FAQ: SUDS - sudden failure of USB on M5xx

[earache]

The frustration that I have had with palm goes beyond repairable! For reference: I have used palm products since they were US Robotics. I have convinced my co-workers it was the platform of choice. I have given palm the benefit of being caught with a bad product and patient enough to deal with their pointless and time-wasting remedies until now!

I have had several rants with several of their 'support staff' over the last 4 (yes FOUR) m500 units I have sent in for replacement. (I RANT ONCE MORE: with refurbished units replacing my $300.00+ USD NEW model!!!!)

Until I did some online homework after all of this sh*t. I then found out that I was part of an un-lucky community of frustrated m50* users. This is reprehensible behavior for such a strong company. With their market share of PDA's, I am stunned that they are so unconcerned about relations with their loyal customers. I am currently considering a Pocket PC just to keep my continued $$$ from their seriously bad support!

I am now waiting for my newest palm (NOW ONE) solution: a SDRAM chip with the reset deal... I had to go through my entire story with the support guy as he was looking at my support file!!! F8CK YOU PALM! That arsehole actually tried to explain how static discharge worked to me as if I were in grade school!

I cannot believe that Palm got away from the class-action suit so clean.

Business as usual for our fine justice system. cheers and sympathy for any and all palm m50* users.

ouch.

[pcastric]

Amen brother!

Even though I have had to return a total of three M505s in less than one year, the Palm tech people have been very helpful - in my case.

Like you, the only thing that I strongly object to is having to give up a brand new Palm which I spent in excess of $300.00 for a refurbished model. One of the M505s lasted less than one week!

I believe this was done in hopes that people would move up to the Tungsten line and in effect spend more $$$$$.

Also, what is really annoying is certain promotions are available to US customers only and not in Canada or other countries, ex: when I discovered that one of my M505 was suffering from SUDS, I requested Palm send me an SD card to be used in order to clear the SUDS problem. I was told this offer was only avaialble in the US. You can imagine if Wal Mart or Best Buy would try this on its customers?? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to come to the conclusion that people would just go somewhere else.

In any case, Merry Christmas and a very Happy and healthful New year to all from the great white north!

[jjennings]

I have a M515 with a cradel that does not have a sticker letter on the bottom. According to the lawsuite only 505 and 500 are covered by the agreement. Can I still be covered. My palm has all the symptions of a SUDS..??? Thanks Jim J

[pcastric]

Would suggest you read the text of the lawsuit especially paying attention to models covered by the suit, requirements relating to date of purchase of Palm and residency requirements (I remember reading that persons living in the USA are covered by the suit).

[Ruth F]

This is more help than I have rec'd from Palm. I have a 515 that would not hotsync, E-maild for help, followed all they told me to do (change cord, make sure USB connected,etc) still no hotsync. Then I called and they told me they would send out repair for electric. Then all of a sudden the Palm went dead. No screen - green light stayedon even after I took it out of the cradle. Trying to turn off did not work. The only thing left was hard - I lost everything that had not been backed up (been away for 2 weeks). Called and they said I had to wait for the "fix" (who can understand them ?) I have not talked to a clear English speaking person through this whole thing. Any suggestions about what to do next ot if you think this electric fix will clear it all up.

Please help Thanks

Ruth

[commtech]

I think this "suds" is nonsense. I had four - yes four (4) motherboards go bad on the M500. I had the so called enhanced cradle. Palm replaced the M500 twice, I replaced the motherboard once myself, and the last failure I finally gave up and bought a Toshiba Pocket Pc which I have had no problems with. Palm sucks....... I'll never buy another one

[khoi]

i know i start with a hard reset, but then the stylus tutorial comes up.... when and where do i do the shortcut dot one? please help!

[khoi]

found the answer at http://www.metacon.ca/bcs/view.php?page=drainfix

[walktapus]

My company just bought 20 refurbished m505s from the Palm web site. They all came with cradle with a plastic bag marked "revision A" and have an A engraved on the bottom. Another guy ordered them and the same day I phoned Palm and asked which cradle they had and they were all "I don't know about cradle types" and "I'm sure any old problems won't be present." I'm still not sure if "revision A" is really old or really new.

I also did research and noticed that the offer to swap Palm cradles for an "E" ran out on 20 Jan 2004, which is a few days before we saw this great deal on the Palm site.

[pcastric]

I went through four M505s last year due to SUDS/EDS and motherboard malfunctions.

The last M505 they sent me a refurbished unit - its working ok. Palm also sent me a new cradle and suggested that I get rid of the old one - it had an "E" printed.

I found one way of telling the difference between a new and old cradle is by the weight - the new cradles (nothing is printed on the back) weighs a lot less than the old models.