Visor- Buy Now or Wait for Wireless?
Written: Apr 28 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: cost, expandibility
Cons: monochrome, no wireless internet, durability
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| ahope11's Full Review: Handspring Visor Deluxe Handheld |
Background
The Handspring Visor Deluxe rocketed into the spotlight last fall when it emerged as a viable alternative to the Palm series of PDAs. Demand for the new unit vastly outstripped supply, and waits for customers were extremely long in late 1999. Computer database problems compounded shipping woes. Handspring even had problems labeling packages addressed to customers; many addresses were truncated, and Visors were shipped to the wrong
places. Some people were double-billed or double-shipped, or did not receive their new Visor for months. Beginning in late December and early January 2000, Handspring began to clear up many of these issues. Handspring now claims to ship within a week. Recently, my girlfriend ordered a black Visor Deluxe and received it within five working days. I ordered my black Visor Deluxe in early November and received in mid-December, during some of those early shipping problems. The Visor Deluxe is currently available from the Handspring web site, although they
recently announced that they will begin selling the devices at retail stores such as Best Buy.
<<<NOTE: This is basically a repost of my old Visor Deluxe Epinion. The old one was mysteriously eliminated from the Visor Deluxe category (along with about 100 other member epinions) around 4/27/00. My old epinion is no longer listed under any category. If anyone finds another epinion by me on the Visor Deluxe under any category, please notify me, and I will delete this one immediately.>>>
KEY POINTS
Operating system: The Visor Deluxe runs on the Palm OS 3.0 platform. Handspring was the first company to license the Palm OS as a third party Palm device developer, and the company claims to have absolutely no problems with compatibility on my Visor. I have installed and run over a dozen programs, and compatibility has never been an issue. The downside with the Visor Deluxe, as far as OS issues are concerned, is the lack of ability to upgrade. Unlike the Visor, Palm-branded PDAs (such as the Palm IIIxe and V) have flash ROM memory, which allows them to upgrade their OS as Palm releases new versions. I don't think this is a big deal, as other parts of the PDA environment will probably evolve faster than the OS (i.e., color and wireless capabilities, see below).
Build Quality: The Visor Deluxe feels fairly sturdy. I haven't dropped mine yet, so I don't know about that, although I have heard stories of the Visor chipping after being dropped. The buttons are
sturdy. I protect my screen with a PDA screen protector, so I haven't seen any scratches yet. The stylus, however, is cheap. I bought a stylus upgrade "5 pack" from Handspring. The Visor is no Palm Vx in looks and feel, but the Visor is also about $150 cheaper.
Expandability: This is why you should buy a Visor Deluxe. The
Springboard platform promises uses of the Visor that go way beyond the capabilities of a Palm IIIxe. Memory expansion, wireless modem, handheld scanners, and games are just a few of the things that third party developers have introduced or will introduce. This is also one of the problems of the Visor; there are only about three available Springboard modules out right now! If you want the full capabilities of the Visor, you will have to wait until at least mid-2000 before any of the really cool Springboard modules actually come to market. In the meantime, someone else
may come out with some really cool PDA. For me, though, the possibility of Springboard expansion is still worth buying a Visor Deluxe over a Palm IIIxe.
Memory: The Visor Deluxe has 8 meg of RAM standard, which is about the upper limit for Palm OS devices right now. Also, there is (currently available) a Springboard module for an additional 8 meg of RAM. Don't buy a PDA with 2 meg or less of RAM! Memory needs are going to go way up in PDAs as programs get better and more complicated. For example, AvantGo (a program that lets you read from web sites on your PDA) requires 400 - 600k of RAM all by itself. I think that a PDA with less than 8 meg of RAM will be outdated before the end of this year.
Low Cost: One of the important pros for the Visor Deluxe. Compared to a Vx, it's a steal. However, I think the Palm IIIxe sells in the same price range, so the Springboard slot (the Visor's main advantage over the IIIxe) has to matter to you in order to buy a Visor Deluxe.
User Interface: The Visor Deluxe is almost exactly like a Palm-branded device in user interface (no big surprise, since it's
made by the original Palm founders). I'm sure you've seen the pictures. Basically, if you like a Palm's interface, you'll like the Visor's.
Software: Everything that works on a Palm, works on a Visor, in
my experience.
PROBLEMS
OS Stability: My Visor Deluxe has really crashed only once, requiring a "hard reset." I don't think that's too bad. However, my roommate's Visor Deluxe crashes relatively often (once every 2-3 weeks). I don't think that should ever happen. I don't know if Palms have the same problem or not.
(Lack of) Color Screens: By the end of this year, probably the vast majority of PDAs will have color screens. I personally expect to buy a color PDA in about a year or so, as the green screens go away. However, the color options out there right now don't make much sense (i.e., expensive Palm IIIc, Windows CE). So, if you need a PDA right now, it's basically monochrome or nothing unless you're rich and a bit on the slow side.
(Lack of) Wireless Internet Capability: I list this as a negative
because there are currently no available Springboard modules with wireless internet capability. However, they may be coming out soon, which would absolutely clinch this decision for Visor over PalmIIIxe. In fact, even the possibility of wireless internet is an important plus over the IIIxe. However, the current lack of wireless internet capability makes me hesitate for a second when I recommend the Visor not because there are many other wireless-capable PDAs out there (Palm VII only), but
because, within a year, just about every PDA is going to be wireless-capable. At least with the Visor Deluxe, you have a chance to have wireless internet capability with the Springboard slot.
Competitors: Palm IIIxe. Mentioned several times above. TRGpro is another new PDA to check out. It has a compact flash expansion slot (like the Springboard, but better for memory and worse for things like wireless modems). I still like the Visor Deluxe better. Windows CE device are more like computers than PDAs, and their batteries only last a couple of hours (MAJOR drawback).
SUMMARY
Buy the Visor Deluxe if you want a PDA, right now. If you can wait six months, check out new Palm-based products from Sony, TRG, Palm, and Handspring itself. Color screens and wireless internet are going to change the PDA world, and soon. With the Springboard expansion modules, you may be able to keep up with the changes a bit better than without it.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
ahope11
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Reviews written: 16
Trusted by: 32 members
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