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Mac OS X  |  Business / Productivity  |  Contact Management / CRM  |  QuickLink Mobile  |  Prolific USB cable drivers not updated

QuickLink Mobile

QuickLink Mobile

connects cell phone to Mac for wireless net

Version:  3.0

   [ Views: 328 ]

Prolific USB cable drivers not updated

Feedback Type:  Review

Contributed by: dallenmarket Sunday, January 22 2006 @ 12:03 PM PST

Product Platform: MacOSX

Used Product For: 1-6 months

Recommend Product: YES

I bought the USB version of QuickLink Mobile for Mac and got the download immediately and the cable via mail a few days later.

What the sales staff failed to mention (even though I had asked specifically) was that the cable manufacturer has not updated the driver for the "Prolific" USB cable to operate on Mac's OS 10.4.x new way of handling USB. The result was a cable that my PowerBook running OS 10.4.3 couldn't see.

I contacted tech support at Smith Micro and they were very quick to inform me about the lack of support. (the sales staff would have saved me much time, expense and hair pulling if they had told me that at the start!!)

It works fine with ealier OS versions. (I tested it with my home G5 running OS 10.3.9 and it worked great. This was with my G5 connected to my old Nokia 6200 cell phone and subscribing to Cingular's unlimited internet service.)

I ended up downloading the BlueTooth version of their software.(another $29.95 purchase, although they did accept the return of the old cable and refund my money minus a "restocking" charge!) This also required me to buy a BlueTooth capable phone. (the expense I tried to avoid by buying the USB cable version.) I now run at dialup speeds using my PowerBook and a Nokia 6820 cell phone.

Another note:QuickLink does NOT support FAXing. I ended up using the eFax service (another $12.95/mo) and use my scanner and printer through my PowerBook for FAX via email attachments in and out. eFax gives you free software to send and receive FAXes via email attachments and I've been told my FAXes are the clearest received by several people. (Due to being scanned in on a real flatbed scanner rather than the terrible scanners built into the average FAX machine.)

The outbound FAX is attached to an email and eFax converts it and sends it to the receiver's FAX machine. The inbound are FAXed to a phone number included in the signup and from there I receive it as an email attachment.

I now have a complete office in my 18 wheeler that can do business anywhere I can get a cell phone signal. My warning is to make sure your OS is compatible with the version you download and be ready to call your cell phone provider for the cell phone and PPP settings required.(With the BlueTooth version. The USB version was an automatic setup.) The support docs make it sound like it sets up automatically, which it does not!   
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