PocketPC as a Touch Screen Replacement - Page 4

Genesisfactor · 07-30-2006, 02:29 PM

ON2, what PPC are you running? Possibly its taking map data anmd storing it on the PPC RAM for TOMTOM so try using smaller maps.

sama, i was thinking, if you have BT on your PPC you could use VNC or TSC to control your computer and used a BT mouse and KB to make it into a monitor like set up, however it doesn't solve the problem of streaming vids and stuff like that. i am toying with MediaPortal, which has controls to allow you to remote your music, so i mean, in maybe 3 or 4 windows on the PPC we can achieve a decent level of media control, viewing, and playback from PPC.

sama · 07-30-2006, 03:06 PM

perhaps, but there are too many connections for my liking in all honesty. I'm sure with enough attention you can acheive all you want with a ppc instead of a screen, but I've fabbed a dash and far from the idea!

about streaming, I think setting up some streaming software on the pc and using wifi shoudl be adequate. the trick will be in streaming multiple formats into a single format for the ppc to display (wmv).

UTChris · 07-30-2006, 06:54 PM

Just to jump in here. I had heard about Pocket Player before but after seeing sama's post I went to try it out. I was just browsing their site and noticed a WMP plugin, uh, plugin. Using that, I was able to use Voice Command with Pocket Player. There is also a plugin that will pop-up a small bar at the bottom of the screen for a few seconds which says the name of the song that just started playing and should work over the top of GPS software. I haven't fully tested it, but it should be possible to have GPS on-screen, then map buttons for various music functions (Back, Next, Pause, etc). It may also be possible to use Voice Command without having Pocket Player pop up in the foreground.

Also, I assume that you all are wanting to play movies which aren't compressed to Pocket PC size and/or DVDs. I have a network drive mapped on the PPC which points to movies I've compressed with AutoGK and are about 250MB in size on my computer. The movies play smoothly using that method. The only thing is having to take the time to encode the videos. If anybody finds a good way to stream movies another way I'd love to hear how.
Chris

Genesisfactor · 07-30-2006, 07:07 PM

there really isn't. Has to be compressed to play well. Processing power just isn't there yet, even on the VGA 620mhz models.

Sama, you are reight there are too many slow connections to worry about, unless you get a wifi G cf card, but practicality versus possibility are two different things. Best bet is an UMPC. I think after they ome out, PPCs are going to have a smaller and smaller market share, depending on the size and price ofcourse.

One thing i do wonder about is what's the sftware behind the VeiwSonic Airpanel Smart displays. They are Windows CE running mobile devices at heart. If we can figure out that one, this may just work out after all, because it should stream vids well.

OriginalNick2 · 07-31-2006, 11:53 AM

thanks for that - how do i reduce the size of my map?? on average it says between 6 - 9 Mbs RAM available without any progs running - surely i can get more out of it than this??

Genesisfactor · 08-01-2006, 12:19 AM

What model PPC are you using?

OriginalNick2 · 08-01-2006, 03:42 AM

Dell Axim x50v

Installed memmaid 1.72 last night - appears to be a bit better now.

Genesisfactor · 08-01-2006, 11:38 AM

i have an x50. I believe you have more in your RAM then you expect. Are you saving your docs and files to built in storage? CHeck to see if you dind't accidently make any surprise recordings.

OriginalNick2 · 08-02-2006, 03:41 AM

nope - hardly anything in built in storage.
Bloody thing has wiped my SD card now, though.
(using 2GB CF card and 1GB SD) CF for Music and SD for proggies.

Since trying this setup ive had alsorts of probs with the SD card so gonna bin it and install all apps on CF card also. any ideas why this might be happening?

Genesisfactor · 08-02-2006, 03:48 AM

has this been happening often? I try to keep as many programs and docs as i can in the built in storage. I'll let what slips into the ram slip into the ram. SD cards is music and vids, basically stuff that i can afford to lose. Also, if you're using sandisk cards, they had a tendancy to format themselves.

your RAM though, that's what you want to have free as possible. how much is avaible therE?

OriginalNick2 · 08-02-2006, 03:28 PM

after memmaid about 14MB, is that good by any standard???

Genesisfactor · 08-02-2006, 03:59 PM

go to find, leave the search fields blank, and have ti search for files over 64KB (its an option). Any file that's not in storage (there'll be a weird little icon imprinted ontop of the file type icon) is in your RAM. see what you get and get back to me. with 14MB left, you will only have 5 MB for storage and programs...that is unless you have 28MB and then you go into Settings>memory settings and adjus the slider to give you more program memory than storage memory.

Hey bill, i see you're also here looking at this thread right now, do you have any interest in this at all?

OriginalNick2 · 08-03-2006, 07:22 PM

thanks for all the help on this.

Ran the search fine but mostly pulled proggies and mp3's.
Couldnt see any of the wierd icons you describe tho.

for info, whenever i move the slider it resets itself after about 10 sec is this right as it seems useless!!

Genesisfactor · 08-04-2006, 05:09 PM

lol, that's frustrating!

This is what i want you to do. You're going to back up your PPC. Go to Progams>Back Up Data> Select all data (not just PIMs) and back it up to a flash card. Do it on the CF card as it will probably be faster and it will retain a little better as you've had problems on the SD card. When its done, HARD RESET your pocekt PC and then tell me what you get. Yes, you probably will be like, what the hell, but restoring your data takes like 8 minutes if you so choose. Also, back up your built in storage (manually copy and paste to CF). Bakc up documents or anything you want access to as this back up will be a fail safe and possibly may not be used again. Put the backups on a computer for safe keeping.

Now, reinstally TOM TOM and a few slecet programs. Some will require main memory, others will be built in storage installable. Keep TomTom in main because it reads faster from there and you would want that speed (althoguht sintall map data on CF or SD). THen see what you get in terms of memory and everything. Keep an eye on the memory as you install your other programs you desire. Make sure it goes to the memory cards. Keep in mind that if you install 1 GB of programs,some files are reqiured to go to the RAM fo the PPC and that will fill up your ram as well.

OriginalNick2 · 08-05-2006, 05:53 AM

ok - upgraded my ROM the otherday since i found i was running A03. upgraded to A05.
did all of the above, not getting anywhere between 13 and 19.

I can run TT and MusicPlayer at the same time so for now im happy!!

Why doesn't the slider stay where i put it. its almost like its a bug.
Im running WM2003.

Thanks,
Nick

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