Customer Reviews

Sony CLIE PEG-NR70V Handheld PDA

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I agree with many of the reviews (buttons poorly placed, keyboard arguably not faster than Graffiti, excellent screen color, etc.), and love the device in general; but would like to give you more info about the camera to help choose between the V and non-V models. I have owned a 3.2 megapixel digital camera, and the Handspring expansion Eyemodule camera for comparison. The CLIE camera takes descent color photos. They appear particularly nicely on the small PDA screen, and can easily take photos in good light (mandatory, no flash), especially of close objects (within 5-6 feet). Great for quick photos of people (can even take mini size and attach to address files!), kids, etc. At a distance, slightly grainy for sure, but I have photographed my house, my car, and even my flagpole with good success. Again, bright light is required for a good shot. Can take MANY shots without wearing down the battery (exactly how many i do not know, but would guess dozens and dozens), and they are all thumbnailed in tiny size in the PDA program to allow access, review. Can import/export to Memory Stick, and I have a 128MB Memory STick in the slot [price] and can store hundreds of color photos. Uses: I have a friend househunting who uses his to take photos of each home. Take car wreck damage photos, take people you meet at a bar photos, take road sign photos for directions, a quickpic for on-line sales, covertly snap people you work with to show the spouse ("this is Jennie that I work with...see, she ain;t so cute"), etc. The fact that you have the camera all the time is a major plus! Can change effects, can take B/W pics, can change lighting sensitivity, can even do some (useless) fun picture effects (solar, negatives, etc.). All photos can be modified on the CLIE with PaintWorks (included) right on the CLIE to add funny gestures, change some colors, and such (but does not crop, enlarge etc.) Negative: unlike my Eyemodule Handspring that can hotsync the images to a PC, Sony has decided to make us buy a Memory Stick and Reader/Writer ([price]; the knock-off reader only is [price]) to get the photos from CLIE, to Stick, to PC. Once on the PC can modify with any software program you use, as these are JPEG images. Can email, print hard copy and the like. The Sony Memory Stick reader/writer is also very helpful, but I do not beleive required, to get your CD collection on Memory Stick MP3s for CLIE listening. So, bottom line, you will be spending another [price] dollars beyond the PDA price to get a large size Memory stick and the reader, count on it. I personally use the camera every few days, which is more than I can say for my digicam that I never seem to have when I need it. For the extra [price] bucks, the camera, in my humble opinion, is very worthwhile. Happy shooting!

The new peg-nr70v is an excellent machine. While this review lists the plus and minus features to help you make your choice overall I rate this device as the top PDA I've owned.

Pro
1) Beautiful Screen. The best on the market
2) The dropping of the silkscreen area for a software replacement is an excellent design (Sony did not lead the way here however) and smacks of many future possibilities.
3) The software graffiti area allows for instant feedback of text entry mistakes.
4) The magnesium case is rugged and attractive. It will scratch though.
5) The clamshell design is a breakthrough. Anyone who has a PDA needs some kind of case or cover. In my experience these things are always a pain. No longer.
6) The camera and mp3 player are nice additions and send a clear message about sony's business model.
7) The keyboard works but I am faster with graffiti.
8) The rechargeable battery has excellent life. I recharge it every three or four days even though the indicator still shows full.

Cons
1) The traditional hardkeys (date, phone, task, note) are really badly placed. With the screen rotated you cannot get to them at all. It would have been "easy" to incorporate these buttons as soft keys in the new graffiti area (or just below). This is my biggest negative.

2)The pen is too skinny. This is the skinniest pda pen going and it can get tiring to hold it.

3) The return button on the side of the device is tiny and difficult to depress. Sony got it right in earlier Clie models I don't know what happened here.

Wishlist: loose the keyboard and add wireless email. I just don't use the keyboard enough and the additional space provided by its absence is more than enough for Sony to add additional small miracles.

Once, years ago, I had proclaimed, "I could never use a PDA; I'd always be worried about running out of batteries or losing the information. Good old paper organizers are enough for me." That was then. A while later, while sorting through all my Post-It notes and hand "archiving" them into the back pocket of my fabric organizer, I decided to look into PDAs. Couldn't I keep a typed list of things to do without straining for hours to decipher my hasty handwriting on yellow bits of paper? Wouldn't it be nice to put an organizer that weighed a few ounces into my bag instead of the one I had which was quickly reaching the weight of a brick? Being a student, I wanted something reliable that also scored exceptionally well in the "coolness" section. My first inclination was to go with a Palm Pilot - after all, they're everywhere, right? Palm this, Palm that. Celebrities swear by them according to a few magazines, ads show off shiny new models all the time, and "Palm Pilot" seems to have become synonymous with the word "PDA." That's it, I had decided. I'm going with a Palm m100 or m105 (a decision purely determined by price); the next day, I said, "That's it, I'm going with the Handspring Visor (the decision purely determined by the cool case colors).

Little did I know that seeing a PDA on the web is very different from seeing a PDA in person. Like supermodels and magazine covers, most photos of PDAs seem to go through this "retouching" phase thanks to Adobe. When I saw the Palms, I was immediately disappointed; the screens were barely visible to me. When I saw the Handsprings, I was again disappointed; the supposedly vibrant "colors" turned out to be rather dull and unimpressive. After asking others for their opinions, I was told that the Sony Clié was the best way to go. The Sony what? I had never even heard that Sony was in the PDA business. A sales guy showed me the Sony Cliés - it was instant love. I first purchased the Sony T-615, a perfectly competent model that did everything I hoped it would; until, that is, the NR-70V came out. As someone who loves the latest and greatest, I traded it in for the newest model. A built-in keyboard? Better resolution? A camera? I was sold! Of course, there were those who jealously defended their Palm Pilots, insisting that Palms were the best in this and that, that Sonys can't even touch what they had. Well, I was already taken by the Sony. I now laugh that I went from the... 150 m100 or m105 to the... NR-70V. What a leap!

I had just returned from a summer vacation to Thailand. I always use a vacation as a diagnostic test on how effective an electronic device is. Why? Because while at home I am gingerly handling the device, careful not to scratch it, afraid of wasting the batteries, terrified of using it too much; while on vacation, however, thrown into, ironically, hectic situations (handling airline schedules, quickly converting currencies in line at the store, checking world times before flights, bringing up dictionaries to haggle with store owners), I am forced to break out the device to apply it to life situations. In Thailand, the PDA never left my side. Carefully protected in its Brando leather case, I used it for everything (see parentheses above). I even took pictures with it. Be careful to note, however, that the camera on this device is not top quality; they're pictures you take for fun, not ones you take to print out brilliant photos later. So, if you do want to take digital pictures on vacation, be sure to bring a capable camera. However, there's great value in having a camera with you all the time. The camera is great for taking quick photos when you don't have the time to whip out your digital camera (or even when you forget to bring it). "I wish I had a camera with me!" Well, now you do.

A variety of programs can also make your NR-70V even more useful. BugMe! is a program that is designed like Post-It notes (you know, the pieces of paper I used to have all over the place pre-PDA); you just tap the icon on your device, bring up a new "sheet," and use your stylus to write right on the screen in your own handwriting. A great program for those who don't want to use Graffiti or type on the cumbersome mini-keyboard. Another program called Energy Dimmer is great for automatically dimming the backlight of your PDA after a number of seconds. If you are going to use this PDA for typing up notes, keeping the backlight on will drain the batteries quickly (along with using intensive programs such as games). Download this program so it will dim when it is idle, thus saving you batteries and the trouble of turning the device on and off every few minutes.

After visiting three airports, countless stores and restaurants, and many scenic sights, I have to say that this is the best PDA on the market. There are several good reviews out there that contain more technical jargon than I've provided here; I just hope this review has been helpful for those seeking a more "day-to-day" review. Some more specific points and tips to help you decide:

* The button placements are not ideal. They are awkward, requiring one to reach in and push into the heart of the PDA.

* The built-in keyboard is not very user friendly. The buttons are small; not much of a relief from using the Graffiti. It is a pain to capitalize and use numbers. I recommend getting the newly released PEGA-KB11 keyboard. It's a fold-out and full-sized keyboard that allows you to type as though you are on a laptop.

* If you want to use the camera instead of a digital camera (meaning these are just fun photos, not to be printed at great quality), use it with plenty of light, as there is no flash included. I took photos of some people in my tour group - one in a dark restaurant, the other in a bright restaurant - the difference is great. You can take pictures of people with this and insert the thumbnail photo in your address book.

* The MP3 player, in my opinion, is not very useful. First of all, you need a special white memory stick (different from the blue ones) to store the files. The price can add up. The design of this PDA is also a bit bizarre, so it's not really convenient to use it as a music player.

* The screen resolution is the best on the market right now. Some PDA screens will become almost unreadable with the backlight off; the Sony is still readable (with some reasonable ambient light) without the backlight.

* Be sure you can live with the clamshell design. Many people find this design awkward and unnecessary. Personally, I think it gives the PDA a "mini laptop" feel and plenty of versatility. You can sit it open like a laptop, flip the screen over like a spiral notebook, et cetera.

* If you don't want to use the cradle to charge or hotsync, purchase a cable that'll allow you to charge and hotsync via your computer (using the USB slot).

In conclusion, the Sony Clié NR-70V is a great buy if you know it'll be compatible with your needs. It is always with me, and many programs and add-ons can enhance the experience. This is your all-in-one device: an organizer, a camera, a currency converter, a laptop, a photo gallery, a subway map, your international watch, a music player, a remote control, a movie player, etc. After having this for a few months, I can't believe I ever preferred a paper organizer over this. This is definitely everything you want it to be.

I was looking for a new PDA to replace my outdated, stuffed-to-the-brim, b&w handheld. When I just happened on Sony's site and saw the PEG-NR70V - Bam! - Love at first sight!

The clamshell design is wonderfully different and the hi-res color, 180 degree rotating screen will make you the envy of everyone in the room. Games, pictures and even movies (!) look marvelous on the large crystal-clear display.

Those "gee, I wish I had a camera on me" moments will be no more. The built in camera takes decent pics on the fly. You can even edit them with the CliePaint app.

The 66mhz Processor makes your apps fly and the more the merrier with the 16mb of internal memory. Considering that the Clie also supports Memory Stick expansion, you'll always have room for that must-have application, or your collection of MP3s. Listen to musuc on the train as you read your synched morning newspaper with the AudioPlayer software and included earphones with remote!

If you must have the latest and greatest, then the Clie NR70v is definately for you. I've had no problems with mine and love the stares!

This PDA kicks [rear]! I've been waiting for about a year to replace my Palm V and saw this model at a party and had to have it. Sony has sone a great job coming up with ways to make the platform better that I would never have thought of. Example: when you write on the grafitti area, the Clie traces your stroke, to show you briefly what you've written, so that if you're consistantly writing a letter wrong, you'll see why. Don't like grafitti? No problem. The integrated keyboard is as easy to use as a blackberry or any of the small attachable keyboards currently available. The screen is bright and sharp, the mp3 sound is as good as my mp3 player, and the photo and video is sharp as well. The third-party software is easy to install fun, and easy to use as well. It uses the same Palm desktop as my old PalmV and so I was able to transfer all my old data with no sweat.
The memory stick works just like an external drive when the unit is in its cradle, so it's a snap to transfer files, music, pictures back and forth from my PC. You don't even have to hotsync.
The camera is actually useful, although it has no flash or adjustable shutter.
If I have any complaints it's that it doesn't go as long on a single charge as my Palm did, but then, my old Palm didn't have an MP3 player and camera running down the battery, and, to be really petty, the stylus is very thin and not as comfortable to hold as the Palm's. I'm not usually one to jump on the first new technology as soon as it hits, but this is just too cool not to have.

OK, so I'm one of those gadget guys that has to go out and always buy the latest everything...and much to my wife's dismay, spend a lot of money in the process. As far as PDA's go, I have been from the Palm (m505), to Pocket PC (Ipaq) and now I'm back to the Palm again with the Sony Clie. Always looking for new features, I have been attracted to different PDA's for different features...and of course, the industry cannot come out with one single unit that does everything because that would hurt their bottom line, so I have been forced to buy several different types of PDA's.

The Sony Clie does not disappoint when it comes to features and overall aesthetics/appearance. Sony is the first that I've seen to realize that it's a smart idea to include the "case" as a feature of the unit itself. If you want to purchase a leather case to protect your unit even further, you can definitely do so, but the design of the NR70V has a nice titanium looking hard case on the outside of the unit which protects itself. No need to carry the bulky pocket-book looking leather cases.

This isn't a review that will list every feature of the unit because you can get that by just visiting the Sony web site ... Instead, I'll highlight some of the good and bad features for you so that you can make an informed decision.

First of all, as of the date of this review (6/11/2002), the price of the unit was still in the high [$$$] range, which is an extremely high price for a PDA. Waiting a few months, you may find the price will drop a couple hundred bucks and let you pocket that hard earned money.

The digital camera that comes with the unit is nothing more than a novelty. Don't fool yourself into thinking that you'll use this to take pictures at your next social function or Holiday party. The resolution is horrible, but with that said, you are buying a PDA folks. Despite Sony's attempts to promote this unit as an all-in-one "Personal Entertainment Organizer", it is still a PDA. Which means that you shouldn't expect a 4 mega-pixel camera. The camera should be used in its context, which for example may include taking a picture of a book in a bookstore that you want to make sure you read in the future, or a picture of the CD in the music store that you want your wife or parents to buy you for your birthday. Bottom line on the camera is don't set your expectations too high and you won't be disappointed. It might be cool at first, but should not be a deciding factor in your purchase decision.

The music player feature is great. You can play mp3's and use your PDA just like a walkman. The thing to watch our for here is that unfortunately Sony does not include a memory stick with this unit, despite its price (not even a 4MB stick to get you started!!), which I found extremely annoying. If you're going to play more than a few songs at a time, you'll need to invest in at least a 128MB memory stick which will run you upwards of [$$$] depending on where you buy it (cheapest place I found was by using the shopping comparison on Yahoo!).

The screen that the Sony comes with is superb to any that I have seen. The resolution is great, pictures show up clear, and movies are also pretty good. (this technology has a long way to go, but Sony is still at the top of the list).

Having experiences the ease of use of the PocketPC, I find several features of the Palm OS, and in turn, the Sony Clie, extremely frustrating. For example, there is no software that allows you to see all files that you have saved on your unit in one screen, and allow you to open/delete/change or beam them. The unit comes with MS Gate which is a program that attempts to do this, but unfortunately is extremely lacking. The features I found most annoying is that it lists ALL files, including system files that you don't care about, and it also will not let you open any of the files from this program. In contrast, the PocketPC lets you simply use something just like the Explorer included with Windows (as a general comment, if you are used to Windows and do not want to deter from it, go with a PocketPC and stay away from Palm).

The QWERTY keyboard is a great feature of the unit. It makes entering everything much easier, and for those of you that find Graffiti frustrating, this is your savior.

For some reason, the people that designed this unit put the audio speaker on the bottom of the unit in the exact place that your hand goes when you're holding it. This muffles any sound that comes out, and seems like poor design....just my humble opinion.

The size of the unit is great. It's nice and slim and rivals the M500 and Palm V series. Something frustrating to note hear is that the screen is a good size, but unfortunately you cannot always use its full length. Only certain applications that have been specifically designed for the full screen will let you take FULL advantage of it.

Well...have I said enough?? Overall, I think the Sony Clie NR70V is a step above the rest and Sony has made a good and pioneering effort to include several features that you can't find on any other PDA's. The question is, whether or not these features will make you fork out the extra few hundred dollars. For me, the answer was Yes, but being the gadget guy only means that I'll be doing it again with the next model, and the Clie NR70V will be a thing of the past. Spend wisely.

Screen: The screens are both excellent. The Sony has a definite edge in sharpness and overall quality, but the iPaq is more colorful and brighter. The edge goes to Sony because for reading small text, the Sony wins. Sony 340x480, iPaq 340x240. It does make a difference.

Form factor: The Sony is nice and slim, but about an inch too long to be comfortable in a shirt pocket. The clamshell is also awkward, and I almost never use the keyboard. On the plus side, the flip screen protects it, nice solid metal case. The iPaq is also slim, but wait. It's rounded and feels "slippery." Add the standard plastic screen protector case, it gets bigger. Add anything else (like an adapter for Compact Flash, or wireless) and it's as thick as paperback book and HEAVY. Edge to Sony.

Apps: Apps for both were ok. I found that unlike PalmOS apps, most PocketPC apps cost money, not as big of a shareware community around PocketPC. Some PocketPC apps I liked better than Palm, some Palm apps I liked better than PocketPC.

Text and email and spreadsheets were all the same, but again, edge to Sony because the fonts looked better. Slight edge to iPaq, because you can always get rid of the keyboard for more screen real estate (we have to wait for Palm OS 5 from Sony before we can do this.)

Toys: Sony has the camera. Nice, but not great. iPaq was simply stellar with MP3 playback with a MUCH better internal speaker, and did great with video. But I found a lot of PalmOS shareware video players that also kicked [...] I wish the Sony had a decent built in speaker, because it has the better MP3 player, but you need to use headphones or external speakers to listen to music. The iPaq you can hear across the room with zero distortion.

The iPaq has built in BlueTooth. What they don't tell you is that you need a BlueTooth receiver, and those get pricey. It should have built in Wi-Fi instead like the Toshiba does at this price. You can add wireless to the iPaq, but hold onto your wallet - at least [$$$] more. And more bulky add-on adaptors. Sony has no public wireless add-on plans for the Clie, but a BlueTooth Memory Stick is available overseas and wireless is rumored.

Sync: It was nice that PocketPC autosyncs, PalmOS you have to force Hot Sync. Transferring files was easier with the PocketPC OS. But again, big plus for Sony since I all need was a hot sync/charging cable, the iPaq uses a very bulky cradle with a ton of wires (I suppose there is an aftermarket one like the Sony has.) Memory: The Clie has 16 megs internal and I added a 128 meg Memory Stick. BIG plus - you can run some apps off the stick - nice! The iPaq has 48 megs in ROM, 64 in RAM, and you can add more with a Smart Media card. Edge to Sony again. It has less internal memory, but PalmOS apps are also MUCH smaller than their PocketPC counterparts, so you can run more apps with less memory. I was surprised at how quickly I ran into memory issues on the iPaq.

Neither PDA wins points for the memory form factor.

One other point. In two weeks, the Sony locked up once. The iPaq froze three times in two days, not a good sign.

All things being considered, and after testing several apps for both platforms (including mapping, games, multimedia, presentation programs, web browsing/clipping, email, etc.) the two units were similar and neck and neck.

I waffled between the two for three days, but the verdict is in.
Sony wins. Bottom line is that the iPaq costs [$$$] more than the top end Sony. It also gets quickly tops [$$$] when you add wireless and other features. This is bad enough, but the form factor is a killer. The iPaq is simply too bulky even in a standard configuration - I don't want to carry a paperback book from meeting to meeting.

I'll keep an eye on the iPaq line, but for now the Sony and PalmOS still offer the best bang for the tech buck. To win me back, the iPaq needs: 340x480, built in Wi-Fi, better form factor/screen protection,[$$$]off the price. Then I'd look at it again.I expect that by the time we see this unit, Sony will have PalmOS 5 support, a better built in camera, and Wi-Fi as well.

I'm not really a gadget person, but I'm a big fan of PDA's because they really are so useful. I've had a Palm Vx, IIIc, and a Compaq iPAQ, all of which I've been very fond of and have been absolutely essential in keeping me organized.

I currently own a Sony Peg-T615C, and if I hadn't purchased it recently I would buy this one right now. I just got back from CompUSA where I gave it a test drive, and I just have to say "Wow!" This is really one cool PDA.

The flip-open clamshell design with the integral keyboard and the rotating screen has been nicely executed. If you want, the whole screen turns over 180 degrees and then you can close it and then hold it just like a normal Palm Pilot, if you don't want to hold it in "clamshell" fashion.

One concern I had was resolved right away. The keyboard seemed sort of cheesy from the advertising photos, because it looked like one of those membrane-types that don't have very good tactile qualities, but the buttons are slightly raised and have enough spring to them so that they actually have quite a nice, solid feel. Although I'll probably stick to the Graffiti handwriting, the keyboard works quite well. The only other PDA on the market with an integral keyboard that I know of is the Zaurus, running an embedded version of Linux. Although I was impressed with it, it's more of a Pocket PC and doesn't run the Palm apps. Actually, it won't run the Pocket PC apps either because of the Linus operating system. But it's still an impressive offering in its area.

To get an idea of the brightness of the screen, I compared it side by side with my venerable Palm IIIc, which still has the brightest screen of any Palm model. Overall, the screen resolution is superb and the brightness is excellent, and the clamshell design with the rotating screen overall was executed very well, I thought. It's not as bright as my IIIc, but the battery should last much longer than my now 2-year old than the IIIc, and it has 64k colors, whereas my IIIc only has 256.

I just had a couple of complaints, but they're not serious. The only problem with the screen is that it rotates only one way, which is clockwise. If you try to rotate it the other way, you'll find it won't go at all. This makes it different from the small LED screens on most camcorders, but it's okay.

The other problem is that if you rotate the screen 180 degrees and close it, so that you're now holding it like a regular Palm, rather than clamshell style, you now can no longer reach the four application buttons. Had they placed the buttons at the bottom of the screen, it wouldn't be a problem. However, there is a workaround for this. If you want, you can configure the jog-wheel to pop up your applications instead. Not a bad solution.

The other complaint I've heard is that the battery technology is a little flakey. A friend of mine that has one says the unit powers off without warning when the battery gets low. My Palm IIIc at least tells you when you need to put it on recharge. Also, he said the manual says you only need to recharge it for 4 hours before using it. But when he tried that, the unit wouldn't power up all the way and would lock up.

Another thing you'll notice that's different is the Graffiti area is virtual, like the Pocket PCs, and is more evenly vertically divided between the letters and numbers areas. Also, it's noticeably taller, which increases the overall height of the PDA compared to the PegT615C, but I'm sure I'd get used to this pretty quickly. However, it does increase the height making it noticeably bigger than the Peg-T615C, but it's okay. But perhaps best of all, the Graffiti area displays your strokes, which helps to increase accuracy. There are programs, such as GrafAid, that do this also, but with the Sony, you don't even need that anymore. Also, the strokes are displayed on the Graffiti area itself instead of on the screen above it, as in the case of the GrafAid or the original built-in Graffiti program.

One thing to consider is that since the NR70 can use the whole screen, they're going to have to develop new apps that take advantage of this. The native apps, the Memopad, Todo list, and so on, probably do, but I couldn't figure out how to cancel the virtual Graffiti area to test this. Anyway, Sony says it has 4000 developers signed up to create programs for their PDAs so I'm sure there will be more apps making full use of the screen soon, not to mention the greater resolution of the Sony color screens, which are 320 x 320 instead of 160 x 160, and in the case of the NR70, 320 x 480.

I didn't test the digital camera function, which is what sets this model off from the NR70, but I'm sure it works fairly well. No doubt this feature will be useful to many people.

Aside from the few minor problems I mentioned and the program availability issue, the NR70 is the most advanced Palm PDA out there, and all in all I think this is a great unit. In fact, I'd give it 6 stars if I could.

I own both a plam and pocket PC based PDA. For those who are trying to decide which is better, I hope this is somewhat helpful.

Sony NR70V Pros & Cons
- The screen quality is much better than a pocketpc based handheld, but I have to admit that I was surprised that the battery life of both are about equal. It used to be that plam battery life was much longer. That is not so with this Sony.
- For those who are looking for basic easy-to-use, palm is the way to go. If you want more capabilities, then pocketpc is better. I was really disappointed that when I purchased the sony that the software included only included a trial version of the presentation software (particularly for this much money). The pocketpc had the excel,word,powerpoint as standard.
- The memory is too limited. I spend over half my time trying to clear up space on the memory. Not all programs work on the memory stick. I am not sure why this is?!?!? My pocketpc has a lot more space to move files.
- The sound quality on the sony is much better than my pocketpc. However, the Sony Sonic stage is very intrusive and doesn't work with the more inexpensive sony memory sticks. I found this out too late, of course. Pocketpc I can play wma and mp3. This gives me a better ability to save space. The sony "check out" system is insulting. I am not sure why sony treats all Sony handheld owners as potential music downloading criminals. I own all my own CD's.
- There is a lot more software for the plam than the pocketpc. However, not all of the software will work on the Sony. In particular, I was looking for a better music player, but because of the Sony propriatary software, none of it is compatible. Still, some of the palm handhelds I dealt with sounded pretty good.
- The sony is far superior when it comes to the quality of photos and software to support it. However, this is my least used feature.
- It is a big advantage to have the keyboard included. I don't enjoy trying to hook-up my pocketpc with the fold out keyboard. Too much bulk.
- For work, I am forced to use my pocketPC. For personal and fun, I use my sony. I am not willing to buy third-party software for a 500 dollar PDA to look at work files.
- Sony memory sticks cost much more than SD/MMC and CompactFlash cards. WHY?
- Overall very disappointed.

If you decide to get a Sony and are a heavy user of your PDA, get one with more than 16MB. Remember that the some software will not work off the memroy stick, regardless of what sony says. If you are only using your PDA for personal and recreational needs, Sony is okay. If you want a PDA to also listen to music, look at the other palm handhelds that support multiple files, not just the MP3 or propriatary software sony forces you to use. For the basics and for photos, then this Sony will work for you.

Good luck.
-
-

I've been a big fan of Sony's Palm devices since the 710C came out...truly a superb device that I've enjoyed for a long time. Now that the NR70V can be found for less than it was originally released for, I decided to try it out. And I haven't been disappointed in the least! This is truly a head-turning PDA. Let's look at some highlights:

1. Awesome screen. No device of any kind can rival the 320x480 screen of this Clie. Colors are vivid and bright. One issue is the shading at the top of the screen, particularly noticeable when you first get it. Not so bad once you are used to it.

2. Virtual graffiti. The first color Palm to feature this. Very nicely implemented, shows your graffiti strokes as you write. Even better, you can customize the graffiti area with other skins. I love the Fitaly keyboard and use this. The negative is that Sony did not upgrade the standard apps to allow for fullscreen. However, a lot of add-on applications do make use of this capability now, and it is really awesome to see. Full screen launchers, datebooks, file managers, games, image viewers, ebook readers, and more are available.

3. Built-in camera. The resolution is not the best, but what a great feature to have! I look forward to new Clies that have even better cameras, but for the price, I'm not complaining at all about this one. It allows you to save the photos to the memory stick, and you can save in either the PictureGear format, or as a jpg (my preference).

4. MP3 player. Again, something that is not easy to find on Palms. I had this on my 710C and it really was pretty good. Turn off the screen, and enjoy! I just wish it would handle WMAs as well as MP3s.

5. Add-on software. Some really nice additional software. The remote control software is great, I was able to set up most of my devices without a hitch (would like to have a Tivo control as well though). Gmovie is kind of [bad], I'd recommend getting Kinoma player instead. The sound utility program does the job. Did I mention the improved sound on this device is awesome?! Much better than the typical Palm bleeps and blips.

6. Flip Screen. Takes a little getting used to. Not sure how much I will use the extra keyboard, and the keys are not the best... but overall did not have too much problem with it. Again, it's a real head-turner when people see it and the design is what allows for that large, lovely screen.

7. Memory. 16 Meg of Ram (15 available) is very nice to have. Don't be fooled by PPCs that have more, 15 meg on a Palm lets you add a TON of stuff! Add a 128 meg memory stick (or 2 or 3) and you can load up on Palms apps and games till the cows come home. I'd prefer SD cards since they go higher than 128 meg and are more compact, but if using this nice machine means being stuck with Sony's [bad] MS, I can live with that. I would like more Flash memory free, although there are programs that let you free some up (somewhat dangerous and voids the warranty).

8. Speed. Twice as fast as other OS 4 Palm devices with decent battery life still. You won't be waiting for stuff to happen on this one!

9. OS 4. Okay, the OS 5 devices are out, and the new Sonys look very cool, the Tungsten too. But you won't have any compatibility problems on this one. And you won't pay as much. I personally prefer to wait and let other people be the beta testers for OS 5 and wait for the next round of devices, and give developers time to upgrade their applications.

Overall, this is truly a ground-breaking device, not just for
Palms, but all PDAs. The design, the built-in camera, sounds, speed, lots of memory all make it well worth considering.