Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 61

As a Palm user of some years, I would be interested to find out some thoughts from people that do not currently have a PDA but have decided to get a Visor?

Upon seeing the Visor what pushed you over the edge to enter the world of the PDA? And why now with the Visor when you could (an still can) get a low priced Palm III months ago. What changed? Is it Hype? Springboards? iMac blue cases?

Just interested,

jonpod

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 30

lower price with twice the amount of ram, high resolution screen and topped off with some major possibilities of hardware expansion.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Larkspur, CO, USA
Posts: 32

USB.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 42

Well, the Visor will be my first PDA. There are probably a number of reasons I finally decieded on a Visor. Had the Visor not been coming out at this time I probably would be buying a Palm right now, but the price of the Visor made the decision easy. Spending $250 on the Visor is a much easier of a decision than spending $500 on a new Palm. But while I was going to wait until the Visor came out in stores, what made me pre-order one was the fact I forgot my father's 50th birthday . After that mistake, I figure I needed something to get more organized.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Urbana IL
Posts: 144

Price+RAM+USB

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 20

I was all set to buy a palm III wholesale through my friend, when I read an article in TIME magazine that told me to hold off if I was in the market for a PDA. The reviewer said that this new PDA from Handspring was awesome and was cheaper! The biggest factor was price. I've wanted a palm for 3 years, but could never justify the price. I was busy but not THAT busy! And what a deal! 8 mb and expandability plus cool colours to express individuality (sort of). Blue VD...can't wait!!!

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Columbus, Ohio USA
Posts: 255

I had always been interested in some sort of Palm device. I bought a Sharp Wizard and kinda liked it, but it was too difficult for me to enter things in quickly and I ended up just using my brain to remember everything.

Palms were just too expensive for my college-kid budget. 250 seemed a bit steep for a palm 3 with a weird screen and only 1 meg of ram. here comes along Handspring doing the same thing with the same original people, for about 180 bucks and twice the goodness. I figured, now's the time so I decided to sign up for one.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 7

I have always seen people with Palms running around (especially now that I work in a corparate atmosphere)and thought I could use one. I seriously need one to, can't remember appointments and am not exactly the most organized person. When I saw the price however I nearly died. Now with the Visor coming out you can get the highest end Palm device for the low end Palm price...can't beat that, and in cool colors too. Now all I have to do is decide if maybe the Orange is a little bright and go for the Blue or Ice

[This message has been edited by NiKoN (edited 10-03-1999).]

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Bellevue, Wa, USA
Posts: 72

Mostly price and the larger ammount of Ram. I have friends who use plams, and they can't live without them. So I broke down and decided to get one. I was looking at getting a plam from Buycomp, but then I read about the visor, looked into it, and my friends are all jealous now. Well, they will be once I get it...

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Modesto, CA USA
Posts: 599

Here is a post from a PDA user (Palm since 96)- Expandibility is a key reason that I have ordered a Visor. I believe that in the near future, I'll be able to stop carrying things like cell phones, pagers, gps devices etc. I should be able to just carry various modules. The Springboard should add to the expandability that US Robotics/3COM left out of the Palm units.

Dubinsky listened to multiple users and beta testers when they complained that the Palm was just no enough. I know, I sent multiple messages during the last 3+ years as a Palm Beta tester. The amount of attention that Handspring is getting and the number of orders should indicate that there will a directional shift on the part of the general consumer towards the Visor.

------------------

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 61

Thanks for all the response.

Price, I think is it. Quite simplily Handspring is giving people more for less, and is packaging it with something that has been around (Palm OS).

I still find it interesting (or at least very WinCE) that new users are buying for the RAM since 99% of what most people need PDA's for can be easily covered in the simple 2 MB package. Admittly, it can get a little cramped if you get really into third party stuff but my true guess is that most users don't.

USB, I think might be the Visor unsung hero. Quick hot sync will enable a lot of interesting apps (yes, I know - memory hogging-3rd-party-8-MB-needing apps), Avantgo being just the first.

Again thanks for the response,

jonpod

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Burke, Virginia, USA
Posts: 21

I was getting ready to get a Palm unit, when, like Phantom, I held off after reading the Time article. I'm glad I did. I only had about $300 budgeted, and I will now get a much better machine for the price.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Geneseo NY
Posts: 34

I have been using a Sharp Mobilion for a year. While happy with the units software, the phyical size was to large for my real needs. I was looking into a Palm when, like others, I started to see info on this "Visor" unit that was coming soon. I went for it on the basis of 1. Price, 2. Cost and 3. USB

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 28

both price AND cost, eh?

For me, it's the cost combined with the memory. It's not the USB, because I'd have bought it even with a serial connection. Size is important to me, so if had been bigger than a III, I probably would have gone with a Palm. I'm still waiting to see the specs on the Palm Vx before I make my final decision.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: San Francisco, CA U.S.A.
Posts: 42

I can't say that the price issue was a "pro" for me. I'm more interested in the Springboard add-ons, which is not going to make the unit exactly cheap anymore. I am a gadget freak, though, and as with my Gillette razors, I want the best thing on the market that I can buy even if it is going to cost me to maintain.

I was already waivering on buying an MP3 player as well, so why not let one major unit serve the purpose of two, three, etc.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Memphis,TN
Posts: 5

Well, I'm wondering how people feel about the Palm vs. Visor debate now (10/4/99)that Palm has just lowered its prices. A Palm IIIe "special edition" can be had for $179 (http://www.palm.com/products/palmiiiese/)(same as the Visor), and before too long the IIIe/se should be showing up in stores or on-line vendors even cheaper than that. For me, cost is a major factor (albeit not the only one). If I see a IIIe/se for a good price, I may go with that instead of waiting for a Visor that is still vaporware. Any opinions??

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Dayton, TN, USA
Posts: 66

I've been in the market for a Palm-type device for some time now, but hadn't decided yet which one I wanted. I was leaning toward the Palm IIIx because of the memory and expandability, when lo and behold, along comes the Visor with more memory and expandability at a lower cost.

The price is closer now, but I still like the coolness (and utility, hopefully) of the springboard. I'm holding out for my Visor.

[This message has been edited by bpowell423 (edited 10-04-1999).]

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 42

mscarbecz:
I would only agree with you partially. If I saw an equivalant Palm device for a better price, I would probably go for it too. However the $179 Palm you mentioned has only 2MB. Now, if I saw a Palm IIIx or like, with 8MB of RAM and it was cheaper (read: $50 or greater difference) I may buy it, but the price difference would have to justify the lose of the USB connection. On top of all that, I enjoy getting my hands on brand new gadgets (especally ones I can afford) and the Visor with its SB slot is certaintly newer than the Palm III. Just my 2 cents.

Mike

(I apologize in advance for any spelling errors)

[This message has been edited by mpenza (edited 10-04-1999).]

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 61

The word is that Palm is trying to keep the Special Editions in retailers and not online. However, there will be cross over and I imagine it will be soon. While this will happend with the IIIe, it will also happen when the Visor hits the shelves. Then it is down to features since I can only imagine that they are going to be pretty closely linked in price after the first of the year. My opinion is that on features, Visor wins, but Palm does have some good name recognition going and may be able to market themsleves better.

jonpod

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 42

My reasons - RAM, price... and of course those funky colours (I'll probably look very silly in a coupla' years when the iMac becomes old.)

But price is the big one. In Australia a Palm IIIx costs over AUS$700 (US$455) - and the Palm V just under $1000 at a lot of retailers - so a cheap Palm is very nice.