Registered: Sep 1999
Location: at work...
Posts: 736

Looks like palmgear/glenayre is delaying their shipment as well:

>Shipments will begin on 09.18.00 of this product, orders
>placed prior will be fulfilled first!

I tried calling palmgear for order status, but kept getting
voicemail.

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 3

Who do we blame?

Well I sent E-Mail to both Hanspring and Glenayre this is what I sent and each blame the other. So yes i am mad.

Hi,My name is John Anderson. I have purchased about
$850.00 worth of Handspring products. I am very
unhappy that in order for me to get the @ctiveLink
Wireless Communication Module I also must buy another
Visor Deluxe. The module will not work with the Deluxe
that I have. I want to know what is (Handspring/Glenayre) going to do about this? Is there a new version of Visors out with shielding? What do I do with the 2 yes 2 Visors I have so that I can use this new module?

Thank you for your e-mail.
The Active Link module is a 3rd party module, entirely independent from Handspring.
Handspring does not have any shielding for the Visor, that may be required for this module.
Please contact the developer of the module, to find out where such shielding is available.


Thank you,
Handspring Technical Support


From: [email protected] ("Wireless Services (Santa Clara)" <[email protected]> )
Subj: RE: @ctiveLink Wireless Communication Module
Date: 9/13/00 11.46

This is a handspring issue. They have not told us their plan yet as far as
an upgrade goes. An upgrade has been mentioned but that is it. As
handspring what they plan to do with current visor to make it @ctivelink
ready.

Brent Edwards

I dont think they have a clue. I guess i should stop telling folks how great Handspring is.

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

If the bundled Visor is modified, then Handspring is presumably doing the modification. That means Handspring's responsible. My guess is that the @ctiveLink was the first module to demonstrate problems with the unshielded Visor, and Handspring realized that RF issues might happen with other wireless modules. If so, Handspring's in a bind. The company has to: add shielding to the Visor, upsetting current owners; pass the buck to Springboard manufacturers, adding even more delays and raising the cost of the products; or disavow the problem, which will blow up in Handspring's face when customers start complaining about the modules affecting the Visor's performance, display or memory. Hopefully, it's only a problem with the @ctiveLink.

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 604

This gets worse and worse. I haven't been this teed off since the shipping debacle last year.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: at work...
Posts: 736

More delays

Just got a message back from palmgear -- it looks like there's another delay. He said they now don't expect the units to arrive from the manufacturer until 9/25. Don't hold your breath, folks.

P.S. I also agree that the additional shielding is Handspring's problem. I don't believe they would have allowed Glenayre's springboard module to require a new Visor (thus limiting the expandability of the original visors) if it were the ONLY module that would need the shielding. As others have suggested, they probably did not discover the problem until Glenayre and possibly other springboard manufacturers brought it to their attention.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 179

What a CROCK!

It figures..after waiting a whole freaking year for some cool springboards to show up we find out that the visors we all waited months to get won't even work with them. Handspring better fix this and they better fix it fast. I for one will go elsewhere for my mobile computing needs...

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 3

Now this

I got a call from Sam a supervisor with HS customer service. He told me that Glenayre was the ones "tweeking the visor." So now I have to get some answers from them. I want this springboard but not another visor. I also asked Sam if the visorphone module was going to need a visor with special shielding. He said it will work with all visor's. Well thats one piece of good news.

Registered: Aug 1999
Location: Inverness, FL
Posts: 428

I spoke earlier today to Allen Bush, a Handspring spokesman, about the @ctivelink interference issue.

When the standard version of the Visor is used with the @ctivelink
module, the @ctivelink may not perform optimally and could emit higher than normal RF interference that may disturb the @ctivelink's transmission. The module is completely functional in all standard Visor models, however, the Visor and @ctivelink may not perform optimally when used together and, it is likely, a user may not even notice that the issue exists at all.

We have not received information regarding how this issue came about; it might be a one-time issue since no other wireless modules appear to have this problem.

After realizing this issue, Handspring, "as a good development partner," decided to make a special version of the Visor to meet Glenayre's needs.

Today this Visor model is only bundled with the @ctivelink; it is unknown and cannot be determined whether it will replace the existing Visor line or be built in to future products. Handspring cannot comment on future products.

I have an interview scheduled with Glenayre's CEO next week, and will have a chance to ask him why the decision was made not to redesign the module to work with existing Visors (if it is technically possible).

Handspring acknowledged that a major reason why the Visor was optimized rather the @ctivelink stems from the fact that Glenayre, from a business standpoint, has decided to sell the bundle in different sales channels in order to appeal to new type of customer. This decision was made due to large commitments of the @ctivelink which will appeal to these new users who do not currently have Visor units. A bundle with an optimized Visor made sense to quickly get the product to the market to meet the business needs of Glenayre and its partners.

However, it doesn't make much sense for the existing Visor owners.

If Glenayre decides to release the @ctivelink as a standalone module
(Handspring indicates they may sometime into the future and the decision lies with Glenayre), users who are unhappy with the performance of their @ctivelink (due to the interference) may be able to trade-in their Visor for an optimized version. We have no information about when or how this trade in would work.

I will have more information next Wednesday, including Glenayre's take
On the issue) after the PCIA convention.

__________________
<B>Marcus Adolfsson</B>
Editor