PDA Reviews

Without a modem or ethernet card, your Pocket PC is just a PC companion product -- it must have a PC to get mail, surf, or message.

With a modem, your Pocket PC becomes a truly stand alone device.

This modem is the sturdiest design I've seen for dialing through a regular analog phone line. No frail parts to snap off, no weird connections that require you to purchase a different cable to connect. You'll be able to take this right out of the box, plug it in and get connected.

With this small, rugged modem I'm able to check my e-mail at times when hauling out my laptop would do -- waiting near the gate at an airport, at breaks in meetings, while visiting a client, etc. The ability to sync up my avantgo pages or get my most recent e-mail has been a great benefit to me, especially since I travel.

(Wondering why this review reads the same as the Pretec Modem review? It's the same gadget; this one just carries the Compaq brand.)

Your Pocket PC is just a toy until you have this modem.

Can you tell me if it works with, or protecs your modem from, digital phone lines??? Does it have any surge protection? How is it better than the Xirtec CF modem? Please respond I am soon going to need to get a modem for my P/PC and want to get the best one and I have a IPAQ and don't know if I am better off sticking with COMPAQ products for compatability/warranty issues. thank you !

This is an excellent modem. I've never had a problem with it. However, it is almost identical to the CF modem by Pretec. I bought both and compared them. In fact, it is made for Compaq by Pretec. My advice to Steve, buy the Pretec modem and save some cash.

I have a iPAQ 3150 with the compactflash sleeve. One review said that this case would accomodate both the PDA and sleeve... so I bought it. Have you ever worn shoes about a size and a half too small? Well, you may be able to get them on your feet, but it's going to hurt. There's even less space in this case (for the iPAQ & sleeve, not your feet). Look closely at the enlarged picture and you'll see what I mean.

I needed a case that support my Compaq IPAQ 3135 and the expansion jacket for protect the screen of the device. This case works fine, but is a little bulky with the IPAQ with the jacket inside. The space for business cards and memory cards is very narrow, take time to put them inside the case.
The leather is good.
It took me a while find a case with enoght space to support the device with the jacket, so I am glad to bought it because solved my origin problem.

My main concerns is that it would fit the iPAQ with the compact flash expansion and it does that well. There may be some concern about cards scratching the screen, but they can be placed were the money is shown in the picture of the case to prevent any potential damage to the screen.
Overall the case appears to be of high quality and it doesn't add too much bulk to the iPAQ with the CF expansion on. If you are looking for a case for a naked iPAQ you could probably find something slimmer though.

I was very excited to get this module. I remember having had a franklin electronic bible years ago and I was hoping to have that convenience again. Unfortunately, the interface is abominable. There's no real concordance, and when you try to search, you can only do the Old or New Testament, and the presentation of results is lousy, and it always tries to search its topic index first. What a pain. I'll gladly settle for a software solution that takes up a couple of Meg, because this program is so abysmal. There are free solutions out there drastically better than this [$] module.

This is the only module that I own, and the only one that I've been fascinated enough by to purchase. I really love it, and get the funniest comments about the functionality. When the pastor is quoting versus at lightspeed, I am easily able to keep up while everybody else just gives up. Tap. Tap. Tap. One feature it didn't have that I feel I was lead to believe it had was the capability to write extensive bookmarks. I would like to be able to associate notes with specific verses, instead I get a limited entry associated with the chapter.

I love it when I am at church and the preacher asks to turn to a specific book and verse in the bible, and i pull out my PDA with my Franklin Bible and start reading along and taking notes. It is so practical. Thanks FRANKLIN!!!

I ordered this with high hopes. I was severely disappointed. This unit came with Metrocall service and after 2 weeks of doing everything humanly possible, and 4 hours online with customer service and everyone possible, I mailed it back today. This unit looked great and was a serious disappointment. Part of the problem is that you have 3 or more providers with each piece of equipment. 1)hardware 2)wireless service 3)software writers for hardware operation and programs. This just seems to be too many cooks in the kitchen. Everytime I had a problem, each would point fingers at the others. I, being the customer did not appreciate that and the attendant wasting of my time.

(I have a visor deluxe graphite, but I will post it up under all visors, because the comments apply to all of them unless otherwise noted)

I finally decided to get a handheld, so after dropping a few hints, I got a Visor Deluxe for my 15th birthday (OK, OK, I totally walked my dad through the purchase process, but who cares?)

9 days (and based on battery use, over 2 months of normal use) later, here is my review. The Visor is pretty small, I don't know what people saying it was bulky were talking about. It is really easy to use, it took no getting used to, except for the graphiti. That's still a little wierd. It has a backlit screen, but I never figured out how to turn it on, my friend did. You hold down the power button. Hotsyncing couldn't be easier, you press the hotsync button on the cradle or on the visor's screen and it goes. The 2 MB visor will probably be good enough for you if you only download Freeware Apps and use it as an organizer, but if you are like me, you will need the 8MB of the deluxe, platinum, prism and edge. The screen is very clear of most things (digital photo albums can look pretty bad, but I think it is the App and not the Visor) It has been very reliable so far, I have installed nearly every App I could find, and no freezes, even soft ones. The stylus has a built in screwdriver and reset tool.

The downside- The OS is not upgradible, maybe someone will make a springboard module someday, but I doubt it, and it will cost alot and not allow you to use the springboard for anything else, killing it's main selling point over the Palm. And also, I am careful with it so I have put no scratches on it, but I let some people borrow it, and I am seeing some. I am mad now (no, that does not read mad cow, mad now) Screen covers cost about $2, but they take all the un out of even owning one. they are that terrible. If worst comes to worst, you can replace the screen down the road for $50. even if you have to replace it once a year (which you shouldn't, but just for the sake of argument) it is worth it. A screen cover ruins everything. Being the careful user you will be, you shouldn't scratch it too badly too quickly.

Comparing to a Palm- this is Much better than a Palm. My friend has a Palm. I hate it. OK, I don't hate it, but it is a mere shadow of mine. the screen quality of the Visor is much better for moving things such as games, and the buttons on the visor are 10 times easier to push, the difference between winning and losing in many cases. The Springboard port is the final factor that puts the Visor way ahead of the Palm. You can get modems, cameras, more space, GPS, cell phones, voice recording, Games, Mp3 players (tisk tisk, stealing music, eh? Kids these days!) You name it, they got it. (look under springboard modules here at Amazon for things I missed) But one thing that annoys me about the Visor and not about the Palm is the infrared port. The visors is in an Akward location, and the Palm's is not (see pictures) And the Visor does not have an upgradible OS, but that doesn't matter too much, so far they have been little more than a minor update. All in all, definitly buy the Visor.

Choosing the right Visor- REGULAR- This has OS 3.1 and 2MB of ram. this is enough only for people who plan to use it for it's designed purpose. If it's not enough, you can upgrade later via Springboard cards. 4 shades of grey DELUXE-Cool colors (which I opted against to avoid too much attention), 3.1, and 8MB of Ram. 4 shades of grey too. PLATINUM-Faster processor, but it's not necessary. However, if you can cough up the cash, it is worth it, because it displays 16 shades of grey and OS 3.5. EDGE-Just like the Platinum, only much thinner. However, putting on a springboard card makes it about as thick as the regular ones. PRISM-Just like the Platinum, only it is in color. Definitly worth it if you got the cash.

PS-to avoid scratches, DON'T LET PEOPLE BORROW IT!!!!!!! I can't stress that enough. People are stupid. Kids these days!

I just got my @ctiveLink last week and used it to find my way around this new town I'm relocating to. It worked great. I sent myself an e-mail containing all the house addresses I was looking for then used the travel info to get from place to place. Nice addition to my toys!

Yes these styluses (styli?) are perfectly function and more importantly they fit in the HP Jornada cover; however a company that made brightly colors ones would win my dollars. I often write in places that are not well-lit (it's impossible to see the screen in sunlight), but it I drop my stylus in a restaurant or bar or on a train it is hard spot and find. I wish someone would make a bright red, orange or green stylus. Or better yet, how about glow in the dark?

And they fit in the slot for my Jornada 548. Of course, I stopped losing styli the day I got this 3 pack, so they just sit in my desk & car, waiting for their turn.

Well, I bought this recently simply because I got sick of having to retrieve the stylus (which came with the unit) from the hood, whenever I was syncing or charging the unit in the cradle. So, I bought the set of THREE stylus pens. Granted, it's very helpful to have another ONE pen. Yet, for some reason they are sold in threes, for 12.99 a set. The other two are sitting in a drawer doing nothing (and probably will be doing nothing for another 10 years). Other than that gripe, the extra stylus pen is very helpful!

I've never used the serial cradle, because I got this USB cradle when I bought my Jornada, so I can't compare the two, but I can say that this is definitely worth the money, whether you purchase it as part of a package or separately. USB connectivity is a must these days, especially if you intend to sync your Jornada with one or more PCs. That's how I use mine, and I find that the USB cradle allows me to quickly sync my Outlook information and other files with my PC, in addition to charging it when it is in the cradle. The weighted base helps keep the cradle in place and allows me to keep it under my desk on top of my tower PC when it's charging.

However, as with most products, the USB cradle is not perfect. I share the concerns of other reviewers about the fact that the screen stays on while it's charging (wonder if setting the power-off setting to a lower number would help; I've not tested that before). Also, I would have preferred a cradle that would help you align your Jornada with the connectors - this is more like a cell phone cradle because you slide your Jornada into it. HP does advise that you use both hands to do this. I think it would have been better to make the connector work more like a game controller or other peripheral, with the connectors housed within the cradle instead of having one side of them visible, so you could plug the Jornada into the cradle securely.

One thing to keep in mind - occasionally, my PC has had trouble locating my Jornada, making it difficult to sync my items. Every time this has happened, all I had to do was reboot the Jornada and the PC recognized it on the next synchronization attempt. Make sure you know how to do a soft reset on your Jornada and you should be fine.

A USB cradle or cable is a must have for your Jornada. Its SIGNIFICANTLY faster than the serial cable the 540 comes with. Especially if you transfer a lot of MP3s or web pages, this cradle will pay for itself with the time you save rather quickly.

The only downside is that it doesn't come with a power cable. You either have to use the one your 540 came with and plug it into the cradle or buy another one.

I bought a second USB cradle (one comes with the 545) so that I could use it at work. It's much better than the serial cable (faster and you don't use up a serial port). It integrates with the AC adapter so that you can keep the PocketPC charged while it's on the stand. The AC Adapter is sold separately, so be sure to buy one of these too if you don't have one already.

HP recommends to use the USB cradle with only Win98 or W2K. Get the serial version if you are running Win95.

The following comments have nothing to do with the cradle per se, but do affect how you use it...

The only drawback that I've seen is that the screen will stay on while the unit is in the cradle and connected to your PC (it won't power off automatically). I'm afraid that the screen will burn in if left on for several hours while it is in the cradle. You can either turn it off (this disconnecting from the PC) or blank the screen by pushing the light/button on the top of the PocketPC. I prefer to blank the screen so that it will stay connected to my PC and continue to sync information automatically as I make changes to Outlook.

Because I'm synching at work, I now have three identical copies of my contact information because the PocketPC carries additions and changes back and forth as I synch at home and at work. This is really nice as I totally rely on Outlook to keep track of people. If you want to, you can set filters so that "business" contacts won't replicate to your home PC and vice versa but both will exist on the PocketPC. This is also nice, but a pain to maintain the categories for each contact entry.

I bought these today at local store in the hope that I would get something better than the Fellowes WriteRights I was using. That hope was quickly dashed as the things were difficult to apply and looked terrible once on the screen. I own a Handspring Visor Deluxe and the CompanionLink screen protector left large areas around the sheet exposed. The adhesive these sheets use is too tacky and causes a very large number of air bubbles to appear even during the most careful application. And the excessive tack makes them difficult to remove. I went through 4 of them before just giving up and going back to my WriteRights. I don't say this about many products, but these things are just truly a waste of money. The WriteRights may decrease contrast and sharpness a little, but are a far superior product.

Well if its all about clearity then these are wounderful you can see the screen like it isnt there (the cover) but you cant press the stylus very hard at all or your screen will still be damaged. So it all depends what you need it for.

At least you can see clearly your PDA screen. When these gets scratched up, use a dab of STP Son of a Gun on the Screen Protector, and you can get an additional month out of them... Don't buy Writerights!!! These are truly the best ones out there!!

I got the version of this keyboard that you can use for your Palm m100 series, and I was very unhappy with it. The plug specially designed for the m100 did not fit properly into the handheld, and then the keyboard died after a few weeks and wouldn't work at all, despite new batteries, etc. If you want a keyboard for your Palm m100, splurge and buy the Palm full-size one, or be disappointed.

Having received a Handspring Visor for Christmas, I went a little crazy and bought myself this keyboard. Overall, it is useful, but there are difficulties: Used on a smooth surface, the PDA support, doesn't; and the near-corner keys (cap lock and right-arrow) are so stiff, you need a mini-sledge to get them to register. It will do for now, but I will probably look for a setup that is not as likely to drop or damage the PDA.

It looks very nice with my Handspring. The stand on the back is useful but folds away into the botten without trouble. I've been surpised at the ease at which entering stuff has been with 2 fingers (or however many you want). I've accutally written a single page letter to my Brother without any trouble. I don't use Hot Sync as much anymore. Been pretty happy with mine =)

Good construction, and nice size, but a few minor problems: I've owned my case for a couple of months now, and it's starting to show in the leather. The construction is excellent, but the leather shows every scratch. Which, considering the style, isn't too much of a drawback.

At first I was a little upset that the clip that holds your visor into the case was black (I own the Ice version), but I've since gotten over it. The other problem with the clip is that it doesn't hold the Visor in securely; sometimes when my Visor has been bumped around in my bag it unattaches from the clip, so when I open the case I have to reattach my visor before I use it (I don't think this is a widespread problem, since the other reviewers say that their Visors stay in snuggly).

For people who want to use this as a wallet, don't expect to hold anything more than a credit card in the pocket, there isn't much room.

I bought this case after reading the reviews of other buyers. I was shocked when it arrived because I thought it would be larger. I was looking for something to carry credit cards, my license, and some cash as well as my visor. In reality, I can easily carry a card or two and my license but after being in there for a while, the cards strech the leather and also make an impression that can not be removed. Another notable dislike is that it is very easily scratched. Some can be removed with a leather oil or other protector but it still shows the markings.

The stylus holder leaves something to be desired. After using it over time the holder gets stretched out and easily falls out of the case.

As far as protection it works great. I've dropped it several times and although my visor may pop off of the holder, it remains safe inside the case. The case is also very attractive with my orange visor and catches the eye of many.

I would recommend this as a gift or a splurge item, but I'm not confident that my money was well spent.

I purchased an Ice Visor Deluxe about a month ago and quickly became fed up with the terrible included case. I began pricing and checking out cases on Amazon and Handspring and this Distressed Leather case always drew my attention.

The case is constructed from %100 Top Grain Leather, premium stuff! The Visor is very secure inside the case, which snaps shut and would not open easily if dropped or pulled along. The snapping mechanism is constructed very well, so months down the line, constant opening will not cause it to become loose. The holder for the Visor, which is basically a sewn-in version of the screen cover that came with the Visor seems extra tight, but not too tight; a good quality in a premium case.

The case includes a stylus holder, which is attractively built into the case. Storing your extra stylus here will not rub or press against the Visor. The case also includes a pocket, which firmly holds money, credit cards, or the original graffiti instructions. A small Handspring logo is visible only when case is open!

I have only two criticisms of the case. First, screen cover that holds the Visor in place is black and conflicts slightly with the aesthetics of the Visor and color; however, graphite Visor users will probably be happy! Second, since the case is constructed so well, there are actually two leather shells protecting the Visor and this can make it difficult to quickly and easily get the your stylus housed inside the visor, but you could always store your stylus in the slot provided.

Probably the main reason I purchased this case was because of the amazing texture and feel of the distressed leather. The case is very beautiful and trendy and the color accompanies any wallet, purse or briefcase perfectly. As the reviewer before me said, "Buy It".

I originally bought this joystick to play Tetris but there are not enough controls for the game. I can't turn the piece around with this joystick. It's good for everything else.

I got this a while back for my Prism. I didn't realize at the time it was just a faceplate that pushes the application buttons on the Visor, so I was a little disappointed--seems like a lot to pay for that. Still, it was nice for games, making gameplay faster since the joystick appearance is more intuitive for games than the buttons alone. The SnapNType by TT Tech is way better though, it's an actual interface that snaps into the port on the Visor and has a Palm OS driver, rather than just being a button-pusher. Hopefully Amazon will carry that soon!

This was a well built product. The only problem lies with the fact that you are paying [price], for a piece of plastic with buttons that you push to push other buttons. It doesn't really help on all games either - some don't have configuration that work with the d-pad. But if you would like to impress people and if they flaunt their "Game Boy Advance" at you, just get an emulator and you have just one-upped them. Worth a buy if are a gamer.

Oh yeah, It comes with Zap2016! This buy the way, in my opinion, is worth just as much as the gameface if not more.