Pros: 16MB built in memory, Rechargeable battery, Springboard slot
Cons: Dated design, Springboard slot
The Bottom Line: If you need a Springboard slot, go for this Visor Pro, otherwise, the other PalmOS offerings by Sony offer a better price/performance curve!
kenfused's Full Review: Handspring Visor Pro Handheld
The Handspring Visor line has been one of the most successful PDAs ever. Period. Building on the Success of Palm OS, Handspring was an innovator when the Visor was launched about 2 years ago. Since then, they have slipped, in providing new products with innovative features. The Visor Pro gives the Visor line a much needed boost! However, there is simply not enough of a reason to buy Handspring Visor products, because of aggressive model introductions and decreased pricings by Palm OS licensee rival Sony.
First of all, the 16MB of built in memory is currently the largest memory RAM yet. And b/c the Palm has a rather awkward File system, using RAM in expansion slots (MMC, SD, or Memory Sticks) is awkward, and not optimized. By providing more than enough RAM for most users, the Visor Pro provides a real advantage compared to other PDAs.
The venerable Handspring Visor line, gets a small update with the Visor Pro. Essentially the
same as the Previous Visor Platinum, it adds 8MB more memory and a long awaited rechargeable battery.. The Handspring Pro has
the same plastic case design as the
predecessors (Visor, Visor Deluxe, Visor
Platinum) that has become very dated in the
current world of sleek models from both Palm
and Sony. It has become the workhorse design
that reminds me of the old Palm III case.
However, the design is sturdy, and has the
Springboard slot, if you choose to use it.
Out of the box, the Pro includes all the usual
accessories, including a flip cover, USB cradle,
and software. A few things to note, when
compared to the Palm m100-130 series, is that
the flip cover is more of a hassle to use,
requiring two hands to open and turn on the
device. In addition, the Sony has the Jog dial
which can be configured to turn on the device.
The Sony also includes a flip case, but it is
much easier to open.
A plus to the Handspring has always been the
sturdy stylus, in contrast to the flimsy, cheap
feeling ones found in the m100 series from
Palm. The stylus includes a screw off
mini-screwdriver and a reset needle.
In addition, the Cradle is very well designed,
and the PDA slides in and out very easily, in
contrast to the Palm m500 series where it
requires a very calculated twist motion to
properly lock in place (and it unnaturally makes
a loud clunk when removing the Palm-- always
made me nervous that it was going to break!)
In terms of Software, it has everything you want
from the Palm OS, and not much else. Some of
the newer Palm and Sony offerings include
more multimedia applications, picture viewers,
and even the popular Documents To Go that
allows you to view and edit Microsoft Word,
Excel, and Powerpoint on your Palm PDA.
The processor that the Visor Pro uses is a snappy
one. When the Platinum was released, it was
the first with the 33mHz Dragonball processor.
Now, it is the standard Palm OS processor in most
current Sony, Palm, and Handera models. (Only the newest Sony models ship with the faster 66mHz Dragonball VZ processor)
We can expect faster (and different) ones in late 2002
sometime, probably when Palm OS 5 ships. The Visor Pro ships with more memory than current Palm and Sony models. Palm allows easy addition of a
multimedia card/secure digital card, and Sony
uses memory sticks. While the argument that
Memory Sticks are expensive is true,
Handspring offerings are currently limited by the
very expensive Springboard add-ins that max
out at 16MB. If you purchase a compactflash or
memory stick adapter, you can then add more
memory, but this seems very expensive and
very cumbersome to do so. If you anticipate needing more than the built in 16MB, I'd go with the Sony or Palm ones.
One thing that the Handspring boasts is the
Springboard slot. The modules that have been
released include modems, cell phone, cameras,
and MP3 players, but unless you have a real
need to use a particular module, I think that the
added bulk that this slot requires is not worth
the space. Palm has a number of products that
attach to the Palm Universal Connector, while
Sony has some Memory stick style devices
(Camera) and an MP3 player as well. Handspring has recently incorporated the MMC format in the Treo Series of communicators/organizers, and we are predicting the death of the Springboard slot that never really caught on anyways.
Handspring does have very good customer
support for their products and an easy
replacement policy. I have found them very
useful in the past for replacing lost battery
covers and the like.
In summary I think that Handspring has fallen
off the curve in innovation and that they are
awaiting their next big product! Current models
from Palm and Sony are very competitive. The Pro is perfect for users who need more than 8MB of RAM right from the start, and don't forsee any need to expand past 16MB. Also it's good for people who have a real need to use a particular Springboard Port that justifies the large size of the Visor Pro. Otherwise, I'd have to seriously look at the current offerings by Sony, esp. the very competitive S360 that has the same built in memory, and the Memory Stick slot, in a slightly smaller body.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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