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-- Newbie looking to buy PALM V or VISOR - need lots of questions answered ASAP, thanks! (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/showthread.php?threadid=963)

Ron,

There are a couple of programs that let you import and work with Excel spreadsheets you might want to check out: QuikSheet and TinySheet. I bought QuickSheet because it allows you to edit the sheet on your Visor and the send it back to Excel on the next HotSync. Since I use Excel a lot, it was worth the $49.95.

There are also a couple of Word programs that are available. SmartDocs and QED. I got QED because, like the Excel, I can edit and return docs to Word.

There are so many good programs out there that are free or nearly so. You'll have a ball.

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What if your sole purpose in life is to serve as a warning to others?

CSV is an abbreviation for Comma Seperated Values. Excel 97 has it listed in the Save As dialog under "CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv)"

For an older version of Excel, you may have to use an 'Export' command if I recall correctly.

Found it guys!

It is now saved as a "csv" file

Where on the PALM DESKTOP software
do I import it?

Nearly there!



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Ronald Epstein
HOME THEATER FORUM
http://www.hometheaterforum.com

Go to the Address application and click "File," Import. You can use the drop-down list to select *.csv file type and off you go. You may have to paly around the fields and formats to get it the way you want it, but that's all there is to it.

Ron,

As for other software, being a home theatre freak you may want to look into OmniRemote. It turns your Visor into a touch screen universal remote a la Marantz RC5000.

The range is currently somewhat limited using the stock IR port, but a Springboard module with a stronger IR transmitter built-in is in the works.


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Eugene Hsieh
Editor, VisorCentral FAQ

Ultimately, I went for the visor dx. Seems to me there are 3 issues:

1. Craftsmanship.
2. Technology
3. Price

The Visor wins on 2 (due to the Springboard) and 3, going away. The Palm Vx is better made IMHO and sleeker and lighter, not irrelevant factors--but not nec. worth (a) loss of Springboard and (b) another $200.
The ability to pop a backup module in the Visor is alone worth making a decision in its favor.

Hello everyone,

Wow, this is such a wonderful BBS. I'm glad that so many people responded to Ron's original post. As well as helping Ron out, it also helped me out. I do have a couple things to note that I read on a couple other posts. One being on the "Design Flaw!?!" post. Have any of you that posted to Ron's message had the same problem with the Visor cracking and chipping in certain areas near the top? Also has Visor corrected this design problem with its latest batch of Visors? Also, a friend of mine has a Visor standard (2mb version), would it be beneficial to pay the 6 dollars extra to get the extra 6mb? I plan on using it for my design classes for sketching out quick ideas and things of that nature. Granted, I don't know what all software is available for the Palm OS, but I'm going to go look after I finish posting this. So I guess what I'm asking is, is the extra 6mb really needed? Do you all have problems with running out of space too quick? Thanks for all the replies to Ron's post and hopefully to mine also. And Ron thanks for letting me use your post as a way to get my questions answered too..

Seth

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Originally posted by Ronald Epstein:
My first thought was to buy a PALM V, that is, until someone mentioned the VISOR.

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From what I have read, the VISOR looks to be superior in value to the PALM

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I have also read the many complaint stories on this website concerning ordering foul-ups and delays in shipping.

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Since most of this news was from October 1999, I am hoping advances were made.

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I am buying the DELUXE version $249

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1. Are you all extremely happy with the VISOR, and does it truly exceed the PALM devices by 3COM?

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2. Is the VISOR totally interactive with your computer so you can enter all the information on your computer via keyboard and easily download it to the VISOR?

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3. What is the CURRENT situation on ordering this device? Are they readily in stock, and shipped immediately?

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4. What are the BASIC accessories that come with the DELUXE VISOR? What do I or should I immediately need to buy accessory wise with this product?

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5. Is the BACKUP module totally necessary? I figured most of the information is backed up on my computer in case it gets lost from the VISOR.

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6. How is the CASE that comes with the DELUXE version? What have you found to be the handiest case for the VISOR? Is the deluxe case (most expensive) worth the cost or are you happy with the less expensive ones? Something with pockets for cards, batteries or a pen would be nice.

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Ronald:

I have a Visor, and if I had the dough, I'd get the Palm Vx. Here's why: I have wasted more time and money on my Visor than I care to count. If I had to justify buying a Palm Vx, here's what I would do:

Visor-$250
Palm-$450
Difference-$200
Value of my time talking to tech support and emailing Handspring executives- Priceless

For everything else, there's Mastercard. (Or a bullet to the head.)

G-MAN,

What kind of problems did you have?

What made this such a miserable purchase
for you.

BTW, I just got my VISOR today, in
exactly 1-week's time.

Not bad!



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Ronald Epstein
HOME THEATER FORUM
http://www.hometheaterforum.com

Ron:

1. Scratches all over the screen, especially Grafitti area.
2. No hotsync w/ USB, even after performing every suggestion on this board, every suggestion from tech support, hard reset, reinstall W98, change drivers, change BIOS, new USB cradle, etc. etc. etc.
3. Unexplained battery drain. New Duracells last 2 days.
4. Tech support won't email me back. I have never gotten through to them by phone, and I don't have 1-2 hours to wait during business hours to talk to them, not to mention long-distance charges.

The Visor is a good VALUE, but implementation as a quality PDA is poor, in my opinion. Had I all the information that Visor users have been posting the last 3 months, I would not have plunked down my money. I would consider returning it and getting a Vx except for cost and the fact that I already have bought stylii, case, and serial cradles for the Visor, and I'd have to return those too, or eat the cost.

Anyway, I _genuinely_ hope that your Visor works perfectly. If mine had, I would not be so sour.

Ron,
Congrats on your purchase...I'd like my $0.02 to add to the satisfied list. One thing you'll like about having the graphite is that it matches the extant Springboards. I got the 8M flash instead of the backup; it isn't quite like having 16M since there are some compatibility problems with running some things from the Springboard, but it's close.

G-Man,
Sorry it didn't work out for you, but regarding one of your problems...scratchable screens aren't just a Visor problem...if they were, then Writewrites wouldn't have been out there before the Visors shipped!

However, your battery drain problem really sounds like a defective unit...unless you're running 'em dry with all of the failed hotsynch attempts. I wouldn't bother with Tech support, call CS and demand a replacement. Sucking batteries down quickly was the first symptom when my Palm (the predecessor to my Vdx) died. If it's toasted, that could explain your Hotsync problems too, perhaps.

Then again, have you ever tried Hotsyncing to someone else's computer, just to make sure it's the Visor and not one of the myriad USB non-univeralities that seem to be out there?

[This message has been edited by huski (edited 01-25-2000).]