Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 4

Once I realized that I would have to lay out extra bucks for a Visor serial cradle, it was a no brainer. I bought a IIIx for $229 at buy.com and will have it by the end of the week without fail.

I think that Handspring will have trouble generating large sales numbers so long as Palm can offer comparable products that are more readily available and substantially less expensive.

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Redwood City, CA USA
Posts: 162

Rickster:

I guess that depends on your definition of "comparable" given that the Visor Deluxe has 4 more megs of RAM, springboard expandability and comes in colors. I would also not consider a $20 difference "substantially less expensive".

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 117

Pricing the IIIx compared to the Handspring:
With $24.00 extra for the serial cradle and $9.00 for shipping costs, the total is $282.00. The Visor delux costs $35.25 per meg of memory.

The IIIx with sales tax of 6% is $242.74 or $60.69 per meg.

Now add the Springboard expandability and the funky colors (after all colors usualy cost more) and the Visor Delux is significantly cheaper than the IIIx.

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Life is to short for boring food



[This message has been edited by SpiceUmUp (edited 01-12-2000).]

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 106

Don't forget the cost of the software enhancements (Datebook3, CityTime). You can buy 3rd party color cases for the PalmIII, but there's more $$$ on the PalmIII side of the balance....

Of course the speed of the USB isn't as much of a factor when you don't have 8meg to play with....

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 46

The calculator program alone would run you $12...and...I got the serial cradle for work...and keep the USB one at home...

If it were me...I'd see this as a great opportunity to rationalize getting a new computer with USB...instead of looking at is as the VDX costing an extra $20...look at is as getting $20 off a new computer...


[This message has been edited by LynnBob (edited 01-11-2000).]

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 251

Years ago, I purchased a Palm Pilot 1000 because it was cheaper. Then I had to add the memory upgrade later. Even then, I could have spent a few more bucks and gotten a Professional with a backlight... But, I didn't.

Now, I try to look to the future a little. For the extra $20, you get 4MB extra RAM and the Springboard slot. I figure ANY upgrade you do to your Palm IIIx in the future will cost you far more than $20!

Like a computer, always buy the most advanced Palm (or compatible) that you can afford to increase its usable life...

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 170

I've got a friend at work who bought a Palm IIIe several months ago. That unit comes with 2 meg. He has about 80% of it left.

The amount of memory that a device has is not important to everybody, nor is the ability to play mp3's, GPS, ect. He bought the Palm as a business tool and it does everything he needs it to do.

The arguments that most of you give for going with Visor are valid, for you. But they don't apply to everyone. Those of you who claim that the Visor is a better value are not really thinking objectively.

Like SpiceEmUp who includes sales tax on the Palm but fails to do so for the Visor. I can get a Palm mail order and not pay sales tax, but since I live in CA I would pay sales tax on the Visor. Not that his price per meg comparison is valid, but if you're going to bother with an analysis at least get the numbers straight.

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 434

Hmmmm...

I sat down to figure out what I truly NEED and what I installed because it was interesting, but also sometimes useful.

What I personally truly need for work would fit in about 1.5 Mb. My colleagues get by fabulously with IIIe's. But a lot of us like having the extras. If you have serious business requirements, or if you are AT ALL interested in AvantGo, reading books on the Visor, playing games, storing databases, etc. then the extra memory is definitely worth the minimal cost increase. Indeed, I'm starting to run out of room on my Visor - I've got AvantGo, a thesaurus and a huge medical database on my Visor - around 2 Mb just right there just for those three apps. I don't absolutely need them, but it's nice to have right at my fingertips.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 117

bregent:
"Like SpiceEmUp who includes sales tax on the Palm but fails to do so for the Visor."

Nor did I add shipping for the Palm IIIx. As the Palm is available at my local CompUSA and the Visor can only be purchased through the Handspring website, I added New Jersey sales tax to the Palm and my actual shipping costs to the Visor.
The numbers are correct, whether you consider them valid for you, is your opinion and just as valid as my opinion that the Visor is a better bargain than the Palm IIIx.

Your flaming me for stating my opinion is uncalled for and inaccurate.

And it is �SpiceUmUp�, if you are going to flame; at least get my name right.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 74

You're right SpiceUmUp, my last post was out of line. Sorry.

--bob

[This message has been edited by bregent1 (edited 01-12-2000).]

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 117

bregent

Accepted, thanks

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Life is to short for boring food

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

The overall civility of the posts on this site is impressive. As a happy Visor owner I actually appreciate hearing from people who choose to go with Palms. I really don't want EVERYONE owning Visors. Handspring would get fat and lazy if the had the majority share and we users would be the poorer. So you Palm users and TRG users tell us why you chose them. If Handspring has its act together they will improve the model to include your needs too. I love my Visor, but its not the end all or be all - I can't wait to see the next Visor!
By the way, if ANYONE out there has a problem with anyone elses opinion, go see the movie "Dogma". Theres a great discussion on the difference between Ideas and Beliefs (ideas can be changed easily, but beliefs are hard to change, basically)
In my opinion, there is NO such thing as a "good" fanatic.
Keep up the posting!
Michael

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 97

I agree with Eug.

We don't REALLY need 8 Megs if we're using it purely as a PDA to store phone numbers and schedule items. Instead, I think Palm OS based handhelds have evolved beyond such simple functions, and the Palm community is constantly coming out with functional software that will eventually become "necessities" for some of us, just like a microwave and a fridge is to most of us. I can think of Avantgo, MyBible, medical databases, etc. that are instantly available on my palm/Palm when I need it. I've come to depend on my Visor for these various functions so much so that it has become my "second brain". The only "problem" is that they use up large chunks of memory, so paying a little more for significantly more memory will make your handheld "future-proof"... well, at least for 1-2 years...

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

I agree with Visordoc .. I bought the Visor based on perceived future value.. Considering newer Palm devices will have 8MB standard (and probably soon 12MB and 16MB and so on.. (or a TRG with a 340MB harddrive)) that just means programmers will have more to work with and be able to provide more indepth software.

I think a lot of people fail to realize everyones needs are different. Like I think one post said a while back, most people can write PDAs off as business expenses, so their outlook window would be much narrower (< 1 year) compared to other users (18 months+).

Alais .. they are basically the same units - same software, same operating system, so why does everyone get so defensive over it? now if it was WinCE vs Palm, that would be COMPLETELY different .. heh.

joe

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 48

I used a Palm III for almost two years. Sure, I was maxed on memory, but that was due to a lot of games . But now that I've got the 8MB in my BVD, I have actually have productive uses. I got software that allows me to load and edit spreadsheets and Word documents. Now I can review and edit docs, prepare reports, etc. without having to drag out my laptop. It's also nice to be able to take notes and docs into meetings and not have a big sheaf of papers to sort through. But yeah, you certainly could get by on 2MB - 4MB without a problem.

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What if your sole purpose in life is to serve as a warning to others?