Handspring Visor Prism

Rating:
Summary: Almost perfect!
Review: Ive had the Prism about 2 weeks now and I love it. I came from an old PIII (with an TRG 8mb upgrade)and the difference in speed is phenominal, not to mention 65K colors! I love being able to carry around photos of my son on it. Now why only 4 stars? Grafitti recognition is HORRIBLE! This seems to be a known problem and I am getting my unit replaced. Handspring customer service was really helpful and I had no problem with getting the RMA. Once I receive my new Prism, if all is well, I will have to come back and give it 5 stars!

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: 3 years with my Prisim
Review: I have had my Prisim for 3 years now, The hard shell cover has allowed me to carry, (and sit on )it for all of the 3 years. The 8 meg is plenty for normal use.
It is in use every day, and backedup/charged just as frequently.
I know there are more advanced units out there, with more features and such, but I dred the day I will need to find a replacement that can measure up to this one when it is gone.
I never leave home without it for sure!

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant value for PDAphone (Visor Prism+Phone)
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...

Rating:
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: wow!.
Review: Prism is my favorite among the Visors because of the color. Beyond that, Visor modules make this wee gadget phenomenal! Eyemodule 2 module turns the handheld into a camera/video camera. Haven't had an opportunity to try the video, but the still photo quality is terrific for digital. GPS module helps me to map finds when I'm hiking, and detailed street maps get me through unfamiliar cities. Audible module keeps me up with my subscription to audible.com for listening on the go, and the phone module keeps me connected. "Aren't all those modules a pain?" Not in the least. The modules listed above, plus others and a Targus fold-up keyboard, all fit in a small, zippered book cover case that I can tuck in any bag. If I were to carry the individual items to accompish what I do with my Visor Prism, I'd need a considerably larger bag and a stronger back. Almost forgot how rugged it is! While listening to an audio book in the hottub, the Prism fell in. After reeling it in by the headphone cord and taking the case apart to dry (3 days), it worked just fine! Water marks on the screen burned off after about a week. I've also managed to drop the Prism on several occasions and my big pooch doesn't seem to notice when she's standing on it. I highly recommend the clear screen protectors!

Rating:
Summary: good for the money
Review: OK, there are lots of hand held devices now, and of course the phone/pda combos. But, I still like having a separate phone and pda. Let your friend borrow a cell phone? Sure, but not if your pda is attached to it so that he can see all your other info, security systems aside.

The color presentation in the prism is very good compared to the equivalent competitor. Size is a bit large in my opinion, but not too bad. Could use more memory, but what device couldn't? I dropped it twice, from a distance of 2-3 feet, once onto concrete, once onto a hardwood floor, seems to be fine. Recognition software decent. Overall, for the money, this is the pda to get. Naturally though, I haven't tried them all.