Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan USA
Posts: 790

quote:

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Originally posted by Hoser_in_USA:
... it looks like they've already got the software developed for it

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Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Metro Station, Hollywood and Highland
Posts: 1018

Hoser:

F@#*, that was awesome! Let the rumors of premature shipping dates begin!

Registered: Nov 1999
Location:
Posts: 67

Outstanding work, Hoser! Something looks odd, though: how come in the 4th, 5th, and 6th pictures it looks like there are flanges that jut out of the sides of the module to rest over the top of the Visor, but in the 3rd picture the flange is gone? In any case, it's reassuring that there's something tangible out there.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: New Mexico, USA
Posts: 112

Seems to me the *crucial* question here is whether or not the cellphone springboard can maintain a phone connection while you're doing something else on the Visor. No nifty earpiece is going to help at all so long as you lose your connection if you switch to your datebook. The Dragonball isn't much of a multitasker at this point.

And what's the point of having all your mission-critical data on the Visor if you can't get at it while on the phone?

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 391

quote:

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Seems to me the *crucial* question here is whether or not the cellphone springboard can maintain a phone connection while you're doing something else on the Visor.

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Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 33

hmmm.

Looks fake to me. What's that url link up to anyway? It's just somebody's home page. Where'd the pics come from? Why are they so bad? Looks like some joe-shmoe trying to pull a fast one.

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: McLean, VA USA
Posts: 216

Bodhizafa,

From what I understand it is not digital phones (such as my Nokie 2160 or my wife's 6120) that you can't move to a different carrier it is on PCS type phones that can't be moved. I can cancel my Cellular One service and use AT&T with either of my phones. However, a Sprint PCS phone will not work on an MCI PCS system.

Anyone out there absolutely sure about this? As I said this is the way I understand it.

Later,

Craig Hook

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 391

quote:

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Where'd the pics come from? Why are they so bad?

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Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Columbia, MO
Posts: 125

Regarding cellphones switching from carrier to carrier - only some phones used by large carriers, ie AT&T and Sprint, are incapable of being used on another carrier's system. Handsets like the Nokia 51xx and 61xx from another cellualr company will work with any carrier using the same type of wireless network (after reprogramming). As to whether a Sprint ot AT&T customer could utilize the future Visor cell module, that would be up to the cellular carrier. The module would have to be of the same network type (TDMA, CDMA, or GSM), and also would need to operate using the same roaming database (basically band switching system)as their regular phones. OK, that's more than anybody wanted to know about cellular...

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: bright side of the moon.
Posts: 996

If you noticed, the address is in Australia, and ABC World News Tonight could be either here or down there. It was also broadcast on September 13th, 1999.

The last picture on the page shows the green/orange/ice visors lying next to eachother with modules in the back. I recognize the cell phone module and the modem module (sorta) and what could be the 8MB or backup module, but what's the module on the far right with the small keypad???

AND WHY DID SOMEBODY IN AUSTRALIA SEE THIS LAST SEPTEMBER AND WE DIDN"T????

I think (conspiracy theory) that there are some REALLY cool modules being used by donna and the gang right now that we don't know about.

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 6

All this talk got me even more psyched about the prospect of a cell phone module. Keep looking for announcements! I'm thrilled to see how active this post is, so keep the discussion going.

Registered: Mar 2000
Location:
Posts: 6

I just want to be able to use my Visor to dial in to my ISP and get information from the web without having to connect to a land line or use a cell phone. I don't really want to use my Visor as a cell phone, just a wireless web tool. Trade stocks, get news and weather, sports scores, send and retrieve email, etc.

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 10

Some digital celluar phones (did some one mention the Nokia 51xx 61xx?) are programed for a particular carrier (at&t or bell, I know of a particular batch of nokia 51xx that are at&t only) and cannot be swiched over to another side carrier (some A side phones are just that way)thus, we must be sure to ask for IRDBs that are NOT locked (that just really messes up the programing (( IRDB Intelegent Roamer DataBase)).

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Richmond, VA, USA
Posts: 151

Story that mentions Visor cell phone module (by Christmas): http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-sr...e000149_000.htm

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Western Australia
Posts: 2

http://www.option.com/news/handspring.htm - check this link out and also the references to FirstFone given that the Springboards boast the same pin configuration as PC cards.

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Posts: 1

http://www.visor-springboards.com

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 5

Hi, everyone:
I'm new here. As I read through all the posting, I wondering about one thing: How come nobody talk about the battery? The battery account for most weight on a cell phone. I definitely don't want another 4 oz add to my visor. And I don't think 2 AAA battery could last more than 10 minutes. Also the cost must be like the new Nokia 8800 series.

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 45

quote:

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Originally posted by saranss:
If it's not as good as your current cell phone, are you still going to buy it?

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Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 31

One thing that no-one has mentioned here is a viable hybred phone / pda that is more functional than the bloated, low-battery Qualcomm PDQ.

In one of the early days of this site, there was a report or link to an article on the main page from an electronics convention. The writer had seen a Handspring staff member with a "mini-visor." The writer blew off this sighting as a unfunctional experiment, but it has always stuck in my mind as the perfect solution to the phone / pda problem.

Imagine: a startac size phone with no punch pad when flipped open - just a smooth exspanse of "mini-visor" screen. The reduction in screen size wouldnt even be terribly large.

Instead of a pad, the "buttons" could show like the native app calculater - big enought to use your fingers and not have to take out a pen.

I am not super techie, but my understanding is that the main problem with shrinking the screen is that the current raft of programs would not be able to "scale" for it. Does anyone know if that true?

This is really where all these phones are going - my Motorola Timeport syncs to my computer (and my palm desktop), carries a phone book, browser, schedule etc. The only thing it is missing is the pen entry. I refuse to play with those silly key button alpha interfaces.

To all those developers out there: make a visor / palm phone that has a decent battery and doesnt weigh four pounds (what was qualcomm thinking?) and this board will beat a path to your door!

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 6

Hello. I just wanted to revive this post. Did anything find anything about a cell phone module yet? And if not, WHY? What's taking so long with these springboards that there's not a single useful hardware one available that isn't available for palm. I WANT A CELLPHONE MODULE.