Pros: Sleek design, springboard capability, rechargeable Lithium Ion battery
Cons: Springboard requires bulky external attachment. Expensive PDA for what you get. Springboards can be pricey.
The Bottom Line: Once considered 'hot stuff' not too long ago, rapid advances in the tech world have landed this PDA as merely standard, not stand-out... and Handspring's charging too much for it.
vara's Full Review: Handspring Visor Edge Handheld
Get your tissues ready, because this is a story of a love come and gone. I was in the market for a new PDA: my old Palm III had konked out on me, and I had gotten used to the convenience of owning one. I wasn't too demanding on features, nor were my pockets very deep. So, I ventured out to see what was out there. The slim, sexy Handspring Edge was one of the first ones to catch my eye.
Handspring advertises that the Edge is one of the most advanced PDA's available. Hey, with a name like the "Edge"- who could argue against owning such an attractive, thin, and springboard-capable PDA with 8 MB of standard memory? Plus, the unit is cheaper than the Palm m500 and the HandEra 330, its display is larger than the Sony Clie S320, and it's slimmer than its other Handspring cousins. Yes, I was in love.
Well, unlike other sappy love stories, I'll spare you the boring part in the middle: I did not end up purchasing this unit. There are several good reasons for this, which I will get into later.
OTHER UNITS I LOOKED AT:
Handspring Visor Deluxe: This was the one I ended up purchasing. Even though it's bulkier and not as advanced as the Edge, it's a good deal cheaper, and still offers true springboard capability.
HandEra 330: This is truly a gem of a PDA. It has tons of features, accepts both CF and SD expansions, has a jog dial, a nicely backlit display, and comes with Microsoft Quick Office, which allows you to view Word documents and Excel spreadsheets. Problem is, it costs $350... way out of my range. If it's not out of yours, I highly recommend you look at it.
Sony Clie S320: This unit is only $199, small, and feature-packed. It is expandable through Sony's exclusive MemoryStick (which is cheaper than most other memory formats), but it has no springboard slot... and I had to have that!
Palm m500: Although Palm is the standard in many peoples' books, I was disappointed by this unit. For one, I had a friend who bought three of these units but had to return all of them for not working. I have another friend who owns one, and it's starting to give her problems as well. It is also more expensive at $329 at Best Buy. Still, there are droves of members on this site who are big fans of this PDA, so you don't necessarily have to write it off like I did... I just felt that my friends' bad luck was a bad omen for me.
FEATURES:
Processor: The Handspring Edge uses the Motorola DragonBall 33 MHz processor. Also seen on the Handspring Visor Platinum, it is pretty much standard compared to what's being sold out there right now. While still plenty fast for all practical purposes, note that some other PDA's are using processors running at 66 MHz (and above if you include some Pocket PC PDAs). In short, this processor was considered pretty fast not too long ago... until new technology rendered it merely as "standard". Luckily, you shouldn't notice too much of a difference, since Palm programs aren't that demanding of hand-held processors yet.
Areas where a faster processor would make a difference probably include the Hot Sync of large programs (such as ePocrates, a prescription drug database), or accessing information (like Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine).
Hardware: None of the "pretty standard" stuff has been left out of the Edge. The removable flip cover that swings over the display to protect the unit hardly adds to the unit's bulk. This is a feature I wish my Handspring Deluxe had (among others). There are other goodies though, too. For example, it also comes with a silent alarm feature: instead of beeping obnoxiously, the unit has a light under its power button that blinks on and off. One of the most important features is the rechargeable Lithium Ion battery that can run for weeks on a single charge. All you need to do is place the Edge in its Hot Syn cradle. This means you can recharge your battery and Hot Sync programs simultaneously.
Palm OS: The Edge runs on Palm OS 3.5.2H, which is, just like the processor, about par to sub-par compared to what's currently being sold in stores. For now, the vast majority of Palm applications will run on it. However, there are higher versions of the Palm OS available now (currently 4.0), and more will follow, so it is only a question of time to see how long that lasts.
Software: The standard host of software that comes with the Edge out of the box is pretty scant. The only extras you get are "Datebook Plus", which is essentially Datebk3 (and Datebk4 is worlds better, in my opinion), a more advanced calculator (can do scientific functions), a "Visor for Dummies" starting tutorial (it's not really called that), and a world time-zone map. Other than that, get ready to start "beamin' and Hot Syncin'".
THE PROS:
Slick look, small size: One of the reasons I fell hard for this unit at first was its sleek design. Its silver metal casing is very handsome, in my opinion, and is available in three colors: silver metallic, blue metallic, and red metallic. It's only 0.44" in depth and weighs a light 4.8 oz. It is not smaller than the Palm Vx or m500. It's actually larger than these units in every dimension... but not by much. In addition, the larger size affords you a larger viewing area.
Sturdy design: Although I do not own this unit personally, I have a friend who has for several months now, and his unit is still in top form. The unit is well put together. The only criticism I have with regards to build quality is that the screen seems to scratch easier than other PDA's I have worked with. I would be quick to purchase the Fellowes "Write-Right" screen covers... they improve writing recognition anyway. Although I admire tha build quality of this unit, I would still highly recommend you buy the available $25 slim metal case. It's very small and will protect your Handspring very well.
Springboard capability: Springboards are the calling card of Handspring Visors. Basically, a "springboard" is a port where you can attach what are called "modules". There are a total of 56 available modules at www.palmgear.com. Examples of these modules include digital cameras, memory expansion, internet browsers, eBooks, GPS navigation attachments, presentation modules, MP3 players, mobile phones, and many more. Beginners may ask, "what does this mean?" Well, you can take pictures, surf the internet, give powerpoint presentations, listen to MP3's, read books, or even use talk on the phone... all using your Hanspring Visor. Neat, huh? The only problem? Some are too darn expensive!
Other Palm devices have started to play catch up by adding their own peripheral add-ons (such as a modem and PalmPix), but don't offer near the versatility Handspring modules have up to this point. For now (and this may change), most other PDA's only expand via extra memory or data storage, and not much more.
AN IMPORTANT NOTE ON MEMORY EXPANSION: Handspring sells its own memory modules, Smart Media adapters, and Compact Flash adapters. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages...
Memory modules are good in that most, but not all applications will run directly from the module. This is a very important advantage, because otherwise it would just serve as a "box in the attic" for your programs, and you'd have to physically put the applications back into the house in order to run them. Get the analogy? Plus, several articles state accessing data on modules is faster than using CF or SM adapters. The downside is that memory modules cost a lot more than CF or SM cards, even if sought on eBay. For example, a 16MB memory module will run you around $100. You can usually find twice that memory in other formats for half the cost.
Smart Media adapters are good because many people already own SM cards from their digital cameras or MP3 players. Plus, the "MemPlug" SM adapter offered by Portable Innovation can run applications directly off the card if you purchase the software called PiDirect offered by MemPlug (the only bummer about this software is it will only work with a Palm OS of 3.5 or higher. Luckily, the software would work on the Edge.) Finally, SM does not drain battery life as quickly as CF does, (it requires less voltage). The downside to the SM adapter is that some sources claim this format is not as reliable as CF, and can cost more than CF once you start buying the high-capacity 128MB cards.
Compact Flash adapters are probably my least favorite mode of memory storage, though many are devout fans. As of yet, there is no software I know of that can run applications directly from this type of memory format using the adapter (word on the street is the "AutoCF" program for TRGpros won't work here). Plus, they require more voltage. However, if you have a bunch of CF cards from your digital cameras or MP3 players, this is still a compelling choice.
THE CONS:
No flash memory: Flash memory is utilized by other Palm devices for upgrading the Palm OS. Even older model Palm PDA's, for example, can be upgraded to the newest Palm OS. So whilst other higher-end Palm devices can upgrade, the Edge cannot. For the time being, that shouldn't make too much of a difference. The only big things I've read about the 4.0 Palm OS is that it enables silent and vibrating alarm features. Be ready to see even more of this kind of thing as OS technology progresses.
Inverted backlight: Who in the world came up with this lousy idea?! Several PDA manufacturers are guilty of this flaw, and the Edge is unfortunately no exception: instead of lighting up the back of the display with the text showing up black on top of it, the exact opposite happens... the display is black while only the letters are lit. This makes the display almost impossible to read, even in darkness!
Requires an external springboard: Ahh, now here is the main problem I have with this unit. One of the reasons it is so thin is that it does not have the springboard port that other Visors do. Instead, it comes with an external springboard that you must attach to the Edge. Then, and only then, you can attach a springboard module. Problem is, this external springboard nearly triples the width of this unit. So, all the advantages of owning a thin PDA are out the window.
Here's where this could be a major problem: even though it comes with 8mb (the industry standard for now), some users may find they need more memory. Take me, for example: I use several programs that use up several megabytes of memory each. Plus, Palm software will eventually get more and more powerful, requiring more and more memory. When the need for a memory card arises, you're in trouble because you'll need to attach the big external springboard in order to do that. Suddenly, you're stuck with a big PDA.
VERDICT: ATTRACTIVE UNTIL YOU LOOK CLOSER. SAVE YOUR MONEY.
I initially gave this product three stars, but I ended up changing it to two. The reason? Three stars is defined as "average". Well, considering the fact that this PDA is either technologically on par or subpar with its competitors, that it doesn't have a true springboard, and the fact that it currently costs $300, I'd have to give it two stars only. It pains me to do this, because I was once in love with this PDA. However, considering the competition, this unit should easily cost $100 less.
I realize that many users probably won't ever be needing more than 8MB of space. In fact, many of these users probably won't even need that advanced of a PDA. In that case, I would highly recommend that these users turn their attention to the cheaper Handspring Visor Deluxe ($169) or Visor Neo ($199). The only real difference separating the Edge from these units is its size... but for over 100 extra bones, that seems hard to swallow.
If you have no need for a springboard, then an even better bet would be the Sony Clie S320. It's smaller than the Handsprings I just mentioned, is expandable using cheaper Sony MemorySticks, has a nifty jog dial so you can operate it with one hand, and all the other features seen on the Edge... For a hundred dollars less!
In conclusion, if you're attracted to the Handspring Visor Edge, I don't blame you... I've been there. But when it comes down to practicality and value, this Handspring falls short, in my opinion. However, I must be fair... I recommend this PDA to you if you belong to this demographic: 1) you don't plan on using more than 8MB of memory, 2) need springboard capability, and 3) don't mind spending well over $100 extra for a thinner PDA (compared to other Handsprings). Note that you must have all three characteristics to qualify for that demographic. If you do, congrats! You've found your ideal PDA! For everyone else, I'd recommend you look elsewhere.
HandSpring Visor Edge Handheld PDA (1015NA) 8MB, Graffiti, Slip it in your pocket. Put it in your purse. You'll barely even notice that you're..More at PDAPreferred
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