.KEYWORD hotpalm
.FLYINGHEAD ADD-ON GOODIES
.TITLE Hardware tidbits: Palm V and more!
.OTHER
.SUMMARY Senior Technical Editor Claire Pieterek loves to ferret out the newest goodies. With the Palm V and Palm IIIx now in stores, Claire’s been searching out the coolest and newest add-ons. In this fun article, Claire tells you how to upgrade your Palm V to an astounding 8MB, how to convince a plain ol’ Palm modem to work with a Palm V, rumors of a Palm V hard case recall, new memory upgrade news for your trusty Palm III, and even some really slick new styli. If you’re into self-gratification, Palm-style, this is the article to read.
.AUTHOR Claire Pieterek
Shortly after the introduction of the Palm V, an enterprising Japanese user, Toshio Kashiwagi, figured out how to open his Palm V’s case without destroying it. He then figured out how to upgrade the device’s memory from 2MB to 8MB. For detailed instructions (plus pictures) of Kashiwagi-san’s upgraded Palm V, visit http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~TG7T-KSWG/palmve.htm.
.H1 I coulda had a V8!
If you aren’t inclined to do this sort of work yourself, you can still get your very own "V8". John Figueroa of Electronic Fast Integration Group (EFIG) will upgrade your Palm V to 8Mb for $150. EFIG is working on offering a warranty for units they upgrade, but terms were not available as of this writing. If you don’t already own a Palm V, EFIG will sell you a "V8" for $600. Calvin O. Parker of PilotFAQ fame and Gadgeteer Julie Strietelmeier have both had positive hands-on experiences with the V8. You can find EFIG at http://www.efig.com.
.H1 Using a Palm Modem with the Palm V
Kashiwagi-san has also figured out how to use the Palm Modem with a Palm V. Based on the pictures at this Japanese language page, it appears that Kashiwagi-san has dismantled a Palm V cradle and used its connector to replace the original connector on the Palm Modem. The Palm V with Palm Modem can be seen at http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~TG7T-KSWG/tuusin.htm.
.H1 Hard case recall
In other Palm V related news, Palm has confirmed that they have recalled selected units of the Palm V hard case. Various reasons for this have ranged from the aluminum pulling away from the plastic, to the case inadvertently turning on the Palm V. A redesigned hard case is expected in June. However, if you have a Palm V and you are unsatisfied with your hard case, Palm tells us that you can contact their customer care organization. We here at PalmPower would like to note that our understanding is that this has affected only a small number of cases and we’re happy to see that Palm responded so quickly to remedy the situation.
.H1 Need more memory in your Palm III?
If you have a Palm III and want more memory, you also have a new option. Tim Charron will upgrade your Palm III’s board to 4, 8, or 12MB. This upgrade is dependent on the type of Palm III memory board you have. There are two different types of memory modules for the Palm III. Very often, in the manufacturing of a given product, companies change components and subsystems for the purposes of cost-reduction or quailty improvement. Early versions had chips on both sides, and can be upgraded to 4MB. Newer modules have chips on only one side, and can be upgraded to either 8MB or 12MB. You can find out what type of board your Palm III has by running Tim’s MemInfo utility. More information on Tim Charron’s upgrade service can be found at http://www.interlog.com/~tcharron/Palm8M/upgradeservice.html.
.H1 How about a new stylus?
Ttools recently introduced the Executive Throttle and Slimline Throttle. The Executive Throttle, available in nickel and charcoal finish, is the all-metal version of the Classic Throttle, reviewed in PalmPower last year. It’s everything I wished for. The curvy shape and solid construction, shown in Figure A, make the Executive Throttle a joy to hold and use.
.FIG A The Executive Throttle is a dream to hold.
Design-wise, this is the stylus I would love to show off with the Palm V. And, at $29.98, it’s ten bucks cheaper than the Palm V Dual Action Stylus, shown in Figure B. Although the metal clip on the Ttools stylus is meant for your pocket, rather than for docking in PalmPilot or Palm III silos, it still fits nicely. The plastic ball on the end of the pocket clip hides a handy reset pin.
.FIG B The Palm V Dual Action Stylus is nice, but more expensive than the Ttools stylus.
The Slimline Throttle is one of the smallest, slimmest pen/stylus combinations I have seen. Shown in Figure C, it fits in the PalmPilot or Palm III silo.
.FIG C The Slimline Throttle can work as both a stylus and a pen.
The top of the Slimline Throttle protrudes over the top of my Palm III’s case slightly. Apparently, this is due to variances in the fit of the case from Palm unit to Palm unit, and is nothing to worry about. The Slimline Throttle comes in three stylish colors — "sage", copper, and slate.
.BEGIN_SIDEBAR
.H1 Product availability and resources
See the pictures of Kashiwagi-san’s upgraded P5 at http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~TG7T-KSWG/palmve.htm. The English translation was provided by John Lagerling.
The Palm V with Pilot Modem can be seen at http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~TG7T-KSWG/tuusin.htm.
You can find EFIG at http://www.efig.com.
The Gadgeteer is at http://www.the-gadgeteer.com.
More information on Tim Charron’s upgrade service can be found at http://www.interlog.com/~tcharron/Palm8M/upgradeservice.html.
Get an Executive Throttle or Slimline Throttle from http://www.ttools.com.
.END_SIDEBAR
.BIO
.DISCUSS http://powerboards.zatz.com/cgi-bin/webx?13@@.ee6ce08
