Review: Handspring Visor Edge
Handspring made its name by coming up with
a Palm clone that went one better - offering
improved expansion options in the shape of
Springboard modules, plus a USB connection at a lower price.
However, with the Visor Edge, it looks more like the innovator has
turned imitator. The VisorEdge looks uncannily similar to the Palm V,
with its brushed metal case and slim silhouette.
However, it is playing catch up
a bit too late as Palm has
already announced the latest
additions to its m500 series,
and the Visor Edge's
specification of 8MB of
memory and 33MHz
DragonBall VZ processor adds
nothing that these don't also
offer.
The Visor Edge is the
slimmest Visor to date at just
11mm, and it looks very slick.
However, we were less than
impressed by the detachable
metal cover for the mono screen. This comes in three metallic covers
- red, blue and silver - but is rather awkward to use, as it doesn't flip
all the way back over the unit. It is also a pain if you use Springboard
modules, as you must detach it and attach the slot to add these - not
a very elegant solution. The VisorEdge comes with the extras you’d
expect, including a USB docking cradle, rechargeable lithium-ion
batteries and infrared port. On the software side, Handspring
provides Graffiti handwriting recognition tools, a diary, to-do list,
contacts book, world clock, calculator and memo pad, plus the Palm
Desktop package for use on your computer.
The Visor Edge is a good-looking device, but we'd hold off before
buying as the Palm m500 might well be the better deal.
