visorcentral.com >> Products & Reviews >> Modules
@ctiveLink

Mon Oct 2, 2000 - 8:30 PM EDT - By James Hromadka


Product Info
Details
» Name @ctiveLink
» Company Glenayre
» Memory: 201 K on Visor when inserted
» Weight: 3.5 oz. w/ batt.
» Size: 3-5/8" x 1-7/16" x 2¼"
» Hard Cover Compatible: No
» Fact Sheet & User Opinions
Availability
» Unknown
Pricing
» $429.99 (Bundled with Visor Deluxe)
» $179.99 (Standalone)

Shielding

@ctiveLink in VisorNow for the question that's burning in most of your minds -- why can't I buy the module by itself?  That is a somewhat complicated answer.  According to a FAQ entry by Handspring, the @ctiveLink module works fine with current Visor models,  but "might not perform optimally causing retransmissions on the wireless network. Typically the user does not see this interaction, though it can impact network traffic."  The optimized Visor that I received when reviewing the @ctiveLink reduces radio frequency (RF) interference to prevent these retransmissions.

Glenayre plans to have a stand-alone @ctiveLink module by Q2 2001. Pricing has not been set. At that point there will be a notice on how users can have their Visor replaced with a shielded Visor.  I tested the @ctiveLink in my normal Visor Deluxe and had no problems with transmitting and receiving data.  I think that when the time comes, you may not necessarily need to have your Visor replaced in order to effectively use the @ctiveLink, as I didn't have any problems with my normal Visor Deluxe.

Conclusion

If your company is paying for you to get a handheld and a two-way pager, the @ctiveLink+Visor combo is the way to go.  Although the  @ctiveLink is bulky, its ability to work outside the Visor makes it highly desireable.  This is a very good module -- it's a shame that current Visor owners will have to wait to get one. 


Criteria 

Rating

Features 3
Usability 4
Setup 5
Cost/Benefit 3
Overall
(not an average)
Pros
- Easy to use messaging
- Works outside the Visor
- Great battery life
Cons
- Cannot preview alerts
- InfoBeam not as useful as it should be
- Messages are currently truncated
- No subject line
- Current Visor owners have to wait


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