Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 7

Hi. I'm a prospective Visor Deluxe owner (first PDA) and was wondering if there is any consensus whether the graphite case is more durable than the colored cases?

The cracking problem in particular seems (from various visorcentral discussions) to be mostly in the colored cases. I was going to go blue or ice, but if the graphite is more durable I'd probably take that over the aesthetics....




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Neil

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Baltimore MD, USA
Posts: 717

The jury is still out on the durability of graphite over color.

Since graphite is opaque, it it difficult to tell if it is suffering from the exact same problems as the color cases.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 117

If we can find out if the graphite color and the other colors are molded from the same plastic we can answer the question definitively.
If they are the same plastic, it is likely the colorant would make a difference in the relative durability of the unit: dark, opaque colors like �graphite� will tend to have a high percent of carbon in the color concentrate.
The carbon can make the plastic somewhat stronger. In other words: it is likely the graphite color has a small advantage in durability over the translucent colors.

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Life is to short for boring food

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: West Hollywood, CA 90069, USA
Posts: 126

Or perhaps the extra carbon will just make the case more brittle?


[This message has been edited by sdavida (edited 12-16-1999).]

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Norfolk, MA 02056
Posts: 2

The clear plastics are more brittle, thats just the nature of the plastic used (my wife is a plastics engineer) The graphite Visors are or should be more durable.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 24

Doesn't look like the graphite is durable either and my previous complaints about the quality of manufacturing are further confirmed. IR port side plastic lip that holds the springboard in has cracked simply from the pressure put on it from the springboard cartridge. I have been extremely careful of my visor and have not dropped or squashed it in anyway. I even have a Rhinoskin titanium case for it. (Which, by the way, I do not suggest you buy. They merely took the Palm 3x case and stuck a little extra neoprene along the edge.)

Is this thing going to even survive until the damn springboards come out!?

"Don't mind the tape holding my $200 dollar MP3 module in place."

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 117

There is no reason to suppose that the translucent plastic and the plastic used for the graphite color are not the same material. The fact that one is translucent and the other opaque does not mean they cannot be the same material. It is all in the colorant used.

Carbon in used as a filler to make plastics stronger. Specifically it is used to improve the impact resistance of the material used. Either way, it looks like the gizmo is just made to light to withstand the every day use for which it is intended. It does give one pause while waiting for the back-ordered unit to arrive!!

By the way, I�m a plastics engineer.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 24

Actually the tops of *both* sides of the slider rims that hold the springboard in place are cracked and close to breaking off. The opposite side of the IR port is less cracked but still is. I showed it to an engineer (granted they aren't a plastics engineer) but they said it was from very poor design. He said that the plastics they used are way too brittle and thin to handle any stress and that even from cooling at different temperatures between the thick body and the thin lip would weaken it.

What's your opinion, SpiceUmUp? Do you have yours yet?

[This message has been edited by CodeMonkey (edited 12-17-1999).]

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Gainesville, FL USA
Posts: 112

Maybe I'm just too gentle with the hardware, but (and this is NOT intended as a flame) what the heck are you people doing with your Visors to make them break like this?

I realize that the answers are probably going to be along the lines of "nothing, just regular use", so I suspect that the differences are going to be very subtle, like, prying up on the top of the plastic cover before you remove it.

Sorry, folks, but I've had no problems with my green VDx. Am I just lucky? Did HS just get a hold of a bad run of covers?

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 117

I don't have mine yet but from what I am reading it does sound more and more like a design problem. I don't know what plastic is used to mold the unit but it does appear that either a questionable material choice was made (least likely) or the parts are made to thin for the flexural modulus (the ability to withstand flexing and the resultant damamge) of the material. I would expect that the translucent parts are madeof a styrene besed material or an acrylic based material. Acrylics are stronger than styrenics but proper design can make both materials more than acceptable for this sort of application.