My Handspring experience has been a bitter-sweet one. I purchased a Handspring Visor Deluxe in January which arrived within about 12 days. I really enjoy my Visor and have had no problems with it thus far. I later ordered a backup module and case. The backup module arrived in about a week. The case, even though I was told it was in stock at the time of order, was on back-order. During my extended wait for the case, each time I called to inquire about my order all the service representative could tell me was that it was on back-order and they don't know when I could expect it to arrive. I asked if they could substitute the case I ordered with one that was currently in stock, and I was told this was not possible. I was also told that once an order is submitted to their warehouse it cannot be canceled. I spoke with their customer service supervisor who said basically the same thing and told me to simply refuse to accept receipt of the shipment if I didn't want it. No one at Handspring seemed interested in solving this problem. Eventually, after a rather heated discussion with the customer service supervisor, and a 3-week wait, my case showed up. I had to place an order online for a serial cradle yesterday so I can hotsynch with my computer at work -- I have not received an email confirmation of the order yet, but the Handspring web site shows a record of receiving my order. It remains to be seen what will happen with that order.

A case is a pretty non-essential item, but just imagine if you needed a backup module, memory module, or possibly a replacement for your Visor. You are totally at Handspring's mercy as to when you can expect delivery. And their customer service department does not seem to have the slightest clue as to what the warehouse is doing. My gripe is not with Handspring's products but rather the unprofessional and inefficient way they seem to conduct their online/telephone business. Service after the sale is as important, if not more important, than the sale itself.

As medical professionals, we need equipment that we can count on. And if there is a problem or additional equipment needed, we need to know that we can get things resolved quickly. In my case, I use my Visor to track information about my patients in the hospital including their charges, diagnoses, medications, etc. (using HanDBase, which is an excellent and inexpensive database program). If my Visor quits working I will not have the luxury of a 4-week wait to receive a new one. The obvious solution would be to buy a second one to have available as a backup. But with Handspring's current poor service I'm not sure I want to send all of my business their way. At this point I am tempted to wait and see what 3Com does over the next few weeks. It may be worth the extra money to buy a product that is available locally with readily available accessories and parts. From what I have read on discussion boards online, 3Com's customer service is also outstanding.