Registered: Dec 1999
Location: TX
Posts: 29

I have had my visor deluxe since December 99, and I have used it a LOT. It was a difficult decision to make, having come from a paper planner and not having any money to throw away either. Needless to say, it has been a worthy purchase. The only complaint I have EVER had about my BVD was the display. Maybe its my old age creeping up, but it has always been rather difficult to focus on. I saw a color Casio PDA once and couldn't believe how clear and easy to see it was, mainly because of the white background.

My question is now about the Prism. The pics on the website look great, but how clear is it really? I am mainly interested in the calendar, address book, and data base program. I don't use it much for games and such. And is it worth the increased cost? I would appreciate some opinions here. This is where I came to find out about getting a visor last year, and appreciated all the feedback and was very happy with my decision.

Thanks!
Sari

Registered: May 2000
Location: Toronto, ON, Canada
Posts: 34

Have you played around with the Palm 3c yet?

For the items you're interested in, there isn't much difference between the Prism and the Palm 3c other than the prism brings screens up faster. 65,000 vs 256 colours aren't going to make any difference in addressbooks, to-dos and databases.

As far as colour Palm device vs B&W Palm device, I prefer the colour one. Much better contrast having black text on a white background as opposed to black text on a greenish greyish background. Better contrast on the prism/3c for text except when bright sunlight is shining down on the screen.

Working at night and in the dark is also tops since you don't have to put up with the annoying inverted backlight.

Is the colour and faster processor worth the extra $$ over the deluxe? I personally like toys and thus sold the VDx and bought a Prism. Functionally though, if all you do is use it as an organizer, I would say not.

Best thing to do is walk into a store and play around with one to see what you think. Visually, just remember that the contrast is difficult and almost useless unless you provde some sort of shade when using outside on bright sunny days.


Cheers


[Edited by technopop on 12-02-2000 at 12:17 AM]

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

The day I ordered my Prism, I happened to go by a client's office. She had just bought a Palm IIIc on sale for $349. This was the first time I had actually seen, held, and played with a color Palm OS unit. My very first thought, "Did I just throw $100 away ordering the Prism?"

But then I remembered why I went with the Handspring platform vs Palm last year when I purchased my Visor Dlx--the SpringBoard technology.

IMHO, I think the Palm OS is just easier to read in color--IIIc or Prism. Now that I've had my Prism for about two weeks I'm really pleased. In my mind, I was able to justify the higher price of the Prism over the Palm IIIc because of the faster processor, 16 bit color (although not many currently supported 16 bit apps), and the SpringBoard expansion since I had already invested in some modules.

I agree with technopop, if you are really struggling over whether to fork over $449, try before you buy in a store. Be sure to adjust the brightness in the store so you can get an idea how the display looks in office lighting. In low light and the dark, the Prism's screen is great. Also be aware, while browsing in the store, that the iPaq PocketPC's screen is amazing--indoors or outdoors, but this is a moot comparison if you're sold on the Palm OS.

Hope this helps.

David

[Edited by dtgillis on 12-02-2000 at 01:17 AM]