The Handspring Visor Deluxe has the same rugged feel and size (12.2 by 7.6 by 1.8 cm) of its Palm cousins, but it adds a touch of flair with five iMac-like translucent colours: green, clear, blue, yellow, and graphite.
Apart from the new colours, the Visor Deluxe has improved the Palm design with rugged application buttons, a small microphone (although it currently isn't used), and a 3.8-by-5-cm plastic back door that hides the Springboard expansion port.
For basic functionality, the Visor Deluxe features the standard Palm device applications with a memo list, to-do list, address list, and calendar, along with connectivity to the Palm Desktop, Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes, and other popular PIMs. Users can also download most software built for other Palm devices. New applications premiering on the Visor include Date Book +, which is a program that expands date book functionality with a daily journal, floating events, and user-created templates. If you're a frequent time-zone skipper, CityTime lets you track times from Adelaide to Zurich.
Handspring's attention to detail brings you application and power buttons that feel less flimsy than buttons on other Palm devices, and the Visor's screen feels less frail than its counterparts because it has a stronger and thicker plastic coating. (Although Palm users sometimes complain that the Visor's screen requires more pressure on which to write, since the upper layer is thicker.)
Unfortunately, the Visor does have two items that may throw off some users. First, a cheap and flimsy stylus makes it hard to write. Second, the screen seems to be slightly lower in quality than what you would find on a Palm - images are still easy to read, but they seem to have less contrast than those on a Palm's display. The effect is more noticeable when you use the Visor's backlighting, as images appear slightly grainy. However, we can forgive the Visor's less-than-ideal screen and stylus because of the added functionality of its Springboard port.
The Springboard port is Visor Deluxe's most compelling feature. Unlike the Palm units, which require bulky hardware add-ons, the Visor's Springboard port lets users plug optional hardware modules and memory into the back of the device in the same manner that you'd plug a game into a GameBoy. With 8MB memory expansion modules, several modems, a camera, and an MP3 player already available, you can customize the Visor to your own needs.
