Richard Baguley

Handspring Visor Pro

Photograph by: John Kuczala Standout features include a rechargeable battery and twice the amount of RAM of the Visor Neo. Like all Visors, the Pro sports Handspring's Springboard expansion slot for adding any one of a range of extra-cost gadgets. These include a couple of different small digital cameras, MP3 players, a voice-recorder module (which makes use of the Pro's built-in microphone) and the VisorPhone, a GSM-based plug-in that turns the Visor into a combination PDA-cell phone.
You can't remove the Visor Pro's battery for swapping in an emergency backup. Worse, you'll have to drag the syncing cradle along to recharge because the Visor Pro has no DC-in port (the AC adapter plugs into the cradle's USB plug). The Pro offers a loose plastic cover to protect the screen. However, it's easy to lose and difficult to snap on and off. A detachable flip-over or side-attached cover would be far more welcome.
The Visor Pro wraps a silver exterior and smoky-colored loose plastic cover around the Handspring hardware, which comes with the standard Palm applications. The black syncing cradle uses a USB connection. The 16-shade gray-scale, 160 by 160 pixel screen is easy to read indoors and out.
Although it adds a couple of nice business-oriented perks, including more corporate-looking colors and a rechargeable battery, the $220 Visor Pro seems a little expensive. You can get an almost identical unit, the Visor Prism, for the same price with a color screen (although half the memory).

Buying Information

Handspring Visor Pro Palm OS 3.5.2, 16MB internal memory, 2.2-by-2.2-inch active screen area, 160 by 160 resolution, Springboard expansion slot, lithium ion battery; 5.7 ounces; one-year parts and labor warranty, toll-call support for 12 hours on weekdays. Free tech support for 90 days; fee per call thereafter. $ 220 Palm OS 3.5.2, 16MB internal memory, 2.2-by-2.2-inch active screen area, 160 by 160 resolution, Springboard expansion slot, lithium ion battery; 5.7 ounces; one-year parts and labor warranty, toll-call support for 12 hours on weekdays. Free tech support for 90 days; fee per call thereafter. http://www.handspring.com 888/565-9393