Comments on: Handspring Gets FCC Approval for Two Wireless Handhelds

Handspring has received approval from the Federal Communications Commission for not one but two new wireless handhelds. Unlike the just revealed Palm i705, these can handle both data and voice.

One model, the Treo k180, has a built-in keyboard like the Blackberry pager. In fact, it is the first PalmOS device ever to not have a Graffiti area at all. The other model, the Treo g180, relies on the traditional Graffiti for text input..

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nice handheld

tritan @ 8/28/2001 11:30:03 PM #
I like this design.I love the flip top like the I1000 nextels.Sweet. I hope they are going to release there newest handhelds first.

RE: nice handheld
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/28/2001 11:49:13 PM #
What do you mean?

RE: nice handheld
Trevethan @ 8/29/2001 6:30:01 AM #
Can anybody say "Kirk to Enterprise"?

This looks like a great machine.
It would be nice to see some memory expansion possibilities though.
Because its GSM, you can easily fake always on performance using SMS alerts for e-mails and so.
GPRS would be nice though....


Nick Trevethan

Devon
UK

RE: nice handheld but...
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 8:19:24 AM #
... it's known that Handspring has had product quality problems in the past. And it's believed that this stems from their manufacturing processes and component selection.

While this is a nice device, there are some concerns from a quality standpoint. For example, the fliptop seems to have clear plastic hinges. Clear plastics to me have always been brittle, or seem brittle This may not be a very good idea in the final product. I can see several users sending their devices back for service because they've snapped off the tops.

Additionally, if this device has any flaws at all, will Handspring be able to survive the financial rigours of a product recall or major replacement drive? Remember that these won't be the relatively cheap mobile devices that Nokia and Ericsson produce - these will be PDA's with more costly components. To compete with the Kyocera offering, Handspring's margins may have to be low as well, even though the phones operate on different bands - CDMA vs. GSM.

Handspring has gone back and redone the "sweaty screen" that people had issues with in the original VisorPhone. Phone functionality would probably be better implemented with a retractable earpiece.

And something I couldn't determine and haven't had the time to verify yet. Is the window in the flip cover an open hole, or is there something there to protect the screen? If there is just an open hole, I believe that we have an design problem. A touch screen, no matter how rugged, should really not go unprotected.

RE: nice handheld
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 10:39:38 AM #
"It is known" is a preamble to a sentance without any authority. In your case it was the preamble to an entire post without any value. I certainly don't mean to encourage you to post again, but exactly what were you smoking when you came up with that "open hole" idea? What kind of an idiot would even think that's a possibility?

RE: nice handheld
TheClone @ 8/29/2001 11:02:46 AM #
Why is an open hole an idiotic idea? It would allow the PDA functionality to be used without having to open flip cover. Also, if it is clear plastic, how can I interact with the device with the flip cover closed. Look at the Kyocera, the flip covers half the screen, but the remaining half is still usable when the flip is closed which is very useful.

RE: nice handheld
Islander @ 8/29/2001 2:52:31 PM #
This we know.
Cover open- device on.
Cover closed- device off.

This being the case, I doubt that there is an open hole to worry about.

RE: nice handheld
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 3:03:42 PM #
Because Ed warned us not to make conclusions over the design, and that's exactly what you did.

RE: nice handheld
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 5:16:07 PM #
Why's the guy (or girl) an idiot? Firstly, Handspring has had a quality issue with their devices from day one. People have had Visors stop functioning within a week, they've been sent replacement devices and have had to return those too. Most recently, there've been digitizer issues with the Edge model. See http://www.jimweller.net/article.php?sid=15 as an example.

RE: nice handheld
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 7:07:10 PM #
If all of Handspring's Devices had problems, then they would not be in business right now. Every company have problem units. FWIW I have never had any problems witrh any of my Visors. I now have a Prism but I had a Deluxe and Platinum in the past.

RE: nice handheld
Trevethan @ 8/30/2001 3:50:56 AM #

Palm/3com/USR have also had problems...

The first Palmpilot Professional I bought last century (!) stopped working within about 10 minutes of taking it out of the box.. On the other hand, the Virsor Deluxe and Visor Prism I own have both worked flawlessly... Its the luck of the draw... Any mass produced, complex device is going to throw up problem units...

Handspring stands behind their products. And their return policy ensures you aren't left device-less for weeks on end.

Anyway, the person making the post questioning quality is basing his judgement on a picture or two.

Why not wait until you get your hands on it before leaping to conclusions?



Nick Trevethan

Devon
UK

All I want for Christmas is ...

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/28/2001 11:49:46 PM #
High-res 16-bit Color

Landscapable screen w/ virtual graffiti

More built in RAM

A reliable wireless network

A land-based modem for when I'm vacationing where there are no reliable wirless networks

...

and 7 of 9



RE: All I want for Christmas is ...
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 1:00:17 PM #
...and higher screen resolutions and faster processors

Shea Vs m705i

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/28/2001 11:56:13 PM #
Which one do you think will win out?

RE: Shea Vs m705i
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/28/2001 11:57:28 PM #
Its late, 7 of 9

RE: Shea Vs m705i
AriB @ 8/29/2001 12:22:39 AM #
the Yankees of course!

RE: Shea Vs m705i
Davy @ 8/29/2001 6:54:23 PM #
Not that Yankees! The Lakers! Three-peat!

HOLY SH**

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/28/2001 11:56:14 PM #
I can't believe these.
I know there's gonna be 800 fellow tekkie-geeks tearing these things a new orifice for not being everything a boy could want. But let me be the first to say that I am grateful to be living in the time in science when all of this is coming to fruition. I bet they had similar (albeit greater) feelings of witness during the birth of cars.

I looked at the pics of these and the i705, then I looked down and my IIIc and giggled. I have a Handera in the mail on it's way to my office tomorrow. Giggle.

It's only been a year, and I'm already retro-tech!

I don't care what the haters say. This is great ****.

Hells yeah.

:-)

RE: HOLY SH**
digichimp @ 8/29/2001 1:12:31 AM #
I've have been following Palm and their licensees for years and I've never seen anything like this expose' of product. I am so giddy with excitement and anticipation. This is ******* awesome!
Way to go Ed and PalmInfoCenter.

now u can have your choice, if you're phonecentric or emailcentric

life is good.

Long live Palm OS

RE: HOLY SH**
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 5:17:37 AM #
I hate living in a time where every company's goal is to have people sign up for the latest dumb subscrption based service. What idiotic thing do you think they'll find next to rip you off for $50 a month for? Add in some sign-up and disconnect fees too. Yawn.

RE: HOLY SH**
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/14/2001 7:13:01 PM #
I agree with the general comment about subs-based systems. However you're off base in this case. It's a GSM phone, so you take your SIM card from your existing handset and stick it into the HandSpring device. You are already paying for your phone service aren't you...?


No Springboard, hmm?

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 12:04:33 AM #
From glancing at the photos, it seems that these will be the first units from Handspring not to sport a Springboard slot (not even the mini "Edge connector").

In fact, these units are really Palm OS based smartphones, direct competitors to the Kyocera 6035 and the upcoming Samsung i300. Time will tell how they compare against those units, but this seems to suggest a bit of a shift in Handspring's emphasis.

Could this be the end for the Springboard expansion format? Considering how few Springboards ever managed to ship, it wouldn't be terribly surprising if true.

RE: No Springboard, hmm?
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 5:10:36 AM #
This is another great examples of "Symplicity."

HandSpring, or used-to-be-Palm, has something special that Micro$oft will never learn, is that HandSpring knows how to take things out. HandSpring takes unnecessary things out to make its PDA simple and clear.

We know that SpringBoard are nice, but can you imagine how much a cell-phone PDA and SpringBoard module plugged-in weights and how large it's going to be? They already learned a lesson by their VisorPhone that it's too big and too complicated to dial a number.

Great Job, HandSpring!

R.I.P. Springboard
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 8:34:58 AM #
It looks like the Springboard is dead. It's too bulky and Game-boy'ish. The latest models from Handspring either do not utilize it well or do not use it at all. The hardware got rolling but not as quickly as it might have.

Who knows whether SD will catch on, either. Perhaps all this expansion is geek-oriented but doesn't appeal to the average user. Who really wants to carry a fanny-pack around to use their PDA?

RE: No Springboard, hmm?
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 9:23:35 AM #
But with Moore's law, is there any need to take out unnecessary things? I know Moore's law doesn't apply to batteries, but...

RE: No Springboard, hmm?
AriB @ 8/29/2001 4:39:51 PM #
well think about it this way. if you installed a modem or a visorphone you wouldn't have any free springboard slots. Well this already has a modem and a phone and 16 megs. So it's as if you had several springboards in one so there's less reason to add a seperate springboard slot. On the other hand, Palm is able to stick an SD slot into the m705 which gives you a lot more memory but it will be a while before you have a video camera and gps in your Palm

RE: No Springboard, hmm?
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/30/2001 1:21:20 PM #
Handspring invented the Springboard specifically for the VISOR line of products. Hence the "Visor Is...Whatever You Want It to Be" ad campaign. This is the TREO line of products--no Springboard. Springboard is NOT dying; it's simply not on this particular Handspring unit.

This isn't Star Trek, and my wife isn't 7 of 9.

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 12:10:14 AM #
The PDA with the nicest color screen is not wireless capable.

The smallest PDAs are not color, and when you add wireless capability to them they are no longer small.

The best wireless PDAs are neither color nor small.

Nice girls are not beautiful, and beautiful girls are not nice.

PDAs are getting better but these rules still seem to apply.



RE: This isn't Star Trek, and my wife isn't 7 of 9.
robrecht @ 8/29/2001 12:21:12 AM #
It seems as if the Prism is still the best compromise. That's why Handspring hasn't dropped the price yet.

And 7 of 9 has lots of Borg Springboard module enhancements.

RE: This isn't Star Trek, and my wife isn't 7 of 9.
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 5:04:36 PM #
Just because a pretty girl does not like you does not mean she is mean.

Are pretty girls the last people on earth you can be bigoted to? Unfair generalizations are unfair generalizations no matter what group they are leveled against, even in jest.

RE: This isn't Star Trek, and my wife isn't 7 of 9.
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 6:27:36 PM #
The "nice girls" example is an example of elementary logic. Examples like that are used to teach rudimentary symbolic logic to freshmen in college. You must be a mean girl. LOGIC BIGOT!!!!

RE: This isn't Star Trek, and my wife isn't 7 of 9.
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 6:28:19 PM #
I'm sorry that my immature remarks offended some people. It was very late and I was in a whacky mood. Of course, I was indeed only speaking in jest, but that is no excuse for my ridiculously unfair generalizations. I will be more careful about editing myself in the future.

RE: This isn't Star Trek, and my wife isn't 7 of 9.
I.M. Anonymous @ 9/4/2001 12:58:46 PM #
why do nice girls ( or even pretty girls) keep going back to the guy that treats them bad. why are most of the nice guys single? is life really binary? what is the natural color of my hair? does my boss read all my posts as well as my email? is he watching me now? who is 7 of 9?

No Springboard slot

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 12:09:33 AM #
I wouldn't doubt if these had 16MB...since there looks to be no springboard slot. Of course this is all speculation.

I do however think that the wireless outlook [Palm and Handspring models] is looking pretty sweet right now....you gotta love that! I can hear the pitch to my boss now...

RE: No Springboard slot
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 12:25:57 AM #
And I'm sure its 16-bit high-res color. And I'm sure CDMA is just around the corner.

GSM/GPRS

cashman @ 8/29/2001 12:18:44 AM #
I'd be interested to know if these phones support GPRS, the 2.5G always-on packet-based upgrade to GSM. That would greatly increase the utility of the data portion, and make these units much more competitive against the i705 and the Blackberry.

AT&T has a pilot network operating commercially in Seattle now, and both Cingular and VoiceStream are in testing mode. If their plans go as announced for once, most of the US should be covered by GPRS by the end of 2002, at 800 and 1900 MHz. (The older cellular systems in the US have always been referred to as "800 MHz", whether analog, CDMA or TDMA. They are now trying GSM on the same frequencies, but the GSM naming convention will call these "850 MHz". Go figure.)

Most of Europe is already covered by GPRS, of course, though at 900 and 1800 MHz frequencies. I presume Handspring will have version for our friends across the pond?


-cashman

RE: GSM/GPRS
Token @ 8/29/2001 12:38:39 AM #
FWIW - According to the CTIA (Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association), Cingular have gone live in Seatlle with "large scale" 2.5G trials. Difference between the AT&T and Cingular trials are that AT&T are targetting corporates (hmmm, MS?) while Cingular are targetting "consumers" ...

These new devices look great - but I pray that they are GPRS based. I wouldn't be surprised if they are rolled out concurrently with the Cingular 2.5G network.

With the VisorPhone being a "World Phone" (tri band GSM), I would be surprised if these ones aren't ready for global markets. Makes Palms Mobitex offering look like too little too late (unless the i705 IS colour).

Token.

RE: GSM/GPRS
Ed @ 8/29/2001 1:02:02 AM #
To be honest, I can't follow the frequency jargon that the FCC uses so I don't know whether these are dual-band or tri-band GSM phones. If anyone can find and decipher this info, I'd really appreciate it. Sorry but it's not my area of expertise.

---
News Editor
RE: GSM/GPRS
bcombee @ 8/29/2001 3:19:59 AM #
One of the declarations clearly stated that they would be 1900 MHz in the US and 900 MHz outside; its dual-band, but it should work anywhere in the world as no one is implementing 1800 MHz GSM where there isn't already 900 MHz coverage.

RE: GSM/GPRS
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 3:21:43 AM #
Got news for all of you. I work for Rogers AT&T in Canada and we're now testing the 900/1900Mhz GSM/GPRS network which will launch (for business and consumer users) this October 10/2001! AT&T in the USA should have the same timeline as on their website its listed and ours isn't...yet!

Rogers AT&T: both companies being joint, but the wireless division in Canada is privately financed seperate from Rogers &/ AT&T (recently but doesn't affect consumers in anyway)!, have plans to add EDGE technology over GPRS raising data transfer speeds to 384Kbps. before the end of 2002!!

Hows that taste!!!!

RE: GSM/GPRS
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 3:21:46 AM #
According to the grant document, it is a single band GSM1900 phone only.

GPRS version in Europe
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 4:07:39 AM #
The European version of Treo will be GSM/GPRS.

RE: GSM/GPRS
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 8:08:23 AM #
To the Roger's employee - can you provide some info on why your company does not provide adequate coverage for these types of services outside of the major centers (of course I am not attacking you or your company, its just a fact - I use both Rogers and Bell Mobility)? As you are likely aware alot of business is done outside of major centers. This technolgy does not allow me to be in touch when in the field. Are there any plans to improve existing service, say for instance anywhere north of Toronto?

Does Roger's not see the huge opp here? There really is an untapped market here...

I would be interested in hearing back from you with any more info you are able to share.

I currently use a palm modem with my m505 (likely will continue to use this when lan line is handy - it is quick), but would not think twice about switching to a device like this or the m705.

I think the wireless company in Canada that embraces this opp first will likely over-run the comp. however, this must be a widely accessable service.

Thanks for the info though it was very interesting.

RE: GSM/GPRS
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 12:44:12 PM #
Unfortunately, this "Rogers employee" does not seem to know what he is talking about. His statement of "900/1900Mhz GSM/GPRS" network is obviously wrong. You simply CANNOT have GSM900 network in North America! It is 1900Mhz GSM/GPRS only.
BTW, Fido already has a working GPRS network in Canada.



Kudos Handspring

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 1:30:42 AM #
...for being the first Palm company to be brave enough to abandon Graffiti and include a Blackberry-style keyboard.

Now, how 'bout including one on some non-wireless devices...

(By the way, I am very proficient at Graffiti, but I thing that Graffiti has been an intimidating barrier for the majority of hopeful Palm users out there.)

RE: Kudos Handspring
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/30/2001 12:47:28 PM #
I think a really great design would be to have the keyboard on the flip top that covers the grafiti area in the down position. With an "open hole" in the top, the keyboard could be used in the closed position and grafiti in the open position. Listening, Handspring?

Treo?

RobZombie @ 8/29/2001 1:27:49 AM #
What is up with these names? Treo? What's a Treo? And why name the first model of a new series the 180? I guess I shouldn't complain. Calling it the g100 would have been even more confusing. And why give two very different models almost exactlly the same name?

I like some of the ideas they borrowed from Sony (jog dial, adapter) but I don't like that they also borrowed the idea that products should have confusing names. Though maybe Palm dreamed that up first.

RE: Treo?
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 1:40:05 AM #
t-r-e-o-g-k = go trek, yes i am insane

I wish "treo" implied that there was a third, hi-res color model coming soon with greater expandability and virtual graffiti

RE: Treo?
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 7:12:52 AM #
Treo probably means that there is a third model in the series coming. A play on words perhaps?

RE: Treo?
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 8:34:57 AM #
It sounds somewhat like Clié...and with a jog dial. Maybe Sony is making waves, too.

GPRS

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 2:25:41 AM #
"These are GSM phones and SIM cards from other phones can be plugged into them."

"However, at this time these devices appear to lack the "always on" e-mail capability of the not yet released Palm i705."

If it's a GSM 'phone' released, or about to be released, at this time, chases are pretty big that it's a GPRS one, witch means it's always on...
They would be plain stupid to release this gsm/palm thing without utilizing the possibilities of GPRS technology.

RE: GPRS
bcombee @ 8/29/2001 3:18:22 AM #
Always-on email would be implemented through SMS to the device -- while the messages are limited to 160 bytes, that is enough for many notifications, and its plenty if used as a signal for an on-device app to wake up the Visor and go check mail.

4MB Flash and 16MB RAM

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 4:54:10 AM #
The Parts at the FCC list:
IC, DRAM, Synch, 128 Mbit, 3.3V Low Power
and
IC, Flash, 2M x 16, 3.3V, Boot Block

the Dragonball used is as expected:
IC, Dragonball VZ, 33 MHz,

Gacel



Oh well, I'll wait for Sony's...

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 7:29:59 AM #
They have been releasing the most innovative models...

RE: Oh well, I'll wait for Sony's...
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 7:40:02 AM #
Yup. They have a cellular product line. How hard is it for them to integrate their OWN products? :)

RE: Oh well, I'll wait for Sony's...
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 10:28:21 AM #
And they just officially set up a joint-venture company with Ericsson, telecommunication expertise couples with Sony's consumer electronics expertise. I am sure there will be something innovative from them.

RE: Oh well, I'll wait for Sony's...
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 1:43:12 PM #
Woah! Sony and Ericsson??? Tough to beat! I smell something good on the works. Sweet!

RE: Oh well, I'll wait for Sony's...
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/31/2001 11:25:15 AM #
Yawn. More sony trolls. Post a link or STFU.

RE: Oh well, I'll wait for Sony's...
Token @ 8/31/2001 12:49:27 PM #
Ericsson are now a design house for mobile phones - they do no manufacturing themselves. Sony has manufacturing capabilities, and has had minimal success in its cellphone line. So, this is a win-win for both companies - access to manufacturing for Ericsson, and access to design for Sony.

There may be a trickle down effect into the PDA arena, but I think you will first find the alliance concentrating on bolstering their position in the far more lucrative (through sales volume, NOT profit margin) handset market in Japan and Europe before they make a push into the PDA market.

RE: Oh well, I'll wait for Sony's...
I.M. Anonymous @ 4/24/2002 7:59:19 AM #
WOOOOW Sony and Ericsson, BEWARE NOKIA !!!!

It's....

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 10:05:08 AM #
Federal Communications COMMISSION (not committee)

Picky, yes - but a committee implies a different thing then a commission....


FCC docs no longer available

cashman @ 8/29/2001 10:52:33 AM #
It looks like the FCC has removed the approval listings and all the docs for both the Handspring Treo and the Palm i705.

On request from the companies, one wonders?


-cashman

God that thing is ugly as all get out!

palmdiva @ 8/29/2001 10:48:14 AM #
Don't attack me, It's just my opinion. It may be a a technological marvel but it is dammed ugly. I admit it's shallow and to sterotype maybe it's a female thing (I love my purple Clie). However I want my gadgets attractive as well as functional.
The teeny tiny keyboard doesen't grab me either. The small keyboards don't thrill me. The remind me of the radio shack credit card sized organizers. My Sharp wizard (my last pre palm OS organizer had a bigger keyboard.

RE: God that thing is ugly as all get out!
ganoe @ 8/29/2001 10:58:09 AM #
I won't comment on the looks, but is that the power button mixed in with all the other keys on the keyboard?

RE: God that thing is ugly as all get out!
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 3:02:43 PM #

looks damn good to me..

Maybe it's a little bit of a female thing ;)

RE: God that thing is ugly as all get out!
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 7:13:26 PM #
PalmDiva. Are you kidding me? This is the best goddamn looking phone hybrid i ever seen. Very elegant, very classy..ESPECIALLY the one with the keyboard.

THE TEXT IS A RIPOFF!!!

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 11:13:40 AM #
not to be a flame

BUT THIS TEXT IS ALMSOT EXACTLY THE SAME AS VISORCENTRALS!! And VC broke the story first!

Can you be a bit more original next time?

RE: THE TEXT IS A RIPOFF!!!
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 12:18:40 PM #
What BS. The text on this site is nothing like what is on VisorCentral. Get a life.

RE: THE TEXT IS A RIPOFF!!!
mikecane @ 8/29/2001 12:41:30 PM #
This guy is trying to start trouble or he is a drooling imbecile (I vote for the latter). There is a HUGE difference between the VC and PIC reports.

RE: THE TEXT IS A RIPOFF!!!
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/30/2001 9:22:06 AM #
Just because a drooling imbecile does not agree with you does not mean he or she is wrong.

Are drooling imbeciles the last people on earth you can be bigoted to? Unfair generalizations are unfair generalizations no matter what group they are leveled against, even in jest.

The drooling imbecile may indeed be wrong, lack a life, and be trying to start trouble, but that is their right, and we must welcome everything a drooling imbecile says, even when they are wrong, because this is the World Wide Web.

Now, let us all abide by the Geneva Convention in our flame wars and refrain from the use of generalizations of mass destruction.

Interesting...

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 1:27:49 PM #
One standout of these designs is the option to get the unit with the thumb keyboard or Graffiti area. Heck, with a jog-thingy and the keyboard, you could theoretically leave your stylus in the silo for all but a few apps! Also, this option would stand to settle the question of whether Graffiti is really needed at all if you can put a keyboard in the same space, and which the users truly prefer.

The combination of wireless data access and voice wireless is a good idea too, even without the "always on" feature (a misnomer since such units aren't "always" on, they're just set up to check the network at intervals). All that would keep that from going over really well would be usability issues (the "sweaty screen" and such) or access restrictions/costs (I never did like that you can get access for Palm's integrated-wireless units only from them). On those two things only time will tell, but I like that these units have both voice and data capabilities.

And I have to say, the picture of the Treo k-180 with the flip-top closed was a heck of a lot better looking than Palm's 705, whether that should matter or not.

Neat ideas, and it will be interesting to see if they're actually released, and how they'll fly if they are. At the least, it's a step along the path.

FCC Withdraws approval

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 4:11:24 PM #
There's a link to the cnet article on PalmStation:
http://www.palmstation.com/view_article.py?article=4630

Handspring "forgot" to check box; Oct 15 release

Moosecat @ 8/29/2001 5:49:46 PM #
Handspring "forgot to check a box" that would have kept the FCC materials confidential. They have also requested that the FCC grant the application on October 15 (presumably to coincide with product launch).

http://makeashorterlink.com/index.php?C2F542C0

RE: Handspring
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 7:17:51 PM #
Well the genie is already out of the bottle. Can't put it back now.

RE: Handspring
drw @ 8/30/2001 12:37:41 AM #
That's BS. You don't "forget to check a box" on something like this. That was intentionally not checked, I guarantee.

David in Pflugerville, TX

APPROVAL WITHDRAWN!!!

ahecht @ 8/29/2001 8:12:13 PM #
from Cnet:

(http://makeashorterlink.com/index.php?E27641C0)

The Federal Communications Commission, which earlier this week approved new wireless handhelds from Palm and Handspring, has set aside its decisions at the request of the companies.

The reason for the FCC's initial actions was that Palm and Handspring originally failed to indicate on their applications that they wanted to delay approval until they were closer to announcing their products, said Bruce Franca, acting chief of the FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology.

"We will, at the request of the manufacturer, defer the grants," he said. "All they have to do is check a box."

Franca said Handspring has asked that the grant be held until Oct. 15, although that date could be amended later. Franca said he did not know when the Palm approval might be reauthorized.



Explains the free visorphones

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/29/2001 9:51:54 PM #
Can everyone say 'liquidate visorphone inventory to make room for these'? I don't think it is a question as to IF handspring will release these new models, rather a question of WHEN. (soon plz)

Innovation? What innovation?

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/30/2001 10:12:53 AM #
As near as I can tell, these are combined Palm/cellphones. So what? I can go across the street to Staples and buy one of those right now. And it certainly sounds like there are several more Palm/cellphones coming, includng - if I'm remembering the story correctly - a color model with a virtual graffiti area.

Please don't flame me - I really am interested in reading feedback on this. Maybe there's some huge technological innovation here that I'm missing. So what is it?

RE: Innovation? What innovation?
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/30/2001 10:27:00 AM #
I still don't understand why anyone would want their PDA built into their cell phone anyhow. Yeah, it's not innovative in any case.

RE: Innovation? What innovation?
rueyeet @ 8/30/2001 12:13:19 PM #
True...having the voice wireless integrated can be found in existing cell/PDA combo units. The thing that might turn out to be a real innovation is taking over the silkscreen space with the keyboard, which has the potential to do away with the need for Graffiti. I suspect that whether users prefer Graffiti input or keyboard input will turn out to be largely a matter of preference.

RE: Innovation? What innovation?
Token @ 8/30/2001 1:05:20 PM #
In this case it is not so much intergrating a PDA into a cellphone (my Mitsubishi T250 handles many of those tasks), as integrating a cellphone into a PDA - with the benefit of wireless comms, and voice as an added bonus.

I personally spend more time on my PDA than my phone. So, having the wireless capability in the phone is great --- I will be an early adopter.

This isn't innovation, but it is an incremental step in the right direction (now PLEASE give us colour AND wireless in the same device ...).



RE: Innovation? What innovation?
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/30/2001 1:17:06 PM #
"I will be an early adopter." Well hurry up, oops ... you already missed your chance to be an early adopter. This technology under Palm OS has already been available for quite a while now.

Integrating a phone physically with a PDA is the wrong direction. "Hold on for a minute there Joe, I've got to stop talking now so I can check my PDA phone for the info you need."

RE: Innovation? What innovation?
Token @ 8/30/2001 2:09:53 PM #
Hmm, lets do a quick count of devices :

1. Newton MP100 with external modem - used 1994/95 while travelling around USA, Canada, UK, AND over Atlantic Ocean between Newark and Heathrow to send/receve email while travelling. Early adopter? Yep.
2. Palm VII. Developer of wireless applications - both PQA and native C based. Early adopter? Yep.
3. Handspring Visor + Minstrel S. My daily driver. Early adopter. Not quite - but pretty close on the heels.
4. Mitsubishi T250 WML phone. Certified Wireless Developer for AT&T. Early adopter? Yep.
5. BREW developer (have you even heard of that one yet - CDMA 2000 based, so new its not "commercial" yet).

Am I qualified to comment - I think so, YVMV.

Are these devices new or innovative?? As I mentioned in my previos post, no. The are evolutionary, not revolutionary.

I have no experience with the VisorPhone, but with the Kyocera 6035, using the phone limits the access to the PDA functionality, whether these devices suffer from the same fate is yet to be seen.

I will be an early adopter of this device in preference to the Palm i705. I am already an early adopter (AND developer) of the technology behind it.

These hybrid devices are primarily designed as a PDA with telephony capability, I will be using mine with an earpiece, but if the speaker/mic is anything comparable to the Kyocera - it will have a pretty impressive handfree speakerphone capability.

RE: Innovation? What innovation?
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/30/2001 2:16:30 PM #
I have to agree - the PDA/phone combination has always seemed like a step in the wrong direction. While I use my Palm much more than I use my phone, it seems that whenever I'm on the phone I'm also using the Palm to check schedules, take notes, etc.

I'm all for the wireless data capabilities, but I can't see replacing my phone with one of these.

RE: Innovation? What innovation?
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/30/2001 6:53:54 PM #
How much text does your cell phone display? Little.

Is your PDA ready to receive email/message anytime? No.

A Blackberry does not have a touch screen.

A Blackberry does not have many applications.

SO, if you want a single device which can send/receive message anytime in a small form factor with support of thousands of application. That's a wireless Palm device!

Of course, there are people who do not know the difference in terms of size and weight between the two:

1) a Palm wireless device

2) a Mako + an inframodem... and plus a Palm III

Sigh.

Hmm

I.M. Anonymous @ 8/30/2001 10:54:59 AM #
I just bought Diamond Mako (read: Psion Revo+) for $100, I will buy inframodem for my GSM cell phone (additional $100) and I have got everything I need (great PDA, great cell phone, Internet, e-mail, big screen, ... you name it). I still have my PALM III.

There are so many changes in the PALM field I am getting confused.

Thanks.

RE: Hmm
I.M. Anonymous @ 7/30/2002 9:05:15 AM #
Where did you buy your Mako?

Thanks

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