Rating: 
Summary: Cool and highly expandable
Review: I must have debated between the Palm and the Handspring for about two weeks. But after reading alot of reviews and articles on the internet about the two I would have to say that the Visor Deluxe is the winner.The Visor Deluxe is very comparable to the Palm Pilot IIIxe in more than one way (Price is the same, almost the same functions, same OS, etc...) but what did it for me is that you can have the functions of Palm Pilot VII with the Visor Deluxe. You know what I am talking about, internet and communication. Why? How? This is because Visor & Visor Deluxe comes with an expansion slot. Which makes it thicker but expandability is infinite. Right now there is in the works several cool cards you can buy including a GPS and a MP3 player. Cool huh? Buy this and you won't have to shell out $400 or more for a Palm. What about software you ask? Well the guys who created Palm in their garage are the ones who are currently running Handspring and they have licensed the OS from Palm.. So What Palm can do so can your Visor! Palm Compatibility, Expandability and Cool Colors, what more do you want. If you want the slimness of the Palm V and hope to be nerdy enough to put it in your pockets then maybe this isn't it for you but if you want functionality, get a Visor Deluxe! And save some cash!
Rating:
Summary: The Best PIM
Review: Talk about the best Palm that Palm didnt make! I love this thing, especially the expandability which puts it over the top of the Palm devices. I can't wait for more springboard modules to debut, which only could make it better! Handspring has a slam dunk with this!
Rating: 
Summary: very good
Review: This is an excellent product that is both aesthetically pleasing but also functional. It has an excellent, crystal clear screen. Pros: Good screen, USB port, pretty (not as professional as the Palm V, or as compact for that matter), lots of space Cons: Limited number of cases/accessories avaliable (yet), Certain programs will make this unit crash, bulkier than palm 5, "Date Book +" is absolutely useless because you can not back it up w/ palm desktop. World Time is nice, however, it is possible to get the same program for free.
Rating: 
Summary: PalmOS vs PocketPC
Review: I have owned and operated both a Handspring Visor Deluxe and a Compaq Aero 1550 PocketPC. If you're interested only in rave reviews about the Visor, skip this one. The PalmPilot gained wide popularity early on because of its functionality and compact size. The Handspring Visor came out as a replicate of the Palm III with the added expansion interface. The Palm V then offered a slimmer package for a comparable price and is now the best option for a PalmOS system. However, in the past year several Pocket PCs - Cassio Cassiopeia, HP Jornada, Compaq Aero and iPAQ - have come out that are comparable in size to the Palms and Visors. And at the lower cost end, the Compaq Aero 1550 offers a slim package and B/W display with the full features of the Pocket PC for the price of the Visor Deluxe or Palm V. Sorry to say it, but the reign of the PalmPilot is over. The PocketPCs run Microsoft Windows CE, a scaled back version of the full OS. While the number of applications out there for the PocketPC is small, they are growing rapidly. And it's very easy for a developer to convert MS code to the PocketPC platform. That's about the only drawback of the PocketPC. The upside is far greater. All PocketPCs come with a voice recorder, a headphone jack for MP3 or audiobook files, and a Compact Flash port to add RAM, modem, or interface with other devices. They also have Pocket versions of MS Office and MS Outlook applications. You can actually view your email attachments on thet PocketPC rather just just know they exist, as on the PalmOS. And you have 16-32MB RAM standard, rather than the 2-8MB of the Palms and Visors. Some Palm users prefer the simple interface style. PocketPCs can emulate the Palm interface for those who prefer familiarity over functionality. PocketPC also have much improved displays over the Palm devices. They have 16-bit color (>65,000) compared to the 16-color Palms or 16 grayscale levels compared to the 2 (black or white) of the Palms. They have better resolution and integrated multi-media functionality. You can actually watch movies on a PocketPC! Check them out before buying a Palm or Visor device. You won't regret it. The Compaq Aero 1550 is ideal for lower-cost ($280) and smaller size monochrome display, the Compaq iPAQ is the latested and greatest high-performer color device ($...). However, some Cassiopeias and Jornadas are marked down to $... since the release of the iPAQ.
Rating: 
Summary: Weigh Palm OS options before buying
Review: I'm a committed Palm OS user. Having used (and owned) the Palm Pro, Palm III, Palm IIIC, Palm Vx, m100 and the Visor Deluxe, my pick is the Palm Vx. The Handspring is bulkier, the weight is not balanced, and the screen has a goofy feel. I do appreciate the USB connection, but that's not a compelling enough reason for me to use the Visor daily. The Palm III form factor (includes the VII) bothers me personally, again - too heavy, too big, and the sensitivity of the keys and screen are not on par with the V form. For the money, the m100 is the way to go. Handspring has done a great job of making PDAs open to the general public, rather than just geeks like me, but they have to work on their form factor & deliver the promise of Springboard modules if they are to succeed. Consumers beware: the OS on Handspring units is just enough different from Palm devices that you may run into problems. Note the OS version 3.XXH; that H can get you into application troubles if the software manufacturer didn't beta test on the Handspring units. If you become a "power user" and use stuff like avantgo.com and vindigo.com (both GREAT apps, highly recommended!), you'll find that 8M isn't enough, regardless of which Palm OS device you buy. Happy shopping, and have fun with your new device!
Rating:
Summary: Way Too Fragile; Disappointing
Review: I purchased the visor deluxe and found it to be a handy tool until one day it dropped lightly on a carpeted floor within its case. This happened about one week after the purchase. The LCD screen shattered rendering it useless. I contacted the company and they warrant all parts EXCEPT the LCD screen for one year. I own many electronic products, which do not break when dropped lightly on the ground. It is for this reason that I cannot recommend the Visor. They need to make a more durable product at the prices they are charging.
Rating:
Summary: Great buy...
Review: I've had my Visor Deluxe for only two weeks, and It's already a vital part of how I keep my life organized. The graffiti writing was very easy to learn, there are only a few of the symbols that I am still trying to memorize. I tend to switch between graffiti writing and the keyboard, depending on how much writing. The HotSync does not work well when doing it between two visors. Sometimes it gets frozen when using two visor that are not compatible. For the Sync to work well, one should have both machines with the same amount of memory. The palm software was easy to load on to my Mac, and hotsyncing the information between Visor and Mac is a breeze.
Rating:
Summary: This one is ready for the future!
Review: I have quite some experience with the use of mobile phones and PDAs. For example, until recently, I had an Ericsson MC16 (based onWindows CE). In practice, I actually did not use much more of it than the agenda, although I could use it for word processing, spreadsheets, web browsing and so forth. I just noticed I didn't need those functionalities that much and if I wanted them, the user friendliness and performance were below my needs. As such, it was too big, cumbersome and slow for me. Last summer I bought a Palm V for my wife. She really enjoys it and I got to see all the benefits of the Palm-concept. For example, it's so small you just always have it with you. That means killing time waiting somewhere for something can become much more fun and productive: you can continue playing a game or do something more business oriented like reading some notes before a meeting. When I thought it was time for me to get me a new device, I found out about the Handspring Visor. I also considered the new PocketPC devices like the HP Jornada and the Casio Cassiopeia. First of all, these devices are a lot bigger. Second, they are more expensive. Third, they have a lot of features (color, video, audio) but before you buy such a device, you don't know whether or not you'll actually use it as an MP3 player, for example. So you end up with a device that has too much functionality that you didn't want after all (but did pay for). Plus, if you wanted the device to have new features later on, you would probably only have the option to buy the newer version of it and thus shorten the economic lifetime of the device to perhaps just a year. The great benefit of the Visor is that you have this all under control. A lot of springboard modules are or will be available. If you are an early adapter, you'll buy yourself the MP3 player, the GPS system, or a camera. If you are not so sure, you will just wait and see how people around you actually use it before you purchase a springboard module. I myself am interested in really mobile Internet, so not just off-line web browsing when I am on the move (like with avantgo). Therefore, I already downloaded and tested three WAP browsers on my visor. I get online using the IR port to my mobile phone. Today, this is still a bit cumbersome: I cannot walk around doing this (the devices have to keep in line all the time). But soon there will be Bluetooth enabled mobile phones, so if I buy the Bluetooth springboard module I can browse the web leaving my mobile in my pocket, suitcase or on the table. The Visor gives me this opportunity, which none of the other PDAs in the market can. So even though most springboard modules are not yet available, I do not have to worry getting rid of my PDA for a long time. So, besides the fact that the device is a lot cheaper than most other PDAs, I predict it will also last longer. Summarizing my review... Plus: * Looks cool * Good performance * A lot of memory * Better standard calculator than Palm * Buttons can be redefined to any program * The versatility using springboard modules * The nice minimalistic plastic cover can be put on the back side when using the Visor. It gives good protection and does not get lost. Minus: * Batteries do not recharge and drain quite fast * Thicker and heavier than the Palm V * Does not have all necessary software on board to start making use of IR with other devices...
Rating:
Summary: my first..
Review: since this is the first time for me to own a pda, i was quite excited to open it up and try it out. here are my observations: color: i chose the ice color as i wanted it to be in a different color compared to my mobile phone. however, this color makes it look like its made of soft plastic. for other colors, this would confuse the visor for a game boy. feel: I was expecting the visor to be a lot bigger and was quite surprised that it fit in the palm of my hand. it seems to be a little heavy to put in your shirt pocket but it fits perfectly in the front pants pocket. durability: the visor does not have the sturdiness look of a mobile phone or an electronic organizer(especially if you were to get one of the colored ones) i got to test its breakage accidentally as i got out of the car, the visor fell from my pocket and hit the pavement. the cover separated from the pda. when i looked it over, there where no obvious damages. pretty sturdy, it seems. features: stylus: my friend who owns a palm pilot tried it out and he says the stylus has a better feel on the screen. cradle: unfortunately, my pc does not have a usb slot to be able to use the cradle. It indicated in the manual that if i required a serial cradle, it didn't come with it and i could just purchase it at handspring.com . i would have expected at least a choice on which to buy especially since the manufacturers assume your pc comes with a usb slot. i thus now have no way of testing the cradle and loading other programs. this seems to be the downside of the cradle connection and leaves me with 2 choices. either buy another cradle or bring my pc and have a usb slot attached. features: it has a lot more programs than an organizer. what impressed me was the memo pad as i have a tendency to take down notes and ideas when i am reading but i misplace my notes frequently. the visor gives you three choices on how to write. the first is the grafitti which took me a while to master. the letters and the numbers were explained how to do but the other characters such as punctuation were not. the 2nd was the punching in of characters using an onboard screen keyboard. the last was a separate keyboard. i also like the address book feature where you can segregate contacts according to personal, business, etc. theres a to do list, calculator, datebook(two of them, wonder why) expense list, etc. all in all a complete package. my only complaint seem to be the registration of my time zone. the only asian countries on the list are japan and hongkong which i find kind of silly since they should have at least either put all the countries or put in a function that allows you to type in your home base. my friend had a palm pilot IIIe(the colored one) and we were zapping each other using the infrared functionality. i was amazed that i am able to send info also to a mobile phone and vice versa. all in all, it is a must have gadget.
Rating:
Summary: Addendum to battery life
Review: Great product but beware, the batterys drain fast with hot syncing and you can experience problems with it if the batterys are low. When my Visor hit mid-point battery I started having Hot Sync problems, nothing major that a few tries wouldn't fix but it does exist. That's not enough to keep me from loving it though. If you have problems just try aligning it more and giving it a few tries. The minute I put fresh batteries in the unit stopped having problems.
| 
