Handspring Visor Prism Handheld User Guide

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About This Guide
Welcome to the Visor™ handheld computer. This guide is designed to 
help you get up and running quickly on your handheld. It describes 
all you need to know about how to use your Visor handheld and the 
applications that come with it. 
It walks you through:
nLocating all the parts of your handheld
nViewing and entering data
nUsing your handheld with your computer
nPersonalizing your handheld with your own preference settings
After you become familiar with the basic functionality...

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Chapter 1 Page 3
Chapter 1
Introduction to Your 
Visor Handheld
This chapter explains the physical buttons and controls on your Visor 
handheld computer, how to use your Visor handheld for the first time, 
and how to use HotSync
® technology to synchronize your Visor 
handheld and Palm™ Desktop software.
Getting to know your Visor handheld
What is a Visor handheld?
With your Visor handheld, you will no longer have trouble getting to 
meetings and appointments on time, remembering people’s names 
and...

Page 4  Introduction to Your Visor Handheld
System requirements
To install and operate Palm Desktop software, your computer system 
must meet the following requirements:
Minimum requirements
nWindows 98 or Windows 2000 (for USB cradle)
--or--
Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, or Windows NT 4.0 
(for serial cradle)
n486 MHz processor (or faster)
n8 MB RAM (memory) minimum, 
16 MB recommended
n25 
MB available hard disk space
nVGA monitor or better 
nCD-ROM drive (you can also download Palm Desktop...

Chapter 1 Page 5
2. (Optional) To ensure against any data loss, go to the folder that 
stores Palm Desktop software, copy your user name folder, and 
store the copy outside the Palm Desktop software folder.
3. Follow the installation instructions in “Installing Palm Desktop 
software” later in this chapter. Be sure to install the new software 
in the same folder as the old software.
4. To prepare for the first HotSync operation that synchronizes your 
new handheld with your new Palm Desktop software, go...

Page 6  Introduction to Your Visor Handheld
Visor components
Locating front panel controls
Stylus
Slides in and out of the slot in the back panel of the 
handheld. To use the stylus, remove it from the slot 
and hold it as you would a pen or pencil.
Visor 
handheld 
screenDisplays the applications and information stored in 
your Visor handheld. It is touch-sensitive and 
responds to the stylus.
Graffiti
 
writing 
areaThe area where you write letters and numbers using 
the Graffiti alphabet. See Chapter...

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Power 
button and 
brightness 
controlTurns your handheld on or off. If your Visor 
handheld is turned off, pressing the power button 
turns the unit on and returns you to the last screen 
you viewed. If your Visor handheld is turned on, 
pressing the power button turns the unit off. 
Holding the power button down for about two 
seconds opens the brightness control panel where 
you can adjust the appearance of the screen. To adjust 
the brightness, drag the slider or tap the arrows to...

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Locating back panel components
Springboard 
expansion slot 
protectorSlides in and out of the Springboard expansion 
slot. You can replace the slot protector with a 
Springboard expansion module to add features to 
your handheld.
IR port
Uses infrared technology to transmit data to and 
receive data from other Palm OS handhelds. See 
“Beaming information” in Chapter 7 for more 
information. You can also use the IR port to 
update the information between your...

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Charging the battery
To use your Visor handheld, you must connect the cradle and charge 
the battery. See “Battery considerations” in Appendix A for tips on 
extending the life of the battery.
Connecting the cradle
The cradle that comes with your Visor handheld enables you to charge 
your handheld battery and to synchronize the information on your 
Visor handheld with your Palm Desktop software using HotSync 
technology.
Note:
If your computer does not have a USB port, or it uses...

Page 10  Introduction to Your Visor Handheld
To charge the battery:
1. Connect the cradle as described in the previous steps.
2. Place your handheld in the cradle.
Note:
The LED blinks while your handheld charges. When the 
LED stays on, your handheld is charged. It takes about 90 
minutes to fully charge a drained battery.
Serial cradle and port
LED