Xircom Springport Modem rated A
Written: Nov 28 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great software included, Super easy set-up
Cons: No way of telling actual connection speed
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| clintgreen's Full Review: Xircom Springport Modem 56 GlobalACCESS |
BACKGROUND
I started looking for a modem almost as soon as I bought my Handspring Visor back in the early spring of 2000. At that time the only choice was the 33.6k Visor Modem sold directly by Handspring. Since the price was very high compared to other modem types (PCMCIA and PCI), I decided to wait and see who else might enter the market. I'm very glad I waited for the Xircom Global Access 56k! Its the only 56k (out of the box)modem available for the Visor at this time. Remember the Handspring Visor Modem is 33.6k and the Card Access Wristban Thinmodem is only capable of +33.6k after a v.90 upgrade.
SIZE
The picture of the Xircom Springport modem above is "worth a thousand words". Installation is as simple as any other Springboard product requiring nothing more than a gentle slide down the rail in the back of the Visor. The modem activates as soon as it is seated in the Springboard port and all controls are then enabled from the Visor's screen thus eliminating the need for an on/off switch. Once installed it protrudes about a quarter inch above the back of the visor and is almost flush with the top edge of the visor. That's not bad considering the size of a standard phone jack and the fact that it carries three size AAA batteries itself.
PRICE
The Xircom modem lists for $148.99 and can be purchased directly from Xircom's webpage. However, with a little shopping I netted mine from Egghead.com for $127.99 before shipping. Compared to the $119.95 Palm Gear charges for the Thinmodem at 33.6k, I felt it was a no-brainer. My modem arrived from Egghead.com in about 4 days at a delivered price of $134.94. Still a little pricey for a modem but WOW does it ever unleash the Visor to fulfill its mission as a pocket sized communications tool.
SOFTWARE
The modem comes preloaded with the Avantgo browser and Multimail software. I consider myself fairly setup-savy but always find a way of running into some setup problem with almost everything that requires electricity. Not so with the Xircom Springport Modem! I had my dail-up email account working within 3 minutes of opening the Xircom box for the first time. One nice feature of Multimail is that you can download just the email titles/headers and then chose which messages you wish to read completely. Sending email is just as easy and the modem quickly dials up your current POP3 email server upon request. I like the fact that you can use your current Web based or POP3 based email service without having to subscribe to some additional service like most of the wireless products. Since I was already using Avantgo (via Visor Hotsync) it took even less time to get on the World Wide Web. The Avantgo browser lets you enter any http:// address and the Avantgo homepage will even direct you to Visor friendly pages. The software also includes some very handy shortcuts for those of us who haven't quite mastered graffiti.
PERFORMANCE
I give the modem a rating of "A" or "9" on a "1-10" scale, the only shortcoming I have found thus far is an inability to check actual connection speeds. Unlike clicking the connection icon in the system tray of Windows 95/98 during a call, you are left to guess at actual connections speeds. However, the modem has never failed to connect during my tests and has never broken or reset the connection during a call. There are two ports on the top of the modem, one for a regular phone jack (r-11) and one for a Xircom cellular phone adapter cable. Since I didn't purchase the cable I can't review wireless performance.
WEB SURFING
The Xircom Springport Global Access 56K Modem gives the Handspring Visor the ability to connect to the World Wide Web with ease and agility. However, the Visor itself is not a substitute for a 19 inch color monitor and the more graphical pages can not be displayed with a large degree of clarity. The Visor isn't frames capable either so you won't see the growing amount of animation on the web. None of this is the fault of the modem it is a limitation of the Visor itself. If you want the same Internet experience you get from your desktop you'll need to by a notebook PC, if you want pocket size connectivity on the go, the Xircom/Visor setup is great!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
clintgreen
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Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 0 members
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