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OmniSky
Thursday January 11, 2001 - 11:16 AM EST - By Scott Hanselman

Connectivity/Coverage

CDPD coverage is fairly widespread, although not as widespread as the PalmVII Palm.NET coverage. Everyone I talk to insists that CDPD coverage will continue to improve. I used my OmniSky service during a 12-city national speaking tour I went on, and only had minor troubles in Atlanta. If you stick to major metro areas, you'll be fine.   

I have had trouble with the Modem working indoors, deep inside buildings, and in elevators. I haven't had too much trouble in Major Airports, although you will always get better performance while up against a window, than you will in a lounge. Coverage is also good inside the plane as you are taxi-ing.

The Radio Frequency (RF) Issue

OmniSky will not officially support the Minstrel SpringBoard used with a Visor Deluxe. They cite not only the RF Interference issue, but also that their PQA Support requires at least Palm OS 3.3, and the Deluxe runs OS 3.1. A competing Wireless Service, YadaYada, does support the Deluxe, and they downplay the RF issue by saying their service works with the Deluxe, but is "optimized" for the Platinum and Prism. FAQ: Why isn't OmniSky offering service for the Visor and Visor Deluxe?

Value for the Dollar

OmniSky has a number of Service Plans. They all include unlimited wireless service, and are as follows:

  • OmniSky Holiday Savings - $99 OmniSky wireless modem after rebate and six months continuous paid service at $39.95/month (a $200 savings)
  • Annual Prepaid Service Value Plan - $99 OmniSky wireless modem after rebate with service activation (a $200 savings); $399.95 annual prepaid service plan (a 17% savings, or over $80 in savings compared to the monthly service plan).
  • Monthly Service Plan - $299 OmniSky wireless modem; $39.95 monthly service charge. No contract required.

All of these have their pros and cons, but the current Holiday deal is pretty sweet. They also have a rebate if you buy a Prism or Platinum as an upgrade from your existing Visor or Visor Deluxe. Save those receipts - I didn't...sigh!



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OmniSky
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Product Details
Name: OmniSky
Company: OmniSky
Length (external to Visor): .73"
Length: 5.0" 
Width: 2.6" 
Thickness: .32"
Weight: 4 oz
Total weight w/Visor Platinum: 9.4 oz
Total weight w/Visor Prism: 10.9 oz
Price: $99.00 (With service contract), $299.00 (Without service contract)


Buy OmniSky at Amazon.com





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