Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 69

Does anyone know whether the Visor would be compatible with Palm-style cell phone connectivity kits?

Something like the Nokia cables that connect to the Palm III/V?

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Columbus, Ohio USA
Posts: 255

I never know which ones can connect. I finally got a cell phone, but I don't know if it will or not. I would mainly want it for wireless modems, and that's about it.

Everytime I ask the salespeople about it they either have no clue or try to push me to get something else. I was in radio shack one day and when I asked if any of the phones could connect to a palm organizer the dolt said "This phone here is an organizer, you don't need one of those." Yeah, whatever. Just what I need, 10 chars across and 5 lines down of pure 8 button per letter pressin' PDA bliss. After he handed me brochures, one of which was Brooke Shields talking about Breast Cancer (No lie) I had to leave.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Troy,MI
Posts: 12

I don't think so since the connector on the palm is different from the visor.

I know many newer phones have a 14.4 data/fax modem built into them. Which allows you to check e-mail or whatever w/o using a palm modem. I'm hoping they will come out with a similar connector for the visor so you wouldn't have to use the springboard to connect to the phone.

Am I right about this? It is just my understanding from following the newsgroups and reading web pages from people who have done such things.

John

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 69

I kinda figured the palm-side connector would be a problem.

I gathered a little more DISAPPOINTING info from Nokia yesterday. I knew that the IR port on the 61xx and 51xx US phones was 'cosmetic', but assumed that for the price, the new 8xxx series would have functional IR. Well, so much for that assumption. That's right, the $800 8860 also has a disabled IR port. That really sux. All of the ROTW GSM phones get ALL the nifty features... I'll assume that the new 8850 and 8210's IR will be disabled in the US also. Here's the WORD from Nokia:

------------------------

Dear Set,

Thank you for contacting Nokia Customer Care.


1). The Nokia 8860 phones used in the United States does not offer infrared capabilities at this time. The lens at the top of the Nokia 8860 phone is cosmetic only and has no functionality.


2). We appreciate your interest in new product developments in the United States. However, we regret we cannot be more specific with regard to who the cellular service providers will be for new models. We are unable to disclose technical information on products that have not been
released. As Nokia continues to research and develop prototype phones in the United States, we will continue to update our U.S. website at www.NokiaUSA.com.

-----------------


SO, anyway, regarding the cables... is it a pinout incompatibility, a physical connector incompatibility, or both?

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 231

If you're talking about the connector at the bottom of the Palm and the Visor for modem use-it shouldn't work. The Palm has 10 connectors whereas the Visor has either eight of six. Also, the Visor's connector is set up for USB while the Palm's is set up for serial connections.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: munich,germany
Posts: 5

i don�t know if they sell it in the us but the siemens s25 cellular has a data modem AND an IR-port so this gives you a hell of connectivity. it works with a palm. goto:www.palmos.com/info/discussion/messages/1546.html

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: VA, USA
Posts: 27

So the question is whether anyone has a cable for the visor, not if the Palm cable will work.

It would settle for a DB-9 to visor RS-232 cable, because I have a cell-phone to RS-232 DB-9 cable, It would be more crap to carry, and a bigger kludge to connect up, but it would be acceptable.

Unfortunitly I fear we may have to wait until the Springboards show up (like the innogear 6-pack, or even something that has just a plain serial port for an "external modem").

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 32

This was taken from the Developers section of HS's web site. "The cradle connector is located at the bottom of the handheld device. It is typically used for communicating with a PC or Mac for data synchronization; however, a variety of peripherals such as keyboard, pager, or modem can also be interfaced to the handheld unit through this port." I sure hope some developers come out with cables to take advantage of this soon.

Charles

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 34

Innogear's unreleased SixPak (sp?) Springboard is said to have some sort of cell phone connectivity. The information currently on Innogear's Web site is pretty vague, though.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Montreal, Canada
Posts: 45

I have been using my Qualcomm QCP2700 for about 7 months now to get my e-mail using my laptop. When I bought the original cable (a simple phone to DB9 connection) Bell was offering a Pilot connection kit wish basically had two cables, Phone to db9 male, then female DB9 to Pilot socket.

Granted that its quite possible to make such cable and that Handspring does offer or would offer the info about the pin set up, I am really amazed nobody as even remotely thaught of this. Its so simple, I may put one of my engineers to the tasc. My original Qualcomm cable costed 75 CA.

BTW Try out the new tri mode thin phone from Qualcomm, its nice, light and inexpensive and supports all the new technologies. I wanted a Nokia 8800 but apparently, there is a manfucaturing flaw in the antenna that is pushing it back to February here in Canada. The worst part is that they inactivate the IR port, why?

[This message has been edited by molecularbond (edited 11-24-1999).]

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 69

From what I gather, Nokia had to disable the IR ports due to some kind of FCC licensing thing... something like the IR port was considered a Class ?? laser device...

It could also be related to the scarce GSM support in the US. Who know?

I feel cheated paying full price for a feature crippled device... Here in California, the 8860 sells for $799. OUCH! I was hoping to hold out for an IR capable fone, but ended up getting a Nokia 6160 a couple of weeks ago. No IR, but talk/standby time that kicks as*.

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 434

If the modem people smarten up and create a modem for the Visor that plugs into Nokia GSM phones and into the wall, I'd buy it in a shot. Up here in Canada, GSM is widely available, although not quite as common as CDMA and TDMA. I have the IR-crippled GSM Nokia 6190.

Who wants to buy two modems? I wonder if that 6-pak is going to be vapourware for a long time...

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Montreal, Canada
Posts: 45

Advantage of Bell Mobility. Anybody out there looking at PCS data on the go, many outfitters offer the same phones but only Bell Mobility, Fido and Clearnet (in Montreal downtown) will provide you with datatransfer directly in the phone without a modem. Eug I gather you have a Cantel...I stronlgy suggest Bell for this apps

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 434

Why Bell? It would seem most of the stuff out there seems to work best with GSM. (But, this is just hearsay because I haven't used much of it.)

Anyway, GSM is Fido and friends. Bell (and Clearnet) are CDMA, and Cantel is TDMA.

As for Fido, I've have email receive on my phone, and for a while I had email SEND too, but I don't bother any more because it's irritating to type email on a cell phone.

Eug