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The OmniSky package
is the first wireless modem designed for the Palm V and Palm Vx.
It allows you to send/receive email, check airline flights, make dinner
reservations, browse the web, read the most current news, buy/sell stock
and much more. No more is the Palm V just an organizer. With the sleek
and handsome Omnisky Minstrel Modem, your Palm V becomes a powerful
travel companion that you will soon not want to be without. Ever
since Palm Inc.
introduced their Palm VII with wireless access, I tried to ignore the
fact the my Palm V had to "sync" information from internet
sites like Vindingo
and AvantGo just to
have the most current news and stock quotes. The modem comes complete with a case, installation CD and a A/C recharger. The documentation is a little vague, but their tech support is the best I have ever seen. There is little or no wait on the phone and every support specialist is very knowledgeable with the modem, the Palm V and third-party applications. Installing the .PRC files is done through the installation program. It also installs a conduit that can update your Palm via the standard HotSync manager. One thing that is not mentioned in the documentation is if you have FlashPro or JackFlash installed and have no flash memory available, the install will fail. Apparently the modem needs files put into flash memory to function properly. They leave you with about 187K of space left which you can still use for other applications of databases. You also need to have internet access during the installation or you can opt to do it over the phone with an operator. The install is fairly easy and simple and only requires a few hot sync's and reboots, nothing terribly difficult. Once you register the software and your credit card, you are on your way to wireless access. The actual modem is very simple and elegant and is roughly the same size as the Palm V. Although it does add some bulk and weight to the Palm, it is worth it for what you get in return. On the front of the modem is three lights (connectivity status, activity, and battery power) and a button that resembles the HotSync button on the standard cradle. The antenna extends about 4inches and is located on the left hand side. It is very similar to those used by many cell phone manufactures. The battery in the modem is Lithium Ion, the same type as in the PalmV, and lasts for about 12 hours on a single charge. It seems to have an endless range of power because while you are browsing the Internet or reading email, the modem automatically goes into sleep mode to conserve the battery. I have used it for several hours at a time and the Palm actually runs out of charge long before the modem. Omnisky software
is up to v2.0 (as of 11/00) and as I understand is a big enhancement
from the original version. The email program called OS Mail is great. It
is very easy to understand and resembles the bigger desktop programs. By
hitting the icon labeled Omnisky or the button on the modem it launches
the Omnisky program. This gives you all your bookmarks access to all of
the Omnisky services including partnerships they call Portals. From
here, it is just like browsing the web. Of course you are limited
slightly to certain sites that don't use all the fancy Java apps or
frames, but you can virtually surf any site on the net. Service
coverage is great. I have yet to run into an area where I wasn't able to
access the Omnisky apps or the internet.
On the Internet at www.omnisky.com Price US $299.99 - OmniSky Modem Price US $39.95 - OmniSky Service per month Rating - 
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