Customer Reviews

Sony CLIE PEG-NR70 Handheld

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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" style.

One concern I had was resolved right away. The keyboard looked 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.

But getting back to the Sony, 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.

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.

The program availability problem aside, all in all I think this is a great unit. In fact, I'd give it 6 stars if I could.

This is a love-hate handheld. I've owned my NR70 for four months, and would advise someone to think twice before buying one of these machines.

First the plus side. This is the best looking handheld device I've seen. It's as much of a piece of art as a handheld gets these days. The case is a joy to hold, and the rotating screen doesn't get old after months of use - it's still a blast to spin it into position. The design also serves to protect the screen against scratches. Battery life is not too bad - better than I expected - and it recharges quickly. The 320x480 screen is outstanding when applications support the full resolution (unfortunately few do). With 320x320 apps, the virtual graffiti area and icons are extremely clear.

Now for the negatives. I returned my first two. NR70 Clie #1 had a dead pixel. I swapped it for #2, and upgraded to the NR70V with a camera. Two problems. The camera is very poor quality and I lost interest in it after five minutes of playing with it. The second problem is that the screen brightness of my NR70V was less than that of the NR70. I could see this because my wife had also purchased a NR70 and in a side-by-side comparison, hers was brighter than the NR70V. In addition, when I went back to Circuit City, their NR70 on display was brighter than their NR70V. Not a big difference, but these are expensive machines and I like mine bright. So, I returned the NR70V and wound up with Clie #3. After 4 months of use, here are the downsides:

1) Reliability problems. My wife had to send her NR70 back to Sony for repair because it hosed her memory stick and the infrared wouldn't work. Sony told her these were "known problems" (well, why release the hardware if it has known problems?) She had a poor customer support experience - the packaging Sony mailed to return it for repair arrived several days after it was promised, and it took over two weeks to get her machine back. Sony doesn't really care that users depend on these machines for their jobs and has no program to rush a replacement unit to the user. It breaks, it's your tough luck. One piece of advice from Sony was, "why didn't you purchase an extended warranty from Circuit City." Well, why should I? These machines are expensive enough already! My own Clie has had intermittent problems reading the memory stick and now is unable to transmit wireless. It's not convenient for me to be without it for two weeks, however, so I'm going to try and live with it.

2) The "keyboard" is completely useless. I never have used it. The device should have been made smaller, or this space used for a more useful feature like wireless.

3) The up/down keys and the four buttons for the Palm OS applications are useless. The device feels unnatural in the hand when opened up clamshell style - you can't get a good balance holding it and using the buttons to play games. These buttons belong on the bottom of the screen. The problem is further compounded by the nonstandard configuration and ridiculously small sizes of the up/down buttons.

4) Not enough applications support 320x480. Only two applications that I use regularly do - AcidImage and Mobipocket reader. It is frustrating that more apps don't support this and that Sony did not rewrite the key Palm OS apps (datebook, etc) to support 320x480.

5) Not enough applications support the hires mode. Even the new release of Bejeweled 1.6 doesn't support hires. This is frustrating because once you see a hires app, you don't want to use anything that displays at 160x160. Ever.

6) Sony makes you install a Sony version of the Palm desktop on your PC. I expected that at least after having to uninstall my old Palm desktop and reinstall the Sony desktop, the new one would at least look better. But it is just as uninspired an interface as the standard Palm desktop - couldn't they have spiffed this up a bit?!

7) Too expensive. Price is coming down, but the original retail prices ...are greedily high for a Palm OS device.

8) Prepare to stock up on extra styluses because they don't stay in place too well and fall out of their slot on the side of the Clie.

9) Can't hear MP3's without headphones. Game sounds are loud, system sounds are loud, but MP3s are barely audible.

10) The hold button is easy to slide into the "on" position without knowing it. The first time I did this, it took me a few minutes of fiddling with the Clie to realize it wasn't broken after all. But it keeps happening.

11) The memory stick sometimes pops out of it's slot if the Clie is jostled around in a packpack or briefcase.

12) As noted, the camera in the NR70V is poor quality and not worth the extra price.

All in all, I do enjoy my Clie, but I'd never buy another one of these and I'm staying away from Sony next time around.

with a laundry list of features and improvements, the sony nr70 is by far the most impressive palm os-based, if not all handheld os-based, devices.

unfortunately, there is a fatal flaw with the device that has seemed to have plagued many owners after 2-4 weeks of use. the memory stick connectors on the nr70 is loosely constructed which is exacerbated each time the device is used. by the 2nd-4th week, the device will no longer be able to detect the memory stick.

many forums and mailing lists have documented this problem and the only permanent solution is to open up the device, thereby voiding your warranty, and putting in material to compress the memory stick compartment to ensure contact with the memory stick...

I thought this item was the best pda in the market but I just went through the Sony website and they are advising about their new pda. Wich works with palm OS 5.0,has a faster processor and supports wireless connection. So if you are willing to spend some cash in buying the best pda around wait for this new model.

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.

The few minor problems I mentioned and the program availability issue aside, 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 compared this PDA side by side with my venerable Palm IIIc and was very impressed with it. The screen resolution and brightness are superb, continuing Sony's success with the PEG T615C, 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.

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.

Overall, though, a great PDA. I would give it 6 stars if I could.

EXCELLENT unit. Very slick piece of work. My impressions of the hardware are definitely favorable - the keyboard seems very functional (fat fingers beware, though), and I must have twisted the screen over one hundred times since I've had it :)

In my honest opinion, this machine is as good as a PalmOS4 device can ever possibly hope to be, and all Palm fans should AT THE VERY LEAST take it out for a test drive. The 66Mhz processor really makes a difference - a less informed individual could easily be fooled into believing that the NR70 and my ARM-powered iPaq 3835 are equally powerful (which will now take a seat on the FAAAR end of the bench :). The 66Mhz DragonBall proc provides a very noticeable speed increase, especially for games (Bejeweled! and Race Fever almost seemed to be in fast-forward compared to my N760C). And G-Movie is actually useable now :)

The screen possesses the brightness and clarity of the T615C (and it's actually a bit superior in these areas), and has practically perfect color saturation. Impeccable. The only issue that I have with the screen is that the backlighting isn't exactly even in one spot (the edge of the screen at that black plastic piece). About 1/8" off that edge is not lit uniformly -- this is only noticeable when the machine in 'clamshell' form (as opposed to 'traditional PDA' form). When the machine is in 'traditional PDA' form, the grey status bar at the bottom of the screen does a great job of completely hiding this flaw (which may be specific to my unit).

The entire body is magnesium (it's actually one of the unit's selling points), and I've been told that it's really scratch resistant (I'll get back to you with personal impressions after I make the mandatory mistake of putting it in the same pocket as my keys ). Unlike my iPaq, the body doesn't feel slippery, and it doesn't attract fingerprints at all. I have used the machine regularly since purchase and I have yet to see any fingerprints anywhere (in comparison, by the end of my first two hours with the iPaq, it was covered with them). Also, applying pressure on the unit yields absolutely no flex (again, unlike my 3835).

Build quality on this Sony device is not an issue. You can tell that it is a [quality] device (especially with that beautiful 320x480 screen turned on).

The sound is very clear (almost as good as my 3835). Going from an m515 to an NR70 is akin to going from PC speaker output to wavetable sound. And it's even better than the T615C.

Flipping the screen is NOT a big deal, and it looks very cool, especially if you have your technique down :) Yes, it's definitely a two-handed process, and that's why this device is not for everyone.

And for you gamers out there - this clamshell design DOES NOT mean you have to give up gaming on your PDA! I actually like this setup better; instead of holding a top-heavy PDA with no support at the bottom, on the NR70, the keyboard part actually 'hooks' under the fat part of the base of your palm, providing even more support! The whole apparatus isn't even that much taller, since the keyboard part slides in between your wrists where an empty space used to be. I cannot BELIEVE how well thought out this device is.

I would rate this Sony marvel 95%. One of the few products of any kind to meet (and, in my honest opinion, EXCEED) the tremendous hype that preceded its release.

I own the Palm Vx & I wanted to replace it with a color PDA. When I started looking Palm had just come out with their version color model. Since I liked the Palm operating system, I was all set to buy it until I saw the display. It was so dark & murky that it didn't look very different from the b&w display. I didn't want a Windows PDA so I waited. When I first heard about the NR70V, I knew I had to have it. I pre-ordered it from Sony. Now that I have it, I absolutely love it. The display is big & bright & the unit itself is easy to use & it comes preloaded with a lot of software.

My only complaint is that battery life is not that great. I love playing games on it so I plan on purchasing the ac adapter to save the battery power.

The unit is fabulous, however, even with the short battery life.

Had a PEG-760C since December '01 and loved it until the battery would no longer hold a charge and I kept losing data. Just took it in to Best Buy where I had purchased it along with a 3 year warranty. They said it would have to go back to Sony and I could have a new one in its place. So... I asked if I could upgrade to the NR70V/U and pay the difference & they said YES! This thing is amazing! The screen is much brighter and the case and built in keyboard are so perfectly designed. Can't believe they made such a quantum leap in just a few months. SONY RULES! And Best Buy's warranty/exchange was the easiest transaction I've ever made.

At first, the NR-70 seems like the perfect PDA. Palm OS, MP3 player, 480x320 screen, etc. BUT, it does leave a lot to be desired.

First of all, after having a Palm for 5 years, I am at the point where it is my primary device, I do not print out meeting notes or other items I put in my Palm. But, with this new Clie and all of its other Sony applications, it is not as stable as a "plain old" Palm. One big downer is that if the Memory Stick accidentally gets ejected while the PDA is on, it hangs the system. So while grabbing for it you push in the memory stick, it will automatically eject and hang your PDA. Keep a paper clip handy or you are in deep trouble (tough to find in an airport or coffee shop). This has put me in a bad situation more than once.

The MP3 does indeed play MP3s but that is about it. The "SonicStage LE" software that comes with it is close to useless as it puts too many restrictions on your music (you can tell Sony owns a music label, big conflict of interest here...) If you want full control over your music files you end up having to just copy them directly to the memory stick. Pretty weak.

As for the "big" screen you can only see items as 480x320 in PhotoStand mode. As for using Acrobat, showing PowerPoint shows, documents or anything else, it is only 320x320 as the rest of the "screen" is the basic Palm navigation stuff.

This was a big disappointment as I bought it to show off images my company produces...

The keyboard is surprisingly useful and even thought I am an expert Graffiti user, I still use the keyboard. No wireless access.

The "Hold" button is essential as it suspends the device from accidentally being turned on or woken up when a reminder goes off. The first trip I took I did not put it in "hold" mode and by the time I got to my destination, it was dead (it woke up for a reminder and the screen drained the battery.) I was without it for the rest of the 4 day trip. So much for that. All is all it is nice but I would not get it again. Fit and finish is of highest Sony quality.