Battery life was excellent. Leaving the SB3000 on continuously, I found myself using the charger only once a week. The battery gauge never went below half-full. Anyone using a rechargeable cradle or cable on a daily basis will probably never see anything less than three quarters on the gauge. At a rating of 300 hours (12.5 days) of stand-by time, you should never experience a dead battery. The Visor batteries did not show any significant drain during normal use. Extended online sessions did, however, deplete them much quicker... go figure!

Using the Digital Link with a Stowaway keyboard proved to be a really cool experience as well. Surfing the web and composing emails is so much easier with a keyboard than using Graffiti. There were no conflicts between the SB3000 and the keyboard driver. I cannot say if the new "pocket" keyboards will work since I had none available to test.

For a 1.0 release, it is surprisingly stable, though there are a few quirks being ironed out by AirPrime. The module seems to power up the Visor randomly for no apparent reason. There also seems to be a problem with Voice Mail and SMS notifications not always working properly. AirPrime is aware of and working on solutions to both of these issues. Additionally, I experienced several Fatal Errors while using the Digital Link in my Deluxe. AirPrime provided me with a Platinum which did not experience the same errors. While I was never able to pinpoint the exact problem, I'm relatively certain it was some sort of software conflict, possibly even an OS issue (3.1 vs. 3.5).

For the most part, the included applications are adequate but would benefit greatly from enhancements and extra features. The biggest omissions at present are the lack of call duration times in the Call History app and the inability to reply to or send SMS messages. Another thing I'd like to see on the Digital Link is accessible flash memory. I believe that every Springboard module should provide a minimum a 2 mb of user-accessible flash; 8 mb would be nice. Better yet would be VFS-enabled CompactFlash or SmartMedia slots, allowing for even greater storage capabilities.

Personally, I cannot see myself using a Visor with the Digital Link as my primary cell phone. The thought of calling home from the soccer field on a rainy Saturday morning using my Visor just doesn't appeal to me (though it ranks right at the top of the cool-meter). Also, we all know that a cell phone takes a lot of abuse. How many times have you dropped yours? I rely on my Visor too much to risk dropping and damaging it. But I love the connectivity the SB3000 provides. I can see using it in conjunction with my regular cell phone. While I don't need 2 phones, using the Sprint PCS Add-a-Phone option would be better suited for me. I'd even like to see a data-only version of the Digital Link. Of course, this is an individual preference and everyone will have differing needs and opinions.

Lastly, and this is not a directly related to the Digital Link, it's for Springboard developers in general, I would really like to see over-sized modules provide some sort of positive retention method so that they cannot be easily removed from the Springboard slot. Too many times I went to pull my Visor out of the belt case or holster only to grab the SB3000 and leave the Visor behind. This has happened with every over-sized module I have ever used. Perhaps a press-and-release latching mechanism can be designed to "clip" into the upper inside area of the Springboard slot. Oh, and one more thing for handheld accessory makers: please, please, please... use softer, more flexible cables for items like power supplies and chargers. The cable on the SB3000's Travel Charger made me feel like I was fighting with a garden hose on my desk.

In closing, I'd just like to publicly thank Nancy and Cindy from Sprint PCS Public Relations for providing the Digital Link for this review. Also, Randy and Rick from AirPrime Tech Support were more than helpful and patient with me and my questions, and even provided me with a Visor Platinum for testing.

Criteria  Rating Setup 5 Usability 5 Features 4 Cost/Benefit 4 Overall (not an average)	Pros - All-in-one voice and data connectivity. - Integrates well with the Visor and PalmOS. - Easy-to-use interface. - Upgradeable to 3G technology. - Compatible with all Sprint PCS features.
	Cons - Initial Cost. - Single-band; no analog roaming. - Difficult to use as a handheld phone. - A few version 1.0 quirks. - Missing features in some of the applications. - Limited carrying case options.

Copyright ©1999-2016 Smartphone Experts. All rights reserved : Terms of Use : Privacy Policy
VisorCentral is not not affiliated with or endorsed by Handspring Inc in any way.