I'm close to a TX "Upgrade;" Need help please . . .

A

Ackles

New member
Upgrade is in quotes because I wish to God I could just get another Tungsten T3 and JackSprat/flash it; that's impossible with the TX's memory.

Just looked at the $299 price @ Staples (that's fine with me), and saw this in the "specs: . . .
"128MB flash memory keeps your information safe"

Now what do they mean exactly by "flash?" I notice only 100MB is available, so some stuff (28MB) would, I assume, come back after a hard reset (including Docs 2 Go, which you can't uninstall).

  • Does D2G come on the CD for installation should you uninstall
  • does the uninstall patch from Palm do a good job of deleting Docs2Go?

What does the "flash" refer to here - does it mean you can put apps in flash, do a hard reset, and they come back? From what I understand about NVFS or whatever it's called, there's 2 forms of memory - one for programs and the other more volatile for databases (prefs db's, text documents, indivudal spreadsheets, pictures, etc). Is that correct? What a nightmare.

Let me explain - there is 64MB on a T3. 52MB of that is usable. I'm running 40+ programs and hvae 51.2MB FREE of that 52. How? Becuase only 800k is databases affiliaited with my programs. The proggies themselves are in flash. I freed up 10MB of flash, and still have 3.5MB free - in flash!! Plus 51.2 MB free of RAM, which is why it zips along, doesn't crash regularly despite having 2 hack managers (6 hacks running under YAHM, TealLaunch only running under Tealmaster), and if it DOES crash (3 hard ones in 4 years) - it all comes back and I restore the other 800k from CardBackup and/or TealBackup. Back in business in 30 seconds.

Is this possible with the TX, or would I be restoring all 40 programs from the SD Card?

I should make a decision by Wednesday, based on all your input here. I'd like to know how many of you have had hard system crashes on the TX which hard-reset the dcevice, and how hard it was to restore your data from the card (hotsynch info also valuable to me and please include, but most "crashes" occur on the "road," whre all you've got is the card - at least for me).

TIA - I can't see Palm coming out with a TX successor EVER again in history - a PDA only that's 5.1 OS com0patible - so I've waited the "2 years of flux period," and now it's time to make sure I'm covered. I was up 3 nights this week til the wee hours comiiling databases, spreadsheets and text records in TealDoc into "leaner and meaner files" so that a full switch to a TX will be easier and less "little details" to forget.

Sorry for the muddled "post structure" here, but I've got a lot to ask in a short amount of time - basically

  • is the TX dependable vs other palms in terms of system reliability especially with "tweaks" (JackFlash notwithstanding since it's a moot point)l I'm attaching 2 screenshots of my hacks setup(s) for background info.
  • how many crashes have you had that involved a HARD reset (or zillions of soft ones?)
  • is there any one program you dumped because it was just too volatile on the TX?
  • Since keeping my T3 Palm Desktop 4.1.4 installed is probably a bad idea (?) in light of a newer Palm Desktop with the TX, does Docs2Go come installed on THAT behemoth as well, or is it an optional CD install? I have a feeling I'll be stuck with Docs2Go on handheld and desktop and they're not easily deletable (groan).

Cheers/ p
 
* Does D2G come on the CD for installation should you uninstall

=> The CD that came with my Oct 2005 TX have D2G listed under English/Essential Software folder.

* Does the uninstall patch from Palm do a good job of deleting Docs2Go?

=> Not sure. I've never had any need to uninstall D2G.

* What does the "flash" refer to here - does it mean you can put apps in flash, do a hard reset, and they come back?

=> From what I know and experienced, the "flash" referred here means ALL data on the device remain intact even after the battery is depleted. After the battery is charged up to operational level, and you turn on the device, your data would still be there.

* Is this possible with the TX, or would I be restoring all 40 programs from the SD Card?

=> The user-installed applications and data would be gone after a hard reset. And yes, if you have 40 programs, then all 40 would need to be restored from card.

However, I found no issue at all with memory size on the TX. I have 120+ applications plus data on the TX, and I still have 47 MB of free mamory. Plenty of spare memory.

* I'd like to know how many of you have had hard system crashes on the TX which hard-reset the device, and how hard it was to restore your data from the card

=> For me, none. Throughout my 2 years+ using the TX, I've not had any crashes which resulted in a hard reset.

To restore all data or selected data from card is very easy. I use NVBackup 1.18, a freeware Backup/Restore Utility specially designed for NVFS devices such as TX.

NVBackup can do manual as well as scheduled backups. For scheduled backup, I can specify how frequent I want the backup to be, and how many files are going to be in the backup cycle. I set NVBackup to do auto backup at 2 a.m. every day, with 4 files in the auto backup cycle.

* is the TX dependable vs other palms in terms of system reliability especially with "tweaks"

=> To me, the TX is the best so far. I've used PalmOS devices since 2001, a little late compared to many others here, but I believe 5 years ++ on the platform is really something. I started with HandEra 330 (Aug 2001), then Sony Clie SJ30 (Oct 2002), then Palm T3 (Oct 2003) before moving to TX (Oct 2005). In March 2007 I bought another TX. I now have 2 TXs, both working great, which I believe would carry me through until a suitable technological replacement becomes available, whenever that is.

* how many crashes have you had that involved a HARD reset (or zillions of soft ones?)

=> No crashes involving hard resets. I've has several soft resets. But they did not gave me any problems whatsoever.

* is there any one program you dumped because it was just too volatile on the TX?

=> There is one application which used to work flawlessly for me prior to TX, the GI Calendar, a GregorianIslamic Calendar Converter. On TX it still works, but upon exiting, the TX goes into a soft reset. No big deal, because all my data are still intact even after the soft reset. Even though the application gives me a minor inconvenience, due its usefulness, I still keep it on the device.

* Since keeping my T3 Palm Desktop 4.1.4 installed is probably a bad idea (?) in light of a newer Palm Desktop with the TX, does Docs2Go come installed on THAT behemoth as well, or is it an optional CD install?

=> Not sure. My laptop's Palm Desktop is the version that came with the TX and I believe D2G there is the TX-supplied version (ver 7.006 (953)).
 
Well, thank you VERY much for all of that detail! You've pretty much sold me and it's great to hear from someone that has TWO and hasn't had a major blowup with either of them.

I'm very grateful nordin - cheers. I was up til 6:30AM this morning moving everything from flash to RAM, hotsynching, forcing backup bits for everything and archiving to two CDs - if the T3 bit the dust now I'm ready for a blanket install of the apps into the TX, which I will more than likely pick up this week. I've also auditioned some older apps and hacks (around 6) that I'll be using more often now, and generally tweaked databases to trim them down (multiple TealDocs incorporated into 1, saved/unsaved prefs databases/spreadsheets/text file(s) incorporated into one "megabase," etc etc).

Murphy's law demands, of course, that on May 10th there'll be a "TX2" or something newer - but I can't really afford to wait. As you know being a long time user - Palm don't announce "Get your Tx at $199 for 2 weeks before we go to the other thingie." They're suddenly just GONE from the shelves with very little warning. I can't afford that happening - and I'm delighted at your detailed response and am sure I'd enjoy some of the benefits of the TX - permanent landscape, slimmer, no slider problems, etc. You're very wise to have purchased 2 - at worst you'd have a spare. Excellent! I Should have done that with the T3.

Take care and thank you sincerely. / Paul

Addendum - 120 apps! Wow! Thought I had it "loaded." My list, other than internal apps, purely external "added" is . . .

Apps:49
DAs: 2
Hacks: 7
Panel Apps: 2
Internal Addons (Midi Sounds): 1

total 61. I think I'd freak if I had to think about 120 being compatible!
 
Ha ha!! Actually, no. It'll be there for all eternity; the TX battery will be charged once a month after being let "run down" . . . but won't be "used" til my T3 is lying in a gutter smoldering.

I will learn to live without JackFlash
I will learn to live without JackFlash
I will learn to live without JackFlash
I will learn to live without JackFlash
I will learn to live without JackFlash
 
:D Well gents, I am thinking in the same direction. Really like the tx. Every survey I have given palm, I ususlly say " make a suped up T3 with mega memory. We will pay the price" Oh well. You know day timer makes some real nice leather planners. Get you a $150.00 Cross fountain pen, and go out in style. Russ
 
I suppose the absolute LAST straw . . . oh God . . . help me . . . would be a . . . well, you know, . . . that "phone hybrid thingie."

I think the Treos will be around a while as an absolute last resort; I just can't fathom anyone using a screen smaller than a Vx. I think the TX is the best "shot," and if for some wild reason they come out with a "T4" (3 weeks, of course, after I buy the TX) . . . I'll eat the loss and give the Tx to someone for a present. What's of most concern to me is my proggies, apps and "techniques" can remain in use. I just love Palm and Palm stuff! The TX solves the problem and buys me 3-4 years. It's probably a paltry, archaic and small minded view that I have - but when you're used to 60 proggies doing everything you like the way you like it, do them without your even thinking about it, you've got the graffiti tweaked and backup's taken care of - it's devastating to even consider a PPC, tablet PC or the 2-minute "warm up time" of a laptop. Not to mention lugging it around and having it stolen out of the car. The magic of Palm is "instant on, enter the stuff, turn off" and in your other hand you've already got the car keys out. What the heck happened to this marvelous, marvelous company?

I browsed freewareppc and looked at similar pgorams to what I need and use - and it's just laughable. A 28k Palm app is 560k on a Pocket PC. And STILL no proper Excel synch - and it's MS Mobile OS!! That's just hilarious. While I had a good laugh at Guitar Picker's "Daytimer" idea - it is almost the next best alternative to an ipod/iphone with "zoom zoom games" and songs on it - if you want a proper PDA with pro applications and just can't find one any more.

I wonder if the Cross pens take Jack Flash . . . store the ink in ROM . . . hmm
 
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