Second Edition, love/hate?

rodrigo · #1 05-31-2004, 08:40 PM

So, after a long weekend how does everyone feel about SE? I just downloaded it and it looks great but i miss VGA too much. I tried to install Resfix 2 but it crashed my system and wont start.
Will someone be releasing a hack for this soon? Thanks.

jkendrick · #2 05-31-2004, 08:46 PM

Of course I don't have an opinion about SE. Just kidding.

You can't "hack" SE like ResFix or MyVGA. Install those and I guarantee a hard reset. SE doesn't need to be hacked- it works perfectly well. If you can't wait for software developers to release true SE versions of the programs you use you can try the Hi-Res Aware trick that is being discussed on numerous web site.
I love SE and would not go back for a lot of money. Well OK, a lot of money would probably do it.

rodrigo · #3 05-31-2004, 08:53 PM

that hi res aware trick is kinda confusing. i am new to the world of ppc's (e800 is my first). what exactly does the hi res trick do? is it worth the trouble?
i also am really liking the look of se. i just really want to be able to surf/game using vga

bkbroil · #4 05-31-2004, 09:12 PM

Hmmm....how do I feel about SE? hmmmm.... I LOVE IT!

Quote:

that hi res aware trick is kinda confusing. i am new to the world of ppc's (e800 is my first). what exactly does the hi res trick do? is it worth the trouble?
i also am really liking the look of se. i just really want to be able to surf/game using vga

The Hi-Res Aware hack is super simple...The complete steps are listed at the previous link....seriously, after you have it installed..it's a matter of 2 - 3 steps....What does it do? It just adds a "flag" to the executable that tells the OS to run it in Hi resolution and yes it is worth the trouble... Look at James' screenshots.
I think it is definetly a step up...especially being able to push a button and instantly rotate my screen...
This is just my humble opinion.

jkendrick · #5 05-31-2004, 09:48 PM

Hey bk, do you also find it strange that mapping a h/w button to the ROTATE SCREEN function only toggles between the two orientations? I wonder why it won't toggle to the other landscape?
rodrigo, the simple explanation for what the hack does is this:
WM SE can run programs on both QVGA devices and VGA devices (and square ones, for that matter). When you run a program under SE the OS knows that your e800 screen is VGA resolution. To allow you to run programs that will only run in QVGA resolution under SE on your VGA screen it is necessary to "pixel double" it up to VGA size. This works pretty well but some programs already run great on a VGA screen. When the OS pixel doubles those programs on the e800 they don't look crisp and sharp like before SE. MS added a simple resource that programmers can add to their programs that already run well in VGA called the "Hi-Res Aware" resource. Simply put, this flag in a program tells SE not to pixel double the screen and just display it in native VGA resolution.
All the hack does is insert this Aware flag into programs that don't already have it. It sounds complicated but once you've done it to your first program the others just take minutes to perform. Many users are already posting success/ failure results for just about any program you might want to test so you don't even have to test it yourself. I've heard from dozens of users that were reluctant to do this who totally changed their tune after trying it.
The hacks are only necessary until programmers release SE compliant versions of their programs. Once you install the new version over the "hacked" one it will be true native SE.

jkendrick · #6 05-31-2004, 09:53 PM

I should add that in the past every time a new version of the OS comes out it "breaks" programs written for the older OS. When PPC2002 came out many programs then on the market would not work at all on PPC2002. The same thing happend when WM2003 came out. This situation with SE is no different than other OS upgrades, it's just that this "hack" lets the user make the program compliant with SE without waiting for the programmer to do it.
Hope all this makes sense.

bkbroil · #7 05-31-2004, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Hey bk, do you also find it strange that mapping a h/w button to the ROTATE SCREEN function only toggles between the two orientations? I wonder why it won't toggle to the other landscap

Yeah....Isn't that weird? But I do prefer the left handed rotationn anyway. What bothers me most is the fact that the OS doesn't use the video hardware. I'm hoping that toshiba wiill come out with patch for that...oh, and before I forget --- Thanks for the tip on Magic Button!

jkendrick · #8 05-31-2004, 10:35 PM

I like MB too. Why do you think the video hardware is not being used?

bkbroil · #9 05-31-2004, 10:46 PM

Because the screen redrraws so slowly. I've been reading some other forums and they're all saying that the video is being handled through the software and not the hardware..... Also, I think they did a great job with this keyboard... Resco better come out with an SE version soon.

jkendrick · #10 05-31-2004, 10:58 PM

I find SE to be quicker than before. Do you have any today screen plugins running? When I installed SE the first time it was so much slower. This time, the only plugin I've installed is SE compliant PIToday and it is much faster than non-SE.

bkbroil · #11 05-31-2004, 11:14 PM

Nope, no plugins...I'm talkin' about things like Netfront... Takes a little more time to redraw... Believe me, I'm not complaining...the benefits far outway the negative aspects.

jkendrick · #12 05-31-2004, 11:22 PM

You are too complaining. Come on and just admit it.

bkbroil · #13 05-31-2004, 11:39 PM

Braaaaaad -- James is teasing me! Make him stop!

jkendrick · #14 06-01-2004, 12:51 AM

Brad told me I could tease you anytime I want.

rodrigo · #15 06-01-2004, 10:36 AM

okay, so i am still a little confused. does the hi res hack change the ppc settings to vga or only changes the text when the ppc goes into vga mode. if it is the latter, then what program do i use to make the ppc go into vga mode. i tried to reinstall resfix 2.0 but had to do a hard reboot because it crashed my system.
thanks.

jkendrick · #16 06-01-2004, 11:10 AM

rodrigo,
The device is always in VGA under SE. You don't have to do anything- the OS does that for you. The hacks mentioned are only for programs that do not tell the OS they can run fine in VGA. The hack once added simply tells the OS- this program will run fine in VGA so don't pixel double it from QVGA to VGA.
If you pixel double a program up from QVGA to VGA and it's a program that doesn't need it to display full screen in VGA, then it will not look as sharp as native VGA.
The pixel doubling has a purpose- for example I have two programs, 1-Calc and Warring Nations, that would only display in a quarter of the screen under the old OS with MyVGA. Under SE it pixel doubles them up so they fill the whole screen which is better than nothing. The OS scales QVGA programs up to VGA by default unless the program itself tells it not to. This is what the hack does.

rodrigo · #17 06-01-2004, 03:47 PM

oh, i am really confused then. i thought vga meant that it was in 480x640 mode and my SE definitely doesn't run at that resolution. is there a way to change the resolution size that i am missing?

bkbroil · #18 06-01-2004, 04:01 PM

It depends on the application. If the application is written to run in VGA it will on SE...Such as Netfront....Netfront will display in VGA after the hack is applied.

jkendrick · #19 06-01-2004, 04:17 PM

OK, it's confusing because we are thinking of it in the pre-SE days of MyVGA and resolution switching by software.
Under SE VGA devices like the e800 are always in VGA resolution. You CANNOT change it back to QVGA either by s/w nor by hack. It always runs at the native display resolution.
Applications which do not tell the OS that they have special high resolution resources to be used on high resolution devices only still display in VGA. But, the OS takes the QVGA output from the program and blows it up to fit the screen, which is VGA. It's still in VGA, just blown up. You cannot switch a PPC between QVGA and VGA under SE. It either displays naturally in VGA or blows up the screen to VGA.

rodrigo · #20 06-01-2004, 05:04 PM

thanks kendrick. i guess now i need to do the hi res hack and download netfront. anyone have links for these two things?
the dont know if the previous link i got for the hack was right. thanks again for all the help, u guys rock!!!

bkbroil · #21 06-01-2004, 05:07 PM

I posted the link for Pocket Informant fix and the Hi-Res aware hack here.

rodrigo · #22 06-01-2004, 06:16 PM

sorry bk, i may just be a dolt, but i cant find the hi res aware hack with the instructions. can someone post a link to this? i just found links to pi and netfront. i need to do some more digging around when i leave work!!!

bkbroil · #23 06-01-2004, 06:20 PM

HOW TO HACK NETFRONT 3.1 for the e800 SO THAT IT WILL WORK IN FULL VGA MODE .....it's on page 2 of the post about midway down....With the title above.

rodrigo · #24 06-01-2004, 08:32 PM

i am gonna try this cuz i am a gadget man and it will entertain me,
BUT how long do you guys think it will be until they come out with apps (third party or otherwise) that take advantage of vga?
days, weeks, months, (dare i say) years?

rodrigo · #25 06-01-2004, 08:38 PM

LAST STUPID QUESTION (for the next five minutes)
where can i download netfront 3.1?
hee
sry

rodrigo · #26 06-01-2004, 08:49 PM

okay found netfront but i didnt know it was 35 bucks. i think i may wait until to see if they release a new version. i dont wanna pay 35 if my browser is obsolete in a week (happened with resfix even though that wasnt too bad cuz it was only 10 bucks)

bkbroil · #27 06-01-2004, 08:52 PM

Netfront for Toshiba can be downloaded (and purchased for $34.98) here.
When will the VGA (SE compliant) apps be out? ....weeks maybe months...at the most....
I gave you the link for Netfront for Toshiba above, do you have a Toshiba e8xx deivice?

rodrigo · #28 06-01-2004, 08:59 PM

yes i have the e805. i am ambivalent to pay for netfront. i emailed them to ask if theyd be releasing a patch to make 3.1 SE VGA compatible but i have not received an answer yet.