VisorCentral.com - Most SpringBoard modules are useless

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VisorCentral.com (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/index.php)
- Springboard Modules (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/forumdisplay.php?forumid=10)
-- Most SpringBoard modules are useless (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/showthread.php?threadid=17368)

Posted by m4l2 on 08-06-2001 09:11 PM:

Fine you got me there, competition is a major factor when it comes to the prices coming down. However I don't care if there are 10 competing companies producing flash modules the fact of the matter is unless they want to just clear out their product at a loss(ie visophone $49) they can't sell them for less than what it cost them to make them. And if those 10 companies are only making small quantities they cannot get their costs down in order to sell cheaper. Computer parts are dirt cheap because of competition and they buy in volume to create in volume, and get good deals. Unless you can buy in volume you aren't going to get good prices, and that, along with the lack of competition is what is killing the module market, well that and companies dumb enought to think thier going to make millions selling $300 modules. Just my thoughts anyway.

Posted by usonian2001 on 08-06-2001 10:19 PM:

Re: Most SpringBoard modules are useless

quote:
Originally posted by UCSF_Med
Let me clarify that there are some very useful modules like: flash memory, backup, wireless (ethernet or modem), electronic references.

Useful to who? By what criteria? I'm not a doctor, so I don't think I would find the PDR very useful. I don't have a long public transit commute or the inclination to pay audible.com $12.95 a month or however much their subscription fees are, so I don't think I would find the Audible advisor very useful either. Just because I don't find them useful doesn't mean somebody else won't.

quote:

EyeModule - Why not just get a standalone camera? It's cheaper and takes better quality photos (if you get the right dig. camera)

Try spending the next 10 months (About how long I've had my Eyemodule) carrying your PDA and your standalone digicam with you all the time, and see how many pictures you've taken. What the Eyemodule lacks in picture quality and hardware options it makes up for in its great convenience.

quote:

MiniJam - Why not just get a standalone MP3 player? It's cheaper, smaller, and can often hold more memory.
Voice Recorders - Why not just get a standalone voice recorder? It's cheaper, smaller, and can often hold more record time
Radio - Why not just get a standalone walkmanr? It's cheaper, smaller, and usually more portable than a Visor when running, etc.

Again, try carrying around your Visor and your MP3 player, voice recorder, portable radio, or cell phone, and see how you like carrying all of those standalone devices all the time. I'll agree with you on the price factor, but I get really tired of the 'Why not just buy a stand-alone...' argument against Springboards - it misses the point. If my Eyemodule didn't already live in the Springboard slot all the time I would probably get a Visorphone; I'd love to have one device to carry around instead of two. (I don't care what I would look like holding my Visor to my ear. It's just a phone, people! And even if I did care I'd just use the earpiece.)

quote:

This is not meant to start a war, I have a VDx and I like the idea of expandability. but I think it's ludicrous for all these modules to be priced so astronomical when they seem to offer no competitive advantage or superior capabilities. How and why do they try to compete with the standalones?

Again, I'll agree with you on the price issue; the convenience of integrating a device into the PDA is a comptetitive advantage, but in and of itself it's not automatically going to sell me on a Springboard vs. a standalone if the cost/benefit ratio still seems skewed. At $49 I think the VisorPhone is a fantastic deal, and it definitely indicates that there's some pretty severe marking up going on somewhere in the distribution process. Companies are free to charge whatever they want for Springboards, but it gets frustrating when each new module coming out seems to be more expensive than the last!

-Andy

Posted by PDAddict on 08-06-2001 10:46 PM:

Niche Markets

One area that isn't being discussed here are modules for the niche markets. The Springboard form factor and Visor combination is absolutely perfect for many scientific/technical data acquisition modules. The platform has plenty of horsepower to drive applications and manipulate the data.

The applications are numerous in manufacturing, the food industry, education, etc.

You won't see these at Best Buy but they are out there and growing. It's the "underground" driver to the Springboard slot.

Posted by soukhov_dmitri on 08-07-2001 02:04 PM:

Re: Most SpringBoard modules are useless

quote:
Originally posted by UCSF_Med
Skipped...

For example:
EyeModule - Why not just get a standalone camera? It's cheaper and takes better quality photos (if you get the right dig. camera)

Skipped...

This is not meant to start a war, I have a VDx and I like the idea of expandability. but I think it's ludicrous for all these modules to be priced so astronomical when they seem to offer no competitive advantage or superior capabilities. How and why do they try to compete with the standalones?

A couple of words about EyeModule2 module. I was agreed with you until I bought Visor Prism. Now I changed my mind. On my VDx I can't see pictures - only uncertain shades. Now I can make tiny pictures and show them to my friends. OS 3.5 allows to embed pictures into ThinkDB and BugMe! applications - cool functionality. No desktop computer is needed. Color support lets me to use taking movie capability which on my VDx seems to be useless (even after download to desktop).

In another words - usefulness of Springboard modules not only depends on your day-to-day tasks but also on platform you're using.

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