This sleeker, lighter Visor gives the Palm V series some stiff competition. With the same innards and display as the Visor Platinum and support for existing Springboard modules, it's fast and flexible. We only wish it used flash memory for OS upgrades.

The continued success of Apple has demonstrated that in the PC industry form is as important as function. That seems to be the impetus behind the latest addition to Handspring's Visor product line, the Visor Edge. A thinner and lighter PDA in a sleek metallic case, the Visor Edge bears a striking resemblance to the Apple PowerBook G4 Titanium and is designed to compete directly with the popular Palm V series.

Available in three colours (silver, blue, and red), the Visor Edge has a matching metal flip lid. Both the lid's hinge and the metal stylus are mounted on the outside of the case to give it an industrial look and reduce the overall size. The result is a Visor that is about half the thickness and a 14 grams lighter than the original Visor design (shared by the Visor Deluxe and Visor Platinum), although it is still slightly larger and heavier than the Palm Vx.

The key difference between the Visor Edge and the Palm V series is that Handspring has managed to preserve the Visor's Springboard expansion platform, albeit in a slightly different form. In place of the standard Springboard slot, it has an edge connector (called--pun intended, we're sure--the Edge connector) and includes a Springboard adapter. To attach a module, you insert it into the adapter and then slide the whole thing over the back of the device in a manner similar to one of the Expansion Packs for a Compaq iPaq Pocket PC. Although the connector itself is different physically from the original design, it supports all the same features as the Springboard slot. This, combined with the fact that there are already 40 Springboard modules available, gives Handspring an advantage over Palm devices when it comes to expandability.

The Visor Edge is all new on the outside, but the insides are virtually identical to the high-end Visor Platinum, including the same 33MHz processor (the Motorola Dragonball VZ), same 8MB memory, and same backlit, 4-bit grey-scale display (16 shades)--although Handspring claims the display is slightly enhanced. Unlike the Platinum, the Visor Edge includes a rechargeable lithium-ion battery rated for 1 month of typical use and a redesigned USB cradle.

The Visor Edge comes with the latest version of the Palm OS (version 3.5.2 H2), which in addition to the standard Palm PIM applications includes Date Book+, an advanced calculator, and a world clock. This model also has two unique enhancements. The Silent Alarm lets you ditch the annoying beeping sound in favour of a flashing LED. And the Fast Lookup feature lets you locate a contact without the stylus by pressing a series of buttons to winnow down the choices.

In our testing, the Visor Edge worked as advertised. The installation was flawless. The new design not only looks great, but also is comfortable to carry and use, and we especially liked how the lid locked in two different positions. The Visor Edge was compatible with both Palm applications--anything that works on Palm OS 3.5 or later--and Springboard modules. Our only real complaints are that it takes a little practice to remove the stylus smoothly and that, unlike the Palm Vx, the Visor Edge does not have flash memory, so you can't upgrade to Palm OS 4.0.

The Visor Edge's turn in the spotlight may be short lived, as Palm is expected to announce shortly the new m500 series that will reportedly include an SD (Secure Digital) expansion slot and a model with a colour display. But for now, the Handspring Visor Edge has the clear edge in terms of design, features, and expansion.

Handspring Visor Edge
Company:Handspring Australia
Ph:02 9425 8073
Price: AU$899
Rating

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