Rating: 
Summary: follow-up to my "problem with writing graffiti" review
Review: (see my previous review Feb 18): Customer service at Handspring is exemplary. As promised, I received a replacement Visor Platinum immediately via FedEx and an easy-to-use pre-paid return package. Graffiti writing on my new Visor Platinum was perfect. I was happy. A week or so later, I had occasion to use the backlight feature in a dark car. It was not very intense & viewing was difficult. To be sure it wasn't me, I compared it in a dark room with my Palm IIIe & sure enough it was much dimmer. Somewhat hesitantly I called customer service again. After I explained my comparison test they, again, offered to send me an immediate replacement. They did. The backlight feature is now fine on the new one. Since I had 2 faulty Visors, I can't fairly assign 5 stars but I'm almost tempted to solely because Handspring's customer support is absolutely incredible! Never, in the technology or computer hardware arena, have I encountered such pleasant, timely, no-questions-asked support of a product as Handspring has shown. They were so good I hardly even minded the minor inconveniences of waiting for the replacements. And, each time, one quick HotSync reloaded all my software. I'm sold on Handspring and I love the added features of my Visor Platinum. Finally, I did buy a package of screen protectors (as per a previous reviewer's suggestion) and discovered an added plus - when I put one of them on my old, somewhat scarred Palm IIIe screen it actually made a noticeable improvement in viewing and in writing graffiti.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, wonderful device except for...
Review: ...occasionally bits of memory mysteriously disappears. For example, of my daily mileage tabs for the past six months, November's mileage records have inexplicably vanished, though this month's (December 02) mileage records are intact. This happened to me a while back with September's mileage records, but they inexplicably reappeared a few weeks later! I'm hoping the same will happen to the missing November records... This is my first PDA, so have no idea if this is just a fact of life with all PDAs or what. Other than that this PDA is more than enough for my needs, no need to blow $300-500 for some fancy schmancy full-color 400 MHz (same as an old Pentium II desktop!) HP or Sony running Pocket Windows, which is actually not as easy to use as Palm OS.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, wonderful device except for...
Review: ...occasionally bits of memory mysteriously disappears. For example, of my daily mileage tabs for the past six months, November's mileage records have inexplicably vanished, though this month's (December 02) mileage records are intact. This happened to me a while back with September's mileage records, but they inexplicably reappeared a few weeks later! I'm hoping the same will happen to the missing November records... This is my first PDA, so have no idea if this is just a fact of life with all PDAs or what. Other than that this PDA is more than enough for my needs, no need to blow $300-500 for some fancy schmancy full-color 400 MHz (same as an old Pentium II desktop!) HP or Sony running Pocket Windows, which is actually not as easy to use as Palm OS.
Rating:
Summary: No disappointment here
Review: After much debate, I opted for the Handspring over the newest Sony Clie. I chose the Platinum over the Deluxe mainly because of the newer OS (3.5 vs 3.1) and the 16 shades of gray vs 4. That stated, I have been overjoyed with my Handspring. It's larger than the Clie and this provides more area for reading and writing. I was attracted to the Clie's use of memory disks but later discovered, with Handspring modules, I can upgrade using SmartMedia (which does not lock me into a proprietary medium like with Sony). My co-workers have the Visor Deluxe and we can tell a bit of speed difference between the two, but both appear fast enough regardless. The only reason I gave the Platinum four vs five stars is the backlighting. You really need to be in a dark space for it to work well. Compared with the Palm's whose backlighting works well in low light, the Handspring becomes unreadible in low light with the backlight engaged...For the ease and comfort, you won't be disappointed....
Rating: 
Summary: More of the same, faster, bad plastic shell.
Review: As an upgrade to the Visor Deluxe it is obviously the same thing but faster. Noticeably faster than any other Palm device out there, but not really amazing. You will probably only see a big difference in computationally-intensive applications, or those with large databases, like Kanji Hanabi. The speed is the best thing about this product. The worst thing about this product is the platinum case. Instead of the translucent plastic of the Deluxe model it is a painted gray plastic, and when that paint wears off (and it will) this thing is going to look like a cheap toy that's ready for the trash. The battery compartment cover doesn't fit properly - it rattles. I expect more in a... device. The clip-on cover is still a problem. Whereas the Palm III series cover flips back on a hinge, leaving a hand free for the stylus, the Handspring cover comes off. You can turn the unit over and clip it on the back, or put it down somewhere, but you have to do something with it before you can write. A clumsy design. The big thing with Visor is of course Springboard modules. I can forgive the cover for the ability to plug in GPS, Modem, MP3, software, extra memory or even a digital camera or a phone. Palm has nothing to rival this, and now a year after launch some really useful Springboards are appearing, although some are ridiculously priced -... for a 64M MP3 module! Apart from that... the device is very light (I was surprised to open the shipping container and find it inside, it felt far too light to contain a Visor) and includes batteries, cradle, software CD, brief guide and a few product pamphlets. The feel of the screen is not as smooth or pleasant as that of my Palm IIIe but I expect it will get better with use. The included software installed and performed a hotsync on my Windows 2000 USB/Office 2000 system without a single problem. USB hotsync is FAST. Unfortunately Handspring politely declined to help when I asked if I could get a set of translucent plastic for my Platinum. It would be best to see one of these before buying, or be prepared to return it if unhappy. It REALLY feels cheap and nasty. This will be an excellent travelling email/authoring package with the Targus folding keyboard, RhinoSkin Ti slider case and CardAccess Thinmodem - unless I decide Ihate this plastic so much that I return it for a Visor Deluxe instead.
Rating: 
Summary: Indispensible!
Review: Ever since the Palm PDAs came out, I'd been thinking about getting one, but kept putting it off because it wasn't all that high on my priority list. I always thought they'd be a nifty gadget to have, but I could always do without one. Then I got one for Christmas and only a few weeks later I was wondering how I ever got along without one. Aside from offloading the basic organizer information from my brain to the PDA (having to remember appointments, phone numbers, things to do), I've found some incredibly useful accessories and programs that help me with my work and personal life. At work it's pretty much replaced the old laptop I used to carry around when I test equipment, and I'm even working on ways to use it for data collection in my testing. This thing is wonderful, and the expandability just can't be beat by anything else out there.
Rating:
Summary: Indispensible!
Review: Ever since the Palm PDAs came out, I'd been thinking about getting one, but kept putting it off because it wasn't all that high on my priority list. I always thought they'd be a nifty gadget to have, but I could always do without one. Then I got one for Christmas and only a few weeks later I was wondering how I ever got along without one. Aside from offloading the basic organizer information from my brain to the PDA (having to remember appointments, phone numbers, things to do), I've found some incredibly useful accessories and programs that help me with my work and personal life. At work it's pretty much replaced the old laptop I used to carry around when I test equipment, and I'm even working on ways to use it for data collection in my testing. This thing is wonderful, and the expandability just can't be beat by anything else out there.
Rating:
Summary: Incredibly useful device
Review: Handspring has combined the best features of the WinCE devices with the ease of use of Palm OS in the Visor Platinum. Don't be swayed by huge amounts of RAM and fast processors in Compaq's, HPs, and Casios - Windows CE is inefficient, so you should really look at overall responsiveness. The Visor Platinum has a 33 Mhz processor, which is faster than the standard 25 Mhz found in older Palms. All applications are extremely fast, and 8 megs is more than enough to store dozens of 3rd party applications. Don't be fooled by those with Windows CE palmtops that say they need 32 or 64 megs to get anything done. This is a handheld, designed for reading contact/calender info, reading/writing e-mails, playing a few games. No, it won't play your mp3s or dazzle your friends with full-motion video. However, other devices are better suited to this purpose. A separate mp3 device is cheaper and usually more durable than a (...) handheld. Fortunately, you can even have your mp3s with the springboard modules, but these are overly expensive. Instead of being caught up in features and fast processors, consider something that should influence you a great deal - battery life. I use NiMH rechargable batteries, and I get about 2 weeks use from them, including heavy-duty reading. This easily beats almost every Windows CE device. In addition, the Visor's are lighter and smaller than many other handhelds, making them extremely portable. If you plan to use your device as a tool, and not a toy, go with the Handspring Visor Platinum or one of the newer Visors. If you like color, they offer the Prism. They also offer a smaller Edge version. Through the springboard slot you can get useful devices like GPS, backup, extra storage, smartmedia/CF converters, phone, mp3 player, etc. Many are expensive but since the base cost of the Visor is so inexpensive it may easily beat the price of the Windows CE devices.
Rating: 
Summary: Screen stinks
Review: i am very dissappointed with the visor platinum because after only owning it for 2 weeks, i dropped it and the screen cracked and now it doesn't work. I don't think the screen should be that fragile. Also, the warranty that comes with the platinum does not cover screen fixes, so i have to shell out $100 dollars to get it fixed. I'm so mad!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: The platinum is GOLD
Review: I bought this after much hesitation that I would "never need a PDA." Well, with the included software, sync-cradle and it's onboard memory, I couldn't live without it. From addresses to 3rd party software, it's my constant companion.
By sync-ing it with my work PC, I have all my emails, spreadsheets,[microsoft and word]documents in one convenient place.
I am also sold on AvantGo, a online site that downloads at sync all the things you ask it to: weather, sports, financials, etc.
Batteries are a [reasonabley priced] but it must know that because it uses them fairly frequently- but not like my GPS. It warns you, but listen to the warning- if you wait too long, your data's gone....until the next sync.
Very efficient on memory but you can always buy more-never had to.
Recommend if you want a black and white, no-frills, fast and convenient PDA that you can customize until the cows come home.
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