Handspring Visor Pro Handheld User Guide

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Chapter 1
Introduction to Your 
Visor™ Handheld
This chapter explains the physical buttons and controls on your 
Visor™ handheld computer, how to use your handheld for the first 
time, and how to use HotSync
® technology to synchronize your 
handheld and Palm™ Desktop software.
Getting to know your 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 personal details, or keeping track of all the items on your to do list. 
Your handheld can help you improve your track record in all these 
areas, both at work and at home. 
You can enter all your schedule details in Date Book Plus so you can 
view them by the day, week, month, year, or in list format; you can 
even set an alarm to remind you of important meetings. Keep all your 
contact names, addresses, phone numbers, and other details in 
Address, so you can find them as soon as you need them. Add your 
tasks to To Do list, prioritize them so you don’t overlook them, and 
assign them a due date. 
To make sure you don’t lose any of this important information, you 
can synchronize your data with Palm Desktop software on your 
computer so you always have a backup copy. You can set different 
levels of security for your handheld so unauthorized eyes cannot view 
your data.
When you are out of the office, track your expenses for your expense 
reports. You can write, edit, and view your e-mail, and then 
synchronize your e-mail with your desktop E-Mail application when 
you return to your office. 
						

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System requirements
To install and operate Palm Desktop software, your computer system 
must meet the following requirements:
Minimum requirements
nMac OS 8.5 or later (for USB cradle)
--or--
Mac OS 7.53 or later (for serial cradle)
nApple Macintosh or compatible computer 
with a PowerPC processor
n8 MB RAM (memory) minimum, 
16 MB recommended 
n25 
MB available hard disk space
nVGA monitor or better 
nCD-ROM drive 
nMouse
nUSB port (for USB cradle)
Serial port (for serial cradle)
Optional equipment
nModem (such as a Springboard™ modem)
nSpringboard expansion modules
Upgrade information
If you already own a Palm OS® handheld, Handspring recommends 
that you install the version of Palm Desktop software that comes with 
your Visor handheld into the same folder as your current Palm 
Desktop software. When you install the new version in the same 
folder as the previous version, all your data is preserved. If you use 
another personal information manager (PIM), you still need to install 
Palm Desktop software in order to update the HotSync Manager on 
your computer.
You perform HotSync operations in exactly the same way, so you can 
quickly synchronize your old data with your new handheld.  
						

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To upgrade:
1. Synchronize your old handheld with your old Palm Desktop 
software. This ensures that the latest information from your 
handheld is on your desktop computer.
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. Place your new handheld in the cradle and press the HotSync 
button. If the User dialog box appears, select your user name.
5. Compare the applications on your old and new handhelds.
6. Beam any third party applications that did not transfer from your 
old handheld to your new handheld, or install them from the 
original files.
Each handheld must have a unique name
After you complete the upgrade process described above, you have 
two handhelds with the same name. This is an undesirable situation. 
Each handheld must have a unique name in order to prevent 
unexpected results during HotSync operations and other 
complications.
We strongly recommend that you perform a hard reset on your old    
handheld. See “Performing a hard reset” in Appendix A for details.
A hard reset not only erases all data from the old handheld; it also   
erases the name and makes that handheld a clean slate, ready to 
receive a new name. The next time you perform a HotSync operation 
with this old handheld, you are asked to give it a name. Be sure to give 
it a unique name. 
						

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Visor components
Locating front panel controls
 
Stylus
Serves as the writing instrument used to enter data in 
your handheld. To use the stylus, slide the stylus out of 
the slot, and hold it as you would a pen or pencil.
Handheld 
screenDisplays the applications and information stored in your 
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 2 to learn how to write 
Graffiti characters. 
Application 
buttonsActivates the individual applications that correspond to 
the icons on the buttons: Date Book Plus, Address, To Do 
List, and Memo Pad. See “Buttons preferences” in 
Chapter 9 for details on reassigning these buttons to 
activate any application on your handheld.
Tip:
If your handheld is turned off, pressing any 
application button activates your handheld and 
opens the corresponding application.
Screen
Graffiti
® writing area
Application 
buttons
Scroll 
buttons
Power button and 
backlight control
MicrophoneLED
Contrast controlStylus  
						

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LED 
indicatorIndicates the status of the battery as it charges. When 
your handheld is in the cradle, the LED blinks while the 
battery charges and stays on after the battery is charged.
When the silent alarm setting is active, the LED blinks as 
an alarm notification. See “Date Book Plus menus” in 
Chapter 6 for details.
Scroll 
buttonsDisplays text and other information that extends beyond 
the area of the handheld screen. Pressing the bottom 
scroll button scrolls down to view information below the 
viewing area, and pressing the top scroll button scrolls 
up to view the information above the viewing area.
Microphone
For use with Springboard expansion modules that 
support this feature.
Power 
button and 
backlight 
controlTurns your handheld on or off and controls the backlight 
feature. If your handheld is turned off, pressing the 
power button turns the unit on and returns you to the 
last screen you viewed.
If your handheld is turned on, pressing the power button 
turns the unit off. Holding the power button down for 
about two seconds turns the backlight on or off.
Contrast 
ControlDisplays the contrast control screen where you can 
adjust the appearance of the screen for the clearest screen 
display. Depending on the lighting conditions or 
temperature of the environment where you use your 
handheld, you may need to adjust the contrast.
To adjust the contrast, drag the slider or tap the arrows 
to increase or decrease the contrast. To fine tune the 
contrast, press the scroll buttons on the front panel of 
your handheld.  
						

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Using the backlight
If you have difficulty seeing the information on your handheld, you 
can use the backlight to illuminate your screen. 
To activate the backlight:
nPress the power button and hold it down for about two seconds. 
Release the button when the backlight turns on.
Tip:
In addition, you can assign the full-screen pen stroke to 
activate the backlight. See “Pen preferences” in Chapter 9 for 
more information.
To turn off the backlight:
nPress and hold the power button for about two seconds. The 
backlight also turns off automatically (after a period of inactivity) 
with the Auto-off feature. See “General preferences” in Chapter 9 
for more information.
Protective cover
The cover protects the Visor handheld screen when it is not in use. 
To remove the cover:
1. Unclip the top of the cover from your handheld.
2. Lift the cover off your handheld. 
To reattach the cover:
1. Insert the pegs on the bottom of the cover into the holes on the 
bottom of your handheld.
2. Gently press the top of the cover onto your handheld until it clicks 
into place.
 Unclip top edge to 
remove cover
Align pegs to 
replace cover 
						

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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 handheld 
and computer using HotSync technology. See “IR 
HotSync operations” in Chapter 8 for details.
Reset button
Under normal use, you should not have to use the 
reset button. See Appendix A for information 
about when and how to use the reset button.
USB and serial 
connectorThe connector that connects your handheld to the 
cradle, which in turn connects to a USB port or 
serial port on your computer. This allows you to 
update the information between your handheld 
and computer using HotSync technology.
Reset 
button
USB and serial 
connector Springboard 
expansion slot 
protector
IR port 
						

							Page 18  Introduction to Your Visor™ Handheld
Charging the battery
To use your 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 handheld enables you to charge your 
handheld battery and to synchronize the information on your 
handheld using HotSync technology.
Note:
If your computer does not have a USB port, or it does not use 
Mac OS 8.5 or later, you need a serial cradle to connect to your 
computer. You can purchase a serial cradle from 
www.handspring.com. 
To connect the cradle:
1. Plug the AC adapter cable into the back of the cradle cable 
connector.
2. Plug the cradle cable connector into the USB port or serial port on 
your computer.
USB cradle and port 
						

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Note:
If you are unsure about the exact location of the USB port or 
serial port on your computer, refer to the manual supplied 
with the computer.
3. Plug the AC adapter into a wall outlet.
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 
						

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Tapping and typing
Tap with the stylus to get things done
Like using a mouse to click elements on a computer screen, using the 
stylus to tap elements on your handheld screen is the basic action to 
get things done on your handheld.
The first time you start your handheld, setup instructions appear on 
the screen. These instructions include a calibration screen, or digitizer. 
Calibration aligns the internal circuitry of your handheld with its 
touch-sensitive screen so that when you tap an element on the screen, 
the handheld can detect exactly which task you want to perform. 
Important
:
Always use the point of the stylus for tapping or making 
strokes on the handheld screen. Never use an actual pen, 
pencil, or other sharp object to write on the handheld 
screen.
With your handheld turned on, you can tap the handheld screen to 
perform many operations, such as the following:
nOpen applications
nChoose menu commands
nInitiate a global Find operation
nSelect options in dialog boxes
nOpen the onscreen keyboards
Just as you can drag the mouse to select text or move objects on your 
computer, you can also drag the stylus to select text. You can also use 
the stylus to drag the slider of any scroll bar.