Toshiba e805 VGA "Dead Zone" Workaround

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://discussion.brighthand.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=96209&perpage=10&pagenumber=1' target='_blank'>http://discussion.brighthand.com/sh...10&pagenumber=1</a><br /><br /></div>Users have been reporting on the boards that a "dead zone" exists with the e800 series devices when running them in an (unsupported) 480x640 resolution. However, the community has developed a workaround for this as well -- it's not a hardware problem, but rather a software problem, and you can download a solution using the above link. I can't say it enough -- in many ways, it's the Pocket PC community that plays a large part in its success. :way to go:

[Stephen Beesley]

I told myself that I would not seriously look at buying another ppc until hte next generation of the operating system came out, but now the e805 is proving very very tempting. Finally a PPC with great screen resolution!

[Gremmie]

I don't have a Toshiba e805, but I am wanting one, could anyone post the screenshots without a dead zone?

[lawson]

There's really no difference in a screenshot without the "dead zone" as one with it -- the "dead zone" just kept the e805 from recognizing digitizer input in the upper left corner (ie: around the start button). There was no visibile indication that it was "dead".

I've had my e805 since they first hit the local stores back in early November, and I've been increasingly happy with it ever since, mostly due to the great work some of these folks have been doing in "opening up" the device.

My "killer app" for the PDA is reading e-books, and the e805 offers by far the best e-book experience I've had to-date. I have to crank the font size up (my eyes aren't as young as they used to be :-)) a bit, but comparing the crispness and "easiness to read" of the same apparent font size in VGA vs. Quarter VGA (240 x 320) is like night and day.

There are still some remaining issues overall in using the device fully in VGA mode -- some programs (largely games) only run in the upper left quarter of the screen and programs that don't allow you to adjust font size are a bit difficult to use (Inbox being my biggest complaint) but it's just a matter of a couple of seconds to reset it back to QVGA mode for troublesome programs.

Two other "not as major" fixes that have came out in the last week or so are VGA today screen backgrounds (Toshiba "steps" on the background setting without this fix) and widening up the scroll bars a bit to make them more usable.

My "what next" wishlist for the e805 at this point is:

1) A landscape utility (ala Nyditot) that supports the e805
2) Toshiba accessories shipping (particularly the extended battery)
3) A decent case (the e805 comes with absolutely nothing for a case)

- Chuck

[ShivShanks]

Two other "not as major" fixes that have came out in the last week or so are VGA today screen backgrounds (Toshiba "steps" on the background setting without this fix) and widening up the scroll bars a bit to make them more usable.


Can you give me a link to the today screen background fix? Does it allow you to display a background image without the horrible shading over that it does now?


My "what next" wishlist for the e805 at this point is:
1) A landscape utility (ala Nyditot) that supports the e805
2) Toshiba accessories shipping (particularly the extended battery)
3) A decent case (the e805 comes with absolutely nothing for a case)


I totally agree with all those. Along with that a global font enlarging or "boldening" hack for making fonts bigger and thicker for VGA resolutions.

[lawson]

The background fix is an option in the current rev (1.0d?) of Deez' Resfix, along with the scrollbar, and the option not to patch the home key (unneeded since the undead hack). Here's the link: http://home.comcast.net/~swdeveloper/ResFix1.zip.

If you're installing this over a previous version, you may want to check the "Official VGA res-switcher" thread on Brighthand's e800 forum (if I recall correctly, some of the early ones he recommended hard reseting before upgrading).

It does get rid of the "milky" effect -- everything works as normal.

I'm not sure we're going to get any global font fix in WM2003 -- in fact, there are a couple of "Tweak" apps that attempt it, but they don't seem to accomplish much. It's starting to sound like this is all up to the individual application, so I'm hoping we'll see applications become more font-size aware, and maybe something global in WM2004 (when and if, and if Toshiba offers an upgrade :roll: )

Which is another of the many reasons why I'd like to see a full-featured POP/IMAP program other than Inbox (and more fullfeatured than nPop). I've never figured out why there are so many excellent mail apps for Palm (such as Snappermail), and such a dearth for the PPC. A good mail program that let me adjust the fonts, and I'd be a happy guy -- at least this week :mrgreen:

[ShivShanks]

The background fix is an option in the current rev (1.0d?) of Deez' Resfix, along with the scrollbar, and the option not to patch the home key (unneeded since the undead hack). I don't have the link handy, but it's in the e800 forum on Brighthand, in the "Resfix Official Release" thread.


Yes I just found the thread that contains links to all the e800 related hacks -
http://discussion.brighthand.com/showthread.php?s=930d81825e454075625a6b410e9c0725&threadid=96298

I'm dying to go home and install the un-Dead hack. I already love my e805. With this undead hack I'll be just in 7th heaven :) All you folks who haven't tried the e800 due to Toshiba's past antecedents, eat your heart out. You truly don't know what you are missing :twisted: Ahh ... Closer and closer to PDA bliss :D

[tsb_hcy]

Once you use VGA you want to puke when you look at the patheticness of QVGA.

[Jason Patterson]

Greetings all,

The news of this is certainly a good thing for users of the e800. To celebrate, we've posted a VGA-compatible skin for our audio player software, Pocket Player (http://www.conduits.com/products/player). Here's a preview:

http://www.conduits.com/products/player/images/pp-default-vga.png

Thanks everyone!