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-- No cradle w/ Solo - Who Cares? (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/showthread.php?threadid=163)

A number of negative comments have been made about the 'Solo' not coming with a cradle - I think people don't get it. I have had both a Palm Pro and a IIIx. I used the cradle for the Pro ONCE and have NEVER used the IIIx cradle. I am a very mobile user. The cradle was too bulky, so I pitched it in place of a hotsync cable, and then once I got IR Sync working, I pitched the cable. So as long as the Visor has IR, who needs a cradle?

I've been suprised that I have not seen this point brought out. Do others really rely on that bulky cradle? Just curious.

???!

I, for one, plan on hotsyncing several times a day to keep up-to-date. One of the main reasons I am getting a Visor is so that I can have access to email on the go, and so that I can take my school and work web pages with me via Avantgo.

IrDA is definitely nice, but if I'm not mistaken its data rate is sigificantly lower than the expected Visor USB throughput, and most PC hardware today lacks IrDA support. [let me clarify this in advance: the mobo supports it, but it lacks the optical hardware]

What I would like to see though are USB cable only and serial cable only hotsync links. Definitely more portable!

[This message has been edited by Tiroth (edited 10-05-1999).]

I'm getting one because I'm a freak when it comes to losing data. I just hate thinking about it, and I fear everytime I turn on my sharp wizard that everything I know and love will be gone.. I get the contrast message almost every time, and everytime I hit enter with a shaky hand and hope everything is ok.

I'll use the cradle just because I have USB and unless there's an easier way, why not.

I use my cradle a ton... I have one at the office and one at home and usually sync 3-4 times per week.

But it should be pointed out that one reason for not including a cable with one Visor is because some couples might be buying matching Visors, now that they can afford a good PDA. So with one couple and supposing one computer, they'd only need one cradle. Why not save them a few bucks and offer them what they need?

My boss is in that very same situation, and is really considering upgrading from a Palm III to a Visor Deluxe, and getting his wife a Visor Solo. Perfect solution for them!

I sync a lot. My impression is that IR-syncing is pretty rare, so most people smart enough to back up their Palms probably use the cradle.

The Solo is probably best for households/companies that have one sync PC for multiple Visors.

Not syncing a Palm or Visor at least occasionally for backup -- whether via a cradle or IR or whatever -- is just asking for trouble.

Back in the Olde Days, in the Pre-Palmian Era, I had an electronic organizer. It *could* be backed up, but it was a hassle to do so, so I didn't. I eventually regretted it.

I would NEVER suggest not syncing on a regular basis. I sync 2-3 times a day or more. I simply never use the cradle as I find IR sync (or simply a hotsync cable) much more convenient for a mobile worker.

I would imagine the cradle would make some sense for people still tied to a desktop PC, especially since most desktops do not have IR, but for the laptop user it's a different ballgame.

Tiroth - Check out the accessories section of the new web site a USB cable is being offered, I think it goes for 19.99.

I will have a cradle at home and one at work. My work laptop is NT so the IR port is useless, my home desktop does not have an IR port so that won't work either. I used IR Sync at my last job when my laptop had Win 98, and it was very cool.

Also note that the Solo does not come with desktop software either. I think that they intended it for Students to use without access to a computer at all. Check out http://www.thinkoutside.com
for a "Solo" solution