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-- Visor flamed in new Time magazine (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/showthread.php?threadid=1309)

I was reading my new issue of Time and came across a article on PDAs. The reviewer admitted that the Palm OS is a lot better than Pocket PC then went on to compare the Visor to the Palm. He said that the Palm is better and as for the Visor, "The Handspring Visor...is kind of like the VW bug of yesteryear. It's cheap, has a certain elegance and runs on the same gas as the Palm line. But if you want a luxury ride with tons of options, go witha Palm." Basically he didn't like the Visor because there were only 3 modules that he could find right now and he said the EyeModule is a flop. Oh yeah, the article is on page 105 of the May 8th Time

Booooo Hisssss

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Rose's are Red
My Visor is Blue....

Well I guess thats just another example of someone getting it partially right. I don't mind the reference to the VW (it is only the MOST popular-still being made in Mexico / Brazil- car design ever). The writer, I'm sure probably drives a Ford Escort or something similar, I doubt very much if he drives a "luxury ride with all the options". Not that I'm knocking luxury rides- buy whatever floats your boat. What I want is for the Visor to have mass market appeal (there is a bigger market for developers to look at coming up with cool add ons). I don't know where the quote comes from originally, but a business partner of mine often says, "If you want to live with the masses, sell to the classes. If you want to live with the classes, sell to the masses.", which basically says there's a bigger market out there for VWs than Cadillacs.
What gets me is the rather erroneous and egregious use of the word "options". As I understand it options are something you buy from the manufacturer (or the dealer). They are on the car WHEN you get the car. What that poor excuse for a writer (struggling for a analogy that us dumb ole common readers could relate to) needed to use was a word like add-on. Just remember, opinions are like certain parts of the anatomy- everbody has them and they can stink like, while you get the idea.
Keeping the faith,
Michael Walters

"A man with armed with an experience is never at the mercy of a man armed with a theory."

"Basically he didn't like the Visor because there were only 3 modules that he could find right now"

Yeah - right. A Palm with no Springboard is much better than a Visor with a limited number of Springboards. A little like those that complain that Springboard slots are limited because they only handle one Springboard at a time, claiming it is better to have no expandability than to have to change expansion cards all the time.

Sure! I Visor is definitely like a Beetle (but most definitely the *new* Beetle ;-) ...

There's probably a subliminal message in the article, too! The VW Beetle is probably one of the top selling cars of the entire 20th century. Yes it's cheap, but also elegant and stylish in its own way. It's designed with the average consumer in mind, not the high-powered corporate executive. So while all the high-powered corporate execs will be using their Palm VIIs and IIIcs, the masses will be buying Visors!

My original theory is that the "magic price" for handheld PDAs is $99. If you set the price to high over $99, then it becomes a toy or gadget for gadget-geeks and business professionals only. If the price is too far below $99, then it's probably really cheap and made for someone who just wants to remove some of the small stick-it notes and stuff from their lives (basically a Casio Electronic Organizer or something similar, but not a full blown PDA). But the first company that produces a good quality PDA for $99, will have a very difficult time keeping their warehouses full,...

A little like those that complain that Springboard slots are limited because they only handle one Springboard at a time, claiming it is better to have no expandability than to have to change expansion cards all the time.

Just to be clear, the Palm machines are expandable, but the Springboard is more versatile. I disagree with the Time magazine's assessment, but in some ways there is at least some truth to what the author says.

I prefer the Visor Deluxe, but I continue to recommend the Palm IIIxe to some users. Both are good machines.

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Eugene Hsieh
Editor, VisorCentral FAQ
Come visit my homepage.

In most cases you can't really compare add-ons for the Palm to the Springboards for the Visor. The Visor's slot allows for full usage of all of the Visor's resources, while the <sneer> serial </sneer> connection of the Palm allows only for limited expandability. There may currently be more options for the Palm, but give it 6 months. I mean, the Palm has been around for how long, and its just now getting to be something that everyone has heard of. Just my 2 cents!

The author misleads the reader in two important ways: he only mentions the basic Visor (not the deluxe) and he leaves out many of the Springboards that are available (most notably the backup and flash modules). Its all rather ironic since his article last August convinced me to wait for the Visor and not get a Palm....