Handheld Reviews

After reading the review from "An electronics fan from Hawaii," I have decided not to purchase from this buyer. I have had this same thing occur with on-line purchases and I think it is absolutely ridiculous. Obviously this seller has no faith in his ability to sell his product if his policy is "once you buy it, it's yours... I'm not taking it back no matter what." That really makes me nervous about purchasing something from you. Return policies establish trust. I am looking for a new docking cradle for a Handspring Visor. I will NOT purchase from these guys based on this return policy. CAVEAT EMPTOR - BUYER BEWARE!

The unit ordered did not fit my Visor Handheld unit. I offered to pay for all shipping costs (to and from my location) to return unit to seller. Seller preferred to make a statement that they did not "misrepresent" the product sold, and as a result would not accept a return. I never stated that the seller misrepresented anything,... I merely wanted to return an unused unit which I could not use. Seller refused, and shared with me their personal buying errors that they have accepted and lived with as "learning experiences." If sellers would be understanding, these learning experiences would be minimized in the marketplace, don't you think!

It arrived without delay, and worked immediately using the downloadable software. I had an older serial cradle for a Visor Graphite, but needed a USB connection for use with a newer Mac laptop.

i recommend the HP handheld series for anybody. they are very affordable, and much better than Palm brand organizers.

The cover works great once you figure out how to get it in place. The instructions are useless, but, fortunately a little common sense leads you to remove the rubber pieces that cover the hinge slots. The cover then snaps into place easily. While the cover is open, if you squeeze the hinges, the cover snaps fully into place allowing the cover to stay open until you close it. Color of cover is classy and coordinates nicely with the Jornada's colors.

I was ready to return this item because the cover would not stay up when I opened it. This made the Jornada worthless when it had the cover on. I decided to try it one last time, before I put the item back into the box to return it, and I noticed that if I pressed the connections between the Jornada and the cover when the cover was opened it locked into the open position. After a number of manuals locks the cover settled (I guess) into the connection slots and would lock open when I flipped the cover up.

I really wanted a more powerful Jornada 720 which is sort of the claim that NEC puts on this product. They keyboard is pretty good and some parts of the design like the placement of the CF slot and the PC Card are perfect. However, this is not exactly a small form factor like the Jornada it is about the size of a Fujitsu P1120 or a Avertec P. Weight wise it is about .5lb from the the P1120 and 2lbs from the Avertec. A good part is that it does have the ability to instantly turn on but the screen is terrible. In fact probably the worst screen of any PDA / Laptop I have seen. It is all washed out. I wanted this so that I could throw it in a Gym bag and if needed instantly turn it on and trade stocks through a TMobile Aircard. I found that the syncing with ActiveSync 3.7 was terrible, sometimes it would work other times it would fail on WinNT2000K and with XP Pro it was a nightmare. Part of the NEC 900 that is rotten is the OS. THe HPC 2000 is just plain buggy. The AirCard software would die while it works on a PDA and over 6 laptops and tablets.

Pros:
+ Turns on fast
+ CPU is definately faster than Jornada like 4 times as fast
+ CF/PCMCIA slot are position nicely and takes both I/II
+ Keyboard excellent

COns:
+ Too big just isn't small enough to be like a Jornada and too small to be like a P1120 or Sony TR1 or JVC Interlink all of which are much more powerful
+ Screen is worst I have ever seen
+ Syncing/OS is out of date and difficult

Bottom line for the price it isn't too bad if you want something light to type on or run excel spreadsheets that will last 8 hours. They keyboard is awesome so if you have large fingers and need an ultra portable this is ok if you can get around the screen.

Ok to all of you looking at an alternative to pocket pc and laptops then this device will be a welcome addition and a change of some sorts. I've owned a Jornada 720, 728 and a 547 which is a pocket pc. I honestly prefer handheld to the pocket pc because it encompasses everything into one unit with minimal lugging around of accessories and gadgets. When a unit can accommodate compact flash, secure digital and has a built in modem and PCMCIA slots then u have an all in one solution. These particular styles are more geared to the mobile professional and the frequent traveler. I'm considering buying this one and selling all of my old handhelds and pocket pc's because of nothing else technology. The only manufacturer left in the game is NEC and this unit has a 400 MHz Xscale processor (the same as in the high end pocket pc's) and has 64meg of ram and rom. The thing that people are going to say negatively about this machine is the screen. That's not NEC's fault. Until Microsoft gets off its lazy unsupportive billion dollar butt and offers a service pack to the hpc2000 OS then it will be hard to foresee change. I can stand being at the mercy of software developers. Hardware has always been ahead of software throughout the inception of technology. The current Handheld OS is 4 years old and wont support higher resolutions and color depths. However this unit does have external capabilities that allow it to be displayed at 800x600 which is acceptable for power point presentations and the like. Everyone that is a Handheld owner should write and send email to Microsoft to force a service pack upgrade because these units are more than capable of providing years of good hard use and its a shame that a new warranted unit like the NEC is hampered only by the software and not technology. It's a shame as well that HP got out of the market because their Jornadas were second to none. Anyway I'm a dreamer and I do foresee an upgrade to the OS and this NEC unit does have a ton of potential and a myriad of uses. Don't buy it expecting it to compete with a pocket pc in terms of the screen and performance due to the fact it uses passive active matrix screen versus the TFT screens on ppc's and the OS isn't optimized for the Xscale processor but nonetheless nothing else fills the void and hits the spot like the mobile pro900.

I love this-- I hated carrying around a heavy laptop-- and I did not want to shell out the crazy amount of $$$ for a super light one-- because only the lightest would have been useful to me-- This is the answer-- Instant on and instantly into documents and off to work-- I've only had it a short time but its already proved incredibly useful, I've given up my notebook(actual paper spiral) that I used to haul around to meetings and though I was hesitant to give up my calendar I decided to pitch it within a few days!!!
Adressing the other reviewers negativity-- just cause he is an IT guy does not mean he knows what he is talking about!!! Syncing with my computer took just a few minutes-- It is like MAGIC
Thanks NEC!

I received this last Christmas from a generous friend. As I began unwrapping the gift and almost immediately began to feel that I may have really received what I'd wished for. It was then exclaimed to me, after I had removed enough wrapping to see just what I'd wanted, "It's guaranteed to be totally USB compatible!" After I found NOTHING that looked even remotely like a USB connector in the box, it "rained" the rest of the morning with broken showers ALL EVENING LONG. My initial anticipation was appreciated but by the time everyone was absolutely impossible to HotSync the m100, my generous friend was angry to have made such a high ticket purchase (for a friend I think you'd agree). Palm, you ruined my Christmas 2000 with your short sitedness and the untrained sales reps in places selling your product. The thing completely shut down a few months later, just when my scripting ability had become nearly second nature. I'd give it ZERO stars if the option were available.

This cable came with my Palm and it's great to have. However, my laptop has USB ports and I can't sync my Palm with my laptop, I have to go home and hook it up to my desktop computer.

I bought this HotSync cable so that I could have one for my work PC and my home PC without having to duck down and remove the cord each time I left the office. I now synch up both places with ease. It works wonderfully, and I've not had any problems with it.

Easily the worst investment I've ever made. The cheap leather falls apart after prolonged use. The metal bar that's suppose to hold the Palm V in place doesn't; as a result, my Palm V kept falling out of its case and onto the floor/ground. After months of frustrating use, I found the time to buy a Palm V Hardcase. Bottom line: this leather case is a total disappointment; save yourself some aggravation and look elsewhere.

The leather is ugly, the metal bar is useless, and worst of all... it doesnt even cover my Palm completely!!!

VERY high quality leather and superb looks. I have owned several different Palm V cases and this Dooney & Bourke is the best for my application. Adequate protection, extremely high quality look, feel, and touch, and, most of all, exceptional accessibility to the unit itself. I'm very pleased.

As a college student and a Handspring Neo owner thought this was a nice case to protect my organizer. Well it lasted for about 3 months before the plastic snap cover that holds it in place BROKE! Besides that it still didn't do much for the dust that got all over my screen.I wouldn't recomend it to anyone. There are other cases that look nicer and actually fully cover and protect the organizer...

This is a fine case. The only problem I had was I couldn't clip my Prism in with a my-Vox recorder SpringBoard installed. I used the my-Vox in a Deluxe with a custom case, and it worked fine. Unfortunately, the my-Vox has a very slight raised area to plug a headphone jack into it. While the case for the Deluxe fit with the slightly extra wide my-Vox in it, this case for the Prism is too snug to fit with a my-Vox. It just would not clip shut, so I had to return it.

We all know that a case comes to mind when you think of PDA protection. Well, this case is one of those few cases for the Visor Prism. I think it is too big for an already large Visor. Luckily, I wear cargo pants with extra-large pockets. If pocket space is not a problem for you, then get this. It has credit card holders, a slot for I.D., a notepad, and a place for an extra stylus. If you feel this is not the right case for you, then don't get it or you can stick with the cover that came the Visor Prism.

This product appears to be nothing an overpriced, cutesy-named ("Brain Wash") box of alcohol wipes. The "wet" wipes seem to be pretty much the same as those things you buy to clean your eyeglasses, and the "dry" wipes are, well, basically a napkin. As far as I could tell from using it, this product does nothing for the screen of your PDA that a small shot of Windex and a soft cloth couldn't.

I probably won't buy it again, because (as another reviewer pointed out) it's really nothing more than screen cleaner & wipes in cute individual packages. Sure, there's a convenience factor there, but how often do you need that kind of convenience when you're cleaning something? The wet wipe is large enough to clean about three full-sized monitors, so it really does seem like overkill for a PDA. I always clean my PDA and desktop monitor at the same time, so I don't feel like I'm wasting.

I might use it if I were travelling a great deal with a laptop. Otherwise, for your desktop computer, save some money and grab a bottle of screen cleaner & an old dishtowel instead.

This is a good product... One overlooked item is that they are pretty good for cleaning PC monitors!. After you clean your PDA screen, use them on your PC monitor (unless your PDA was really, really dirty. It works great for removing finger smudges.

If you are not too exigent with your expectations about a very good quality camera, this is the tool you'd use without pay any battery or a card expansion. OK, the quality is not the best but it is quite clear if you learn to take your photos after trial and errors. When you got it you'll see it was worthy to buy one. If you don't want to carry everywhere your regular digital camera this is the easiest way to do it, just connected with your visor inside your pocket/case. Believe me, it's fun.

Mine came bundled with my visor neo...whcih i thought was a great deal. I agree that the quality of the pics varies from poor to acceptable... and it can be hard (very hard) to take a good pic holding the visor steady and pushing that teeny button you have to push near the lens....AND it wont fit in my case with the module in. BUT....i really really like it... if i load the software onto the computer the pics will be in color (supposedly) becuase the only reason they are in B&W is becuase they are on the visor... if i load the viewing software on my computer i am supposed to be able to view them in color. i would use them to send in emails...nothing more artistic... they are basicly poloroid-like... its fun having the pics on the visor EVEN tho they take up room.
alot of the MOST fun things i have on my visor arent useful at all... at least this has some potential usefullness for me. i can see it being VERY useful at the scene of an accident wehn i would need pictures... or a photo album of family pics, maybe.

Obviously it's not going to make you the next Ansel Adams, but this little Springboard device is SERIOUS FUN. It has the magical charm of those ancient toy plastic-lens cameras and its cool factor is just about off the scale. The color is surprisingly true and the fact that you're holding your Visor like a 2 1/4 inch format camera gives you the same disarming interaction with your subject, ie, you can make eye contact since you don't have a box in front of your face.

Again, don't expect miracles, and remember that any camera is merely a tool, you've gotta bring some magic of your own to the table, but I must say that I haven't been this happy and excited about an electronic device since... well, ever. It's THAT good. PLUS its little manual is exceptionally well-designed, the little metal case that comes with it is brilliant, the software is robust and well thought out -- If there's going to be an Eyemodule 3, I want to be first in line to buy it!

A few days ago I asked HP the upgrade to Pocket Windows 2003 for my Jornada 565, bought at Amazon on May 30, 2002. They answered they are not planning to give any upgrade to Jornadas because Compaq IPacs are now the mainstream line of pocket PCs from HP. A year after the purchase I have an obsolete tool and I think this is very unfair for HP customers.

Hewlett-Packard support have just tell me that they will not upgrade any Jornada to Pocket PC 2003 operating system, and they will only support Compaq I-Pac as HP I-Pac mainstream Pocket PCs. I bought in Amazon a Jornada 565 in May 2002, and now I have an obsolete tool. I think this is very unfair. I have invested ... in the Jornada 565 and Hewlett-Packard forgets his customers to only give upgrades to Compaq customers. If you are thinking about buying an HP product, think twice: maybe they are thinking to merge with anybody else and live you without support.

Ever since I bought my 565 I have loved it. It has been my trusted companion. It also makes a supperior MP3 Player, as it syncs well with Windows Media Player on my PC. It also is the perfect medium to write letters (Pocket Word), Manage your money and investment (MS Money for PPC), The best universal remote(TV Remote), and a better note taker that a giant Tablet PC. And it has a wonderfull hard cover to protect the screen. Despite loving it so much, It is impossable to find parts for it in Canada. Since it is discontinued you can not get a replacement stylus, or assesories. And I've had to get the screen replaced once, and the second time is comming soon. And the dust is impossable to get out.

I am returning this case it does not fit the Palm IIIC. the edges of the palm stick out and I want more protection than that.

I got this and its perfect for that price. The leather is good to the touch and it holds the Palm perfectly. I have a IIIe in it and even my model fits the case. If you need a lot of protection I'd look elsewhere, but if you're looking for a stylish case to hold your Palm and act as a nice business wallet, I wouldn't pass it up.

I've just received the Palm IIIc Slim Leather Case. It is brand new, soft leather and the front and back panels are well padded. The Palm IIIc logo is embossed on the bottom right front. Anyone who's tried to purchase cases for this model knows that there just isn't that much out there. I highly recommend this one. At [$$$] total, this product far exceeded my expectations...