tips and techniques, found on AOL
brian@piano.grot.starconn.com (Brian Smithson)
From: brian@piano.grot.starconn.com (Brian Smithson)
Message-id: <9312190910.ZM18973@piano.grot.starconn.com>
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 1993 09:10:39 -0800
X-Mailer: Z-Mail (2.1.1 01dec92)
To: zoomer-list-1993@grot.starconn.com
Subject: tips and techniques, found on AOL
Status: OR
Last change: Nov 21, 1993
Following is a list of tips and tricks for users of the Casio Z-7000 and
Tandy Z-PDA (these devices also known as the Zoomer). It is highly
recommended that you backup your unit to PC or ramcard prior to invoking
some of the more risky hacks. In fact, it's recommended that you backup
anyway.
Recent tips are at the top, the rest are organized by ease of use and
risk. Some are in the words of the original source, others are
reformatted, edited or in my own words. Please submit any tips that you
feel would be of benefit to others. A $10 donation to the address below
would encourage me to maintain this list. Enjoy.
______
Dr. / oom
/------
% Dave Goodman
448 Ignacio Bl #220-Z
Novato, CA 94949
CIS: 72330,130
AOL: DKGoodman
TIP: Change Maze Runner to perform better on the Zoomer
FROM: Dave Goodman
RISK: None
Maze Runner is a shareware game for GEOS 2.0 available on CompuServe, AOL
and other BBS's. It runs on the Zoomer, but can be tweaked to look
better. Try changing [Options] [Size Change] to 30 by 30, and change
[View] [View at %] [Custom %] to 65. You can use the pen or [Options]
[Move Controls] to navigate the maze.
TIP: The Launcher icon misbehaves if you have too many WORLD files
FROM: Dave Goodman
RISK: Almost none
If you run the Launcher menu from the hard icon bar and you don't get the
menu you're used to, it could be that you have too many files in your
WORLD folder. Move some of them to sub-directories and it should be good
as new.
TIP: Keep waiting after a reset
FROM: Dave Goodman
RISK: None
It often seems that the Zoomer is "dead" after a reset. In fact, there
should be text at the top of the screen, but it is often hard to read, and
soon clears the screen. Then you sit there "forever" with a blank screen
wondering if your unit has gone to that great graveyard in the sky. Just
sit tight and it should come "alive" after a minute or two.
TIP: Use File Transfer to Reboot GEOS
FROM: Dave Goodman
RISK: Almost none
If you want to reload GEOS without resetting the Zoomer, run File Manager,
then select from the menu [Connect] [File Transfer] [Switch...]. This
will leave File Manager and exit GEOS to run a DOS program named PCCOM.
Press the A or B button to exit PCCOM, and GEOS will be reloaded. It
takes awhile with a blank screen to reload, so sit tight.
TIP: Underlined files and folders are on a different drive
FROM: Dave Goodman
RISK: Ignoring this tip may result in loss of data.
Underlined files and folders in File Manager are not on the B:[INTERNAL]
drive. If you have folders on your RAM card or other drive which match
the ones on your B: drive, then those folders and their files will appear
on your B: drive. This convenience allows all of your applications to be
visible and available without having to switch drives. It also means you
need to pay attention to the underline so that you know where that file
actually lives.
TIP: Unlocking a RAM card if GEOS is still using a file on it can crash you.
FROM: Mark Scardina [TeamHP] 76711,732
RISK: Ignoring this tip may result in loss of data.
Be very careful about unlocking a card. If GEOS still is using the file in
the background you will get an error message to relock the card and will
wait for you to give your permission. Do NOT ignore this warning. If you
do not relock the card within a short time it will crash.
TIP: Editing your GEOS.INI file can crash you.
FROM: Mark Scardina [TeamHP] 76711,732
RISK: Ignoring this tip may result in loss of data.
Be VERY careful editing your GEOS.INI file. If it is invalid or gets
corrupted GEOS will not load and you will have to re-initialize your
machine.
TIP: Enhancing hand writing recognition (HWR, HWX)
FROM: Varied
RISK: None
To insert text: tap the pen where you wish to insert so the cursor goes
there. Draw the new text.
To mark text: hold the pen at the start of the text until the cursor is
there, then drag the pen across the text. To mark a word, double-tap it.
To delete text: mark it as described above, then start the text to replace
it, or use the delete gesture to delete it. The gesture: start low, drag
the pen up, do a small circle, and continue up. As if you were drawing
a 'q' from the bottom up and up from the loop into a 'd'.
To insert a carriage return: start a little to the right, draw a short
line down, and then in the same stroke a longer line to the left, like a
fallen 'L': ___|
To get a space: draw a hyphen '-' and then draw another hyphen in the same
location (overstrike it). Or draw a little 'b' with one stroke and then
draw a slash through it. Or write each word with a large space between
them, or each word below the last.
Capital letters: Draw them larger than the others. When drawing text in
a box, it's okay to draw the letters larger than the box. This helps in
making a letter a capital.
Some characters you just can't seem to get (like '!'). Use the floating
keyboard. If you tap the SHIFT key you'll see the shifted characters.
TIP: Don't scratch the screen with dust or sharp objects
FROM: Dave Goodman
RISK: Small
Don't do it. Don't use abrasives or harsh chemicals on your screen.
Don't use strange devices to write on the screen. Keep it clean, as
dragging the pen across dust or particles can scratch. Keep your pen tip
protected, and inspect it periodically for burrs.
TIP: Make a PDA pen from a Cross or Parker pen using the Zoomer large pen
FROM: FunkenG on AOL
RISK: Almost none
There is a full size pen available for the Zoomer, styled like a Mont
Blanc pen. It can be purchased or had for free with a coupon. It is
basically a standard ball-point click pen with a special cartridge that's
plastic instead of a ball-point. You can use that cartridge in many Cross
or Parker pens. It is NOT recommended that you use a dry ink cartridge,
as the ball-point can damage the screen.
TIP: Make a Desk Accessory by moving an app to that folder
FROM: Dave Goodman
RISK: Almost none
The calculator is called a Desk Accessory. It has an advanced interface
so that it can be closed, repositioned or re-sized, and it floats over
other running programs. An application can be made into a desk accessory
by moving it to the Desk Accessory folder (directory). It is recommended
that you NOT have more than one copy of a program on the machine, as GEOS
seems to get confused.
Once a Desk Accessory is running or has a "state" file saved in the
PRIVDATA\STATE directory it doesn't seem to want to be erased, because
it's linked into the system. Try erasing the STATE file for it, and
reboot if necessary. I'm still trying to figure out the mysteries of that
myself.
TIP: Drag a file to trash to delete it, or to destination to copy it
FROM: Dave Goodman
RISK: Same as deleting or copying files by any other method
Files can be dragged in the File Manager by holding the pen on them until
they change into a box, then dragging the pen without lifting to the
destination. A file may be deleted by dragging it to the trash can at the
lower left of the screen and lifting the pen. You will get a dialog
asking if you REALLY want to do that. A file may be copied by dragging it
to a folder and dropping it there.
TIP: Recover "lost" memory by resetting
FROM: GWRep Mike on America Online
RISK: Small
There is an "undocumented feature" in the Zoomer's memory management!
When you switch to different applications and get the "activating XXXXXX"
message, Zoomer is NOT freeing all of the memory used in it's last
application. You can see this if you use the menu "File--->Info" in any
application. Each time you switch to another application, Zoomer loses
between 200 to 500 bytes of precious memory.
I confirmed this with Casio's PDA support (1-800-HELP-PDA). They are
aware of the bug.
There is a very easy work around. When you see that your free resources
are about 65 to 70%, or the Zoomer seems to be running slower than normal,
press the reset button in the battery compartment. This frees up all
memory that was "stolen" and your work is safe too.
Mike
TIP: Get files off and onto a Zoomer by several methods
FROM: Dave Goodman
RISK: Small
1) Use Palm Connect and a serial cable
2) Use PCSEND or PCGET from the SDK and a serial cable
3) Use a ramcard and another computer to
4) Use the IR port and another Zoomer
5) Use AOL and a modem (PCMCIA or external with serial cable)
6) Use a radio modem
TIP: Edit ASCII files by using AOL
FROM: chuck@trantor.harris-atd.com (Chuck Musciano)
RISK: Almost none
Most GEOS apps use a special document format, which is not compatible with
the ASCII text files we're familiar with on other machines. Batch
files, .INI files and many other files must be edited with an ASCII, non-
document editor. Be careful when modifying files such as CONFIG.SYS,
AUTOEXEC.BAT or .INI files. There is an ASCII editor on the Zoomer.
Here's what Chuck says:
You can use the little text editor in AOL (start AOL, skip the connect
stuff, and pull down the File menu to open or create new files) to edit
files.
TIP: Modify the GEOS.INI file by making these changes
FROM: chuck@trantor.harris-atd.com (Chuck Musciano)
RISK: Possible loss of data. "Not for the faint of heart."
I have discovered a way to modify the GEOS.INI file on the Zoomer to
customize the Zoomer even more than that available with the included apps.
First, this is not for the faint of heart. You could lose your data, and
possible completely screw up your machine. For all I know, even a hard
reset won't fix things.
Now that I have your attention... :-)
If you use the File Manager to look in B:\GEOWORKS, you'll see a file
called GEOS.INI. This contains a bunch of configuration switches for GEOS
and the Zoomer. It also chains to another INI, A:\NET.INI for lots of
stuff that is configured in the ROM. What is important is that the
chaining occurs at the start of GEOS.INI, so that anything you put in the
GEOS.INI will override the system defaults programmed in by Casio and
GeoWorks and everybody else.
You can use the little text editor in AOL (start AOL, skip the connect
stuff, and pull down the File menu to open or create new files) to edit
files. However, GEOS locks the GEOS.INI file while GEOS is running, so
you can't even open it from AOL.
So, use the file manager to copy GEOS.INI to B:\GEOS.INI. You can then
use AOL to edit this file and change things. However, the file manager
will not let you copy the new version back while GEOS is running.
By some fluke, GEOS on the Zoomer is configured to allow a batch file
named ZDRIVER.BAT to be executed directly from the file manager. (It also
likes SDISK.EXE, ZDRIVER.COM, and ZDRIVER.EXE, and PENRIGHT.BAT). The
batch files are executed by exiting GEOS, invoking DOS, and when the file
finishes, restarting GEOS (and all the other Zoomer stuff).
To copy your new INI file into the right spot, create a file named
ZDRIVER.BAT at the top level of your B: drive. In that file, put:
COPY B:\GEOWORKS\GEOS.INI B:\GEOS.OLD
COPY B:\GEOS.NEW B:\GEOWORKS\GEOS.INI
Now, when you make changes to the GEOS.NEW file in B:\, you can execute
the ZDRIVER.BAT file to copy the new INI into the Geoworks directory.
When the batch file exits, GEOS restarts, reading the new batch file and
modifying itself accordingly.
I would suggest making an archival copy of the original GEOS.INI file
somewhere safe on your B: drive, and backing everything up to another
machine if you have a connection kit.
TIP: Change GEOS.INI to recognize DOS apps and batch files
FROM: chuck@trantor.harris-atd.com (Chuck Musciano)
RISK: Possible loss of data. "Not for the faint of heart."
Now, what should you change in the GEOS.INI file. The first thing I did
was update the files that the file manager recognizes, so I can execute
any DOS app or batch file. To do this, add
[file manager]
filenameTokens = {
PENRIGHT.BAT = "gDOS",0
SDISK.EXE = "gDOS",0
ZDRIVER.EXE = "gDOS",0
ZDRIVER.COM = "gDOS",0
ZDRIVER.BAT = "gDOS",0
*.BAT = "gDOS",0
*.COM = "gDOS",0
*.EXE = "gDOS",0
}
The first five entries in the filenameTokens are taken from A:\NET.INI,
and are included to keep the original settings alive. The last three make
all BAT, COM, and EXE files executable from the file manager. If you make
this change, you can verify that it works by looking at A:\ with the file
manager. Lots of files should now have the DOS icon.
After making this change, you can rename the ZDRIVER.BAT file to something
like NEW-INI.BAT, to make it easier to remember what it does. You can also
write all sorts of DOS batch files that *don't require input* to run from
the file manager.
TIP: Change GEOS.INI to alter the apps launched from the hard icon bar
FROM: chuck@trantor.harris-atd.com (Chuck Musciano)
RISK: Possible loss of data. "Not for the faint of heart."
Another good change is to rebind the applications started by the fixed
icons at the bottom of the screen. Add this to your INI file at the
bottom:
[hardIconBar]
app0 = Main\Address Book
app1 = Main\Date Book
app2 = Main\Note Book
app3 = Main\Pocket Quicken
app4 = Main\World CLock
app5 = Utilities\File Manager
This replaces the calculator (which is still reachable from the Launcher
menu) with the file manager, so the file manager is just a tap away.
This list of apps can be found in A:\NET.INI. I'd suggest copying it into
your new INI to avoid errors. Since it has no tabs, AOL will let you copy
and paste it :-) The apps are all referenced from the B:\GEOWORKS\WORLD
directory, using the "file manager" names. You can bind anything you
want, to make life easiest for you.
Chuck Musciano ARPA : chuck@trantor.harris-atd.com
Harris Corporation Usenet: ...!uunet!x102a!trantor!chuck
PO Box 37, MS 16/1912 AT&T : (407) 727-6131
Melbourne, FL 32902 FAX : (407) 729-3363
TIP: Change GEOS.INI to provide an advanced interface
FROM: Dave Goodman
RISK: Possible loss of data. "Not for the faint of heart."
Using the earlier tip that allows you to change your .INI file, you can
change the interface so that you can reposition, resize, minimize or close
applications instead of just selecting another app. Copy the following
from your NET.INI on A: to your GEOS.NEW file on B: ( and use NEW-INI.BAT
to copy GEOS.NEW to GEOS.INI):
[uiFeatures]
interfaceLevel = 3
launchModel = 3
launchLevel = 3
docControlFSLevel = 3
--
-Brian Smithson
brian@grot.starconn.com