[FAerrorTAL]

I have a palm VII. It works well, the email and wireless stuff is nice. The problem is, i don't use it much for email, cause i'm always close to my computer.
so i'm wondering if i should upgrade to a visor with the visorphone.
i could use a cell phone, the web and email is still there. the monthly fee is another $10, but that's nominal.
I'm wondering if a visor would be awkward as a phone? i want the visor edge or pro. they both have rechargable batteries and can use the phone, the edge is nice and small. both are $300. the phone, right now is free!!!
i'm also lacking usb compatability with my current palm, so i can't sync.

i'd appreciate some advice! anyone seen/used a visor phone? are the ludicrous? any good alternatives? i've seen palm cell phones, but the screens are tiny.
i also don't wanna carry around multiple pieces of tech just to be versatile.

thanks!!!
aaron

[ckohler]

The best palm/cellphone device on the market today is hands-down the Kyocera Smartphone 6035. It is a marvel of design, ruggedness and seemless integration. I've owned one for over three months now and it continues to blow me away with it's rock solid performance as both a cell phone and a PalmOS device. I've dropped mine on concrete three times now and it's always come away with little more than a blemish. This thing is built like a tank!

Yes the screen is on the small side, but no smaller than a Palm M100 and you get used to it real fast. The device is currently available for both Verizon wireless and SprintPCS networks and you can get them between $300-$400 (I paid $550). You'd be doing yourself a serious dis-service if you overlooked this phone.


Click here to read a review!

My only problem with this device is that it only has a serial cradle. Still, even that can be remedied with the purchase of a Keyspan Serial to USB adaptor. I use one to sync my Smartphone with my Cube, though I wished they made a USB cradle for convienance.

[ 01-25-2002: Message edited by: ckohler ]

[Simon Kornblith]

I've heard rumors and seen an ad for a Samsung Palm-Powered device which looks pretty impressive. Unlike the Kyocera Smartphone, it's color, and it's probably more expensive. I don't think it's available yet.

Anyway, the visor phone is GSM-only, making it useless in many areas because there are only one or two American GSM providers. Check availability in your area first!

[STAT]

Originally posted by ckohler:
<STRONG>The best palm/cellphone device on the market today is hands-down the Kyocera Smartphone 6035. It is a marvel of design, ruggedness and seemless integration. I've owned one for over three months now and it continues to blow me away with it's rock solid performance as both a cell phone and a PalmOS device. I've dropped mine on concrete three times now and it's always come away with little more than a blemish. This thing is built like a tank!

Yes the screen is on the small side, but no smaller than a Palm M100 and you get used to it real fast. The device is currently available for both Verizon wireless and SprintPCS networks and you can get them between $300-$400 (I paid $550). You'd be doing yourself a serious dis-service if you overlooked this phone.


Click here to read a review!

My only problem with this device is that it only has a serial cradle. Still, even that can be remedied with the purchase of a Keyspan Serial to USB adaptor. I use one to sync my Smartphone with my Cube, though I wished they made a USB cradle for convienance.


</STRONG>

I read this review and was quite impressed. There were a few things in the review I'd like to get cleared up, though... First, I understood the author to say that this phone/PDA uses the standard serial Palm sync cradle. If that is the case, would it be possible to purchase a USB Palm sync cradle and have that work? Also, will this phone sync with Macintosh computers (particularly OS X)? And finally, the review mentioned an upcoming product by Microsoft called the Stinger. What do y'all know about this thing?

I'm interested in a mobile phone/PDA device, but am not really in any huge hurry to buy one and if a smaller, cheaper, and better product is soon to be released, I don't want to jump the gun. All info is appreciated. Thanks!

[Woggle]

Hmmm, wasn't there a pair of new products coming out of Handspring, a combo cell phone and visor, the one that was accidentally posted on the FCC site, and is posted somewhere else as well? Anyone know the time frame on these?

[Woggle]

Hmmm, wasn't there a pair of new products coming out of Handspring, a combo cell phone and visor, the one that was accidentally posted on the FCC site, and is posted somewhere else as well? Anyone know the time frame on these?

[mikithecrackhead]

The best palm/cellphone device on the market today is hands-down the Kyocera Smartphone 6035. It is a marvel of design, ruggedness and seemless integration. I've owned one for over three months now and it continues to blow me away with it's rock solid performance as both a cell phone and a PalmOS device. I've dropped mine on concrete three times now and it's always come away with little more than a blemish. This thing is built like a tank!

The thing is the size of a tank, it better not break, It is huge and it carries a big price tag.
Sprint PCS is coming out with a phone for the visor later this month. The price of the visor phone is very attractive, but I do not like VoiceStreams' price plan or cingular lack of coverage/plan for my area. Samsung has a Palm OS phone that should be out soon, They are advertising for it in magazines (pc world, USA today) It is supposed to be smaller, cheaper than the kyocera phone. And it is supposed to have a color screan. I am holding out for the Samsung Palm phone. I would not consider the Kyocera phone. #1 price it is almost $500 at my local sprint store, #2 it is huge #3 small screen #4 All other phones available are cheaper.
I would hold out for now. If all else fails I personally would get the old visor phone that is bundled with some usefull software, ie. Browser software.

[mikithecrackhead]

web page sprint pcs phone/ wireless modem for the visor article

[FAerrorTAL]

thanks everyone!
i'm still lookin for the right solution.
any more feedback would be great.
i'm also new to cell phones, how many minutes would a not too talkative guy need per month?

thanks
aaron

[ckohler]

Originally posted by STAT:
<STRONG>There were a few things in the review I'd like to get cleared up, though... First, I understood the author to say that this phone/PDA uses the standard serial Palm sync cradle.</STRONG>

It does not use the standard Palm sync cradle. It uses it's own style cradle included with the phone because the cradle also recharges the phone's lithum ion battery. The Smartphone has very good battery life, BTW, for a palm/cellphone combo.

<STRONG>Also, will this phone sync with Macintosh computers (particularly OS X)? And finally, the review mentioned an upcoming product by Microsoft called the Stinger. What do y'all know about this thing?</STRONG>

I sync up my Kyocera Smartphone using the Classic version of Palm's Hotsync software while in OSX. Palm should be releasing an OSX native version of their software any day now. Keyspan has also released OSX drivers for their PDA Serial-USB adaptor. When Palm releases Hotsync for OSX, the Keyspan drivers should allow you to sync the Smartphone nativly in OSX.

I'm a PDA affictionato, and the upcoming stinger phones don't impress me at all. Unlike the PalmOS based smartphones, there will be absolutly no software available for Stinger phones when they arrive because they use a modified version of the PocketPC OS. Had the screen resolution on Stinger phones been the same size as other PocketPC devices, I would be excited. But their screen resolution is much smaller, so current apps won't even run.

[ 01-25-2002: Message edited by: ckohler ]

[ckohler]

Originally posted by mikithecrackhead:
<STRONG>The thing is the size of a tank, it better not break, It is huge and it carries a big price tag. Sprint PCS is coming out with a phone for the visor later this month. The price of the visor phone is very attractive, but I do not like VoiceStreams' price plan or cingular lack of coverage/plan for my area. Samsung has a Palm OS phone that should be out soon, They are advertising for it in magazines (pc world, USA today) It is supposed to be smaller, cheaper than the kyocera phone. And it is supposed to have a color screan. I am holding out for the Samsung Palm phone. I would not consider the Kyocera phone. #1 price it is almost $500 at my local sprint store, #2 it is huge #3 small screen #4 All other phones available are cheaper.</STRONG>

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

First of all, the Kyocera Smartphone is WAY thinner and more comfortable to use than the Handspring Visor with its clunkly Visor Phone springboard jutting out the top. The Kyocera is designed to be a REAL cellphone... not a hack job like the Visor phone. Ever used a Visor phone? It's silly because you smuge up the screen with sweat every call you make. Not to mention you feel like a moron holding a square PDA up to your face while you talk.

The Samsung phone is the same way. No real keypad buttons means you smug up it's screen every time you dial or talk. It's screen is also unprotected all of the time. I've seen the Samsung phone and it's screen is abismal. It may be color, but the color is wasted on the totally washed out screen. It's also not refective, so forget even trying to use it in daylight. Lastly, the Samsung phone may look a bit more stylish, but it's a flimsy design and more prone to breaking. The Visor phone is also an accident waiting to happen. Drop that thing once, and the it's sure to be in twenty pieces. The key to a good PDA/Cellphone experiance is to have something rugged.

Lastly, I've recently seen the Kyocera 6035 Smartphone available in the $300 range at several places (including Circuit City who sells Sprint PCS service). You need to just look around. Makes me kinda mad because had I just waited three months, I could have saved a lot of money buying it now. The Samsung is not cheaper in this reguard. And please, stop whining about the size. It is really not that large. I use a Belkin waist holder with my Kyocera and it swings from my hip all the time. It never gets in the way. This isn't speculation either. This is from three months of hands on experiance.

[ 01-25-2002: Message edited by: ckohler ]

[mikithecrackhead]

Thanks for clearing some things up. I didn't mean to upset you. I (ckohler)my local Staples has the kyocera for $349...maybe they will drop they price again when the compitition pressures them. ( I love price wars!)kyocera phone for the price of a visor phone would be nice.
does the kyocera phone have an IR port?
How does it sync with your mac? ( currently no Palm supports OS X yet )

[ckohler]

Originally posted by mikithecrackhead:
<STRONG>Thanks for clearing some things up. I didn't mean to upset you. My local Staples has the kyocera for $349...maybe they will drop they price again when the compitition pressures them. ( I love price wars!) Kyocera phone for the price of a visor phone would be nice. Does the kyocera phone have an IR port? How does it sync with your mac? ( currently no Palm supports OS X yet</STRONG>

No worries. I just wanted to be admimant about how great the Smartphone is. It gets a bad rap sometimes about its size, but when you use it, you quickly realize it's just the right size for all it does.

It does indeed have a large IR port on the top. It's pretty cool since the IR port is also a button that controls both the backlight and puts the phone into keyguard mode.

As for syncing, you can sync PalmOS devices in OSX if you have Classic mode running and you're running the OS9 version of the current HotSync manager. It's not perfect, but it works. Still, the current Mac HotSync client is pretty weak in comparison to the Windows version. My hopes are that when Palm eventually releases the OSX client, it will be much improved.

[ 01-25-2002: Message edited by: ckohler ]

[FAerrorTAL]

The smartphone sounds like a good deal....
can i use all of the palm features to control the phone (phonebook, autodial, etc)?
also, can i use the phone as a modem, surfing the net and getting emails?

soundes like a good solution, I'll go to circuit city sometime and get service details.


thanks again

aaron

[ckohler]

Yes you can.

In fact, I'm posting this message wirelessly using a Palm web browser called Blazer. All Palm internet apps work wirelessly including ICQ and such.

The address book and all those apps integrate fully with the phone side as well. In fact, the whole phone runs off the PalmOS.

[ 01-25-2002: Message edited by: ckohler ]

[FAerrorTAL]

whoa.
like whoa.
i'm sold. i'm on ebay lookin right now.

thanks a ton

aaron

[SpeedRacer]

Hey this Smarphone looks like a pretty neat package. Being a as-yet non-cellular techie i'm a bit leary about dropping $350 for a wireless-enabled Palm Pilot with a smaller screen and bigger form factor than my current Palm V, but it seems quite clear it's a phone first, Palm second.

I just have a couple questions:

• Can the jog dial be used in Palm mode to cycle through apps as well as phone menus?
• Can the 6035 be used as a wireless modem for Power/iBooks?

Speed

[ 10-01-2001: Message edited by: SpeedRacer ]

[mikithecrackhead]

With the new price drops on the visors handspring seems to have the best deal on palm phones.
#1 Handspring is historically Mac - friendly and they will have a desktop for OS X before the others
#2 Price & Value the color visor prism is now only $300 and it comes with a free phone free phone if you don't care for the color prizm, pick a visor, any visor, thin thick, they are still cheaper than the others.
#3. it is infinitely expandible visors now accept the sony memory stick . If that is not enough the visor can also use CompactFlash and SmartMedia cards.
and it also comes bundled with documents to go and the blazer web browser
$4 visor phones can be used as a hands free phone, Sprint Pcs offers the new 3G. Can also be used for wirless modem for the visor, unfortunately Sprint only offers the wireless modem package for pee cess
So while everyone else plays catch up, Handspring will continue to come out with the cool stuff.

[bender]

I would go with the Handspring and the Visorphone. Check the Handspring site to make sure they have coverage in your area, though, since they use GSM.

The Visor Pro works nice with the phone, and it's16MB are nice to have if you use Vindigo, Mapopolis, or other memory hogs. If you want color, I'd wait since Handspring will likely be releasing a new color model soon. I personally don't like the color models, as they consume batteries much faster, plus they weigh more, tend to be more bulky, and don't work well in bright light. Maybe the next revisions will be better.