Sony Posts Info on OS 4.1 Upgrade
Sony has posted details on their site for the program to upgrade the N710C from Palm OS 3.5 to OS 4.1. For the most part, this confirms the information the company released earlier on the upgrade.
In order for a N710C to be upgraded, it will need to be shipped to Sony who will install the new OS and return it, along with the same CD of apps that comes with the N760C. This program will be available on Nov. 20 and cost $50.
To begin the process, a N710C owner should call Sony at 1-877-760-7669 and request for the OS upgrade service. The Sony Handheld Service Center will then send an empty box with a pre-printed air bill to return the N710C in.
Sony is not making any guarantees about turn-around time. As its site says, "The time required for us to send the empty box and return the product after performing the service will vary significantly depending on the demand for the service. "
Many people have performed an unauthorized upgrade to OS 4.1 which made them ineligible for this upgrade and violated their warranties. As its site says, "Sony Handheld Service Center will not be able to service products which have been upgraded using unauthorized upgrade software."
Sony won't combine this with fixing a broken handheld. If a broken N710C is sent in for upgrade, it will be returned immediately.
This doesn't extend the N710C's warranty.
Thanks to nXt for the tips. -Ed
Related Information:
Article Comments
(19 comments)
The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. PalmInfocenter is not responsible for them in any way.
Please Login or register here to add your comments.
Comments Closed
This article is no longer accepting new comments.
RE: upgrade - and warranties?
I've talked to Sony about this. They're only doing the upgrade themselves because they're afraid of "average users" losing their data in the upgrade. (You'd be surprised how stupid "average" users can be.)
At $50, with a box, shipping both ways, and the labor involved, plus probably a small licensing fee to Palm, surely you realize they're NOT making money on this. It's just lack of faith in their customers, not a profit center.
What Sony SHOULD do is give folks a choice. Your typical suit who doesn't know what he's doing (who probably isn't seeking the upgrade anyway) could send his in. More savvy users could pay $10 and download an update themselves.
RE: upgrade - and warranties?
RE: upgrade - and warranties?
RE: upgrade - and warranties?
The pirate upgrade that's been circulating around in various forums flashes the ROM using a Memory Stick. If this fails, I doubt you simply can reset the device and try again.
RE: upgrade - and warranties?
So, in a sense, they are trying to make money. Software ROM upgrade is both safe and effective. Handera has been offering this for their units for awhile.
Jacksprat and other programs have shown that Flash upgrade is entirely possible via software.
RE: upgrade - and warranties?
RE: upgrade - and warranties?
Sony's fumble continues
RE: Sony's fumble continues
RE: Sony's fumble continues
RE: Sony's fumble continues
Doesn't extend the warranty??
RE: Doesn't extend the warranty??
For upgrade OS from 3.X to 4.X will have some charge not only for sony, Palm Inc also plan to charge for upgrade their Palm from 3.X to 4.X.
RE: Doesn't extend the warranty??
What's on the CD??
What is on the CD for the 760 that isn't on the 710?
Aaron
RE: What's on the CD??
Day light robbery
I paid 35% more for my unit than the cheaper N760C, and by eight weeks. And they have the audacity to tell me it will cost 50 USD plus a loss in time to update it.
Sony, this is how every other large brand has lost customers in the past, Xerox, HP, etc classic examples of companies attempting to cover flaws in their product development by cheap underhanded tricks such as this.
If my unit breaks, i will never purchase another sony, i will not update it and I will tell everyone who listens to me that SONY sucks, an expensive 50 USD I would say.
Latest Comments
- My comments -katana
- I got one -Tuckermaclain
- RE: Don't we have this already? -Tuckermaclain
- RE: Palm brand will return in 2018, with devices built by TCL -richf
- RE: Palm brand will return in 2018, with devices built by TCL -dmitrygr
- Palm phone on HDblog -palmato
- Palm PVG100 -hgoldner
- RE: Like Deja Vu -PacManFoo
upgrade - and warranties?
actually, i dont see what their problem is? as a palm developer, i have reflashed nearly every one of my units with the seeding roms that are available for download from www.palmos.com - we dont "void" our warranty there - and come on, whats the worse that can happen? do a debug reset of the unit! and, reflash again.
the "illegal" (if you call it that) upgrade of course doesn't provide a back door such as a debug reset - but, what is so illegal about owning jashflash yourself, and then doing the rom restore after getting a n760c rom from sony's website? how can they guarentee it was an illegal upgrade or not?
just seems like a marketing ploy by sony to get $50 out of people for something they can do themselves (not that i recommend it, if you dont know what your doing - cough up the $50). play it safe. for me, if my n710c crapped itself, i'll just go out and get a new one. the n710c works great now - so, why do i care?
i have send many units back to palm due to hardware error, even when they have 4.0 dr 3 or something on them (even with debug roms) - never had a problem. flashing the rom wont "kill" your unit, and there will be no damage to the hardware..
// az
aaron@ardiri.com
http://www.ardiri.com/