Edging Out the Other New Palms
Written: Apr 13 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: slim, 33MHz, nice fairly large screen, can use existing Springboard modules
Cons: bad IR placement, inverted backlight, yet another new connector, module for Springboards bulky
The Bottom Line: The Edge is better than the other new devices; if new and cool matters to you, buy the Edge. I would still take a TRGPro over an Edge any day.
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| quasar's Full Review: Handspring Visor Edge Handheld |
I've now had the opportunity to see and use all four new Palms - The m500, m505, Kyocera Smartphone, and the Visor Edge. None of them are the perfect Palm, or even worthy of an "Oh my god, this is cool!" exclamation (although the Smartphone comes close), but of the four I find myself preferring the Visor Edge, mainly because it has the best and largest screen.
The Basics
The Handspring Visor Edge uses a 33 MHz Dragonball VZ processor, the same processor used in the Platinum and Prism. Like those other units, it has no Flash ROM and 8MB of RAM. It comes with a modified version of OS 3.5.2.
The device is 4.7 x 3.1 x 0.44 inches (11.9 x 7.9 x 1.1 cm) and weighs 4.8 ounces (136 grams). It comes in silver, red, and blue.
Look and Feel
At first glance, the silver colored edge looks like it's made from titanium - it perfectly matches the look of the new G4 powerbook. Upon closer inspection, the unit really has a layer of metal on the top and bottom with somewhat cheesy looking white plastic in between. I didn't find myself terribly enamored of this sandwich look.
The stylus attaches to the right of the device, clipping in and out. It was very difficult to remove the first time (I almost gave up) but after that it got much easier. The stylus is gold colored, runs about 2/3 the length of the device and seems comfortable in the hand. Unfortunately it doesn't have a reset pin.
The buttons are a matching gold. They are quite shallow, recessed into the device, and contain indentations for use with the stylus. There is a single rocker for up/down which has separate indentations for the stylus. I found these buttons hard to press with my somewhat large fingers.
The power button now lives in the lower right corner and is made of white plastic matching the middle layer. I like this design better than the top-on design but I still prefer having the button on the lower left in line with the other hardware buttons to either of these designs.
There is also a small LED on the right side of the top of the device that can be used for visual alarms. You can set the device to use vibrating alarms.
The Screen
The screen is slightly thinner than a three screen but not noticeably smaller. It looks like a full sized screen. It is one of the crispest larger screens I've seen - I am quite happy with the way it looks without the backlight. Unfortunately decided to continue using an inverted backlight, albiet the slightly clearer (than the green) blue light used in the Platinum.
The IR Port
The placement of the IR port is the worst design decision made with the Edge. The IR port is now about 1/3 of the way up the device on the left side - just where most people have their hand when holding the device. I've heard some people complain about having the IR ports on the side for this very reason; the problem is much worse with the Edge IR placement than it was with previous models.
Springboard Slot
The Edge brings with it a new second generation Springboard slot. The slot hides underneath the hook for the flip cover than comes with the device. Fortunately Handspring also includes an adapter for the old Springboards. This converter module slides into the new slot and has a slot for existing modules to slide into. This converter more than doubles the thickness of the device but only covers the top half. It is difficult to get modules out of the converter - every time I tried to pull one out I pulled the converter out of the Edge instead. I am not thrilled with this design, as modules like the Omnisky add a third level of thickness and the device starts looking like a stack of blocks and feels very awkward in the hand. However, given the option of having or not having the converter I am definitely glad to have it.
The Connector and Cradle
The Edge brings us yet another new hotsync connector. Now a 12 pin connector about 1/2 an inch longer than the Prism connector, this connector leaves room for growth (4 pins are currently just passthru).
The device comes with a rather snazzy looking USB cradle that also recharges the device. Serial cradles are available for purchase separately.
Conclusions
I generally like the look and feel of the device, although I would have been happier without the white plastic. It is a comfortable device to hold. Although I like the screen generally, I am not happy that Handspring chose to continue using the inverted backlight. I think the solution for using existing Springboards is kludgy at best but am glad that a solution is provided.
I definitely like the Visor Edge better than the other new Palm devices. By allowing you to continue using existing Springboards, the Edge has the m500 and m505 beaten in the expansion department unless your only goal is more memory, at least until SD cards start appearing. I like the look of the device better than the slightly modified V look of the m500 series as well.
The Kyocera Smartphone has a lot of appealing features and is the most technologically exciting of the new Palms, but its miniscule screen and lack of any expansion make it less desirable than the Edge in my mind.
If I had to buy a new unit today, I'd still buy the TRGPro.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 399
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