Customer Reviews

Handspring Visor Deluxe (Graphite)

5 star:		(81)
4 star:		(45)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

I've owned a graphite Visor deluxe for three months now -- it may very well be the most incredible piece of electronics I've ever owned, and that's saying a lot!

The 8MB of RAM is a gracious plenty. I've loaded mine up pretty heavily, with several e-books, a few AvantGo channels, a class manager for all of my undergrad courses, lots of appointments and contacts, and of course some games! Still, I have over 5MB free!

The Palm OS is far superior to Windows CE, and the Handspring version (OS 3.1H) has been tweaked by the wizards at Handspring. The Visor is over 50% faster than the Palm III, and 20% faster than the quickest Palm, the Vx.

On HotSync speed, the Visor again beats the Palm. The USB cradle HotSyncs *very* quickly.

And, you can't beat the price! For $250, you get more RAM, faster processing, and quicker syncing than the Palm! Plus, you get the expandability of the Springboard slot. Although there aren't a lot of modules out right now, there are quite a few in development. (Personally, I only have the 8MB backup module, which is great -- I'm eagerly waiting for the InnoGear SixPak.)

My only complaint was that my Visor Deluxe came with a plastic stylus that was way too chintzy to use, and I purchased an upgraded metal stylus, which is great. Now, however, I hear that all Visors are shipping with metal styli. I guess sometimes the early birds don't always get the worms -- or the good styli.

I also recommend that all Visor owners use a screen protector -- WriteRights are available at CompUSA, or you can make your own out of clear laminate. The screens do scratch fairly easily, and the protectors are so cheap and easy to install, it's well worth it. Plus, I find the plastic laminate easier to write on than the bare Visor screen -- feels more like paper.

All in all, the Visors are wonderful -- buy one right now! You won't be sorry!

I got my Visor Deluxe last month and I love it.

If you are considering buying a Visor Deluxe, I'm sure you are deciding between this Visor and PalmIIIxe, because they have similar feature, spac, and they both have the same price.

AT the same time I bought my Visor, my roommate bought a PalmIIIxe (and he also loves his Palm very much). So i'll give you the differences between these 2 PDAs, and let you decide which one you like better.

I'll start with How Visor is better.

-Visor has expansion module, which means alot, you can add many many feature afterward, you can make your Visor am MP3 player too! And you can also easily add more memory to your Visor, while for PalmIIIxe, you can only add 2MB flashcard.

-Visor is a bit lighter than PalmIIIxe (5.4oz Vs 6.0 Oz, not a lot of difference though)

-When you buy a leather case for your Visor, you dont have to stick a valcro to the back of your PDA like you have to for Palm. (Palm need a Valcro to hold it to the case, while for Visor, there's a plastic holder attach to the back of the leather case, so you can jsut put your Visor securely in there)

-Visor comes with a fast USB cradle while Palm comes with slow serial cradle, so if you buy palm and want a fast synconizing, you'll need to buy a USB cradle separatly for about ($).

-Visor comes with a good quiality stylus, it has solid feel of metal, and if you open it up, there's a little screw driver and a reset pin inside. Palm comes with a piece of plactic stylus, my roomate had to buy a new stylus for about ($)

-And another important nice thing about Visor is, you have 4 cool colors to choose from (5 colors if you include this boring graphite color) If you are getting Visor as a gift to a college students or someone young, they'll love the colors.

Ok, now to what's better about PalmIIIxe

-PalmOS on Palm is upgradable, while Visor user will stuck with PalmOS version 3.1 for the rest of the VIsor's life. However, this is not a problem as it may sounds. most version of PalmOS's are essentially the same thing.

-PalmIIIxe has better display than Visor. Palm has 4bits display, while Visor deluxe has only 2bits. This means that, for Palm, u'll be able to display 16 level of grey-scale, while for Visor, you can only display 4 levels of grey-scale.

So, that's about it for the little comparison chart I made. Other tings about these 2 PDAss are the same, they use same processor, and dimension is the same. (Visor is slightly thicker, and Palm is slightly wider)

As a recommendation if you r going to buy Visor Deluxe, get one of the cool color, don't get this graphite one, unless you are a businessman, and want a more sophiticate looking device. Otherwise, other 4 colors are way cooler, (mine's orange)

If you have more cash to burn, then I recommend you getting either PalmVx or Visor Platinum, they are a little bit more expensive. However, I've never used them so I will not write any comments about them.

I hope this review I wrote id helpful

P.S. DO NOT get a PDA with less then 8MB memory, must have AT LEAST 8MB

Recently, I've been thinking about getting something to help me keep track of all the names, telephone numbers, email addresses of all of my personal and business contacts. I also needed something to help me keep track of important dates and events. (Basically, I needed something to organize my life.) When I took a quick look at the market, I realized that there are many many available choices. In fact, there were so many that I was initially confused by all the options.

I ended up asking my friends for advice and here's what they told me (not verbatim): Palm Pilots ROCK! Don't even think about buying one of those pocket PCs because they eat up batteries like crazy.

After that helpful discussion, I decided to get a Palm Vx. It looked pretty and had enough memory for anything I wanted to do. So, I drifted over to Amazon.com and started adding a Palm Vx to my shopping cart when I noticed that there was an alternative to Palm Pilots.

Handspring. They're made by the people who developed Palm Pilots and they're based on the Palm III series. The reason why I stopped myself from buying the Palm Vx and took the time to look at Handspring was because of the rave reviews they've been getting.

In short, the Handspring Visor Deluxe is faster and has the same amount of memory as a Palm Vx (8 MB). It is also about $150 cheaper. In comparison to a Palm V, the Handspring Visor Deluxe is faster and has 4 times more memory for the same price. Since the Visor uses a tweaked version of the Palm OS, it is still compatible with all those programs you want on a Palm Pilot. What really changed my mind and moved me to buy the Visor Deluxe instead of a Palm Vx was the expansion port for Springboard modules.

What's a Springboard module? Well, they're these cool gadgets that you plug into the back of your Visor (similar to putting a Gameboy cartridge into a Gameboy). They barely increase the dimensions of a Visor at all (unlike the add-ons for Palm Pilots). I ended up buying the eyemodule Springboard module with my Visor Deluxe. IT IS SOOOO COOL! I can take pictures with my Visor (which is great for candids).

Anyway, the bottom line is, unless you're dying for the sleek look of a Palm Vx, get a Handspring. The Visor Deluxe is faster and has better options for a similarly priced Palm Pilot.

I have looked at every PDA on the market and the Handspring Visor Deluxe is the best value in a PDA out there. While you can get the regular Visor model with only 2 megs of RAM for about $170, the extra 6 megs is well worth the Visor Deluxe's higher purchase price of $250.

So reach down deep, scrape up the extra green stuff, and go for the big VD! (Visor Deluxe). You'll be glad you did. I can fit 100 different utilities and programs into that 8 megs of RAM and still have 1.2 megs of space left for data and other stuff. This is a lot of extra real estate and you'll appreciate having it down the road.

The other great thing about the Handsprings vis-a-vis the Palms is the Springboard slot. You might not need it now, but the capability to add another 8 megs of RAM is nice.

But the coolest thing for me is the 8-meg backup module. This device is non-volatile and can be used to backup your data to the module, almost like a hard disk. That way if you have to do a hard reset sometime, you can get all your programs and data back. (There is a gotcha here--just make sure you remember to copy over the module's backup program to the module itself.)

The module comes with software that allows you to manage all your files and programs. You can copy one file or everything at a time. Great for on the road or wherever.

A couple of reviewers here have commented that the Visors are 30% to 50% faster based on their benchmarking programs compared to the Palms. I haven't tried running these benchmarks myself, but I would say just looking at the screen refresh rate on a Palm Vx compared to the Visor Deluxe, you can see it is at least 25% faster.

Another thing about the screen, although it isn't a big difference, the Visor screens look a little brighter to me than the Palms. Considering that you're looking at blackish-green font characters on a pea-soup colored, greyish-green background on these little devices, every little bit of extra visibility helps.

I also like the parallel lines on the side of the case, which make it harder for the unit to slip out of your hand, compared to the Palms.

The Visor's ability to hot-sync via USB interface makes this process significantly faster than on the Palm devices. Another plus.

My only reservation about the Visors compared to the Palms is that the Palm OS resides in flash ROM, which means you can update it yourself. The Visor's is in ordinary ROM, so you are stuck with the current version. The Palms are shipping with Palm OS 3.5, the Visors with 3.1. Although OS 3.5 represents an advance over 3.1, this shouldn't be a big deal, as the older OS has a reputation for being more stable.

Whatever Visor model you decide to buy, you'll be happy you did. These PDA's actually make it fun to get organized. Try one and you'll see how good it feels knowing everything is in one place where you can find it, instead of in three different notebook-style organizers and 40 Sticky Notes on the walls of your office.

Also, the ability to search all the internal databases is a very powerful feature. How many times with your regular organizer (or worse, on notes scattered around your office) have you tried to find a particular memo or note but couldn't find it? The search feature eliminates this problem. And there are even more powerful search utilities than the native app that you can add on that will do more, such as accepting wild cards. The value of this feature relative to the normal binder/organizer cannot be overestimated.

At these fire-sale prices, the Visor Deluxe is a steal for folks who have missed out on the PDA revolution because of the cost.
It wasn't that long ago that this model was selling for twice the price, following the latest deep discounts.
Make no mistake, with a little patience, this is a device that will change your life. After a transition period, you will be able to toss away your Rolodexes (I used to have three) and your paper calendars.

First the two weak points (and the reason why this doesn't get 5 stars):
-- The Visor Deluxe has 2 AAA batteries instead of a rechargeable battery. You have to replace them every couple of weeks of medium to heavy usage, which can cost $20 a year.
-- The case is relatively bulky, although it will still fit in a shirt pocket.

Now, for the many advantages:

Unlike the bargain-basement Palms, the m100 and the m105, the Handspring Visor Deluxe, and all other Handspring products, have a FULL SIZE SCREEN. I returned my m105 (a gift) after a week of squinting.
I can't emphasize that enough. With a monochrome screen to begin with, and the built-in difficulty of pointing and clicking on a Palm device, size matters.

BTW, unless Handspring cuts the price of the Visor NEO, it is not worth the extra bucks just for a faster processor. All Handspring models also have an expansion slot for adding everything from memory to a cell phone to GPS. You will also need the Visor Deluxe's 8MB (the regular Visor and Palm m100 model only come with 2MB) if you want to run some of the cooler downloadable programs for your Palm. Three free programs that I use all the time are Mapopolis (free maps from mapopolis.com, streets are searchable), Vindigo (a restaurant and city guide with movie reviews and showtimes at vindigo.com), and Avantgo (a news service where you can get the likes of The New York Times, the Weather Channel and CNN on your Palm).

If you want to stay with Palm, but can spend a few dollars more, consider the Palm Vx. Although lacking in expansion slots, it comes in a super-slim package with a rechargeable lithium battery and a full-size screen.

I recently bought one for my wife and another for me. The Vx's downside is that it comes with a slow serial cradle instead of the Handspring's speedy USB.

I also have a friend who is very happy with his snazzy, expandable new m505, but in that price range I think a PocketPC might make more sense. Here's a basic product guide:
Palm m100/Handspring Visor -- Bargain basement models with 2 MB of Ram. Good starter models for the price.
Distinguishing characteristics: Visor has significantly larger screen, expansion slot and fast USB cradle. Palm has slower serial.
Palm m105/Visor Deluxe -- Workhorse models with 8 MB of Ram (plenty for monochrome models). Visor Deluxe has bigger screen/USB/expansion slot, and is, for now, cheaper.

Palm m125/Visor Platinum/Visor NEO/Sony Clie Monochrome -- Upper middle class models. Visor Platinum and NEO have larger screen. All have USB/expansion slot, although Sony's slot is only good for memory. NEO and Platinum are virtually identical. Sony has lithium rechargeable battery, others don't.
Palm Vx -- Classic, not significantly expandable. Smallest full-function PDA with lithium rechargeable battery. Still the standard.
Visor Prism -- Cheapest and brightest color Palm-branded OS, but bulky for its pricetag.
Visor Edge/Palm 500/505/Visor Pro/Color Sony's...consider buying a Pocket PC instead, unless prices drop substantially.

Good luck!

I was one of the initial customers of the Handspring Visor and I have NEVER regretted my decision. Since that time I have managed to sway almost all new PDA purchases towards Handspring (they owe me big time!).

I think that alone says something about this product.

A few of my thoughts from owning this device: 1. If you're a WinCE user, you'll be AMAZED w/ how much faster the palm OS is. I actually use it MUCH more often than I did my WinCE device.

2. It comes w/ software to sync w/ a desktop program (also included) called Palm Desktop. There are "conduits" that will help you sync w/ Outlook and many other PIMs - Lotus Notes, not included.

3. You might want to consider purchasing Intellisync - but first buy the device and see if you'll need it. Just keep that filed in the back of your mind that this $70 software might also be necessary. However, this is NOT a mark against Handspring - because if you find you need it - you would've needed it for any other PDA device - Palm or WinCE.

4. If you're buying it for the modules - take a look at what's available right now. There's LOTS in development, but I'm still waiting for something useful. I am happy just knowing that I won't outgrow this device anytime soon. Friends who bought the Palm V are already in trouble because that 2MB of ram ran out.

5. If you're new to Palm - the memory goes a LONG way. 2MB can actually be plenty - you just have to manage it more. I have the 8MB version and I'm just over 2MB - that's w/ a few ebooks, tons of www.avantgo.com web pages, tons of contacts, and even MORE shareware loaded up. I keep just dumping stuff on it to see if I like it, then I'm too lazy to delete it. That's what happens when you have too much memory.END

So you want to know how a Visor differs from a Palm? The short answer is not too much, but enough to make the Visor Deluxe a better purchase than the Palm IIIxe (3Com's competing unit). The major differentiators are the following: 1) The Visor's form factor is a touch more ergonomic, I feel. 2) The Visor comes preloaded (in ROM) with a niftier address book application. 3) The Visor's OS (although the same as the current Palm, I believe) is non-upgradable. 4) The Visor comes equiped with the "Springboard" expansion slot which allows for the addition of everything from modems to GPS units to MP3 players with little to no change in form factor (the Palm, on the other hand, generally expands via larger units that snap on the back and connect to the cradle contact). I've been incredibly satisfied with the performance and durability of my Visor having upgraded from an old Palm Personal. Either way you go, these handhelds are potentially the most useful thing you can spend $ on.

For those of you mullng over the question of what PDA to buy with your Christmas booty, let me try to break down some of the pros & cons of the Visor Deluxe and how it stacks up to the Palm. I own the Visor deluxe as well as a Palm X and have found both to have their own individual advantages and disadvantages. Overall, I've found the Visor to be a great tool on which to expand. It was my first PDA and I found it very easy to use. It's 8MB storage and module expandability put it lightyears ahead of the Palm platforms (my Palm X has only 2MB). With all the programs out there, many of which are free or demos, this makes it easy to play with new features or turn your PDA into an IR remote control, a mini game station, or with plug-in modules, an MP3 player or now even a cell phone. There are many accessories available to dress it up in leather or make it rugged enough for an industrial environment. You have the option of USB or serial connectivity for the price of a second cradle, where the Palm comes standard with serial only. It is very stable and reliable-- only third party software has caused me ANY problems-- and even manages to save data when my batteries run out. Which leads me to one of the real drawbacks to the Visor. You will go through AA batteries like oats go through a goose! While the device is in the cradle NO CHARGING TAKES PLACE. The PDA relies completely on battery power for hotsynch, and all operations on the cradle and off. The Visor is also not the sleekest of devices. If you want your PDA to travel with you in a shirt pocket you'll want to consider the Palm X due to its much thinner profile. One final drawback is the small icons on the Visor's function buttons. They wear off in little more than 3 months of regular use. By that time you will surely know what each round silver button does, but when you are paying over two bills for an electronic device, you don't expect that sort of defect. So if you're looking for a PDA that will grow with you, offers superior expandability, and is well engineered and you have stock in a major battery distributor, go with the Visor. But if you seek a slim organizer that provides the basic functions that a PDA was designed for, consider the Palm devices.

I've had intensive experience with both Palms and Visors at this point and the Handspring Visor Deluxe is still the best deal out there in a PDA. Among it's many advantages, it's at least 25% faster than a Palm Vx (which is the fastest Palm, 20% faster than the others), the screen is brighter and easier to read, the USB-port hot-sync capability is much faster, the Springboard slot to add extra memory (or other peripherals) is unique, and last but not least, the [price] for a unit with 8 megs of RAM can't be beat.

The only disadvantage to owning a Visor compared to the Palm that I've encountered is that Windows NT Workstation doesn't support USB ports, so you need to use serial Hot Sync if you have this instead of Windows 98.

Having one of these little devices has enabled me to get organized to a degree I wouldn't have thought possible before. It's like having a little extra memory storage area or "brain" with you, except that it can remember more and it never forgets.

Funny thing about these little devices, once I had all my personal and work-related info in it, my own memory and concentration improved, probably because my own aging neural circuitry didn't have to worry about remembering all this stuff anymore.

Although I've been using one intensively for about 4 months now, I still get new ideas on how to use it to save me time and effort.

Another great advantage to owning one is that is that you can use all those moments throughout the day that would otherwise be wasted. You'll never be bored standing in a check-out line or waiting in somebody's office, or wherever, again. I just whip out my Visor, read a book, take notes on a new project or work idea, play a game, or figure out more cool ways to use my Visor.

This is the best [money] I've ever spent, not to mention the coolest electronic device I've ever owned. Try one and you'll see why.

What an amazing little piece of technology this Visor Deluxe is. Of course, it works the same way a Palm does, but Handspring gives you more stuff for the same money as a Palm IIIxe.

Both machines have 8mb of memory (way too much if all you're using it for is a day planner; the 2mb version will be fine for non email users), and work exactly the same way. But the Visor has the expansion module, and while Palm makes do with a serial hotsync connection, Visor has a quicker USB port.

I also had occasion to try out Handspring's customer service the other day (apparently I loaded a bad app onto my Visor, which kept it from booting up), and I'm pleased to say it was fast, very courteous and effective.

The only thing I'd improve on is the thickness of the product, but then again, that's what makes room for the expansion module. And if you look at one of those ultra-thin Palm V's, you'll find they run off rechargable batteries...which means if you're taking it on a long trip, you'll have to bring the charger with you. With the Visor, the AAA batteries last about a month, and they're easy to pack along when you travel (if you think it'll go dead during the trip).

All in all, I'd heartily recommend the Visor to anyone who needs a little organization in his or her life. Now if only Handspring would make good on their promise to make more expansion-module apps...