About the Thincom Modem (NEW!)
Written: Jun 20 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Price, low power consumption, built-in software
Cons: Web browser not all I expected
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| yetilvft's Full Review: Wristband Thincom Modem |
The new Thincom Modem Springboard Module by Card Access Inc. for the Handspring Visor was announced 6/14/00, and I purchased mine the next day. There were three distinct advantages I saw over the Handspring Modem immediately:
Price: at $119 ($139.00 with two-day shipping) it was less expensive by about 20%
Size & Power: The Thincom appeared to be more compact and to consume far less power (i.e. more batteries) than the Handspring Modem...the Thincom works off the Visor's batteries, not its own.
Software: As a 2 MB model Visor user, space is still not a critical issue for me, but I was conscious that the included browser and mail software would probably make me have to discard some other applications...NOT SO! The software is bundled into the Springboard Module for the most part.
The modem fits seamlessly into the Springboard Module, and consumes little power when it's "sleeping" so I plan on keeping it installed all the time. The Visor still fits into it's snug leather case just fine.
The modem comes with a 6' cable that plugs into the special slot on top of the modem and into an RJ-11 telephone jack on the other end.
I travel on business a lot, but I don't have a need for wireless communications (at least yet). My hope in purchasing the Thincom was to be able to leave my nasty Powerbook 520c at home for good. We'll see.
The modem works intuitively and beautifully, but I am not so sure about the web-browsing software, "Browse-It" it comes with. The program has caused a few fatal errors causing me to restart and doesn't easily allow you to surf to sites outside of the ones they've bookmarked for you. I got the feeling that I had arrived the night before a final dress rehearsal for the site and people were still keeping their costumes together with pins...not quite ready for prime time!
Multi Mail Pro, on the other hand, is nothing short of awesome...it works pretty much just like any email browser and pretty consistently too. Be advised that it is only a 10-day demo program, and you'll be expected to purchase the full program from www.actualsoft.com ASAP. You'll probably want to, because it is far superior to the Mail program included with the Palm OS.
In summary, the modem as a piece of hardware is a remarkable piece of affordable equipment that I think will continue to change my life in the way the Visor already has. The email software is great. The web-browsing software may need more work, so let's pray for upgrades.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
yetilvft
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Reviews written: 25
Trusted by: 18 members
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