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

Now, many of you will probably think this is just an excuse to justify why I haven't upgraded my Visor Deluxe, and others might just consider this an attempt to cover-up jealousy. However, after thinking about this for the last few weeks, I've come to this conclusion.

I like, and am comfortable with my Visor Deluxe. I know, pretty boring statement, but let me elaborate.

When I first bought my Visor I had dreams of expandability through Springboard modules and the possibility of one day surfing the net wirelessly. I also thought that one day I'd upgrade to a model with a colour screen and maybe even more memory! However, over the last year, I've come to realize the true usefulness of my Visor Deluxe. I have all the information I need for my personal and professional lives contained in it. From phone numbers, appointments, to some pretty extensive databases used in my line of work. Many of you with the fancy, coloured Prisms or the new Edge are saying (I can do that with mine!). But here's the reality of it all.

I've come to realize that I don't NEED to spend even more money to surf the web wirelessly. I had a brief run in with a PalmVII and found the connectivity to be GREAT! I would sit in restaurants and look up movie times, I'd pick up family from airports and know their flight info from the parking lot! But in the end, I realized that I didn't really need the wireless internet. There are many of you out there that do and that's fine (this post is about "Why I Like My VDx").

So what does this leave me with? All my personal and professional information in hand at all times. And now the point to my post (I know 'It's about time!').

Lately, I've noticed that my Visor Deluxe has come with me everywhere, all the time, and I don't baby it like i used to when it first arrived at my door. That's why I like my Visor Deluxe. If it cracks a screen tomorrow, big deal! If a crack starts to grow from the power button, who cares! The thing is so cheap that I finally feel comfortable using it!

After constantly worrying about screen scratches, cracks, chips, etc. I've decided that my Visor Deluxe costs so little, I can actually enjoy using it! Now if I had spent $400 - $500 for my PDA, I'd be back in that 'Paranoid Range' of PDA use. Always babying it, worried about little niks and scratches. Not really enjoying it. Some of you may say "I still enjoy my Prism even though I take really good care of it". One day you'll understand. It's like having a 'beater car' (everybody should own one once in their lives ). It does the job, does it well enough for what you need, and if it dies tomorrow it's not a major (or even a minor) blow to your pocketbook.

That's why I like my Visor Deluxe. It does the job, does it well, and I finally feel that I've used it enough that it has paid itself off. So from now on, any additional use is simply a bonus.

Thanks for reading my super long post. Just wanted to share a feeling I've recently acquired about my PDA.

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

Stealth-Mod.

Registered: Dec 2000
Location:
Posts: 50

Amen. I completely agree.

Helen

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 217

Yeah!

Right on.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Connecticut USA
Posts: 2682

I think Hoser and I were seperated at birth!!!

I've had the same feelings towards my VDx for several months now. Ever since the Prism and Platinum were released, I realized just how economical my trusty old Deluxe is. If it died tomorrow, I wouldn't really be out anything... it has served its purpose and served it beyond my expectations.

The main reason I haven't upgraded is that it continues to do everything I need it to. Sure, there's some features and enhancements to the newer models (can you say Edge?) that interest me, but for now I just don't need them.

After 14 months, I basically only use the Visor as a PIM (remember, that's what is was designed for), the purpose I bought it for in the first place. Everything else it's done for me has been gravy, icing on the cake, etc...

Now, don't get me wrong, a color Edge intrigues me... but that doesn't mean I'll run out and buy one the moment it's available (I might wait a minute or two ). Until my VDx no longer does what I need it to do (or, but some misfortune, it stops working ), it will remain ever-ready by my side (no, I don't sleep with it, but that's about the only time it's not with me).

I have a cracked slot at the top of the Springboard cover (from the hard cover), a small crack on the back of the case, worn buttons, and even a few scratches on the screen... to me, they add character to my VDx and also show that it does, in fact, get used (often) and that I've also stopped handling it like a newborn child (after all, in PDA years, it's almost ready to start college ).

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God bless America, my home sweet home...

Registered: Dec 2000
Location:
Posts: 50

Mark,

What?? You mean it's not right there next to you on the nightstand?

More often than not, mine is. To relax a bit before turning off the lights, I usually wind up playing a few games of backgammon. Some people watch the news, some read... I let a little electronic device prove to me how inept I am... Gee, that sounds like most of my waking hours, come to think of it.

Helen

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 239

Amen

Hoser, you dog! (pun intended)

I couldn't agree more. I would love color and wireless Internet, but I don't need it. I am outside too much to use color, and once I get my Thinmodem+, I'll have Internet anyway, without an extra $40. Earthlink has enough local dial-up numbers to keep me happy.

I remember when I paid for my first Palm app, ThinkDB. I sat there for a few minutes, stunned, that I had actually paid for a program to run on my Palm. Paid for it! What happened to the care-free days of going to PalmGear or Tucows and downloading app after app for free. This is the Internet, isn't it!? It should all be free!

That's when it hit me: my Pilot (at the time), my PDA was no longer a toy. It was a tool. I use this all the time. I would be less prductive without it. Besides ThinkDB, I now have Quickoffice, a Stowaway keyboard, and will soon have the aforementioned Thinmodem+. More and more people are buying Visor's here, and I am even in charge of a project to deploy them to the entire plant at some point this year. I am kind of sad to see the "toy" disappear. I miss being the "PDA geek" and the stigma of being the tech-head. <sigh> However, the same thing happened with Internet access, the same thing is happening with broadband access, and soon everyone will have HDTV. The price of progress, I suppose.

No, as long as my VDX is as useful as it is, I'll stick with it. The Springboard slot, if nothing else, has assured that it will be a viable tool for a long time. Good job Handspring!

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Soul Raven - "Sm� hjerne, stor gl�de"
Wherever you go, there you are.

Registered: Feb 2000
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 165

A couple of weeks ago I took the plunge and insured my Prism through PDAslostorstolen.com for $4.99/month. While it hasn't quite achieved 'beater' status yet, the peace of mind provided by the insurance does let me be a little more casual with my Prism; no more obsessive/compulsive double checking to make sure I haven't left it on the edge of a desk or table where a cat might knock it off, etc.

I totally see where you're coming from with your post, though. I received my Prism as a gift, and now that I've gotten used to color there's no going back... but I was very happy with my VDx right up until the day I got my Prism. The Edge is nice-looking, but the form factor of my VDx and my Prism was never an issue for me the way it is for a lot of people... to each his own, but every time I hear somebody screaming "For that kind of money it should fold up to the size of a postage stamp and fit in my wallet!" I want to grab them by the collar and shake them back and forth... what it always comes back to for me is thinking about my first computer in 1983, a Commodore 64. 64K of RAM, and I don't even know what the clock speed was.. no real operating system to speak of, just the BASIC interpereter there when you turned the thing on. Being 9 years old at the time, I didn't really pay attention to hardware costs.(bless my parents!) I think a decent C-64 system definitely cost more than a Visor Deluxe, though. Fast forward 17 years and you've got 128 times more RAM, a 33mhz processor, a good OS and internet capability in a device that fits in your [i]hand[/]! Sure the Palm V and the Edge are sexy, but the Deluxe, Platinum, and Prism are no less remarkable to me in that perspective.

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<br>"Form follows function - that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union" -Frank Lloyd Wright

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

quote:

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Originally posted by MarkEagle
I think Hoser and I were seperated at birth!!!

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Don't worry mark, i'll take that as a compliment.


Helen: Mine is probably on the nightstand 4 out of 7 nights as I like to play a little backgammon aswell. Not to mention catching up on international news through my avantgo channels.

Soul Raven: With you aswell. I have my trusty handspring modem and if i ever do travel (not that often) i'm with mindspring/earthlink aswell and both their numbers work.

and oh ya....that dog is Gack. He's my buddy.

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

Stealth-Mod.

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Them Twin Cities
Posts: 1758

Nearly everything I would want wireless for is available from AvantGo or Vindigo. While I don't know about it being Cheap (not in my tax bracket, at least)...

My only (substantial) complaint about the Vdx is that it's BIG. But really, it's a PIM, has a map of the twin Cities, the local paper, a Couple of (LARGE) ebooks, and so on, and so on. In a year it'll be my primary word processor (see the AAAAHHHH thread I'm about to write on that one...).

I wouldn't trade it for a laptop if I could. Or a Prism (bigger). I like it good.

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Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Aberdeen, SD
Posts: 2531

I'm in my deluxe and I'm going to stay here until I'd have to pay to replace it. Then I'll upgrade. This is after I switched to my deluxe to get used to a monochrome screen for when I bought the edge with my tax refund. I've realized with how easy it was to switch "for good" to the deluxe that I really did switch for good. Amen to being comfortable with just using the device. My deluxe gets used a lot more than the prism did because it's cheaper, and visible anywhere. It also justifies my purchase of the rechargeable batteries. I gave my wife the prism, and it's the first pda she's ever used. She loves having the picutres of our son on it, and she's indoors all the time as a librarian, so even though I'm the technical one in our family she has the top of the line visor � and it works well for both of us. She has a pda she uses and I have a pda I'm comfortable using. It's so nice to keep the pda on my person and off the recharging cradle as well.

The only disadvantage is I'm unable to see the weather radar clearly on my VDX, whereas the green stood out like a sore thumb on the prism. I actually have to get up and look outside if I want to know the weather now. My deluxe is doing its part to keep me thin.

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-Joshua
Abortion: Darwinism at its finest.

Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Aberdeen, SD
Posts: 2531

I forgot to post one of my new favorite reasons for being in the deluxe for the long haul: watching the frenzy as people try and decide whether or not to upgrade, and the sheer amount of volume produced in outrage at the lack of features. The visor deluxe was only running 3.1 when the Palm's were running 3.3 at the initial release, so Handspring has always been one OS upgrade behind. I think the gap has actually gotten smaller in regards to actual features implemented in each OS.

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-Joshua
Abortion: Darwinism at its finest.

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: East Coast, USA
Posts: 134

man, hoser, you know i was just thinking about this all. i got my vdx in december and use it everyday. i am now watching all of this edge craziness, and i am perfectly satisfied with my deluxe. you have simply said it perfectly

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all around good guy

brandon
drop me a line

Registered: Mar 2001
Location:
Posts: 10

Yeah

The Deluxe is the best device ever invented

I was actually really tempted to go buy a color Prism when it came out, (oooooh, I love color), but after realising I'd be losing out with color:

Prism:
$450
16 bit Color (not good outside)
Fatter
Same memory
Rechargable battery (Lasts approx. 6 hours)

Deluxe:
$250 (+rebate)
16 shades of grey (But it works sweet outside!)
Thinner
Same memory
AAA's (Lasts approx. 20 hours)

I have to say, that I'd never pay twice the price for something that doesn't last as long between battery recharges, and is almost unuseable in sunlight, AND thicker. That's exactly NOT what I'm looking for: I want PORTABILITY, I don't want a Palm compatable that sits all day in the cradle, I want to be OUTSIDE with it!!!

I love my Deluxe!

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Greenville, SC
Posts: 172

Helen5, I often play a few games before going to bed, so I keep it on the nightstand as well. I also use BigClock as an alarm!

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"Life is what you experience between racing games"
Galley

Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 78

Another happy VDx user

After seeing my sister in law's Palm V, I went with the Visor Deluxe because I wasn't sure how much I'd use it and it was cheaper by $150. What a fantastic choice! I am addicted to it and can't go anywhere without it. I even convinced my 60+ parents to use the Visor.

I had no idea what it could do until I discovered the amazing Visor Central web site People are continually impressed with what I can do with the Visor beyond simple scheduling and memos. The memory module allows me to store a lot of great medical information. Theoretically I can get online with my phone and the VDx. The Edge is tempting but if it can't be used with the Stowaway, I'm not unloading my trusty VDx.

Where's the backgammon download since everyone is talking about it?

Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Aberdeen, SD
Posts: 2531

Re: Another happy VDx user

quote:

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Originally posted by pel in chicago
...Where's the backgammon download since everyone is talking about it?

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-Joshua
Abortion: Darwinism at its finest.

Registered: Feb 2001
Location:
Posts: 134

snif...this is a freaking love fest...and I just had to join it.

I have had my VDx for over a year now...and I never got more use out of any device in my life. I haven't upgraded...because I just haven't needed to...since each time I buy a new module...it gets upgraded.

I also haven't bought a new Visor...because I love the transparent case...and I would also be sad to see it go into a drawer...and I couldn't bear for anyone else to have it.

Other than my Saturn, Hyundai and DVD player...this is easily the best investment I ever made.

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I saw that everyone else had a signature and I felt left out, so here is mine.

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 604

Geez, you guys have me half-convinced to put my Prism away and dust off my trusty graphite VDx. I'm getting all nostalgic for the thing. Sniff.

Seriously, I really, really wanted color, hence the Prism. Other than that, I loved and still love my Deluxe, and think it's still a great machine.

Registered: Oct 2000
Location: Aberdeen, SD
Posts: 2531

I sit outside with my vdx and chuckle quietly to myself.

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-Joshua
Abortion: Darwinism at its finest.

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: East Coast, USA
Posts: 134

quote:

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I sit outside with my vdx and chuckle quietly to myself.

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lmao

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all around good guy

brandon
drop me a line