[Palm OS] BeCrossword access to memory card?
 

Hi all,

I've installed BeCrossword, which should allow me to load AcrossLite crossword puzzles. The BeCrossword FAQ is pretty slim, but it seems to imply that puzzles in a ".puz" format can be read directly from a memory card, while those converted to .pdb can be "installed" during a Sync. I would like to do the former.

My question: I haven't figured out how to access files on the memory card (not the same as installing, I think). Do other Palm applications have this issue? Does Garnet not allow reading files from a memory card?

Installing .pdb files raises another question: how do I delete them? They don't seem to appear in the Home screen. I don't mind manipulating them from a terminal, if I just knew how.

Thanks for any and all help,

scott

Re: BeCrossword access to memory card?
 

Hey Scott,

Have you used BeCrossword before? I haven't used the Garnet VM, since I still need to order my N800... :) But, it should allow access to the memory card. BeCrossword will be looking for files in the /Crosswords directory on the card's root directory, if it was on a PalmOS device. So, hopefully look at the VM doco as to where the directories are/should be?

Re: BeCrossword access to memory card?
 

Garnet does not support memory card access yet so you will have to convert .puz files to .pdb. Once you have created .pdb files, you can click on the "Install" button and select your pdb and have it installed to the garnet storage heap.

To delete files from the garnet storage heap, launch a garnet application to start up the vm, hit the home button near the bottom left, and then tap on the top left where the time is or on the menu button on the bottom. There will be a menu item called "Delete". Select that and you should see the pdb files in the list. If you don't see them, you may need to install a palm file manager to delete them.

Re: BeCrossword access to memory card?
 

mrklaw:

dunno about the OP but THANKS as BeCrossword is one of the main uses I will have on my N800 soon as it gets here tomorrow.

Re: BeCrossword access to memory card?
 

If you are running KDE there is this as an interesting option that uses AcrossLite .puz files:

http://www.kde-apps.org/content/show...r?content=9836

You can d/l the source and maybe complie the source using whatever Maemo SDK there is out there. I haven't done any development in years but it should be manageable if the libraries used are not system specific. Might need some interface tweaking but otherwise hard to imagine the basic application logic and code would not translate into Maemo.

Re: BeCrossword access to memory card?
 

Just for the heck of it I emailed LitSoft asking for a Maemo OS2008 version of AcrossLite. Here is the email addy:

feedback@litsoft.com

Here is the page explaining some of the details:

http://www.litsoft.com/across/alite/MiscFaq.html

The more folks who email the better the chance. Likely will not work BUT if you have a NYT subscription email them too. Bug Will Shortz until he knows the you by the way the phone rings!

Re: BeCrossword access to memory card?
 

I used the web puzzle converter at beocean to convert from .puz to .pdb, installed and solved yesterday's puzzle. So right now, BeCrossword looks to be a pretty good solution, albeit w/the added step of web conversion.

Thanks for all the help!

scott

Re: BeCrossword access to memory card?
 

outstanding!! I forgot they had that online conversion page. But cripes that is 10-yrs worth of puzzles to convert...see, since I have no life I d/l'd the entire archive. Ya never know if they mught go poof at some point. :D

Re: BeCrossword access to memory card?
 

thought I would stop by and add that there is a puzzle (.puz -> converter) converter included in the download for BeCrossword. And it will convert multiple files in a single batch. Just run the converter and then select all the files you want to convert to .pdb and viola it's done in seconds. I just converted 10 yrs worth of NYT puzzles in like 10 minutes...it took longer to figure it out then it did to convert them. Now they are all on a memory card waiting for importing when I want some new puzzles.

I figure at around 365 puzzles/year over to years is about 3600 puzzles give or take some I missed or simply were not there. So say it takes me a good 2-3 days/puzzle as I don't just work them until done...I play with them a while, often I look up info when a clue triggers some curiosity about something so I get side tracked. And it's not like the N800 is gonna make that harder, it's gonna be easier to get side tracked...so that is 7200-10,000 days or between 19 to 27ish YEARS worth of puzzles. Think my Clie & N800 will last that long?

I think I am done now except for the occasional puzzle when I want something more current.

Re: BeCrossword access to memory card?
 

When you purchased BeCrossword, did you need a legitimate Hot Sync ID? I've managed to purchase another game (Pocket Mini Golf -- which works great in Garnet, incidentally) without having to specify one, but I suppose that I may not always be so lucky...