Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 27

Ok, I know a guy that works with a computer distribution company (not retail). And he said that next week Handspring will announce that color screens are on the way.

I don't know if its true. But they do work with handspring.

So now we just have to wait and see if next week my blue visor delux is last year model.

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 1571

Can't Wait

I sure hope that your source is right. I would love a color visor for christmas.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Metro Station, Hollywood and Highland
Posts: 1018

Place your bets . . .

I'm on record as saying that HS won't release a color Visor this year, since Jeff Hawkins has consistently steered clear of mentioning color screens in the near future (as opposed to his affirmative stance on the cell phone module). See his comments in the Red Herring chat or the PC Expo keynote and gauge for yourself. But with any luck, I'll be wrong.

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Irvine, CA, USA
Posts: 56

Awhile back ago, the LA Times said that Handspring was suppose to release a higher end module at the end of summer, which probably meant August/September.
I wouldn't be surprised if this was the case. Right now, I think color is a luxury and you don't really need it for a organizer. But probably once a device like an IPaq becomes more reliable and stable, and non-Windows, preferably made by Handspring, color and high-end features will become a necessity.

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Posts: 40

"as opposed to his affirmative stance on the cell phone module"

Cell PHONE, as in phone and not just modem? That would be interesting, I wonder which services would support it etc. I saw this Qualcomm PDA phone the other day, it runs PalmOS. Basically a Palm/phone combo.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Metro Station, Hollywood and Highland
Posts: 1018

It'll use Qualcomm's CDMA technology, which has been licensed by Handspring. I'm hoping it'll work with my Sprint PCS account.

Registered: Jun 2000
Location:
Posts: 594

I gotta disagree about color - it USED TO BE optional. But now w/the Sony one already out (a SELLOUT in Japan -- 1st DAY, I think, right?), I'd bet Jeff feels like eating his previous Red Herring words.
I think adding color to the HS line is mandatory now, and ASAP. I'll buy one first day, Jeff, you can count on that.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Metro Station, Hollywood and Highland
Posts: 1018

Color PDAs have always been popular in Japan (the Japanese even buy cell phones with color screens -- sheesh!), not to mention the fact that Japan has a small population and is predisposed to by any product with the Sony name on it.

Historically, color PDAs haven't done well in the US, with the exception of the iPaq. The Palm IIIc is Palm's second poorest-selling unit, behind the Palm VII. I think color will take off once it's available in a PDA with a decent form factor (smaller than then IIIc), good battery life and an under-$300 price tag.

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 1571

Small?

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gameboy70
Color PDAs have always been popular in Japan (the Japanese even buy cell phones with color screens -- sheesh!), not to mention the fact that Japan has a small population and is predisposed to by any product with the Sony name on it.

---

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Metro Station, Hollywood and Highland
Posts: 1018

126 million. Color me US-centric, but that's small (half the consumer demand).

I'm basing my prediction less on my own feelings about color and more on what Jeff Hawkins suggests. Since he's Handspring's Chief Technology Officer, the buck pretty much stops with him. To reiterate: he's said nothing in the last year that comes close to an affirmative position color. What he has said is that the only thing color really helps with is photographs and "true" black-on-white text. Remember at PC Expo when he waxed enthusiastic about the future of better voice calling, but only addressed the color issue (briefly) when pressed by an audience member?

In interviews with Hawkins, Dubinsky and Colligan the most specific hints for new products in the next year have been: telephony, different form factors, and rechargables. Occasionally some reporter will suggest that Handspring is releasing a color Visor for Christmas, and these suggestions always have one thing in common: they're never direct (or even indirect) quotes from anyone at Handspring.

There seems to be a lot of cognitive dissonance about color: lots of people want it (half the people polled on VC want the next Handspring product to be a color Visor), but few people are willing to pay for it. Every PDA with significant market share in the US is monochrome. PPCs account for less the 4 percent of the PDAs sold. It's sort of like the flash upgradability issue: far more people complained about the inability to flash upgrade than the 5 percent of Palm users who actually went to the trouble of getting the upgrade.

I'd buy a color Visor tomorrow at any price, as long as it wasn't any bigger than the current Visor and had a somewhat comparable battery life. But I don't think we'll see one this year. By the way, when was that announcement from Handspring supposed to happen?

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Sydney Australia
Posts: 1883

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gameboy70
126 million. Color me US-centric, but that's small (half the consumer demand).

---

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: NYC
Posts: 287

quote:

---

Originally posted by edhensley
Ok, I know a guy that works with a computer distribution company (not retail). And he said that next week Handspring will announce that color screens are on the way.

I don't know if its true. But they do work with handspring.

So now we just have to wait and see if next week my blue visor delux is last year model.

---

I don't think it was a rumor but a TUMOR..!

Al

__________________
It all started way back in February 2000 with a Blue VDX.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Chandler, AZ
Posts: 289

Eventually Handspring will have a color display -- its just has to happen ... TV's went to color, PC's went to Color, and PDAs will follow suit .. Granted, I highly doubt this will occur before the end of this year, but I would not be surprised if they offer a higher end model mid-2001 with a color display -- it appears from the MP3 crowd that there is a demand for higher end multimedia functionaility in a PDA form factor. By placing a color display on the unit (w/ higher resolution) there would be the possibility of an entire new generation of apps (however, this will have to happen AFTER the StrongArm processors are adopted in shipping products....)

Joe

PS -- don't be surprised if Handspring starts integrating popular springboard modules into their products -- the R&D has already happened, the product has proved itself in the market place and it already interfaces with their units ...

Registered: May 2000
Location: St. Paul, MN
Posts: 1429

They'll have color, but Handspring will wait to release it untill they can get the price at $299, and the size n obigger the the VD. I say Good Luck, and I think that they are spendning a LOT of money on R&D here, but want to keep it under top wraps, like transmeta crusoe processor was under top secret.

-miradu2000
VC mod is only 700+ posts away

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

Something tells me that Gameboy70 just might have missed the mark on this prediction.

__________________
Brian Wilcox

Body by Cheetos, Brains by Mattel

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Corpus Christi, Texas, USA
Posts: 181

quote:

---

Originally posted by edhensley
Ok, I know a guy that works with a computer distribution company (not retail). And he said that next week Handspring will announce that color screens are on the way.

I don't know if its true. But they do work with handspring.

So now we just have to wait and see if next week my blue visor delux is last year model.

---

Congratulations, your source was right.

__________________
Charo

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: bright side of the moon.
Posts: 996

I was just doing the same thing, Charo! It's interesting to go through this thread and re-read some of the posts. Good chuckle! (why did i just use the word 'chuckle'??)

__________________
Ever feel like the train left while you were busy reading the paper?

Stealth-Mod.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Metro Station, Hollywood and Highland
Posts: 1018

Yep, I just finished my plate of crow. I appreciate the tactfully oblique reference, Hoser Hopefully I won't have Axeman coming after me.

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 27

WHEW thought I was going to have to hide

Well my source was a few days off. Whew, just knew the flames where about to get going.

I'm not sure I would spend 500 on the unit. But I think they have a clean winner.

Hope I can read more about soon