By Mary Sheridan, Vice President, Tampa PC Users Group
mcpease@mindspring.com

This is my second article in the “Handheld” series. Instead of starting a “Palm” SIG, a series of articles will be written about the handheld devices. I encourage input as to what things you would like to see more information about. Either the Palm Platform or Windows CE, it does not matter. I will be happy to research the issue and write an article about it.

I got the Prism while I was in Las Vegas attending the Fall APCUG conference. I bought it at the Handspring booth at Comdex. There were two primary reason I chose this unit over the others; 1. The screen is wonderfully easy to see and read and 2. The price was in my range (because of a APCUG coupon I paid $249.00). I began shopping for a new Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) last summer. I had been using a Palm III for a little over a year. The address book had helped me out a couple of times, but that was all I used it for. Once I was able to see the newer units with much easier to read screens, I realized there had been a problem using my unit because it was hard to see. Even with the backlight on, it was still difficult to make out the characters. I had initially planned on trying to get a ‘deal’ on the newest Palm unit, but once I compared the various units, I walked away with the Handspring.

There were better units and I was really tempted to buy the HP Jornada. BUT, the cheapest price I could find on the Jornada was $599.00. I just could not justify this much money, not knowing for sure if I would really use it more often than I had my Palm III.

The units are less than $450.00 today, but still a lot of money IMHO.

Anyway, back to the Handspring Prism. There are over fifty modules available for the Prism. These modules are digital cameras, mobile phones, wireless internet devices, MP3 player…the list goes on. The modules are plug-and-play. Just plug them in and they work, no drivers to install or wires to plug in. The modules are very easy to change. They are small and very portable. The Prism comes with the usual software that comes on a Palm Pilot; Addresses, Date Book Plus, Calculators, etc. Because the Prism uses the Palm Operating System, the unit is fully compatible with any other Palm device. I can transfer data to and from my computer by placing the unit in its cradle (easily connected to the computer by USB connection) and pushing a button. It’s even easier to transfer data to another Palm based unit by simply ‘beaming’ the data via infrared port. The unit comes with software that is compatible with either a PC or a Macintosh.

Many of the previous features are standard in other handhelds, but since I own the Handspring Prism, it’s easier for me to start with this unit and then compare the other units to this one. I use my Prism every single day. I have it with me all the time and I find new uses for it at least once a week.

I’m investigating a pedometer unit that clips onto your waistband like other pedometers do. The module has some interesting software that does some extensive ‘fitness’ calculations. It sells for $39.00 and unless I am able to talk myself out of buying it, I will write an article in the future about the unit.

Please send any suggestions for the handheld column to mcpease@mindspring.com. u