O'Reilly Network: Visor Hacks: Tap Thinmodem's Flash Memory

Published on O'Reilly Network (http://www.oreillynet.com/)
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by Derrick Story
09/29/2000

Thinmodem by Card Access is a Springboard module that instantly converts your Visor from a PIM to a real computer. You can dial up any ISP and cruise the Web just like you can with your laptop or with your "getting bigger by the day" desktop computer. Forget about proprietary services and costly access fees just because you want to use your handheld to check e-mail. Use the services you already have.

Thanks to its clever design, the Thinmodem seats flush with your Visor, has a petite power appetite, and weighs not much more than the Springboard back cover protector that you remove to insert the modem. You couldn't even detect that your gizmo had a modem installed unless you turn it over, revealing the Card Access label.

Not only does the module provide steady 33.6k modem access (a 56k Flash upgrade is in the works), it also has 586k of onboard Flash memory. The unit ships with three applications that reside on the module. Up until recently, users had virtually no access to the Flash memory -- they could copy one or more of the bundled applications from the module to their Visor, but after doing so, could not delete them from the module or replace them with other programs.

The Thinmodem fits snugly in your Visor's Springboard slot, provides 33.6k access and 509k of flash memory.

That is, until now. Card Access has just posted a downloadable upgrade that includes a fourth application: File Mover, which allows you to move programs back and forth from your Visor to the module. Here's how it shakes out.

Of the 586k of Flash memory residing on the Thinmodem, 22k is required for the Thinmodem software, and another 55k is reserved for File Mover -- that means 509k of Flash is available for customization by the user. Essentially, that equates to an additional half meg memory for your Visor.

Upgrade options

CardAccess has created two upgrades for the modem. The first version, ThinmodemUpdater1_4full, includes the latest Thinmodem software (v 1.4), File Mover (v 1.2), the MultiMail Demo (v 3.1), Browse-it client (v 4.0), and an online terminal program.

Backup Module Desire

I've never really considered the Springboard back-up module that exciting an accessory -- that is, until I got involved with this project. I would have loved to have one to shuttle applications back and forth while testing the Thinmodem upgrade.

The full upgrade requires that you set aside (swallow hard) 1.1 MB of memory on your Visor for the installer. Once you've upgraded your Thinmodem, you can delete the installer from your Visor and reclaim the onboard memory.

Once you've installed the full update, you've filled your Flash memory with the new modem software and four applications. The beauty is that one of those applications is File Mover, which allows you to make adjustments to the Flash memory. More on that later.

The lite version of the upgrade, ThinmodemUpdater1_4solo, weighs in at a relatively svelte 560k. It upgrades the modem software and installs File Mover, but not the other three applications -- leaving you with 509k of Flash memory free on your modem! Once your modem has been updated, you can remove the installer application from your Visor, reclaiming the 560k of onboard memory it temporarily occupied.

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Installation strategies

If you already use one or more of the bundled Thinmodem applications and like them, here's the installation strategy I recommend after having tried various options:

Move the application(s) you like from the Thinmodem module to your Visor's onboard memory. You can do this by launching the existing Thinmodem application, tapping the menu icon, and selecting "Copy Applications." You can now move one or more of the apps you want to keep to your Visor's memory.
Now, HotSync your Visor and back up its contents.
Free up enough memory to add the 560k solo installer.
Download the installer from the CardAccess Support page.
Upload the installer via HotSync to your Visor.
Run the installer, realizing that all of the existing applications on your Thinmodem module will be wiped away.
Use the newly installed File Mover app to move the programs that you want to reside in the Flash memory back to your Thinmodem.

This is the fun part: Which apps are you going to move? I prefer to keep MultiMail in my Visor so I can review mail even if my modem module isn't inserted.

MultiMail Ins and Outs

Yes, I coughed up the $39 to buy the full version of MultiMail because it's a pretty good e-mail client. But, geez, is it expensive! I'd like CardAccess to strike a deal with them to provide us with a lite version for free or at least a reduced cost. Also, many people don't realize that if you do upgrade MultiMail, then you're forced to download a new version that only installs in your Visor's memory, not on the modem's Flash memory. So, not only are you out 39 bucks, you're also out more than 200k of Visor memory while the old demo version sits there useless on the modem card. Double-ouch! That is, unless you take advantage of this new Thinmodem software upgrade.

I recommend that you install programs in the Flash memory that you will only use while online, such as a browser and/or an IM client. At this point in time, File Mover won't let you move any original system applications or standalone data files to the Flash memory. But you can move applications that you've downloaded and installed on your Visor.

What to look out for

While I was testing a preview release of the update software, I encountered a problem with File Mover that prevented it from functioning properly with the Flash memory on my modem. As it turns out, Card Access has used a couple different types of Flash memory in their modem modules, and one type in particular had a software bug in the Flash memory driver.

Card Access has isolated the problem, and added the fix to the current upgrade. This means that everything should work just fine after the upgrade. If, however, File Mover doesn't work properly and gives you a fatal error that forces you to perform a soft reset, don't worry. The modem will still function properly. Contact their technical support at support@cardaccess-inc.com, and they'll get you fixed up and on your way.

Final thoughts and new goodies

After many hours of using the Thinmodem module, I think it has performed as well as any laptop or standalone device I've used to date. I've logged on via four different ISPs, including AOL's e-mail and IM services, without a hitch.

The included six-foot telephone connecting cord is of high quality and should withstand the rigors of everyday use. Some folks, however, don't like the extra space it takes to carry around.

The short phone-jack connector is only 4" long and fits easily in your pocket.

Card Access has addressed that concern by offering a short phone-jack connector that's only 4" long and has a female phone-jack connector. This is much easier to tote and allows you to use any standard phone cord (that you can pirate) with your Visor.

The new short phone-jack connector isn't available online yet, but you can order one now directly from support@cardaccess-inc.com for $5 USD.

If you don't already own a Thinmodem, but would like to know more about this product, there's an excellent review at visorcentral.com.

Derrick Story is the author of The Photoshop CS4 Companion for Photographers, The Digital Photography Companion, and Digital Photography Hacks, and coauthor of iPhoto: The Missing Manual, with David Pogue. You can follow him on Twitter or visit www.thedigitalstory.com.

Thincom -- a visorcentral.com review of the new CardAccess modem module for Handspring Visors.

Palm Shots -- an ingenious application for displaying JPEGs on your Palm platform PDA.

Wireless Palms: What Are the Options? -- a look at OmniSky wireless service for Palms.

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