Registered: Apr 2000
Location: West Chester, PA, USA
Posts: 9

Hi there, how are you all? I'm faced with a dillema, and would like your objective options. I've wanted a hand-held computer/pda for a long time, but never really needed one and couldn't afford one.

Well, now I can afford one, and I'm quite close to needing one due to a career change, so I've been considering purchasing a palm-based PDA. The Handspring Visor Deluxe seems to be the most attractive option due to the large amount of memory, expandability, feature set, and most importantly, price.

The problem I'm having is that right now, I don't need it yet, but the impulsive part of me wants it NOW NOW NOW! I'd like your honest opinion on this matter. If you own a Visor, do you like it? Would it be a worthy purchase due to its usefullness, even though at the moment, I don't really need one? Is it useful even to someone like me who might not need one at the moment?

I'd appreciate any honest opinions on this matter. If you want to tell me I'm an f-ing idiot, go right ahead...as long as you have a reason for it. Thanks for your time, and I look forward to reading your responses. Take care.

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Brian Rubin
Gaming Writer

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Sydney Australia
Posts: 1883

hey Brain,


you are an f-ing idiot just kidding...

Now the serious answer to your question:
It kinda depends on what you want.... If you need a good PDA with plenty of Ram an a great expansion board, then the Visor will be perfect for you. I like mine a lot and I use it on a daily basis...

If you want the latest and/or colo(u)r and you are willing to spend more money, I would say go for the Palm IIIc.

Overall the Visor is a GOOD machine with a perfect value 4 money. If only it would have color too...
(but there I go gadget crazy again.... life is tough for me, once I buy a new toy, 2 week later somebody intoduces a newer toy... no fair...)

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Indianapolis, IN, USA
Posts: 37

Well I wouldn't say that my opinion is objective. But here goes. I have only had my BVD for about a week. I use it every day and think it is great.

I have a Compag WinCE device which didn't work out too well. It has color and pocket version of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. However the form factor was too large (wouldn't fit in a pocket) and you measured battery usage in hours instead of weeks or days.

My suggestion is go ahead and buy the Visor, you won't be sorry.

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: West Chester, PA, USA
Posts: 9

Thanks for writing back. I'm not concerned with color at all, since it costs a lot more money and right now you get little for it, since there's not much written yet to take advantage of it.

The reason I like the visor are the reasons you stated, great value and feature set for the money. Your reply just brought me closer to buying one...thank goodness I live close to Delaware. Tax free shopping all the way, baby!

Thanks again for writing. I hope other replies are as positive as yours.

quote:

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Originally posted by ToolkiT:
hey Brain,


you are an f-ing idiot just kidding...

Now the serious answer to your question:
It kinda depends on what you want.... If you need a good PDA with plenty of Ram an a great expansion board, then the Visor will be perfect for you. I like mine a lot and I use it on a daily basis...

If you want the latest and/or colo(u)r and you are willing to spend more money, I would say go for the Palm IIIc.

Overall the Visor is a GOOD machine with a perfect value 4 money. If only it would have color too...
(but there I go gadget crazy again.... life is tough for me, once I buy a new toy, 2 week later somebody intoduces a newer toy... no fair...)

---

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: West Chester, PA, USA
Posts: 9

The reason I'm interested in the Palm operating system, and in the Visor especially, is wide support and expandability. Palm has been around longer, seems better to me, and has a lot more applications.


As I stated in another reply, I don't care about color at all. I care about features and value, both of which the visor seems to have. Thanks for writing.

quote:

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Originally posted by IndyBVD:
Well I wouldn't say that my opinion is objective. But here goes. I have only had my BVD for about a week. I use it every day and think it is great.

I have a Compag WinCE device which didn't work out too well. It has color and pocket version of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. However the form factor was too large (wouldn't fit in a pocket) and you measured battery usage in hours instead of weeks or days.

My suggestion is go ahead and buy the Visor, you won't be sorry.

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Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

Brian,
You might want to wait at least another week and a half. That's when the new Pocket PC devices will be out. You should at least give them a look before you make a decision. They are capable of doing many things that a Palm or Visor cannot do. The cheapest units will sell for $199, and the color models will sell for between $400-500. I currently own a Blue Visor Deluxe and plan on buying one of these new units when they become available.

Keep in mind that the Palm or Visor are simply handheld organizers, not handheld computers. The Pocket PC is a palm-sized computer that has greater capability, yet it's still very easy to use. And these devices are faster than a Visor. I've seen at least one in action against my Visor and it was wicked fast!

It's up to you but I would not buy any handheld now until the 19th to at least see what's coming out.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

toolkiT,
Have you seen the Palm IIIc? I bought one and returned it after just 2 days! Even the guy's at Staples (where I made the purchase) commented on how bad the display looked, saying..."it hurts just looking at the screen". It's awful, the screen is so badly pixilated it's actually blinding! You can see the bold black space in between each pixel, which is like looking through a screen door on a bright summer day. And certain colors are reflected which is painful on the eyes, it also has a tremendous amount of glare from the shiny surface of the screen. I actually found the Visor's grayscale display to be clear and more legible than the IIIc's! This is due to the low resolution (160x160) of the Palm OS. In order to have a clear display they need to bump it up to 320x240 like a Pocket PC.

Plus the OS doesn't utilize color enough to justify making the purchase. I wouldn't recommend the Palm IIIc to anyone. Stick with low-end Palm's or a Visor. I think Palm "jumped the gun" by introducing a color enabled device before adding features to the OS that make color viable.

Registered: Nov 1999
Location:
Posts: 2

For me, the Visor Deluxe was a very worthwhile purchase:
1. An proven OS that is solid, fast, easy to use.
2. A world of software / shareware that is available for free or low cost, that is user tested and into its 2nd or 3rd release with thousands of hours of bug testing already completed.
3. A device which has all kinds of future potential for springboard add-ons which won't go obsolete with the next generation of Visor (specifically the stowaway keyboard and the backup/memory and modem units).
4. VERY GOOD battery life with STANDARD batteries I can pickup anywhere.

I have learned from past experience that it is better to buy something I intend for daily use, six months or a year after it has been released so the manufacturer has time to work out any kinks. I would be very reluctant to buy ANY pocket pc device that debuts in the next 6 months.
IMHO the Visor has proven itself to be reliable, mainstream and selling at a very good price.

Finally, even if you aren't going to use your new Visor for practical applications for a while, give yourself a headstart and buy one now to play a while and to check out the various softwares you might want to use later.

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: West Chester, PA, USA
Posts: 9

Hi there, John, thanks for writing. You made some very good points, as did the others who posted here so far. I took a look at what the pocketPC has to offer, and I've come to the following conclusions:

1. The pocket PC has a slew of stuff I'll never need, like pocket internet explorer or media player.
2. The palm platform has a lot more applications available to it, and I can get apps as I need them, rather then paying more and getting them all at once, whether I need them or not.
3. The palm platform is a proven platform, and I'd rather go with something reliable than something new.

I think I'll be picking up a Visor within the next few days, as well as a Panache Stylus and a Rhodiana belt-clip case, since they seem to be the most popular of their respective products.

I'd like to thank you all for taking the time to help me with this decision.

Now that I'll be getting one, and I don't feel like browsing through the THOUSANDS of apps and games over at palmgear, what would you all recommend as killer/neccesary apps or games? I've heard a lot of talk about this AvantGo thingy, for example, but have no idea what it does.

Again, thanks for all of your help thus far.

quote:

---

Originally posted by John Schnell:
For me, the Visor Deluxe was a very worthwhile purchase:
1. An proven OS that is solid, fast, easy to use.
2. A world of software / shareware that is available for free or low cost, that is user tested and into its 2nd or 3rd release with thousands of hours of bug testing already completed.
3. A device which has all kinds of future potential for springboard add-ons which won't go obsolete with the next generation of Visor (specifically the stowaway keyboard and the backup/memory and modem units).
4. VERY GOOD battery life with STANDARD batteries I can pickup anywhere.

I have learned from past experience that it is better to buy something I intend for daily use, six months or a year after it has been released so the manufacturer has time to work out any kinks. I would be very reluctant to buy ANY pocket pc device that debuts in the next 6 months.
IMHO the Visor has proven itself to be reliable, mainstream and selling at a very good price.

Finally, even if you aren't going to use your new Visor for practical applications for a while, give yourself a headstart and buy one now to play a while and to check out the various softwares you might want to use later.

---

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 391

quote:

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Originally posted by foo fighter:
Keep in mind that the Palm or Visor are simply handheld organizers, not handheld computers.

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Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

Argent,
This is not my opinion, this is the "official" public statement from Palm executives in past interviews and statements to the press. They push very strongly to get that image into your head...this is not a computer, it's a "connected organizer"...whatever the hell that means.

Personally, I agree with you. If it's not a handheld computer, what is it?

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Seattle, Wa, USA
Posts: 66

I've found that far from being "just an organizer", the Visor (and all Palm OS platforms) has no real limit to what it can do.

For instance, I thought it would be cool if I could use the Palm as a little word processor. BOOM! The Gotype comes out. Then I found SmartDoc, which gives you plenty of usage as a word processor. We're now seeing the beginnings of the Visor as a wireless net appliance. Once Bluetooth-enabled cell phones are out, we can toss a cell phone in our pocket, and have a totally wireless Visor!

Can you tell I'm a little excited about the new technology coming out?


------------------
"Scalpel"
Atomic Hyrax Games

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

With add-on modules the Visor is a nice general purpose handheld device, but I have found the Pocket PC to be a much better full feature handheld computer. It depends on the requirements of the user, but in that category the Pocket PC wins hands down (sorry for the pun)

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: I'm not sure, but I see lots of lights everywhere.
Posts: 1287

Scalpel,
There are many limits to what a Palm OS device can do. For example, the OS is not muti-tasking or multi-threading, which means you cannot have multiple applications open at one time. Also the standard apps (Date book, Address book, to do, and memo) are very poorly integrated. Only the new Date book in Palm OS 3.5 is finally showing some measure of integration (Agenda View). Another aspect that I have always disliked is that the Palm OS keeps it's file system hidden from the user. For example there is no "My Documents" folder as there is on a Windows PC. With the Palm, if I want to see my doc files I have to open TealDoc, if I want to see my database files I have to open Jfile. It would be much simpler to have a central location for all of my existing files.

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 391

quote:

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Originally posted by foo fighter:
This is not my opinion, this is the "official" public statement from Palm executives

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Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Columbia, MO
Posts: 125

Hey Brian,

I was where you were aabout four weeks ago. I thought PDA's, especially the Visor, looked cool, but I didn't really feel a compelling "business need" to have one. The main factor that pushed me over the edge was the fact that I could easily have my work calendar & to-do list with me at home, and a great place to jot notes when I got an idea - with no slip of paper to lose of forget about.

Well, I've had my blue VDX for 3 weeks now and I love it. My wife got her Ice Deluxe at Staples last weekend. It's awesome. All your pertinent info is right there, but there are also lots of fun apps too.

AvantGo, btw, is great. It's a free program that lets you download content from the web when you sync. So you can have news, sports, etc. on your Visor.

Good luck with your decision, I bet you'll be happy if you get one!!

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Columbus, Ohio USA
Posts: 255

Bri:

All I have to say is when you finally get around to getting a visor (Since you have the idea in your head, there is ZERO turning back) you will find the reasons why you bought one. Kinda like the "if you build it, he will come" way of thinking. You don't know why, but you just do it and it makes itself clear later on.

Whatever reason you're thinking you need an organizer, it's nothing compared to what you'll find out you can do once you have it.

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: West Chester, PA, USA
Posts: 9

Hey there, folks. I'd like to thank you all for your honest opinions on my situation. I'm gonna wait until next week for the monthly computer show to see if I can get a visor deluxe at a cheaper price.

In anticipation, I've already ordered a Panache stylus, WriteRight protectors, and a Rhodiana beltclip case. I'm terribly excited to get the visor, and I can't wait to see what I can do with it.

I'll also definitely have to try that AvantGo software once I get it. Thanks.

Is there anything else I should get for my visor by way of accessories or software that you'd all recommend?

BTW, you were right, BizEchilD, now that I have the idea in my head, I can't get it out. I feel a compelling need for the Visor. It's probably because I wanna look cool at E3 next month.

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 11

Another use that my husband brought out after I had the visor for a few days was that now he knows if something happens, as long as he can get to my visor he has all of the information he needs to contact anyone in my life. I hadn't realized my multiple phone books concerned him that much. But after him playing with the visor for about 30 minutes, he was very happy I had gotten it.

Now I am waiting for him to get around to saying that he wants one!

Teresa

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

foo:

I think that by "no limits" to what the Palm can do, what Scalpel actually meant were no relevant limits. A multitasking kernel is great for computers with hard drives, but on a computer (yes, Palms and Visors are computers) where all the programs reside in RAM or ROM, multitasking is really a non-issue -- especially with AppHack and SwitchHack. Who needs an OS that requires a 200 mhz StrongArm processor just to appear perceptably comparable in speed to a Palm running with a 16 mhz Dragonball (I'll say the Pocket PC runs faster since I haven't seen it)? One thing I miss from the Palm was the ability to run EcoHack, which slowed down the processor to 10 mhz. It added 40% more battery life and I barely noticed the speed difference. I shudder to think what a processor running at 10x the speed will do for battery life.

Hmm, let's see: My Documents|File or Application|File -- looks like the same number of taps to me. There probably is some psychological advantage to having a central folder for various documents.

I use Find to retrieve my documents without launching their respective programs first. The only problem I've had with this approach is switching from TealDoc to iSilo, which has a proprietary file format that's ostensibly invisble to the Find function; but I could get keyword within TealDoc. So for one program I have to open it first. Big deal. My main priority is to get to my notes and contacts. I don't use Jfile so I don't know if Find will work on its file format. It's worth a try.

[This message has been edited by Gameboy70 (edited 04-08-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Gameboy70 (edited 04-08-2000).]