In December we featured an article that took a look at the type of hardware you need to make your Palm handheld wireless. In this edition of Letters to the Editor, two readers share their opinions on how best to connect your handheld to email and the Internet.
Other wireless solutions
I recently read your article, "What wireless is what? A survey of wireless products," in PalmPower Magazine Enterprise Edition at http://www.palmpowerenterprise.com/issues/issue200112/survey001.html. I was disappointed not to see the features of the Handspring Visor in your article.
The Visor has the option to surf the Internet, send and receive email, make voice calls, recieve text messages, etc. all from the VisorPhone.
There are other communications options as well, such as Bluetooth modules, Omnisky modules, and many others. Also, you can surf the net and use a keyboard at the same time (unlike the option from Palm you mentioned in your article).
The Springboard slot in a Handspring Visor has a multitude of modules that can be used for more than just communications. It can turn it into a camera (both still and motion), a multi-meter, an O'scope, and many others. You can access a complete module list at http://www.Handspring.com/products/sbm_all.jhtml.
I hope in the future both yourself and others will begin to show Handspring the respect they deserve in your articles. In my opinion the Visor is much more useful than a Palm handheld due to their infinite uses via the Springboard slot and modules. Palm and other manufacturers of handheld computers should jump on board and try to make the Springboard slot a universal component on all handhelds.
Thank You,
Ron Veal
A dissenting opinion
First, thank you for writing the article, "What wireless is what? A survey of wireless products." It was overall very good and informative, and I appreciate the work.
But I would like to make just two comments.
First, I really am getting tired of seeing the OmniSky Minstrel V Modem continuously listed as a good product. Yes, where it works, it works just fine. But there is such limited coverage that its mostly useless unless you are fortunate enough to live in one of the few areas that does have coverage and you don't travel! As you might be able to tell, I live in one of the areas that doesn't have coverage: Atlanta.
I do have a Palm VII, and while it is somewhat limited (I can still check my normal email, and get info), it works in so many more locations that I can depend upon it. I could not with the OmniSky modem.
Secondly, you did not mention what I consider to be the best thing out there at this moment, and that is using your mobile phone as a modem. It used to be limited to just GSM phones, but that has changed. And I don't think this fact has been really made public.
I have a Sprint phone, and I purchased a cable that connects my Palm Vx to it. I can use that phone as a 14.4 modem and access my normal ISP (Internet Service Provider). So I have full access and can use Blazer, regular email, Telnet, etc. The minutes just come off my regular phone plan. Also, the coverage is excellent nationally and getting better. OmniSky can't really say that!
Thanks again for the article, and I do appreciate the time it takes to be an author.
Jim Spencer
