Handspring Visor PDA

Chiro75

Chiro75

Joined
Feb 4, 1999
Messages
5,786
I love mine. Just got it a few days ago and productivity is through the roof! I bought the 2MB model figuring that big-memory Springboard modules were on the way, so I figured it would fit my budget better and make more sense for the time being. You can find lots of reviews and stuff all over the net, but mine is great.

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I have a PalmV that I carry everywhere with me. In many ways it is underutilized, but it is worth it to have all my addresses with me and backed up on my Mac.

I like the fact that the Visors have USB, as the serial connection on my Mac is awfully busy (3-way switch) and to hook the Palm Cradle to my Powerbook would be an extra $60 for a serial to USB adapter.



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Clay Fleischer
clay_fleischer@yahoo.com
AKTI Member A000847
 
Originally posted by Chiro75:
I love mine. Just got it a few days ago and productivity is through the roof! I bought the 2MB model figuring that big-memory Springboard modules were on the way, so I figured it would fit my budget better and make more sense for the time being. You can find lots of reviews and stuff all over the net, but mine is great.
Click to expand...


Hi Chiro,

Personally I would have went for the Palm 3Xe because it has flash ROM memory and the HS does not(meaning more space for stuff), the HS you bought has 2mb of RAM and the Xe has 8. The modules you speak of for the HS can only store information but cannot be utilized to run programs (but this is meaningless if you never run any other programs except the ones installed when you got it). In any case congrats! Hope your productivity continues to rise.
 
Huh? Only store information? The Springboards are plug-and-play. They usually have software installed on them or install software on the Visor to run the springboard. I don't understand how the wireless modem, GPS, MP3 player, and radio receiver Springboards *only* store information. I haven't seen any hardware accessories that use the compact flash, memory stick, or any other "flash memory" device recepticle on a handheld or otherwise.

The Palm 3xe isn't really a fair comparison. It has 8 Megs of memory versus the Visor's 2 Megs, costs $250 to the Visor's $170 (no Mac Pac needed for mac users), and Palm makes a Palm 3e that is the same price point as the Visor. Handspring's Visor Deluxe makes a closer comparison to the Palm 3xe. It's true that the Visor (and Visor Deluxe) have no flash ROM, but neither does the 3e. The benefit of having flash ROM is for OS upgrades. However, most applications do not require the latest OS. Besides, it's more likely that the unit itself will be obsolete by the time that you'll want to upgrade the OS.

Color units will be the norm in the near future, and there are a number of competing expansion technologies. TRG Pro uses Flash, Handspring uses the Springboard, Sony will be using the Memory Stick, and Palm announced that it will be using Secure Digital (SD) for expansion capabilities. The Palm 3c is out, and other companies will produce color units, but the 160x160 pixel screen does not support images as well as the Pocket PC handhelds.

The Palm 5x is very desirable, but the price point is high, and the functionality is not significantly greater then the Palm 3xe, unless a built-in rechargable battery is a must. I like the 2 AAA's because I can change batteries in the field.

As a Visor Deluxe owner, I'm a little defensive about misrepresentation of the expansion slots. If you don't need them, don't get a Visor. Palm makes perfectly good units. I happen to believe that the bus-style Springboard will fit my usage better than a Palm, even one with an expansion slot.

And as a PDA user, I'm concerned that the simplicity of the Palm will be lost in the incresing complexity of the units themselves. Do you really want to access the internet on a 160x160 pixel screen? IMO, if you want to perform complex tasks, view large images, and perform lots of data entry in a portable device, get a laptop. I love my Visor, but I don't want it to control every appliance I own.

Here are some websites for more info:
www.the-gadgeteer.com www.visorcentral.com www.pdabuzz.com

[This message has been edited by gadgetman (edited 07-19-2000).]
 
Gadgetman: I agree completely regarding simplicity getting lost. I feel my V is underutilized but it still makes my life much simpler.

I had a Palm Pro I got back in 97 for $150. I used the hell out of it. I wanted to upgrade, but it was still pretty expensive. So I sold it for $75 and then got the PalmV for $203 from Mobshop.com (formerly Accompany.com). So it was worth the $125 to upgrade, IMHO. But the Vx is a different story. I have yet to find it truly discounted.

This one will become my finace's whenever I decide to get another. Colour isn't a big deal for me, maybe when it gets cheap and well-utilized enough. I doubt it will be the biggest and best, though, as any high end stuff I will use my Powerbook for.

My 2 cents...




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Clay Fleischer
clay_fleischer@yahoo.com
AKTI Member A000847
 
Originally posted by gadgetman:
Huh? Only store information? The Springboards are plug-and-play. They usually have software installed on them or install software on the Visor to run the springboard. I don't understand how the wireless modem, GPS, MP3 player, and radio receiver Springboards *only* store information. I haven't seen any hardware accessories that use the compact flash, memory stick, or any other "flash memory" device recepticle on a handheld or otherwise.
Click to expand...

Reply: My understanding is that memory expansion modules are not able to run something like epocrates, something not hard coded to the module, it can store files for software already running. I think part of the fun of a PDA is to run software that might make your life easier or more productive.


As a Visor Deluxe owner, I'm a little defensive about misrepresentation of the expansion slots. If you don't need them, don't get a Visor. Palm makes perfectly good units. I happen to believe that the bus-style Springboard will fit my usage better than a Palm, even one with an expansion slot.
[/QUOTE]

Reply: It is clear you are a little defensive but I welcome discussion. I considered the Handspring as well and was attracted to the unit because of the USB port. In any case perhaps I misunderstood the function of the 8mb flash ROM module. Can you run an application from that module? If you ACTUALLY have that module please test that question for me. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

 
paranoid9999:

I had a feeling that the two paragraphs you quoted were too emotionally charged.

Your original post:
"The modules you speak of for the HS can only store information but cannot be utilized to run programs (but this is meaningless if you never run any other programs except the ones installed when you got it)."

I don't actually have the 8Mb flash module (nor will I buy one), but my discussion was about springboard modules in general with an emphasis on non-memory expansion accessories. After re-reading your post, I'm afraid that I misunderstood your statement to apply to all Springboards and not just the Memory expansion one (or ones in the future). I find that application size is sufficiently small so that I don't want to externally expand the memory of the device. The only application that I would want the option of extra memory is for an MP3 player or a GPS, and that should be supplied on the accessory module itself.

If you want to find out about the capabilities of the 8Mb flash module, perhaps one of the Visor-related discussion groups could be of help. I'm inclined to believe that you can run apps off the memory modules, only because you'd have to have some huge data files to fill up 8Mb (or 16, 32, or 64 Mb on the TRG pro). However, not having tried them, I'm engaging in educated speculation.

I have to admit, if I didn't think it was too much trouble, I'd have multiple PDA's. A Palm 5x and one of the new Sony's would be nice. Oh, and a Compaq iPaq too just for kicks.
 
Originally posted by gadgetman:
paranoid9999:

I had a feeling that the two paragraphs you quoted were too emotionally charged.

Your original post:
"The modules you speak of for the HS can only store information but cannot be utilized to run programs (but this is meaningless if you never run any other programs except the ones installed when you got it)."

I don't actually have the 8Mb flash module (nor will I buy one), but my discussion was about springboard modules in general with an emphasis on non-memory expansion accessories. After re-reading your post, I'm afraid that I misunderstood your statement to apply to all Springboards and not just the Memory expansion one (or ones in the future). I find that application size is sufficiently small so that I don't want to externally expand the memory of the device. The only application that I would want the option of extra memory is for an MP3 player or a GPS, and that should be supplied on the accessory module itself.

If you want to find out about the capabilities of the 8Mb flash module, perhaps one of the Visor-related discussion groups could be of help. I'm inclined to believe that you can run apps off the memory modules, only because you'd have to have some huge data files to fill up 8Mb (or 16, 32, or 64 Mb on the TRG pro). However, not having tried them, I'm engaging in educated speculation.

I have to admit, if I didn't think it was too much trouble, I'd have multiple PDA's. A Palm 5x and one of the new Sony's would be nice. Oh, and a Compaq iPaq too just for kicks.
Click to expand...

My understanding is that you can copy and delete whole applications, however you cannot run applications from the 8 mb module. You were concerned about misrepresentation of the HS modules however, I believe I have a better lunderstanding of the module's capabilities because I haunted the PDA boards months before the release of the handspring. Unless the problems with Palm OS ver 3.5 are resolved (memory leak), the CF cards or handspring modules, which is moot because the handspring does not have a user upgradable OS (must be returned to handspring for new card with new OS).
 
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