Palm OS/WinMo Hardware

[#1]

This Palm Support article discusses the maximum expansion card sizes which Palm has tested for compatibility in its devices.  For the LifeDrive, there is a separate linked article which you will see.

Many users are eager to know whether cards larger than 1 GB or 2 GB will work in their various devices.

<< EDIT >>

For users who are trying to use SDHC (high capacity) cards on their Palm OS devices that cannot handle such cards on their own, you might be interested in PowerSDHC.  It is a third-party utility ($20.95) which adds SDHC capacity to (as of this writing) the following devices:

• Tungsten T|C
• Tungsten E2
• Tungsten T|5
• LifeDrive
• Palm TX
• Zire 31
• Zire 72

 

Visit http://www.palmpowerups.com/news.php for information, purchase and support.  I've never tried PowerSDHC so cannot comment directly on it, but am providing this for your information only.  Downloading and using PowerSDHC (or any other third-party software, for that matter) is at your own risk and discretion.

Please post your own results to this thread.  Indicate your Palm model, as well as the brand and size of your expansion cards, and whether they work reliably or not.

To make this thread easier for users to scan quickly for their device and card size combinations, please also edit the Message Subject in your Reply, to indicate your Palm model, and the brand, type and size of your cards.

Message Edited by smkranz on 03-29-2009 09:56 PM

[#2]

T|E: 1GB SanDisk and Kingston ok, 2GB Patriot OK.

E2: Maximum 1GB SanDisk and Kingston. Will NOT read 2GB cards.

TX: Above 1GB and 2GB fine; 4GB Transcend ok, slow write speeds. Recommend managing media with card reader and syncing Sunrise RSS feeds to RAM in order to speed up sync time.

No other models on my desk to test.

[#3]

With my Treo650 I have tested different brands 32, 64, 128, 512, 1G and 2G.

The behavior and performance up to 1Gb is OK in all terms, pics, movies, documents, music, whatever..

With 2GB it works, —so I have to accept Palm's article where they states so—, but.... the truth must be complete or is not the truth as well as I know from my Law study.  

In terms of pictures, which is my principal interest, performance begin to decrease dramatically after +/- 1000 pics . That means, you have 500 pics (standard size, as per Palm suggest, or larger) and they are shown almost immediately.. When you have 1500 they are shown after 2 to 5 minutes delay and so successively.. Once you have 2000 pics, to see them you can seat down, have a large drink, sleep a while, watch a movie, and after 15 minutes the Palm clock is still running.. and no pics are still shown..!!  Of course, having pics separated in folders of no more than 50 pics per folder.  If you open the "ALL" option, is better to die!!  

Can someone seriously states that it works?

On the other hand, once you open a folder to see the pics, movie-clips, etc, you can not do anything else, you can not stop the device searching or reading, or... or.. whatever be, You can do nothing...!  Nothing can be done...!  I must also say that the Treo switch's power off after +/- 3 minutes, you turn it on again and.. nothing, the clock is still running.

I use the Treo650 to keep a lot of quick reference information in terms of documents and it does fine, but important to me are also pictures and movie clips where the 2GB hangs.  Despite I still have 1.2 GB free..!!

Must people understand, as I did, that Palm"s statement refers to a full performance or behavior of the entire memory card. It is not a matter of brand, all are the same. Then it must be a Palm malfunction, or??

I always understood that Palm devices are quick machines to have information at once! 

As an additional comment the Life Drive performance with the 2GB memory card is excellent!!

May be this post help you..    I have been Palm user (or heavy user) for many years and with almost all device models..

[#4]

Palm Tungsten E:

Tested: SanDisk 2GB  --  successful

I loaded some MP3's onto a 2GB card. The E recognized the card. The E, using Real Player, played the songs. Didn't expect my old E to be able to use a 2GB card, but there you go.

Hopefully this bodes well for the TX I plan to purchase soon. I am hoping for the TX to run at least a 4GB and am crossing my fingers for an 8GB. I'll post what happens when I finally get the machine.

-----

Having read the links listed in this thread, I have a couple of questions:

I understand Palm has not tested the compatibility of cards greater than 2GB in their devices. Cards with greater than 2GB capacity have been available for some time now. Palm, to the best of my knowledge, is a large company that has an R&D wing that would be trying to come up with new, improved products. That said, do they have any plans to devote a couple of hours of time to testing higher capacity cards in the devices that they already have on the market? Call me crazy, but as a consumer of their product, I sure would like to have this information.

Secondly, and no sarcasm this time, I also see that SDHC is not supported with their current devices. Is this a software fix that can be made? And does Palm have any SDHC devices in the planning or production stages?

Thank you.

Message Edited by Fitzchiv on 04-03-200706:13 AM

[#5]

@ Fitzchiv:  The TX will run 4GB "Regular" SD cards (not SDHC ones).  Unless someone can hack the ROM to accept the 8GB SDHC cards, it won't accept them. 

The Treo 680 can use 8GB SDHC cards.

Wyrenut

Message Edited by WyreNut on 04-03-200706:36 PM

[#6]

G'day,

Kingston 2 GB SD is sporadic at best. *Sometimes* it works flawlessly and sometimes it smokes the SD slot so that a soft reset is the only way to get it back working.  In my case, it has had nothing to do with how full the card is.  It's happened when full and when freshly formatted. The card works fine in my digital camera, so it's not the card.

Ken

www.apocalypsecreations.ca

[#7]

generally I do not have broblems with 4GB Transcend. But one have to defragment the card because it is the old FAT16 which uses a lot of space. Hier are problems with different programs and after a while it does not work any more. My solution, make a backup of the card using card reader or palm software often then defragment the files using standard program. Then copy back the files into fresh formated card.

[#8]

Tungsten E2 - Kingston 2GB SD - no

[#9]

Tungsten E2 - Kingston 1GB micro SD - yes