Registered: Sep 2001
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Posts: 236

Alright. Time for some Springboards I would like to See!!!

What kind of springboards would I like to see? Well that diabetic blood-glucose monitor one would be wonderful if it came to the market, especially considering my mom is mildly diabetic and would love something like that too monitor her blood sugar levels. I also wouldn't mind the much promised next-generation parafone that allows up to four handsets to be hooked up to one base (meh, unless you have a multi-visor family) and also you can hook it into your broadband internet connection and wirelessly surf the internet from your visor. Speaking of Wireless and combo Wireless network/Bluetooth card would be nice, though I don't use either of those...but still with wireless networks catching on in public places it could have alot of potential. I would also like to see the visorphone and GPS Modules work in Canada..sometimes I hate being Canadian. A Biometrics module would be nice, though not very secure considering you could just pull it out. Maybe one that could turn your visor into a pager would be neat...or maybe one that could be used primarily for SMS messaging..I know people that just use that and in Europe they have cell plans that are just for SMS messaging..has big potential. The FM radio sounds neat, but would be more effective if combined with a next generation mp3 player...and maybe an mp3 player that took compactflash would be nice...or how about a jukebox mp3 player, you know the ones with a 10-20Gb hard drive. Speaking of Mp3 players, it would be nice if Good Technology sold off its soundsgood technology so some other company could re-release so we don't have to go digging through ebay to find used ones at outragious prices. I also think the springboard would survive if companies got out of the "it has to be innovative and ground-breaking to sell" that just drives the price up and makes people really question the useablilty...who would ever use the power-napping module or the Skygolf modules? I think the practical modules also need to be combined...why not put the graphing calculator together with the dictionary and call it a student special, maybe throw in 4.0 Student, a thesarus, a study aid program and 8megs of flash. Sell it for maybe $100 and you would have an instant hit.

Registered: Apr 2001
Location: 'braska
Posts: 211

Well, I think with the recent news/rumors of the Treo 90 not having a Springboard and using SD for expansion probably is the last nail in the Springboard coffin. I highly doubt that anybody will develope any specialized SB's, the only type we may see are of the software only type. Even those are probably slim and none when you can get a DataQuake or VFS compatible solution and place that software on the module yourself.

Has anybody looked into a SD Springboard? To make this work it would have to operate exactly like the interface that Palm uses so that any Palm SD card (storage or otherwise) will work, not just the storage like the current crop of Memplug / CF adapters.

<OT rant>
For me, forget any new SB's if HS can't come out with something besides the Treo 90. I have a CF adapter, Thinmodem+ and DataQuake. All of them work very well and do exactly what I need and cannot be accomplised with any of the Treos. I would really rather have a Pro with a modern color screen (as in the M515 or Clie variety). Dammit, smaller is not neccesarily better! I want a screen I can actually read, not smaller than what I currently have. With current technology HS could easily fit a color screen in the Pro form factor (without a bunch of engineering $) and dump the Prism and probably make a butt load of money if it was high resolution and had collapsable silkscreen. I would pay a premium for that (Handera users have been for a long time, just not in color...)

Let me still use the SB's, keyboards, cables, cradles and Graffiti! It isn't that stinkin' hard, use a stylus and write on the screen (my 6 year old does) and use a Stowaway or the like for major text entry. You get the best of both worlds.
</OT rant>

There, I feel better, but still bitter...

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www.jphillips66.org

Registered: Feb 2002
Location: Washburn University in Topeka, KS
Posts: 450

I like your copy-paste skills, tantousha!

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Friends don't let Friends vote Democrat
Victory 2002 - Republicans Win Control of the Senate
Now onto Victory 2004 - FOUR MORE YEARS

Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Nebraska- the Good life
Posts: 695

My Springboard wish list:

1.) Sound module that gave real 'umph' to the alarms, etc., maybe even adding stereo, etc. to games. Since this probably does not use the entire module, it would double as an FM radio and/or MP3 unit.

2.) Digital camera that also- stood alone, acted as a web and mini-video cam, and could swivel/aim easier! Basically, the Targus cam with a power sled or something- ideally as one piece.

3.) Grow CF card technology to allow CF card cameras, modems, GPS units, etc., then an adaptor that allowed these cards to be used on SB slots. Make future PDAs to run this card technology as interchangeably over brands as possible so one camera would fit nearly any PDA.

4.) Create a line of specialty CF cards and reader combos. Make a reader with flash memory to hold some pre-loaded applications, and use the cards to back up data, hold references, etc. Create packages of integrated software, calculators, reference material, etc. for teachers, students, med students, engineers, etc.

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Do what you can, with what you have, where you are at!

Registered: Feb 2002
Location: Washburn University in Topeka, KS
Posts: 450

quote:

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Originally posted by Madkins007
My Springboard wish list:

4.) Create a line of specialty CF cards and reader combos. Make a reader with flash memory to hold some pre-loaded applications, and use the cards to back up data, hold references, etc. Create packages of integrated software, calculators, reference material, etc. for teachers, students, med students, engineers, etc.

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__________________

Friends don't let Friends vote Democrat
Victory 2002 - Republicans Win Control of the Senate
Now onto Victory 2004 - FOUR MORE YEARS

Registered: Aug 2001
Location:
Posts: 48

and I would like to have a Springboard module that does my laundry and shops for groceries and fixes my car.

Registered: Sep 2001
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Posts: 236

quote:

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Originally posted by terrysalmi
I like your copy-paste skills, tantousha!

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Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Nebraska- the Good life
Posts: 695

quote:

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Originally posted by terrysalmi

Except for the packages, you just described the MemPlug, which has 1mb Flash Memory and a lot of pre-loaded applications.

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__________________
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are at!

Registered: Nov 2001
Location: LA
Posts: 34

Are you guys on drugs?

You will be thanking your lucky stars if you even see what is currently out on the market around by next year!

Whats out now is all you're going to EVER SEE - BUY NOW

Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 3034

quote:

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Originally posted by KennBlue
You will be thanking your lucky stars if you even see what is currently out on the market around by next year!

Whats out now is all you're going to EVER SEE - BUY NOW

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 106

Buh bye Springboard!

Kupe

Registered: Nov 2001
Location: LA
Posts: 34

You may not see liquidations - only companies finally running out.
No smart manufacture would have pumped out a ton of these.

Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 3034

quote:

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Originally posted by KennBlue
You may not see liquidations - only companies finally running out.
No smart manufacture would have pumped out a ton of these.

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Registered: Sep 2001
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Posts: 236

Sorry for the late responce...I am not on drugs...I merely created a wishlist of springboards I would love to see and possibly purchase. I mean who would want to buy a star trek book pack on a module...why???? one piece of small software per module doesn't work and at 20-50 each I definitly won't. The only springboard to date I have purchased was the parafone because I needed a phone for my room and it was the same cost as a regular phone (at least it is in Canada because it is made by a Canadian company). Aside from that I own NO springboards. Ones I would buy would be a wired ethernet one...I mean who has a wireless network in their house? they just aren't feasible yet, wait until the techonology settles down a bit, and actually becomes reliable, and a memory expansion module...maybe a memplug because I already have a stash of Smartmedia cards...but then do I buy a smartmedia adapter for the obsolete cards? or invest in a MMC reader and some more cards? or do I just sell my visor, abandon the sinking Handspring/Palm ship and jump over to the Pocket PC and all it's marvals. A good analogy for the Pocket PC vs. Palm debate is you can buy Simcity Classic for the Palm but Simcity 2000 for Pocket PC.
Alex.

Registered: Feb 2001
Location:
Posts: 99

I want to see bluetooth come of age. I want the card to drop in price and for more choices in bluetooth devices (phone, keyboard, storage), and ofcourse - price reductions.

I also want a full screen visor pro, like the handera 330.

or my ultimate dream

Visor XL - an ebook sized visor with the springboard attachment kept.