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I have just recently been reading the headlines about the new Visor Delux. I am very impressed with the Visors price, since I have been interested in Palms and noticed how expensive they were. I hear alot about PDAs and was wondering ARE THEY ACTUALLY USEFULL? I am in college and need some type of organizer for my course homework scheaduals and my clss scheduals as well as general appointments. Will the visor suit these needs. I appreciate the value of PDAs as a "high tech toy", but am unsure of weither the Visor has any real value-making life easier with organization. I would appreciate some comments on whiether the Visor is worth getting, and will it help organize my life a little better

This is what I know.

Years ago I had a Sharp Wizard whjich I loved. Kept me very organized and was compact. Came with modules for program management expenses etc.

I am manager in the Federal Government not school so my comments are based on that. Everyone but everyone uses a Franklin Planner. I have used one and I hate them. Iknow several people I work with who use the Palms. They love them and the more courageous ones have dumped their planners for Palms and haven't looked back. The only thing they find Palms lack is a place to take notes that exixts on every page with a Day Planner. The month at a glance feature was something they missed too. Both shortcomings were easily overcome and the compromise was not too severe for any of them.

I am finishing up my day planner in October and will be purchasing a Visor to replace it instead of buying a new filler.

One of the greatest features for a bureaucrat (sp?) is the alarm feature to remind you of the sensless meetings you have to attend. My day planner could never do that.

Just some thoughts.

I'm in school and I've had my PalmPilot Personal for over 2 years now. Before I would often forget about meetings and assignment due dates, etc... even though I had a paper-planner, I never bothered using it but for a few weeks in the beginning of the year. Since I got the PalmPilot my life has become much easier. The calendar is very helpful, and the Addressbook has really saved me on more than one occasion. People think it is silly at first until you let them play with it for a few minutes. Then they want one. I know at least 3 people who have bought one once I showed them how cool it is. I'm thinking about getting a Visor as my Pilot is getting a little banged up and my brother wants to buy it off me. I am very happy with the way it has held up, however.

Are PDA's actually useful? Good question. Think about this. When Henry Ford brought out his first car, people said what the hell do I need one of those expensive things for? The horse and buggy seemed to satisfy their needs. When Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, people asked why would I want to talk to someone using a machine? A hundred years ago it was odd to be able to talk to someone andnot see them inperson.When the personal computer made its appearance in the early 1980's most people had no use for one. The first XT's cost $10,000 and had no hard drive.

The point is that products that were revolutionary seemed to be toys for the rich and had no practical purpose. A hundred years from now, an original Visor bought back in 1999 will probably be worth enough to put your grandkids through college (I'll bet by then every kid in America will use a hand held computer instead of a notebook and textbooks.)

I have been thinking about this every time someone asks what I am doing and I realize I am doing something I couldn't do with my Franklin Planner.

Yes, I believe organizers in general are very useful. It frees my mind to focus on larger issues than if I am going to make my dentist appointment (Wednesday according to my Palm).

The other nice thing is it beeps at me. I bought a large calculator alarm for my Franklin, but it was too big and too hard to use. I need beeps because I tend to get very absorbed in whatever I am doing.

Palm OS specifically I love. This thing is much more than a organizer for me. I have timers, games, car maintenence schedules, heiracial idea trees, web pages, books, and measurement converters. Almost all of which were free, all of them I use. This is in a IIIx I can't wait to see what I can fit into a Visor Deluxe.

My main point is that I need an organizer, and that the Palm is far more useful to me than an organizer.

Hey,

Whats a heirachal idea tree and where can I get one?

The fact that I cannot write in the margins of my Palm (like I could with a paper planner) has actually helped me. It forces me to not be sloppy, since there is only one way to enter stuff into my Palm.

I love the small size and how the print is always clear (unlike my handwriting). I love ebing able to jot down an idea whenever it enters my mind.

Whatever type of PDA you chose, the key to having success with it is to carry it with you EVERYWHERE you go. Take this into consideration when choosing a case for it.

Good luck!

Palm's in College!

yes, i am a sophmore at Bucknell University, and i feel palms are a great tool in school. For one, as a general rule; college kids can afford it. jeez; save a weeks beer money and you are halfway there (j/k), but honestly, the palm is a great way to keep organized. IT does so much a paper organizer doesn't do; the key points to me (which i try to press upon others is...)

<UL TYPE=SQUARE>
<LI> it fits in your pocket, especially if you get a wallet case from the slipper line www.ebcases.com . What good is an organizer sitting on your desk.
<LI> it is fast to use, and easy to add a entire class, like m,w,f 8am - calculus is easy as pie. (altho i beg to differ on the calculus part)
<LI> it looks cool. no, seriously, If you are a geek, it's a conversation piece anmogst other geeklings, and if not, it let's the ladies know you are on top of things.
<LI> it's fun. with atleast 2mb of memory on all current models, you can carry a handful of games, the latest news headlines in avantgo, and useful stuff like the periodic table of elements.
</UL>

how could you not want a palmpilot?

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Tom Alphin III - [email protected] - www.students.bucknell.edu

Wow guys thanks for all the responses! I guess that Palms/Visor are quit usefull. I am currently using a school organiser, but find myself still very unorganized. How are PDAs for data input? Is the grafitt thing fast?

PalmGuy,

Graffiti only takes a few minutes to learn, and once you do, you'll be amazed how fast you can enter data. If you're looking to take notes, there are a couple of keyboards out there that you may use.

It is really easy.

Hawk

by heirachial idea tree I mean BrainForest. ListMaker and Hi-Notes are a couple others. I tend to think in outlines, general to specific.

I planned to purchase a IIIx but ordered a Visor Deluxe instead. I think it will mesh well with how I work: I can create memos and to-do lists in the palmtop rather than on sticky notes (sometimes illegible) which tend to get lost.

I often wonder though how many of us buy a gee-whiz technogadget("high tech toys") then find uses for it rather than having a clearly defined purpose in advance.

My Palm III is the best thing that I have ever bought. It really drove home how useful my P3 is when last night my wife was trying to find our insurance papers to call her doctor, and I pulled up the number on my Palm III. I had jotted her gyno's number down "Just in case" and whadayaknow.

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James Hromadka
http://come.to/hromadka