Comments on: MP3 on the Palm Tungsten T

There is a RealOnePalm.zip rotating since beginning of January - it includes the fix. Version is unknown...

: The patch is rumoured to be released this month,
: probably when the Real Player for Palm is released.

This is an interesting note. Recently at the NYC LinuxWorld Expo, I stopped by Real Networks booth and happened to ask one of the representatives about the release date of RealPlayer for Palm OS5. One person was able to confirm that a release date was set for mid-February. He also said that all Tunsten owners who registered should get an official e-mail notice about when and where they can download it. If I recall correctly, it should be free. Oh, and he also noted that in future Palm OS5 models, the RealPlayer will be bundled along with the other software normally in the CD's included (i.e. Docs to Go, Palm Reader, etc).

He also showed me RealPlayer on his Tungsten (and also his Nokia cell phone, though the exact model escapes me at the moment) and played it. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to listen to it via headphones, so I couldn't really compare against the Aeroplayer beta version I had on my Tungsten at the time. Oh well, I suppose the only way to find out is to get my hands on the RealPlayer for Palm.

Has anyone else heard of any updates recently regarding Realplayer?

Jim

Any word on when AudioPlayer 3 will be available for the T665C? I haven't seen it on Sony's support page.

----

"I'm warning you ... if you kill me, they'll just send 008!"

Jeff Meyer

If ATRAC3 is a lossy format (which I believe it is), you'll want to re-rip your music. Otherwise, you'd suffer a significant loss of quality converting between the two.

Agreed - I tried these patches a few days ago and found exactly the same - good quality, low volume. Hopefully this is just an early alpha and the final version will retain the volume!

Alan

Help PLEASE!!! I installed the patches: FATFSPatch1.prc
HALSndLib443.prc

and now I'm triying to delete them but I can't!!

You are all right, the volume degradation is terrible.

> Help PLEASE!!! I installed the patches:
> FATFSPatch1.prc
> HALSndLib443.prc
>
> and now I'm triying to delete them but I can't!!
>
> You are all right, the volume degradation is terrible.

We told you! Why'd you go and install it? :)

This sound patch does not seem to be a permanent change to the flash ROM. It is also not backed up during synchronization. Therefore...

Synchronize your Tungsten T first. Perform a hard reset (push and hold reset... push and hold power button... release reset... release power... push the D-pad up). Synchronize your Tungsten T again to reload the device with your data.

After I performed these steps, I'm back to loud volume on "High" in Prefs and "telephone" quality MP3 playback. The patch appears to have been removed.

Best of all, is that it shows people at Real and Palmsource are working on it. It's far more news that the press release palmsource made on November (which actually helped me make the decision and go for the Tungsten in the first place, instead of a Clie).

This download also makes Realplayer for windows show the palm in the devices tab, with possibility to transfer songs from it, although very slow, but works.

Is it me, or is the aeroplayer ALSO affected by the low volume?? ...I hear the music quality a lot better with the patches, but there's not much volume to play with!
Its just too low!

Where was PocketPC and Clie when Palm came out with the Pilot? and what's your point?

I am a happy user of a Tungsten and delighted that it can play MP3s now, as well. Innovation or not... who gives a damn!

You know, I've often wondered the same thing myself. While I admit that the mp3 player *would* be nice to have on an airplane, on a train and perhaps in a waiting room, there's no way I'd risk it going jogging or anything of the sort. Besdies, I'd rather not squander my battery life doing something trivial like mp3 playing--I'd rather conserve it for playing a game ;-)

It's a nice feature but I'd gladly take more ram, better battery life, soft Grafitti area and the other usual wishlist items over mp3 capability. With that said, of course, it IS upsetting that Palm got everyone all worked up and then has constantly failed to deliver on their promises. I know that there are users out there for whom mp3 playback is the main use of their PDAs and perhaps bought a T|T solely on the hopes that Palm and Real would deliver a working solution by Dec 31st 2002. So just because you and I don't get as excited over MP3s does not mean Palm should be cut any slack or let off the hook!

While some of you may be focused on specific functionality of 'Palm', I use my TT for everything it provides. I could not do with out its basic PIM functionality, depending on it so much that I back all my data up in three areas (desktop, Laptop, and SD card) to a fault. However, the musicablity has proven as indispensable. I fly and train a lot. I am absolutely elated that I can now leave my CD Player or MD Player and home, after filling two 128meg SDs with my favorite sounds to drown out crying babies and loud fellow passengers. And, I'll jump on any technology that makes all that better!!!! We'll all look back a few years (months?) from now and see all this as ancient. So, let's enjoy what we have now, and continue to excite the developers, third party or otherwise, to make things better.

You may also want to look at PocketTunes http://www.pocket-tunes.com/ which also released a new version very recently including background play, MP3 support and a popup control console which is *very* handy. Well worth the money IMHO!

You really want 5.2? What will you get from it, other than crippled graffiti?