Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 32

===============================
I am a recent VISOR purchaser,
and I have recently posted two
reviews on my BBS. I am going
to reprint them here for the
benefit of those looking to buy
a VISOR, as I was, 2 weeks ago.
===============================

I really wanted to rave about this thing to all of you.

I dunno - about 2 weeks ago I decided I needed an electronic assistant to help keep organized.

You see, I have an open calendar on my desk with all my appointments and things to do, but I rarely use it, nor can I bring it with me on the road to jot down or check appointments or reminders.

I'm the type of guy that carries scraps of paper in my pocket with reminders of things I need to do.

My first plan was to spend $300-$450 on a Palm V PDA device. I posted a message on this board asking for opinions on it - and astonishly - someone said I should consider something else.

That "something else" was the Handspring Visor

Take a look at it! It's really cool and it comes in different colors.

The thing is, this baby costs at least $100 less than the other Palm devices, and has MORE MEMORY (8mb) than those devices. It also has an expansion slot for lots
of add-ons that are now or will be available.

The only downside to VISOR vs. PALM V is that the OS is not flash upgradeable. I hear it can be upgraded possibly through patches. However, it seems a lot of people don't mind this setback.

Let me tell you about this PDA...

Not only can you enter reminders, to do lists, appointments and address books -- but there are TONS of programs from games to spreadsheet to financial that you can download and add to your VISOR.

One of the BEST things this baby does is hot-synch with your computer. This means you can enter all your information on your computer keyboard, and then transfer
it to the VISOR.

Even better than that....

There is a free Internet service called
ANANTGO:
http://www.avantgo.com

This is a free service where you subscribe to sites like USA TODAY, FOX NEWS, THE WEATHER CHANNEL, HOLLYWOOD REPORT, VARIETY, MAPQUEST, MAPBLAST, STOCK NEWS, etc.

When you hot-synch between your computer and VISOR, while connected to the net, all the latest news stories and reports are downloaded to your VISOR.

While on the train going to NYC the other day, I spent an hour reading my VISOR like I would a newspaper.

I can even have my VISOR tell me the latest movie showtimes via HOLLYWOOD.COM, or give me a map and directions to any location I need to go to via MAPQUEST/MAPBLAST.

I even downloaded a bartender list of mixed drink recipes -and- a restaurant guide to the best restaurants in Los Angeles when I go out there.

This is truly a neat little gadget, and a great office assistant that beeps reliably when there is something on your schedule. You can't miss a function
if you check your VISOR on a daily basis.

Let me even talk on a little more, if I may....

Putting information (schedules, reminders, etc)can be done via your desktop computer and a keyboard.

But what if you are on the road and need to jot down some information? Or in a meeting and need to enter an appointment?

Using the supplied stylus, you simply write in the lower area of the VISOR, and it transforms handwriting into typewritten text, just as a keyboard would. There is a very minor learning curve to write a few letters, but trust me, I was writing ever so freely in just a day.

The future of PDA devices is definately bright. There will be bigger and better devices available in the next year. I could have waited - but for a $250 investment, I felt that in a year or two if I wanted something more elaborate, I'll buy it.

But that's knocking THE VISOR. This is truly
an elaborate gadget that offers a lot more bang for the buck than those more expensive palm devices.

I take this thing everywhere with me. It is
my crutch. A thought occurs to me, I write it down. If I have free time, I read the latest news or play a game of RUMMY.

If you are the executive type of individual - or just someone who needs to keep their life organized, I would highly reccomend the VISOR.


NEXT UP....SOFTWARE SITES....


------------------
Ronald Epstein
HOME THEATER FORUM http://www.hometheaterforum.com

[This message has been edited by Ronald Epstein (edited 01-29-2000).]

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 32

Okay. Buying your VISOR is not just a $250
investment. There are probably a few things that you are going to want to buy for it. Of course, it is not essential, but I'll go into the reasons why the purchases may be necessary, and you can take your time buying these things.

The case the visor comes with is a slip-on case, which is adequate. There are better cases available. I am keeping the case as I find no need to upgrade it.

However...

The stylus pen that comes with it is not great. In fact, some have reorted that they scratched the glass on their VISOR using it.

For $14 I bought the PDA PANACHE stylus:
http://www.pdapanache.com

It has a better feel and is very gentle on your glass screen.

Also, you might want to get the BACKUP BUDDY from HANDSPRING at an additional $49. It plugs into your VISOR, and acts as a backup. If your batteries go dead, you lose all your information. This restores all the information. Now, there is software that supposidly does the same thing, but I am
uncertain of its dependability. I bought the
BACKUP BUDDY.

Also very important is buying the PDA SURVIVAL KIT for about $25. It contains WRITERIGHTS that are a plastic overlay that goes over your VISOR glass screen and prevents it from getting scratched. Of
course, using the PDA PANACHE stylus decreases the chances of this substantially.

Now you don't have to buy all of this at once. If you have to buy one thing, I reccomend a better stylus and perhaps the SURVIVAL KIT.

SOFTWARE...

Here are some great sites:
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconVal...4/whatsonp.html
http://pda.tucows.com
http://www.MemoWare.com/


The best site of them all? PALMGEAR.COM
http://www.palmgear.com

It's the headquarters for software and information.

But there is more!

There is a terrific bulletin board that is devoted to VISOR and the pluses and minuses of the PDA device:
http://www.visorcentral.com

Be sure to click on DISCUSS to reach the forum. You'll even see a complaint I had today which has been sort of resolved.

I need to thank BRAD NIGHTSCALES for helping me with all this stuff. He supplied many of the links you see above. He loves his VISOR!

------------------
Ronald Epstein
HOME THEATER FORUM http://www.hometheaterforum.com

[This message has been edited by Ronald Epstein (edited 01-29-2000).]

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 114

Good job. But I have to say the useful module sold by handspring is called backup module. Backup Buddy is the name of a backup software from another company. I think they wouldn't like to let Handspring use this name

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 36

Also, as for the rightwrites, I've heard of numerous cheaper and even better alternatives (vinyl for one). Not to mention some people don't mind the stylus or you can get the improved handspring stylus at this site (in the sales section) for the low price of 5 bucks. It all depends on your preference. Also, as for the backup module, it isn't necessary, the program back-up buddy is (from the general consensus) very good and works well. Of course if you travel often it would be smart to have it, but if you use the visor in the general vicinity of your computer, then it shouldn't be a big deal.
-Ann

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Baltimore MD, USA
Posts: 717

It is possible to make a vinyl screen protector for your Visor for a couple of dollars and ten minutes work, there are instructions elsewhere on the VisorCentral BBS.

I would seriously consider BackupBuddy. That program saved my buns when the program I was writing for the Visor locked it up so bad I had to hard reset. It's worth every penny.

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 7

I'm a newbie visor deluxe owner. It's way cool!

I do have a few questions about backup/synching.

- Why do you need BackupBuddy? Doesn't HotSync backup everything?

- I have a laptop and travel a lot. I can see it will be a pain to have to carry around my serial cradle, is there a simpler device that I can use to sync?

- My laptop has an IR port on it. Can I use that to sync?

TIA!

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Provo, UT
Posts: 64

rabbott,

HotSync backs up all the built-in apps and their data, but most third party apps and their associated data do not get backed up. I am using the demo version of BackupBuddy now (30 day trial) and it works very nicely. Too bad I didn't start using it before I had a hard crash and lost everything a few weeks ago. After my trial period expires I am going to try a couple of free utilities that are supposed to let you back up whatever data/apps you want and see if they will suffice for me.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 114

When an application is developed, it has the option to set or not set a backup bit. If the bit is set, then the application and its data will be backuped by the default conduit of HotSync. If not, then no backup.

So if you can set the backup bit for every application and database, then you can achieve the same goal of BackupBuddy. A freeware called BackupAll does this. Some other programs, such as ZCatlog and PCompress, allow you to set/reset the backup bit for each single database.

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 15

As a newbie who loves his Green VDX, I think this is a thread worth keeping near the top. I know how helpful I found it and I want to bring back to the top for users like myself.
The first thing I added to my Visor was Avantgo. I can't say enough about it. What a great service!
That alone is reason to keep this discussion going

Registered: Nov 1999
Location:
Posts: 37

Why on earth would anybody buy the Backup Buddy when you can get the backup module from Handspring for the same price. The Backup Buddy doesn't fit in the Springboard slot, so it takes up extra space, and WHY ON EARTH buy a Visor if you are not going to use its capabilities. I cannot believe anyone would even think of purchasing the Backup Buddy when you can get a better integrated product from the makers of the Visor for the same price. I am not hitting on the Backup Buddy, but it just isn't smart when you have the Visor with a Springboard slot. That's all I have to say.

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 434

Why BackupBuddy?

Allows one to work with potentially flakey apps, and still continue to backup. IOW, I can continue with my normal routine while testing software, and not worry about losing my work. I can selectively delete a problem app from the backup directory, and it won't return on syncing following a hard reset. It didn't look like you could do this with the backup module, but please correct me if I'm wrong.

Also, for the ultra paranoid (or developers), you can journal your backups, and restore your Visor to a previous state of your choice.

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Wichita, KS
Posts: 29

BackupBuddy is great. What happens if someone STEALS your Visor? What if your Visor is damaged or lost? BB ensures that your data is perfectly copied on your desktop/laptop, and one little sync restores it all. It's worth the price.

Registered: Feb 2000
Location: vancouver, bc, canada
Posts: 22

Which device should i get?
I am going to purchase my first Palm OS device (or Windows CE). I am confused on which device i should get. I have done some research... But what device should i get? A trg pro, palm, or VIsor deluxe. Trg pro and visor have the "expansion" feature, but the palm has color, or i could get the V x. Trg pro is more expensive than the visor, but the visor doesn't have flash memory so you can't change the OS However, if you upgrade your O.S., you might have a messed up Visor because it won't detect the springboard (i think). Or, i could always get a (dreaded) Windows CE device. I'm confused. Which device would u get?

------------------
Newbie

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 434

If you haven't done so already, read this site's FAQ and that of Handspring. I guessing that you haven't done so because some of your questions are answered in those docuemnts. As to the rest of your post . . .

Re: Trg pro and visor have the "expansion"

TRG's expansion options were never intended to compete with those of the Visor. The TRG-Pro is not a consumer device. So it won't garner the range of plug-ins that the Visor will. This is not saying that it is not a fine product, but it is a better fit for corps looking to standardize due to very special needs. Understand that Springboard modules are still largely vapor, but most of us aren't worried . . . yet. If things are still on the vaporous side come June/July, then I'll start to worry!

Re: palm has color

Unless you need an application that demands color, why stress? After looking at the list of applications that support color on the IIIc, I don't see anything close to something that I want - - never mind anything that I need! In any event, mainstream applications are years away from abandoning mono/gray-scale users. I'm satisfied with the legibility of my Visor, but the concensus of the reviews that I've seen is that the IIIc is easier on the eyes. Is the difference worth the extra $200? If so, is it worth the limited expansion options of the Palm III series?

Re: Vx

Not even in the ballpark for me. Way over priced; and I prefer the flexibility of using alkalines or rechagables. If you buy designer clothes, then there is a certain symmetry that would favor the Vx. For the rest of us a Visor or IIIxe are clearly the better value.

Re: i could always get a (dreaded) Windows CE

Did we even want to go here? Do you really need the reasons to avoid CE?

BTW, here are some other threads you might want to check - -
http://discussion.visorcentral.com/...TML/001383.html
http://discussion.visorcentral.com/...TML/001244.html
http://discussion.visorcentral.com/...TML/000307.html
http://discussion.visorcentral.com/...TML/001249.html

If you want to respond, why not start a new thread? I think we're moving off the original topic of this thread. In any event, good luck!

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Baltimore MD, USA
Posts: 717

quote:

---

Originally posted by yucca:
Understand that Springboard modules are still largely vapor, but most of us aren't worried . . . yet. If things are still on the vaporous side come June/July, then I'll start to worry!

---

Not to be pendantic or anything, but I thought that the term "vaporware" only applied to items that had missed their release dates.
I hate it when Palm pundits vent their "sour grapes" on the Visor by screaming that all the Springboards are vaporware.
Not that it happens here at VisorCentral, but there is no need to encourage those poor misguided Palm users.

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

Re: Ploobers' "Why on earth would anybody buy the Backup Buddy when you can get the backup module from Handspring for the same price. The Backup Buddy doesn't fit in the Springboard slot, so it takes up extra space, "- BackupBuddy is a software solution (has minimal impact on the Visors internal 8MB of memory), the Backup module is a hardware/software solution. I bought the module when I got my first Visor and backed my Visor up at least once a day, keeping the module on my keychain when I wasn't actually backing up my Visor. When I lost my Visor I was able to reinstall all my pertinant data onto my second Visor when it came in. Since I also synched (sic) my Visor everday with my laptop, I was able to keep my contact info and calender current while I waited for my second Visor to arrive. If anyone wnats to get a deeper understanding of the pros and cons of both back up methods, there are some excellent threads in this sites archives. I prefer the module 'cause it's a no brainer, but I read some great reasons for using one of the software utilties. Newbis should do what I did (this was my first PDA) and read ALL the old posts on whatever subject they have questions on. This particular post is a good starting point, but there is no way for all the details that I've seen posted elsewhere on the site to be posted here.
PS get a couple of opinions from a couple of sources- even I spout bullsh*t once in a blue moon. If you take bad advice, that's your fault, not someone elses!
Michael Walters
"The Lottery is a tax on people who are bad at math"

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 434

Actually vaporware refers to any product that only exists as a press release. However, general use extends the definition to product that only exists as trade show demos; and the least restrictive use would include all announced, but non-shipping product.

In any event, I think the Visor user community could be forgiven for considering virtually all the third-party Handspring Modules (HSMs) as vaporware by your definition. If you'll harken back to the product announcements of last summer and fall, many included a Q1 release date. Another common phrase was "early 2000", but some even mentioned January 2000. We now know that none of them are going to meet these expectations. For example, we're told that we shouldn't expect Innogear's HSMs until "summer".

The current situation with third-party HSMs is not what many Visor owners expected, especially those who made their purchases in 1999. Yes. This is only one of many factors that a person deciding between a Visor and a Palm branded device should consider. As I stated in my previous message, I don't think this is a good enough reason to opt out on a Visor; but neither is it a situation that a potential buyer can completely ignore as "sour grapes".

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 14

I know that I will purchase a Visor (my first PDA) within the next 2-3 weeks. However, what I can't decide is whether to go for the 2mb or 8mb models.

I plan to use the Visor for all of it's basic features (e.g., scheduling, contact lists, To Do lists, etc.), and have no real concept of exactly what else I might eventually do with it. I anticipate that responses to this posting will favour the Deluxe 8mb model for that very reason, but cost is a factor for me.

How quickly have 2mb users run out of space on their Visors?

Is it worth the hassle (and expense) of supplementing the 2mb Visor with the 8mb Flash memory, or simply better to start with the 8mb on-board memory?

Your comments would be helpful.

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 21

I bought the 2mb model, and I'm edging it close between 100k-500k. I use all the stuff that comes with the Visor, primarily the Datebook, To Do List, and Address Book. (I think this is called the PIM), and I also have DiddleBug (to scribble), AvantGo (which is why my memory varies, since the size can differ depending on day. It's a offline news browsing app), 3 games, Pocket Money (keep balance of checkbook and credit card), Hackmaster, four.zero for keep track of grades, etc..

Oh yeah, I do have a new version of Datebook3 loaded on it, so if it wasn't for that, i'd probably have 1 meg - 500k free.

But it all depends what you intend to do. I find 2 mb suffcient, but if you plan to load lots of books and stuff (those take lots of space), consider getting a 8mb model. Also, if you get a 8mb memory expansion (the 8mb springboard module), you can't put any volatile programs on it, meaning, programs that change their data often, like Datebook but books and stuff would be fine.

You're right, most people will probably advocate the 8mb model (because of the price you pay for it), but I personally find 2mb sufficient

--Jonathan

[This message has been edited by JonathanL (edited 03-03-2000).]

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 251

I'd go for the 8MB module. I currently use 2.5MB on mine. If you plan on using Avantgo or carry any electronic documents, eventually, you will probably run out of space with 2MB. Even if it takes you a year to run out of space, I think its worth the extra just to no worry about what you can put on it.

Having 8MB vs the 1MB on my previous Palm allows me to put every scrap on info that I find in the Visor (technical notes and documentation for my companies products and on 3rd party applications, snippets from mail notes and web sites, etc. Plus I have my entire customer base and much of my company address book imported).