Registered: Apr 2001
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 8

Hello,

I am the proud new owner of a Visor Prism, my first Palm-compatible PDA. I like the form factor, the expandability with the Springboard modules and the color screen especially. My first PDA was the Phillips Velo Win CE device a few years ago but even with the cool internal modem I thought it was limited. IMHO it was too early in the developent cycle of PDAs at that time for me to really enjoy the device, especially with the inefficient old CE 2.0 (if i recall) op sys, the fragilely-hinged Velo case, the lack of a color screen and the more limited apps available then.

Anyway, now I am enjoying playing around with the Visor Prism and the many free apps available online. I am also making use of the Eyemodule2 digital camera which is ok. I use the backup module as well, but the killer module to me is going to be the Visor Phone. I am interested in it as much or more for the wireless internet capability as much as using it as a regular cell phone. I already have Nextel cell phone service and I am generally happy with it, but I am curious if anyone has tried the Visor Phone as an alternative cell phone for voice calls or especially using it as a wireless internet connection with various Palm-compatible apps for checking e-mail, instant messaging/chat, newsgroups and simple net surfing? How do you like it? Even though it is kind of expensive, do you think that it is worth the money? How is the coverage in your area? I am in South Florida (Fort Lauderdale area). Thanks in advance for any advice.

Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA
Posts: 50

You can't use the Visorphone to surf the web. You can send and receive email on it but it is limited to 140 characters.
What I like about it is the ability to use your date book dial numbers. What I don't like is the fact that it is so large.

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Registered: Apr 2001
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 8

Visor Phone

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Azdeadwood
[B]You can't use the Visorphone to surf the web. You can send and receive email on it but it is limited to 140 characters.

Ok just to be clear, so I understand, is there some *particular* technical reason, one cannot surf the web with the Visor phone? I could have sworn some other reviewers said it was possible, but I keep getting mixed information so I hope you don't mind if I press for details. Is it literally impossible or just in some sense practically impossible? Isn't the phone is just making a wireless connection to the service provider (VoiceStream I think in my area) for GSM calls, plus one would be able to use whatever applications one has, such as Eudora for getting POP e-mail from your local isp account, EudoraWeb for web surfing, Yanoff newsreader for Usenet or AOL IM for instant messaging on the Palm, for example, to connect?

Why would there be a limitation on surfing the web other than the fact that it is slow and many pages with frames or grahics would come out garbled? Couldn't you surf PDA friendly sites and get 200+ line e-mails if you were wiling to wait or is it absolutely impossible with the Visor Phone?

Registered: Apr 2001
Location: Maryland
Posts: 4

quote:

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Originally posted by Azdeadwood
You can't use the Visorphone to surf the web. You can send and receive email on it but it is limited to 140 characters.
What I like about it is the ability to use your date book dial numbers. What I don't like is the fact that it is so large.

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

You can use the visorphone to surf the web. I do it all the time. Just use it like any modem.

Registered: Mar 2001
Location:
Posts: 44

What Azdeadwood may have been referring to, and what JimGunn needs to understand is that the VisorPhone is like any other data enabled cell phone. You need to have a separate ISP, and also pay the cell phone provider for the data service. I've read a lot of threads lately on other sites from people who think they're getting ripped off because their cell phone data service is not Internet service.

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Talldog

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 45

I really want a Visor Phone but, I need to know if you have to spend additional money above the regular phone plan to use it as a wireless modem??? I checked VoiceStream for my area and they have a basic plan (19.95 per month. They note that you have to have an additional service called DataStream (29.95 per month) to connect to your ISP for email and web browsing bringing the monthly grand total to $50!!! Does anyone know if you actually need a special data service when you purchase a GSM phone package to have it work as a wireless modem?

Not sure if having the Visor Phone is worth it for me right now.

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

quote:

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Originally posted by markleetoo
I really want a Visor Phone but, I need to know if you have to spend additional money above the regular phone plan to use it as a wireless modem??? I checked VoiceStream for my area and they have a basic plan (19.95 per month. They note that you have to have an additional service called DataStream (29.95 per month) to connect to your ISP for email and web browsing bringing the monthly grand total to $50!!! Does anyone know if you actually need a special data service when you purchase a GSM phone package to have it work as a wireless modem?

Not sure if having the Visor Phone is worth it for me right now.

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Registered: Dec 2000
Location:
Posts: 22

markleetoo

Voicestream offers free data access. When you sign up, just ask themn to activate the feature (it may even be standard). However, all the minutes (hours?) you will be surfing the web, will be deducted from you plan minutes (similar to making phone calls). If I remember correctly, the $19.95 plan gives you 75 min or so. This is the theory.
I am trying in vain to use my Timeport phone through the IR port as a modem with the VPL, doesn't work (time out errors, PW erros etc.). I know my settings are correct since it works in Germany with Deutsche Telekom.

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: St. Louis
Posts: 308

visor phone is realy nice, but GSM has to be aviable in your area, and in mine it's not...

The only real problem that I have is that you don't have unlimited surfing time, this is the main reason I don't have a cell phone, and it's the main reason that I'm going for CDPD (wich may be enough to do a VOIP thing that is equal in quality to an older Cell phone, because you have unlimited data plans for 25 dollors a month. (unfortunatly visor users can't use this because the carrier's don't support the minstral S, but Verizon is know supporting the iPAQ and jordana720, which is ok for me. I'm sorry to bragg folks, but I can't help it.)

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Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 33

Visorphone works rather well in south Florida, with voicestream, I have been using it since it came out in December, and every day I am more and more impress with it's capabilities. you can surf the web, good enough similar to using the omnisky modem,using either the Eudora or blazer programs, I like blazer, I use with pictures on and even it is slightly slower, the real internet web effect in color and pictures is preserved. connection is rather quick thru my ISP (Bellsouth.net)
But, I primarily use the visorphone as a cellular, its very convenient having just one device does it all, user friendly. etc. I just wish they developed some better ring tones. I am also using the platronics earphone with volume control mute etc.
So far very satisfied with it, just another wish it could be slimmer .

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Cambridge, MA 02155
Posts: 18

Visorphone data use

It was indeed confusing when I first got my phone, especially since Voicestream customer service people are pretty clueless about it. However I now know that I can use regular minutes (that the software unfortunately doesn't track) to dial my ISP and browse the web/get e-mail.

A funny thing is that this only works some places, and only started working near my home some time after I got my phone. I think it's a feature that the provider has to enable in its area. When I travelled through New York and Connecticut this weekend it didn't work, but as soon as I entered Massachusetts it worked abgain.