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

I was the one that coined the term "Handspring time" (e.g., "If Handspring says Visors will be in stores in February, that 'Handspring time' for, say, June). Well, February's come and gone, and all I see in the stores are blank stares from the sales staff when I ask about the Visor. I've deliberately avoided ordering one online to spare myself the anguish of HS' fullfillment problems.

I'm frustrated but not angry. I've got my Palm III, which I love, so I can wait. It's important to remember that Handspring's problems are not due to failure, but overwhelming success: they can't fill the demand. So despite the company's short-term vaporware image, they're certainly not going to disappear from the PDA landscape in a couple of years. They've got high consumer demand, lots of SV capital, and a proprietary technology that will revolutionize the information appliance industry. (I suspect that 5 years from now, people will avoid PDAs without Springboad slots the way they avoid PDAs without the Palm OS). And even if the Springboards' long-term prospects are unproven, the Visor is still a perfectly good Palm OS based PDA that does everything me Palm III does.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 89

"I've deliberately avoided ordering one online to spare myself the anguish of HS' fullfillment problems."

I'm not sure that Handspring has a fulfillment problem any longer. I ordered my Visor and got it in 4 days. I dropped my Visor and broke the screen. Handspring had a replacement in my hand in 9 calendar days! To top it off they paid shipping for my replacement and the return of the broken Visor and didn't charge me a dime.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Texan in Calgary for a while
Posts: 1361

Remember that there was never any confirmation from Handspring about Visors being in stores on Feb 20. That has always been a rumor. The only thing HS has said is "soon." My personal guess is before the end of March.

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James Hromadka
VisorCentral.com
Personal Website: http://www.Hromadka.com

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: "Children are a gift from God, they are a reward"
Posts: 1049

Ken,
I'm curious, where did you hear about a future PDA or super cell phone, that was also a "a keyboard ($99), a modem ($139), a MP3 player ($129?), software ($100?), a case ($35), GPS ($129), etc. One can easily fork out over $500 just for the extra bells and whistles."?
I keep hearing about this stuff, but it always "just around the corner" or "the 1st (2nd, 3rd, 4th)of next year". Everybody wants something small that does everything, is cheap (or even free!)and they want it now.
The beauty of the Visor is it's here now, is cheap and flexible. The flexibility of the unit is what will sell it now, and next year. Nobody is locked into buying bells and whistles they don't need. the companies developing products to fit into the Springboard format are investing a ton of money right now, basing that on future sales.
The Visor is not the Newton which was an Apple only product, lots of other companies are investing in the format. Handspring could possible tank (and pigs could fly if you shot them out of a cannon), but it won't be because some other PDA or cell phone comes up with a superior product in the next couple of years.
The Visor is great at what it is- a less expensive, more versatile, PalmOS alternative to the current Palm offerings.
Michael Walters
PS There will actually be people who get a Visor who only buy one or two modules, if any! Amazing, but true!
PPS Thanks for starting this post, it's a doozy!

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 107

BobbyMike � when I wrote about cell phone companies teaming up with Palm, Win, and Symbian, I didn�t mean to imply that they are also going to also incorporate keyboards, MP3s, pagers, GPS, etc. all into one unit. I guess I�ve heard that before, but I don�t know where???

I did read on siliconinvestor.com - talking about Palm stock - that the idea of combining ALL those gadgets into one unit would be absurd. Consumers want simplicity, they were arguing, and that�s why the Palm OS has done so well. Of course, they�re only wishful stockbrokers who want Palm to go up, up, up. But I tend to agree � keep it simple.

Odd twist of fate � a friend of mine wants to sell me his Visor Deluxe. For some reason he likes his Newton a whole lot better. Hmmm. If I can get him to dump it off for $200, I�ll buy it.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 117

I am a little confused, nothing new I grant, but nonetheless...

Why do people want to attach a keyboard to a handheld?

I have a handheld with a built in keyboard and still entered everything with the stylus. That�s why I bought the Visor. I wanted compactness and an ability to leave the desk behind.

I want portability in a handheld, why attach it to a keyboard? Get proficient at graffiti and forget the keyboard entirely.

Anything I might need a keyboard for I do on my desktop and then I synch it to the Visor.

Oh well, like I said I am easily confused.


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Life is to short for boring food

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Mililani, HI, USA
Posts: 256

quote:

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Originally posted by SpiceUmUp:
Why do people want to attach a keyboard to a handheld?

I have a handheld with a built in keyboard and still entered everything with the stylus.

I want portability in a handheld, why attach it to a keyboard? Get proficient at graffiti and forget the keyboard entirely.

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Was the keyboard on your old handheld full-size or near full-size? And was it detachable? These two features of the keyboards available for Palms and Visors make them attractive for people who want the easy data input capabilities usually restricted to notebook computers, but don't want the bulk. Composing email, for instance, or any task requiring lengthy graffiti entry, makes a keyboard a welcome addition. If you can get by with the stylus only, then you're gifted. I'm very proficient at graffiti, but graffiti--not I--still has speed and ease-of-use limitations. It's good, but it does misread my strokes and it is slower than typing. I would much rather type in an email, long memo, or paper, than write them with graffiti.

[This message has been edited by ragamuffinn (edited 02-29-2000).]

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 117

how often does one need the keyboard? If graffiti is to slow, use the keyboard section of graffiti. I find I can use that quite quickly and certainly quickly enough for composing and sending e-mail.

I still can't understand paying that kind of money so you can tie you handheld to a desk.

But that's just me

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Life is to short for boring food

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Tonka Bay, MN USA
Posts: 36

Why a keyboard with a PDA? Simple. I can Graffiti write at about 15 wpm errorless but I can type at over 60 wpm. I wouldn't use a keyboard all that much unless I wanted to compose a lengthy report or email.

[This message has been edited by Davydd (edited 02-29-2000).]

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Mililani, HI, USA
Posts: 256

quote:

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Originally posted by SpiceUmUp:

But that's just me

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Registered: Feb 2000
Location: NY, USA
Posts: 19

suckas!! i bet no one can enter grafii faster then i can type (110+wpm ) heheh....and NO im not conceited

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 33

I think the keyboard is a great idea. The Visor/Keyboard combo is still very small and lightweight. I DO have a laptop but its A)Expensive and B) Is big and heavy (15 inch screen). I would have liked to take it to class with me to take my notes but it's just too big and notebook batteries only last about 3 hours and I have class longer than that. With the Palm/Keyboard option I can do this very easily, as well as type emails or whatever else between classes. It's just a product that targets people with specific needs. Just my .02

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 107

I thought this was interesting ...
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/n...2449224,00.html

Hang on to your hats. Palm is about to take over the world.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Atlanta, GA, USA
Posts: 56

Geee. Only 110 wpm? I guess you destroy keyboards about the same as I do.

One of the detachable keyboards for the Palm/Visor is one that folds up to about the size of a deck of cards. I saw it on the discovery channel, and it looked fairly useful, although it probably had a very small key stroke, which would annoy me. I'm on a laptop now, and I'm about to punch through it.

Registered: Feb 2000
Location: Smithtown, NY, USA
Posts: 27

hahaah "SUCKA" I can type 126wpm with 100% accuracy (: I AM CONCEITED

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

quote:

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Originally posted by Ken:
I thought this was interesting ...
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/n...2449224,00.html

Hang on to your hats. Palm is about to take over the world.

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Registered: Feb 2000
Location: NY, USA
Posts: 19

frosty!?!??! damn reading my posts....

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 107

Hoser_in_USA � Be careful! From what market savvy friends have told me, Palm�s stock is going to be SO hot that a lot of people are going to get burned. In the long run, though, it�s sure to be quite a money maker.