Comments on: Interview with HandEra

HandEra (and formerly, TRG) is a name that evokes fond memories amongst long-time Palm OS users. Originally a producer of memory and expansion modules for the early Pilot and PalmPilot line, Iowa-based TRG leveraged their engineering expertise and inside-out knowledge of the Palm OS into producing a revolutionary Palm OS device, the TRG Pro of 2000. While most Palm OS devices of the time sported 4mb or less of RAM and non-existent expansion capabilities, the TRGPro brought a 16mhz Dragonball-EZ CPU, 8mb of RAM and a CompactFlash slot to the traditional Palm III formfactor.

Mike Walter, Vice President of Software Development, and Doug DeVries, Vice President of Hardware Development at HandEra were kind enough to take time out of their busy schedule to answer some questions submitted by myself, Ryan, and several other members of the PalmInfocenter community. Read on for the full interview...

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Thank you!

twrock @ 3/5/2007 7:26:21 PM #

Great products. Great interview. And a fun trip down memory lane.

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/

RE: Thank you!

PacManFoo @ 3/5/2007 7:54:06 PM #

Yes, Thanks Handera! Sure wish the color version would have made it out.

PDA's Past and Present:
Palm - IIIxe, Vx, M500, M505, Tungsten T, TX
Handspring - Edge, Platinum, Deluxe
Sony - SJ22
Apple - MP2000, MP2100

RE: Thank you!

nitf @ 3/5/2007 10:42:22 PM #

twrock...

I noticed your tagline about waiting for the Color 330 has disappeared and that a tantilizing message was sent to you regarding someonthing on someone's desk a while back, are these two items related?

RE: Thank you!

twrock @ 3/5/2007 11:49:48 PM #

Yes, they were indeed related. I can no longer honestly say that "I'm still waiting for the mythical color HandEra" (thanks to Mike). I can honestly say that the "mythical color HandEra" is everything anyone ever hoped it would be. :)

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/

RE: Thank you!

nitf @ 3/6/2007 1:59:20 AM #

Sweeeeeet! I only recently replaced my H330 but it is still proudly on my desk :)

RE: Thank you!

LTH @ 3/6/2007 3:45:16 AM #

any way to replace the broken battery door of my H330 ? :-)

the OS 4.1 upgrade has existed, see http://www.brighthand.com/default.asp?newsID=1412
a friend of mine succesfully upgraded his device, at this time I was no longer using the H330, not because of the broken battery door but I switched to the M515, color was a major add on, in fact the H330, despite all his improvements had a major failure, after years of using Palm III devices, the fact that the power on button was not on the same place was a problem too me :-(

RE: Thank you!

abosco @ 3/6/2007 1:06:52 PM #

Great interview, and a great company. But there is one thing I disagree with - the 66 MHz Dragonball Super VZ processor did not have very good battery life at all. SJ-33, NR70, NR70v, T-665, and Legend PAM168 all had that processor, and all of those devices had some of the worst battery lives of any Palm OS handheld, including the crowned champ of all - the T-665.

Also, I want that color HE330! Are there any more?

-Bosco
NX80v + Wifi + BT + S710a

RE: Thank you!

hkklife @ 3/6/2007 2:47:33 PM #

You're right, Abosco, and while I didn't really forget about those power hungry Clies, I should have elaborated my statement further by saying that those 66mhz Dragonballs were good at being underclocked to save battery power but could be also be pushed pretty high by overclocking when the occasion required it. I remember being bummed that the m515 & Tungsten W didn't have a 66mhz Dragonball CPU upon their release.

Nope, I think Ron (twrock) got the last HE330c that was floating around the HandEra HQ. You could try to beg/buy his, though ;-)

Pilot 1000-->Pilot 5000-->PalmPilot Pro-->IIIe-->Vx-->m505-->T|T-->T|T2-->T|C-->T|T3-->T|T5-->TX-->Treo 700P

RE: Thank you!

SAS @ 3/6/2007 4:56:19 PM #

Thanks for the interview, thanks for the memories - and mostly - thanks for reminding us what an innovative company Handera is !

I still keep my beloved HE330 for reading, as a backup device, and for these old MegaWiki structured files that just can get better on any other device.... And just recently purchased another HE300 - just in case ......

Twrock - I envy you :D

--------------------------------

"Everyone has the right to have wrong opinion"

330 was awesome!

Skyrm @ 3/6/2007 9:09:07 AM #

Great interview, thanks! I loved my 330, until the day it took a tumble off my nightstand, and hit the wooden bedframe. Sorta didn't work after that. :(

And I never thought the silver case was ugly!

Brayder Technologies Connection

Haber @ 3/8/2007 4:42:27 PM #

I've noticed on the Handera website, at http://www.handera.com/Products/Software.aspx, the JackFlash and JackSprat software from Brayder is listed, although if you navigate to the "Buy" link for each product, it redirects to the now non-existent Brayder website. The Handera website itself, for "What's New," lists 07/20/05 as the most recent event date. Other than the site "Copyright 2000-2007 HandEra," I don't think it's been changed since around late 2005. I'm confused if HandEra currently exists as an ongoing business or not.

RE: Brayder Technologies Connection

Haber @ 3/8/2007 4:49:10 PM #

Hrm, reading the interview, I guess HandEra still exists. Should update their website though, very weird to be listing discontinued and no longer sold software from other vendors on their site. Still curious about how HandEra ties into Brayder.