A Good Buy
Written: Jun 16 '02 (Updated Jun 16 '02)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Small, sturdy, inexpensive
Cons: Palm OS 3.5, bulky expansion, not color
The Bottom Line: For $169 the Edge is a good buy. It's small enough and functional enough to do just fine.
|
|
|
| GRPaul349's Full Review: Handspring Visor Edge Handheld |
The Visor Edge, a good buy? Not many people would have said that a year ago when the price was $399.00! A lot has changed since then, and at $169 (with a free case from Handspring) it's now a good buy.
I started out with a Palm III, upgraded to Visor Platinum and now on and Edge.
The Edge is a Palm OS based PDA. It runs Palm OS 3.5H, which is similar to Palm OS 4.0. Beware the Visor models OS is NOT upgradeable thru ROM. Palm OS 3.5H gives you fast lookup and silent alarm. They're nice functions but neither is a must-have.
I had to wait two weeks to get my Visor from Handspring. Another caution - once you order you cannot cancel the order! They will only let you return it (or not sign for the package) to get a credit. A bit retarded to say the least.
Nonetheless I kept the Edge and am quite happy with it. It has : 8MB RAM, 16 shade grayscale, and a fast processor. Like all newer Palm OS PDA's it has the reverse backlit screen. It seems much better than the one in my Platinum but nowhere near as functional as the one in my Palm III.
Palm OS Software is quite functional and the software included is no different than with any other Visor Model. It's datebook, to do, notes and address functions are excellent.
I had a Dell Pentium III 933 with Windows XP and the software installation went flawless. It has USB connection so syncing is quick.
The Visor Edge looks incredible. It's still one of the coolest looking PDAs around. It's slimmer than the other Handspring Models. They do this by getting rid of the expansion slot. It comes with a plastic expansion slot to add on, but makes the unit bulky. I never used the expansion slot so I didn't mind.
One of the things I loved about my Palm III was its fliptop cover. The Edge comes with a metal fliptop cover. It's excellent! You can take it off if you don't like it, but I love it. It flips back in two positions. I thought I wouldn't like the fact it doesn't flip back completely, but I don't mind it at all. My only problem is with the fliptop cover you add about 1/4" to the top of the Edge.
The Edge is made from aluminum. It feels very sturdy. It doesn't feel light, but its not too heavy for extended use either. It feels much more solid than any other PDA I've used or tested. There is also a plastic piece around the side of it. It's where the stylus locks into place. I assume it could also be used to protect if the unit bumps on the side.
The stylus is on the outside. It slips in a groove on the right. It is a weighted stylus and I really like it. I don't like it sitting on the outside. It locks in well and I doubt would ever fall out except under the most extreme conditions. My only problem is I'm sure they could have shoehorned it and made it an interior stylus like the rest of the line.
Between the stylus and the 1/4" on top for the cover, the Edge looks bigger than it is. It's still thin, but it just looks bigger.
It comes with a rechargeable battery inside. I've not had any problems with it so far. This is a great option. It recharges when you place it in the USB cradle. Excellent idea.
The screen is very clear and functional. It's black and white (16 shades of gray). I mainly use it for an organizer with some games so it suits my needs just fine.
It was a good deal for $169.00. Palm is coming out with a new operating system soon (Palm OS 5.0)so I didn't feel the need to plunk down a lot of money on a PDA that would be obsolete in a year. For $169.00 I get a functional, sleek PDA.
I couldn't stand the cover on my Platinum. This flip cover is so much better. To me, having a PDA is more about convenience and usability than bells & whistles. This is a sturdy, small PDA. It has a great flip cover that protects the screen when not in use and folds back when in use.
It does everything well. It's small, very sturdy and fits nicely in a pocket. When it first came out for $399 the price was outrageous. Now, at $169 with freebies its a great deal.
Handspring offers a free flip case right now with purchase. It also is very useful. It adds a bit of bulk to the PDA but makes it that much more secure. It also flips like a book instead of from the top like the cover that comes with it. I like it.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 169.00
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
GRPaul349
|
|
Reviews written: 30
Trusted by: 0 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.