I am not a savvy businessperson. I am not a gadget guru. I am simply a girl who's getting ready to go to college in a few months. My dad has slowly been introducing me to the world of gadgets through the last few Christmases and birthdays, to get me ready "for the real world," so he claims (or, more likely, so he can play with all the new gadgets too). For my 18th birthday, I unwrapped a blue Visor Handspring Deluxe; much akin, but seemingly cooler than my dad's Palm Pilot.

It seemed fun and exciting at first, but I had a feeling I would lose interest quickly; I have no business meetings to plan, I already know my friends' phone numbers by heart, and I don't have enough money to keep an expense account. 4 months later, I am happy to say, I have used my Visor almost religiously, and for people who don't think they need a PDA, you could be wrong.

The Visor is extremely easy to use. The minute you turn it on for the first time, it guides you through the basics, like how to use the Graffiti method for entering data. I know some people (like my dad) have an incredibly difficult time entering information this way, but I picked it up the first day; I think it all depends on the person. If the Graffiti isn't for you, there are portable keyboards you can purchase which you can use with the Visor; I'm planning on using that a LOT for taking notes during lecture classes next year.

It comes with a USB port and a docking cradle, each of which are easy to use. I'm just now really figuring out how to REALLY use a computer, and I sync'd the Visor with my computer fairly quickly.

The Visor also has all of the usual organizing features of all PDA's...address book, to do list, memo function, calculator, date book, etc. etc. etc. I also like how if you hold the power button down for a couple of seconds, the display glows in the dark; very nice. What is supposed to set the Visor apart (aside from the considerably lower price than other PDA's) is the springboard module, which allows you to expand you Visor to include a modem, an MP3 player, or other things. I don't have much of a need for these, but I did buy the game pack (strictly for Tetris) which you can slide into the expansion slot (I know, a lame thing to buy, but I'm a teenager). Tetris was fantastic, as always, but using it for just a couple of games really depletes the battery.

That's really the only beef I have with this gadget. I know some people view using AAA batteries as an advantage, but I'd prefer if I could just plug the Visor in overnight and have a "fresh" battery every morning. I'm going to be a college student. I don't have the cash to fling around on AAA batteries. But, I might splurge and invest in a battery charger. The only other complaint I have is with the initial case I received with the Visor, which had a hard case cover and a leather wallet you just kind of slip it into. It's a petty complaint, I know, but if you just want to make a quick note or something, it got to be a pain with all that packaging. I bought the black "slim leather case," which just flips open like a book. It's much smaller and easier to access.

I have just recently discovered avantgo.com, a fantastic program which can put whole websites onto your PDA, and it updates it every time you sync with your computer. I find this to be absolutely wonderful. I have MSN mobile (for news, weather, horoscopes...), Tufts Life (my college website, which displays menus, campus activities, etc), and The Onion (provides quite a bit of entertainment). Oh so much fun.

Overall, this gadget rocks. 3 of my friends have seen mine and have either bought one of their own, or are seriously considering it (hence the name of this opinion). Cause this thing DOES look darn cool. And, yeah, I guess it's pretty handy.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 250