visorcentral mobile >> Visor Pro

Visor Pro
Saturday September 15, 2001 EST
By James Hromadka

Info Box
Category: Visor
Company: Handspring
Palm OS: 3.5.2H3
Processor: 33 MHz Dragonball VZ
Memory: 16 MB
Colors: Silver
Size: 4.8" x 3.0" x 0.7"
Weight: 5.7 oz.
Price: $299.00

Visor Pro

Take the software features of the Visor Edge, the form factor of the Visor Deluxe, add more memory, and you have the Visor Pro.

Physical Specifications

The Visor Pro is a combination of all monochrome Visors to date, with a 33 MHz Dragonball VZ processor, 4-bit (16 shades of gray) monochrome screen, and Palm OS 3.5.2H3.� I wish I still had the Visor Platinum, because the Visor Pro looks just like it, but seems to have a sturdier casing.� At first I thought the casing was the same aluminum casing that the Visor Edge has, but it is plastic.

Like the Visor Prism and Visor Edge, there is an LED on the lower-right hand side that blinks when you're charging the Pro.� The rechargeable lithium ion battery provides power for four to six weeks of normal usage -- that's 2-3 times what the Prism offers.� A charcoal grey hard cover, black cradle, and a metal stylus are also included in the package

Elbow Room

The Visor Pro is the first PalmOS device to offer 16 MB of memory.� That translates into more applications and dynamic data that can be stored in the Pro's memory.� Power users now have twice as much space to play with before utilizing Springboard modules for additional storage.

The Visor Pro will be especially valuable for GPS users, as now more maps can be stored on the Visor.� Handspring now needs a 16 MB backup module, as the Backup module was one of the best features of owning a Visor.� Until then, modules such as the MemPlug can be used to perform a full backup on the Visor Pro.

Software Features

The Visor Pro 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.� What would really be nice is an application launcher that uses Fast Lookup; then I wouldn't need to use the stylus so much.� I also wish Handspring would release an update for other Visor models so I can use Fast Lookup on my Visor Prism.

Lies, damn lies...

PocketMark 0.2.1 gives the Pro a 168 rating overall (168/170/163) compared to a 125 rating (129/101/132) for the Visor Deluxe.� Surprisingly, the Visor Pro did more poorly than the Visor Platinum's past score, which was a 199 rating (203/178/201).� To test real-world usage, I had Star Pilot refresh its greyscale night sky view on City magnitude setting with constellation lines turned on.� The Pro took five seconds to finish, while the Visor Platinum took eight seconds.� Under Rural magnitude (where more stars are calculated and drawn), the Pro took 14 seconds and the Visor Platinum took 29 seconds.� So it seems that although the Pro had a poorer PocketMark score, it was significantly better than the Visor Platinum in real-world tests.

The Cradle

The Visor Pro uses a standard USB connector, so the black cradle that comes with it can be used by all members of the Visor family, except for Prism and Edge. Likewise, the Visor Pro will work with the Stowaway and can use a VDX cradle for HotSync. The Pro can also work in a Prism cradle -- the connection feels loose but works -- so a multiple-Visor family does not need multiple cradles unless they have a Visor Edge.

Usability

The Visor Pro takes the best aspects of other monochrome Visors and nicely packages them together in a familiar form factor.� I love the additional memory and the Fast Lookup and silent alarm.� The casing is more durable and feels almost as strong as the aluminum casing on the Visor Edge.� The hardware buttons have been slightly redesigned so that they are not so concave, making it easier to play games on the Visor Pro. Other nice features like a see-through charcoal lid makes the Pro very elegant looking, although it shows smudges easily.� This is the perfect Visor for enterprise users.

I hate the fact that Visor Pro is in 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 Prism Pro too?� The other thing that is hurting the Visor Pro is that it doesn't have any "new" features.� By combining features from the other Visor models, the Visor Pro is an evolutionary product, not a revolutionary one like the Visor Prism was.

Conclusion

The Visor Pro is essentially a replacement for the Visor Platinum, and what a replacement it is.� With good speed, the most memory available today in a PalmOS device, and a rechargeable battery, the Visor Pro is the perfect device for power users that do not need color.

Pros:
- Double the memory of any PalmOS handheld to date
- Combines all of the new features of other Visors into one package
- Great for Power users
Cons:
- Monochrome

Features: 4
Usability: 5
Wow Factor: 3
Cost/Benefit: 4
Average: 4