TX problem - tap function, keyboard screen won't go away?

Question

Ok, I just use my TX to hold pictures & music, to play games when I'm bored waiting, and for the calendar/contact, which I sync with both my work computer (Windows Home XP) and my home computer (Apple iBook G4). I do not use the writing function much at all. I keep it safe and snug in a Rhinoskin metal case. I have no software on the Palm that didn't come from Palm.
Some time ago, the tap function started to degrade (I couldn't reach the bottom of the large screen and it would register taps higher than where I actually tapped) and the blasted silkscreened graffiti pad was permanently up - the Palm couldn't see my tap to turn off the silkscreen at all. I can't get my typewriter screen either, just the 3-way split screen for graffiti.
OK, this was annoying, but I could still do most of what I bought my Palm for. Lately, however, the tap function seems to get into a permanent loop - I've done warm resets, soft resets, and a hard reset, and the blasted thing won't get out of the tapscreen-loop function.
Question 1: is digitizer the tapscreen reset function I see mentioned elsewhere?
Question 2: I have a huge problem with going to off-ball websites to find repairs for a Palm product. Doesn't Palm have a fix for this? Or does Palm really and truly endorse its users going to third-party sites for simple servicing issues?
Post relates to: Palm TX

Answer 1

Hi, and welcome to the Palm Community Forums.
If you have correctly performed a Hard Reset (where you get the screen warning that data will be deleted, press "UP" on the navigation pad to answer YES and proceed?), and then after the Hard Reset but BEFORE you Hotsync your TX back to your desktop, the TX still behaves badly, then the digitizer (touchscreen) is going bad.
The TX comes with a 1 year warranty. If it's still within the warranty period (or if you bought an extended warranty), contact Palm by phone to commence a warranty repair.  The phone technician will walk you through the Hard Reset procedure one more time while you're on the phone, to confirm that it does not correct the problem.
If it is *out* of warranty, you can still have Palm replace the digitizer, but you can have the job done for much less from one of several third-party vendors (neither of which are "off-ball" whatever that phrase means) such as www.pdaparts.com or www.usedpdaparts.com . I recently replaced two Palm TX digitizers myself with brand new digitizers purchased from www.pdaparts.com for $60 each, even though both TXes were still under warranty. The new glass digitizer is much better and should be more reliable.
I don't know whether Palm endorses users going to third-party vendors or not (I don't work for Palm, I'm just a volunteer here)...I assume they would prefer to receive the income generated by repairing your device if it is out of warranty. But if it's out of warranty, then it's all about your money anyway so you should use whomever you choose to do the repair.
Good luck, let us know how it turns out.
Post relates to: Centro (AT&T)
Message Edited by smkranz on 05-25-2008 07:28 AM
smkranz
I am a volunteer, and not an HP employee.
Palm OS ∙ webOS ∙ Android