Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Cyberspace
Posts: 17

Same as Visor Deluxe except for the following improvements...

- Palm OS 4.x (?)
- DragonBall VZ MC68VZ328 (33MHz) CPU
- 8MB RAM, 4MB Flash
- 160x224 256-color TFT display (no more silkscreen!)
- Normal/reverse switchable backlight
- Scratch-resistant, unbreakable plexiglass screen
- Bigger, amplified speaker
- Improved audio for DTMF and voice recording/playback
- Built-in omni-directional microphone
- Earphone jack (stereo?)
- Flashing/vibrating/sound switchable alarm (or have all three go off at once!)
- RF receiver (Bluetooth ready)
- Fast IrDA port (4Mbps)
- Full titanium body, stylus (with reset pin) and removable flip cover
- Water-resistant casing
- Same translucent color as those expensive ti bikes and tennis rackets (you know, the ones where you can see the fiber underneath)
- Weighted anodized aluminum cradle with 2 USB ports
- 4.5" x 3.0" x 0.5"
- 4 oz. (device and battery only)
- Smart Lithium-ion battery (1-hour full recharge)
- Hand-made Italian leather play-through case with custom inscription/insignia

Would someone be kind enough to provide a mockup? :-) The technology and demand is there--some maverick genius just needs to build this bad boy. I'll be waiting with $700.

10bt.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 159

Well, as long as you consider the Millenium to be coming when IT ACTUALLY IS (2001), then yeah, I guess we have time to get this baby built .

A few things, though:

* Shaving the width may limited by the need to incorporate the springboard slot.

* 16 MB RAM! 16 MB RAM! (chant it)

* I'd prefer a dual audio jack, for microphone/headphone input.

* What, not a multi-function stylus?

Otherwise, it sounds like I could surf with this machine (literally).

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

Could it also function as an electric razor so I can shave on the way in to work in the morning?

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

mpenza,

Don't forget the mirror so you can see the results of the "shave". Also, how about an after shave dispenser builtin..

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 22

Hmmm, not bad. But what I really need is a Mr. Coffee ad, I spent most of the time in the road.

------------------
Se que el mundo no es justo, pero podria ser injusto a mi favor...

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: San Diego, CA 92110
Posts: 10

It must also have a cheese grater attachment!

Sorry, I was channeling Homer Simpson. Did anyone else catch the ep where Homer was showing off a PDA to his co-workers? I just hope I'll soon be doing the same.

Elbow

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Austin, Texas, USA
Posts: 195

Simpsons - great show.

I think 16 megs is certainly doable. Don't forget - it should be wireless, so we really can surf with it. Jeff H. says that, to him, voice recognition isn't compelling, but I disagree. Voice recognition tech is improving in leaps and bounds lately, and is just about ready for us to start using it seriously. So, the Millennium Edition should have VR built in.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: East Lansing, MI, USA
Posts: 126

Umm titanium. Wishful thinking. That would jack the price up soooo high. Plus titanium is pretty brittle which means if you drop it the case might crack pretty bad or even shatter. Unless you make a thick case which would be prohibitive because of cost, weight, and heat distribution.
I'm not sure about the plexiglass screen also. I think they'd have done that if they could.
I personally would love to see a rechargable battery in these. That was one of the things that the palm's have over the visor.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 159

OK, so perhaps just a magnesium case, or even more geeky, a carbon fiber composite? Could give new meaning to someone getting a 'Graphite' model.

BTW, anyone ready to start a purchasing circle for their Millenium Visor? I sense the price tag will be in the 4 figures, and doubt many of us could buy one on our own. Whoever's in my circle, I have dibs for using it on Mondays and Thursdays!



[This message has been edited by Zippy (edited 10-26-1999).]

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Salem, OR, USA
Posts: 91

as long as you consider the Millenium to be coming when IT ACTUALLY IS (2001)

Three things that really annoy me:

1) Ignorant people who claim the third millennium starts in 2000.

2) Spelling millennium "millenium" - this is even done on TV, in advertising, and
in print media, look for it.

3) People who know the truth of #1 but still commit #2

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 159

Gee, your list brings up one thing that really annoys me:

1. People who cannot forgive spelling mistakes.

It's a shame what English teachers do to their students. Well, some of them.

(I hope I spelled 2001 correctly)

[edyted ta korect ahl dem speeling miztaeks]

[This message has been edited by Zippy (edited 10-26-1999).]

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Salem, OR, USA
Posts: 91

If you see the same mistake over and over in the mass media, it starts to get on your nerves. If it had been any other mistake I wouldn't have brought it up. I don't think it's important to correct spelling errors, but it sometimes is important to correct spelling misconceptions so they are not perpetuated. I wonder if when reporters are spell-checking their stories they skip over "millenium" because that's the way everyone else spells it. It's the same reason people think that the new millennium is 66 days away, because the media tells them it is.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 159

DK,

I won't disagree with your observations (and having family in the world of 'journalism' makes me just as rough on them). For me it was, pure and simple, a case of forgetfulness. (Believe or not I received perfect grades in spelling way back in elementary school -- not that you could tell from this thread)

It's also obvious I'm not as observant as I could be, considering it's in the SUBJECT LINE OF THIS THREAD! I'm usually quite a stickler over my spelling, so this certainly isn't a feather in my cap

Anyway, we've pulled this thread far off topic. Let's go back to considering what the MillenNium Visor should have. A decent spellchecker, perhaps?

[Only a grammatical mistake this time, but at this point I can't take any chances ]

[This message has been edited by Zippy (edited 10-26-1999).]

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Cyberspace
Posts: 17

oops, i forgot to mention that the Visor Millennium Edition should come bundled with the following expanded features and extra bundled software:

- All the extra software included with Palm VII
- Pen input choice of CalliGrapher or Graffiti
- FlashPro w/ memory defragmenter
- Accurate, real-time battery gauge
- Internal programming language (similar to Psion's OPL)
- DateBk3 full version
- Improved Visor calculator with editable equation list and plotting functions (like the one included with the early HP palmtops)
- Excel compatible spreadsheet program
- Relational database with multiple field types (e.g., droplists, checkboxes)
- Built-in voice recognition (licensed from ART?)
- Photo album app
- Voice recorder app
- MP3 player (assuming the MC68VZ328 can handle it)
- Global spell checker
- Multiple fonts (serif/sans serif/proportional faces)
- Ability to apply bold/italic/underline to any font face in any program
- More flexible screen zooming (� la Psion 5 series)
- Tetris! (ability to link up 2-6 Visors for head-to-head action)

anywayz, this is all just wishful thinking. but i'm a pisces, so i'm entitled to dream =)

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: East Lansing, MI, USA
Posts: 126

Ahh good ole magnusium. Just one problem with that. Get it too close to fire and it ignites. Also if you try to put it out with water you'll just make it burn hotter. It'd be a cool promo though. A flaming visor

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 179

bundling (installed) a bunch of software with a palm is a bad idea - just look at windows. its better to be basic and then you install what you need. people need to LEARN how to do these things. if you meant just adding some freebies to the cd that comes with your device then that would be cool.

i have to agree with mr. hawkins on his feelings about voice recognition. do what he did, walk around with your palmOS device and talk to it. feel stupid? i had a sprint pcs phone that did voice recognition for calling stored numbers...it rarely worked. plus it looked stupid saying names over and over to get it to work. background noise being the biggest problem. in controlled environments, voice recognition works fine but in real world conditions it might never work.

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

Working voice recognition has many applications, 'sprung! Legal practioners wouldn't be without our dictaphones and if we can get from voice to text without the steno-pool, all the better. And the ability to record a voice message as inspiration strikes can be a fantastic tool for writers.

And screw what other people think when you walk around looking silly by talking to your visor! Sounds to me like Hawkins was explaining/excusing the lack of a feature, rather than saying it didn't have any useful application.

M.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Birmingham, AL
Posts: 103

Ok, if somebody is going to build this thing, we need to get a website up and start taking preorders now. Let's promise it by December. What? We don't have any to ship in December? That's ok, our customers will love us and it'll all be a field of roses (or at least the glasses will be rose colored).

------------------
BC

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 95

Nutt:
You're missing the fact that if you got any of the rest of the magnesium cased palm hot enough to ignite the magnesium, the rest of it would already be slagged.