Thought we'd start this new section off with an informal poll. Not sure how many HandStory users are here yet, but would like to hear about how you are using HandStory.

I have 2.3 installed on my SJ30, and originally thought it would become my de facto reader/clipper/image viewer. Had used iSilo for a long time before, so I was reluctant to give that up, but I did...for awhile! I'm back to running iSilo heavily, but I'm using HandStory for a lot of clips, image viewer, ebook reader, and my default memo program. I've gone back to iSilo for the heavy doc viewing, largerly because of the new version's customizable buttons and it's horizontal & autoscrolling. But I still very much like HandStory's simple interface for doc reading as well. I split the web clippings I do between the two, using HandStory for the PDA-friendly sites and the iSilo for the heavier sites that need more customizing to work well. Been hard to decide which way to go, so I use both! Guess that's why I'm here in this forum! HandStory's direct clip feature is faster than iSilo, but iSilo's custom channel scripting is a heckuva lot easier to understand than HandStory's custom clip editor/script language!

I also just started clipping maps off MapQuest into HandStory, a very cool feature that I'm just beginning to explore further. I now have one less reason to get lost... :D I'll have some interesting tips on that in an upcoming tutorial...

Cheers,
Gary

Can't understand why you would use both. I use both PalmReader and iSilo as readers - and as readers they are MUCH better than HandStory, what with variable fonts, smooth scrolling and autoscrolling (which, for reasons I do not understand, HandStory does not supply for clip reading). I do not need the other features of HandStory (memo editing, doc conversion). Since I was having trouble converting some of the Turcic sites for HandStory, I wrote to its developers. I was told that HandStory cannot follow offsite links, that any clip download must come from one site only. HandStory simply has too many limitations for a web clipper. Moreover, I want less, not more, readers on my PDA. PDR

Can't understand why you would use both. I use both PalmReader and iSilo as readers - and as readers they are MUCH better than HandStory...
I understand and appreciate your thoughts on that issue. Everyone tends to favor one flavor over another. I happen to like the simplicity of HS as a reader, but do recognize it's shortcomings. I have PalmReaderPro installed to access a couple of purchased ebooks, but don't really like it (hard to navigate around an ebook, IMHO)...but does have the best font treatment. As for autoscrolling, that's a feature I can live without, so it doesn't bother me one way or another! I know lots of people like that feature, but it kinda drives me crazy trying to read along with it (no matter how good it is).

I do not need the other features of HandStory (memo editing, doc conversion).
Ah...you've touched on features I use/need alot, so it really does vary by user. The other *killer* thing HS does is capture images and text on the fly for syncing to the handheld. I went out of town this weekend and had a restaurant and a musuem I wanted to see but wasn't familiar with where they were. Jumped to MapQuest.com, entered the address, zoomed in on the map until it was big enough, then right-clicked and saved the map to HS, ready to sync. Opens in HS as an image with horizontal stylus-dragging. Cool stuff.

HS is in it's infancy as a Web clipper, and there's better things ahead for it. Doesn't do the extensive job iSilo does, but in some ways it does some things better. Some readers like the fact it doesn't horizontally scroll, which they consider a great distraction. And then others don't see why that's a concern. HS clipping ability is nicely suited (and easier to create than iSilo) for PDA-friendly sites. I'll be uploading some HS scripts that work well on it, such as the NYTimes...in fact I prefer that site on HS over iSilo. But then I *love* my comics on iSilo... :)

In a perfect world, we'd have one killer app that would do it all, but until then I don't mind using a few programs that overlap.

Cheers,
Gary

I've been using HandStory since the first version, but now make more use of Plucker for regular clipping of news etc, since I find it better overall.

Where HandStory is unrivalled is the ability to produce memos, docs and clips on the fly, and especially its image capturing. I have approximately 300 1:25,000 maps of the English countryside which I use for country walking (downloaded from multimap, free but somewhat laborious - I'd gladly pay the Ordnance Survey for a CD or DVD of 1:25,000 maps so I didn't have to download them). I have free travel on one of the British railway networks at the weekend, so I can just hop on a train without bothering to search for the right map before I leave, because I know I've got the whole county mapped in my pocket. Brilliant! The maps are clear, load acceptably fast (on my 33MHz Clie) and can be scrolled with virtually no delay. Zoom would be nice, but the applications that do have zoom aren't as good in other respects.

I am delighted that you all have had such great success in downloading images and maps from sites such as Mapquest. I have had NONE AT ALL! Every time I try to convert a map, HS just hangs. On top of that, my Norton Antivirus tells me that it detects malicious script in something called iConvert.exe. What is that? Any idea why this is happening? Thanks for the help. PDR

Originally posted by radleyp@Feb 25 2003, 11:23 AM
Every time I try to convert a map, HS just hangs. On top of that, my Norton Antivirus tells me that it detects malicious script in something called iConvert.exe.
I have always gotten a NortonAV warning...but for iexplore.exe...I just choose "accept one time" and go on. Probably could change a setting in Norton, but it is protecting against malicious scripts, so I just leave it. However HS is doing the script for capturing triggers Norton.

After that, do you see the "HandStory Converter - Image" processing box with the captured image and options, or do you not even get that far? Or does it hang after it displays that or when you click on the Convert button?

Sorry, I just checked, it is indeed the iExplore.exe file, which I assume is a HS file. I tried several times doing what you suggest, that is "accept one time", and I do get the convert box. It's when it starts converting that the trouble occurs: it gets only so far, and then hangs. PDR

One further note: I set the depth to 1, and have it convert to hi-res color. should I set it to something else, and hve it convert in B/W? If I set it to 0, the file comes out as text, with no map at all. PDR

Originally posted by radleyp@Feb 25 2003, 11:42 AM
One further note: I set the depth to 1, and have it convert to hi-res color. should I set it to something else, and hve it convert in B/W? If I set it to 0, the file comes out as text, with no map at all. PDR
Ahhh...I think you're using the wrong clip action. You want the option "save to palm" not "clip to palm." Clip is for text/html, save should get you the converter box which looks like the screen cap below.

I've also opened a new thread to talk about the right-click clipping, so pleas post under that if you continue to have problems, etc. I plan to post some screen caps of things you can use the right-click clips for as well as hoping to hear how others are using this feature.

I certainly do feel like a fool. I was hitting "clip to Palm" instead of "save to Palm". Thanks for your help. As I have been told more than once, RTFM! PDR

Originally posted by radleyp@Feb 25 2003, 12:47 PM
I was hitting "clip to Palm" instead of "save to Palm".
I saved many a text file trying to capture a favorite toon until I realized it myself. Their labeling seems opposite of what makes sense...to me you "clip" an image and "save" a file...but apparently they see it otherwise!

I think you would do us all a great service by posting some of your good sites for HS conversion.

And could you tell me why I am unable to convert this one:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/low/russian/news/

That's the configuration posted by Alexander for iSilo.

Cheers, PDR

Originally posted by radleyp@Feb 25 2003, 02:01 PM
I think you would do us all a great service by posting some of your good sites for HS conversion.

And could you tell me why I am unable to convert this one:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/low/russian/news/
Have you checked out the clips & scripts section here? It's small, but growing.

I tried the Russian BBC, and while it worked, the front page did not have links to the full stories...is that what you got as well?

Yes, that's it. It's like getting the headlines, and no backup. PDR

Originally posted by radleyp@Feb 25 2003, 03:26 PM
Yes, that's it. It's like getting the headlines, and no backup.
Only thing I can see is that the Russian version of BBC news calls pages in its links that end in .stm vs. the familiar .htm of the English pages. Perhaps HS can't read or doesn't look for non-standard extensions like that, dunno...will ask the HS people though in my next batch of questions to them. Does this work in iSilo?

Yes, it works fine in iSilo. One strange thing: when I hit the "preview" bar in the Manage configuration screen, it gives me what I would like to see on the handheld, namely the headlines and a backup story. How come what is "previewed" is in fact not reproduced on the handheld? PDR

I am trying an experiment. Since it is so easy to schedule conversions on HS, I am configuring it to do automatic conversions in the morning - when I turn on my desktop - of BBC/Russian, CNN, New York Times and Weather Under. I will use iSilo to do conversion before I leave of Bloomberg, CNN, and other miscellaneous stuff. I'll see if I like it. PDR

Originally posted by radleyp@Feb 26 2003, 10:21 AM
How come what is "previewed" is in fact not reproduced on the handheld?
Check out this tutorial I wrote on clipping with HS here:

http://www.turcic.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=353

In one of the bullets I explain the difference between the preview in manage clips and the test clip in editor.

Originally posted by radleyp@Feb 26 2003, 10:26 AM
I am configuring it to do automatic conversions in the morning - when I turn on my desktop - of BBC/Russian, CNN, New York Times and Weather Under. I will use iSilo to do conversion before I leave of Bloomberg, CNN, and other miscellaneous stuff.
I do the same thing. In fact, I have some batch files set so that in the morning I turn on my laptop, turn on my Clie and pop it in the cradle, then go to breakfast. When I return, both HS and iSilo clips are created and loaded on to my memory stick in the right directories. HandStory doesn't even have to move them over to the right expansion directory. Works very well. I'll be writing a tutorial on this procedure in the next few weeks. While it isn't as convenient as AvantGo's hotsync, it's not bad.

Originally posted by radleyp@Feb 25 2003, 03:26 PM
And could you tell me why I am unable to convert this one [in HandStory]:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/low/russian/news/
As I suspected, it's the files on the site with a .stm extension. See my post here:

http://www.turcic.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=396

...for a list of supported extensions. HandStory support indicated to me that they would forward the suggestion of enabling the .stm extension files for a future upgrade.

a just great program for the really complicated sites is repligo (http://www.cerience.com/) - on my sj33 its fairly fast and the killer feature is, that you see the page as a whole, no matter how comlicated, then long click on a paragraph and the text gets flowed full screen size and ALL fonts stay as they are - this all happens with everything which is printable as text (pdf, websites, worddocuments) - its like magic - BUT! - its expansive like hell...

get the trial version from the site and you will realize what i mean..

p_

Hi

Just starting to use HS and am pretty impressed so far.

Would love it to integrate with Opera which is my browser of choice - is it me or is IE looking very old now?

Originally posted by zensbikeshop
Would love it to integrate with Opera which is my browser of choice - is it me or is IE looking very old now?

No, it's not just you! There are several browser options better than IE...but IE dominates the marketplace and is not likely to lose that position. Developers like HS choose to support IE and not others for sheer numbers. Last stat I saw was back in 12/02 and IE was something like 95% of the market. With that number, it's little wonder that it's basically the only supported browser in programs like HS...and that's not likely to change, unfortunately.

that many?
i thought it was much lower than 95
what did netscape have then?

I went out and grabbed a report off Google...no doubt you could find other reports with varying numbers, but my 95% came from this global browser usage study posted by OneStat.com:

http://www.onestat.com/html/aboutus_pressbox15.html

Shows Netscape at 3%, globally.

I build Web sites for my company and years ago I paid a lot of attention to Netscape-specific coding to keep the pages looking semi-normal, particularly for NN4.x users. About a year ago I quit doing that, since the % of NN users out there is statistically so low that it just doesn't pay to support the extra effort for a small user base. Our stats show Netscape users at less than 1%, but then, our target audience is primarily corporate folks.