OmniSky Minstrel V Wireless Modem for Palm Vx

by OmniSky

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• 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: B00004Y7T3
• Item model number: OS-PV20
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 15, 2000

Product Description

Color: Palm V Series

Amazon.com Review

Do you wish you'd purchased a Palm VII instead of a Palm V or Vx handheld, so you could check your e-mail on the morning commute or get the latest sports scores while standing in line at the grocery store? If you are a Palm V user, the trim (about as thick as a Palm Vx) OmniSky Minstrel modem can hook you up to the wireless Internet--but for a price. (See Omnisky's Web site, www.omnisky.com, for details on availability.)

Setting up the Minstrel proved problematic at first. During installation, less than 400 KB of available flash memory (necessary for storage of the OmniSky software) was detected--negative 1.5 MB of it, to be exact. But a call to the OmniSky tech support number was answered in less than 30 seconds and the representative explained that this problem could be worked around by manually installing the software (which he walked us through).

After that, we were duly impressed with the speed and efficiency of the wireless modem. It's no broadband, but it's faster than many wireless devices, and since it uses the CDPD digital network, most sites opened in just a second or two. We were able to check Olympic medal winners, grab the latest headlines, and even chat using Yahoo Messenger from almost anywhere. (The network did bonk during stretches through tunnels on the morning train and sometimes deep inside buildings.)

Some Web sites wouldn't open due to frames or other design issues incompatible with the OmniSky Web clipping, while some pages (such as the college football AP poll on ESPN.com) wouldn't display properly on the Palm screen. But for the most part, any site we opened could be read, and many popular sites that OmniSky has partnered with had useful features specifically formatted for the wireless network. For instance, Travelocity allowed us to check flight arrival and departure times on the front page of the site.

If you travel extensively or otherwise need connectivity away from the home or office, the Minstrel modem and OmniSky service is a fast and efficient communication option. --J. Curtis

Pros:

• Fast transmission for wireless connection
• Thorough Internet access
• Sleekly designed

Cons:

• Battery can drain quickly with extensive use

Amazon.com Product Description

With OmniSky's Minstrel V wireless modem, you can transform your Palm V into a wireless communication powerhouse. The Minstrel's sleek design integrates perfectly with the Palm V handheld, so attaching the modem to your handheld is as easy as connecting to its cradle. The OmniSky Minstrel V wireless modem connects you to the entire Internet and allows you to keep in touch via e-mail. While you can view virtually all Web sites with the Minstrel V, OmniSky has partnered with many popular Web sites to offer optimized content formatted for your Palm V handheld.

The OmniSky's Minstrel V is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery or via an AC adapter. With normal usage, the lithium-ion battery can power the OmniSky Minstrel V modem all day long. Using sleep mode, the modem can operate for about 12 hours. It is backed by a one-year limited warranty.

Important note about service plan: The OmniSky Minstrel V requires a $39.95 monthly service plan, which features unlimited usage. The OmniSky subscription plan also includes access to a free OmniSky.net e-mail account and six e-mail accounts supported through the OmniSky service. Service is currently available in 118 major metropolitan areas; no roaming charges will be assessed within these service areas. To learn more about service availability, visit www.omnisky.com/products/coverage.jhtml or call [phone].

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great device! (but watch out for the low battery life), November 16, 2000

By 

R. Klau (San Ramon, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: OmniSky Minstrel V Wireless Modem for Palm Vx (Office Product)

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 http://www.handango.com/ 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.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars OMNISKY IS GONE - product useless, April 24, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: OmniSky Minstrel V Wireless Modem for Palm Vx (Office Product)

I purchased this product on ebay for about 10 bucks. Well,that's all it's worth these days. With Omnisky being bought by Earthlink and Earthlink stopping the service, it's completely useless. I'm surprised to see this here on Amazon.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Cool for early adopters, no consumer product, January 17, 2001

By 

Karsten Weide (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: OmniSky Minstrel V Wireless Modem for Palm Vx (Office Product)

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.

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