Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 17

After reading many of the posts here, it occurs to me that there are people on this discussion group that have spent more time, more energy, more angst and more concern deciding between the Palm (pick one) and the Visor than they likely spent deciding what car to buy.

Just an observation

------------------
oh well, nothing ever changes, does it?

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

Absolutely true. You say that like it's a bad thing.

I bought a Palm III before I bought a (used) car. People take their Personal Digital Assistants very personally.

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 17

nope, don't think it's alll that bad. but it aint all that good either

------------------
oh well, nothing ever changes, does it?

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 434

OK. For the over-20 crowd there is little excuse for the over analysis and angst in choosing a Palm OS PDA, but there appear to be more than just a handful of the younger set on this board. For many of them this is their first major purchase, and I can't fault the weight they give the decision.

If you consider the corporate wars fought over the selection of paper-based daily planners (and the associated training contracts), the goings on here seem pedestrian by comparison.

I guess that I'm suggesting that you shouldn't be so surprised . . . the content of the message threads here are well within the norm for this type of product. You are not suggesting that the posts be more tightly moderated are you?

[This message has been edited by yucca (edited 03-15-2000).]

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 17

Oh for heavens sake, I am not suggesting that they moderate any thing more strictly. BUT: $250 is not a major purchase. Not even for a high school student when you consider that a pair of sneakers goes for over $100.

("mom, dad, if you buy me the Visor I promise to wear $50 sneakers for the next 5 pairs")

It seems patently absurd that so much angst is involved in buying this simple item. It is a recognized OS, it is a product developed by people recognized for their abilities in this area. It isn't going to alter ones life even if it turns out to be the wrong choice.

That is all I am saying.

------------------
oh well, nothing ever changes, does it?

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

i'm with ya ol'man. you're preaching to the choir here.

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

Should people be discussing what car to buy on VisorCentral? If you go to a site on bird watching, expect to find "excessive" discussion of bird watching.

Are people overly emotional or provicial about their Visors, Palms or CE units? I think what people are really so emotional about is having their judgement called into question. It's no different than debates over cars, football teams, operating systems, politics, etc. Advocating one thing implies that people who choose the opposite are wrong. And, boy, people don't like to be wrong.

And the amount of the purchase is incidental. A fifty-cent condom is a major purchase.

[This message has been edited by Gameboy70 (edited 03-15-2000).]

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Kutztown, PA, USA
Posts: 106

I am a Junior High School Student and the Visor was a major purchase for me. I love it; my parents would not pay for it. So I had to get loans from people at school, I just finished paying back my friend...I love the Visor, I use it everyday. I am the only one in my school who has one.
BTW, My shoes are only 15 Bucks.


------------------
Greg Moore
[email protected]

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 14

Wanted to comment G Ol M's last posting.
This Visor will be my first PDA ever purhcased and, yes, to me it is a big deal, because it will be acocmpnaied by a total shift in the way I organize my professional and personal life.

If I am going to make this tool work for me, then I'mm going to have to give up my paper planner and convert my data (client/colleague names, numbers, etc.) onto it. That represents a considerable amount of time and effort.

Further, all of my colleagues who have purchased Palm devices have all described it usign the exact same words (e.g., "I love it. It has changed my life."). I realize that it it no panacea for all of life's stresses and strains. However, I do not want to take the decision of which device to buy lightly. Especially since cost is still a factor for me (even with it's low prices, I will be purchasing a 2mb model). Moreover, I greatly appreciate all of the feedback people on this site provide, because I would rather have as much information before making my purchase than rushiung out to own what might turn into the next Betamax (I don't think visor will).

On the lighter side, the Visor is completely new and a different twist on the usual. So, I 'm not surprised by the fact that so many new owners are excited by it.

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 14

Re-reading my last posting, I realize that I should have waited to respond until I wans't in as much of a rush. Now that I am not, I wanted to clarify a couple of issues.

First, the point about the identical commentary on the importance of a handheld device made by friends and colleagues of mine.... What I wanted to express was that I was surprised by the zeal they had for their machines and, having never had one myself, I wanted to share in that excitement -- but not simply by rushing out and buying the closest PDA. That is why I have appreciated the comments on this site. Here are a number of people who appear to really be commited to their Visors, and that level of commitment supports my interest in this particular product.

Second, the fact there is so much palpable angst amongst the postings of this crowd may reflect concerns about the rapid rates of change in technology these days. I expect to have my Visor for about 2 years before moving on to something else (hopefully, after all of my research into it, my next PDA will also be a Visor) -- that's a pretty firm commitment. Consequently, I can understand how other people who may have made similar commitments to themselves might be a little anxious about sinking their money and excitement into a product that, despite it's lineage, is untested. The key difference between the Visor and it's Palm cousins is, of course, its infinite potential for expandability. However, if the Springboard modules don't materialize or perform as promised, then we all might as well be thinking of the Visor as a Betamax.

Thank your for listening (twice).

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 117

I think what the attitude challenged elderly gentleman is trying to say is that rather than discussing merits and problems, making a decision and moving on, some people have been posting to this sight for months and are still agonizing over what to buy, if to buy, where to buy.

Yes, changing from a paper planner to a handheld is major but only in the sense that you have a few (alright more than a few) hours of sitting at the computer entering all the data.

The hyperbolic "it changed my life" is silly. It can make some aspects of life easier but "change" it? Come on, marriage changes life, a higher or lower income changes life. The birth of a child or the death of a parent changes life. A PDA is a tool, a piece of equipment, not a life-altering event.

I have over 300 contacts and hundreds of appointments, past and future, in my Visor. It has made a small aspect of my life easier, but somehow I survived in business 20 odd years without a PDA and I could have survived many more without one. I suspect in a couple of years I will have bought at least one more PDA, but I will likely be driving the same car. The car is likely to cost about $40,000 and in my lifetime all the computers and PDA�s I will buy will not come close to that. That is the point I think Grumpy Ol� Man was making.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 119

I gave the decision to by my blue Visor Deluxe quite a bit of thought -- but not nearly as much as my blue Ford Explorer! But I'm surprised at how I feel about the BVD now that I have it. It hasn't exactly changed my life -- but it has changed the way I do a lot of stuff! It's not quite as cuddly as my cocker spaniels, either -- but it's cleaner and smells better!

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 117

we can but hope

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

The evangelism on VisorCentral seems hyperbolic because you're looking through a fisheye lens. The Visor may only be a $249.95 inanimate object, but if you come to a website devoted exclusively to that object, you shouldn't be surprised at the lack of perspective.

It's not just about the Visor, it's about a sense of community. If you're interested in the Visor, it's nice to find informed, like-minded people to communicate with. All this self-righteous "get a life!" posturing is just hypocritical. Anyone who's not excited by the technology wouldn't be here.

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

Funny.. I think Grumpy ol'Man's original post fit me to a tee. I spent quite a bit of time deciding if I needed a PDA and what one I should get. Infact, I spent more time deciding what PDA to get then what car to purchase. On the surface, a car and a PDA both have to fill a need, fit me and perform their task. Given the additional costs associated with a car, it would make sense that more time would be spent researching the purchase.

However, with the Visor, I wanted to extend the use of it beyond just a basic PDA. I think the extensibility of the device coupled with the perceived future usefulness is where I spend most of my time analyzing the Visor. Unlike my car which is pretty much the same as it was back when I bought it, my Visor continues to evolve with my workstyle. Hanging out on VisorCentral allows me to see whats happening and, as a result, makes my Visor more productive for me. And while the Visor in and of itself won't change my life, maybe some event that I have in my Visor's datebook, that I may have forgot about otherwise will change my life.

Ever since I have purchased my Visor, I feel more on top of my daily activities and I have noticed a definite lower level of stress. This is one befinit that I really enjoy.

Joe

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 17

Ok, last posting from me on this subject:

GameBoy: it is not the zeal for the product that caused my post. It is the on going wringing of hands over the purchase of the device. I have seen posting on this group from people that have been discussing buying the Visor for over two months! Have not bought it yet, still wringing their hands over it!

I am as enthusiastic about my Visor as the next guy. I use it constantly. I researched, read postings, had my questions answered and made my choice. All this took less than a week. Total time spent? Maybe three hours. Now I come here to get tips about software, troubleshooting, springboards and so on.

I am not saying get a life. I am not criticizing the enthusiasm people are showing towards the Visor; in fact, I am a pied piper of sorts for the Visor. What I am saying is that people are beating the horse to death trying to decide which unit to buy. Two or three months of asking questions, sweating brows and consternation is absurd.

THAT IS MY POINT. Get it now?

------------------
oh well, nothing ever changes, does it?

[This message has been edited by grumpy ol' man (edited 03-16-2000).]

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

Grumpy:

Got it. While the indecision may not be justified (even Hamlet made up his mind in three hours!), I think it be accounted for. Lots of people have been under the impression for months that a retail release is just around the corner, and rumors still have it that we'll see it in stores any day. Some people aren't satisfied with information; they actually want to see the real thing before they make the purchase. $250 may be pocket change for engineers, lawyers and physicians, but for others, it's their monthly rent. Others have been put off by all the complaints (esp. on VisorCentral) about HS' customer service, which thankfully seemed to have been resolved.

Personally, I never thought twice about buying anything other than the Visor, but I did wait a few months, expecting it in stores any day, before ordering online. I'm sure others did the same, but have been coveted Palm's falling prices, color screens or (ugh!) WINCE Pocket PC hype.

For those still can't make a decision, download I Ching Assistant 1.0 from PalmGear.

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Hermosa Beach, CA
Posts: 222

As much as I like seeing you put engineers in the same salary class as lawyers and physicians, let the truth be known. Most engineers (with the exceptions of those software types in silicon valley with their $1 billion worth of stock options) don't make nearly as much as a doctor or lawyer, so $250 is still a lot of money to us.

But the moral of the story is, listen to your parents when they tell you to be a doctor or a lawyer when you grow up!

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Whippany, NJ, USA
Posts: 13

GOL'MAN:

When I read your post the first thing that Entered my mind was that you were right, people should spend more time researching the car they plan on buying.

I can't say that I consider $250 insignificant, but I know for a fact that at my current rate of pay/hour, I could have bought 2 or 3 Visors if I had been paid for the time I spent researching the PDA market.

I'll say what many here will not; I enjoyed learning as much as possible about PDA's. By proffesion, I'm involved in many new technical arenas and enjoy learning as much as possible about the products, history, companies, consumers etc etc... So going home and reading an hour or two of VisorCentral boards was fun for a while .Now that I have used a visor for several months, the novelty (not the usefulness) has worn off.