Handheld Reviews

There are a few annoying things with this unit. It doesn't always connect when it should, but resetting the Jornada makes the connection work. It certainly isn't as fast as I would like, average speed of 14.4.
All in all, the portability and functionality makes this a great buy. If you have the bluetooth kit and a pocket PC, this is a must have; at least until the next level improved modem comes along!

As far as getting this card to work with my PDA, this card was certainly the easiest. I also bought an AmbiCom BT2000 card, and with that card I couldn't get my PDA to connect to my phone. It was very nice, just didn't work with my PDA well. After that experience, this took me 10 minutes.

Important added bonus - this is the least obnoxious card out there. It's so small that it does not stick out of the slot, which prevents it from being seen and/or damaged. Blinking lights on your card are overrated!

I'm using an Audiovox Maestro with the Socket card + an Ericsson T68 cell phone. I don't know what the complaints are about, it works like a charm. I keep the phone in my pocket and web-browse using my PDA, or I can synch them wirelessly. Setup was a complete breeze, the current Socket software for handhelds walks you through the process. I can't imagine this being any easier, and I'm shocked by the other comments. Maybe their beta software sucked, but the release versions are wizard-driven and simple.

Price gouging at it's finest. This is a simple 12V plug with a resistor to step the voltage down to 5V and an appropriate sized plug on the other end. Asking $59 for this is absolutely outrageous. Yes it's a handy thing to have. Yes, I'd recommend you have a way to charge your iPaq in the car. No, I don't recommend this.

Take this same $59 to Radio Shack and buy a 12V 100 amp inverter. This device plugs into your cigarette lighter and provides a normal AC plug (like your house) and will let you use ANY small electrical device without buying a collection of cigarette lighter adapters.

Ever been stuck in rush hour? Travel for a living in your car? Maximize your time and re-charge your iPAQ in your car!

I found this gadget to be perfect for those rush hour jams (or when traffic comes to a full stop!) to play games, do email, review documents, etc.

Granted you shouldn't be using your iPAQ and driving.... but if you want to spend your time in the car re-charging your device or if you travel for a living, this one is a must have.

There are times when I forget to connect my iPAQ at work. All day long it's being used and not charging. I just plug it in on the way home and presto....it's charged! I do the same for my morning commute.

Just leave this gadget in your glove box and it's ready to go the next day!

Ever been in the car on the way to work or home, and your batteries only have enought power to shutdown; and you just need to get one last e-mail through to the office on your power hungry modem. Well the auto adapter. Puts your fears at rest. Even if you didn't get a chance to re-charge your i-paq the night before, you are now able to do it during the drive to work.

Being able to synchronize the iPAQ at the office is incredibly convenient. The device installs easily into Windows 2000. However, where's the power cord? It would really be nice if the device could get recharged at the office, too. If you use just the iPAQ, it's probably not that big of a deal, but with additional accessories installed [modem, wireless LAN connection, etc.] the power starts to drain. Just a thought.

Having an extra cradle/charger is very useful if your like me and would like to sync up at both home and work. The cradle itself is excellent. Although the Jornada 545 also has a USB connection, it is not nearly as fast as the iPaq's (makes me question whether the HP's connection is -really- USB).

A second iPAQ cradle is great for syncing up at work--that is--if you have a Windows 98 system. Unfortunately, many people have Windows NT at work, which only supports serial, not USB. There is hope however, as Windows2000 provides native support for USB ports.

The iPAQ hot sync cradle one-ups the Palm world by not even needing to press the button on the cradle to start the process. You just plop it in the cradle and off it goes.

One advantage to USB is that it is about 6 times faster than serial. The fastest serial is 115,000 kpbs, but USB is 690,000 bps.

After 2 years, the belt clip has lost much of it's tension and easily falls off on occasion. Still willing to replace it with the same model though if the price is right, otherwise I will go for the Targus model.

This was a good purchase - I looked all over for a belt clip case since I don't like putting my Handspring in my pocket, I don't like carrying more than I need to, and I need constant, quick access to it. I had gone to many stores, and could not find what I needed. I was very concerned about the quality of the belt clip in particular.

The leather looks and feels very nice, and in the 2 months or so since I purchased it, I have seen no rips, tears or defects of any kind.

I like that the case has reinforced inner walls on both the front and back, so the palm/handspring is well-protected. Mine has survived a few falls, some hard contact when walking, as well as my son who used it as a car, chew toy and thro toy for several hours.

The only drawback I have encountered is that my Handspring Visor seems a little TOO long to comfortably fit in the case. The packaging advertised that it was compatible with Handsprings, and I guess technically it is. The only concern I have is that when the top of the case is closed, it pushes the Visor down and seems to stress the leather at the bottom.

I think this was a fantastic deal. Fast service. Fits perfect and I think will last longer than the cover offered by 3M. Thanks....

While this seemed like a great idea, this module did not work as promised. It was not removable and portable as the ad claims. I removed it once to allow a peer to try it in her handspring and when I tried to put it back, it no longer would work, and I lost all the files I had placed on it. Also, it now only says it has 2MB of memory, and can't hold much of anything worthwhile. My advice - if you need 16MB, then purchase a new PDA, that's what I'm going to end up doing. This module isn't worth the hassle.

Buy one ... programs run directly off of it , unlike other memory options. works great right out of the box!

This module is a life saver for any Visor owners reaching the memory capacity of their PDA. As with all other springboards, you just pop it in, and the onboard software is installed. Use FileMover to transfer some of those apps and files to the module and run from there. No need to mess with shuffling files in and out of RAM to make room anymore. Not everything will run from the Flash module, but you can usually offload enough of it to free up several MB of RAM.

Next to some of the other memory expansion modules like the Hagiwara 16 MB or the memory card adaptors, an extra 8 MB seems puny, but that's what I thought of the 8 MB limit in the PDA itself. It's taken me a year to collect enough apps and data that are useful enough to warrant keeping on my Visor fulltime. Now I need more room, and this card does the trick.

I bought this case several months ago and I am ordering it again because the bottom plastic pieces that hold the Edge into the case broke off. I love the case--even though it is not very sturdy.

A simple but elegant design on good leather makes this slim leather case a must have for your edge. The visor clips securely into place after taking out the standard flip cover.

Cons - excessive glue used on the strap but can easily be removed - velcro strap a little to long - it comes with only 3 credit card slots vs. the 5 as described - it does not have the windowed ID slot as described (which I don't really mind) - credit cards tend to leave annoying marks on my WriteRight screen - adds bulk to the slim "edge"

Compared to the aluminum case, this has a feel of more protection and the flap can hold calling cards for those days that you may need them.

The quality might be on a case my case basis. I take very good care of my PDA and mine was pretty solid and never broke. The best part of this Lether case compare to some of the other ones available are as follows:
1. No sticky needed. The Visor Edge slide right in easily. And stays nice and tight. Some of the generic ones require you to tape a Velcro on the back of your PDA.
2. Look good and the lether feels good.
3. Two benefits compare to the official metal case. A: No need to remove the flip cover. B: Does not block the IR port.(Metal case block half of the IR port.)

I do agree two major CONs
1. velcro strap a little to long
2. it comes with only 3 credit card slots instead of 5- false advertisement of amazon.com

To conclude, considering its quality and design, it is perfect for Visor Edge. And there is no better way if you want to protect this unit. So, as a visor edge owner, I gave it 5 stars.

Beautiful case! Well made...but, when you grab the case to put it in your pocket, it pushes on the power button and drains the batteries...not good. Sometimes just zipping the case (if you have 2 or more business cards in the case)pushes the power button and drains the battery. It's sweet looking but it does not protect well.

After purchasing my Palm Vx, I began the hunt for a case. Noticing this - I was attracted to the leather exterior and the zipper security. I have not been disappointed. The zipper protects the Palm from any outside pressures -- in my purse or backpack -- no pens, pencils, car keys, etc. can "accidentally" enter the outside (like some clasp or loop closure cases) and touch my Palm or synch connectors. It is very easy to zip around - does not "stall" near the rounded corners at all. The Palm itself rests safe and secure on a center post. Snug is the word. It is remarkably well padded - giving protection to my screen. It is well protected. I have had no problems with accidentally turning on the Palm or removing the stylus for use. And it's very smart looking! The size is a plus -- very compact. Well worth the money. Should last me a very long time!

After extensive shopping in both retail and online stores, I found this case via the Palm web site and ordered it from Amazon.com. Appearance and size were primary purchasing considerations.

In looking at various cases in person, I tended to prefer cases with zippers to cases with snaps or straps as the zippered enclosure provides complete protection to all sides of the Palm. This case's small, lightweight design really complements the Vx itself. In my opinion, I cannot see a person buying a bulky case that also holds credit cards, a checkbook, etc. as that seems to defeat the purpose of buying a slim handheld like the Vx in the first place. That's not to say that this case doesn't have any storage whatsoever -- it has a single pocket for a driver's license, a few business cards or some extra cash. There's also a thoughtfully recessed area so the Vx's buttons aren't pressed by accident when the case is closed and in one's jacket or shirt pocket.

The black leather is top quality and this case seems very well made. The zipper glides smoothly and the Palm logo is attractively embossed on the front. Though somewhat more expensive than other Vx cases, this wonderful design is an excellent investment for any Palm V or Vx owner.

The pen itself is ok, but nothing great. What's really bad is the way you select the pen, mechanical pencil or the stylus. Basically, you have to hold the pen at a horizontal position, turn the pen so the small markings idicating the type of tip extension is facing up and press the button at the end of the pen.

I usually go back and forth a lot between the three tips and it is a hassle. There are pens out there that simply require a twist at the barrel to select the tips. These are great because you don't even have to look and its so much quicker. I've seen these for less than $10.

The actual ballpoint pen is not much better than a $.05 plastic pens you buy in bulks. Where do they come up with these prices?

I like having both a pen and a stylus in the same instrument. Being thicker than the stylus, I feel that it's easier to write on my Palm. Also, I think it's cool to change between black, blue and stylus using the button and the gravity action. Be warned, it says that it'll fit on "most stylus slots" but it's as thick as any ballpoint pen.

This ball point pen/stylus is very good purchase. it is a good price and minimizes what you have to carry. just do not get them mixed up or you may ruin the screen of your visor. a good product all in all just go straight from writing a term paper to writing a reminder to turn it in inside your visor.

...

Pro:
It gives you a decent input mechanism for the Palm.
Seems to be built well.
Low cost.

Con:
If you have the leather case for the Palm, the keyboard will not fit.
I realized that the only reason I wanted to use a keyboard to type into a Palm was because I didn't have a keyboard. Now that I have it, I haven't really used it.

Alright, I have to admit that straight out of the box I thought I was never going to be able to use this thing! The keys seemed terribly small and my fingers aren't the most delicate things on this planet.

After a couple of days, I'm falling in love. This keyboard has a lot of advantages over other 'portable' keyboards.

Size: Truly portable. Comparing it my friend's Stowaway, this thing just takes the cake.

Location: If you don't know yet, you slip this over the bottom of your handheld (in my case Visor). It stays in place remarkably well. It's rounded sides and larger profile, makes typing easy because the handheld is easier to hold.

Construction: Yes, it's plastic, but it's well made plastic. Everything has clean finished edges. I flexed my in my hand and it creaked a little bit, but not like it was going to fall apart suddenly.

In conclusion, I give this tiny but powerful keyboard four stars. It would have earned the coveted five star rating if it's keys were just a smudge bigger, or spaced out a bit more. If you have small fingers and great fine motor skills, you'll be typing out page-long emails in no time.

This is not a full size keyboard, but if you carry a Palm, you do not want to carry a full size keyboard anyway. This device is the best option if you want to key in your words without messing with graffiti.

The device is lightweight, easy to carry and fits right into the Palm. Keying in letters and other functions are a snap. I have fallen in love with this thing since I began to use it.

The only improvement I hope is to have a protective cover on the keys. To slip it on my Palm every time is not convenient enough. If there is a cover, I do not have to worry about touching the power-on button when it is attached to the Palm and stays that way all the time.

As a user of the KB-11 keyboard I looked forward to using the KB-100. I was very pleased with the contruction and the size but less so with the decreased functionality. Where I could use keyboard commands almost exclusively on the KB-11 I now have to use the stylus for "OK", "Done", "Cancel", and almost every other command. I am sure that Sony will eventually offer an updated driver that will permit combination keys to activate these commends but in the meantime I am forced to keep a stylus in hand.

The other negative factor is the location of the shift key but we humans will adapt to that.

Previously, I used the Palm portable keyboard for the Palm III and V handhelds. I really liked the feel of those keyboards, but I moved on when I outgrew my older PDA. I travel a lot, and I avoid carrying a laptop whenever possible; so, a portable PDA keyboard is essential for my journeys. After upgrading to a Sony Clie TG-50 handheld, I bought the KB-100 keyboard to compliment it. So, you ask, how did the two keyboards stack up? Well, I have to give the nod to the Palm keyboard for keyboard size. The Palm's size is equivalent to a laptop keyboard, while the Sony's, in spite of being advertised as "full size," is in fact a bit smaller. I suspect for most folks that wouldn't be a major concern, but I have large hands, and I've found that my typing speed has slowed somewhat as compared to the Palm unit. In terms of deploying the keyboard, the Sony wins hands down--it's simpler and faster, with fewer moving parts. Another plus is that the Sony keyboard will also charge your handheld while docked. One more minus: the shift key on the right side of the Sony is quite small, and slowed down my typing speed until I grew used to it. To sum up, the Sony is a well-designed portable keyboard that makes some compromises in keyboard layout, but is nonetheless quite a useful product. My recommendation is that if you have big hands and plan to write the great American novel on your PDA, you'll likely be happier with a Palm PDA/keyboard setup. If, however, you mainly plan to work on shorter documents, the Sony should get the nod.

The clie keyboard with my nx60 (or my nx70 and my sj22) really rounds out the product. The keyboard is of excellent quality and feel. With the keyboard I truly have a top notch laptop replacement. Clies are great but such accessories put them over the top!!