WHAT'S HOT: The Visor Prism's bright color screen can display 65,536 colors and is easy to read in low light. Like the Visor Pro, the Prism uses a rechargeable battery. The unit's cheerful, cobalt-blue plastic casing and Springboard slot for adding expansion devices such as MP3 players make it a great handheld for students.

WHAT'S NOT: The unfortunate flip side to the brightness of the Prism's screen indoors is its poor readability outside. In direct sun (or any bright light) the screen is too dark to use. Also, the Prism's screen has a much lower resolution than that of Pocket PC PDAs (160 by 160, versus 240 by 320), creating a rather blocky look. And although the rechargeable battery will save you money in the long run, you can't remove it to swap in an emergency backup. Worse, you'll have to drag the syncing cradle along to recharge because the Prism has no DC-in port (the AC adapter plugs into a Y connection on the cradle's USB plug). Finally, the Visor Prism is a tad thicker than the Visor Pro and includes only half the memory.

WHAT ELSE: One of Handspring's older models, the Visor Prism has dropped from $449 since its launch a year ago to a more reasonable $265. It sports a cheerful cobalt-blue case with a matching USB syncing cradle and a gray, lightweight plastic stylus. A leather sheath cover also comes in the box.

UPSHOT: Only a little more expensive than the Visor Pro, the $265 Visor Prism is a tad thicker and includes only half the memory. But its bright 16-bit color screen is the best choice here for low-light use.

SUMMARY

Handspring Visor Prism Palm OS 3.5.2, 8MB internal memory, 2.3-by-2.3-inch active screen area, 160 by 160 resolution, Springboard expansion slot, lithium ion battery; 6.9 ounces; one-year parts and labor warranty, toll-call support for 12 hours on weekdays. Free tech support for 90 days, fee per call thereafter. $265 888/565-9393 www.handspring.com