Product Description

The Handspring Visor Edge is a thin, lightweight Palm OS organiser that combines cutting-edge design with all the expansion capabilities you've come to expect in a Visor handheld. It's all metal--from the stylus to the protective flip cover--and features a rechargeable battery that charges in the included USB docking cradle. In addition to such standard Palm OS applications as an address book, to-do list, and memo pad, Handspring adds extra features such as an enhanced date-book, advanced calculator, and a world clock. Plus, the Visor Edge has new usability features such as Fast Lookup, silent alarms, wireless synchronisation, address duplication, improved security, and enhanced navigation. And since it uses the Palm OS, you can download thousands of Palm-compatible applications and beam information to other Palm users.

Using its unique detachable Springboard expansion slot, you can add a wide variety of Springboard modules whenever you want--from digital cameras and MP3 players to wireless modems and modem connectors to cellular phones.

With a fast USB connection, synchronising the Visor Edge handheld to your PC or Mac is simple and faster than a normal serial connection. (An optional serial cradle also is available.) HotSync technology ensures all your data is backed up to your desktop PC.

The Handspring Visor Edge comes with a metal stylus, metal flip cover, USB recharging cradle, AC power adapter, and detachable Springboard expansion slot. It also includes Palm Desktop software (for Windows and Macintosh) and a link to Microsoft Outlook (Windows only).

Important note to customers: your Visor comes with a free USB cradle, but not all computers and operating system are USB compatible. If your computer uses Windows 95 or NT or Mac OS 8.0 or below, or if your computer is not equipped with USB ports, you'll need to purchase a serial recharging cradle to synchronise your computer with your new Visor.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #185192 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Handspring
• Released on: 2001-03-13

Amazon.co.uk Review
The Handspring Visor Edge proves what Palm V owners have known for some time: bulk is bad. Although we used to be overjoyed at the prospect of using any handheld smaller than an attaché case, the Visor Edge has completely spoiled us on the superiority of slimness.

At 0.44 inches thick and weighing only 4.8 ounces, the Edge feels more like a futuristic data pad than a deck of cards containing electrical circuitry. It's far more comfortable to slide into a purse or shirt pocket, and its anodized aluminum case is likely to withstand more bumps and jostles than earlier plastic cases. Further, its superior aluminum cover is the best available screen protector we've seen that ships with a PDA. Its hinge is spring-loaded so that it snaps into place at a 145 degree angle. You can push it back further, but unfortunately can't rest it flat against the back of the Visor. Our only other minor complaint is that it takes a bit of practice to quickly release the cover's tab from the bottom of the device. Another joy is the weighted metal stylus that comes with the Visor Edge. The stylus attaches onto the outside of the Edge by clipping a retractable post into a small groove at the top. Releasing the stylus is a matter of pushing a rocker switch to disengage the latch--a motion that will take some practice.

Of course, slimness isn't the Edge's only advantage, even if it's the most notable. It packs in features common to Handspring's line of handhelds: it comes with 8MB of memory, runs the Palm OS (version 3.5.2H, which unfortunately can't be upgraded), has a crisp grayscale screen, and includes Handspring-only software like Date Bookplus, City Time, and an advanced Calculator. The Edge runs on an internal battery that's quickly recharged when you put it into the included docking cradle.

A new software addition is Fast Lookup, a slick feat of engineering within the Address Book application. Press the Visor's scroll up button to enter Fast Lookup mode, then use the other application buttons to tap out the name you're looking for. For example, the Date Book button represents letters A-L of a person's last name, while the Address Book button counts for letters M-Z. After a few presses, the name you want appears in the contact list. It's also worth noting that the Edge can perform a HotSync operation via infrared to your computer out of the box (earlier Visors couldn't).

The most noteworthy Visor feature is the Springboard expansion slot, which on the Edge turns out to be both an advantage and a detractor. To achieve the Edge's thin profile, the Springboard slot is no longer a part of the handheld itself. To add Springboard functionality, you must connect a rather bulky adapter onto the back of the Visor Edge, then slide Springboard modules into the adapter. On the plus side, you can use any Springboard module you like just as you would with any other Visor; the downside is that it ruins the thinness factor of the Edge. However, if you think you'll use Springboard modules only occasionally, and want the advantages of a slim and lightweight handheld organiser, you'll want to head for the Edge. --Jeff Carlson

Customer Reviews

Fantastic!!
This is my second Visor. I've been using a Visor Deluxe for a quite few months. I saw the Visor Edge on Amazon for LESS than I paid for my old 'Black Slab', so I decided to take the plunge.

The Good bits:

The Edge looks great. The lower cost of the metallic blue Edge suggests this colour is less popular than the silver ones. Heaven only knows why, it's absolutely gorgeous to look at and isn't done justice to by any of the photographs of the Edge I've seen. Although actually no thinner than a Palm m500, the Edge is cleverly designed to look and feel much slimmer. The hinged screen cover is a nice touch too, practical and attractive. The weighted metal stylus is also comfortable to hold and use. Using a handheld that looks smaller than a police-mans notebook yet holds more information than a set of encyclopaedias gives you a nice, warm feeling inside. The cradle is similarly well designed, small and minimalist and the handheld slides in and out of it effortlessly, another plus over some other Palm devices. The screen is clear and, like my old Deluxe, requires only light taps to operate (unlike some 3com devices I tried). The Palm OS upgrade to 3.5 is welcome (I can now play 'Bejewelled' on the train) as is the faster processor and 4 bit display.

Also nice is the indicator light under the on-off button that flashes whilst charging, lights up continuously when the batteries are fully charged and doubles as a silent alarm. Battery life is very good; I can easily believe the claim that you can use the Edge for a fortnight before needing to recharge. The Edge will probably pay for itself in terms of batteries alone in no time.

Typically for a PalmOS device, synchronisation to Outlook Express is painless and Handsprings policy of supplying an improved date-book and full-featured scientific calculator with their handhelds make them the best choice for Academics.

The springboard expansion system is implemented on the Edge via a slide on interface unit. This is great as it allows you to attach GPS/modem/digital camera/mp3 player hardware to your handheld and is a unique feature of handspring units. The adapter fits into the same slot as the flip-cover however, so it's impossible to use both at the same time. Its also a little annoying that one has to use bulky springboard modules for memory expansion. An integrated card system (such as used by Palms) for memory would have been nicer.

I'm also not sure about the stylus. It looks like a bit of an afterthought, can't be used easily by us left handed types, and tends to rattle around in its dock a little. Generally I'm a little more cautious about handling my Edge than I was my Deluxe. The base unit feels sturdy enough but the plastic flip cover hinge and stylus feel vulnerable. That said, the fact that it has a screen cover at all means I'm a lot more inclined to slip it into a pocket than I would be say, a Palm m500.

Those expecting a dramatic improvement in performance over previous PalmOS devices courtesy of the 33MHz processor may be disappointed. I've noticed some improvement in a few apps and games over my old handspring, but not much. The 16 shade greyscale, 4-bit screen is also only marginally superior than the 2-bit one I had before. Notably, photos look significantly better, but games and animations suffer from the same problem that the activation/relaxation time of the LCD cells just isn't fast enough to cope. Things moving rapidly across the screen have a serious tendency to blur. The Edge also uses the same green Backlight technology as the Deluxe, which works perfectly in low lighting but can hardly be called pretty. The IR port is in a slightly strange place too, right where it's obscured by your palm/fingers when holding the device!

Despite these minor gripes, the Edge is fantastic value at this price. Functionally, the only thing that it lacks over the Palm m500 is an active display and an upgrade-able OS and it's nearly half the cost! My main worry is that the Edge is a different Form-Factor than all of the other handspring devices. As a result it requires unique docking cradles, styli, cases and folding keyboards to the rest of the Handspring catalogue. If Handspring decide to stop making the Edge, peripherals like these may get difficult to obtain. Hopefully though Handsprings next venture will be a colour version of the Edge. If they can keep the cost down to around 250 UKP, they'll have a real contender.

I paid over £300 for mine!
I bought a Visor Edge when they first came out and it cost me over £300. At the price Amazon are charging for this now, it's an absolute steal. This is one slim device - truly pocketable. It runs the Palm OS, which is quick, compact and generally recognised as the best OS for a PDA. It only runs version 3.5, but there have been so few additions in version 4 that it isn't worth spending the extra to get one of the later models.
It's well built with a metal case, metal flip top cover and a really nicely weighted stylus. This was the first Visor to use a rechargeable battery, rather than AAs. This was a concern at first, but hasn't been an issue. It charges when in the USB cradle, with a mains adaptor connecting to the back of the cradle and a charge last's ages.
The Edge only has 8MB memory. This sounds paltry when you look at Pocket PCs with 64MB, but it is plenty for a Palm device. There are a huge number of applications available for free download - and most of them only take up a couple of hundred Kilobytes. Take a look at the downloads section on CNET to see what you can get. The only downside is the springboard expansion slot that Handspring made their name with. Rather than being integral to the device like on earlier Visor's, because the Edge is so slim, you have to clip the springboard slot on the back, then clip modules into this. I only really ever use the backup module that's available, so it's not caused me problems.

If this was still at £300, I'd only give it 3 stars and probably buy the new Sony Clie (T625), but at this price the Visor Edge is a five star no brainer.

The slimest and best yet
I originally was going to buy the Handspring visor duluxe but then i decided to have a look at the other handsprings and found the edge. Small it may be but it does not lack power. Running with the 33mhz processor and an updated version of Palm OS 3.5 there is not much it can't handle.
It is a joy to use to. There are no operating glitches the weighted metal stylus is great.
There is one drawback to the Edge, if you would need to use the springboard expansion packs alot then the edge loses it usability, it becomes bulky, and you are better of going for a handheld like the Visor Neo. If you only think that you will use the springboard system occasionally then this is the PDA for you.
A wnderful unit and a joy to use, and at a great price for what it is.