Problem with m100 display

[Michael Heinzelmann]

Hi,

Recently I bought myself an m100 and I'm quite happy with it except one
problem which started recently. The touchscreen seems to be misaligned. I
have to touch the screen with the pen about 3 or 4mm below a button when I
want to press it. But that's only for some areas. In over areas I have to
touch exactly on the button - as it should be.

This is also a problem with the graffiti area, the upper part doesn't seem
to work when writing. If a want to write a letter which starts at the top of
the areas, i.e. "i" it doesn't do anything at all. I have to start the
letter in the middle of the area - which limits space dramatically. But this
area works when I want to press a button which is located right above the
graffiti area (I have to touch it 3mm below - so right in the graffiti
area), so I guess it's not a"mechanical" problem.

I've already tried to cheat the pen-adjustment which you can do on the
welcome screen when first starting the palm. With the result, that the areas
which where out of alignment before are right now but others don't work now
:-{

This problem started when I gave the palm to a friend to try it out.
Afterwards I noticed that writing with graffiti became harder so I thought
the palm learned how my friend wrote and I have to teach my writing style
again ?!?

Can someone please help me with this problem? Is this something common? Can
I help myself or do I have to send it back?

Many thanks in advance,
Michael

[Jack K. Greenberg]

I have the exact same problem with this, my third Palm M105, since I purchased one last April.  The other two developed the same problem after a few weeks of satisfactory performance, and were replaced by the dealer.   I'm beginning to suspect that this is a problem that Palm does not openly acknowledge, and that it doesn't  have the means or inclination to prevent.   That is ... they may replace your handheld, and cause delays, much labor in recovering data and much inconvenience, etc.,  but they don't prevent the problem from recurring.

The thing that really hurts is that except for this problem, it's a great product!    Does anybody have a solution short of trading this in for a fourth handheld?

Jack Greenberg

_____________________________________

[Eric Prebys]

As I'm writing this, I'm on hold with Palm service. I got a 105
for Christmas. Shortly after I got it, it started to behave as
you describe. Eventually, it developed a completely dead area in
the lower left (right where the "Done" button is for calender
entries).

I called Palm, and after verifying that I had recalibrared it
and done a hard reset, they cheerily said they would replace it.
I felt pretty good about the whole thing, especially when the
"replacement" arrived less than a week after I mailed out the
original.

THEN I tried to use it. The touch screen was so bad that it took
me about 15 minutes to set the time, and then basically nothing
worked right. Then I checked the serial
number; they'd sent me back the same one! Apparently, they
did something to it, though, because it's MUCH worse than
when I sent it in. Also, strangely, every time I try to
calibrate it now, it makes me two it twice in a row. This makes
me think that someone loaded a "fix" for a well-known, but
not acknowledged, problem.

I'm guessing in the 100 series they dipped a little low for an
"entry level" product. I should have held out for a Vx.

I'm afraid you might have several returns ahead of you.

I wouldn't blame your friend. I was very gentle with mine,
and never lent it to anyone, and this problem still developed.

-Eric

--
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric Prebys, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
Office: 630-840-8369, Email: pre...@fnal.gov
WWW: http://home.fnal.gov/~prebys
-------------------------------------------------------------------

[Eric Prebys]

Eric Prebys wrote:
>
> As I'm writing this, I'm on hold with Palm service. I got a 105
> for Christmas. Shortly after I got it, it started to behave as
> you describe. Eventually, it developed a completely dead area in
> the lower left (right where the "Done" button is for calender
> entries).
>
> I called Palm, and after verifying that I had recalibrared it
> and done a hard reset, they cheerily said they would replace it.
> I felt pretty good about the whole thing, especially when the
> "replacement" arrived less than a week after I mailed out the
> original.
>
> THEN I tried to use it. The touch screen was so bad that it took
> me about 15 minutes to set the time, and then basically nothing
> worked right. Then I checked the serial
> number; they'd sent me back the same one! Apparently, they
> did something to it, though, because it's MUCH worse than
> when I sent it in. Also, strangely, every time I try to
> calibrate it now, it makes me two it twice in a row. This makes
> me think that someone loaded a "fix" for a well-known, but
> not acknowledged, problem.
>

Slight correction. It turns out they did not send me back
the original, merely another which didn't work.

[Alan]

Try digifix:
http://www.coopcomp.com/download.html
May solve your problem.
Alan

[Michael Heinzelmann]

Hi all,

thanks for your answers. I'll try the link that Alan posted first but if it
won't help, I'll return to the dealer and try to swap it for a Palm in a
higher range. I might even try a hard reset. (Does a hard reset erase all
data? Don't know, better to wait until I synch it at home before I try it
;-} )

It's really a shame, I considered buying the m100 for quite a time. I don't
wanted to spend too much money on one and I was sure I can live with the
smaller display, 2MB RAM should also be enough - and now that :-{
I was already in our local supermarket where they sold a Handspring XXX for
?200 (about 200 US$) having the device in my hand and then convinced myself
not to buy it as the m100 (at half the price) will be fine for me....

Thanks
Michael

P.S.: Here's a message I received via e-mail from Jack Greenberg:

[Eric Prebys]

Tried it. Didn't help in my case. My third m105 is on its
way from Palm.

-Eric

[Michael Heinzelmann]

> > Try digifix:
> > http://www.coopcomp.com/download.html
> > May solve your problem.
> > Alan
>
> Tried it. Didn't help in my case. My third m105 is on its
> way from Palm.

The same's for me. Tried it yesterday. I've figured out that the problem is
heavily in-linear <?> If I have for example three buttons, the left one is
working alright, for the middle one I have to tip the display 3mm below, the
right one is working as it should. I guess that the touchsensitive foil is
divided in cells which belong together and some of them aren't working, some
are?!?

I'll go to the dealer tomorrow and try to give it back and buy another palm
in the higher range. I don't want to send the m100 back every 6 months.

It's really a shame as the m100 itself is a nice machine :-{

Cheers
Michael

[casagi...@earthlink.net]

My m100 does the same thing but I found that if I re-did the initial
callibration, and deliberately hit the middle target a bit off and the
bottom target still more off, in such a way to create the needed
compensation, then it would come out with things pretty much right on.
Takes a bit of practice to get it right but it's a great fix.

[Eric Prebys]

I would have done that, except that the first one waited until just
over the return period to fail, and now I'm stuck. Big surprise!

I didn't get really upset until the first replacement turned out
to be a piece of junk right out of the box.

I just got a new one (the third) and it seems to be OK - for now
anyway.

> It's really a shame as the m100 itself is a nice machine :-{
>

Agreed!! They've just got some serious quality control
issues.

> Cheers
> Michael

[Ron Davis]

I got tired of doing that with my 105 last summer, I called and then
sent it in for service. They sent back a new 105 (with the old back
piece for the S/N#) and it works great. I had great service and it
only took about 5 days. But that was last june. Things may have
changed or the m100 may be different, but I hope not.

casagi...@earthlink.net wrote in message news:<3c654ef2...@news.earthlink.net>...