T3 and bottom 1/8 of screen

[ryber]

I'm just wondering if I'm the only one who has problems with the T3 not recognizing any pen taps on the bottom eighth of the screen. It regognizes that I'm pushing on the screen, but it thinks I'm hitting it about 1/4 inch above where I'm actually tapping. Recalibrating the digitizer doesn't fix the problem, as the digitizer only works on the top 320 pixels, and this is far below that. Running the digitizer with the T3 set in landscape mode doesn't do the trick either. I've even tried the DigiE program, which runs full screen, but it throws the digitizer off in the middle of the screen. Anyone else found a fix for this, or is it just time to bite the bullet and get it replaced? (it's still under CompUSA warranty)

[kimh]

Originally posted by ryber
I'm just wondering if I'm the only one who has problems with the T3 not recognizing any pen taps on the bottom eighth of the screen. It regognizes that I'm pushing on the screen, but it thinks I'm hitting it about 1/4 inch above where I'm actually tapping. Recalibrating the digitizer doesn't fix the problem, as the digitizer only works on the top 320 pixels, and this is far below that. Running the digitizer with the T3 set in landscape mode doesn't do the trick either. I've even tried the DigiE program, which runs full screen, but it throws the digitizer off in the middle of the screen. Anyone else found a fix for this, or is it just time to bite the bullet and get it replaced? (it's still under CompUSA warranty)

Ryber - did you try to install the Palm T3 update?
The update can be downloaded from http://www.palmone.com/us/support/downloads/tungstent3/t3_update.html

[ryber]

Yep, I installed it the day it came out (the revised version). Actually, it wasn't a problem then, but over time it gradually started drifting off from where I tapped the screen. When I first got the T3, the whole screen worked just fine.

[scottoldford13]

I've hade the same problem with my T2.
The bottom of the screen where you push to get the graffiti pop up for keyboard it is about 1/8 of a cm off it was always like this I wouldn't bring your Palm back for something like this.

[ryber]

The bottom of the screen is completely unusable. Ever tried using a keyboard with your fingers on the bottom row of keys instead of the middle? Yeah, it's kinda like that. I have to aim just above the bluetooth button to hit the letter N, and I have to aim for the bluetooth button to get the space bar. When I actually want to hit the bluetooth button, I have to aim for the black space below the status bar. I think it's worth returning for that.

[scottoldford13]

Ouch yes I suggest you take that back and demand for a Return it. Say it is defective but rember always let your battery drain so they can't turn it on ... Mhahaha I don't think i should of said that but I got to get a new keybaord my backspace key is broke lol

[abid786]

Don't they plug units in to check for anything like problems?

PS. Do you like my new signature?:D

Abid

[WindyCity]

Check this for more info on your problem. It seems to be very common:
http://www.palmonecity.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=2274

[PalmTealLover]

I wouldn't mess with fixes, even if there are some (haven't checked that post yet, listed above). I believe the Tungsten T had a problem with the TOP 1/4" and that was addressed.

It saddens and "urks" me, frankly, that we're all ploughing $400+ in to one of these things, and while God knows I guess there were a couple of problems here and there with the early Palm III and V, nowhere near this.

I'd get your hard earned money back, Capt. Ryber -- and you might (if you don't IMMEDIATELY need a PDA -- couldn't be without one myself) WAIT a spell and see what develops. If this new TE2 successor is cool, and doesn't have the slider, and writes on the screen and has a decent ROM that might be the ticket until you can properly evaluate OS6.

DON'T just put up with it - I'm sure you work hard and that's just not right. Get your $$$. Then have a "think," and you can be looking NOW at these posts to get an idea of what a good replacement OTHER THAN T3 might be. That's a hard pill, because when working right the T3 is tremendous -- but you don't want another broken one.

[ryber]

I bit the bullet last night, made a backup with all three of my backup programs, made a copy of my modified Flash ROM, so I could write it back to the T3, and returned it to CompUSA. They don't do in store returns anymore, they're all online now, but they made an exception when they saw the problem, and saw that it could be reproduced after a hard reset. I'm now happily letting my battery fully drain after my initial full overnight charge. Best way I've seen to condition a battery.

And the new T3 has a white screen, none of the blue or yellow screen issues, and when the screen is tilted forward, you can't see the 4 orange lights at the bottom, which was a giveaway that you were looking at having issues with the digitizer at the bottom of the screen.

After the battery is fully charged again, I'll reflash the ROM with my modified version, restore my backup, and should (hopefully) be out no more than than a few hours worth of work.

And I know I'm going to get some responses from people asking why I have three backup programs on my T3. I always get asked if I'm paranoid, or just plain crazy. Actually, it's neither. I maintain many servers wirelessly, and work with about 100 databases through Pendragon Forms. If I lose my data and don't have a reliable backup to restore on the fly, I'm hosed. I trust each one of my backups to be accurate, and haven't had a problem with any of the three (BackupMan, BackupBuddyVFS, and Botzam Backup) but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

[LambOfSilence]

ryber, I have the exact same problem with my T3.

So you mean if i cannot see 4 orange lights in the bottom of the screen, there is a problem with digitizer?

[egarc]

Wow! I was beginning to think I was living in the twilight zone. The EXACT same problem started for me a couple of months ago; the bottom 1/8 of the digitizer was off. The Palm registered the taps about 1/8 to 1/4 inch higher than the actual tap.

Eventually, the icons on the bottom of the screen became completely unusable, with the slider open. The weird part is that with time, the digitizer became worse and worse.

I was waiting for Palm to upgrade the T3 before exchanging it but finally caved and exchanged it.

I'm sorry to hear others with the same problem but happy that I may not actually be insane.;)

[ryber]

I haven't had a bit of a problem with the new T3. That's definitely one switch I'm extremely glad I made.

[scottoldford13]

I got a Palm Tungsten T2 and had the same problem with it since I got it. I was too young and wanted it too much to send it away again so I kept it. Now . . . It is not off any more it is very strange after two weeks the digi drifts a lot then it is like it for 3-4 days then prefect again?

[xlr8]

Scottoldford13 said:
It is fairly obvious that 1 Out 4 Palm Tungsten T3 have that problem

Where did you get that statistic? It sounds like you just made it up.

Who is this guy??

[scottoldford13]

Ok this is not a proven static at all but from this forums and many other forums and from people on my MSN and other places this is an UNPROVEN STATIC AND YOU CAN TAKE IT OR NOT LOOK AT IT BUT I COUNT CASES LIKE THIS UP AND IT COMES AROUND IT OK! This was not polled or even done by a company but by me ok!

REMOVED!

NO SPELL CHECKING ON THIS OR GRAMMAR CHECKING !

[xlr8]

Scottoldford said:
I COUNT CASES LIKE THIS UP AND IT COMES AROUND IT OK!

I find it hard to believe you have counted enough cases to say it is obvious that 1 in 4 T3's have this problem.

[armadillo]

I too have a T3 with an inaccurate digtiser near the bottom of the screen, I have overcome this by deliberatly misleading the digitiser calibration.

Goto prefs>digitiser

when the 1ST target is displayed (bottom right) tap above the centre dot by about 1.5 to 2mm, tap the centre of the centre and top right targets as normal. (if you tap too far from the centre the palm will ask you to confirm)

In "input" check the "show graffiti strokes" box. This will allow you to see where the palm thinks you are pointing in the lower bit of the screen.

I have found that this brings the error down to less than 0.5mm in the lower portion of the srcreen with no loss of accuracy in the top section.

This will last untill your next reset (yes it does crash sometimes!)
when you have repeat to procedure.

I don't know why it does it but every palm/sony i've ever owned has at some point had an issue with digitser losing calibration.

[scottoldford13]

Yes I have found enough of them. !

[xlr8]

Scottoldford13 wrote:
Yes I have found enough of them. !

Is this forum full of children?? I can't believe the mentality of this guy. First, he fabricates statistics then justifies himself when one more person announces the same problem.

Scott, how old are you?

[LambOfSilence]

I have been doing the same trick you mentioned for a while, although it does seem to help a little, it still won't solve the problem entirely. There are also programs such as "digie" and "digitest" you can use to get around the digitizer problem.

I will be calling palmone tomorrow to see if there is anything they can do.

btw, ryber, how did you get yours replace? Did you go thru advanced exchange? Did you receive a new old or a refurb?