Registered: Jun 2000
Location:
Posts: 13

Hi. I'm a student new to the PDA scene and I'm on the verge of buying a VDx. I love everything about the product and the lack of Flash ROM does not bother me. Only thing I'm concerned abotu is that I've always been hearing about reliability/durability problems concerning the VDx...

How easy IS it to crack/chip the colored casings? I've heard that the graphite is a bit sturdier. I have no intentions of dropping it on concrete, but I'd like something I can carry along with me or in my bag that will last me a few years without chipping or cracking. I'm very meticulous with what I own and I can't stand cracks and such =)

Has Handspring addressed these issues, or is it true that Visors are overly delicate and crack/break way to easily?

Registered: Jun 2000
Location:
Posts: 1

i have gone through 3 visors in 2 weeks, all related to the screen being scratched, first time some guy scratched it at school, second time the screen came scratched, third time (what im on now) i was smart enough to buy screen protectors, the visor is real sturdy as a case, but i stress the fact that you should buy screen protectors if not your going to be hitting yourself in the head when you get your first scratch and you cant return it

Registered: Jun 2000
Location:
Posts: 13

Great! It's good that you're a student as well since you probably put your Visor to the same amount/type of use that I'll be doing if I get one.

Thanks for the tip regarding the screen protector. Which one do you recommend? Where can I get them from?

Thanks in advance

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: <img src="http://personal.atl.bellsouth.net/atl/n/h/nherman/htpeach.gif">
Posts: 66

I have a Blue VDx that I just got a week ago today. I love it! I tend to be a clumsy person but I haven't had any problems yet (knock on wood). I bought some screen protectors off of ebay. They aren't here yet. But here's a homepage by a guy named Dale Coffing who goes into detail on how to do them yourself. As a student, you might find this to be a better way:http://www.iolnm.net/dcoffing/Casio/ScreenProtector/ScreenProtector.htm

There is also another site that tells you where not to go to get them. I can't seem to find the URL right now. Do a search on the message board for screen protectors. I didn't do that before I bought mine off of ebay and found out that the ones I bought, I shouldn't have. Definitely do your homework first. There are plenty of resources, I've found out since then, on the internet for us "palm-device geeks". Good luck!

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: <img src="http://personal.atl.bellsouth.net/atl/n/h/nherman/htpeach.gif">
Posts: 66

I just found that sight about boycotted screen protectors:http://www.girlandgeek.com/boycott/

Registered: Apr 2000
Location:
Posts: 24

basically... I am a student who like you is planning on getting a visor. However... my dad got one for his birthday and so I have been lucky enough to experience what they are hands on before buying one. I have a few reccomendations for anyone planning on using them as a student.

1. Writewrites are neceseties... without them you will scratch your screen to hell. My dad put them on his the day he got it and we don't have a single scratch almost a month and a half later.
2. Get some sort of case. If you plan on using it a lot under harsh class room conditions you may want to get a ti slider from rhino (or whatever it is called) if you can afford it. You might also want to consider the rhodiana belt clipp case. It may look kinda "geeky" but it is good protection and makes the visor readily available.
3. Get a stylus besides the one that comes with it. I hear the panache is good.
4. If you plan on using it for school get 4.0 a piece of software that calculates your grades, keep track of homework, tells you your schedule, and much more...

Registered: Jun 2000
Location:
Posts: 13

Well thank you everyone, I appreciate the help, especially the recommendations from r4.

So there really isn't much of a problem with the case cracking too easily? I was under the impression that the Visor wouldn't be able to handle the stress of my life as a student. Of course, I'm not going to be throwing it around or anything, but I'd assume it can take being put in my backpack while I'm walking around campus and such...

Again, thank you all for your help!

Registered: Apr 2000
Location:
Posts: 24

if you are gonna be putting it in your backpack and only using it during classes (or just not that frequently) then you might wanna get the outerbox case. If you check out the reviews section here there is a review of it... I don't own one but have heard they can be run over by a car with the visor remaining intact so that should probably survive school
any other questions? feel free to ask

Registered: Jun 2000
Location:
Posts: 13

For sure! I'm still a newbie, but i'm coming onto this site to read reviews, etc. and I'm slowly building a mental note of programs and accessories that are must have for my PDA.

I'm probably going to get the Visor. Thing is, I live in Canada and they don't sell em here yet! Time to contact some of my US relatives...

Thanks again r4bid, your help is greatly appreciated!

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Redwood City CA
Posts: 472

Visor robustness is an interesting question. I've personally had a Visor or Palm for about three years now, and I've never actually broken one, but other people at work have... so I dunno. Maybe I'm unusually careful with the things.

Anyway, I'll basically go along with everyone else and suggest 1) a case (even a light one will add protection), 2) a backup module (leave it somewhere safe away from the Visor in case your device is lost or stolen) and 3) a Stowaway keyboard for taking notes.

Registered: Apr 2000
Location:
Posts: 24

oh yeah... check out http://discussion.visorcentral.com/...TML/001803.html
for a thread about when I first got my dad his visor and all the questions... winchells response is full of important links tipps etc....

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: College Station, TX
Posts: 143

Regarding your original question - who knows? Durability is going to vary a lot from user to user (abuser?), but you have to remember that these are not the same as desktop computers or even laptops in terms of the environments they see.

I'm guessing that internal parts will fail on mine before the case fails in a way that really bothers me. I had a Palm Pro, upgraded to a III (this was back when going to 2M seemed like a huge amount of RAM). When it died after 2+ years, it still looked fine - however, it made these sizzling noises and wouldn't start. I suspect a broken contact of some kind.

I don't think this is unreasonable for a PDA...this is also why the upgradability of the OS doesn't mean much to me. I figure I will have gotten my money's worth in &lt;1 year...that's &lt;$1/day...and it should last long enough for me to develop lust for whatever cool new models are available in a couple of years.

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: Nashville, TN / McLean, VA
Posts: 4

I've had my OVD since early February; it survived the semester without any damage to the case and only a few screen small scratches in the Graffiti area. (It's also weathered a drop or three. ) I usually carry it in my pocket or backpack, using either the plastic screen cover or the slip case included with the deluxe. As far as screen protection and ease of writing go, I definitely recommend a stylus other than the plastic stick that ships with the Visor. The PDA Panache stylus is weighted well, has a cool orange tip, and has a reset pin under a screw top on the back (sure beats digging through your backpack looking for a paperclip when something freezes at a bad time).

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Las Vegas, NV, USA
Posts: 19

r4bid, you said something about a program called 4.0...Where can you get it? I have a similar program called Due Yesterday, and I'm looking to see if there's any other programs that I can try. I appreciate your help.

(Never mind, I found it on PalmGear HQ.)

GTS461, I've dropped my Visor about 5 times and nothing's happened yet (once, my mom dropped more than a yard/meter down, unprotected, and nothing happened). Seems like a pretty solid machine to me.

------------------
Welcome to W��.

[This message has been edited by WyattG11 (edited 06-14-2000).]

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: Climax, MI
Posts: 15

My VDx leads a fairly rough life. My preferred storage place throughout the day is in the back pocket of my jeans, which means it gets sat on quite frequently. It has survived quite a bit of torsional stress from this plus several fairly mild drops. I haven't had any issues with it except for the occasional "reset". Sometimes if I squish it in a particularly nasty way, It'll lock up on me and I'll have to reset it. I work in an industrial manufacturing facility and it has held up rather well for the last six months. The only damage I have noticed is I now have some screen "flex" at the top portion. I disassembled it and found out that they heat weld the top of the screen in place with two small plastic posts and these broke due to the constant twisting of the unit. Everything still works fine though, with maybe a little decrease in reconizing stylus strokes at the top portion of the screen.

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

My goodness, SpeedPhreak! Handspring should hire you to do testimonials about how rugged the Visor is.
"Takes a licking but keeps on ticking!"

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: Climax, MI
Posts: 15

Hey, I'm open for offers of paid testimonials!

I really hesitated about buying a PDA for a long time because I was unsure of how they would hold up to my neglect. So far so good though.

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: Urbana, IL
Posts: 99

My Visor Deluxe is fine except for a couple of marks on the screen, hardly noticeable. However, my Graffiti area is pretty marked up. I don't mine, though. It gives it a nice, yes-I-actually-use-this-thing look.

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: Inglewood, CA, USA
Posts: 390

quote:

---

Originally posted by chrisfoster:
My Visor Deluxe is fine except for a couple of marks on the screen, hardly noticeable. However, my Graffiti area is pretty marked up. I don't mine, though. It gives it a nice, yes-I-actually-use-this-thing look.

---

Hey, I just thought of something... If you know anyone with leftover WriteRights, that don't use them because there are "not clear enough", cut one up and place it over the graffiti area only. (Hmmm, I wonder if someone has a patent on that - covering only *part* of the screen. Ooops, sorry, wrong thread, couldn't resist... ) I'm currently using a WriteRight on my entire screen. Some people complain about them making the screen appear "fuzzy", compared the the un-protected screen. I like them just fine. Yes, it's not as clear as nothing, but I find myself using my fingers/fingernails on the screen a lot. (quicker than taking the stylus out.) I've recently heard of people using those clear window decals as screen protectors. I'm going to try that later...

OK, back to the original topic... I've dropped my Graphite Visor SEVERAL times, including hard surfaces. The case I'm currently using is the E&B Slipper Case w/ Clip. [I didn't expect a lot of protection; my main reason for the case was to attach it to my body, while I walk around at work.] So far, no breaks or cracks. I guess it's all in how it lands.

[This message has been edited by narnia_77 (edited 06-19-2000).]

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 48

I hate to rain on this happy parade, but I just recently noticed a crack in my blue vdx casing. I am not sure how it happened, because I don't recall any falls, etc. which could have damaged the visor.

One good thing, though, is that while e-mailing Handspring on a different topic, I mentioned the cracks and they asked me to contact them with more info. I like companies that try to proactively solve my problems!!