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BUDGET COMPUTING
DigiFix can fix your digitizer drift
By James Booth
Unfortunately, not all of us have been able to dash out and pick up the latest and greatest Palm device. Some of us are still making do with one of the older models. One of the afflictions the older models of Palm devices are prone to is digitizer drift, meaning you tap the screen in one place, but it registers that tap in another.
Devices with this problem generally requires frequent calibration of the digitizer to correct. DigiFix is a software resolution that can help resolve the problem. DigiFix will automatically recalibrate the digitizer to the calibration you set whenever the device is powered on, synchronized, or soft reset. See Figure A for settings.
FIGURE A
The settings screen allows you to choose when the digitizer will be recalibrated.
DigiFix can't fix all cases of digitizer drift, but it can't hurt either. The more out-of-whack digitizers will have to be replaced (yes, this means you've got an excuse to upgrade your handheld). From DigiFix's Launch screen you have the option of starting DigiFix or using Palm's built-in digitizer calibration, as shown in Figure B.
FIGURE B
When DigiFix launches, you can choose to start it or the built-in Palm OS calibrator.
Once you activate DigiFix, the options screen will come up as shown in Figure C, so you can choose when DigiFix will actually launch or you can set the calibration.
FIGURE C
DigiFix's launch screen allows you to set the calibration and choose when the program will launch.
When you select the Set Calibration button, DigiFix's calibration screen will launch. The calibration screen is just like the built-in one, but note the stylus icon in the upper right corner as shown in Figure D.
FIGURE D
DigiFix's calibration screen is just like the built-in Palm OS calibration.
This stylus icon is how you know you're using DigiFix's calibration screen and not the built-in Palm OS one. The screen shows the calibration settings DigiFix will use when it automatically recalibrates your digitizer according to the settings you have chosen.
If you think you might benefit from DigiFix, you can download it for free (at http://www.copera.com/download.html#products). It's certainly worked very well to keep my digitizer in line.
OUR RATING: 4 of 5
James Booth is a self-taught PC and Palm device user that dabbles in graphics and photography. He can be reached at lizardworks@mchsi.com.
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