Palm TX – I’d like to know before buying it…

[Long Pan]

I am using a Palm Z22 with a Oxford version of Pleco (the basic one). I want to upgrade my Palm to install Pleco ABC and also CJKOS (which does not run on Z22). These threads (1, 2, 3) convinced me to go for a Palm TX which I plan to buy here in Beijing. There is just one point I would like to confirm before buying it : I currently synchronise my Palm address book with Outlook; could you please confirm me that with CJKOS I will have no problem to synchronise a Chinese name from the Palm address book to Outlook. Thanks

[Long Pan]

Let me change my question so that maybe I get more success with this thread

1) For those who have a Palm with CJKOS and use Palm address book or Memos - when you synchronise these applications with your PC, does it keep well the Chinese characters ?

2) if so, with which applications on your PC do you synchronise you Palm address book or Memos ?

3) anybody doing it with Outlook ? what is the result with 汉字 ?

Thanks for your answers

[gato]

Chinese characters synch fine with Outlook and memo pad.

[Long Pan]

Thanks Gato; I'll go and by this TX this WE

But just to understand better one point : I thought Outlook only works with Unicode as CJKOS works with GB and Big 5, how come can they synchro together ?

[adrianlondon]

I tried this by entering a Chinese name in my Palm TX and syncing it with both Outlook and the Palm Desktop.

Both times, the Chinese name showed in garbled characters. This is because, I guess, the PC applications are using Unicode whereas the Palm TX with CJKOS is using GB.

[gato]

I tried this by entering a Chinese name in my Palm TX and syncing it with both Outlook and the Palm Desktop.

Both times, the Chinese name showed in garbled characters. This is because, I guess, the PC applications are using Unicode whereas the Palm TX with CJKOS is using GB.

It worked for me. In the language setting under control panel, do you have "language for non-unicode program" set to "Chinese(PRC)"? Not that that should make a difference. But just an outside possibility.

[Long Pan]

I’m afraid that this will not do it for me; indeed as a French speaker I need the Windows non-unicode language option to be French (and get my beloved accents)

Why Palm does not have his OS in Unicode like Windows; would be easier to mix all languages, no ? Is that a problem of size (Unicode being more voluminous than other encoding, as far as I can remember) ?

[gato]

Have you tried synching with your Z22 first as a test?

[ipsi()]

You will need to have that set. It won't work otherwise. This is because CJKOS (which you'll need to buy seperately) only supports GB2312, GBK and Big5 natively. It uses Codepages if it's viewing UTF-8 content...

It's a pain. You can also use AppLocale to change the encoding for just one application. I prefer this, as changing the system encoding seems to change a number of other things as well.

[Long Pan]

Gato, I’ve installed CJKOS on my Z22 (it runs well contrary to what I said in my first post) but I get some ???? in my Palm address book for the Chinese characters that are synchronised from Outlook (this happens with the “French” as non-unicode language)

Then of course I should try the same process with “Chinese” as as non-unicode language (what you recommend) but I am just scared that then all the specific French characters (é,à,ù,ç,è,ê,ë) that I have in Outlook will then come strange after synchronisation (which I really do not want) and that I cannot recover the original. So I haven't done it.

Ipsi, AppLocale seems to be a good solution to open an application; but my problem comes when synchronising Outlook with Palm (address book or Memo), so I don’t think it could help. Or maybe it could help if I choose Chinese as non-unicode language on my PC, to open some application where the French accents go crazy (like a dictionary I have). But before that I need to be sure that during the synchro I do not lose all my accents…

[gato]

Then of course I should try the same process with “Chinese” as as non-unicode language (what you recommend) but I am just scared that then all the specific French characters (é,à,ù,ç,è,ê,ë) that I have in Outlook will then come strange after synchronisation (which I really do not want) and that I cannot recover the original. So I haven't done it.

I think changing the language setting only changes how the text is displayed and not how it is actually encoded in the file. So if the French is scrambled by changing to a Chinese setting, you should be able to go back.

[Long Pan]

Finally I made the test with « Chinese » as non-unicode language on my Z22. But indeed it is a mess with the French specific characters. And as I have much more French than Chinese in my calendar, memo or address book, I go back to the French (but which means that I will not be able to synchro Chinese characters on these applications ; never mind ).

[Long Pan]

Now I just need to buy the machine! I thought I could do it today. Headed for 中关村 “e 城市” commercial centre. As I did not find any Palm in display, I asked to a shop if they knew a place to find some Palm. The girl told many she had som... asked me to wait… ran away … and came back 2 minutes later with a TX! I asked to test it but she was enable to switch it on. 2400 yuan for the price. I left for another shop where they had a Treo in display; asked for a TX. Same process: the guy ran away… and came back with a TX. I immidiately recognised the box - the one I had just seen in the other shop! Here at least they managed to switch it on and only asked 1900 yuan. I played with it and really enjoyed it, which confirmed my choice to buy a TX. Trouble is that I would like to buy a "new" one, I mean not a TX which is running around from one sale to another one.

So where to go ?

[gato]

See this list of authorized Palm dealers, Long Pan.

http://www.palm.com/cn/products/wheretobuy/resellers01.html

购买地点

掌上电脑经销商

[Long Pan]

Thanks a lot Gato, I'll do that next WE

[Long Pan]

I bought the TX yesterday: 1980 yuan + SDcard 2Giga @ 190 yuan (did not bargain as the price was lower than expected)

- Name of the shop (from the Palm list pointed by Gato): 盛通创新 STON innovation

- Address: 鼎好电子商城二层南区S2059门市

Until now things are going not too bad. Of course I’ve already spend a lot of time transferring data from my previous Palm + discovering my new machine, but I guess this is the normal upgrading process. Anyway without you I would have definitely lost much more time; and without this forum… well I think I would have already quit the all business a long time ago...

So thanks again

I just have a small pending issue about Docs to Go with CJKOS which I have posted here

[stephanhodges]

So what exact model number and SD model number did you end up buying?

[muyongshi]

convinced me to go for a Palm TX

I am also currently considering getting a new Palm (TX or Treo) and I was just wondering why not the treo? What are peoples reasons for liking the TX so much and not the Treo. I know screen size, wireless internet and some people just don't like having the keyboard because they have no use for it, but I hate having to many gadgets and between my ipod and my cell phone I already feel it's too much (I mean to carry everywhere) so adding a TX would almost be overkill. Any thoughts? Why have people chosen to not go with the Treo and just go straight for the TX (besides price)?

[roddy]

For me, two reasons outside those you mention. One, I want to be able to leave my PDA at home sometimes but still have a phone. A smart phone is too bulky for my liking (although it's been a couple of years since I last looked, and I might change my mind with my next upgrade) and B) you can't get a decent camera on a PDA, but you can get a passable one on a phone.

That said, I do find the number of gadgets and wires I carry about in my pocket ridiculous. Maybe I need one of those new Treos . . . .

[gato]

Why have people chosen to not go with the Treo and just go straight for the TX (besides price)?

I have been using a Treo 680 for the last month. I think it's just about perfect. In terms of functionality, it's just slightly better than the Treo 650 -- a slightly better camera, I think, though I haven't used the camera. But it's about 15-20% lighter than the Treo 680. It's not overly bulky since you can carry it naked (without a carrying case) because the screen doesn't scratch easily.

But its biggest advantage, for me, over the TX (aside from one less gadget in the pocket) is that you can use Gmail Mobile to access gmail over your cell phone data connection (GPRS with China mobile, which is something like RMB10 a month). http://www.google.com/mobile/mail/index.html

Most places in China don't offer WIFI access, but GPRS is available almost anywhere you can use a cell phone.