Registered: Jul 2002
Location:
Posts: 120

Prism - Good Deal?

Would appreciate your thoughts re: the Prism refurb offered at the HS outlet.

Appreciate your comments re: existing experience/value/price/future, etc.

Will use it as I do my current Neo - as a book reading device.

Registered: Dec 2002
Location:
Posts: 1

I am auctioning off my 40 meg Prism

Check it out:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...item=1945772847

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 1062

I need to sell the following--heck, make me an offer:
Prism (excellent condition, purchased new on 11/28/01
Minijam (purchased 2/28/02)
Eye Module One (purchased 2/28/02)
Two USB Hot Sync Cradles
Stowaway Keyboard
MemPlug
Backup Module
Brown Vaja Leather Flip Case
Black Leather EB Slipper Case
Dual Stowaway/PDA Targus case

Registered: Jul 2002
Location: Cincinnati OH
Posts: 11

Alight,

I guess it depends on the price. If you're looking specifically for something just to read on, the Prizm is great. By today's standards, some are reporting the screen looks a little dim, but I think it still stands up. Since you're using a Neo with the same version of the OS, the only difference will be that you're seeing color, shorter battery time, and a little slowdown from processing the colors.

But if you need peripherals, like memory or card modules for storing books etc, you might think of a Treo 90. They're as low as $230 and SD cards are going for a dollar for 2 megs, depending on how big the card is and how big the sale is. Plus you've got 16 megs of memory to start with.

I use my 90 for reading avantgo and ebooks. It can read for 4 hours straight at full brightness on a charge. It's got twice the battery life of many other color machines. The smaller screen makes it look higher res, since the pixels are smaller, but still very readable. It's much smaller than the prizm and you can even flip pages and read with the clear lid down.

The treo screen looks snappier than the prizm. This is despite the fact that the prizm is 64,000 color and the treo is only 6,000. So color photos don't render quite as well on the Treo, but graphics look great.

Registered: Jun 2002
Location: By the toilet.
Posts: 174

Treo

I borrowed my friend's Treo 180 to play around with for a few days, and I find a lot of exrtemely limited areas with it.

First of all, the key pad (he did not get the graffiti model), it's very restricting. I actually typed slower than I write grafitti. I'm sure this will improve given the time but having numbers and menu functions placed directly over the alphabets is extremely confusing, not to mention frustrating because of its size.

The lack of the graffiti area makes it completely unable to install and use useful hacks, since most hacks use the graffiti area to activate. Example, popup calculator hack.

You also cannot access the calculator app quickly, there is no extra button or silkscreen to open it immediately.

Some apps or games will takeover the buttons when you run it so in order to return to the app menu, you can't, unless you close the flip cover and open it again, which resets to default phonebook app, and you have to go back to the app finder to find your app.

The flip cover speaker is completely useless when in louder areas, such as in shopping complex or such, and the use of ear phone still requires you to open the flipcover to receive calls.

My thumb presses two buttons at once using the keypad when all i need is one button.

The smaller screen makes things difficult to see smaller items properly.

Overrall I'm extremely dissappointed with the Treos, and I guess that the Treo 90 has much the same problems, so Iit'sprobably best to get a Prism if you don't mind the bulkiness perhaps bump it up to 16MB.

===-

quote:

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Originally posted by J. Kevin Wolfe
But if you need peripherals, like memory or card modules for storing books etc, you might think of a Treo 90. They're as low as $230 and SD cards are going for a dollar for 2 megs, depending on how big the card is and how big the sale is. Plus you've got 16 megs of memory to start with.

I use my 90 for reading avantgo and ebooks. It can read for 4 hours straight at full brightness on a charge. It's got twice the battery life of many other color machines. The smaller screen makes it look higher res, since the pixels are smaller, but still very readable. It's much smaller than the prizm and you can even flip pages and read with the clear lid down.

The treo screen looks snappier than the prizm. This is despite the fact that the prizm is 64,000 color and the treo is only 6,000. So color photos don't render quite as well on the Treo, but graphics look great.

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__________________
I'm just a dreamer..

Registered: Jul 2002
Location: Cincinnati OH
Posts: 11

Digi,

I don't think you gave the thumbboard enough of a try. Most people are twice as fast with it as they are graffiti. The fitaly competition this week is being lead by someone on a Treo Thumbboard typing over 80 wpm.

You can find replacements for most graffiti triggered hacks now. I seldom have to touch my screen, unless I'm drawing a picture.

As for an app taking over the buttons, many button hacks can override these by holding or doubleclicking a hardware button. And on the 90, you can access the launcher by keyboard press.

I'm very happy with my Treo. I bought it just to test apps, but wound up shelving my Edge completely within a week.

Registered: Jun 2002
Location: By the toilet.
Posts: 174

I'll give it another try

quote:

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Originally posted by J. Kevin Wolfe
Digi,
I don't think you gave the thumbboard enough of a try. {snip}You can find replacements for most graffiti triggered hacks now. I seldom have to touch my screen, unless I'm drawing a picture.
As for an app taking over the buttons, many button hacks can override these by holding or doubleclicking a hardware button. And on the 90, you can access the launcher by keyboard press.
I'm very happy with my Treo. I bought it just to test apps, but wound up shelving my Edge completely within a week.

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__________________
I'm just a dreamer..

Last edited by Digisane on 12-20-2002 at 02:04 AM

Registered: May 2002
Location: Chicago
Posts: 11

Re: Treo

quote:

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Originally posted by Digisane
The lack of the graffiti area makes it completely unable to install and use useful hacks, since most hacks use the graffiti area to activate. Example, popup calculator hack.

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A number hacks can take advantage of the keyboard. DALauncher for example can attach itself to the Option+Return keyboard combination and allows you to launch DAs like CalCal which is similar to popup calculator hack. McPhling can also be used with the keyboard to pop up a list of recently used appications. Switcheroo can also be used to launch applications with the keyboard. ButtonsT and TreoButton can be used to remap the application buttons. And EasyLaunch can be used to launch more than one application from a single button.

quote:

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You also cannot access the calculator app quickly, there is no extra button or silkscreen to open it immediately.

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Option+SMS Button

quote:

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Some apps or games will takeover the buttons when you run it so in order to return to the app menu, you can't, unless you close the flip cover and open it again, which resets to default phonebook app, and you have to go back to the app finder to find your app.

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Option+Menu Button

quote:

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The flip cover speaker is completely useless when in louder areas, such as in shopping complex or such, and the use of ear phone still requires you to open the flipcover to receive calls.

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Pressing the Earphone Button will answer the phone without opening the flipcover. (There was a bug in some early models that made this not be the case but it is supposed to work that way unless the Treo is defective.)

quote:

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My thumb presses two buttons at once using the keypad when all i need is one button.

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As with Graffiti, practice makes perfect.

quote:

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The smaller screen makes things difficult to see smaller items properly.

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Color helps.

quote:

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Overrall I'm extremely dissappointed with the Treos, and I guess that the Treo 90 has much the same problems, so Iit'sprobably best to get a Prism if you don't mind the bulkiness perhaps bump it up to 16MB.

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It's a tradeoff. The Treo 90 has a smaller screen but because the pixels are packed more closely together, images look sharper but it's easier to press dialog boxes without a stylus on the Prism because everything is larger on its bigger screen. The Treo 90 has 16MB and an SD slot, so while its expansion options are less diverse than for the Visor, the Treo 90's expansion format has a brighter future than the much loved but abandoned Springboard slot.

Registered: May 2002
Location: Chicago
Posts: 11

Re: I'll give it another try

quote:

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Originally posted by Digisane
How to access the launcher by keyboard press? And how to access the calculator or a calculator hack (quickly)? I'm very used to using popcalc and popup memo while in another app so i don't have to close switch between apps everytime. Is it possible with the Treo 90 (or 180)? If it's a combination of key presses just to activate it, then it just won't make life any easier. I've tried binding the hack to the "find" button command but find still pops up instead of the hack.

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Last edited by DarthRepublican on 12-22-2002 at 02:47 AM

Registered: Jul 2002
Location: Cincinnati OH
Posts: 11

Digi,

Can't vouch for the 180 but on the 90 Opt-Command keys bring up the launcher. I have Buttons T (freeware) that gives you four more apps from the hard buttons by holding down the option key. Option-Contacts brings up my calculator. Button manager hack puts two apps on each hard key. So I can toggle my 8 most used apps. LazyLauncher (freeware) brings up a list of all apps and prefs. Another button brings up DAs. I recently picked up Shortcutz which forms links to apps on SD. The setup enables me to launch anything quickly one handed without touching the screen. Sounds like a lot, but it's very intuitive.

The prize for the Fitaly competition is a bottle of Dom Perignon. A Treo has won or been in the top three every week, only being beaten by fitally on a PPC.

Misteaks were my only issue with graffiti. Since the bank has returned my checks I've signed and they've said were forged, handwriting consistency is not in my favor.

The Treo has a built in spell correcter. It's fairly primitive, about 200 words, but it autocapitalizes an I by itself, adds the apostrophe to most common contractions and corrects some common spelling mistakes, especially when the it's the next-key-over issue. CorrectHack takes this feature to an extreme and gives me advanced spelling correction and an automatic version of Palm's Shortcuts. I'm a writer by trade and use my Treo a lot for text entry. I really don't miss the Stowaway from my Edge.