Constant recalibration

[countrysg]

I have fallen as well - I have had my TT for about 10months before "it" started. I at times don't just have drift - it won't respond to a tap at all. It has gotten irritating enough that I am thinking about taking it back to Staples for a replacement. BUT - I am NOT a techy like so many of you are ... what do I need to do when I replace this unit? How do I reload the new one - do I just hot sync it and will my previous stuff just load directly onto it? Do you guys go through and delete all the apps on it before you turn it back in for a replacement so all your info is off of it?
Help!?

[fradman]

I too have been suffering from these Digitizer problems now..and for some reason i can swear its getting worse. i have no idea why though...

I have a feeling my slider has somethin to do with it.

The truth is i feel a Palm is a much better product than a Pocket PC... but i truly hate Palm the company or Palmone ......

They have the worst customer support i have ever seen. When it comes to acknowledging a problem they give you the same stupid hard reset failsafe answer even when hundreds if not thousdands of people have mentioned having these digitizer problems... but of course.. no fix...

An them fixing problems every next model is not an answer either.. i mean it screws over people who buy any of the current models and makes me think that more than likely the next one they come out with will have even more bugs!

[Convert2]

....and despite this gross negligence, their stock price went up.

[Giz]

This is the reply I received from palm. I followed the instructions to the letter and no more digitizer drift problems !!!

Thank you very much for your inquiry. I understand that the screen of the Palm(TM) handheld does not respond properly to the stylus, I also realize your concern with the issue. I acknowledge the steps performed by you to resolve the issue. As the issue persists, there might be some corrupt third-party application which might be reinstalling on the Palm handheld when you perform the HotSync(R) operation after the Hard Reset. You will need to perform a Hard Reset,
rename your Backup folder and change the conduit actions in HotSync? Manager.

Performing a Hard Reset on the Palm handheld will erase all the data from the Palm handheld including the third-party applications, and renaming the Backup folder will ensure that the third-party application do not reinstall on your palm handheld during the next HotSync(R) operation. You will have to install all the third-party applications
again from the original source.

To complete these steps, please follow the instructions below:

*Hard Reset*

NOTE: Performing a Hard Reset will erase all data on your Palm
handheld. We suggest performing a HotSync? operation to back up all
data to your computer first.

1. Press and hold the power button.

2. Gently depress the reset button on the back of the Palm handheld with
a small blunt object such as a paperclip, or your Palm reset tool in the
end of your stylus.

3. When the Palm logo screen appears, release the power button.

4. A message should appear on the Palm screen asking if you wish to
'Erase all data?'. Press the Up-scroll button for Yes, and proceed to
set up the Palm handheld by following the on-screen instructions.

5. If you do not receive the 'Erase all data?' screen, repeat steps one
through four.

6. A Setup screen should appear. You will need to follow the setup and
ensure that you tap the exact center of each "X" target that appears.


*Rename Backup folder*

1. Double-click My Computer on your Windows? desktop, and open the C:
Drive.

2. Open the Palm folder and select the User folder.

NOTE: The User folder will be a truncated version of your User name.

3. Right-click the Backup folder and select Rename.

4. Title the folder 'Backup2' and hit [Enter].


*Change Conduit Actions*

1. Click the HotSync Manager icon in the lower-right corner of the
computer screen and select Custom.

2. Highlight the Date Book conduit and click Change.

3. Select 'Desktop overwrites handheld' for the action and click OK.

4. Repeat steps two and three for the Address Book, Memo Pad and To Do
List.

5. Once all of the conduits have been changed; click Done.

6. Perform a HotSync operation to transfer the data onto the Palm
device.

Once the above steps are complete, you should have the data back on the
Palm handheld. Any additional programs will not be installed, and you
will need to reinstall them. To install any additional applications
onto the Palm device, we suggest you install them one at a time from
their original source to determine the issue causing application.

[swieder]

Based on my experice, I predict that you hard reset is only a short term fix to the digitizer drift problem. I expect you problem to reappear within a few days.

I truly believe the root cause of digitizer drift is hardware related which means your logn term choices are to disassemble/reassemble the unit or replace it.

Your mileage may vary.

[jankjo]

ditto,
I found the above fix to be a temporary solution to the problem. Digitizer drift came back even with no third party software installed.
By the way, my friend has tightened the screws on the T...waiting to see if there are more problems with drift.

[JohnrC]

I'm really tired of Palm's cut-n-paste "Hard Reset" solution to everything. Don't know about you folks, but I don't have the time. If I reset, reinstalled all software, reconfigured all software, etc. every time Palm told me to, I wouldn't have a life.

I guess they lost their credibility with me a while back with their cut-n-paste "there is no problem with the audio... it's you". Then suddenly there's a patch.

This is my first experience with Palm, and although I like the concept, I gotta say I'm quite disappointed with the company in practice. Just my opinion, but it seems like a smoke and mirror job running that company. Like giving the impression of providing customer service. I even get a verbose survey after being told to "Hard Reset". Not that it does any good to complain.

Look at all the people on this newsgroup alone with the problem. (Yes, I've recently developed the drift too after eight months and no new software to try eliminating). And they're still telling people to "Hard Reset". Surely there are many more who don't visit here. Surely Palm has enough reasonable thinking people who can assess the problem, and quantity thereof, and at least admit to it (if not come up with a fix).

It demonstrates to me that Palm doesn't take me, my time, or my organization of time, very seriously. The latter is why I gave them my dough in the first place.

Oh well, time to look at alts I s'pose.

Gee it's great to vent a spleen now and then.

[fklein23]

I, too have had a problem with needing to very frequently re-calibrate the digitizer.
I used the Tungsten for about 3 months before the first problem occurred. I have also notice that at about the same time, grafitti recognition degraded. My "typing rate" has declined about 25% due to mis-recognition of grafitti our outright ignoring of grafitti on ocassion.
- Frank

[tohuvabohu]

I took my T apart once to fix the drift problem. I'm convinced it's caused by a loose connection where the screen's cable connects to the motherboard. Pushing it firmly in place fixed the problem for some time. Now it's back. But I have a quick, short term solution. When it starts drifting, take your thumb and press hard on the digitizer part of the screen. If I remember correctly, the plug is on the right side, so press where you normally write numbers. The drift disappears.
But I'm not sure this solution is so good for the screen.

[Handle]

Before reading these posts I had no idea that there was a common problem, but now I know there is!! I have only had my t2 for a couple of months but have noticed that the digitizer/ screen does not work as expected. It can be seen clearly using the wright-on screen function when 'ink' corresponds (or otherwise) with touch.
1. Different areas on the screen respond slightly differently: some places the 'dot' is at the point of contact, at other it can be as much as a .5 cm away. One becomes used to this and compensates automatically!
2. The digitizer itself will not accept 'programming', by which I mean that having calibrated it, it goes back to the start, forever!!!

Is the problem likely to worsen? Should I risk months without a palm and send it back under warranty? That is the question!!