Product Requirements:
Device:
Palm V/Vx
Personally, I feel that more than any other accessory that you might
purchase for your PDA, the case that you choose is one of the
biggest reflections of your personality…save maybe the styli. Some people prefer leather, some
metal. What if you like both? If so, there’s now a case that melds both
materials into one.
The Franklin Covey
Palm V series Leather Hard Case is uniquely crafted of smooth,
full-grain black leather over molded metal.
The leather covering looks great. It’s perfectly stretched and
attached to the metal shell. Stylish stitching runs along the edges
of the top shell of this case. There is no stitching on the bottom shell. A small,
tasteful Franklin Covey logo decorates the top shell.
The Leather Hard Case is play through and holds the Palm PDA securely, via a metal
rail that uses the left stylus silo. Attaching and detaching the Palm V/Vx from
the rail is easy to do.
The rail is actually part of the hinge. It is painted
black which makes the case look better in my opinion.
When the Palm V/Vx is attached to this rail, it lays in the bottom shell of the case. A cutout
at the top allows you to use the Infrared port for beaming, whether the case is open or closed (not sure why you’d use it while it was closed, but hey,
you can!).
You can also hotsync while your PDA is in this case. The easiest way is to
use a hotsync cable. But you can sync in the cradle by opening the case
backwards… lifting the back shell open and away from the PDA. It’s
slightly awkward, but it works.
The inside of the Leather Hard Case has a plush black velvet lining. This lining has very
little to offer in the way of padding or cushioning. I think it’s mainly there for looks.
There is no extra storage inside the case for business cards etc.
There is also no mechanism to hold the cover closed; the case is more like
a book in this regard as the two halves of the case can open freely. There is a
spring in the hinge that adds a bit of tension to help keep the cover closed, but it
does not keep the case in a closed position. Because of this fact, I would not rely on
the Franklin Leather Hard Case to protect the Palm PDA in the event of a fall to a hard surface.
This is a very well made case at a nice price. It feels great in my hand,
is small enough to fit in my pocket, and just plain looks great.
A business
card slot, and a method to keep it closed would make it almost perfect.
Price: $39.95
Pros:
Hard metal case with a stylish leather covering
Cons:
No closure method
No business card slot
Product Information
| Price: | $39.95 |
| Manufacturer: | Franklin Covey |
| Pros: |
|
| Cons: |
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I have an FM Modulator Just like this except it is called the Cendyne Audio X. It’s a great little device. I use it on road trips to send the audio from my laptop to the speakers when I’m watching DVD’s (Shhhh, Dont tell anyone)
Hi. Does anyone have an idea of the range of these devices? I have an iRock gismo and the range is terrible. Thanks!
I’m curious as well, how good is the sound quality?
You guys,
I have to apologize! I meant to update the review earlier with the range on this device, and I totally dropped the ball! I will also add a section about the sound quality…
Judie :0)
I’ve been using various of these devices for over 10 years.
Different brands come and go.
The one I see the most these days is the Arkon Sound Feeder:
http://www.arkon.com/sf.html
which can be found for under $15 using a Google Search.
The premium quality home FM transmitter is the C. Crane one:
http://www.ccrane.com/fm_transmitter.asp
which is a little too expensive, but it’s very good quality. The range is limited by FCC restrictions, but if “your unit is not working well, in terms of not getting the range it should” [wink], then you can contact them for some tips for increasing the range of the unit (helpful if you have a large house and don’t live really close to neighbors).
Great products mentioned above. I just bought the Digiana. I wish I had waited and paid a little extra for the c.crane. Oh well. I will test the range and quality when it arrives.
what is the size like of these other products compared to the Digiana? it’s hard to tell from the pictures.
Well I recieved by Digiana. Tested it on my car stero with my IPAQ 3600 unit (fairly close to it). It really was not great for listening to MP3s. Quality was definitely sub-par. Perhaps I was expecting alot. Audible books and GPS directions may be a better choice. Suggest another product for transmitting MP3s.
Following your excellent review I purchased an AudiaX, which arrived in the post this morning.
I agree with all of your findings, brilliant!
However, if you live in the UK, it’s worth noting that, although legal to buy, these things are apparently ilegal to use, because of the FM frequency range over which they work!
Judie/Julie: I hope you don’t mind, but for speed I’ve posted one of your pics on my weblog (with a link back to your review). If you’d prefer me to remove it please let me know.
Craig,
That’s wild about the illegality of using the Digiana (or similar devices) in the UK. So every time you plug it in, you are breaking the law? ECK. 🙁
Fine with me about the picture – thanks for the link – and thanks for posting the picture to your server. That was most gentlemanly.
Judie :0)
I’m visiting LA and found the same device sold by CenDyne and its called GruvX. The price is typically 29.99 but there is currently a $10 rebate. I’ve tested it and it works just like the one reviewed!:) I got it at Frye’s. I’m from out of state and this store blows my mind! Btw, they also had several diiferent brands that were available.
/JCt
Hey, just following up – got mine, i think it’s great. Wonderful to be able to plug it into my pc, then listen to my playlists anywhere in the house.
Just as an fyi, Gateway (yes THAT Gateway) sell the Cendyne version on their website under MP3 Accessories, in fact, right here:
http://accessories.gateway.com/AccessoryStore/Hardware_316441/MP3_316716/MP3+Accessories_316718/1977574_ProdDetail.htm
It’s cheaper than getting it from Canada, and it comes from Gateway. Can’t be bad.
I recently got one of these little, and I do mean little, gems. As I was told before I bought it, the sound quality of the Digiana can leave something to be desired. However, I have found that some input devices work better than others. For instance, using it with my Jornada 568’s volume turned up past about 25% will get you nothing static. My Fuji laptop however can be at max volume and the Digiana will play just fine.
Another thing I’ve noticed is that performance can also depend on your FM tuner. My Subaru gets fairly crummy FM reception when compared to my F-150. I can get stuff in the F-150 that is nothing but static in the Subaru. The Digiana actually plays better in the Subaru because the radio in it doesn’t pull in weak stations that will overpower the Digiana.
One other thing…I’m in Virginia this week for a training class and I’ve got a few DVDs with me for when there’s just not much to watch on TV. My Fuji’s built in speakers leave something to be desired, so, I use the Digiana to play the sound though the radio in the room. I know it ain’t much better, but its louder…
Hi this is great forum. When I first was interested in such a audio adapter, all I could find on the net was Arkon’s SoundFeeder and IRock. Now I know a few more such devices, digiana, c.crane, bug, iTrip, cendyne gruv x, etc.
However, I have yet to find any similar devices that are truely wireless because you still have to use a wire to connect to the source.
Is there any Bluetooth fm audio adapters out there? For instance, the new iPAQs are equiped with bluetooth a bluetooth Audio Portable FM Linker would be truely wireless.
hi all-
this site rocks! glad i found it.
anyway i was wondering if anyone has ever used the LineX Portable or Usb version and if the range is really 100-150ft?
THANKS!
Hello,
I can’t believe I just found these boards today!! This is a great site with lots of the right type of information. Anyways, the reason for this post is that I plan on getting an Archos AV140 +DVR (Does anyone have a review/opinions on this device?) and was looking for a way to listen to it in the car.
That is when I found out about FM transmitters. After doing some research I found that when ever I found one article that said how good a particular transmitter was I found one that said that it was not worth the money. That is until I found our about the C. Crane FM Transmitter from this thread that was suggested (no review though, I guess you are busy :p ). Though a tad expensive (but hey, that is what income tax rebates are all about right?) it seems to be the best. I’ve decided that I am going to purchase this one (unless someone can suggest a better one).
Also while reading this post I noticed that alot of people have the problem of signal drift and/or there are too many radio stations that drown out your signal (I live in a rural community, though when I do go into the city I get the same 4 stations, yes all 4 of them, so I don’t have to worry about finding an empty frequency :p ). While in my search for a decent FM Transmitter I came across the Olympia Soundbug which you attach to a smooth service (ie. a car window) and it acts as a sounding board. You can also “daisy chain” two together to have stereo sound (or so they claim). I thought that this might be a solution for some people, though I don’t know how good they (maybe this could be a possible review for the future since tape decks are a thing of the past and input/output jacks are not that common in cars yet?)
Well any info anyone has would be great. Thanks.
–Aequitas
P.S. If there have been posts about these items (I didn’t find any when I did a search, but my luck would mean that there probaly hiding on me to make a fool out of me lol) please send me in the right direction.