Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 85

Visorphone no longer in production?

From a ZDNet article, dated October 15th:

"Handspring has stopped manufacturing the VisorPhone add-on and will soon announce a trade-in program in which current VisorPhone owners will be able to upgrade a Treo device, a Handspring representative said Monday."

I ordered mine fully expecting that there would be a three week wait or so, but after reading that snippet I'm wondering just how long the wait really is. Anybody have any input to offer?

__________________
...the patron saint of the easily amused...

Registered: Apr 2000
Location:
Posts: 71

Good point. I just oreder one at the $99 price and expected it in 2-3 weeks. How about a link to that article?

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

quote:

---

Originally posted by LMidnight
How about a link to that article?

---

__________________
Jeff

Registered: Aug 2000
Location:
Posts: 137

I ordered my Visorphone on the 19th and got it on the 29th. I thought I would have to wait longer.

My impression of the Visorphone: It's cool! It works very well. I showed some friends yesterday, and they were impressed. One newbie just received a VDX from her son (she has no idea how to use it). I popped in the VPhone into her VDX and the phone worked flawlessly. Everyone was amazed!

__________________
Million Dollar Bills, anyone?

<a href="http://www.millionbill.com">www.MillionBill.com</a>

Registered: Apr 2000
Location:
Posts: 71

Thanks, PDAENVY.

I'm glad to hear someone who ordered the vphone after the 15th has received it. When I placed my order on the 23rd, the website listed it as 'in stock, ready to ship'. The next day there was a notice on the website indicating that all orders after the 15th would be back-ordered for 2-3 weeks. damnitall.

Maybe there's hope, after all!

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Utah
Posts: 78

I ordered on the 16th. I received credit approval from Voicstream on the 23rd. The next day I saw the shipping notice that said it would be two to three weeks if you ordered after the 15th. I received mine on October 28th.

My Visorphone is awseome! I'm surprised to read the article about stopping production, especially in light of Handspring's recent push to sell the Visorphones.

Registered: Sep 2000
Location:
Posts: 107

Hmm, I'm not happy.

I ordered mine the 5th of October, got approval the following Monday and received an email saying it would ship within 48 hours. A week passed and I still hadn't received it, so I emailed HS. Their reply was that it was 'backordered' and would ship as soon as possible.

I constantly checked my order status page daily with no change in the status (hell, it's STILL "Preparing Order"), and then a few days ago I read the message about the shipping delay. "Okay", I said, so at least now I know when they'll ship it.

Now I check here and see that people who ordered it after the 15th have already received it? What's up with that?

I do have a question. Those of you who ordered and received it, did you pay the $99 for it? Or was it the 'free w/activation' dealie? Maybe they're prioritizing the paid vs. freebie orders or something.

Oh well. The 1st IS tomorrow. Here's to hoping my order status will change . . .

__________________
-Richard Powell

"Nice guys may finish last, but you know, the company's much better back here."

Registered: Oct 2001
Location: Simsbury, CT
Posts: 40

I've been on the fence about whether or not to order one of these things. Perhaps my decision will be made for me by them dropping it. It's no longer featured on the home page (at least not today) but you can still get to the free offer page by clicking on the Prism (and probably via other routes).

raptor, I would doubt that they'd give priority to people paying $99 for it, as these are presumably existing Voicestream customers who are already on a contract of some sort. I would think that new customers (even though they get it for free) are actually worth more to Voicestream. So, I'd imagine it's either a wash or the new customers would/should get priority. Perhaps your order fell through the cracks. I'd send them an email telling them that you've heard of others ordering after you already getting theirs.

Scott

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 153

I ordered mine on the 26th October and got it today, the 31st, via FEDEX. I fully expect Handspring to discontinue it sometime next year when the grayscale Treo appears. I'm expecting to get a color Treo so I figure I've got a year or so use of the $99 Visorphone before then.

Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 85

quote:

---

Originally posted by dtplink
I ordered mine on the 26th October and got it today, the 31st, via FEDEX. I fully expect Handspring to discontinue it sometime next year when the grayscale Treo appears. I'm expecting to get a color Treo so I figure I've got a year or so use of the $99 Visorphone before then.

---

__________________
...the patron saint of the easily amused...

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 153

I'm enjoying setting it up and making calls and MY Handspring status at this moment says "Preparing Order". Go figure! Now I have to wait a couple days for the Vaja Prism/VisorPhone case.

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Them Twin Cities
Posts: 1758

i guess this means that HS may actually be abandoning the springboard platform after all

__________________
Don't like somebody? Click "Profile" on a post and then click "Ignore "so and so's" posts". Voila!

Registered: Apr 2000
Location:
Posts: 71

FYI, raptor. I received an email this morning notifying me that my vphone has been shipped. I ordered on the 23rd, and I already have service, so I paid the $99.

The only thing that concerns me is that handspring didn't tell me my vdx would have to be replaced until _after_ the vphone had shipped. I guess early versions of the vdx have a weak microphone?

Anyone familiar with the replacement policy? Will I have to live without my vdx while they ship me a new/reconditioned unit?

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

quote:

---

Originally posted by LMidnight
The only thing that concerns me is that handspring didn't tell me my vdx would have to be replaced until _after_ the vphone had shipped. I guess early versions of the vdx have a weak microphone?

Anyone familiar with the replacement policy? Will I have to live without my vdx while they ship me a new/reconditioned unit?

---

__________________
Jeff

Registered: Aug 2000
Location:
Posts: 137

I ordered the free phone with activation and got the Vphone in 10 days. I also ordered the express shipping (only $3 more) and received the phone even before the I got an e-mail notice that the phone was shipped.

The VDX I was using had a faulty microphone in that it was difficult to hear when speaking from it, so HS sent OVERNIGHT a new Visor! I was very very impressed with that. This one seemed to work better. The customer service rep said my Visor was still under warranty and I was approved for a replacement. It was only a 2 minute conversation!

Awesome customer service!

Mike

__________________
Million Dollar Bills, anyone?

<a href="http://www.millionbill.com">www.MillionBill.com</a>

Registered: Apr 2000
Location:
Posts: 71

I talked to cust serv this morning and they've sent out a new vdx. It seemed straight forward, but after reading PDAENVY's story, I'm not getting my hopes up.

Considering my vdx is almost two years old, I won't mind if it's a reconditioned unit. It has to be in better condition than the one I have. Let's just hope the 'mic' works!

BTW, the cust serv rep did verify that it was an RF problem, not the actual 'mic'.

Registered: Apr 2000
Location:
Posts: 71

For those interested, I received the vphone last night. It seems to work fine with the 'un-optimized' visor. The replacement is still on the way. Even with the 2-3 week backorder, over all it took 8 days with express shipping to get it. Not bad.

Registered: Oct 2001
Location: Durham NC
Posts: 5

I got mine in a week!

After Handspring got approval from Cingular, my phone shipped 2 days later. I ordered it on Oct 22nd and received it on Oct 29th. It works better than I expected after seeing all of the negative stuff on various discussion boards. I love it so far. Just trying to find a cheap isp now.

Registered: Aug 2000
Location:
Posts: 137

Cheap ISP

Here's the ISP I use for backup and for my dialup for the VisorPhone.

www.sprintdial.net

Only $10/month. No contract.
I think it's only a $10 setup fee.

wt.net and ev1.net (also $10/month) had $50 setup fees!

Michael

__________________
Million Dollar Bills, anyone?

<a href="http://www.millionbill.com">www.MillionBill.com</a>