Rating: 
Summary: Worth it
Review: Although this product still has bugs, I have found it really worth it. It comes with its own browser but you can download Blazers or AvantGo's browser and they work. Most everyone is used to T1 speeds so 19.2K is painfully slow but this is fastest the modem will go. All wireless modems for palm can only go 19.2K. I have had this thing crash on me but a hotsync replaces what I lost. Overall, I am happy with it although the first one I had to send back, there was a battery problem.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful Product Links You to the World !
Review: Awesome is the word. The ability to send email and cruise the web while sitting in the airport or reclining in bed is VERY cool. Anywhere you have a signal you are on-line. I live in Albuquerque NM and coverage is good. I even use it while hiking in the Sandia Mountains here. Nothing like being on-line while hiking along at 10,000 feet up. If your area has coverage then buy it NOW !
Rating: 
Summary: Good for some certain people, not for average people
Review: Basically, I agree with what other people said. This is a very nice service, but there are several problems that I have noticed:(1) The coverage is not very good. I can not get a signal in my house, but I am able to get it outside which only 2 meters away(I am able to get a very good signal almost anywhere on my cellular phone). It seems like the signal strength is too weak to penetrate the wall. The signal is good on the several freeways in San Jose though. (2) Sometimes the speed is very slow and sometimes the connections just failed. But after couple minutes, it came back normal, a minus if you need things urgently. (3) It causes my Prism to crash many times. Even the first time when I installed the Modem, it crashed and I lost all the data. I have gotten at around 5 - 8 crashes (needs hard start) in two days. (4) The webs that you can visit (optimized for PDA) are still very limited. Overall, this thing will be nice if the aformentioned problems get improved, at this stage, it is for those serious people who need the connection on the road and need it immediately.
Rating:
Summary: Minstrel Modem crashes your Handspring so backup everyday!
Review: First of all let me say that the Minstrel is great in that it allows you to cruise the web, get e-mail, etc. The problem I have with the modem is that it crashes your Handspring. Meaning if it can't connect sometimes it will crash and then it will reset your Palm OS except it doesn't fully reset and then starts flashing. When this happens you can't turn it off or even do a soft reset. The only thing you can do is hope you've backed it up and then do the soft reboot and when it asks you to erase all data...yep you guessed it you lose it all. Then you have to restore. So if you use the modem you better back it up daily. Another bad note about the modem, if you search certain web sites that aren't designed yet for the small interface you can sign in with your user id and password but you can't hit the enter key as it is not there. I've noticed this on several pages, brokerages and banks, credit card companies, etc. In time I assume the web pages will be updated. Such is the price you pay for new technology but I have to say I love using it with the American Airlines application which you can download of AA.com's site to check on your flight departures, etc. Overall it's as good as it gets in the wireless world I would have to say, just remember to BACKUP and BACKUP daily. By the way other than the size of the Handspring, I love it by itself, w/o the modem, it doesn't crash when you're not using the modem.
Rating: 
Summary: CAVEAT EMPTOR! (Latin for: "Let the Buyer Beware")
Review: Had a Palm VII and upgraded to a Handspring Visor Prism. Thought it would be great to get wireless on the Prism and tried out Omnisky. What a nightmare. The software they sent was corrupted which required hours with Tech Support and software patches to fix. Then after that problem was solved, email wouldn't work because the Omnisky email server had problems. Then the wireless coverage was *HORRIBLE!* (el stinko!). And that's here in the Bay Area where we're suppose to be the tech center of the nation. Overall, this was a real disappointment. I sent the modem back and cancelled service. Omnisky KNOW their wireless coverage is horrible and they sell you their service anyway hoping that you'll just grin and bear it. If wireless connectivity is essential, buy a Palm VII or wait until better options come out. Omnisky? That dog won't hunt.
Rating:
Summary: Good product, bad CDPD coverage.
Review: I bought a Handspring Visor Platinum along with this modem to allow me to access my email remotely around the city. My cell phone has NO coverage problems ANYWHERE in the area. The OmniSky service and this modem has coverage problems almost EVERYWHERE in the area. After reading many online reviews I swapped out the useless stub antenna on the modem with one that is longer, from my cell phone. This helped improve access dramatically. However, even being outdoors within 1000 feet of a cell tower (GTE is my OmniSky CDPD carrier) I had trouble. Literally, if I coughed (and my hand shook) I would lose the connection! I'm NOT kidding. When you are in a sweet spot, and it works, it works great. But the problem is that sweet spot usually entails me standing with my arm out-stretched holding my Visor up in the air like the Statue of Liberty! This is NOT a good thing. I think Omnisky (and Novatel) are on the right track, but this technology is still in its infancy. My advice, unless you need access on the road where you KNOW you will have good coverage, expect to "work" with this a bit. Technogeeks, apply, but do NOT buy this for your Mom! I must also mention, that OmniSky tech support is EXCELLENT! They answer the phone quickly and they actually know the software and hardware! I've always been happy with them, it's just the CDPD coverage that stinks. If I could rate them separately, the modem would get 4 stars and the coverage would get 1 star.
Rating:
Summary: A Semi Useful Toy
Review: I have been running the Minstrel S for about 2 months now and I have to say the service is great, if you can find it! When you use the Minstrel S you feel like you are a ghostbuster trying to detect ghosts, but the ghosts are the service provider signals needed to support your "new" toy!! I call it a toy still because it dosn't work more often than it does, but when you have a connection you now know you are in the new Milenium. Don't get me wrong the Minstrel S is great when it works, there are few things like it, but getting a signal is tough. You would figure that in a airport you would have service, guess again. OmniSky has to get better coverage before this toy becomes a tool!!!
Rating:
Summary: OmniSky in Denver
Review: I have found the coverage in the Denver area excellent! Installation was a pain ... because the included CD was for the wrong device. Since I received it late on Friday (and tech support closes at 1800 ET) I had to root around the OmniSky web site looking for information on how to activate the unit. I found it, and it activated so no harm done. Documentation could be better!!!! The big problem is that it crashes the visor every now and again. When this happens, you just have to do a soft reset. Okay so that's a pain. No hard resets yet. OmniSky says it's working on a color version to be released in January 2002. Until then, the OmniSky browser is B&W. If you need color, use the Handspring Blazer browser. All in all, I like the modem. It does have a few problems, but I'm hoping most will be fixed in upcoming software updates. Really, the only big problem is the resets. If you're a gadget person like I am, you'll love it.
Rating:
Summary: OmniSky in Denver
Review: I have found the coverage in the Denver area excellent! Installation was a pain ... because the included CD was for the wrong device. Since I received it late on Friday (and tech support closes at 1800 ET) I had to root around the OmniSky web site looking for information on how to activate the unit. I found it, and it activated so no harm done. Documentation could be better!!!! The big problem is that it crashes the visor every now and again. When this happens, you just have to do a soft reset. Okay so that's a pain. No hard resets yet. OmniSky says it's working on a color version to be released in January 2002. Until then, the OmniSky browser is B&W. If you need color, use the Handspring Blazer browser. All in all, I like the modem. It does have a few problems, but I'm hoping most will be fixed in upcoming software updates. Really, the only big problem is the resets. If you're a gadget person like I am, you'll love it.
Rating:
Summary: Works Well With My Visor Prism
Review: I have used the Omnisky Minstrel S Modem with my Visor Prism for about a month now, and, I must say I am pleasantly and surprisingly satisfied with it. After a shaky start (The setup did not go well and the Handspring customer service is abysmal; but the Omnisky reps I dealt with were knowledgable and very helpful), I was able to make it perform to my liking and needs. I have used it only in the Northeast from NYC northwest to NE Pennsylvania (mostly on a bus or train), and have found the coverage to be quite good with few service interruptions. Pros: the new Blazer web browser allows you to surf the net in color, Omnisky supports all the Palm VII web clipping apps, the modem recharges easily, service in the Northeast (at least in my experience) is good. Cons: The setup can be difficult and frustrating (I had to do a hard reset and reinstall the Omnisky data as well as all my own data a few times, the modem can cause fatal errors if not shut off completely before you remove it from the visor, the Omnisky apps themselves do not support color browsing unless you use the Blazer browser for which you must now pay extra. On the whole, I recommend the modem especially for use with the Visor prism. As a former Palm VIIx user, I thought I would miss the convenience of just flipping up the antenna and being immediately connected, but browsing in color on the easy to read Visor Prism screen is a pure pleasure. The modem is very compact and is much smaller than the one for the Palm III or V. I have had no problems with it since the initial setup .
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