CNN.com - Technology - Handspring unveils thin, yet expandable Visor


The Visor Edge weighs 4.8 ounces and comes in three colors

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March 15, 2001
Web posted at: 1:28 HKT (0128 GMT)

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March 14, 2001
Web posted at: 12:28 p.m. EST (1728 GMT)

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By Cameron Crouch

(IDG) -- Whoever said size doesn't matter wasn't talking about personal digital assistants. But with the release of the skinny Visor Edge on Monday, Handspring is trying to squeeze expandability into a small size.

With a metallic case less than a half-inch thick, the newest Visor is Handspring's answer to the Palm V. It comes in a choice of red, silver, and blue, and unlike Palm, the $399 Visor Edge supports the Springboard expansion slot -- with a twist. To get Springboard into such a thin device, Handspring makes the slot an add-on connector rather than a built-in component of the device.

"Visor Edge still supports all Springboard modules," says Jeff Hawkins, Handspring chair and chief product officer. "You can add the Springboard slot as an option." He calls it the best of both the thin and expandable worlds.

With the release of the first Visor 18 months ago, Handspring's Springboard slot has bundled the capability to add functionality with a device run on the simple yet reliable Palm OS.

Style With Options

Available now online at Handspring.com, Visor Edge weighs less than 5 ounces. It has 8MB of memory, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, and a 33-MHz Motorola VZ processor. With its form-fitting flip cover, the colorful metallic Edge resembles a fancy 1940s cigarette case. While the blue and silver models should hit retail stores within two weeks, red is only available on the Web. Handspring also announced a new graphite color edition of its Visor Platinum, available now for $299.

Critics of the Springboard expansion slot have long said it is too large for Handspring to ever offer a thin device. Visor Edge answers this by making Springboard a lightweight add-on sled that slides onto the back of Visor Edge whenever you want to add a module. The add-on slot comes included with Visor Edge devices.

To use the slot, simply remove the flip lid, then slide the slot along the rails on the sides of the device, says Michelle White, a Handspring product manager. "Then you can add any module, including the Eyemodule 2 camera or VisorPhone," she says, referring to the add-on camera and mobile phone modules.

In a quick demonstration at the product's introduction Monday, both modules worked instantly once the Visor Edge was slid into the Springboard slot.

Other design enhancements include a smaller, sleeker USB (serial is an option), a HotSync/recharging cradle, and a new stylus placed at the side of Visor Edge "so we can show it off," Hawkins says. "It's a solid attachment though; it won't fall off."

Handspring also put the power switch on the bottom right so it's protected when the flip lid is closed, Hawkins adds.

Savvy Software

Handspring has also updated the Palm OS software that Visor Edge runs, as well as its display technology.

While the screen is essentially the same size, Handspring uses the newest TFT technology to make the greenish background whiter than previous Visors, White says. "The result is better contrast and clarity," she says.

Visor Edge ships with Palm OS 3.5 2H, Handspring's version of the Palm OS, which Hawkins describes as "essentially Palm OS 4.0, which Palm hasn't released yet. We already have USB support and other things they're adding to OS 4.0."

For example, the OS includes Handspring-only applications such as Datebook Plus and a new Fast Lookup feature, which lets you use the device's major application buttons to spell out a name in your address book, Hawkins says. The left-side buttons let you key in A-L or M-Z for last names; the right-side buttons search first names. Although it sounds complex, you really only need to key in a few letters before Fast Lookup narrows your search to a few names.

With VisorPhone connected, you can even dial with one button once you've found your contact, White says.

Also new is a silent alarm feature; turn it on, and a light under the power button blinks to alert you without disturbing anyone else.

Design Has Drawbacks

Designed by Hawkins, who also worked on the Palm V, Handspring's Visor Edge rounds out the Visor family with a solid Palm V competitor. But to keep the Springboard expansion, the device does have to carry some bulk.

Although Hawkins stresses Handspring's long-term support for the Springboard platform, he says Tellus Technology -- maker of the WIPClip module -- is developing a CDPD wireless modem module that plugs directly into Visor Edge. Other developers may follow suit.

Another drawback to Visor Edge is its lack of color on screen. Hawkins implies that that is still coming. Today, color displays are a minority among handhelds. But Hawkins says he anticipates both monochrome and color products will be in use.

As for current Visor users who may want to check out the new Palm OS, White says none of Handspring's products support Flash ROM upgrades. "Many of the new features we've added are hardware-specific," she notes.

The Visor Edge also lacks wireless capabilities.

"When we can do a low-cost product that integrates wireless voice and data, we will," White says. "To date, most have been high-priced, clunky products."

Meanwhile, Palm, which already offers an integrated wireless device with the Palm VII, recently bundled wireless software with its new M105 product.

As for the future, Hawkins suggests Handspring may experiment with more than just hardware design; operating systems could change, as well.

"We will have a wide line of products, and with each release, we'll look at the best software suite available," he says. In some cases, that may not always be the Palm OS, he adds.

CNN.com - Technology - Handspring unveils thin, yet expandable Visor

Style With Options

Savvy Software

Design Has Drawbacks

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