Handspring Visor Edge (Metallic Silver) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought my Edge through the Handspring Website because they weren't available any where else at the time. I've been happy with it, even thought the first one crashed, and they had to send me a new one. They sent the replacement next day air and I haven't had a single problem since. I bought the Edge instead of the Handspring Platinum because the Edge was quite a bit thinner and had an internal rechargeable battery so I didn't have to spend a fortune on AAA batteries. The Palm V is the closest relative to the Edge in the Palm family, but I thought that Handspring had a better product with their Springboard module. I've already purchased the one step back up module which works great when you're away from your computer. In addition, I purchased the InnoPak/2V vibrator along with a Handspring belt type carrying case so that I can wear my Edge and have it vibrate for appointments. I figure that if it's on my belt I'll get that much more utility out of it. The only thing that I don't like about the Edge is that it's a new enough model that I'm not able to get all the accessories for it yet like the Targus foldable keyboard and the travel charger/synch cable.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Handspring Visor Edge (Metallic Silver)

The Handspring Visor Edge is a thin, lightweight Palm OS organizer thatcombines cutting-edge design with all the expansion capabilities you've come toexpect in a Visor handheld. It's all metal--from the stylus to the protectiveflip cover--and features a rechargeable battery that charges in the included USBdocking cradle.
In addition to such standard Palm OS applications as an address book, to-dolist, and memo pad, Handspring adds extra features such as an enhanced datebook,advanced calculator, and a world clock. Plus, the Visor Edge has new usabilityfeatures like Fast Lookup, silent alarms, wireless synchronization, addressduplication, improved security, and enhanced navigation. And since it uses thePalm OS, you can download thousands of Palm-compatible applications and beaminformation to other Palm users.
Using its unique detachable Springboard expansion slot, you can add a widevariety of Springboard modules whenever you want--from digital cameras and MP3players to wireless modems and modem connectors to cellular phones.
With a fast USB connection, synchronizing the Visor Edge handheld to your PC orMac is simple and faster than a normal serial connection. (An optional serialcradle also is available.) HotSync technology ensures all your data is backed upto your desktop PC.
The Handspring Visor Edge comes with a metal stylus, metal flip cover, USBrecharging cradle, AC power adapter, and detachable Springboard expansion slot.It also includes Palm Desktop software (for Windows and Macintosh) and a link toMicrosoft Outlook (Windows only).
Important note to customers: Your Visor comes with a free USB cradle, but notall computers and operating system are USB compatible. If your computer usesWindows 95 or NT or Mac OS 8.0 or below, or if your computer is not equippedwith USB ports, you'll need to purchase a serial recharging cradle tosynchronize your computer with your new Visor. What's in the box
Visor Edge
USB HotSync cradle
8 MB RAM
Internal rechargeable lithium ion batteries
Matching metal flip cover
Weighted metal stylus
AC power adapter
Detachable Springboard expansion slot
Palm Desktop software

Click here for more information about Handspring Visor Edge (Metallic Silver)

Read More...

PalmOne m505 Color Handheld Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Much has been written about the poor display on the m505. As the owner of a Cassiopeia E-125, and a former owner of both a Palm IIIc and the Handspring Visor Prism, I think I can help make sense of it all. For ease of reference, here they are in the order of brightness of the display:
1. Visor Prism -- Absolutely the brightest Palm display out there, including the new Clie n710 and 610 models from Sony. It's active-matrix back-lit display is bright and text is very readable. The expandable modules are a great idea, but I never took advantage of any of them. My only complaint about the Prism is that is was just too darn big and heavy. It's a bit boxy, and just felt like a weight when carried in a shirt pocket. In sum, awesome screen, but mediocre form factor still makes this a winner.
2. E-125 -- If you're in the market for a PocketPC, I think this is the way to go. The screen is gorgeous, and Microsoft's clear type font technology is really something. The display has more colors, and is larger than Palm displays, allowing you to really spend some quality time reading books or playing games. The new Windows Media Player 7.1 is also a vast improvement over former versions, and transferring audio files to the unit is a snap. Sound quality is very good, too. I personally prefer the Palm OS -- from running apps to hot-syncing, it's so much simpler and faster. Plus, the PocketPC platform is not nearly as stable in my experience. Programs tend to crash far too frequently, usually taking the entire OS down with it. It's also very easy to have too many apps running at once (not all of them have File/Exit menus), leading to a crash when you run out of memory. Finally, although the units do a whole lot more than the Palms, they are also much bigger -- no fun at all to carry in a pocket.
In short, if you are really intrigued by the PocketPC -- hey, different strokes. But if you're a Palm user and happy with the platform, there really isn't a reason to switch, unless multimedia is essential ....
3. Palm IIIc -- not as many out there as there used to be, but still worth a look if you can find one. Zippy and attractive, this unit is relatively bright and clear, but not nearly as bright as the Prism. One thing the IIIc and the Prism have that the m505 does not is a brightness control (hold down the power button and the brightness meter appears, giving you control over whether to save power or let it shine). But it comes standard with a serial cradle (ugh!) meaning you'll have to pay extra for a USB cradle, and it's a bit boxy and has a plastic feel to it for my taste. The model has also been discontinued, raising questions about investing in old Palm technology.
4. Palm m505 -- First, I must address the rumors that units manufactured outside the U.S. (i.e., in Hungary) are not as bright as the U.S. models. I've seen both U.S. and Hungary models, and there is no difference in the brightness of the display. Check out the m505 FAQs at Palm's web site, where they address this by stating that the rumors are false, and that identical components are used regardless of where manufactured.
Next, it's true, this display is the worst of the four units discussed here. But if you consider this model as an m500 (the monochrome version) with color, you won't be disappointed. Side by side, the m505 is much easier to read from all different angles than is the m500. And the color really does enhance the user experience, especially when the unit comes with a terrific app like MGI's mobile photo suite. Who wants to see digital pix on a grey-scale Palm? For the extra $... that Palm charges for a color display, it's just a no-brainer. Color is worth it! I also found that after a few days using this model, my eyes adjusted to the screen, and it was a pleasure to use. Still, Palm might have found a better balance between power conservation and the birghtness on this display -- they erred on the side of conservation, which, based on the reviews right here on Amazon, wasn't the way to go to satisfy most users.
Notwithstanding the slightly disappointing screen, the m505 is my choice for daily use. For one, it ships with v.4 of the Palm OS and Desktop for Windows, as well as numerous other bonus apps (Palm Reader, AOL for Palm, and Documents to Go v. 3, to name a few). It also comes standard with a USB cradle, and is both PC and Mac compatible (as are Visors, but not PocketPCs or the Sony Clie, which are PC only).
The m505 also offers the SDD/MMC slot for memory and software cards, and neat innovation that works like a charm (my m505 came with the GamesPack card).
Finally, the m505 carries on the legendary form factor of the V/Vx models, which ultimately makes this the best PDA for me. Even with the optional Palm slim leather m505 case, the entire thing fits in my shirt pocket with room to spare. It's tiny and attractive, and every button has wonderful, snappy tactile response. The thing just feels great in your hand, and the craftsmanship really shows.
The bottom line -- you've really got to go out to a retailer and compare these babies side by side. This model won't be for everyone, especially folks who want to read novels or write lengthy documents directly on their Palm device. For everyday contact and schedule info, and occasional reading and writing, the m505 is a definite winner in my book. A slightly brighter screen would make it perfect and worthy of 5 stars!

Click Here to see more reviews about: PalmOne m505 Color Handheld

Welcome to the world of possibilities. The expandable, Internet-capable Palm m505 handheld can be easily customized to grow along with your needs. An innovative expansion slot makes it simple to increase memory, back up data, and add new applications without sacrificing memory space. Use the Palm Universal Connector to add a portable keyboard, camera, or wireless modem. And 65,000-color support displays your information in vibrant color on a high-contrast screen.With an elegant design based on the award-winning Palm V handheld, the Palm m505 handheld packs a lot of power into its compact package. It includes new mobile connectivity software that lets you access the Internet and send e-mail through a modem or data-enabled cell phone. And bundled productivity and business software helps you keep important information at your fingertips when you're on the go.

Click here for more information about PalmOne m505 Color Handheld

Read More...

Handspring Visor Deluxe (Ice) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)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 thirty dollars.
-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 fifteen dolars
-And another important nice thing about Visor is, you have 4 cool colors to choose from (5 colors if you include 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 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.
P.S. DO NOT get a PDA with less then 8MB memory, must have AT LEAST 8MB

Click Here to see more reviews about: Handspring Visor Deluxe (Ice)

The Handspring Visor Deluxe is the first expandable handheld computer that lets you instantly turn an organizer into a digital camera, music player, or even a phone. It comes with 8 MB of RAM, so you have more than enough room to store all your data, plus a myriad of other programs and information. Plus, it features the amazing Springboard expansion slot, so you can snap in a wide range of hardware and software modules and turn your Visor into whatever you want it to be. Moreover, it is plug-and-play so there are no drivers to load. Just snap in a module and it works! It even comes in five great colors - ice, graphite, blue, orange, and green - so you are sure to find one that suits your style, personality, or mood.

Click here for more information about Handspring Visor Deluxe (Ice)

Read More...

Handspring Visor Deluxe (Graphite) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)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!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Handspring Visor Deluxe (Graphite)

The Handspring Visor Deluxe is the first expandable handheld computer that lets you instantly turn an organizer into a digital camera, music player, or even a phone. It comes with 8 MB of RAM, so you have more than enough room to store all your data, plus a myriad of other programs and information. Plus, it features the amazing Springboard expansion slot, so you can snap in a wide range of hardware and software modules and turn your Visor into whatever you want it to be. Moreover, it is plug-and-play so there are no drivers to load. Just snap in a module and it works! It even comes in five great colors - ice, graphite, blue, orange, and green - so you are sure to find one that suits your style, personality, or mood.

Click here for more information about Handspring Visor Deluxe (Graphite)

Read More...