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106 of 108 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Great General-Purpose PDA, March 22, 2002
T615C ReviewI have had a Sony Clie T615C for a week now, and here are my impressions and some considerations for potential buyers. PROS - The T615C has a great screen. Text and other fine details are crisp and easy to see thanks to the 320x320 resolution (four times the pixels of the typical 160x160). Photographs are particularly stunning on this display, and you can fit much more text on the screen (with proper application support). Having experienced the higher resolution, I would never go back to the lower resolution of other PDAs. - The beautiful slim design (only half an inch thick) makes the T615C very easy to fit into pockets and other confined spaces. Also, the unit feels very sturdy and well-built. - The Jog Dial and Back button are great enhancements that all PDAs should have. Once you start using them, they will make navigation through programs much easier. (I believe that these are currently only available on Sony Clie models like the T615C.) - The 16 MB of RAM is much more than enough for most users; I have about a dozen programs installed, plus a full dictionary, and have only used about half the space. Also, inexpensive Memory Sticks can give you even more room. - The included application bundle is quite comprehensive, with a photo viewer, paint program, games, and more. Especially valuable for Microsoft Office users is a full version of Documents To Go 4.0. (Note that some of the included programs are demos only.) - MIDI music clips on the T615C sound great and make for fun alarm sounds. CONS - Colors on the screen tend to be a bit washed out and muddy (not fully saturated). For example, the red on a T615C screen is not as "vibrant" as the red on a computer monitor. This appears to be a function of using the backlight, since the colors are much better when viewing the T615C screen in direct sunlight (of course, you will almost always be using the backlight). This issue is not important unless you need perfect color reproduction for some reason. - Some T615C units seems to have brighter screens that others, due to manufacturing inconsistencies. Nevertheless, unless you compare the screen side by side with other units, you probably won't notice it. - There is no way to charge the T615 without using the cradle, which is a bit cumbersome to carry around. There is a small AC adapter, which connects to the cradle, and a USB cable to connect the cradle to your computer, which results in a big jumble of wires. If you do a lot of traveling, I recommend investing in a travel charger. - It is unfortunate that Sony is calling the T615C a "personal entertainment organizer" since I find it to be better-suited for everyday business / personal management tasks, not entertainment. This model is not well-suited for playing action games, since the application buttons and the scroll button are somewhat small. Also, it does not play MP3s without a special accessory. If these things are important to you, look elsewhere. Note that *stylus-based* games look great, sound great, and play great on the T615C. - There are not many third-party accessories (e.g. keyboards) for the T615C... yet. This situation will get better over time. Also, though Memory Sticks are great for storage, the MS interface has not been widely adopted for implementing add-on peripherals, like a GPS receiver. If accessories are important to you, you should consider a Palm or Handspring model instead. (Though remember that accessories do detract from the portability of a PDA, particularly a slim model like the T615C.) ADVICE - Before you buy, visit a local retailer to see the T615C in action, especially its amazing screen. - If you purchase the T615C, I strongly recommend getting a screen protector at the same time. A protector is a thin plastic film that is laid on the screen to protect it from scratches. Though you may be able to keep away bigger scratches by handling the unit carefully, it is possible for dust to get caught under the stylus and scratch the screen slightly during normal use. Check online for PDA screen protector manufacturers. - I also recommend getting a case, though this is not as important as the screen protector. You can get a hard case, pouch, or belt clip case, depending on your needs. There are not a large number of case options for the T615C, but enough to satisfy just about anyone. - If you are on a budget, you can get the T415 for about half the price. It does not have a color screen, and has only 8 MB of RAM, but it is even thinner than the T615C and has all of the other features. - For more buying information and advice for the T615C and other Clie models, I have found the Clie Source web site to be an excellent resource. (Amazon does not want URLs posted in reviews, so check a search engine for the URL.) In summary, I highly recommend the T615C for anyone who wants a great PDA, but who doesn't need a lot of add-ons or entertainment functions. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
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