Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Clarksville, VA, USA
Posts: 74

Ok... I've read every review of the Visor Prism I can find and I'm really trying hard to convince myself why I need color. The only reason I could come up with that really makes sense to me is readability. On this issue I have a few questions:

1. For a power user, is the Prism screen definitively more readable than the Visor Deluxe?

2. Has anyone installed any ebooks on their Prism yet? How would you compare reading on the Prism vs Deluxe during longer periods--say 1-2hrs straight?

3. The backlighting on the Deluxe makes it difficult for me to use it more than 15 minutes in the dark. How is the Prism in darkness?

4. I understand viewing the Prism screen in direct sunlight is really bad. What about daylight in general? (i.e. in car/bus during the day) How about office lighting?

Any input on the above questions would be much appreciated.

TIA,
David

PS... A year ago I starting thinking whether I needed a PDA and started lurking on this board. Well I bought 2 Deluxes--an Orange and Graphite--couldn't decide which color I wanted. The Orange one is my constant companion and Graphite was used for testing and showing clients. Quite honestly I don't see how I ever managed without one.

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

DT:
The readability in darkness over the backlight screen of the deluxe is night and day. Image watching TV in the dark and you've got fairly close to the readability of the Prism.

Daytime viewing can be a pain and in direct sunlight - find a shadow and turn up the brightness. Office type lighting doesn't seem to be a problem. The only PDA I've seen that doesn't have a sunlight problem is an iPaq. It uses a side type TFT screen and is very visible in sunlight. The Prism is twice as easy to see though compared to a Palm IIIc so if you can get your local Best Buy to walk outside with you with a IIIc and an iPaq you'll land the Prism somewhere in between on readability.

Functionability - well if you are constantly using your datebook application (I use Action Names Datebook) with icons then it's definitely worth it. The color functionality makes it alot easier to see what you've got going on.


I haven't installed any ebooks. I have played with Vrally demo unit which is a color driving game. Very impressive although I'd never keep the game on my system.


If you're going to be outside a lot using your handheld - stick with a Deluxe or a Platinum. If this isn't an issue and you got the cash - step up to color. I had initially bought a Palm IIIc and then sold it within two weeks. This one is staying around for a while.

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Moose Man
I may be from the LEFT coast but that's not the correct political view in my mind!

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 1571

SO?

Well if we can't view the screen in sunlight... How are we going to take pictures in sunlight with the eyemodule?

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

Yardie - I don't want people to misunderstand? You can see the screen in direct sunlight just not as well as an iPaq unit which almost doesn't lose any readability in direct sunlight. The Prism is much better than a IIIc but the best color screen in sunlight is actually an LCD rather than a TFT screen. If you are standing at the equator at high noon on March 21st and you want to read the screen you will be able to do so but if you really want to read the screen then wear a wide brim hat or put the Prism in the shade of your body to get a little better readability.

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Moose Man
I may be from the LEFT coast but that's not the correct political view in my mind!

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Simi Valley, CA
Posts: 110

I use Peanut Reader to read Peanut ebooks and also to view palm doc formatted ebooks. One of the cool things about Peanut Reader is the ability to invert the screen while reading. On my Deluxe, this feature was pretty useless to me. On my new Prism, however, this is a VERY useful feature. Reading white letters against a black background while in a dark room is very easy on my eyes. Come to think of it, it would probably eliminate that "grid pattern" effect everyone talks about...

Anyway, that's my two cents.

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Joe V. - Simi Valley, CA

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 1571

quote:

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Originally posted by Joe V
Reading white letters against a black background while in a dark room is very easy on my eyes. Come to think of it, it would probably eliminate that "grid pattern" effect everyone talks about...

Anyway, that's my two cents.

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Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Simi Valley, CA
Posts: 110

quote:

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Originally posted by yardie

quote:

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Originally posted by Joe V
Reading white letters against a black background while in a dark room is very easy on my eyes. Come to think of it, it would probably eliminate that "grid pattern" effect everyone talks about...

Anyway, that's my two cents.

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Joe. I don't understand. How comes you are not able to tell for sure if the inversion eliminates the grid issue?

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Joe V. - Simi Valley, CA

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Clarksville, VA, USA
Posts: 74

Moose and Joe... thanks for taking the time to post your input. Also a big thanks to sdavida for posting the pictures of his Prism--especially the side-by-side pics of the Deluxe and Prism.

Well, I've decided to buy a Prism based on the higher readability factor. I typically use my Deluxe in areas where direct sunlight wouldn't be much of an issue.

My other line of reasoning is "What do I have to loose?" Ultimately seeing (and holding) is believing. I figure I'll put the Prism to the test for two weeks or so and if it doesn't work for me, send it back. I'll still have my trusty sidekick--Orange VDX.

David

Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 4

same as a palm

the display is similar to the one on a palm.
chrome negates the "mesh" view b/c the screen is mirror
black anyway. unfortunately, chrome isn't perfect. certain games that i've seen use large "sprites" that use the default back color--white, giving a strange appearance to the program if you do use chrome.

all in all, the display is TRILLIONS of times better than the passive calculator display that comes standard on every other palm device.

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 1571

Re: same as a palm

quote:

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Originally posted by falseprophet
the display is similar to the one on a palm.
chrome negates the "mesh" view b/c the screen is mirror
black anyway. unfortunately, chrome isn't perfect. certain games that i've seen use large "sprites" that use the default back color--white, giving a strange appearance to the program if you do use chrome.

all in all, the display is TRILLIONS of times better than the passive calculator display that comes standard on every other palm device.

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Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 4

rant and rave

yes--the screen is waaaaaaayyy better than the passive regular screen which i've always hated.

the thumhs down is because i don't think this is as good as handspring could have made it. they are full of hype... let me just rant for a second about pda's in general. everything that follows is strictly my own humble but commonsense opinion

they say: we don't use flash memory bwcause it is cheaper.
but how could they skimp on this and justify the cost of this thing? the prism is now the most expensive palm device (VIIx excluded). almost the same range as microslug's stuff.

100% compatibility.
handspring is not 100% compatible with all software. read this board for other people's experiences. i personally have hit more than a dozen fatal exceptions since i got this thing and i'm upgrading from a IIIc which runs os 352.

SPRINGBOARDS ARE A JOKE!
i cannot justify paying the outrageous prices of these things. visor + 2-3 spring boards = price of a cheap laptop! this is insane.

the general state of palm and handspring hypocrisy:

NO DISCOUNTS!!!!!!!!!!!

palm and hs ALWAYS sell for retail!!! this is bulls***!!!
why are there no price breaks? yeah i know they are hot right now, but the fact that NO ONE breaks ranks and tries to outsell the competition makes me suspicious about strong arm distribution tactics and price setting. IMHO all these things are really overpriced.

they love to state how they do things simply and do them well and how the pocket pc is an entirely different animal. i'm sick of mindless fans latching on to this propaganda. NOW WAIT! DON'T GET YOUR PANTIES IN A BUNCH. I AM NOT A MICROSLUT FAN! however, i am a fan of commonsense. the truth is they are both working towards the SAME GOAL from OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE SPECTRUM--a palmtop COMPUTER. microsluts worked downwards: complex --> simpler. palm is working up: simpler --> more complex. it is hypocritical of them to denounce the other side when it is apparent to anyone not entranced by the rheotoric of either side that they are doing the same thing.

i could go on for hours. so i will be quiet now. i know i have rambled off topic and so apologize. all i'm saying is let's just realize this:

it's just a tool.
use whatever you like.
do not participate in religious arguments because they are stupid and pointless.
loyalty is an admirable quality, but blind faith has killed more people than any reason in history.
if you really must be pointless, might as well argue over whether lite beer is less filling or tastes great.