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Landware HotLink Cable
October 30, 2001
Enter the HotLink Cable from Landware, on a mission to lighten your load. It eliminates the need for both your cradle and the AC adapter, and simply plugs into the USB port of your computer to both charge and sync your handheld device. It’s compatible with the latest Palms which have the new Universal Connector— the m500, m505, and the m125 (which doesn’t recharge since it uses disposable batteries). The cable is four feet long, which should give you plenty of length to plug it into the computer and then rest the Palm on a desk.It works like a charm too, exactly as advertised— just push the HotSync button on the cable and your Palm & PC won’t know that it isn’t attached to that bulky old cradle. While I didn’t do any strictly scientific testing, recharging time seemed to be just about the same whether my Palm was plugged into the cradle, Palm’s emergency charger, or the HotLink cable.
And before you say that you aren’t a road warrior, you might consider how often you do move from office to office, especially if you are a consultant or salesman. Chances are you’ll have access to a computer wherever you go, so you’ll be able to recharge your Palm anywhere, even if you don’t want to sync with a different computer. Or maybe like me you’re tired of the bulky cradle sitting on your desk or table all the time, whether you need it or not. For that very reason I’ve ditched my cradle altogether, and reclaimed the desk space for a better use- like another one of those desk toys I keep playing with when I’m supposed to be working…
I sure wish that I’d had the HotLink Cable from Landware on my last trip- carrying the cradle and the AC adapter for my Palm m505, along with all of those awful cords that refused to stay contained was just a nightmare. Next time I’ll just take my HotLink and it’ll be smooth sailing from here on out. If you want to lighten your load, head on over to Landware and get one for yourself. They’re just $19.95 and worth every penny.
