Palm To Replace Faulty USB Cradles
Palm Inc. finally has a fix for the the static electricity problem that causes some of its models to suddenly stop HotSyncing. According Cnet, Palm plans to replace the USB cradles from the m500 series with a redesigned one that prevents static electricity from arcing between the handheld and the cradle. According to Palm, this static electricity disrupts the handheld enough that it is no longer able to HotSync.
The now-discontinued m505 was especially prone to experience the problem, which has been called SUDS, which stands for either Sudden USB Death Syndrome or SUddenly Doesn't Sync, depending on whom you ask.
SUDS doesn't happen to everyone. It depends on how much static electricity is in the area, which depends on climate, environment, and other factors.
Palm has been shipping a cradle that doesn't have the problem with static electricity with all its models since November. It has also been sending them to some users who have a handhelds with SUDS. The new cradles can be identified by a sticker on the bottom of an E.
Though Palm has sent many customers replacement cradles with their replacement handhelds, about 20% of the customers have been sending the replacement cradles back with their original handheld.
With this announcement, Palm is saying it intends to replace all the USB cradles that came with an m500 or m505 that don't have the E sticker.
A Palm spokesperson who spoke to Cnet wasn't willing to give an estimate of what this would cost Palm, though she did say it would not seriously affect Palm's bottom line.
Certainly Palm has been experiencing expenses related to replacing numerous handhelds that had SUDS. Replacing all the cradles should bring this to a halt.
She also said that Palm waited to make this announcement until it had produced enough of the replacement cradles to be able carry out the recall.
No exact details of the replacement program are available yet. It is not yet known if Palm will want the defective cradles sent in or if there will be any kind of a charge for customers. The company will be in contact with all registered Palm m500 and m505 users with more details.
Naturally, this won't help people who already have a handheld with SUDS, though it will prevent it from happening again. Palm will replace any handheld that has the problem. Contact Palm's support staff to find out how to get a replacement unit.
There are a couple of unauthorized fixes, both of which involve forcing the handheld to reset by cutting off its power. Thefirst method is done by leaving the handheld on until the battery is drained to the point where it shuts itself down. The second method involves taking the back of the handheld and disconnecting the battery for a few minutes.
Thanks to the many, many people who sent me a tip on this. -Ed
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> Naturally, this won't help people who already have a handheld with SUDS,
> though it will prevent it from happening again. Palm will replace any handheld
> that has the problem. Contact Palm's support staff to find out how to get a
> replacement unit.
RE: Replacement cradle only?
RE: Replacement cradle only?
RE: Replacement cradle only?
palm support
RE: palm support
> No exact details of the replacement program are
> available yet. It is not yet known if Palm will want
> the defective cradles sent in or if there will be
> any kind of a charge for customers. The company will
> be in contact with all registered Palm m500 and m505
> users with more details.
So you're better off waiting until Palm Support contacts you, or when PalmInfoCenter gets more details on this offer (Thanks Ed!).
This is actually great news. I had this USB problem happen only once, but once is enough. I don't want to worry about it happening again. The battery draining fix solved it for now, but I'm hoping that this will fix it permanently.
Jim
Lousy engineering
they should have figure this out from the very begining!
RE: Lousy engineering
RE: Lousy engineering
DELL QUALITY
RE: Lousy engineering
RE: Lousy engineering
Of course your local P.C. builder will say, "Don't buy Dell. They're junk. You should buy one of our computers."
That's like asking a Lexus dealer if a Mercedes Benz is better.
RE: Lousy engineering
RE: Lousy engineering
What disappoints me most is that it took so long for them to own up to it. You know it's bad when the community has figured out two ways to fix this problem by ourselves before we hear even word one out of Palm about it. Even if they weren't ready to do mass-replacements of cradles, I still would have liked them to at least let us know they were aware of the problem, and working on solutions.
SUDS
PSIG
RE: SUDS
Sony won't even bother to release a bug fix for a one year old machine!! (check what they got for the S300 :D)
(i own a N760 personally...i am not a troll)
WNTS
There's a difference between Doesnt support and doesnt release bug fix. Is there any bug with S300 ?? I don't think so. So WNTS = Who Needs tech Support
How about its faulty screen??
What faulty screen??
RE: How about its faulty screen??
Anyways when someone buys a product make sure you like it before you buy it, no whinning alowed after you bought it.
RE: How about its faulty screen??
RE: How about its faulty screen??
How 'bout "He's a weirdo Sony employee." Don't forget Sony's history of planting employees as the man in the street.
RE: How about its faulty screen??
what !? You must be a palm employee. Don't forget Palm's history of false Advertising too.
Anyways if you are refering to the Sony US Movie division's Advertising department quoting planted comments in advertisments, then you must be really stupid. O well as you didn't catch my post last time I'll just cut and paste it again.
A quote from the news about fake reviews:
"Other studios and their subsidiaries named include Sony, Lions Gate Films, DreamWorks, Vivendi Universal, Artisan Entertainment and Viacom.
The California Civil Code and the Federal Trade Commission set down laws saying advertisements should be truthful."
1) There are alot of company that's doing this, I am not saying it right to do it, but it would be unfare for other people if they don't do it while others are doing it.
2) "advertisements should be truthful" I wonder which company just got accused for misleading advertisement, is it parm, plam or something like that.
3) Sony is a huge company they got movie department, music department consumer electronics department, chemical department, the list goes on and on, so is that Sony Movie US Division Made a lie about their movie so we should assume that their chemical, electronics, music are all built upon lie ?
Get a life
RE: How about its faulty screen??
Only a fanatic will stand by a brand that's obviously inferior to another. I'm not naming names, but one of those brands decided to make a replacement with a brighter screen and adjustable brightness control...pretty much conceding that the dim screen was a mistake.
Faulty screen from who?
RE: How about its faulty screen??
RE: How about its faulty screen??
The 320x480 is an improvement. I don't think that anyone was gripping about the 320x320 screen like they did about the dimness of the m505.
RE: How about its faulty screen??
I myself switched to Sony due to many problems with the m505, after 4 years of being a loyal Palm user..
BTW: IMO the fact that Sony sells less units is becouse you can only find them either online or at BB-Circuit City.
What about cradles bought separately?
Umm gee would that be
Sorry I needed that :-)
But seriously it has the "E" on the cradle and it did just fail. Tried it on the desktop, tried it on the laptop, tried it with support and finally tried it with .1 (which fixed it).
Now I have one that broke but is fixed and a replacement on its way which might break ( and is a refurbed unit ?) What should I do? Keep the old one or take the replacement?
RE: Umm gee would that be
RE: Umm gee would that be
Another posting by a loyal Sony employee.
RE: Umm gee would that be
LoL why would I be a Sony employee !? I didn't even mention Sony or Clie in my post.
You must be a palm employee then, you are basically out here to say all not pro-Palm post as posted by Sony employee.
Get a life
RE: Umm gee would that be
When arguments fail, and yours always do, let's resort to mindless expressions. What are you, 14/15 years old. Wait a minute, I hear your mommy calling. Must be time for your nap.
RE: Umm gee would that be
Seems it's your arguemnts that's failing not mine, your last post can't even do any rebuttal whatsoever except naming calling, it's pretty sad.
RE: Umm gee would that be
Posting by a loyal Palm employee/fan.
RE: Umm gee would that be
Posted by a fan of all makes and models, who is stuck with an m125.
Oh, btw, go ahead and accuse me of working for a company, I dare you!
------
PALM POWERED!!!
RE: Umm gee would that be
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Replacement cradle only?