FIGURE B

Here are some of the things you can do when using the DateBook+ application.

Although the built-in Calculator defaults to the familiar four-function calculator found in the Palm models, it offers a new advanced mode that provides many useful features, ranging from math, trigonometry, logic, statistics, weight/temperature, length, area, and volume. There is also a finance feature, which is shown in Figure C. Unless you need some highly specific functions, the advanced mode should be able to solve many of the problems you couldn't figure out with the original Calculator application.

FIGURE C

The financial calculator is only one of many features in Visor's built-in Calculator.

The Expense and Mail applications don't appear to provide any more or less functionality than those provided by Palm, but I have to admit that I didn't look at them in much detail, since I prefer third-party software.

Mac users have come up a little in the world. Macintosh desktop software is included in the Handspring package, although Mac users still can't sync to Mail or Expense without third-party conduits.

Hardware changes
Although the Visor superficially resembles the Palm III family, a number of significant hardware changes have been made.

The "Big 4" buttons are metal and offer both audible and tactile feedback. The cable that connects the display to the main board is no longer located in the stylus silo, which should alleviate the friction-based wear that has impacted some older Palm units. The IR unit is on the upper left corner, rather than on the top, due to the layout of the Springboard module interface. Although there is a built-in microphone at the bottom of the unit, it's internally connected to the Springboard slot, and isn't usable at present. The contrast wheel is gone, replaced by a Palm V-style software slider.

The Visor comes in graphite (it looks black to me), and the Visor Deluxe comes in an additional four colors: orange, blue, green, and ice. All of them are shown in Figure D. How did they come up with blue, orange, and green? They're the colors of Handspring's logo. Some of you may be wondering why only the front of the Visor Deluxe case is colored and the back is clear -- that was a design decision.

FIGURE D

Handspring's Visor Deluxe comes in five colors. Click picture for a larger image.

The flip lid has an interesting design. It snaps on to the back of the Visor when it's not protecting the screen and HotSync port. Instead of flipping up from the bottom, it flips down from the top. A bit more of a visual cue for "open here" should be provided, since this action wasn't intuitively obvious to me or to others when holding the Visor as you would when you use it.

"The HotSync connector is a different size and pinout than Palm models."

The HotSync connector is a different size and pinout than Palm models. Palm peripherals, such as cradles, the Pilot Modem and the GoType keyboard, will not work with Visors (unless Midwest PCB Designs comes out with a new model of The Bridge). The Visor Solo does not come with a cradle. The Visor and Visor Deluxe models ship with universal serial bus (USB) cradles, although optional serial cradles or cables can be purchased.