MOUNTAIN VIEW, California -- Handspring is trimming the size of its Visor handheld computer in an attempt to expand the device's appeal to more mobile professionals.
The Visor Edge is a thinner, but more expensive, version of the popular personal digital assistant that introduces a new expansion slot, which could further splinter the market for handheld peripheral.
On Monday, Handspring (HAND) announced the Visor Edge, saying it's the thinnest PDA available.
Company representatives would not provide specific numbers describing the unit's size, but claimed it is smaller than the popular Palm V.
"With the lid it's the thinnest product out there," said Jeff Hawkins, Handspring's co-founder and chief product officer.
Mark Dadgar, a Handspring product manager, said it's definitely thinner than the Palm V if you include the V's flip-over lid.
"A thing that a lot of people strive for is unconscious portability," he said. "This is going to appeal to a much wider demographic and (to) one we haven't appealed to before: the higher-end, the executive, the style-conscious with a bit more disposable income."
"Style is important," Dadgar continued. "That was the major reason for the success of the Palm V. The Palm V form factor is the biggest seller in Palm's lineup."
The Visor Edge uses a smaller connector to attach peripherals while maintaining backward compatibility with earlier Springboard modules. A special clip-on cradle connects to older wireless modems or storage modules, but peripherals designed specifically for the new model won't work on earlier Visors.
The first add-on made specially for the new Springboard slot is likely a clip-on wireless modem from TellUs, and is due out in the summer.
Modules designed to plug into the new connector -- also called Springboard modules -- will be the sixth add-on format for PalmOS devices, which include Handspring's original Springboard, Sony's Memory Sticks, and Palm's upcoming Secure Digital (SD) cards.
Hawkins sees the smaller connector with the cradle option as an advantage: The Visor Edge is thin until the user wants to plug in a modem or MP3 player.
Analysts said that having multiple Springboard slots is confusing for consumers, but the add-on market is only going to get worse.
"There's going to be an explosion in expansion standards and platforms in the next three to five years," predicted Gerry Purdy, president and CEO of Mobile Insights. "It will cause confusion because users will really have to think hard and choose what they want."
The Visor Edge -- which includes 8MB of RAM, uses a DragonBall VZ 33 MHz processor and sells for $399 -- includes features that previous models don't have. The Fast Lookup provides faster access to contact information and a Silent Alarm feature flashes a reminder of upcoming appointments.
It was designed with help from Silicon Valley design firm Ideo, which is also responsible for the Palm V and the original Apple mouse.
After consulting with color experts on upcoming trendy colors, Handspring chose three shades -- red, silver and blue -- because red is the most frequently requested color, silver looks "high-design," and blue is neutral.
"I can't tell you how many people have come up to me at trade shows and said we've got to do a red design," said Dadgar. "We thought it might appeal to women, but it's 50-50, men and women, right down the line."
"Things with good design lines always look good in silver," he added. "And blue is a sort of neutral, bridging color between people who are really outgoing and people who are more conservative."
Experts say the new design has success written all over it.
"They've got cool," said Chris LeTocq, a research director with the Gartner Group, a market research firm. "They've got something that looks great."
Gerry Purdy, president and CEO of Mobile Insights said, "It's slimmer and therefore more attractive. Innovation is still at Handspring."
Handspring's Hawkins, the prime mover behind the Palm OS when he was at Palm, addressed rumors about him dumping the PalmOS for something newer like Microsoft's PocketPC or Symbian's EPOC.
Hawkins said that despite interest in other operating systems, he has no plans to dump the PalmOS just yet.
"The PalmOS is a major selling point for us," Hawkins said. But he added that the company will likely broaden its scope as it grows.
Hawkins said that as the company continues to expand "over time we're going to see more products, and we'd expect to see other platforms.... In 20 years time, will we have other software from the PalmOS? Probably, yeah."
Purdy said Handspring is definitely looking at alternatives like EPOC, Pocket PC and embedded Linux.
"Handspring will migrate to other operating systems not because they like Palm but because they have to be multiplatform to be the worldwide leader," he said.
Handspring competitor Palm Computing (PALM) is expected to offer its own new line of handhelds later in the week.
