Comments on: Chinese-language Version of Treo 650 Available in HK

Palm has announced the availability of the Chinese-language version of the award-winning Treo 650 smartphone in Hong Kong.

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Perfect example of a puff piece

SeldomVisitor @ 7/18/2005 4:30:18 PM #

Without breathing hard I found a PalmOS application (Google) that allows exactly what this PR-fluff announces as being on the "Chinese language TREO 650".

You, too, can have a Chinese language TREO 650! Just install this:

http://www.download.com/CJKOS/3000-2361_4-10204695.html

Sheesh.

RE: Perfect example of a puff piece

HandyMan @ 7/18/2005 6:11:50 PM #

I think the difference is taht it's officially support now. In any case, I agree with your you comments. I use CJKOS on my Clie T665 without any issues.

RE: Perfect example of a puff piece

just_little_me @ 7/18/2005 7:02:15 PM #

It's interesting because if you think it's easy getting phone carriers to approve devices on their networks you don't know jack. Ask anyone who's had to fill out the reams of paper for Sprint, Verizon etc. Don't even talk to me about NTT DoCoMo!

JLM.

RE: Perfect example of a puff piece

SeldomVisitor @ 7/18/2005 7:16:32 PM #

One doesn't need any carrier approval whatsoever to add Yet Another Application on top of an approved device.

Double sheesh.

How to show Chinese Charactors on Blazer

ray00pal @ 7/18/2005 10:54:28 PM #

I have a Cingular Tro 650 and the Blazer browser does not show the Chinese Charactors correctly even with CJK OS installed. However, I have seen screen shots of Blazer went to Chinese websites. So it can be done. Can anyone here tell me how?

RE: How to show Chinese Charactors on Blazer

tiger_bb @ 7/19/2005 3:45:52 PM #

make sure the website is using BIG5 or GB encoding instead of using UTF-8 encoding, there is NO internet browser in the whole palm world can display UTF-8.

CJKOS "handwriting input system"

twrock @ 7/19/2005 10:14:45 AM #

I suppose one could argue that "technically" CJKOS has a "handwriting input system", but I think the term is misleading. Unlike Hand Dragon (formerly Palm Dragon) which has true handwriting recognition, CJKOS will let you input characters as "pictures" but will not recognize them as "words". IMHO, this makes Hand Dragon the preferable Chinese OS.

(Disclaimer: I was unable to get the latest version off PalmGear to unZip properly, so I haven't used it. Maybe they have added true handwriting recognition, but the information availble on PG leads me to believe they haven't.)

I'm still waiting for the mythical "color HandEra."

RE: CJKOS

tiger_bb @ 7/19/2005 3:48:38 PM #

palmOne HK bundled both CJKOS and PenPower for their customers. Users can use Penpower to write Chinese, even in full screen.

RE: CJKOS

twrock @ 7/19/2005 7:19:45 PM #

It's good that Palm understood the need for true handwriting recognition and bundled a complete solution. But for the user who wants add Chinese ability to their existing Palm, CJKOS at $28.00 and PenPower at $49.99 = $77.99. HandDragon = $30.00.

I'm still waiting for the mythical "color HandEra."

Big5 or GB encoding in Treo650 blazer?

michaelxtang @ 8/8/2005 10:18:27 PM #

I have the same problem as to view Chinese through Treo650 Blazer, and just do not know how to put the Blazer encoding in Big 5 or GB. Any idea on how to change the encoding setting? Many thanks!

RE: Big5 or GB encoding in Treo650 blazer?

furioshonen @ 8/8/2005 11:25:32 PM #

If you want to write chinese characters, and have them recognized the CJKOS allows that in the Memo Pad no problem. Its just a matter of tweaking your prefferances, and remember that you have to not only download the CJKOS program but also PenP, the writing program that alows you to imput chinese words using strokes, and it will automatically convert your strokes to chinese character.

The only good Chinese dictionary I have found for the Palm OS is Dr. Eye. Although good luck downloading it as the web site is entirely in chinese.

RE: Big5 or GB encoding in Treo650 blazer?

twrock @ 9/8/2007 5:50:33 AM #

KDIC dictionary is another good Chinese/English dictionary. You have to pay for KDIC, but then there are a number of dictionary databases available for free or a small fee. KDIC includes a handy DA (desk accessory, like a hack) that allows you to pop up a window with the definition of a Chinese character on your screen (the one beside your cursor).

Thinking about Vista? Think again: http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.txt
Want an alternative? Try this: http://www.ubuntu.com/ or http://www.mepis.org/

HandDragon and PenDragon

mosborne2 @ 9/7/2007 4:15:24 PM #

Does anyone know where and how I can purchase HandDragon or PenDragon for the Palm Tungsten E2?
I am in the US.
Thanks

email: michael.e.osborne@navy.mil and
mosborne41@starpower.net

RE: HandDragon and PenDragon

SeldomVisitor @ 9/7/2007 4:29:32 PM #

Searching for HandDragon was not productive.

Searching for PenDragon returns:

-- http://www.google.com/search?q=+PenDragon+Palm+Tungsten+E2

RE: HandDragon and PenDragon

cervezas @ 9/7/2007 7:18:50 PM #

Are you talking about Pendragon Forms? http://www.pendragon-software.com/

David Beers
Senior Wireless Developer
MapQuest
www.pikesoft.com/blog

RE: HandDragon and PenDragon

twrock @ 9/7/2007 7:58:28 PM #

I haven't got the time right now, but I will try to help you when I get done with a very busy day out. The last time I purchased it was about two years ago, so it will take a little "research" to track it down again and figure out how to purchase it. I recall it wasn't a very simple process.

(BTW, PenDragon/HandDragon is Chinese OS for the Palm that includes built in handwriting recognition. It is a great piece of software, but a bit complicated to buy. It is the Chinese OS I used on all of my Palm's up until the TX which included a different setup in ROM.)

Thinking about Vista? Think again: http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.txt
Want an alternative? Try this: http://www.ubuntu.com/ or http://www.mepis.org/

RE: HandDragon and PenDragon

twrock @ 9/7/2007 8:01:44 PM #

Sheesh. Obviously none of us looked up the comments section on the article.

Thinking about Vista? Think again: http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.txt
Want an alternative? Try this: http://www.ubuntu.com/ or http://www.mepis.org/

RE: HandDragon and PenDragon

SeldomVisitor @ 9/7/2007 8:02:24 PM #

I believe PalmDragon was the HandDragon previous name.

My searches for all three did not turn up anything useful vis-a-vis US sellers.

RE: HandDragon and PenDragon

twrock @ 9/8/2007 5:46:47 AM #

HandDragon used to be PalmDragon. Here's the link to HandDragon (ShouLung): http://www.pd.com.tw/
However, unless you Mandarin is sufficient, good luck with figuring out how to go about purchasing it or even if it supports the TE2. I was able to purchase it years ago via a postal remittance for my T2, but I'm in Taiwan. I don't know how that works for others. There is an email address to contact them (which I would definitely recommend, just to make sure they are still in the business).

Another option I used for my Zodiac2 (not supported by HandDragon) was to go with a combination of CJKOS and HWPen. CJKOS is registered to your user name, so it can be used on other devices if you upgrade in the future. HWPen (and HandDragon) are registered to you device number, so can only be used on that one device and must be repurchased if you change devices. HWPen is only $10, so it's much more reasonable than PenPower. However, the last upgrade of HWPen was a very long time ago so you really should test it before you commit. PenPower is great, but they want way too much money for it. I believe that HWPen and PenPower only have Chinese menus, so if your Chinese is not sufficient, they are a little tricky to get "tweaked".

CJKOS: http://www.dyts.com/en/index.html (You could get it on PalmGear previously, but I don't think you can anymore.)
HWPen: www.hwpen.net (You can find it on PalmGear as well, which is where you can buy it; if you buy it, contact them by email to get your registration information.)

I hope that all helps.

Thinking about Vista? Think again: http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.txt
Want an alternative? Try this: http://www.ubuntu.com/ or http://www.mepis.org/

RE: HandDragon and PenDragon

SeldomVisitor @ 9/8/2007 9:08:10 AM #

> ...but I'm in Taiwan...

Ah, yes - "gee peecoo ladah" bought from a street vendor...yummy!

RE: HandDragon and PenDragon

twrock @ 9/8/2007 12:46:41 PM #

Uhh, sorry dude, but that isn't any language anyone here will recognize. Did you make that up yourself?

Thinking about Vista? Think again: http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.txt
Want an alternative? Try this: http://www.ubuntu.com/ or http://www.mepis.org/

RE: HandDragon and PenDragon

SeldomVisitor @ 9/8/2007 3:16:49 PM #

Well, you can take that english transliteration, translate it to pinyin, then understand!

RE: HandDragon and PenDragon

SeldomVisitor @ 9/8/2007 3:31:05 PM #

>> "gee peecoo ladah" yummy!
>
> ...Well, you can take that english transliteration, translate
> it to pinyin in yer head, then understand!

Here ya go! Some characters that MAY be what it is (more or less)

-- 雞靶垛辣

That may not be quite correct - typed the english WORDS into babelfish and asked for traditional chinese.

But at least ya can use it as a guide to that transliteration up above!

Giggle.

RE: HandDragon and PenDragon

twrock @ 9/9/2007 2:31:37 AM #

SV, I have no idea what "transliteration" you are attempting. Since Chinese is monosyllabic, you can't get from five syllables to four characters. So there is no way for me to take your "transliteration" and get it to some form of "standard" pinyin and then to the four characters you came up with. Since you need both the correct sound and the correct tone in order to even start getting the correct meaning of a word, what you are suggesting I do is not possible. Besides, since the language has almost innumerable homonyms, not knowing the actual character is a significant problem for a name or label.

The characters you did come up with would seem to indicate that the dish you remember is some kind of spicy chicken (the first and last characters indicate this). The pinyin for those four characters should read: "ji ba duo la" (sans tones). Unfortunately, you can't "guess" at characters. "More or less" won't cut it; they are either the right one or not right at all.

Thinking about Vista? Think again: http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.txt
Want an alternative? Try this: http://www.ubuntu.com/ or http://www.mepis.org/

RE: HandDragon and PenDragon

SeldomVisitor @ 9/9/2007 7:48:39 AM #

Close!

Spicy chicken butt!

Would ask for it from said street vendor with "Gee Peecoo, ladah" (or "laduh"). Worked for me!

[I've been to Taiwan about 8 times or so "on vacation" (actually visiting relatives-in-law); lived mostly in Kaohsiung and PingTung. In PingTung I lived as a family guest in the large house next to the Mayor's residence/estate]

RE: HandDragon and PenDragon

twrock @ 9/9/2007 10:21:12 AM #

I guess if "chicken butt" is your thing....
And in that case, no, those characters are not even close.

Thinking about Vista? Think again: http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.txt
Want an alternative? Try this: http://www.ubuntu.com/ or http://www.mepis.org/

RE: HandDragon and PenDragon

SeldomVisitor @ 9/9/2007 12:23:55 PM #

The blame rests entirely with babelfish then.

BTW - your words in this thread consistently "sound"...unnice.

Check the navel for awhile.

RE: HandDragon and PenDragon

twrock @ 9/10/2007 3:27:54 AM #

No need for me to "check". My words were not without intent.
But that should come as no surprise to you. Right?

Giggle.

Thinking about Vista? Think again: http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.txt
Want an alternative? Try this: http://www.ubuntu.com/ or http://www.mepis.org/

RE: HandDragon and PenDragon

mosborne2 @ 10/29/2007 3:36:14 PM #

Thanks all for the effort.
I've tried many approaches but still haven't figured out exactly how to buy HandDragon in the US. China's merchants seem to be geared towards assuming the software came with your hardware and maybe you are updating. I have yet to find a checkout option for just the software. In some cases, even after finding a checkout (other products) sales to the US are not allowed. Not sure if this is an export/import control or fear of being prosecuted.

I was trying to find a cheaper option than buying a Besta or similar PDA (really don't want to carry two PDAs). Right now I am trying out a combination of CKJOS, Penpower (demo), and Dio (demo), which allows me to write chinese (s&T), Japanese, and Korean characters. Its a little quirky, especially when it comes to understanding the instructions when something does not work right. Once I get that at least working good enough, I'll have to find some good dictionaries. Plenty of Japanese dictionaries, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of good Chinese or Korean dictionaries for the Palm.

Anyway, thanks a lot, reading your feedback has been very encouraging.

RE: HandDragon and PenDragon

twrock @ 10/30/2007 2:14:06 AM #

Yeah, I knew it was tough to figure out how to buy HandDragon. This is as close as I can get to helping you find a way to use a credit card: http://www.palm-center.com/htm/PD-reg.htm. Look at item #4, US$30, through PayPal. But you really must understand all of their notes there about what you have to do to get it registered (I am making no promises that I am getting all of this right). Make sure you click on the blue link to see the JPEG of the PayPal form, which shows you how to fill in the required unit ID# into the notes section: http://www.palm-center.com/imag/other/paypal1.jpg. You must first ascertain your unit's ID#; don't use the one there that they have for an example. (I think you get your ID# from the Launcher/Menu/Info/Version; it should be in the form of their example, a long sting of letters and number followed by a dash and one more letter or number.) They remind you to make sure of the difference between 0 and O and I and 1. They also want your model number (Palm TE2) and I suppose it won't hurt to add your hotsync name, but I don't remember if that is required. After that, I suspect that you still might have to contact them, but maybe if you include a note asking them just to email the code to you they will.

For dictionaries, KDIC has at least a few Chinese/English English/Chinese dictionaries, some of them are even free (KDIC "engine" is something like $10). PM me for more specifics if you can't find any. Additionally, you can check out the HanYing talking dictionary right here in the PIC software store. It was on sale very recently, but I don't know if it still is. It also has dictionaries for either "direction".

If all else fails, HWPen is way cheaper then PenPower, but I don't recall if it supports Japanese or Korean or if it supports your PDA.

I bought an electronic dictionary years ago and used it heavily up until I bought my first Palm PDA (IIIxe). Once I got HandDragon and KDIC working on it, there was no reason to carry the much bigger dictionary around. I hope you can get something working, because if you are like me, your PDA is always with you, but you dictionary is not.

Good luck.

Thinking about Vista? Think again: http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.txt
Want an alternative? Try this: http://www.ubuntu.com/ or http://www.mepis.org/