OmniSky Minstrel V Wireless Modem for Palm Vx

This was a waste of my money, it didn't even work with my palm pilot. You have to havean outside provider in order for this to work.

I recently got the Omnisky modem for my Palm V. It allows you to access all sorts of content wirelessly that Omnisky has collected from a whole slew of content partners. Some other non-Omnisky apps also support live wireless access to content or at least wireless synchronization (e. g., Avantgo) once you have a wireless modem.This includes lots of standard stuff like news, weather, stock quotes, Yellow Pages, search engines & directories etcetc.The offer for online shopping and esp. travel booking is still WEAK. Amazon eg doesnt support the Palm, and the only travel site supporting wireless (that i found) is Travelocity (and there you have to register thru a PC BEFORE using it thru the Palm -- sucks if you're stuck at an airport and want to book an alternative flight as I once did).So far, the content/apps providers just had enought fantasy to transfer to the Palm what exists on the web anyway. But where are the new apps that make REAL use of wireless? Where is the app, say, that tells me which public transport to use from point A to B when I want to arrive at a specific time? (Saw that in Germany on the web and it ROCKS).All the content that you get through Omnisky or other apps on the Palm has been reformatted so that it will fit the tiny Palm display. Technically, it is also possible to access any web page -- but if they haven't been reformatted or have a REAL simple layout to start with, don't even bother. It is a) slow and b) you'll have a hard time deciphering anything at all.Omnisky also supports receiving and sending email from any standard POP3 mail server. Cool!The wireless coverage (ie, where you can connect) is still pretty spotty. You'll be fine in most metropolitan centers, but other than that, you'll have a hard time to connect.The transfer rate is OK for email and reformatted web pages, however, dont expect a speed rush.The price of the modem was pretty low (after a special discount they offered at year end '00), however, they want a monthly fee of $50 -- and that's PRETTY hefty for what it does.The bottom-line: Cool & great for early adopters who don't mind playing the tech mine-dog and being punished for it (money-wise). However, this is no consumer-product yet.

This is a great complement to your Palm Vx. I don't recommend getting this with a Palm V - it consumes a full megabyte of memory on your Palm, and if you have any other big applications, you'll run out of room quickly. (On my old Palm V, AvantGo took up 400k by itself, and my contacts and calendar were another 150k or so each... meaning that I had very little room for any additional data - like e-mail from my OmniSky device.)With that in mind, you'll find that this makes your Palm Vx a true road warrior tool. The sheer convenience of checking your e-mail from the back of a cab, getting flight updates, searching phone books, or getting realtime driving directions makes the Palm Vx a tremendously useful PDA.One reason I prefer the Palm V/OmniSky combination to the Palm VII is that OmniSky operates more like a true ISP, where the Palm VII requires you to use palm.net as the connectivity provider. With OmniSky you get more control over what you do with your connection. Also, it's nice to be able to remove the modem when you're not using it and return to the small, sleek Palm V.The battery life is a concern. If you're traveling often, you'll want to bring the charger with you - you won't get much more than a day of casual use out of it without requiring a recharge.The recent upgrade to OmniSky 2.0 makes e-mail download a lot faster (I check my corporate account in addition to my personal account without any trouble), and their e-mail client gives you great control through the use of filters. If you're already comfortable with Grafitti (the Palm handwriting "shorthand" for text entry), you'll find composing quick e-mails to be simple. Otherwise, you'll want to invest in the collapsable keyboard.I've found that each of the .pqa (the Palm "clipping" applications that were originally designed for the Palm VII) applets work perfectly on my Palm V with the OmniSky modem. Check out [...] for a list of useful PQAs.If you're already a Palm loyalist and you are away from a computer for long stretches, you'll find that the OmniSky modem is truly a great extension of your existing PDA. I left the fifth star off because of the battery performance and the memory consumption... but for those two issues, this would be a no-brainer for 5 stars.

This is a useful addition to Palm V and IBM WorkPad C3 (a relabeled Palm V offered by IBM) PDAs. It's relatively low speed and has limited functionality compared to more up-to-date PDAs, especially with respect to browsing and email. On the other hand, it's the only mobile wireless solution for the Palm V family, so if you need on-the-road email that can handle attachments, or the ability to browse any web site without restrictions you either need to upgrade to a newer PDA or use this device.I like it because it's relatively inexpensive, even with the recurring monthly charges for the associated service, and it extends the usefulness of my Palm V. I am an occasional mobile wireless user and can live with the limitations cited above and in other reviews. Note that Earthlink is now the service provider and their customer service is among the most responsive and helpful in the business. This is a quantum improvement over OmniSky.The questions boil down to (1) Do you need wireless mobility? (2) Does Earthlink's service coverage coincide with the areas where you will be using it? (3) Can you live with the limitations, or should you either upgrade your PDA or consider one of the 3G PCS wireless plans and phones, such as the Sanyo 4900 and Sprint PCS Vision plan?