extra space on the Prism when using the Eyemodule, the way I do with the Backup module. Right now, if I need to take a lot of pictures or experiment with longer Quicktime movie clips, I use the Backup module to save the Prism's current state, take it out, then do a hard reset. When I'm done taking and transfering pictures, I restore the Prism to its normal state with the Backup module.

With the advent of the MemPlug and PiBackup, I don't see as much of a need to bundle Flash memory with every module, even if that would be ideal. The cost-per-megabyte with Flash is way too high. And I think that within the next 18 months, the next generation of Springboard modules will be densely integrated enough to accomodate some type of external storage, like the MiniJam

05-31-2001 05:59 PM

jasonp
Member

Registered: Dec 2000
Location:
Posts: 30

Maps and Memplug

Two Points:

1. I have the 8mb flash module, and it reads maps just fine from the module. I use Rand McNally's Streetfinder which allows you to export maps to the palm. You can control the area that is included, the points of interest that are included, and thereby control the size. I live in Oregon and currently have small ~5-700k Portland maps, and a large ~1.7mb file of the greater portland area. The maps are incredibly detailed, and they work great with my Garmin eMap GPS when attached to my Visor.

2. Is there confirmation that the new PiDirect software will ever work with Visor and Vdx? I have a standard Visor and sold my Memplug a month ago because I couldn't use it without the ability to run apps directly from the card.

05-31-2001 06:04 PM

enhanceyourlife
Member

Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Derry NH USA Earth
Posts: 154

quote:
Originally posted by MHCohn

Why would you use the file moving features of Launcher III over PiMover? Unless, that is, Launcher III beta lets you move files from one directory of the SM card to another directory on the card. That is the only major drawback I see of PiMover. In order to get files from one directory to another (that is, away from home and my smartcard reader) you have to move the files to Visor RAM and then back into the new directory on the card.

I'm sorry if I wasn't clear.. Launcher III is a launcher, I can launch apps from the card with it. If I have a directory on the card called "\palm\launcher" on the card with Apps in it, icons for the apps appear on the launcher screen. What happens for instance, I have Space Trader on the card. If I tap on the spacetrader icon, Space Trader is copied to the visor, executed and then deleted from the Visor on exit.

Launcher III is freeware and I like it over the default Palm launcher because it has tabs. Version 2.2 doesn't have the MemPlug functionality and is a worthwile app.

05-31-2001 06:16 PM

gbgood
Member

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: June 10, 2001 San Clemente Pier , CA
Posts: 211

I got it, I got my memplug.....gotta run and play.

ok, for mike, real quick, it is the new model.--->

__________________
"I cannot live without books." Thomas Jefferson

05-31-2001 07:16 PM

MHCohn
Member

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Mineola, NY USA
Posts: 161

Dum dee dum dum....

__________________
-Michael-

Last edited by MHCohn on 05-31-2001 at 11:31 PM

05-31-2001 07:21 PM

sschweg
Member

Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Music City, USA
Posts: 35

deleted, nevermind, sorry.

__________________
Steve (8C>

Last edited by sschweg on 05-31-2001 at 08:05 PM

05-31-2001 07:55 PM

bookrats
Member

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 501

quote:
Originally posted by MHCohn
Oh, I see, Mike.

I use Launch'em II, which I guess does the same thing, except I haven't created a directory on the MemPlug card. Just by moving the app to Palm\PiDirect it shows up on the Main tab of Launch'em, then you can move it to whichever tab you'd prefer.

Just for clarification: are you getting this capability (i.e., icons in Launch 'Em if you place the apps in Palm\PiDirect) by using PiMover with your MemPlug, or are you using a beta of PiDirect?

(I am assuming that your instructions are to move the app to Palm\PiDirect -- a directory on the MemPlug card -- and then it automatically shows up on the LaunchEm II tab)

Sorry if I'm being obtuse. I've got Launch 'Em II, also, and am thinking about getting a MemPlug. However, I've got a Visor Deluxe, so (apparently) couldn't use PiDirect.

__________________
Jeff Meyer

"And he died like he lived: with his mouth wide open."

05-31-2001 09:15 PM

akur
Member

Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Seattle, Washington
Posts: 293

PiDirect and Launcher 2 beta is different program.

__________________
Have A Good Day!
I Love My Prism!

05-31-2001 09:44 PM

dvIceT
Member

Registered: Dec 2000
Location:
Posts: 152

Some DB's don't handle MemPlug over-and-back well

quote:
Originally posted by Gameboy70

I don't have a MemPlug yet, but one thing I intend to do is use its PiBackup feature to give me ~8mb of temporary extra space on the Prism when using the Eyemodule, the way I do with the Backup module. Right now, if I need to take a lot of pictures or experiment with longer Quicktime movie clips, I use the Backup module to save the Prism's current state, take it out, then do a hard reset. When I'm done taking and transfering pictures, I restore the Prism to its normal state with the Backup module.

With the advent of the MemPlug and PiBackup, I don't see as much of a need to bundle Flash memory with every module, even if that would be ideal. The cost-per-megabyte with Flash is way too high. And I think that within the next 18 months, the next generation of Springboard modules will be densely integrated enough to accomodate some type of external storage, like the MiniJam

I've tried to Hotsync pictures from Eye2 db's that I've transferred to the MemPlug and back, and it gives an "Invalid Unique ID" error when the Eye2 conduit does its thing. So be sure to "package" your Eye2 db's before sending them to the MemPlug or else hotsync the Eye2 pics you have on your visor to your computer. Otherwise they are effectively lost.