Triv Frequently Asked Questions List

• Question: What models of PalmPilot does Triv run on?

  Answer: Triv runs on any PDA or cell phone that runs PalmOS 2.0 or higher (including PalmOS 5 [Garnet] and 6 [Cobalt]). This includes all known PalmOS devices from Palm, Sony, Handspring, and others except the Pilot 1000 and 5000.

• Question: How much memory does Triv require?

  Answer: A full Triv installation now takes almost 3 Mb, but you only need to install the trivia modules that you want to use. A minimal Triv installation (just Triv.prc and 1 .pdb trivia module) uses around 180 Kb. From the "New Game Option" screen, you can use the "Delete Module..." menu option to delete modules that are already on your Palm device. Also, see the next question.

• Question: Can Triv modules be stored on external cards such as SD and MMC cards?

  Answer: As of version 3.2.0, Triv is VFS-aware. (Before that version, you would need third party-software to seamlessly use Triv with external cards.) NOTE: there may be a bug with PalmOS 5's VFS handling; using the default directory, "/PALM/Launcher", may not work, while the alternate directory, "/PALM/Programs/Triv" should. See next question, and use Triv's "Set VFS Directory" menu option.

• Question: What's the best way to move Triv modules to a location other than "/PALM/Launcher" on an external card (SD, MMC, Memory Stick, etc.)?

  Answer: There are various 3rd party utilities that will allow you to do this. I recommend Filez, which is freeware. You can find the latest version at http://www.nosleep.net.

• Question: Is Triv flash-compatible?

  Answer: The Triv application (Triv.prc) and its data modules (*.pdb) can be placed in flash memory using JackFlash, FlashPro, or any other flash utility. The dynamically created preferences file (Triv Preferences.pdb) and question-tracking files (Tr.pdb, added in version 3.0) cannot be placed into flash since they need to be written to.

• Question: Why do the trivia questions repeat so often?

  Answer: Unregistered versions of Triv are restricted to the first 36 questions in each data module. Once you have registered you will have access to all of the questions (over 20,000 total), and I'll be encouraged to write more! NOTE: there is a bug in version 3.2.1 which also causes repeated questions (registration basically doesn't work). Users should upgrade to version 3.2.2 or higher.

• Question: Where do you get your trivia questions?

  Answer: If you look in the Bibliography section of the Triv Documentation, you'll see a list of reference books that I've searched through for trivia. I've written most of the questions from information from these sources, other books, newspapers, magazines, TV shows, movies, web sites, newsgroups, and just about anywhere else that you can imagine (cereal boxes, the backs of baseball cards, etc.).

• Question: How do I switch data modules?

  Answer: Go to the "New Game Options" screen by selecting that menu option. Choose the "Select Module" menu option or tap on the "Select Module" button (added in version 3.0).

• Question: I'm a TealGlance user, and Triv hangs or crashes sometimes if I am using the timer. How do I fix this?

  Answer: If you are using any HackMaster hacks, you need to be careful with potential problems like this. Fortunately, the TealGlance developers were very helpful, and we were able to find a way for TealGlance and Triv to co-exist peacefully. A workaround was added to Triv 2.0.1. You should download the latest version from http://www.rjen.com/Pilot/Triv.html. As of Triv 3.2.0, Triv no longer uses PalmOS alarms for the timer, so this problem should be completely gone.

  Question: What are TrivFind, TrivWriter, and Triv Module Creator?

  Answer: These three applications are free utilities for Triv users:

  • TrivFind is a search utility for Triv that runs on Palm devices. It can be useful if you're interested in finding a specific fact or all of the questions related to a particular person, event, etc.
  • TrivWriter is a Palm application for creating your own trivia modules, study guides, etc. Note that this means that it can also be run on your desktop machine (PC or Macintosh) under POSE (free Palm emulator from Palm Computing). Use the "Export Database" option to save your generated Triv modules as ".pdb" files that you can then install on your actual Palm device.
  • Triv Module Creator is a Macintosh program for creating trivia (or other) modules. This is the program that I use to create trivia modules, and it has some features that TrivWriter does not.

• Question: What other Palm applications have you written?

  Answer: I have written several other shareware and commercial programs, including:

  • Alphabet Rhyme Time - a fun way to learn the alphabet
  • BabyMelodyPilot - a music, lyrics, and graphics program for all ages
  • LetterDraw - a letter and number writing educational program
  • 9-Ball Pinball - a pinball game originally sold by Landware, now available as shareware
  • QuizQuilt - a trivia game with a twist; answer the trivia questions and solve the quilt clue
  • TotTutor - a more general educational program for infants from about 6 months to 5 years old
  • WordDraw - an educational program for teaching how to read, write, and spell words

• Question: What other trivia products have you produced?

  Answer: 8,000 of the best Triv questions have been greatly expanded for the Trivia Why's trivia book series. The two genus, multiple-choice books and two genus, short-answer books are excellent as gifts (one size fits all) or for your own reading pleasure. All of the books are also available in eReader format for reading on Palm, PC, and Macintosh devices.

All other questions are welcome at rjen@rjen.com.