How do the Palm Vx and Handspring Visor Deluxe compare? Which one should you buy? These are questions that seem to be asked a lot by potential buyers. I do not own the Palm Vx, but colleagues of mine do. As far as I know, they have been happy with it. I own a Handspring Visor Deluxe and have been happy with its performance. Before I purchased the Visor I compared it's features with the Palm Vx. In essence, they are very similar: both have 8 MB memory storage and utilize the Palm OS. There are some key differences, though, which may or may not be important to you.

The Palm Vx is an attractive, slim handheld device. The Visor is also attractive, but it is a little larger and thicker than the Palm Vx. I store my Visor in a leather folding case purchased from Handspring -- it fits snugly in the case with a unique snap-in mechanism, and everything fits into the pocket of my sport jacket without any trouble. Some people prefer the Palm Vx, though, because it is noticeably slimmer.

	Palm Vx

The Palm Vx operating system can be upgraded. The Visor OS cannot. This will not likely pose any real problem, but many people are bothered by the lack of an upgradeable OS in the Visor. Realistically, if you are like most people, you will probably replace your handheld with a newer model in a few years anyway, so the lack of an upgradable OS is not likely relevant.

The Palm Vx uses built-in rechargeable batteries. They are not replaceable (at least not by the owner). You must put the Vx in its charger cradle to recharge the batteries. The Visor uses everyday AAA batteries. I use rechargeable NiMH AAA batteries in mine, and it works fine. This way, when the batteries run down, I can simply pop a couple others in while the other ones recharge in a separate charger.

The Visor uses an enhanced version of the Palm OS. It is essentially the same operating system in appearance and function, but the Visor OS has an improved Date Book called Date Book+ and a far superior calculator with scientific and financial functions. The Palm Vx calculator is pretty basic and leaves a lot to be desired. The Visor also has a world time display that shows the time in several time zones across the world. For a world traveler I suppose this might be important, but most people will probably not find this of much use.

The Palm Vx does not have any significant expandability. You are limited to whatever can be attached to the serial interface at its bottom. There are interesting peripherals that can be attached to the Palm Vx (e.g. a separate keyboard), but similar devices can be attached to the Visor, too. The Visor's claim to fame is its port for "springboard modules." These are small cartridges that can easily plug in to the Visor and expand its capabilities. Handspring markets a backup module (which I use all the time) that allows you to back up everything on your Visor and restore it with one tap in the event of a tragic loss of your data (battery failure, etc.). They also market a module with an additional 8 MB of usable memory, a modem module, and a game module (a Tiger Woods golf game). There are a number of other modules available or soon to be released by 3rd party companies.

One main reason I chose the Visor over the Palm Vx is the way it interfaces with the desktop computer. The Palm Vx uses a serial interface. If you already have something else attached to your serial port (e.g. a graphics tablet, printer, or digital camera for example) you will find this to be a problem. The Visor uses the USB interface. It is very easy to get up and running and works wonderfully. I have a USB hub with several other devices attached to it besides my Visor cradle, and it all works fine. It provides very fast data transfer and has been shown to be much faster than the serial interface. You can get USB capability for the Palm Vx, but it will cost you about $35-40 more to buy the appropriate adapter and software.

	Handspring Visor

The Palm Vx is available at many retail outlets. You can buy one most anywhere. The Visor is currently available by online purchase from Handspring, and most recently became available in nationwide retail outlets (Best Buy, Staples, and Comp USA). I purchased my Visor online, and it arrived within 12 days. Their customer service has been poor and has received a number of complaints. If you have to order online, this may be a concern for you. If you can buy a Visor locally, it will probably not be relevant.

There is a difference in cost. If money is tight, a Handspring Visor Deluxe, including leather slipcase and cradle, can be purchased for $249. The Palm Vx costs about $399, although you may be able to buy it for slightly less online somewhere. If you want USB capability for the Palm Vx you should plan on spending another $35-40.

In summary, both the Palm Vx and Handspring Visor Deluxe appear to be very good handheld computers. If standard features and widespread local availability are important to you, the Palm Vx should be a strong consideration. On the other hand, the Visor Deluxe has some very good additional features for a lot less money. If it is available in a retail outlet in your area, and you can live with an OS that cannot be upgraded, the Visor Deluxe is well worth your consideration.

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