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Handspring 8 MB Flash Module
Wednesday November 24, 1999 - 8:00 AM EST - By James Hromadka

I remember when I bought my Palm III, and I thought that the 2MB of memory would be plenty of memory. Then I found AvantGo. Now with all of the great Palm OS programs that come out, it seems that there will never be "enough room." Handspring has realized this, and has the 8MB Flash module for those who are feeling a little cramped with all of the great eBooks and applications that are available for the Visor.

Physical Specifications

The 8MB Flash Module fits flush with the Visor, so users should have no problems with any carrying case. The hard cover that comes with the Visor fits quite nicely over the 8MB module when on the back of the Visor.

One thing that does take getting used to is the weight. The 8MB module weighs 0.6 oz, while the stub that came with the Visor weighs 0.2 oz. The difference is not much, but this could be a problem for springboards in general. The difference in weight does not render the Visor too heavy, but there is a noticeable difference in weight with the module in the Visor. Something else that I wished was different was the label. The graphite Visor looks very sleek, and having a dark gray and yellow sticker takes away from that sleek look. Hopefully other manufacturers will engrave the labels into the springboard casings.

Usability

File Mover screenshotThe 8MB Flash module, like all other springboards, is completely plug-n-play. A clean module with no data on it has 7.9MB free. When the module is inserted, a new program, File Mover, is automatically added to the programs list. The module takes up only 3K when inserted into the Visor. File Mover, as well as any programs that are on the module, will have a square bullet next to it. Springboards are completely "hot-swappable" -- you can pull the module out whether the Visor is on or off. File Mover and other flash programs will disappear from the program listing. One thing that I noticed is that Launcher III 1.5.1 switches to the normal style menu when the module is inserted or removed. Upgrade to Launcher III 1.5.2 to correct this problem.

Customization

File Mover ScreenshotUsing the File Mover application is pretty straight-forward. When you open the program, it brings up a listing of what is on your Visor (Internal). You can change the view to show everything, applications only, or data only. I recommend leaving this setting to All so you can make sure that every part of an application is moved to the module. The screen will always show how much memory is available on the Visor and the module. On the Options menu you can rename or format the 8MB module. There is a Select All option to completely copy over all information. Items that have a null character by them (generally the built in apps) are databases only and do not have an associated application.

File Mover ScreenshotTap the Sort button to choose whether to sort by Name, Size, or Creator. On this same screen you can also choose to show one of the following: Version, Creator, or Type. Doing this will add an additional column and remove the scroll bar. One tiny bug I noticed is that when you choose to show something and then go back and choose to show none, File Mover does not show the scroll bar until you refresh the listing by switching between Internal/Module or change views. Not a big deal, because the scroll buttons will always work.

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Product Details
Name: Handspring 8 MB Flash Module
Company: Handspring
Size:2.05"x2.126"x0.33
Weight: 0.6 oz.
Memory: 3K on Visor when inserted
Hard Cover Compatible: Yes
Price: $79.95


Buy Handspring 8 MB Flash Module at Amazon.com





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