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neo- pref. 1 new; recent. 2 new and different; new and abnormalWhat is the Visor Neo? As the definition above indicates, the Visor Neo is a new version of the original Visor Deluxe. Sometimes the correlation between Handspring and Apple are scary. Apple introduces the iMac, then every once in a while gives it new colors and better hardware. In 1999, Handspring introduces the Visor, and now has given it new colors and better hardware. Coincidence? I think not.
Physical Specifications
The Visor Neo is essentially a Visor Pro-Lite. Since that is a poor oxymoron, Handspring had to give it a different name. The Neo has the standard Visor form factor with a more powerful 33 MHz Dragonball VZ processor, 4-bit (16 shades of gray) monochrome screen, and Palm OS 3.5.2H3. Instead of the bright translucent colors of the Visor Deluxe, the Visor Neo has more subdued colors that are not as easy to see through. The blue model that I reviewed was a very deep blue -- almost purple.
Like the Visor Deluxe, the Visor Neo uses two AAA batteries for power. Because there is no LED needed for recharging, there is no silent alarm. A matching hard cover, clear (not translucent) cradle, and a metal stylus are also included in the package
Software Features
The
Visor Neo comes with all of the features of Palm OS 3.5, which includes
features like Ir synching and 4-bit grayscale support. The Fast Lookup
feature that was introduced in the Visor Edge is also here. Fast
Lookup allows users to quickly find a contact in the Address Book by using
the Visor's hardware buttons. See the Visor
Edge review for full details on how it works.
The Numbers
Like the Visor
Pro, PocketMark 0.2.1 gives the Visor Neo a 168 rating overall (168/170/164)
compared to a 125 rating (129/101/132) for the Visor Deluxe. To test
real-world usage, I had Star
Pilot refresh its grayscale night sky view on City magnitude setting
with constellation lines turned on. The Visor Neo took five seconds
to finish, while the Visor Deluxe took fourteen seconds. Under Rural
magnitude (where more stars are calculated and drawn), the Neo took 14
seconds and the Visor Deluxe took 1:06. That is a dramatic improvement
for Visor Deluxe users that move to the Visor Neo.
The Cradle
The
Visor Neo has the coolest cradle yet for a Visor. The cradle is completely
clear -- not translucent like the ice cradle (I didn't remove the background
from the picture here because I didn't want readers to think that the cradle
was tinted). This cradle works with all Visors except the Prism and
Edge, and is the perfect cradle for Mac users that have a Cinema
Display and/or the Pro speakers.
And because it is clear, the Neo's cradle looks great with other Visors
like the Visor Pro. The Visor Neo has the standard Visor form factor
and will work with any accessories that work with the Visor Deluxe.
Usability
The Visor Neo takes the Visor Deluxe to the next level. I like
the new casing, which seems sturdier than the original Visor. The
casing is very slick-looking, but you can expect to get smudges all over
it. The hardware buttons have been slightly redesigned so that they
are not so concave, making it easier to play games on the Neo. I
like the Fast Lookup and wish that Handspring would make it available to
all Visors. The matching hard cover is also very slick-looking and
makes the overall look of the device very trendy-looking. This is
the perfect Visor for students.
I am going to sound like a broken record here and reiterate the fact that I hate monochrome. The handheld future is in color. I know that Handspring needed to update its two year old Visor line, but how about giving us a revised Prism too? The other thing that is hurting the Visor Neo is that it doesn't have any "new" features. By combining features from the other Visor models, the Visor Neo is an evolutionary product, not a revolutionary one like the Visor Prism.
Conclusion
Visor and Visor Deluxe owners that want a more powerful device at a
good price should pick up the Visor Neo immediately. With good speed
and an updated operating system, the Visor Neo is the perfect device for
entry-level users that do not need color or a built-in battery.
Pros:
- Trendy new colors
- Combines many of the new features of other Visors into one package
- Great for new users
Cons:
- Monochrome
- No silent alarm
- Smudges easily
Features: 3
Usability: 5
Wow Factor: 3
Cost/Benefit: 4
Average: 3
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