Review article Lebedeva

In his article, Oleg Lebedev share personal experiences and feelings of an unnamed "test" to work with organizers Palm m100, Visor Deluxe, and TRGPro. And as a result of these impressions is "Editor's Choice." Very similar to the program for future use, "only on computer topics. Editor's Choice became TRGPro. We are ready to accept this only in part. Indeed, this machine may be a good choice for certain categories of users. For what exactly? About this later. While we note that the choice of Oleg is somewhat contrary to the choice of the rest of the world. Among the PalmOS organizers largest share of the actual Palm, Visor on go, and only then TRGPro and others (see article on ZDNet.com). What is the essence of the author's claims to the model Visor Deluxe? "Developers Visor did not pay due attention to design devices, and in terms of usability and design forethought Visor markedly inferior products, Palm and TRG Products." Design - fabric is thin and hard to talk about it. Somehow assumed that the highest achievement of designers - a series of PalmV, and Visor is made easier. However, all the same shape and color series PalmIII - TRGPro reflect the achievements of three years ago. Now such ideas are hard to recognize today. So that the superiority of design over TRGPro Visor is in serious doubt. "Housing (proposed several options for different colors, we have been black, but we also saw, and a translucent blue) leaves a sense of fragility and vulnerability." This feeling arises from the color? Or what? Visor fairly densely covered with a lid that protects the glass even when the device on the floor. Of course, this is not a full guarantee, but the "sense of fragility," should disappear. With the "feeling of vulnerability more difficult here need comments from other experts. Further, the processor: "The device is equipped with a CPU DragonBall EZ/16, 8 MB RAM and 2 MB of ROM. This decision can not be explained by any practical considerations, because the user has no possibility to upgrade the OS." Apparently, the confusion of the author refers only to the choice of ROM, ie renunciation of the use of flash memory, because processor then this is for all clones (almost all). With regard to ROM, then a step to explain it was still possible. Handspring makes it so (FAQ on the Visor Deluxe): "The operating system device Handspring Visor Deluxe may be exposed by software upgrade via patches (OS updates are installed in RAM and do not require rewriting Rom) and modules Springboard. We do not use flash memory to store operating system files for the following reasons: 1) upgrade is quite possible through by software patches and modules Springboard

2) the vast majority of users will never face the need to completely rewrite the OS to the device memory

3) Flash memory is more expensive and harder ROM "Return to the original text:" In this case, Visor runs on PalmOS 3.1H, a modified version of PalmOS 3.1, which does not provide certain features - for example, allows data from the infrared port between your PC or cell phone and the Visor. "This, incidentally, the strongest blow to the reputation of the Visor, with a low blow. In fact, who needs a PDA now, unable to communicate via infrared port with a cellular handset? And technically - all right, PalmOS 3.1, very by itself, does not support this feature. Or maybe not so bad, if you look at the subject? not tried to install programs from SerIrCommLib.prc and IRLink 1.5? Try. With them, everything works fine. Then we are talking about expansion modules: "Expansion Slot Visor provides the use of not only memory cards, but also any other devices that are currently available in abundance in the market, from MP3-players to the recently announced cartridge with a cell phone (VisorPhone). But the advantage is very, very relative - usually more convenient to work with the individual devices, with the exception of the already mentioned modems and memory cards. "Availability of expansion slots - the advantage is quite absolute, rather than a" very, very relative. "Using VisorPhone, you get analog PalmVII - a device with a radio module, according to which, moreover, can talk. Availability Backup Module free of the constant attachment to the desktop. GPS module turns the Visor into the navigation device.It is, however, agree that using the recorder or an MP3 easier if it is a separate single-purpose device. Very interesting results were obtained by the author, comparing the performance (speed) TRGPro and Visor Deluxe. Technique is unknown, but the result is: TRGPro Visor was faster by 35%. We tried to figure it out. It turned out that the company openly TRG provides some evidence on this issue. Here's what you get on to the manufacturer: TRGPro really faster Visor Deluxe, but not at 35 and at 2% (FAQ on TRGPro), which fits into a margin of error of experiment and hardly even noticeable to the user ... Let's go back to the original text: "We tested the energy consumption in the process of creating an image file of RAM in the cartridge SpringBoard and concluded that the Visor less economical for batteries, and not so much because the flash memory in the original cartridges consume more energy, much of due to an inefficient organization of the copy procedure. It implies a tentative "formatting" cartridge and copy the contents of RAM. The user has no possibility to create multiple copies or to restore individual programs. " Although the author did not mention this directly, we understand that he was in the hands of the module Backup Backup Module. This cartridge, as the name suggests, is precisely intended solely for backup the entire contents of RAM. If you want to "create multiple copies or to restore individual programs." used by another module - Spingboard Flash Module. I understand that Oleg could not know this, but you can also ask for ... and important detail, which has fallen from a consideration of the author - the price of devices. TRGPro expensive Visor Deluxe by 50-70 dollars both in America and in Russia. The bottom line is: our advice to the user, choosing between TRGPro and Visor Deluxe, differs significantly from the board Oleg Lebedev. Briefly it can be stated as: If: 1. Important for you to high-speed synchronization with your desktop PC via USB port

2. You're not going to experiment with rewriting the ROM with new versions of the operating system Palm OS

3. You want to save 50-70 dollars, then your choice - Visor Deluxe, but if: 1. You need to work with very large amounts of data (up to 1 GB on IBM Microdrive)

2. It's important to have a flash ROM, and you'll pay for this extra money, buy TRGPro. Well, as a matter of choice of design - a matter of your taste. The authors, translation:

Dmitry Havzhu