Customer Reviews

Xircom Wireless LAN Module for Palm m500/m505 handhelds

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Some thoughtful engineering went into the design of this device. Just connect it (make sure sd card is removed when you first connect it)--and the software installs automatically. This was the best investment I made for my Palm m505. Now I surf the web from bed or outside on my deck using my Palm. I can also check e-mail, surf the web and synchronize with my PC wirelessly. Awesome-even for the $400 or so price I paid for this unit. Used and at a lower price, it's a real bargain that will give new power to you Palm m500 series PDA.

I am very pleased with this product--it does what it's supposed to do: it provides 802.11b WiFi networking to the Palm m500 series handheld. It worked right out of the box for me. All I had to do was enter the SSID password and it found my home WAP right away. I was surfing the web with only a little twiddling to configure the Palm OS for a network connection (rather than a dial-up connection). Not only found the WAP on my home LAN but also at the local coffee shoppe here in town. I also love the fact that I can now HotSync from anywhere in the office or home, without actually having to dock in my HotSync cradle!

Battery life is about two hours of continuous use, but that's the tradeoff between WiFi and Bluetooth. Bluetooth uses FHSS, which means less power consumption but lower bandwidth (1-2Mb) and shorter range. This Xircom module--WiFi--uses DSSS, which means more power to achieve higher throughput (10Mb) and greater range.

The module does add some thickness to the slim m500/m515, but I find it still fits in a shirt pocket and fits comfortably in the hand. It's very light weight, and I like the fact it charges the Palm's battery at the same time it's charging its own battery.

All in all, I found this unit easy to use, reliable, and a great way to get get online with a Palm m515!

This thing is loaded with problems. The battery does not last very long and it does not always connect or work with the palm. If you want a nice toy to have, buy it. The battery will run out of power even when not being used. Does not really provide any enhancement to hot syncing. Has many problems connecting to wireless access points.

As for me, I like toys so I brought it.