VisorCentral.com - Which one should I buy???

VisorCentral.com >> Discussion >> General Chat >> Visor General Chat
Which one should I buy???


	Post a New Thread \| Post A Reply

Pages (2): [1] 2 »

Last Thread Next Thread

Author

Topic: Which one should I buy??? Pages (2): [1] 2 »

cchoe
Member

Registered: Feb 2002
Location:
Posts: 4

Which one should I buy???

My Visor Deluxe is starting to act funny (I bought it in 1999), and I think it might be time to buy a new PDA. I love my Visor, but with the recent news about Handspring switching its focus to wireless, is Visor still a good choice? If so, which one? If not, to whom should I make the switch? Any help offered would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

Catherine

02-01-2002 05:18 PM

Drakion
Member

Registered: Apr 2001
Location: Lexington, Ma
Posts: 138

ok...

Let me just say, Sony is the way to go.

Im currently a Handspring Visor Prism user, only because i own a Minstrel S with 12 months of service (and to cancel is 150 bucks :eek. I recently went to CompUSA to look at all the different handhelds out, and saw that the Clie T615 is BEAUTIFUL. If you got the cash, go for that one.

If you have some springboard modules you cannot give up (like myself) get a new Visor Prism off ebay for under 299, its a great handheld and i still love it.

Hope that helps

02-01-2002 05:47 PM

foo fighter
Member

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

Re: Which one should I buy???

quote:
Originally posted by cchoe
My Visor Deluxe is starting to act funny (I bought it in 1999), and I think it might be time to buy a new PDA. I love my Visor, but with the recent news about Handspring switching its focus to wireless, is Visor still a good choice? If so, which one? If not, to whom should I make the switch?

First, I'll answer your question as to whether or not the Visor is still a good choice. Is it a good choice now? In my opinion yes, as long as you prefer it to the other available products on the market, and you are willing to accept the fact that the Visor has a relatively short future ahead of it. Springboard is a slowly dying format, and the number of available modules will gradually decrease over time. But if add-on modules aren't important to you, the PIM functionality will serve you just fine. On the other hand, the OS is NOT upgradeable...so you are stuck with whatever version of the PalmOS is burned into ROM.

If it were me, I would step up to a BETTER device than what I already have. If you upgrade from a Visor Deluxe to a Neo...you aren't really going anywhere. Now may be a good time to join the color world. If that is the case, I highly recommend the Sony Clie T615c. It is by far the best "slim form factor" PalmOS device on the market. If you want more features, check out the Clie N760 which also offers MP3 audio. If you want the all you can eat model and don't mind paying a king's ransom, try out a PocketPC.

In the end, this is YOUR choice. Go to Circuit City, CompUSA, or Staples, and play around with every device available. See which one feels more natural to you and offers the best mix of features, price, form factor vs. what you want in a PDA.

__________________
My blog: Pocketfactory

02-01-2002 06:27 PM

AzNCoMpUtAnErD
Member

Registered: Nov 2000
Location: sOuThErN kaLi
Posts: 462

Why not stay with Handspring and get a Treo?

__________________
nelson.hsieh
good artists copy, great artists steal. . .

02-01-2002 08:28 PM

cchoe
Member

Registered: Feb 2002
Location:
Posts: 4

Limitations

I would go with Treo, but I'm not ready to make the huge investment that Treo seems to be, especially since when I bought my Visor, it was almost $300, and my friend bought a Platinum a couple of years later for $250.

*sigh* Maybe I should just buy a refurbished Visor Deluxe and be done with it.

02-01-2002 08:45 PM

foo fighter
Member

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

Re: Limitations

quote:
Originally posted by cchoe
*sigh* Maybe I should just buy a refurbished Visor Deluxe and be done with it.

That is entirely up to you, but as I said before, I would never "upgrade" to the same device I was replacing. Always look for something a little better. It would be like replacing your old 300mhz Pentium II PC with another 300mhz Pentium II PC. At least go with color, or slimmer form factor devices. Or maybe a device which supports digital media. If you are on a strict budget, go with the Sony Clie S320/360.

To go with another Visor Deluxe is just plain silly to me, but that is my opinion.

__________________
My blog: Pocketfactory

02-01-2002 08:51 PM

GSR13
Member

Registered: Apr 2001
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 708

Re: Re: Limitations

quote:
Originally posted by foo fighter

That is entirely up to you, but as I said before, I would never "upgrade" to the same device I was replacing. Always look for something a little better. It would be like replacing your old 300mhz Pentium II PC with another 300mhz Pentium II PC. At least go with color, or slimmer form factor devices. Or maybe a device which supports digital media. If you are on a strict budget, go with the Sony Clie S320/360.

To go with another Visor Deluxe is just plain silly to me, but that is my opinion.

It really depends. Personally, if the Visor Deluxe does everything that is needed, why not spend as little money as possible? Particularly if the user is satisfied.

Then, when the next generation devices come out, use the money for a real upgrade and get OS 5 and the potential StrongARM processor.

It is really up to the user.

__________________
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. JOHN 14:2

02-01-2002 09:16 PM

GSR13
Member

Registered: Apr 2001
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 708

Re: Which one should I buy???

quote:
Originally posted by cchoe
My Visor Deluxe is starting to act funny (I bought it in 1999), and I think it might be time to buy a new PDA. I love my Visor, but with the recent news about Handspring switching its focus to wireless, is Visor still a good choice? If so, which one? If not, to whom should I make the switch? Any help offered would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

Catherine

When you say "funny", exactly what does that mean? It is possible that you could have some software that is conflicting on the device.

It is also possible that you could spend even less money and have it repaired. There is a great site for parts called GetHighTech.

It is possible they could repair your Deluxe for less money than a refurbished Deluxe from HandSpring.

__________________
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. JOHN 14:2

02-01-2002 09:19 PM

cchoe
Member

Registered: Feb 2002
Location:
Posts: 4

I agree

I completely agree that going with the same thing is silly and a step in the wrong direction, but what do I really get by spending more for the Prism or the Edge (which I think is what y'all have kindly narrowed the options to)? Am I wrong in my assumption that Prism and Edge are pretty close to obsolescence as well?

I'd like to stay with Handspring -- I find myself possessing some strange brand loyalty. If my Deluxe hadn't inexplicably drained itself of battery power and hard reset itself, I would putt along with it until prices came down on the Treo.

So I guess the question I should have asked is should I get another Visor product while waiting for the Treo to become less expensive, or should I just suck it up with my Deluxe while waiting for the Treo to become less expensive?

Also, I can't get the USB cradle to work with my laptop at work.

Thanks!!

Catherine

02-01-2002 09:19 PM

foo fighter
Member

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

Re: I agree

quote:
Originally posted by cchoe
...but what do I really get by spending more for the Prism or the Edge (which I think is what y'all have kindly narrowed the options to)? Am I wrong in my assumption that Prism and Edge are pretty close to obsolescence as well?....I'd like to stay with Handspring -- I find myself possessing some strange brand loyalty.

Yes, the Prism and Edge are obsolete. But if you want to stay with the Handspring Brand name and not spend too much money, you can get the Neo for $165.

__________________
My blog: Pocketfactory

02-01-2002 09:25 PM

Keefer Lucas
Member

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Atlantic Rim
Posts: 570

Re: Re: I agree

quote:
Originally posted by foo fighter

But if you want to stay with the Handspring Brand name and not spend too much money, you can get the Neo for $165.

Heck, why not buy a refurbed VDX for $99? My wife wants a PDA, and rather than shell out between $175 and $350 for a first timer, I'd sooner spend pocket change on the same device I happen to be using now, with enough synch cradles to go around, and just live in Palm OS 3.1 heaven for another 18 months until the meaningful 3G wireless devices hit the market.

NEWSFLASH! The Visor Deluxe still works as good today as it did this time last year. The total number of killer apps designed for Palm OS 3.5 and up is a big fat zero.

Last edited by Keefer Lucas on 02-02-2002 at 01:15 AM

02-01-2002 10:22 PM

Toby
Member

Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 3034

Re: Re: Re: I agree

quote:
Originally posted by Keefer Lucas
[...] The total number of killer apps designed for Palm OS 3.5 and up is a big fat zero.

Unless you consider VPN a killer app.

02-01-2002 10:24 PM

Vizorbek
Member

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Fitchburg, WI
Posts: 7

CCHOE:

I recently upgraded from a Visor 2MB to an Edge. With the reduced price, it ended up being a nice upgrade, has an excellent form and does everything my 2MB did (plus more memory). No regrets. Obsolete or not, Handspring still makes some nice stuff. Stay with what you know best.

02-01-2002 10:31 PM

Keefer Lucas
Member

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Atlantic Rim
Posts: 570

Re: Re: Re: Re: I agree

quote:
Originally posted by Toby
Unless you consider VPN a killer app.

Uhhhhhhh....that'd be a no.

02-01-2002 11:31 PM

foo fighter
Member

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

Re: Re: Re: I agree

quote:
Originally posted by Keefer Lucas
...and rather than shell out between $175 and $350 for a first timer, I'd just assume spend pocket change on the same device I happen to be using now

I wouldn't recommend a first time user spending over $200 on a PDA either, unless they had money to burn. All of the current low-end devices make good "training wheels."

quote:
The total number of killer apps designed for Palm OS 3.5 and up is a big fat zero.

Unfortunately, this is very true. Unless PalmOS 5 can cause a resurgence in application development, and experimentation, I fear the PalmOS will slowly lose its relevance. It was really all the "killer apps" that drove this platform to the highway of success. Anyone remember the excitement that we all felt when downloading AvantGo for the first time, or HandBase, or BugMe!, or well...you get the idea. I haven't really felt this way in years about PalmOS. And Palm has done little to rekindle that excitement. I hope next week marks the beginning of a new revolution in software. The hardware to drive innovation is certainly there. Xscale will open new doors for developers and end users, the best may be yet to come. On the other hand, if Palm blows it by simply porting OS 4 to ARM, I will be screaming bloody murder! What is really needed is a complete cosmetic make-over to the GUI. Something new, stylish and colorful that retains the current layout, and elegance. This could be coming since I've heard several rumors that OS 5 would look "Be-ish".

And lets face, don't we all want to see awesome new ARM based devices with a cool looking OS that we can use to pimp slap the PocketPC users with?

__________________
My blog: Pocketfactory

02-01-2002 11:56 PM

AzNCoMpUtAnErD
Member

Registered: Nov 2000
Location: sOuThErN kaLi
Posts: 462

I'll have to say the Visor Edge isn't obselete....I came from a 710+ to a Edge, and the Edge is great. The form factor is definately still ahead of almost all the Sony models. The physical aesthetics are ahead of any handheld device out there. The Edge is a great little device, I just hate the expansion...if you can live with 8 MB, than it's a great replacement! As for it replacing a Deluxe, the only things you'll notice is the speed, its fast. My friend's deluxe is a laggggeerrrr! The form factor of course, you'll love it

Haha, I can't wait until OS 5, it better be "perty!!!" Or I'll be pissed. That's one of the only reason I like PPC a little, it looks so perty, but performs like crap. If only you could have both...than I could shut some PPC users up...haha

__________________
nelson.hsieh
good artists copy, great artists steal. . .

02-02-2002 12:20 AM

AzNCoMpUtAnErD
Member

Registered: Nov 2000
Location: sOuThErN kaLi
Posts: 462

Re: I agree

quote:
Originally posted by cchoe
I'd like to stay with Handspring -- I find myself possessing some strange brand loyalty. If my Deluxe hadn't inexplicably drained itself of battery power and hard reset itself, I would putt along with it until prices came down on the Treo.

So I guess the question I should have asked is should I get another Visor product while waiting for the Treo to become less expensive, or should I just suck it up with my Deluxe while waiting for the Treo to become less expensive?

If you wanna stay with Handspring, than almost any model will work for you. You havent been spoiled by a Palm V, m505, or Edge form factor, so you could go for a Prism or Pro. Or Edge of course

. You could probably find an Edge or Prism for around $200 somewhere...lol. I'd say it's time to retire the Deluxe, I'm sure it's served you well, but I'm sorry to say... It's Time

. Haha. You have many options. Depends on what brand you want (they all have memory expansion, which brand), how much money you got, and what you want (size, features, etc.) It's a good time to upgrade...then again, OS 5 and 66 MHz, and ARMs are on the verge...but then *something* is always on the verge...lol

__________________
nelson.hsieh
good artists copy, great artists steal. . .

02-02-2002 12:25 AM

Keefer Lucas
Member

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Atlantic Rim
Posts: 570

Simpleton

Keefer to Palm: "Give me something that makes me feel left out."

02-02-2002 01:12 AM

foo fighter
Member

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

Re: Simpleton

quote:
Originally posted by Keefer Lucas
Keefer to Palm: "Give me something that makes me feel left out."

What the heck is that supposed to mean? You already have that now!

By the way Keefer, your avatar has been my favorite...but I've always felt it was missing something:

Attachment: k2.jpg
This has been downloaded 99 time(s).

__________________
My blog: Pocketfactory

02-02-2002 02:43 AM

AzNCoMpUtAnErD
Member

Registered: Nov 2000
Location: sOuThErN kaLi
Posts: 462

Yea! It's all about Apple! When are they ever gonna come out with a PDA? They already make kick ass desktops, laptops, AND an MP3 Player. I want an Apple PDA...

__________________
nelson.hsieh
good artists copy, great artists steal. . .

02-02-2002 02:48 AM

All times are GMT. The time now is 06:47 PM.

Pages (2): [1] 2 »

Last Thread Next Thread

[

Show a Printable Version |

Email This Page to Someone! |

Receive updates to this thread ]

Forum Jump: