Customer Reviews

Xircom SpringPort Modem 56 GlobalACCESS Springboard Module for Handspring Visor

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

After several tech support calls and changing batteries, the modem started to work only to discover that the modem was not consistant and dropped connection too often. I also had to remove it and re-insert it several times in order to reset it because the visor will not see it anymore. Needless to say tech support told me to return it and get another one.

I did a much better thing, I DID return the unit which is much heavier than the Visor itself! and got a real modem for my Visor: CardAccess Wristband Thincom Portable Modem Module. This is the best modem you can buy, SKIP this Sprinport and go buy the CardAccess Thincom, the Thincom even has an extra 512K of memory for apps and data!

The documentation that came with this modem is absolutely horrible! You're given a tiny pamphlet that quickly tells you very little about the modem.

The online website tells you more about the modem itself and how it operates. Although, I do not like Xircom's website, I was forced to use it to download the firmware update and to find out what is that secondary port is used for(to connect to a cell phone). After updating firmware versions, the Handspring still shows the old firmware version number. Tech support at Xircom says that the new firmware version will show up as the old version(horrible tech support).

Battery usage was great, as I used AOL for the Palm OS. Limited to AIM and email only, I did not browse the web at all. I tried to use AvantGo, but that software is just as horrible, or worse. You can't "refresh" new websites on the go, you have to hotsync the device to update and "refresh" new websites that you can look at in the future. A very horrible aspect of AvantGo.

I would recommend waiting prior to purchasing this unit. Maybe Xircom will come out with a better modem with better software.

I bought the Xircom Springport thinking I could receive/send email and refresh Avantgo content on the road, thus avoiding having to invest in and carry a laptop. With fresh batteries, the Xircom is fine, works like a champ. But after a modest amount of battery use it flakes out and locks up in the middle of an access. If you aren't careful about the sequence of actions it will also kill the Visor, meaning you lose your memory. For instance, pulling out the module while its utility software is running seems to cause problems. (ABSOLUTELY don't buy this unit without also buying a backup module!!)

There is no support for checking battery power, and the couple of times that the system finally reported low power (after lots of flakiness) the Visor simultaneously locked up, requiring a soft reset.

Turns out that the batteries are barely used when it flakes out -- I've started moving them to the Visor's battery compartment the first time the modem hangs, and they show 90% charge! So carry lots of fresh batteries...

This is LOUSY engineering, I can't recommend buying it unless Xircom solves the problem.

Well, I was standing at CompUSA staring at the Xircom SpringPort Modem and the CardAccess Wristband Thincom Modem. The Xircom was about $30 more, and of course it was MUCH bigger. I'm just about to buy the Thincom, when I notice that you have to use a Dongle. You can't just plug in a phone line. I also notice that the dongle cable is **6 feet** long. So the module is small, light, and not noticeable when it's installed...You STILL have to lug around a 6 foot cable to use the thing!

So I bought the Xircom. It is TOO cool! Extremely fast connection, no problems connecting or staying connected. I used Yahoo Messenger, ICQ, MultiMail, and HandFax with no problems. The unit is VERY heavy, but it is extremely solid, and is much easier to lug around than a 6 foot cable.

I'll probably sell it on eBay or something when the Innogear SixPak comes out, but for now it rocks!

I work at a The Major Office Supply Superstore, and we get this stuff in all the time, I read the reviews on Amazon.com about all of the modems. It suprised me when we got all of them in stock one day. After about 4 days deliberation, I decided on the Xircom. I'm glad I did. The other review is correct, there is a 6foot cable to keep track of with the Thincom modems, that they don't tell you about on the box. So far the Xircom, has impressed me alot. Connection, is so simple, I thought I would be in for more than I was. The Rj-11 connector is built in, like on their PCMCIA NIC's. It uses 3 AAA Bat. They include them, Duracell no less. It can hook up to your Digital cell phone for, you guessed it Net over Cell. And speaking of Cell phone interoporation, do you still have your old LiIon battery for your old StarTAC 3000. Well if you do, pop it in this thing, cuz it will work. The Xircom batt Package will also work with the Star Tac. What does that mean for the lay person. YOU ALREADY OWN A RECHARGABLE BATT. Thats if you have that cell phone. But even still you can buy StarTAC batteries. The Xircom, also has connection status LED's which don't do much for functionality but they do make it look cooler when your impressing your freinds. It's Light weight, The only draw back to it for me is that I wanted it to still fit in my slim case. Not a chance. Other than that this is woth every cent. Like most things Palm....you buy it for vanity and it turns out useful.

I'll add my experience to the other similar ones. After only a cummulative time of less than 1 hour online, the modem crashed my Visor. Hard reset, total restore, you know the drill. Except I was on the road, and had no backup module. Even with the backup module I don't see the point. I returned the product. It also seemed to deplete the Visor batteries quite a bit despite having it's own. I recommended the thincom modem to a friend, and they love it. It's easier on the Visor batteries than the Xircom with it's own batteries. Go figure. The thincom seems quite fast, even though it's only 33.3kb (future free upgrade to v.90). And there's online status and speed monitor to let you know what's going on. Note also that the multimail pro that comes with the xircom is a fully registered copy, not demo like the thincom, BUT it doesn't include the conduit, which costs extra. Oh boy. Using the Visor's built-in mail with the included conduit and the free Proximail for POP/smtp mail is a better solution anyway, so the free multimail Pro with the Xircom is no benefit. I say go with thincom.

I dont know why people here sais its a good for nothing product, I had one for about three weeks now and I am very satisfied about it. I had a small problem with it, but the fix was quite easy. The problem was that the AvantGo software that comes with this modem is bad installed and each time I tried to run it was crashing my palm so I had to do a hard reset. How I figure out this ? I just copied (with File Mover) the software from the modem into the palm memory, I made a hotsync and then I ran the avantgo software (from the backup) into the Palm OS Emulator software. This reported a problem with libmal.prc, so to fix it I downloaded avantgo software again from the (...) site, I install it on my palm , then with filemover I moved it into the modem memory (great idea this writable eprom memory for the modem). Then I restarted my palm and voila ! it worked.
With this modem I am now able to use lots of cool client software (pop3, imap, vnc, http, https, wap, ssh, telnet, yahoo messenger , IRC), and I just want to say that if there is any system administrator out there .. you have to check this out, the palmVNC and ssh clients are wonderfull. I found even a http server for my Visor !

Thanks to the rebate I bought this modem at a great price.

As it's a 56K modem it is much faster than Thincom's 33K speed, and it doesn't use a huge 6 foot dongle, unlike Thincom's modem. Xircom's modem has integrated connectors so I just plug in my telephone line. Besides who wants a 6 foot dongle for their handheld modem!

The battery pack is a plus, so my Visor batteries will be safe.

It is a great buy at a great price. Good job Xircom!

I purchased the springport modem today. I wanted it because it had a cell phone port on it. Imagine my horror when I discovered that not only was the purchase price of 120.00 but they also want $80.00 - 129.00 for the "optional GSM kit" to connect to your cell phone. So that's about $250.00 plus the horror stories of locking up your visor. That's one trouble I don't think I need. No wonder Xircom was bought out by Intel. I don't know who thinks these products up, but they sure must have been asleep at the wheel on this one. Think I'll try the "new" thin modem. At least they have support for it at the manufacturer's web site. I sure didn't see much for the "springport" at Xircom's.

I have owned this modem since it was released. I bought it so I could access my AOL Mail when I was honeymooning in Maui. This thing crashes your Handspring one out of five uses. I have only been able to restore from the backup module I own successfully after a lockup once. Sometimes a soft reset will work, but usually you end up doing a hard reset.

The bonus is you can go snorkeling, shopping, and worry about you email when you get back home.

This is too pricey a module for the performance you get. Support from Xircom is virtually non-existent. They have yet to tell me what applications they do support with this modem.