Registered: Aug 2000
Location:
Posts: 4

Hey Innogear,

Why don't you change your name to "Vaporgear"?

I am so furious with these never-ending Minijam delays...

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 638

Their latest contact said tomorrow. After then we light up the torches.
BEN

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: NYC
Posts: 287

Innogear makes us feel like fools

They keep fooling us with more lies and we believe in them. We keep thinking they are the ones for us and they laugh on our face.

I actually bought my visor because of Innogear's modules and now I am disappointed at both Handspring and Innogear.

Yes, I said Handspring because they are the ones who promised us a lot of modules by the end of the summer and here we are with nothing but a bunch of useless modules. Ex:
Light led? Innopak? Remote module? And more

Please, don't wash your hands saying that you are not the one who develops the modules because it is really your responsibility to give license to developers not liars.

Come on Handspring you must have an agreement statement about these issues



Al

__________________
It all started way back in February 2000 with a Blue VDX.

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Fairfax, VA
Posts: 1

I called the 877-711-6778 number today, and spoke with "Ian," who told me Innogear is shipping MiniJams as we spoke (8/31).

I'll believe it when I see it, but it was news.

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Garland, TX, USA
Posts: 108

My god, Al, you sound desperate!

It seems convenient that you mentioned only a few modules you've deemed "useless," one of which really isn't in my opinion. I have the Omniremote, and no it's not extremely functional, but it is certainly not useless!

But you completely omitted modem modules. Handspring has been shipping those for quite some time now. Just how "useless" are those? Oh, and wait, what about the backup module? Yeah, that's pretty freaking "useless" too, isn't it? In fact, I'm sure some would consider an mp3 module to be not that practical either.

Sure, Innogear has had shipping delays. As an engineer in the electronics business, I know what part allocation is all about. I've had projects go on indefinite delay because of it. Innogear may not be handling it that great either, but just how badly do you need your mp3 player?

Take a break, get some sun, and relax!

[Edited by Ruprect on 09-05-2000 at 11:45 AM]

Registered: Mar 2000
Location:
Posts: 98

Hey Ruprect! While I agree with you, I also agree completely with Al. Some of us, in fact I would say many of us, bought the Visor because of promissed upcoming functionality enhancements by way of the Springboard slot. Innogear's 6-pack was the primary reason I bought two of them. Well, here we are almost a year after Handspring shipped and no 6-pack. They might actually be getting the Minijam out the door, but I don't think they have just yet.

Bottom line is this: Innogear continues to set what have proven to be unrealistic release dates. They blame the industries shortage of chips, etc. That is crap. Remember several years ago when the Japanese factory that made RAM burned down? Remember how long that RAM crunch lasted? No? I think maybe you don't remember because it lasted less than three months. In today's advanced manufacturing processes, chips take minutes to make, not weeks.

Innogear just plain sucks. Their marketing sucks, their development sucks, their public affairs suck, their management sucks. They just plain suck. One year later and still no real modules from them. I hope they go bankrupt. they deserve it.

Registered: Aug 2000
Location:
Posts: 107

Ouch!

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Chandler, AZ
Posts: 289

This is starting to sound like the discussion geared toward Handspring about 10 months ago when people were waiting upwards of 2 months for their Visor's to ship. On top of this, they were unable to cancel / check status / etc..etc..etc.. I guess when your chasing after the latest and greatest products, your bound to expect some delays / disappoinments / etc.. I think innogear should be given some slack .. they are a fairly new company that has a very similar problem to the young Handspring -- demand far exceeding expectations -- so unfortunatley, resources are pulled from development and put into customer service, supply chain management, manufacturing, etc..etc.. The end result is the continuing push back of the ship date, unfortunately.

Joe

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

My main problem with Innogear isn't the delays. It's lack of notification. The fact that the MiniJam is shipping without being able to store files other than MP3 is a problem made worse by the fact that people have orders in for the product who were relying on that capability. Since Flash memory is the most affected component in the parts crunch, it'll be interesting to see if Innogear will ship the SixPak with voice recording (the first feature dropped from the MiniJam).

I'm sorry, but with all due respect to James' review, I still don't see any advantage of the MiniJam over a standalone player -- especially without voice recording and multiple-format file storage.

Registered: Sep 2000
Location:
Posts: 2

FINALLY...

Finally a good MP3 player for my Visor!!!!! I've been waiting for something like this. An MP3 player is the obvious add-on for the Springboard. I can't wait to get my hands on the SoundsGood player. Look on Good.com -- they even offer a battery pack that let's the player work on it's own. When can i get this?

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 231

Advantage: Portability

quote:

---

I still don't see any advantage of the MiniJam over a standalone player--especially without voice recording and multiple-format file storage.

---

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

I'm less intereted in Flash memory-based audio players than hard-disk-based players like the Nomad Jukebox, which stores 6GB of MP3. Then again, it's $140 more than either module. But for nearly 10 times the music, the bang-for-the-buck is squarely in the Nomad's corner.

Of course, the Nomad is about the size of a portable CD player, so if carrying yet another device around is that annoying, the springboards are the better choice. Maybe I'll get one when the prices for Flash come back down to Earth.

As far as the multiple-format file storage, I wonder how many people that think this is such a great feature have had any experience with MP3 players. It's going to take a lot of self-discipline to use part of that 64MB for anything other than music.

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: Inglewood, CA, USA
Posts: 390

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gameboy70
As far as the multiple-format file storage, I wonder how many people that think this is such a great feature have had any experience with MP3 players. It's going to take a lot of self-discipline to use part of that 64MB for anything other than music.

---

<g> Yep - I'll be put to the test once I get my hands on the MJ. I've been telling myself that I won't carry more than 3-5 music files (maximum of 20-25 MB) at a time. We will see...

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"Attitudes are contagious... Is YOURS worth catching?"

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 638

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gameboy70

As far as the multiple-format file storage, I wonder how many people that think this is such a great feature have had any experience with MP3 players. It's going to take a lot of self-discipline to use part of that 64MB for anything other than music.

---

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 28

1) Memory allocation - self control and 2) file storage

My plan was to simply purchase additional "low storage capacity"(16MB or 32MB) MMC cards for data storage.

I'm sure I wouldn't have the control NOT to fill up the 64MB card with MP3's and Audible content.

Nevertheless, this remains a moot point; I haven't ordered my MiniJam yet. I'm still waiting to see if the Visor will be able to launch the Palm files stored on the MMC (like the 8MB Flash Module)... or if the MMC would be only a storage area for the files (like the Backup Module).

*Sigh*

Will we ever know?

__________________

(OvaGirl's home away from home)

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Alive and well on VisorCentral.com
Posts: 861

Still bummed out..

Palm Pilot file storage was the primary reason I wanted to get the Minijam in the first place. If I wanted just an MP3 player I would have got a Rio (Despite the fact I have issues with Diamond/S3, but that's another story) or one of those new Phillips Mp3/CD players.

My disappointment with Innogear to date has been multi-fold, First it was the fact that it uses MMC and not smartmedia (was hoping to reuse my older smaller digi camera SM cards and avoid hot-syncing by using my USB SM reader/writer) (this wasn't really their fault, a typo in an early review I read, but still disappointing), then it was lack of voice recording, I can live without the voice recording (would have been nice, especially for boring meetings at work) but I can live with out that, next was (and still is) the lack of any significant number of units shipping, (and I ordered on the day the pre-order offer was mailed to me), I still consider the minijam not a shipped product until I hear that more people actually have them, next was the fact that the minijam's MMC cards can not be read by 3rd party USB readers (I asked them in an email at one time), and finally the fact it doesn't yet support the use of the MMC cards as palm pilot storage space. The use of the MMC card as storage justifies my buying this unit as something for work and not just another (expensive) �toy�.

What has not been a disappointment with Innogear, well, they do actually respond to your questions with a real answer in a day or so, pretty good considering the rest of the computer industry's track record. I am also relived to find out that you don't have to actually hot sync the mp3's over (thank goodness!) although a separate USB MMC reader would be the best solution, (rumor has it they are working on one); (Innogear as much as I hate saying this, if you are reading this, PLEASE focus on the pilot storage issue, shelve the usb reader until you get it done. Make sure it's full use of all the minijam's MMC space and it works like the handspring 8mb module)

I guess on the bright side is they can still add at least one of the missing features via software updates, let�s hope that they add "new" additional functionality (via updates) of things that we haven�t even thought of yet (i.e. how about using some of the MMC space to backup your visor to like the HS backup module, would be nice not having to swap modules back and forth, this would be a nice bonus for those of us who are still sticking with Innogear despite the reduced feature set and delays.)

I�m sure once we get our minijams this will all be a distant memory, (like Handspring was in the beginning)

Still waiting for my minijam.....

[Edited by EricG on 09-07-2000 at 10:41 PM]

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Garland, TX, USA
Posts: 108

EricG,

Very well spoken, my man! I agree with most of your points. Yes, voice recording would have been cool -- not soley why I would buy, but definitely an added feature that would probably add value.

The non-mp3 file backup was, for me as well, a reason to "ice the deal" so to speak. That would have justified buying such a really cool toy.

I too hope they've engineering into their product the ability to update software in the field to include this functionality down the road. Question: has Innogear indicated that this is possilbe?

Another question: you mentioned that "don't have to actually hot sync the mp3's over." I wasn't aware of another method. Can you elaborate? Thanks!

===== edit ======
I just thought of something. Why would Innogear include the Peanut reader without the ability to store non-mp3 files on the MiniJam? I quote from their product page: "With MiniJam you can read eBooks on your Visor." They also still describe MiniJam as: "Mass storage of Palm OS Applications and Database files." Why haven't they removed this if it's not true?!

[Edited by Ruprect on 09-08-2000 at 12:23 PM]

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Rob Lund
The Rob Pages
[email protected]

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Alive and well on VisorCentral.com
Posts: 861

I was referring to using a conduit, like the way you would normally hotsync your e-mail, install programs or update Avantgo webpages. I try not to hotsync to often, once a day at best.

See James's review of the minijam on this site http://www.visorcentral.com/vcrevie...?id=55&pv=1
, Innogear uses their own alternative (hotsync type) software, yes, you still use the USB cradle but you don't do a normal full hotsync (i.e. using the 3Com/Palm created Desktop program), this is still a good thing, as my normal hotsync's take a few minutes, (I have a bunch of Avantgo pages and I try to fully backup all my databases as well), having to go thru a typical hotsnyc cycle just to update my mp3's would not be a very good thing at all! My batteries would be dead in a few days.

I think they still plan on adding MMC mass-storage to the minijam. (I am hoping it will be real soon). They may just not have made it in time for shipping (may still have bugs, etc?). On their website they did indicate the ability to upgrade the minijams software via updates, again another good thing, and also James indicates as much in his review as well. I am confident it will only be a short delay before it's added as an update.

They probably have their handsfull just trying to get the thing out the door.. :-)

I had also sent them an email at one time asking if the MMC cards the minijam uses can be read/written using a 3rd party USB MMC card readers. They said that they use a proprietary format. However, I saw somewhere that they were planning on releasing one when the MiniJam was shipping (as well as other accessories). This would be the ultimate, pop the card in, and transfer the mp3's very quickly (Hey Innogear - maybe palm apps & etc as well someday? not just mp3's - just a suggestion.)

[Edited by EricG on 09-08-2000 at 12:59 PM]

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 1571

quote:

---

Originally posted by Slacker


Innogear just plain sucks. Their marketing sucks, their development sucks, their public affairs suck, their management sucks. They just plain suck. One year later and still no real modules from them. I hope they go bankrupt. they deserve it.

---

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

I think most of Innogear's problems stemmed from giving any sort of time frame for their flagship products rather than simply saying "to be announced." I'll bet if they had to do it all over again, they would've refused to comment on when they expected the MiniJam and SixPak to ship. Notice that they haven't said a word on upcoming InnoPaks.

A few months ago, I tried to write an article on Springthings. I called the PR department and did my best to pry any information whatsoever on what kind of modules they were making, when they would be released, etc. I couldn't get anything out of them. When they changed their name to Good Technologies, I tried again, even more determined after finding out that they were funded by the likes of Kleiner-Perkins (Silicon Valley's preeminent VC firm). Nada.

As frustrating as it was to get nothing out of them, I really admire the fact that they kept their mouths shut until they had a product on the verge of shipping. Ditto for Thincomm. That's the way to avoid the kind of bad blood we've seen surrounding Innogear, Navicom and others.

If there are indeed thousands of Springboard manufacturers, as Handspring claims, then we should be in for a lot of pleasant surprises like Good. My advice to all those manufacturers: stay below radar until you're ready to ship.