Comments on: Rumor: System Hack to Increase m505's Contrast (Updated)

I'm going to go into staples tomorrow and try it out on all the units we have in stock (since i work there) and i'll take the one on which it works. =)

Right now I've just got GlowHack running to auto turn on my sidelight, which makes it quite acceptable indoors, certainly not worth dismissing outright and returning promptly.

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Snubolis

Anyone actually do this?

ENOUGH ALREADY EVERYONE. God, you people are just the sort of people who caused publishers to remove the word "gullible" from all dictionaries made in the last 5 years.

Well it's the next day now after my attempt at getting a higher contrast screen, and the gremlins inside my m505 are surfacing...

i can no longer hotsync... even after a hard reset. Looks like a trip back to staples for me. =(

- Thanks

1) HotSync to ensure all databases are backed up
2) Open up Memo Pad and write, "ESC.<0975$6IA
3) Save memo and move it to top of Memo list
4) Soft reset
5) Open saved memo, details, change to "Private"
6) Soft reset
7) Open up Memo Pad and write, CONTR.>75319$C/A6/R?L_gosub
8) Save memo and then delete first memo
9) Soft reset

A clarification was later issued stating that no quotation marks were to be used in the text of the memos.

Please fix your article. I can just imaging how many people must have been trying this today using the wrong instructions!

My evaluation on screen quality:

Visor Prism = 9
Sony N700C = 8.5 (tried a Japanese version last week)
m505 hacked = 7.5
m505 "pre" = 5

As always, YMMV.
If someone here could post "pre" and "post" photos (Ed?), it would be helpful to those people who are still worried about running the System Contrast Hack on their 505.

Daniel S.

It's amazing that people above are claiming that the instructions for the hack worked. Now that their m505 is brighter and everything is just dandy now. Except for one thing!! The original instructions contained an error!!! Check the time of their "hack actually worked" post and check the time of Ed's correction. Do you see a disparity?

Apparently, people used the WRONG instructions and claimed an effect. Delusional or pure BS? You decide.

Error on the safe side, do nothing!!! Who know what kind of things that you are doing to your m505. You don't know if a hard reset could restore previous setting. I would think that it would be wise to wait for some offical comfirmation from a reliable source not all these "I.M. Anonymous".

I just bought an M505 at Office Depot in Torrance, CA and they said that the 16MB SD card was only free with the M500, not the M505. Where is your office depot located? Do you have a copy of your receipt or the ad that you could fax or email to me? My email address is rsprods@bigfoot.com.

Also, I thought that this was very interesting. The first thing I checked on my box was where the unit was assembled. The sticker says USA, but there is another sticker under it that clearly says "made in Hungary." Also, I read somewhere in this forum that models made in Hungary have buttons that move around in tandum when you move just one. Mine is made in the USA and does the same thing.

Hungary has a well educated and eager workforce. Labor costs are low, supply chain routes to the ER and US markets shorter (than Asia) and well established.

I see what you mean about the keys, though. Mine are like that too.

I can't believe no-one has tried this yet. If it works, Palm should buy the program and include it as part of the OS. I have a TRGPro and the ONLY reason I put up with its crappy screen and old-school Palm III form factor is so I can use AutoCF (like MSMount) to access 32 MB of files seamlessly on my CF card. It's just like having 40 MB of RAM!

My path is set to /Palm/Launcher

T

1. You CAN add apps from the SD (MMC) card to be seen on the App launcher (including Launcher III)
2. It is considerably slower to read a large file from the MMC than it is native RAM. Can anyone confirm this is the same with an SD card??? I only have a 64 MB MMC card, but I suspect its slower than a true SD card.
3. Applications that are able to read from the SD slot will show the items twice (if you use the directory Palm/Launcher, which is where the Palm desktop installs the files).

WHERE can I get McFile and the others you mentioned? I can't find it on Palmgear and the Yahoo group has only PowerRun and MSMount.

- Steve (s.wong@canada.com)

I cannot answer your question 1&3, because I have only Clie s300 at hand, and Palm m50X is still unavailable here in Taiwan. :( As for question 2, yes, that's also the same situation on my Clie with 64M Memory Stick. If you are unsatisfied with the speed of MSMount, try PowerRun. The way PowerRun acts is very like your PC. The codes are stored on memory card, when you tap its icon, codes are copied into native RAM and executed. When you exit the program, changed data are written back into memory card, and codes in native RAM are erased. Under many situations, PowerRun is even much faster than MSMount. But you still cannot expect it's as fast as in native RAM. Copying codes from memory card into native RAM takes time, but not very long, usually within several seconds. I think it's the price we have to pay for asking a lot of "virtual" RAM.

www.palminfocenter.com/view_Story.asp?ID=1913

Thanks!

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News Editor
Palm Infocenter

Would some with a Hungarian/US model that had trie the hack comment?

dteky

Can anyone else comment on the battery/confirm the usage of the hack on the US version?

In addition to the impossibility of LCD screen burn-in, it should be noted that VGA or better screens take days or possibly weeks to burn an image, rather than the hours necessary with CGA/EGA/monochrome screens. Screensavers with modern computers are largely for user entertainment purposes.

FYI:
DO NOT go to the Route 23 Wayne Staples...the manager there, Robin has no concept of customer service whatsoever. While the manager at the Riverdale Staples is just the opposite....he cares about his customers and will do whatever it takes to satisfy them! Rare find!!

Good luck..let us know how you make out.

Jim P

Anyone who does this and thinks their Palm got brighter or ruined is just psyching themselves out. It does nothing except waste your time.

In fact, they should pull this whole stupid article from this website. Why flaunt how foolish everyone can be?

The screen is extremely readable in outdoor lighting and the same could NOT be said about my IIIc which is what annoyed me the msot about it. I spend most of my time indoors as well, but having to squint and stare very closely at the screen is unaccetable. The m505 changes all of that.

Indoors, it COULD be brighter but I find there are VERY few places where neither the ambient light is NOR the sidelight is enough. In most places, the sidelight works beautifully. And in office buildings, (at least the ones I've been in), the reflective screen is a winner. The colors may not be as rich as the IIIc but I love the contrast against the background.

Let's all keep in mind that most of us are early adopters so we're overwhelmingly in the minority here. I think the m505 will do very well, period. Previous monochrome users shouldn't be disappointed with the screen, for the most part, as the screen is still better than any monochrome out there.

If there is the capability to adjust the brightness through software, then I hope Palm will release a patch or something. But, at this point, I doubt it given that most of the consumers of the m505 will be satisfied. Also, if you give users the capability to adjust brightness, I would assume that most would turn up the brightness and thus shortening battery life. I think Palm is just trying to be consistent with their principles of keeping things compact and effective (meaning long-lasting).

One last thing, if they drop the price down to $399 I'm gonna be pissed. But, oh well, guess that's what I get for always needing the coolest stuff when it first comes out!

I have no prob with the quality, the color or anything else about the product.

This unit is for the professional and not for the "gamer". This is not a multi-media unit, but it does what Palm likely intended it for - help manage your information - while having some perks such as color and expansion.

Great product!!

bright505 can be downloaded here:

http://www.geocities.com/palmvx8/

http://www.palmgear.com/index.cfm?sid=86499920010514202613