The Advice Sisters

"What Works" Review - The Handspring "Visor"

We know a lot of you rely on personal computers, cell phones, and personal assistant devices to handle your busy lives, so we can't think of a more fitting way to kick off this column than with a review of the Handspring "Visor."

Handspring was founded by PalmPilot creator Jeff Hawkins, and Palm Computing co-founder Donna Dubinsky. The Handspring Visor uses some of the best features from other electronic personal organizer handheld devices and is fully compatible with other personal organizer

software (with bigger names and price tags) such as the PalmPilot, In fact, the Visor uses the same processor, battery and screen as the 3Com Palm V. Unlike the bigger names, the Visor is cheaper than any other handheld. The Visor Solo retails for $149, the standard Visor is $179 and the Visor Deluxe is $249. The Visor Deluxe version has 8 megabytes of RAM (twice the memory in the Palm IIIx at a much lower cost) and supports USB synchronization with your desktop PC.

New software for the Visor is being brought on the market. The hardware is simple, light, and up-gradable. It features a built-in microphone and sport a slot in the back where you can insert plug-and-play about a dozen Springboard modules (made only for the Visor) featuring items as diverse as global positioning systems and Internet access, to the (for some) essential "games." There is also a cradle to easily link the Visor to your desktop PC.

I used the Visor for a month. The instructions and software were easy to load on my computer (miracle of miracles I understood what to do and it worked!). The functions on the basic model I reviewed were pretty much the same as with my traditional organizer, but the ability to write notes to myself, finish expense reports, and compose E-mail messages made life more efficient (particularly when I had "down time" or I was waiting on line or for whatever). The Visor uses a miniscule keyboard which isn't too hard to use with the tip of the included visor "pen-like stylus" but also allows you to use the Palm Pilot "script" which turns your own handwriting into type. This is a great feature for those with patience and predictable penmanship, but I mostly created gibberish when attempting to use the script and quickly reverted to hunt-and-peck with the stylus and keyboard.

I was just getting used to toting around a personal organizer (lighter and easier to carry than my traditional, bulky print calendar) when Handspring told me I would have to return the review copy. I really missed it at first, but I'm back to lugging my old standard paper organizer and we're still good friends!

Is the Visor (or any handheld) right for you? Get one now if you have a little disposable income burning a hole in your pocket, you like electronic gadgets, don't mind a small learning curve, or your arm already aches from carrying too much other "stuff" around, you will love the Visor. Get one and let it help you organize your life more quickly, efficiently, and easily. Luddites will be happy to wait a few years until the options are even better and personal gadgets like this are being sold in bargain stores for $25.

submitted 4/00 by Advice Sister Alison

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE VISOR GO TO: http://www.handspring.com/

To Order A Visor: http://www.handspring.com/shipping/index.asp