SD Cards

[Jfulmer1]

Can SD cards free up space on the Palm's hardrive?

[Telyx]

The only Palm with a hard drive is the LifeDrive... but yes, you can free up some space in a Palm's internal memory by putting files on a SD card.
Most programs can be put in /Palm/Launcher (which is where the HotSync Manager will put them if you choose the card as the sync destination) and will show up in the Card category in the Palm. Data files for programs can often go in /Palm/Launcher also, but some programs have specific folders they look in (like /Palm/Programs/-program name- or, for some photo viewers, /DCIM/).

Keep in mind that you still need to keep internal memory free because when a program is run "from the card," it's actually copied to internal memory and run there.

[Jfulmer1]

Thanks for your speedy reply, I am semi new to this 'world' so I don't quite know the correct lingo at times, I guess that is why I subscribed to this forum. I guess I need a step by step on how I do this, from what exactly is the launcher and where to get the right one. And where I go from there. So do you know where I can find this info.?
Thanks

[Telyx]

The launcher I refer to is the one built into the Palm, the "page" where you choose which program to run. There is a category "pick list" at the upper right of the screen, and if you have a SD card installed, there will be a "category" with whatever name you give your SD card when you format it before use. Any programs you sync to the SD card will show up in that category.

The problem is that while you can put programs that are in internal memory into different categories, programs on the SD card stay in that category. That isn't a problem until you have a bunch of programs on the card--some games, some math or science programs, some other stuff, maybe--and it would make more sense to have those programs appear in their "proper" categories. You can't do that with the built-in application launcher, but there are a bunch of add-on launchers you can install and configure that do let you put programs that are on the card into any category.

LauncherX and ZLauncher are two very popular choices; there are many others too, and if you search here or at Brighthand for topics that include "launcher," you can get an idea of the advantages and/or disadvantages of them. I think most if not all have a trial period so you can try them and see which one(s) works well for you.

[Jfulmer1]

I have figured that out but it doesn't free up any space on my palm, it just copied it over to the SD card. When i go to my SD card the programs I copied over show up but then when i go back to the main page of the Palm they are there as well. Is there a difference between copying over a program and syncing it? If so could you explain that to me?
Thanks for your time!

[Telyx]

If you have a program in RAM and copy it to the card, you have to delete the copy that's in RAM. The built-in Palm utility that lets you copy and delete is pretty limited; it doesn't let you "move" programs to the card, so you have to go that extra step and delete the RAM copy.

You can use programs like FileZ (www.nosleep.net) and FileProg http://palmloyal.palmgear.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=software.showsoftware&PartnerREF=&siteid=622&prodID=45093 to move programs already in your Palm's RAM. For programs you intend to install but haven't yet, choose Expansion Card as the destination in Quick Install before you HotSync.

[Jfulmer1]

That makes since.
Thanks!