Rating: 
Summary: My favorite PDA on the market
Review: I bought a Visor Prism roughly 6 months ago (my third PDA, and my second Palm)...and finally decided I ought to write something about it.First some general stuff...If you're looking at PDAs, you're basically first choosing between the Palm platform (which includes models by Palm, Handspring, Sony, and others), and Microsoft's "PocketPC" devices. I have quite a bit of experience with both platforms, and I think the Palms are vastly superior overall. They have a much better thought out interface which will be easy for anyone who's used a modern computer to get the hang of. They're incredibly stable and trouble free (PocketPC devices crash quite frequently...Palm users should never see a crash unless playing with a poorly written program). They have Grafiti-the best text entry system available right now (it's far from perfect, but it works, and works better than any of the alternatives). The Palm Desktop software is easy to setup and use (and every time you sync with your computer, everything on your Palm is backed up-even if it were completely erased you can just set it in it's cradle, push one button, and everything gets restored-or vice versa if you were connecting the Palm to a different computer). Surprisingly, Palm PDAs actually do a better job syncing with programs like Microsoft's Outlook (or Word, etc.). There's also far more software being written for the Palm OS, both commercial stuff and freeware/shareware. Then as a nice side bonus, the hardware...is often half the price (or less) of the Microsoft-branded devices. The Prism in particular is a great PDA. It uses what I'm pretty sure is the most powerful CPU in any of the current Palm handhelds. It's amazingly durable (I've accidentally dropped it from four feet up onto a hard surface several times...and it hasn't even scratched let alone suffered damage-granted, any PDA SHOULD be able to survive that, as you're using these things all over the place, but not all do). The screen is great under most lighting conditions. It's backlit the way a notebook computer is, so outdoors it can look washed out, but it's very bright and easy to see under any other lighting (the other color PDAs on the market are basically the reverse-easy to see in sunlight, but much dimmer indoors-I prefer the way the Prism does it). I've gone over a week without charging the battery before getting low power warnings, although assuming you sync it in its cradle every day, that won't be an issue anyway (it charges very quickly). It's personal preference, but I like the size and feel of the Prism (and all the Visors). They're roughly the same size as Palm's old 3 line, whereas Sony and Palm's new units are slightly smaller. Personally I think the tradeoffs to screen size and portability are met perfectly in the whole Visor line (and the old 3 line). That little bit of extra screen does make a difference (especially compared to Palm's budget m100 line). I have an easier time handling the Visors too...the other units are just slightly too small to be comfortable. Issues: The Prism still comes with "only" 8MB RAM. RAM goes far on the Palm platform (I've got Avantgo-an offline web browser, a dictionary, word processor, a bunch of handy utilities, and games installed with several MB left over). For most people it's adequate, but some of the newer Palm devices have 16MB now. Also, like all the Visors, the operating system isn't upgradeable (it is in most of Palm's units). That probably won't ever be an issue, as the newer versions of the OS are usually released just to take advantage of newer hardware...which the old PDAs won't have anyway. Last, the Visor doesn't come with a full-fledged word processor, you have to buy one extra for $[money] (some of the other Palm PDAs have one included). So if you're comparing the Prism to (for example) Palm's m515, remember that you'd actually have to add that $[money] to the Prism's price. (By the way, I'd recommend trying the demos for Wordsmith and Documents to Go-both work well and are actually more feature-rich than Microsoft's "PocketWord" on the PocketPC PDAs). If you like the Visor form factor, and you want a durable PDA with a bright, easy to read screen, the Visor Prism is a great choice. If you don't care about color, or don't want to spend as much, the Visor Neo is a great bargain. It's basically the same hardware with a monochrome screen...and it has the advantage of taking regular AAA batteries. (If you're comparing the Visor Neo to Palm's m105, remember that the Neo has a considerably bigger screen, a more powerful processor, and is roughly the same price).
Rating:
Summary: Nice PDA, now increase the resolution
Review: . If I had to buy a new PDA today, I'd probably go with this one. I love the color, but wish it was just a little sharper. The text is easy to ready, but the pixels are distracting. You should not even notice the pixels. That being said, I love PDA's. And Handspring is the new leader. There products are years ahead of the Palm PDA's. The Palm's are smaller and easier to slide into a front pocket in a pair of jeans, but I find the display more difficult to set properly. After play with my buddy's Prism for 10 minutes I was hooked. If I didn't already have a Palm, this is what I'd have. The Palm applications software is not as good--particularly the calculator. Handspring puts a better calculator in. I think this would be a nice unit to have with the camera. You would have a rechargable display-something the digital camera's don't have (of course it will run your batteries down pretty quick too). So I think it offers the most flexibility in a PDA you can find. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a higher resolution display. Handspring-give me photo realism! Check out the Handspring Web site for more info on the option cards that are available or coming up. GPS interface, Camera, extra memory for MPEG palying, multifunction cards, modems, network interface cards--tons of cool stuff. A handy booklet is included with this PDA that lists all these items that can go in the expansion slots, and pushes some of the software. If you are looking for software try tucows for lots of freeware and shareware. Conrad B. Senior
Rating:
Summary: I Miss my Visor Prism!!
Review: I replaced my Prism with a Palm M515 and I miss my Visor!! If I knew then how difficult it would be to replace I would have purchased several more, kept a nice inventory and and made a profit on the rest. Handspring made a VERY nice color PDA.....I hope PalmOne stays with it...
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Summary: Listen to me I know what I'm talking about, buy a handspring
Review: If you're looking for a pda, a Handspring is the way to go! A little history, one of the engineers who used to be at palm wanted to put a expansion slot and a faster processor in the palm but palm said NO! So he and his attorney started their own company called HANDSPRING! Now Palm is behind handspring in advancements and they're trying to catch up with their version of a handspring with an expansion slot coming soon. The prism is the best for several reasons: 1)3.5 PALM OS 2)16bit color screen(most palms have an 8-bit) 3)8mb memory 4)EXPANSION SLOT FOR - DIGITAL CAMERA, MP3 PLAYER, GPS, TOUCH SCREEN REMOTE CONTROL FOR YOU TV AND ETC., EXPANDABLE MEMORY, WIRELESS MODEM, TELEPHONE,AND GAME BOY GAMES. If anyone wants to e-mail any questions to me feel free. Oh, by the way, I SELL PALMS, HANDSPRINGS AND POCKET PC'S FOR A LIVING!
Rating: 
Summary: The Prism is it!!!!
Review: I love my Visor Prism. It is fast and beautiful. I bought an Visor Slipper from E&B Cases in order to carry it around with me. the battery lasts a long time before I have to recharge it. Pros: The screen and the speed. I read reviews that stated that color pics are grainy. but this is not true. If the pic is grainy on your PC monitor it will look the same on your Visor Prism even if the pic is 16 bit. The pics that I took with a Olympus Digital Camera look fantastic on the Prism's display screen using alblum to go. The springboard modules available gives this handheld a big edge over the PocketPC. Which is one of the reasons that I bought the Prism. The Palm OS has so many hundreds of programs available . Windows CE only gives you a stripped version of Pocket Word and Excel, Internet Explorer and an Ebook reader and MP3 player. I can get all that and more with the Handspring Prism. Cons: I wish the my Prism had a louder internal speaker, but I know there will be modules developed to deal with this. I would look forward to a portable TV springboard module.
Rating:
Summary: WHAT A GREAT TOOL FOR ORGANIZING A CHAOTIC MIND!
Review: Pros: Great color,easy sync, advanced calculator for converting length, weight or temperatures, plenty of memory Cons: Poor in sunlight, occasional "reset" crashes, no earphone for future use as an mp3 I used to have a Visor Deluxe and I loved that too- until I lost it in an airport! Believe me- people aren't that eager to return such a great tool (toy!). Since I just "had" to replace it, I decided to get a color Prism instead. Since I carry it in my purse in the case it came with, the size is just fine. Instead of using graphics input, I bought a software program called Silkyboard, which gives me a keyboard that doesn't cover the screen. Then I just type everything in quickly. The colors are great, and I've even got a photo album on it with pictures of the family. Everyone's amazed when they see this (free) program from Handspring. I've also downloaded some great free programs, because I believe that if you don't use the Visor (or even a Palm) to its maximum potential, you're really missing out! There are plenty of free color games that make this a fun toy as well, and it comes in handy while waiting on line for the Dr. or the train! Best of all, instead of all the little scraps of paper I used to carry around, I've learned to use the memo functions, the address book and the calendar. There are so many things you can do with a visor once you get the right programs. I keep track of my Quicken account on it and then transfer it through a hot-sync. right onto my PC, I've got a great Birthday reminder list, another program that keeps all the other "lists" that float around in my head, another program that keeps track of my regular shopping list plus plenty of other specific shopping lists - like "what books do I want to buy?" , "what do I need at the Hardware store?" "What things do I want to buy on my next visiting trip?", etc. That's only the beginning- There's so much more potential in this little gadget. I love it and would recommend it to everyone! The Bottom Line The built in's are very useful, and the availability of other free programs,+ others you can buy, make this an almost limitless machine! I'd be LOST without it!
Rating:
Summary: Best PDA on the market!
Review: Having owned several PDA's, I was a bit skeptical about the Visor, primarily due to the price. Was it worth the extra cash for the color? Answer is absolutely. First of all, don't even consider getting a non-Palm operating system. Windows CE is garbage, and their new OS has virtually no software. Palm OS has tons of free software, simple to download. The Visor is slim for a color screen, and holds a ton of info. with the 8mb. In addition, it is simple to sync with your computer, just press a button and it's done in about 20 seconds. Even a moron couldn't foul up this one. The Visor keeps me organized, has my entire Rolodex in it, etc. The one thing I would advise is to seriously consider getting a collapsable keyboard (Targus makes a nice one) which you can "dock" your Visor on and type away on a full-size keyboard. It's great for entering alot of info when you are away from a computer or your docking module. Anyhow, you can't go wrong with the Visor. Built by the folks who started the Palm company, this is a true improvement on Palm's products. And, with the ability to add products and attach more memory, this one is the best for future expansion. Who knows what the next product may be that Handspring decides to make available for the expansion port? The possibilities are endless. Buy it now, unless you can't afford it, then save up and buy it. Don't buy a cheap competitor--you'll regret it.
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Summary: Brilliant value for PDAphone (Visor Prism+Phone)
Review: I've been using Visor Prism + Phone for about 2 months now, I bought it from a local store which suprisingly still had some stocks and guaranteed the item for 1 year.
Overall, I found it very very useful. I'm not a heavy PDA user, so mainly I use it to read e-books, see photos, games. Visor's 8 Megs is more than enough.
More about the phone, I can't tell how much I admire the modularity of Springboard. Handspring engineer have done great job. The phone and sms function work perfect, compared to the more pricey Tungsten W.
It's better than Treo 270 I assume, on color display (Treo has 4096 while Prism has 65K) and of course using Visor I don't have to worry about flip hinge crack that often happen to Treo user.
Some drawbacks that I found is that battery drained quickly, I also notice that there are some dead pixels in the unit I bought, and last but not least it's quite heavy to carry.
Based on the above, I still think that this product is a great collectible item,worth the price, and everywhere you carry it people were just curious to know. It's a bit rare that to some it's more intriguing than even the popular O2 XDA. Well done Handspring!
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Summary: Long-time Owner & User and Love It!!
Review: I have had my Prism for years now and absolutely love it. Loved it so much that when my wife was ready for a PDA, she got one too. We have Targus keyboards, the Magellan GPS, modems, Eyemodule camera, tons of memory and applications and now we can get apps and accessories for next to nothing!! She dropped hers the other day, broke the chassis, and will probably buy another--cheaper than repairing!! I was in a hurry in the car connecting the GPS, smashed the Springboard pins and will probably buy another as well!! Sorry for those with bad experiences, but we've had great service with ours. Obviously, a new power-user would want something more up-to-date, but for a student or someone like me who has had their Prism for a while, it still proves to be a great value!!
Rating: 
Summary: don't count on it
Review: I have now been through two of these, I might be silly but I expect to get more than a year and a half out of my investment. Customer service stinks and is a rip off. Both Prisims are garbage for numerous reasons, not batteries, they were changed. If you want something that will last awhile don't get it. And I don't have any other software on there except Datebook.
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