[smic]

i am going to be purchasing my first pda
my friend just got a newton 130 and im lookin into a palm device
so i was wondering which would be nicer/cooler
the palm IIIxe
or the handspring visor deluxe

im partial to the visor since i can get it to match my imac
but so far thats the biggest difference between the 2 that i can see, and the visor is bigger
and has the springboard

can't find any good points about the palm
anyone want to stick up for them, or do they just suck

suggestions?

[TimmyDee51]

I guess this isn't an answer to your question, but how about a Newton? I realize that the form factor might be a little bit of an issue, but I can assure you that the benefits far outweigh it. I have a Newton 2100 and it's awesome!!! The screen size is great, speed amazing (162 MHz), HWR unparalleled, and people are still developing for it. Check around -- you can find a 2000 with case and keyboard for as low as $300. That compares favorably with a sort-of-comparable Visor or Palm.

[scaught]

you may want to go with the newton, ive heard alot of people say theyd die without their newton. if you think you want the palm or visor heres my opinion.

1. palm is going to be releasing some new devices very soon (within the next 2 months i think), so you may want to hold off this decision for a while.
2. if you were looking between the visor deluxe and the palm IIIxe, i would recommend the visor because it has springboard modules which are pretty cool for backing up data, you can turn your visor into a phone, etc. i personally own a palm iii, and would have bought a visor if they were around when i bought my palm. the visor and the palm are basically exactly the same. same screen. runs the same programs. about the same price. the visor has the springboard modules though, so even if you dont think you want to use them, at least you have the option should you get the inclination one day. one thing that the palm has (i think the iiixe model has it) is flash rom, which is the (for the most part) user untouchable part of the memory where the OS is. on a visor you cant update the OS, on the palm you can. so thats one thing the palm has going for it over the visor.

scott

[gacuna]

Now, The question someone might ask themselves as when to buy or which PDA to buy. If you are looking for value, and expandability and easy use with Mac go for the Handspring visor, the expansion slot on the back of the Visors cause for expandibility to many things, like cell phone, gps, mp3player, etc.

Now, go for the palm if you want a better crafted peice of hardware go for the palm the palm is much more beatiful but has no expandability, They are both good products but the Palm you have to stick out other 30 bucks for the serial USB adapter.

I myself would buy a handspring, it is a palm but with expandability and lower pricing.

Hope this helps.

--Guillermo

[smic]

well that all helps
its all the same things i knew before
i just thought maybe someone with a palm could tell me some 'awsome' advantage over the visor besides the size

maybe ill hold off for a couple of months to see, ive only sen the newton 130 and its super cool, cooler then my old powerbook 160
but its a little big for me, if i could check out a 2100 i may change my mind
the newtons are damn cool, they should come out with it again

ohwell

thanks for the opinions

[TimmyDee51]

Wow! If you think the 130 is cool, wait until you check out the 2100. It'll know your socks off. The HWR is almost instantaneous and everything opens and runs hella fast. It handles email and web browsing with ease (especially text web browsing). I started out with a 130, then went to a 2000 and now a 2100 (upgraded 2000 to be exact) and I was impressed with each evolution. You definitely need to check out the 2100. Where do you live (I'm sure there's a Newton users group in your area)?

[smic]

im in vancouver

[Kong Kok Ooi]

How about TRGPro? I've friends using TRGPro and they told me that it is just a palm III with expansion slots.Anyone know about it? How about a comparison between TRGPro and the Handspring Visor?

[scaught]

ya. the TRG is a palm iii with 8 megs of memory onboard, but it has a compact flash expansion slot, into which you can plug something like the IBM 1 gig microdrive and carry with you every damned programs available on the palm os platform (ya, i said 1 gig). so you got that going for you. the visor has those fun (yet proprietary as all get down) springboard modules you can use with it (including ones to increase memory). so i guess if you thought you needed a palm device with a gig of memory, go for the trg. if those springboards appeal to you, go with the visor. id wait till i see what palm has up their sleeves before making and decisions.

Handspring-Visor -Prism...top of the whole "Palm" line. Though pricy at $450., the thing has 8MB RAM,
Active Matrix screen w/65000 colors, (my Wallstreet is jealous) and just way more than one could need.
Especially with all the add-on toys available. What impressed me most is, the apps available for PRISM only!
Being the only model with the massive abilities, some apps (like Zap 2016), are freakin awsome on this
thing...

Sure, I'd wait the 2 months to see what Palm will catch up with. But I doubt they will have the expansion
of Handspring models. After all, these guys invented the original Palm in the first place! How can you
beat them?

(true, Motorola made a better Mac than Apple, but that's a rare 'nother story...)

[scaught]

sure the visor expansion is cool, but its proprietary as all get down. and all the cool ones that people were waiting for, like the 6-pack, have been cancelled. it was launched with great promise of lots of cool modules, but where are they? sure the phone came out, and theres some memory things, but it hasnt been "all that". the expansion palm is planning on using (SD) is going to be embraced by lots of companies, ehh. we'll have to wait and see about that though.

scott

[cpatubo]

Expansion on a Visor really does leave a lot of doors wide open, regardless on if you are considering expanding or not at the time you purchase it.

I thought it was very intuitive of Handspring to think ahead -- the expansion slot, the microphone built in, etc. More and more modules being developed just brings the user endless possibilities. I own a 8MB memory module (love the FileMover app that's included!) and an EyeModule. Hoping to keep expanding too.

I love my Visor Platinum... I used to own an original Graphite Visor as well (and before that, the old-school 3Com Palm Pilot). I didn't see a need to get the Prism... as beautiful the color may be. I don't see enough apps supporting the Prism, and it's a big price to pay just to see things in color. I'd rather have speed over color anyday.

[nigeljedi]

Gotta go with the Handspring Visor on this one. I really love the sleek style of the Palm V, but it's just not immediately Mac friendly. You have to purchase an extra cable to sync it. Nowadays, the line between the Palm and Visor is really hazy. More technology is appearing daily for both. But to have a product with an acceptable price tag ($179), immediate Mac compatibility and a relatively small size signature, I have to stay with my Visor.
Haven't seen those Newtons, though....

[suprz]

i was thinking of buying my first pda also, and i'm in the same state. i like the handspring visor but the lowest model only has 2mb of memory and per a call to tech support for visor the only extra memory available is a "flash" memory card. i've seen on palms website refurbished palm iiixe for 179.00$ with 8 mb of memory. i just dont know what to do...

------------------
" I think,
therefore....IMAC

[euro]

Ultimately, it'll depend on what you intend to use it for. I have been agonizing over the "what should my first PDA be" question for some time now and I finally wound up ordering a Palm m100. It's inexpensive and in the end it will do what I REALLY need it to do - it'll keep my address book and it'll syncronize and keep my calendar. Sure it would be slick to have the extra memory, just in case. Sure it would be slick to have the expansion options, just in case. But hey, it also would be slick to have a titanium powerbook and I'm not going to have that either (sigh!)....

[suprz]

i have to say, after reading all th einfo on both the visor and the palm, i would have to go with the visor. deluxe. i like the fact that it is so mac friendly. (not to mention the colors)

------------------
" I think,
therefore....IMAC

[Uncertain]

Okay, I'll throw in my $0.02.

I just got a used Visor Deluxe for $175 and love it! Although I do love the styling of the Palm Vx, I couldn't justify the cost plus the cost of the Mac USB adapter.

If the cost doesn't bother you, go with either one, but just make sure it has 8MB of RAM! I almost made the mistake of getting a standard Visor, until a friend of mine talked me into getting the Deluxe. I'm glad he did...after adding Vindigo, AvantGo, Coo!a, 100 some addresses and bunch of little apps, I've already taken up 2MB of RAM!

[Quadzmodo]

Visor Deluxe is the way to go, wish I would have gotten mine for 175.00. I paid 250, but it's worth every cent.

[malson]

I'm going to go against the grain here. I have a Palm Vx. I've owned it for almost 3 months now. I honestly have no idea how I lived without it. It keeps all of my contact information, my appointments, and other such stuff. Now, replying to what others have said. Most people like the Visor because of the Handspring module. Now, maybe I am a boring person but I don't think I would ever want my Palm to be a cellphone, a mp3 player, a camera, etc. I have 8 meg of memory built into my Palm Vx and have loaded up on applications, games, contacts, addresses, etc and have only used 3 meg. Maybe flash storage would be a good thing. I just don't see any immediate use for it. All of the apps being produced for PalmOS are relatively small. Even AvantGo, a web service that downloads pages for offline viewing, doesn't use more than a meg of memory. Hey, the Visors are nice. They look like mini-iMacs with their colors. If you like that, go for it. I know that for me the Palm Vx works perfectly. Plus, it's form factor gives it sex appeal

[dvd]

If you get a Palm IIIxe then it would be around 200 bucks now and if u buy the usb pack with itm, the cost would be the same as a visor deluxe. I would go for a palm with i am soon since you can upgrade it, its like buying an iMac =] if you get a visor, you dont get to upgrade the OS and how about if avant2go or some other important app changes to a newer version of Palm OS?

[mikithecrackhead]

I have a visor deluxe and I love it. Handspring is founded by the creaters of the Palm, and they came from Apple. So that's saying something. Handspring is much more Mac freindly than the Palm. My " Visor deluxe" ( blue to match my ibook and imac.) came with the USB cradle and the software no extra charge. I believe the Palms come with a serial cradle. If you do not have a newer imac you have to shell out an additional amount of dough to buy the software.
Go Visor, Go Visor Go....

[dvd]

and when u want to upgrade the OS in visor you'll be stuck...its not that expensive for the usb kit...it will match the price so who cares..and if u worry about the speeds then ..damn dont sit here online reading posts.

upgrade PalmOS for visor? NO VISOR NO VISOR

[smic]

thanks for all the info
that last post was a good point i could use the palm on my old mac and imac, so that could be useful

thanks again
ill post to tell you what i finally decide on

[Uncertain]

Honestly, I don't think upgradable OS argument is that big of a deal. When you think about it, these aren't Windows or Mac OS devices...they aren't that complex. Handspring does patch the OS when it's necessary, you just can't do major upgrades.

The way I see it, these devices only have a 1 or 2 year life span...by the time you need a new OS, you'll probably need a new device.

I also doubt major software developers are going to support only Palm OS 3.5 anytime soon...Visors account for over 40% of the Palm OS market, cutting them out would just be stupid.

[SupahCoolX]

I made this purchase decision a few months ago, and went with the Handspring Visor. Here are the things I used in my decision:
First, the nonissues: Price, unit size and weight, and screens are pretty much equal, so don't worry about those. The Visor's nonupgradeable OS is, in my opinion, no big deal because the new upgrades usually are just to support new hardware (like color screens and such). Plus, Visor's OS can be updated via Springboard modules.
Palm benefits: Nice flip cover (blows away the Visor's snap on cover). Lots of accessories and such. Printed manuals (the Visor's manual is in PDF format on the CD, to be read on your computer).
Visor benefits: Springboard slot to add memory, MP3 player, etc. USB and Mac compatibility out of the box. I also like the buttons on the unit better (they feel pretty solid, and won't be pressed accidentally).
So, there you go. I personally feel that a better upgrade path (through Springboard) and the USB compatibility (saving you from buying a $40 adaptor from Palm) make the Visor a better choice. Good luck!

[alboreto]

I fully agree, how on earth did I manage before I got my Handspring Visor Deluxe. And I must admit that I'm grateful for buying the Visor because of it's expansion slot. I have tweaked my Visor to the max, and all 16Mb are almost full. Yes, I use it both professionally and for enjoyment. Yeah, it's neat to download all my Excel-data, wordfiles etc. It's nice being able to view e-mail with the phone. And it's cool being able to read Neuromancer as an e-book.

The point is, you can never have to much memory....

Think I have to buy me some more now....
Cheers Al

------------------

[dvd]

Hmm good points there with the non upgrading apps. I'm in this freaken delemia hahaha...grrr.. But then seriously dont say u can upgrade the visor with mp3 players and such devices..who is gonna spend 160 or so for a mp3 player they put on their visor when they can just buy a better sttand alone..and if you out there.. email me and hook me up =]. I might go for a Visor though soon, i'm only 16 but i need to manage with high tech note taking, IE: write hw down. since i wont. also i need to manage my money and stuff since i work (cashier at target bayyybee) anyways, i'll problay snatch one on ebay. YO REMEMBER TO POST WHAT DID YOU BUY. anyone out there who bought the visor and palm?

[proux]

Well how about the Sony Cile.
It now has mac drivers, looks narrower than a Palm V but a bit thicker,
and has the jog dial, 8mb memory and upgradable OS,
just for $300.

[dvd]

JUST for 300 =] ..i'd go with a visor plat then rather than sony.. most of myposts are from this thread. keep it up. =]

[malson]

One more issue that hasn't been discussed so far is the battery issue. The Handspring eats batteries and batteries cost money. My Palm Vx, on the other hand, recharges itself each and every time I set it in its cradle. About 5 to 10 minutes and I have a fully charged Palm. From friends I've learned that batteries typically last 6 to 8 weeks in a Handspring. That's with pretty typical use of 1 hour/day. So, rechargable or battery hog? Your choice...

handspring, handspring, handspring!!!

[Uncertain]

Battery hog? 6 to 8 weeks is a battery hog? Give me a break. On the Handspring's side, what are you going to do when your battery's low and you don't have your cradle? I can just go to 7-11 and I'm ready to go. If I do run out of juice, I had a backup on my Backup SpringBoard.

Visor 2 Palm 0

With Handspring's current $50 rebate deal, the Deluxe is a steal (pick it up at Staples for an extra $40 off - $159 total).

[ussfolsom]

Palm just introduced the m105, talk about lame! The Visor Dlx is going to blow this thing out of the water now that it has a $50 rebate. They are the same price (w/ rebate), both lack flash ROM, same amount of memory, but the m105 has a smaller screen and is just plain ugly IMHO. With the Visor you get your choice of color, Mac compatibility out of the box and endless expansion. There are quite a lot of SpringBoards out there now too.

Battery usage:
Doesn't a Palm III "hog" batteries just as much as a Visor?

OT: Anyone have any juicy pictures of the new Visor "Edge"? It's supposed to be HS's answer to the PalmV (or the yet to be released 505).

[dvd]

visor edge? how do u get these info? is the edge going to be same price as deluxe..about the price or higher?

[mikithecrackhead]

visor edge

[ussfolsom]

Also check out: http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_Story.asp?ID=1699

It is supposed to be announced Monday, so check www.handspring.com then for the official specs.