This Visor does Deluxe Handsprings
Written: Mar 31 '00 (Updated Mar 31 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: The latest innovation from the people who started Palm computing
Cons: Not available at retail stores....yet
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| Bonies7's Full Review: Handspring Visor Deluxe Handheld |
Okay...so you are thinking about finally laying down some cold hard cash for a Personal Digital Assistant? I know....I know. You've seen people carrying around their Palm organizers and you've probably thought that they are nothing more than expensive address books. $399 for a calendar and an electronic Rolodex? Come on...
You see - that was my feeling exactly until about a week ago when the Handspring Visor Deluxe literally worked its magic and went from silly toy to indispensable partner. "How did I ever live without this thing...?" seems to be a more appropriate question these days.
I have two co-workers who swear by their new Palm organizers - to the point where they'd taken me through all the neat software they'd downloaded. Zagat Guides...Mapping software....Arcade games...and on and on. They'd show me how they'd "beam" applications to each other through the infrared port - and I'll admit it - that was a pretty cool feature. In fact one of the guys actually went to a job interview and "beamed" his business card into the CEO's Palm, and the CEO had never had that done to him before....and he actually ask the individual to teach him how to do it. Talk about "bonding" with a prospective employer.
But I digress. After much needling, I decided to do some investigating of my own. I had read about the Visor's launch last year - and the incredible backload of orders. But a quick stop at their website (www.handspring.com) showed that their shipping time was down to less than a week, and the price for the Visor was a full $150 less than the comparable Palm V - $250 vs. $399. And yes - the Visor has the "promise" of its Expansion Module slot - although the available modules consist of only a modem at this point.
But, my decision came down to two points. If I was going to shell out that type of money - did I want the newcomer or the established player? After all - the Palm Operating System was licensed by Handspring - and thus the software differences were nil. The Visor and Palm are about the same size and weight - and the memory of 8 mb is identical. So, after reading several profiles of each...at both the professional sites and here at Epinions....I decided to take the leap and go with the newcomer.
Boy - I am pleased. The "out of box" experience was terrific. The Visor arrived exactly four days after being ordered online at a cost of $260.50 - which included expedited shipping. The Visor came packed in an easy to open and easy to understand starter kit - and I was up and running within 30 seconds of opening the shipper. You simply insert the supplied batteries....touch the screen with the supplied stylus....and it walks you through how to use the unit in six easy to understand steps...all explained onscreen.
Of course, when I ordered I was informed that the Visor Deluxe requires Windows 98 or Mac 8.1 or higher. It also requires that you have a USB port - or you will need to buy a serial port adapter for another $20.00. The reason is that the magic of a PDA is not so much in the manual data input - but in the ability to sync with your computer and download addresses, calendars and much more in a relatively short time. The cradle attaches to your computer and the computer and Visor transfer data with relative ease. It is really nice to be able to quickly transfer your contacts information from computer to PDA - and vice versa.
And yes - I've convinced a couple of co-workers to take the plunge themselves. They've now received their units and you'll find us "beaming" electronic business cards back and forth as the rest of the staff looks on in amazement. Yes - perhaps it's an executive toy - but after all the amazement dies down, you're in possession of an assistant that works tirelessly to deliver that number you need...or that date you need to check...in an instant.
My favorite applications beyond the calendar and the address book? Well, the Zagat Restaurant Guide for the Palm and the Visor is a really slick piece of software. It's incredibly efficient to be able to pull up mini-reviews of a restaurant that you've just walked by in Times Square... and see what the public really thinks about the place. We've now dined at two new restaurants that we "discovered" through this method - and it is so much easier than carrying a Zagat paperback with you. Plus, instead of looking like a lost tourist - you look like an organized professional.
You may be wondering if I have had any problems. The answer is no. The unit has performed flawlessly. The 19 page mini-instruction manual gave me the amount of information I needed to use the unit, but was not full of needless text. And the online user guide is fun to peruse when you've gotten beyond the basics.
And yes - in case you're wondering - I went with the basic black color. The grey was tempting, but the pastels (orange, blue or green) didn't exactly match my conservative profession.
Oh - and one more thing. Those buddies of mine with the Palm units? They haven't said it publicly - but I see the faintest glint of envy in their eyes as we compare units. But even if their Palms are just as efficient - the basic price difference can't be ignored. $150 remaining in your pocket will just about pay for that expansion modem....
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Bonies7
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 - Top 500 |
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Member: Jeff Clow
Location: The Lone Star State
Reviews written: 132
Trusted by: 1018 members
About Me:
Father, Husband, Consultant, Photographer, Writer, Conservative, Inquisitive, Texan
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