Wi-fi - for-real???

Dance<3

New member
Just been looking on Expansys ( a UK ) site and spotted this little gem...

Have I missed this before - didn't think palmOne's T3 wi-fi card was out yet
 
Removeable battery, hi capacity batt option and WIFI . . .

64MB Ram, 6MB Flash ROM . . . 624Mhz.

That's really all you need, isn't it? I would pick one up today . . .

But it won't take all the cool Palm apps I've grown used to, most under 30k in size. There's no landscape. It's not as "tweakable" as my T3 and won't accept cool launchers.

If I could overcome this (and Cobalt might be the straw, as my T3 AND A SPARE will wear out . . .) then I too would strongly consider it.

The problem is making existing Palm App developers write for Windows - and that's probably not IMPOSSIBLE now, as Cobalt will cut their legs off at the knees anyway. We may be seeing a merging of formats here, where Palm OS developers take a stronger look at developing PPC software.

Very interesting, as always - thanks.
 
Yup - you are correct...gonna need a huge SD card to go with it. The WiFi support is most important for me since I would like to to control my XBOX remotely from anywhere in the house. With 32mbit on the T3 that would be a "tight" squeeze and I would have to keep swaping between WiFi card and memory card.

I just keeping wondering what Palm is thinking with this insanely priced card with no memory on it.

Still up in the air on this one...
KimH
 
Palm has always been the best and what's needed is someone to buy them (Steve Jobs was interested) who can make it a "real, thriving, adventurous, rebel company" again instead of one catering to people who want to Play an MP3 while playing a damn stupid video game. That's the ruination - phone/PDA combos that allow web surfing while playing a song - "multi tasking" -- at the cost of SCREWING business customers in reliablility and developments like WiFi.

I think if you switch you'll be sorry in ONE SENSE, and glad in another -- I certainly wouldn't want two PDAs but if you can deal with the lack of "tweakability", MUCH larger program sizes (which makes the 64MB equivalent to around 25MB) -- then go ahead, - because I think the WiFi and (hopefully) better reliability would be strengths indeed. I'm waiting and seeing what OS6 does and just how many apps I'd lose. TealPoint seem to believe it's almost the ruination of Palm as we know it (they have an excellent article in their TealDigest archives on what OS5 and now OS6 are doingto developer nightmares).

I've never posted a "wishlist" or "dreamlist," but here's my first and it's pretty basic:

Take Tealpoint, Brayder, Natara (Bonsai), Florent Pillet (FindHack) and put 'em all together . . . combine with Steve Jobs for a MacBased OR PC Based (no bias here with me) . . . and create a NEW Palm OS system reading handheld that doesn't break, has free S/W upgrades for a year, WiFi (for all of you who would need it - I don't) and 128MB RAM/Tweakable ROM (Brayder). The best developers making the HARDWARE is better than MEDIOCRE hardware and all the developers racing to keep up with the "find the cheese" OS programming. Pretty soon software develpers will have to literally have two versions Garnet and Cobalt - plus tweak ALL THE SOFTWARE for ALL THE MODELS that have little "variances" like had to be doen with Clie's, T3 Landscape, Tapwave Zodiac, etc.

Otherwise in the long run Windows CE will win, Palm will disappear like Atari and the Commodore 64, and we'll be left with that damn logo and an "escape" button. YUCK!

None of us can blame KimH for looking at the "other side;" I have always stuck up for Palm and frankly BOUGHT A PC to be used as a PERIPHERAL to my M505 - but moving to PPC might not be so bad - I won't do it, because I can't use TealPoint stuff -- but guess what -- I don't know if TealMaster or TealLaunch or TealScript will even WORK in OS6 - so it's almost the same problem IF I STICK WITH PALM - and that's just sad. What OS5 brought in terms of no hacks and difficult probramming still had some "back doors;" OS6 Cobalt SHUTS THOSE DOORS entirely for developers - apparently, NO MORE DESKTOP ACCESSORIES (which if you think about it WAS MULTITASKING), hacks of any kind (TMaster still allows TLaunch to work in OS5 but probably not in OS6). This is just screwed. Therefore, PPC isn't the "foreign, awful non-palm" monster it used to be - because OS6 is a monster on its own. It's the T3 for now, with a spare later on, and I'm going to have a quiet, careful THINK.
 
Paul,

Think you summed it up right on the spot.

If Palm releases OS 6 with the limitations imposed for developers it will surely remove one of the power points that Palm PDA's used to own and that is freedom/power to develop unique, compact and powerful apps. We were limited by our imagination.

My hunch is still that Palm will exit the PDA market and develop OS 6 focused solely on smart phones to compete with the Windows CE market. The idea behind limiting and "tightening" down the OS would be a marketing point for smart phones in that the OS itself is stable and functions within VERY tight specifications. I surely hope I'm wrong with this.

In the past around this time of the year we had rumors and early pictures of next generation Palm models but nothing so far.

No matter which PDA you go with there are Pro's/Con's. However I think that Palm's direction is unclear and not very supportive of the existing user community who have helped keep the company afloat by positive word of mouth.

I've been a Palm owner since the days of the original Palm I and would much prefer to remain loyal to the product but what I see is lack of direction and very odd business decisions which only result in pain for the paying customer.

I'm not trying to convince anyone that one PDA OS is better than another but wanted to see if I was not the only with concerns.

-KimH
 
"My hunch is still that Palm will exit the PDA market and develop OS 6 focused solely on smart phones to compete with the Windows CE market. The idea behind limiting and "tightening" down the OS would be a marketing point for smart phones in that the OS itself is stable and functions within VERY tight specifications. I surely hope I'm wrong with this."

That's EXACTLY what I've been "reading through the lines" regarding all this supposed "new security measures" crap in OS6. It's not security for the user - it's security for the ROM software - probably no more Brayder "Jacking" and certainly no more "hooks" for DA's, hacks, alternate launchers and to be accurate the FIXES that outside developers could use -- for OUR benefit -- to FIX shortcomings in Palm.

Ability to beam stuff in flash was "designed" to protect copyrighted apps -- but what if you've got a freeware app in JackFlash and want to beam it? You're screwed. There was NEVER a proper file manager included - that was fixed. The address book left much to be desired - there are several ways around that. It's becoming "take what we give you, wasteful as it may be, and like it -- and no, you can't change it."

So much for PalmOne being the rebel. Here's the good news:
I've got Agendus, Bonsai, a fistful of Tealpoint, I've done the "Sprat/Flash" thing, I'm using TomCatalog and DateDiff, OffStroke, SyncBack, Shortcut5 and others . . . I've got the T3 tweaked . . and it's terrific and I love it. I'm just not goint to get in a "lather" (like I often do!) about models right now - and have made the decision last January to go with OS5 to "sidestep" OS6. I recommend all of you do too . . . whatever is offered in OS6 can't be that magnanimous in my opinion as to GIVE UP what we've already got. If what you have is working, STICK WITH IT and don't give in to "the latest and greatest" just yet.

There's a great scene in "A Few Good Men" where Demi Moore objects during a trial, and when overruled says "I STRENUOUSLY object." She is chided by (can't remember the actor/comedians' name) afterwards . . . "OH! I STRENUOUSLY Object. Well, then . . . "

Writing to PalmOne (Good luck) and "strenuously objecting" will HAVE NO EFFECT AT ALL - we've seen that. They're on their little "mission," heading for the rapids and rowing furiously. Screw 'em. I for one have got what I need - and if that ain't workin' in 6 months, then like KimH I'll be PPC hunting - hopefully by then there'll be a Mac/Linux/alternate PC hardware available that RETRO reads Palm OS back to OS4, allows hacks, and is faster than current models. If not . . . the spare T3 will get me through. I wouldn't run out today and get a DELL (of all things) based on reliability issues and lack of software. My belief/opinion is that we should all just "hold our breath," find the best SOFTWARE apps available while we can, and make due until we have something concrete. It IS TIME, however, to start looking for alternatives in a careful and deliberate manner.
 
Kimh,
The program looks good. Unfortunately, it will not run on a Pocket PC. It is designed for the clam-shell HPC CE devices. Also, I don't know if is compatible with Palm OS 5.xx rom files.

I know about 3 years ago, someone tried developing a Palm emulator for the Pocket PC.

Unfortunately, Palm took legal action against the developer and the program was discontinued.
 
This is actually the program I was referring to in my previous post. I couldn't remember the name. At the time it was under active development, I was still using an iPAQ. I know I downloaded the program before it was discontinued and I burned it onto a cd. However, that was a long time ago and I need to locate the disk. Shortly after it was discontinued, I switched to the Tungsten T because the Pocket PC had several compatability issues with my company's email system and wireless lan. After I switched to Palm, I boxed up my Pocket PC programs. They are now collecting dust.
 
Wi-Fi for Tungsten by September? Does anyone beleive it? Looks like I'll have to switch between it and my SD card if it is. Anyone have $129 I can 'borrow'? *grin grin*

http://www.palmone.com/us/products/accessories/expansioncards/P10952U.html
 
Now for the bit that you were all expecting....

Just checked expansys, my friendly internet palm shop, and the wi-fi card is now listed as available for pre-order.

No indication for when UK stock will be available - vapour-ware anyone???
 
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