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| A Show Of Hands |
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Hardware Reviews November 2001 • Vol.12 Issue 11 Page(s) 14-16 in print issue |
A Show Of Hands Palm Vx Peripherals vs. Handspring Visor Peripherals | ||
 One big feature that separates palm-sized computers from electronic organizers is their ability to expand. Traditionally, expansion has come in the form of third-party software that lets you do things beyond simple organization. Playing games, tracking golf stats, managing money, and reading e-books are all capabilities you can add to your palm-sized computer by adding software. Today, palm-sized computers are expanding in new directions as hardware becomes an increasingly important way to add new capabilities. Peripherals including digital cameras, GPS (Global Positioning System) receivers, and modems are expanding the capabilities of our palm-sized computers beyond the limits of software upgrades. This month, we'll take a look at a few peripherals for the Palm Vx and comparable devices for the Handspring Visor to give owners a quick overview of the kinds of products available for both.  How We Tested We used two PDAs (personal digital assistants) for testing our peripherals. The Palm Vx provided the testing bed for Palm peripherals while a Handspring Visor Deluxe put our Springboard modules through their paces. Both devices come with 8MB of RAM, but the Palm Vx has a slightly faster processor. We evaluated each product's design, performance, and ease of use, while looking for physically well-designed items that integrated nicely with each PDA. Digital Cameras Turning your PDA into a digital camera is just one of the more entertaining things you can do with the proper accessories. The eyemodule2 and PalmPix cameras, for the Visor and Palm respectively, are two of the most popular accessories in this category.  eyemodule2 $199 IDEO http://www.eyemodule.com IDEO's eyemodule2 improves on the original in a number of ways, including better compatibility with the color Visor Prism and the ability to take higher-resolution pictures (as well as short, low-res videos). You'll have to remove your Visor from most cases to use the eyemodule2, as it is a little larger than the Springboard slot. When inserted into a Visor, the eyemodule2 software immediately loads and you're ready to begin. The Visor's display acts as the viewfinder and a slightly angled lens lets you hold the Visor at a comfortable viewing angle. Press the up button on the Visor to snap a picture. The eyemodule2 can take pictures at both full size (640 x 480 pixels) and palm size (160 x 120 pixels). It saves images taken at the lower resolution as black-and-white shots on grayscale models, such as the Visor Deluxe. Color devices, such as the Visor Prism, store palm-sized images in color. The eyemodule2 conduit software supports transferring files from a desktop PC to the Visor and vice versa, and the included ACDSee image viewer lets you view and resize images as needed. The companion eyecontact software helps you integrate pictures with entries in your Visor's Address Book, a somewhat impractical feature with lots of gee-whiz appeal. The eyemodule2's image quality wasn't great, especially in higher resolutions. And because it lacks a flash, it does poorly in low-light conditions. Still, we had a lot of fun with the eyemodule2 and think it has great potential for situations that require nothing more than a quick snapshot.  PalmPix $74.95 Kodak (888) 368-6600 (716) 724-4000 http://www.kodak.com The Kodak PalmPix is compatible with older Palm III series PDAs and the newer Palm m100 and Palm m500 series. Kodak does not make a model specifically for the Palm Vx, but it does offer the Dock V Adapter that lets the Palm III PalmPix model work with the Palm Vx. The adapter adds considerable length to the otherwise sleek Palm Vx, but it works effectively. Unlike Visor's Springboard modules that load the necessary software automatically upon connection, you'll have to manually install the Kodak PalmPix software on your Palm. That done, simply plug the PalmPix onto the bottom of your Palm and tap the Kodak PalmPix application's icon. The application lets you view, sort, and organize your images. Pressing the Date Book hardware button from within the PalmPix application turns the Palm's display into a viewfinder. Once you have your image, click the Date Book application again to save the current image to your Palm. Like the eyemodule2, the PalmPix can save images at either 160 x 120 or 640 x 480 resolution, but it saves all images in color regardless of size or device. You can use the PalmPix software to specify which images you want to synchronize and which you do not. Much like the eyemodule2, the PalmPix struggled in low-light conditions, and its image quality doesn't measure up to standalone digital cameras; but then again, it costs much less than a standalone digital camera. Get the picture? Neither device would serve as a replacement for a standard digital camera, but both are fun and easy to use. The PalmPix is much cheaper than its Visor-compatible competition at just $74.95. (Palm V owners will need to invest an additional $29.95 for the Dock V Adapter.) GPS Receivers It's always nice to know where you are and how to get where you need to go. GPS receivers use orbiting satellites to calculate their (and, therefore, your) positions. Used with mapping software, a GPS receiver is a compact, reliable way to find out how to get where you're going.  Geode $299 GeoDiscovery (888) 206-6444 http://www.geodiscovery.com GeoDiscovery's Geode slides into the Visor's Springboard slot and extends out the back and over the top of the device. This adds some size and weight, but the module and Visor fit comfortably in your hand. The combo will not fit in most standard cases for the Visor. The Geode contains two MMC (MultiMedia Card) slots that let you store maps and location information on removable media rather than cluttering your Visor's main memory. This is especially handy if your adventures tend to keep you away from a computer. GeoDiscovery's Geo-View software resides in your Visor's RAM so you can access maps without the Geode installed. Geo-View is free to download and use even if you don't buy a Geode. The device works very well; our Geode was able to track our position even from within a moving car. Initial position fixes, which can take some time to acquire on some GPS devices, seemed to occur relatively quickly. Although big and bulky, the Geode is one of the better GPS devices for the Handspring Visor; we particularly like its use of MMC media and easy to use software.  StreetFinder GPS $99.99 Rand McNally (800) 275-7263 (847) 329-6656 http://www.randmcnally.com The StreetFinder GPS model for the Palm V is a sled-shaped module that attaches to the back of the Palm. The company makes other models for older Palm III palm-sized computers and specific models for the Palm IIIc and Palm VIIx (prices vary according to the model). Although a little bigger than the Geode, the sled is fairly lightweight, adding only a moderate amount of weight and bulk to the Palm Vx. The unit uses its own battery, and comes with a car adapter. Its dashboard mount lets you keep it within easy reach while you keep both hands on the wheel for safety. Rand McNally's StreetFinder 2000 Deluxe software includes three CD-ROMs of highly detailed U.S. maps. You can export them to your Palm with varying amounts of detail, letting you control the size of the files you take with you on the go. Together, the software and StreetFinder worked well, even in a car. As with most GPS systems, you may have trouble tracking a signal in dense forests, downtown areas with tall buildings, or any area where your view of the sky is limited. Where it's at. In the end, we liked the features of the Geode a little better. It is a little more compact and has slightly more intuitive software, and we love the ability to add maps via MMC media. For the price conscious, however, the Palm V StreetFinder GPS is an excellent deal, as it costs about $200 less. Modems Staying connected is important in this day and age, especially as e-mail becomes a bigger part of daily life. Thanks to modem peripherals for PDAs, you no longer need to lug around a large notebook just to check your e-mail.  Palm V Modem Accessory $129 Palm (800) 881-7256 (847) 262-7256 http://www.palm.com The Palm V Modem connects to the back of the Palm V and adds a considerable amount of size and weight, especially compared to the Thinmodem, although some of its bulk includes space for its own battery. This means it doesn't use the Palm's battery during use. A second advantage of its size is that it can accommodate a standard phone cord, so you won't need to carry around a special cable. As with the Thinmodem below, you can perform a remote HotSync using the Palm V Modem, but because it lacks extra software, remote HotSyncs are about the only thing you can do with the modem out of the box. You'll need to download and install third-party software if you want to browse the Web and retrieve e-mail from your ISP (Internet service provider).  Thinmodem Plus $149.95 CardAccess (801) 492-4750 http://www.cardaccess-inc.com In the PDA world, modem peripherals are usually on the bulky side. The Thinmodem from CardAccess, on the other hand, is a well-designed modem that doesn't add any extra size to your Visor and, in addition, comes with 8MB of flash memory for storing applications. The Thinmodem Plus fits entirely within the confines of the Springboard expansion slot. Modems are notorious battery hogs, and the Thinmodem has no room to house its own battery, which means it has to share the Visor's juice. However, CardAccess equips it with special power-saving software that minimizes its impact on the Visor's battery. Thanks to the size of the Thinmodem, your Visor will fit in all standard cases with the modem installed, although you'll have to remove it from most to attach its phone cord and get online. The six-foot phone cord features a flat connector on one end that plugs into the Thinmodem (it's too thin for a standard phone jack) and a standard RJ-11 plug that fits into wall jacks on the other. CardAccess ships Browse-it 2.0 software from Pumatech along with the Thinmodem Plus for surfing the Web and JP Systems' One Touch e-mail application for sending and receiving e-mail. The included HotSync application can use the modem to synchronize with your home or office PC even when you're on the road. The first time you plug the module into a Visor, the Thinmodem guides you through the configuration process. The included File Mover application transfers files between your Visor and the Thinmodem Plus' flash memory. You can use the flash memory to store applications you use occasionally. Although the Thinmodem does place more of a load on the Visor's batteries, this is a small price to pay for such a compact and powerful modem. Size matters (but speed matters more). Despite its larger size, the Palm V Modem Accessory is slower than the Thinmodem. The Palm V Modem connects to the Internet at just 33.6Kbps (kilobits per second) compared to the Thinmodem's 56Kbps. Final Word The CardAccess Thinmodem is a handy tool, especially for the road warrior; but PDA screens weren't made for surfing the Internet, and writing e-mail replies using handwriting recognition is slow and painful. The eyemodule2 is a fun gizmo but may lack a little bit of practicality. GPS, on the other hand, is a product that can be both fun and useful. Our Smart Choice Award for November goes to the Geode GPS receiver. Its combination of features, ease of use, and compact design makes it the clear choice. However, we should mention that the StreetFinder GPS for the Palm V comes in a close second because of its sub-$100 price.  by Chad Denton
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