Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Marietta, Ohio USA
Posts: 92

Wouldn't a VISOR with a color display
require it be a "new" separate hardware
unit ? or could a current VISOR be upgraded?

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 159

Color would require a different kind of LCD display than is presently used on the Palms/Visors, so I doubt a software upgrade to color would be in the works.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Pittsburgh, PA USA
Posts: 12

Besides the LCD itself, I'm willing to bet the PalmOS only supports the monochrome display.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Las Pinas, Manila, Philippines
Posts: 35

And even if there is a sofware way to
upgrade to a color display, it would put
too much strain on power management.
You'd have just a couple of hours worth
of juice from new AAA batteries.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 28

Maybe I'm just "color"-blind ... but perhaps someone might do the color display as an external device via Springboard? That would allow necessary software to live on the board and the "upgrade" to color display would be available to anyone with a Visor, without anyone worrying about what they would do with their "old" PDA (which they still haven't received :^)

I want something small that has great battery life and incredible functionality. Palm (and now Visor) has that. If I need to see it in color, I'll find a terminal for however long is necessary and take advantage of the 16 or 24-bit screen to see ALL of the color, which I wouldn't expect to see in a PDA for another 2 or 3 generations.

A video-out springboard would be about as close to color PDA as I'd need to be for now ...

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Salem, OR, USA
Posts: 91

Isn't this discussion of a software upgrade to color the least bit absurd? It would be analogous to a software upgrade from a graphite case to a blue case; you can't overcome hardware limitations in software. Even if it's possible to send color information to the display (which it almost certainly isn�t, but for the sake of this analogy), it would be like trying to watch a color program (the software) on a black & white TV (the hardware). This is common sense, isn't it? As for a hardware upgrade, you would probably end up paying more for the upgrade, which would include sending it back to the factory, than you would buying a new model outright.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 28

Agreed. I don't see the fixation with color given the other factors that are more important -- size, weight, battery life, functionality, etc.

I would note that a video-out springboard would not necessarily need be for color ... but would make it possible to use the Visor with a video projection unit. Currently, those people who have that need must use a computer and the Palm emulator. Still a viable option and one isn't going to be able to demonstrate springboards if the slot is being used by a video-out board ... but it's a thought.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Streamwood, IL USA
Posts: 118

One reason for a video out would be running a power point presentation from "the palm of your hand" (sorry, bad pun)

The question I have is how important is color when reading your calendar and contact information? Which is the most common use even for us power users. I'll take B/W with 3 weeks of battery life over Color with 3 hours of battery life. However if there were a color unit with 3 weeks of battery life, well....