Handspring Visor USB HotSync Cable

by Handspring

Product Details

• Item Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00004TL5W
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 24, 2000

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Handspring Visor USB HotSync Cable, August 9, 2000

By 

Will Weed (Bristol, IN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Handspring Visor USB HotSync Cable (Office Product)

I just got the Handspring Deluxe (Ice) and it is absolutely great. I have had it for about 3 days now and I can't get off it. Anyways, I never had alot of room for the big cradle that the handspring came with. So i decided to order this. In my laptop case I could easily fit this in with all my other junk. The cradle took up too much room. This USB Cable is also very easy to hook up. I give this 5 stars because its quick, easy to use, and very portable!

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars portable and works well, January 6, 2001

By 

anibani (Cambridgeshire) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Handspring Visor USB HotSync Cable (Office Product)

I got tired of packing my USB cradle with my laptop and Visor Deluxe everytime so I got the USB hotsync cable.

It is easy to use and attaches to the Visor securely. Unlike the cradle, the cable does not have a hotsync button. To hotsync, you just go to the hotsync application on the Visor itself and hit "local hotsync". I had no trouble with the hotsync if I moved/lifted the Visor. The cable stays in place. To release it, you have to press two buttons at the sides of this adapter.

My one complaint is that the cable is too long (about 6 ft) and this adds to its size, not to mention the hassle of having to uncoil/coil 6 ft. of cable everytime you pack it. If this was designed for use with a laptop 18 inches to 2 ft. would have been the ideal length. After all, you need both the computer and the Visor close together to hotsync.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get one if you travel--nice little cable, December 23, 2000

By 

J. G. Heiser (Sunninghill, Berks) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Handspring Visor USB HotSync Cable (Office Product)

One of the annoyances of the Visor is the lack of implicit support for Ir synching. I'm a big fan of USB, but it would be even better if I didn't need to carry any extra hardware at all.

I lived for over a year with a Palm, and immediately dropped the cradle in favor of a cable. This was the first accessory I purchased for my Visor. Unlike the Visor itself, and the rip-off belt clip, this seems to be a very high quality product. It snicks securely into the base of the Visor, and is easily removed by grasping both sides of the connector, which releases two pins on the inside of the connector.

Many have complained about the difficulty of using the Handspring cradle. Take heart, this is an easy in and out every time--it provides positive indication of physical connection. The cable rolls up neatly and fits into a laptop bag.

If you have only used a cradle before, it may take you a couple of minutes to get used to a cable. It doesn't have a button. When you synch, you'll need to turn on your Visor and tap the HotSync icon (mine's on the System menu). Then click on the LocalSync icon. Other than this minor loss of convenience, it works just like the cradle.

Handspring support claims that it is possible to do an Ir synch, but I had already failed at the procedure they suggested: buy the commercial IrLink software and download the latest desktop software from Palm. If you do want to try this, beware that the Palm software doesn't support USB. If you want to experiment with this before purchasing the USB HotSync Cable, you don't have to worry about losing data when uninstalling and reinstalling different Palm Desktops and HotSync Managers--I went back and forth several times, and my data and configuration were not changed. Once you're thoroughly frustrated with that, buy the USB cable.