Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 4

Back when the Palm IIIx was $300 and the Palm V was $500, the Visor Deluxe seemed like a no-brainer. But now that you can get the IIIx for close to $200 and the V for under $300, the Visor Deluxe isn't such an obvious choice (especially if you need to buy the serial cradle and quality stylus).

Am I the only one thinking that IIIx or V makes more sense given recent price developments?

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 434

The Visor is still the best deal, if you are willing to do mail order with a company with so many previous problems (better now).

The 2 Mb Palm V is woefully inadequate. In fact, I wouldn't bother with anything except the Palm Vx, but that's VERY expensive. The IIIx's memory would already be insufficient for me (5 Mb used), and I've only had my Visor 4 days.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 52

where are you finding a new IIIx for close to $200? I've seen it closer to $300. The palm V only has 2mb of memory, whereas the Vx has 8 but costs almost $500.

Since the IIIx only has 4mb of memory for almost $300, the VisorDX is still a better deal with 8mb for about $250. Same OS, and you get the possabilities with Springboard with the Visor.

Harry

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 4

Accompany.com has the IIIx for $215 (http://www.accompany.com/cycles?cycle_id=75629) and buy.com has it for $229 (http://www.buy.com/comp/product.asp?SKU=10099173).

I'm very uncertain as to what to do. The Visor is still an intriquing product, but it's no longer an obviously better value than the IIIx or V.

[This message has been edited by Rickster (edited 01-04-2000).]

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Lexington, KY, USA
Posts: 50

It would be worthwhile to look for the thread where various people tell how much memory they are using. I would have run out of 4MB or memory on the first day that I had it. What with the Bible and my stash of Dickens novels, the Visor is definately worth the extra $100, or whatever, to me. A 2MB or 4MB device would have been bordering on useless to me, as I would have had to delete one app to get another, and then you lose all the convenience of having it in the first place.

There's more than the memory, of course. The other advantage is the Springboard. The ability to add a modem, GPS, dictionary, pager, or MP3 player, all without ever removing a screw, is worth quite a bit to me. After all, the device is all about convenience.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 52

rickster, even if you can get a IIIx for $215, it only has 4mb of memory! The VDX has 8mb of memory and is only $250. It also has USB syncing which is faster, plus the springboard modules which you'll never get with the IIIx. Go to visorcentral.com main page, check out the moduels section to see what's in development...I've had my VDX for less than a month and I'm almost half way through the memory, it makes a difference!

Harry

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 170

Rickster,

I agree that the choice is not cut and dry between the Visor and IIIx. I went through the same problem as you. I went with the Palm IIIx and paid $215.

If you're buying a PDA to load up with games, then those that suggest 4 meg is not enough are probably correct.

But I've had my Palm for 3 weeks and have loaded everything I find usefull, plus a few games and I still have 2.8 of the 4 meg left. I thought that loading Ultra Soft Money and syncing up my 4 accounts registers would use up a lot but it didn't.

The Visor was tempting but I decided against it for a number of reasons. Individually, non of the reasons were too outstanding but added up, they tipped the scale for me toward the Palm.

1) Customer Support problems(although sounds like that is becoming a non-issue now)
2) Lousy Stylus (add the cost of improved styluses to your purchase price)
3) No OS Upgrades (probably not much of an issue)
4) Cracking and hazing of plastic components
5) Too many reports of poor battery life
6) No belt clip flip case available
7) Unproven company
8) Early revision hardware (unknown reliability)

The Visor obviously has some good things weighing in its favor:

1) SpringBoard - Interesting idea, but the only thing that's planned that I might find useful is a voice recorder( god knows why that hasn't been released yet).

2) USB - I guess faster is always better. But right now I'm syncing from Yahoo! (DSL connection) to my Palm and Pim, plus a few Avantgo channels and the entire process takes less than a minute. I'm usually not in much more of a hurry than that.

3) 8meg vs 4meg - Not a factor for me, could be for some.

It's always going to be a personal decision. I don't think that one product is better than the other, they each have their good and bad and you have to choose the best fit for you. List all of the known plusses and minuses for each device, assign a weight to each and go with the one that comes out on top. For me it was the Palm but I can certainly see how the Visor is the better choice for others. Don't listen to those who claim that one is clearly superior over the other. Good Luck

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Lexington, KY
Posts: 20

The Visor Deluxe was a no brainer for me. As a medical student I am pushing my 8 megs already with several reference texts and patient tracking software. The ability to add another 8megs of memory with a springboard module is very appealing. Pricewise nothing can touch the Visor. $250 for the base unit and another 8megs for $80 more. That gives you a 16meg handheld for $330.

If all your doing is keeping track of your calander and contacts than I could see the arguments for the cheaper pilots. However, in my case or other situations where you need access to large reference texts the Visor gives you flexability that no other handheld does right now.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 48

I already had a Palm III and was very happy with it. What made me decide to go with the Visor (aside from my wife coveting my Palm II) was the potential for the Springboard modules. Yeah, I thought about the color Palm that will probably be announced soon and all the items mentioned above. In the end, I got more bang for the buck with the improved date book and world clock than I would with another Palm. Plus I can foresee spending lots of money on "toys" like the Six Pack, GPS and others when (hopefully not if) they come out.

------------------
What if your sole purpose in life is to serve as a warning to others?

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 434

IIIe for $180 - $20 rebate = $160.
www.outpost.com if you're that interested in a low memory machine. Cheaper than Visor.



[This message has been edited by Eug (edited 01-05-2000).]

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 52

eug,

Standard visor with 2mb (same as IIIe) of memory and USB cradle = $179.

Standard visor with 2mb of memory and no cradle = $149.

For $20 more you get same memory, same OS, but Springboard technology and USB cradle...still seems like a better bargain to me...

Harry

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 434

Yeah, I know. I own the Deluxe. See messages above.

Actually, I wrote the message when I thought it was a IIIx they were selling, but then changed the message when I realized my mistake.

Also a benefit of the Visors (not Solo) is the installation software. It comes with not only Palm Desktop, but it comes with Pocket Mirror as well. I don't think any of the lower Palms come with that $40 chunk of software. Pocket Mirror is necessary, because Palm Desktop isn't a terribly good organizer.

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 4

Does the Palm IIIx synch with MS Outlook?

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: San Francisco, USA
Posts: 75

The IIIx will synch with MS Outlook. Mine had a sticker on the outside of the box saying "MS Outlook synch included". Since I don't use Outlook, I have no idea what that really means, though.

[This message has been edited by mportuesi (edited 01-05-2000).]

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 170

Palm IIIx and V come with PocketMirror conduit to allow syncing between Outlook 97/98 and 2000.

--bob

Registered: Nov 1999
Location:
Posts: 10

I own a Graphite VDX, and i had been happy with it. UNTIL yesterday, when i bought my wife a PALM IIIe. Playing with it a little, I couldnt help but noticing how much more solid the unit felt, and how much more convenient the flip screen was. And the kicker was the screen: It was so much clearer in daylight, and MUCH brighter when backlight is on. Now, memory wise, the IIIe is not a good option for me. But i have been thinking alot about the IIIx....anyone have any similair observations about the differences between the 2? I know about springboards, and obviously, the extra 4 meg of ram is a plus, but the IIIe (and IIIx) as well felt so solid, my visor felt cheap and flimsy in comparison.

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 434

OK, for Outlook:

HotSync works with Outlook email only, out of the box.

The Pocket Mirror conduits are necessary to synch the calendar, contacts, etc. I think it's included with the IIIx, V, and Visor, but not the IIIe, and it costs $40.

Unfortunately, subdirectories are not synched, and synching two different Outlook email accounts becomes a problem whether or not Pocket Mirror is installed. I'm told to do all that you'll have to get something like Intellisync.

I use a WinNT plus Outlook 98 at work, and Win98 plus Outlook 2000 at home. The Visor now functions as a great sneakernet device to sync the two computers, instead of the floppy discs I used in the past.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: San Francisco, USA
Posts: 75

Differences between the IIIx and the IIIe:

- IIIx has 4 MB, IIIe has 2 MB.

- IIIx comes packaged with the Outlook conduit, IIIe does not.

- IIIx is flash upgradable to newer versions of PalmOS, the IIIe is not.

- The IIIx has an internal slot to allow you to upgrade to 8MB. The IIIe has no such slot, but if you are good with soldering equipment and aren't afraid to void the warranty, there are instructions on the internet to upgrade the IIIe to 8MB.

- The IIIe is available in gray and a translucent ice design, the IIIx is strictly gray. Though you can get opaque color flipcovers/styli for the IIIx, and clear cases from third parties.

Other than these differences, the two units are essentially identical. They have the same screen technology, so what you see on the IIIe is what you would be getting on the IIIx.

[This message has been edited by mportuesi (edited 01-05-2000).]

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 74

Eug, et al,

I haven't tried Pocket Mirror yet. I've been using TrueSync to sync between my Palm, Desktop and Yahoo!. But tonight I added the the Outlook 98 Accessor for TrueSync and I'm now syncing all 4 with one click and have no problems with dups or missed records.

TrueSync allows you to sync to Outlook in 2 ways. You can have it sync all records from other devices/applications into a single directory and have those records assigned categories, or you can have it sync into different directories for each category.

Another nice feature is that it's free if you have a Yahoo account!

The only problem I've seen is that it likes to disable some conduits (they're working on a fix). I think it was responsible for disabling my system conduit. I've heard that they can be re-enabled, but I'm using BackupBuddy for my system backups so it didn't matter to me anyway.

So if anyone really wants to maintain their directory structure in Outlook, they might want to try TrueSync.

--bob

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: ann arbor, mi
Posts: 23

All of you palmophiliacs are off base here. THe Visor is superior. Is it perfect? No- you can buy a stylus for $7 to upgrade. But otherwise, we here like to ***** and moan. We like to complain. But we love the Visor.
How can anyone live on 2MB of memory, even 4MB???? I am using 7.7 MB and have ordered the 8 MB springboard. For the price of $340, I get a Visor Delux, 16(!) MB of memory, and a nice stylus. Top that palmophiliacs. or would you prefer visorphobics?